Experience should have thought me that for every bad day, two good days would typically follow! And yet my mind seems prone to forget these things.
Now, Friday wasn't exactly the best day in my life. It started when I found out after a long email correspondence that none of my bank cards, credit or debit, could be accepted to pay for the meditation course that I wanted to follow next weekend. International cards don't seem to be Argentina's favourite fare. So I find out that Banco Frances, which has a branch in front of the office, changes traveller cheques without charging a commission - a welcome alternative to the ATM withdrawals which cost me eight USD for every transaction, and off course limit the amount one can withdraw in one day, making sure that I need to use this service more than I would like to in this efectivo (cash)-prone economy. Anyway, cash in hand, I venture to find one of the "Rapipago" branches, which is the only alternative to pay for the course. While my cash is certainly as good as everyone else's, the fact that I don't have a local DNI or id-number seems to be yet another stumbling block. For 20 minutes, I try to come up with alternatives with the very friendly girl assisting me, like using a fictional DNI, or hers, but then how will the course be able to identify me as the person who paid the course? So we leave it to this and I return to the office only to find out that the bank transfer for the guarantee and broker fees for the apartment I'm supposed to move into on Tuesday, hasn't happened! The bank in Canada simply forgot to process the wire transfers. Hence follows a long string of emails with my colleagues in Canada to get proof of payments, with the broker, the landlord, while in parallel looking for a plan B (extending my stay in the studio, offering to use one of my traveler cheques as a guarantee to the landlord). And all of this on a day which was full of bureaucratic procedures to open a company bank account, establish a legal entity, not exactly my cup of tea.
It's seven p.m. by the time I leave the office. I may be in Buenos Aires, but I'm just too exhausted to even think about doing something fun. So I spend the evening like most of the others, watching the endless run of American series on TV, a pizza as comfort food this time.
Late Friday night, the first sunray of the day finally comes through. An email from the landlord who is somewhere between Brazil and Uruguay, acknowledging my efforts and telling me not to worry - "just come over on Tuesday, I'll get the money whenever it gets in my account." Ouf (sigh), because honestly, it's been four weeks now since I arrived, and I can't bear yet another week without unpacking and living as I do now in my studio. Then on Saturday, lunch with Eleonora in her usual hangout, this time we are joined by her daugher Augustina. Great company, and immediate click with Augustina, who seems to share the same passion for independent traveling (she's going to Prague and Berlin in April!), music, old buildings with a soul, and checking out cool places. This morning, I treat myself to a nice breakfast at the patio of Como en Casa, and on my way back I bump into an Express Carrefour (yes, open on a Sunday!), where I pack enough fruits (mango!) and vegetables (rucula! avocado!) for 2 days, and two Stella's which will keep me company during tonight's Oscar celebration show. So, enough positive energy to catch up on some work right now, with two cold beers waiting for me later tonight!
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