My "Home Stay" In Buenos Aires

Liliana and her mother (seated)

Hello, loved ones. As of yet, I still know nothing about my computer -- it is "Un Negotio" on the other side of the city´s center. But I found a computer that allows me to download photos from my camera to the computer, which makes it possible to post photos to my blog. Hooray! At this shop, it costs $1.50 AR/hora (that is 1 1/2 Argentine pesos for each hour of use -- about $.50 U.S.). That´s cheap, and easy. Often, convenience stores have banks of phones (in cabins, or phone booths) and also computers in banks (like in library carols - carrols? no recuerdo!)

Anyway, pictured above is the host of my "homestay" (the same word is used in English and Spanish) -- the woman with whom I am staying, along side her mother. I am very glad to be priviledged to stay with Liliana here in Buenos Aires. She is very smart, friendly, helpful, funny, insightful and above all else, insistant that I have a memorable and safe stay in Argentina. She is not very tall, and is small ("muy chica"), and we have enjoyed laughing about the differences between my being tall and large and her being short and small.

Example one: on my first day, only minutes after I had arrived, we sat down on her balcony to share coffee and "medialunas", half-moon shaped crescent rolls. As we sat and talked, the chair I was sitting on, one of those white, molded-plastic chairs that are EVERYWHERE, shattered out from under me. Of course, I fell to the floor, bits of plastic chair and pastery and coffee flying everywhere. It was rather shocking! But also hilarious! We laughed and laughed and laughed, until we cried. One week later, as we recounted the story to her mother, Liliana and I laughed to the point of tears again!

Example two: one evening we had been talking about the fact that I´d seen no mosquitoes or other bugs in her apartment, though they have them in Buenos Aires. Liliana´s apartment has no screens on the windows or on the sliding glass door to the balcony, yet there is hardly a bug to be seen. Well, just as I said that, a bug landed on the ceiling over my head. Liliana said, "There´s a bug!¨and with a graceful motion of the hand, squashed it to the ceiling with a dish towel. But when she climbed on a chair to clean the ceiling, she couldn´t reach it. "Because I am tall," said I, "I can do this!" and I reached up and cleaned the ceiling with ease. "Well," Liliana replied, "because I am tiny, I can do this!" -- and she proceded to open the broom closet-cabinet and climb inside! Now, mind you, this cabinet is maye 1 1/2 foot wide by 1 foot deep, and 4 feet tall at most. I´ve got to admit, she did fit nicely into the cabinet, joining there the broom and the mop. Oh, my -- did we ever laugh! We enjoy one another´s company very much.

She is an exellent cook, and is concerned that I have food that is both delicious and traditional in this culture. She prepared evening meals and provides also food for breakast that I prepare for myself. For lunch, I´m on my own. She also washes all the dishes (as per her contract with the school!), and also washes linens weekly, changing the bed and cleaning my room. I said to her, "It is so nice to have everything done for me. I think I´d like to have a ´homestay´in my house." She said, "Me, too!"

Now, I think I will depart from here to see more of the city. Also, I have a good deal of homework ("tarea") to complete this afternoon, so I need time to do that as well.

Much love to all of you. Know that I greatly appreciate your sharing this journey with me, and that your thoughts and prayers (along with your e-mails -- THANKS!) mean the world to me.

With much love and care, from very far away...

-- Bill