I have just settled into somewhat of a groove here and I already have to start planning my departure. But more on that later...

I got a job! It’s a DJ gig at a popular tourist hangout. It’s nothing sexy. Hours upon hours of selecting MP3s until sunrise. The spot is frequented primarily by European and American tourists and one of the challenges has been educating myself on the musical tastes of people from all over Europe as well as reading the nationalities of a given crowd and figuring out what direction the set needs to go. Overall, it’s a fun gig. I'm learning a lot about all sorts of new music scenes, everyone I work with is awesome and it sure does feel good to get paid in cash. I’ve been using virtual dj and can’t believe how freakin easy it is to mix songs and put together a set. There isn’t much of a craft to it, but if the objective is to turn out a flow of music that gets a party live, it does the trick. It's fun to see what random tracks will just hit that collective spot. Last night it was jamoroquai.

here's a little hating for all you haters out there: one obnoxious characteristic of city life here is the general lack of subway etiquette. Rush hour in el subte is nuts. I’ve accepted with little thought the common occurrence of people hurdling themselves into a jampacked train car to make room for one more and am unfazed by the barrage of body parts and unfamiliar scents that accompany a rush hour ride. But what is with incoming passengers not stepping aside and letting me and my fellow riders off before they enter the car? A woman pushing a stroller with another kid hanging off her shoulder is forced to fight her way out of a train. I’ve almost lost it a few times, as I too struggled to get out before the pinch of the doors. Other times I’ve just laughed to myself, imagining the “talking to” that would occur back home if some dressed to the nines urban chic chica in designer shades bullied her way into an already overcrowded car. You know some elder who thrives off of putting others in their place would not be able to resist. Here, it's just part of the rhythm of the city and is accepted. 

I’ve been bad and have barely taken any pictures but i'll post a few of the pictures i've taken below. this is a description of one scene I have in my head:

The Universidad de Buenos Aires escuela de idioma building. 5 de Mayo 225. Yellowing limestone on the outside. Wide 14 foot double door entrance. Sprawling, wide staircase the extends 5 flights up. Paint is yellowing and peeling everywhere. there's some major crackage along some of the walls and chunks missing from the marble floors, broken planks on the wooden steps. Despite the dilapidated state of the building, the elevator offers the most efficient and smooth service of any I’ve been in yet in the whole country. There’s a little café and concession shop inside the school that sells media lunas for 1 peso, café, water etc. students and teachers sit at the counter and slurp down coffee before they head to class. It’s got a TV hanging from the ceiling that usually plays the local news and VH1. It feels like the type of school hangout that Zack and Kelly from Saved by the Bell would be in. The saved by the bell vibe starts and ends in the snack shop though. The building is elegant, raw and forceful, like a giant knobby tree that hangs over a street, its trunk tattered with engravings, its roots bulging through the cement. there's a lingering scent of mothballs in some of the hallways because that’s what's put in the urinals to keep it from smelling like piss. The classrooms are all different shapes and sizes, some with tiny windows that let in slivers of light and others with huge balcony windows that open up onto the busy street. Each room has a vastly different temperature and pressure. When I’m in this building, I feel very aware of its physical structure and of its purpose. This is the first time i've ever thought this about a building--it feels alive. I feel lucky to be inside it. I want to find out more about its history.


in some parts of buenos aires, construction is everywhere. i bet in a few short years this skyline will be completely different.
street in palermo


commuter rail that separates two neighborhoods, at sunset




the ford falcon was used to pick people up prior to their disappearances



okay. that's all the photos you get for now they take forever to load. i'll take and post some more soon.

So back to what i led this post with: the reason I’m heading home early is because I was accepted into a teaching program that begins this summer and need to get back to the states to prepare for what’s to come. i have many thoughts about these earn your degree while you teach in the highest need schools teaching programs. but i'm not going to share those right now. come this summer, i will be a part of the positives and negatives associated with these programs. and i intend on working my ass off to stay true to myself and the kids i'm serving. Anyway i will be in Buenos aires for about another month and then i hope to travel to a few places that are calling my name including patagonia, chile & bolivia.

more to come.

much love everyone.