Bailing

So one of the most exciting things happening in my life lately is my new KlicKlac containers. So great. Got them on such a good special too, (Thankyou warehouse and kmart). So now, when I open my baking cupboard, I see container heaven, instead of $5 bag madness. It’s just the best.

So just another dose of Argentinean madness:

One day, Ben, Charlotte and I, were waiting to catch the bus to Córdoba, just chatting at the bus stop, in sleepy little Villa Allende, sipping juice boxes. The bus stop, is opposite a taxi stand. Turns out to be the most intense taxi stand ever.

Starts off, Mr. Yellow Taxi pulls up to wait, followed not long after by Mr. Lime Green Taxi. At this stage, all is well. Later, Mr. White Taxi pulls up, followed by Mr. Red Taxi. That Mr. Red Taxi, he was trouble. Being the fourth taxi to arrive, he was quite far back in the line. And he didn’t like that, it’s fair to say. So he just starts beeping his horn like nobodys business, but Mr. Yellow Taxi at the front of the line, he wasn’t having a bar of it. He stubbournly, would not move forward (which I though was fair enough, Mr. Red Taxi should have been more prompt with his arrival). So during the tooting, Mr. Lime Green Taxi man, gets out and starts chatting with Mr. White Taxi man, who were both watching the developments with interest. Then, Mr. Red Taxi man, gets out of his taxi, and starts yelling at Mr. Yellow Taxi man!! Meanwhile, Mr. Maroon Taxi man pulls up the rear. This goes on for a while, and once Mr. Red Taxi man, hopped back in his taxi, Mr. Yellow Taxi man, gets out of his, rummages in the boot, and comes out with a metal bar, which he then proceeds to stand by his taxi with, in a menacing and threatning fashion. That goes on for a while, and after Mr. Yellow Taxi man sits back in his taxi, Mr. Red Taxi man speedily pulls out, and then back in, in front of Mr. Yellow Taxi! Completely breaking taxi stand ettiquette I’m guessing. However, Mr. Yellow Taxi got his back, by repeating the procedure, just in time to get the first taxi customer! So Mr. Yellow Taxi was off with his customer, driving away while Mr. Red Taxi man is yelling and cursing and hitting the taxi.

And that’s basically the Taxi Stand-Off for you. Funny thing is, in Villa Allende, there are so many taxis, (clearly illustrated by five at one taxi stand at one time), yet barely anyone takes taxis. Poor planning really.

And so we arrived at Casa Bethel. This was what we had been working towards! And by golly, how overwhelmed were we! It was insane. Lots of kids, with snotty noses and no English. Charlotte had a book on her. By the end of our initial meeting, she did not have a book on her. 

We were right stunned. It was incredibly overwhelming. So after a few hours of madness, we three (Ben, Charlotte and I) escaped to the local park, for what is now known as ‘Park time’. Park time, is when we discuss our day and how we’re feeling, it’s an important time for our sanity. So basically our first park time we decided:

• We suck at Spanish, we need to suck at Spanish less. We WILL suck at Spanish less.
• These kids are dirty, loud and crazy. But also cute, and we will work with it.
• We are going to be dirty, and unattractive for the next four months. 
• But the food is good. Filled with carbs, but definitely edible, which is not what we had been led to expect.

And most importantly:

• It was our first day, it would get better, we could do this.