Tuesday, July 29, 2003
THIS WEEK: Colds struck all three of us girls (but not Lewis. Hmm...could his centrally heated apartment have something to do with it? Nevertheless (three cheers for my happening on the pharmacy that sells GNC brand vitamin C tablets!) soldiered on (DRCLAS warmer than my house anyway) and in the afternoon of class Anibal took us to Los Dominicos, an cluster of artisan´s shops in LAs Condes
Today, bus adventures and more bus adventures: In the morning Andryka and I swallowed our 300 pesos (like, 40 cents) and 2 buses to DRCLAS instead of walking 20 minutes the last leg and sprinting across a traffic circle. Whereupon I nearly did swallow an 100 peso coin- the bus was crammed full and when we got on I couldn´t get farther than the top step by the (still open) door. While holding on with one hand I fished in my pocket for my 100 pesos. After nearly getting pushed out when the driver tried to close the door (which I was sort of leaning against for leverage) I couldn´t think of any other place besides between my teeth (I know I know- but it was a life or death moment!) to hold the coin while I tried to open my bag, get more money out, and continue holding on (the door was open again at this point).
On the way home, we were at least securely NOT right near the door (though I was too squashed against the other side to see, I think someone was literally hanging off the side for a couple stops), though no less squashed. The micro is a great equalizer, though: I was crushed up next to a Very Scary business man type. Slicked back hair, black leather gloves, double breasted jacket, almost aqualine yet slightly hooked nose- so totally the spirit of Al Pacino via the facade of Keanu Reeves in The Devils Advocate (or something like that, I never saw the whole movie)
Despite all this, micros are funny places. Normally people enter and pay the driver in the front and sometimes then sprint to the back (via the street) if there is more space. But today someone got on in the back of the also jampacked micro, and up the length of the bus came his three coins, which were dutifully handed to the driver. Then down the length of the bus came his ticket (a ticket for every rider, every time every day, is a lot of tickets. a LOT of little tiny pieces of paper). Lewis said he´s seen this to. Manuela says its evidence of a super ego, or a big brother thing. Its pretty impressive, considering the generally feeling of chaos on them.
Today, bus adventures and more bus adventures: In the morning Andryka and I swallowed our 300 pesos (like, 40 cents) and 2 buses to DRCLAS instead of walking 20 minutes the last leg and sprinting across a traffic circle. Whereupon I nearly did swallow an 100 peso coin- the bus was crammed full and when we got on I couldn´t get farther than the top step by the (still open) door. While holding on with one hand I fished in my pocket for my 100 pesos. After nearly getting pushed out when the driver tried to close the door (which I was sort of leaning against for leverage) I couldn´t think of any other place besides between my teeth (I know I know- but it was a life or death moment!) to hold the coin while I tried to open my bag, get more money out, and continue holding on (the door was open again at this point).
On the way home, we were at least securely NOT right near the door (though I was too squashed against the other side to see, I think someone was literally hanging off the side for a couple stops), though no less squashed. The micro is a great equalizer, though: I was crushed up next to a Very Scary business man type. Slicked back hair, black leather gloves, double breasted jacket, almost aqualine yet slightly hooked nose- so totally the spirit of Al Pacino via the facade of Keanu Reeves in The Devils Advocate (or something like that, I never saw the whole movie)
Despite all this, micros are funny places. Normally people enter and pay the driver in the front and sometimes then sprint to the back (via the street) if there is more space. But today someone got on in the back of the also jampacked micro, and up the length of the bus came his three coins, which were dutifully handed to the driver. Then down the length of the bus came his ticket (a ticket for every rider, every time every day, is a lot of tickets. a LOT of little tiny pieces of paper). Lewis said he´s seen this to. Manuela says its evidence of a super ego, or a big brother thing. Its pretty impressive, considering the generally feeling of chaos on them.
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