Michael

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 17:19:30 GMT

I haven't posted anything in a while and I don't think that there is too much to post, but I guess it should be done. Yes.

Well, school starts in a few weeks and I'm terrified. It's scary to be responsible for teaching middle school kids English! yikes. My school is in West Harlem. But, at the same time I'm very excited about it all.

Right now I'm house sitting for Celeste and her dog won't stop bringing me her toy doughnut to throw. She's crazy and cute. She's a Boston terrier and everyone is in love with her. I wish I had an apartment this nice. One day I guess. It's nice to have some alone time--just me, the air conditioning and puppy, the dog.

yesterday Felix, Mark, and Liz came over and we made videos of the dog....so maybe soon you can see them on Youtube or something of that nature. WOOT WOOT. I think I'm in love with puppy.

AND she sleeps only when you sleep. She is non-stop. She is so CURT.

nothing going on in the love department except long-distance-open uruguayan fiasco. But how long can something like that continue?

My family is doing well.

I'm watching some weird movie with Antonio Banderas called "Follow My Lead" about ballroom dancing and public school children in NYC. Why are all public school kids in movies too busy "fighting for their lives" to do anything else??

sorry I'm so random.

spiraling towards teacherly......

Sat, 28 Jul 2007 20:29:37 GMT

hi everyone. SO, I've been away from LJ, but now I'm back. Kind of. I have internet in my house and will have about a month of freedom. so maybe i will tell you what i've been up to.

Tue, 29 May 2007 20:30:03 GMT

just loaded the U-Haul truck!

...also cut the weeds in the backyard with a weed-eater! Lots of bug bites on my legs. It smells like summer in Atlanta!

Will be in NYC tomorrow night, moving in my new apt.

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 20:39:56 GMT

i´m in Uruguay today. Got here yesterday. Will be going to a small fishing village from tomorrow until next sunday! i´m excited! (Balizas)

Sat, 17 Mar 2007 17:19:18 GMT

Hey guys! I got the NYC Teaching Fellowship. So I will be an ESL Teacher in a NYC Public School while pursuing a subsidized Master's in the same subject. I'm really excited because it's something that I've always considered, but was never sure of. So here's my chance. If I don't like it, I will know that I should do something else.

So I'm moving back to NYC (in May). I got into grad school in Uruguay, but I think I'm going to wait on that sort of thing, especially until I get financially secure. I can wait to travel the world a year or two more.

Love,
Michael

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 15:16:46 GMT

It feels like it's time to post an update! WOOhoo.
So, last week I went to NYC for an interview with the NYC Teaching Fellows program. But more importantly, I got to see some of my dear New York friends! It was great. I was instilled with an undying desire to be back there and live a life with good public transport (which is lacking here in the HOT ATL). I won't hear back from the program for another 5 weeks...

Here in ATL I've been working at Pura Vida, a pan-latino flavors tapas bar. It's pretty fun, but I really can't work at a restaurant forever, or even for two more months. I'm getting tired of it. I pretty much just go to work and come home and cook for my dad. Sometimes I help my little sister with her homework. I feel like a fake replacement for my mother.

In anycase, while I'm waiting for the decision in NYC, I am also applying to graduate school in URUGUAY. I've already gotten the application finished and I've had my transcript certified at the Uruguayan Consulate in NYC. All I need now are passport-sized photos and I will be waiting to hear back from them. If I get in, it's a Master's in International Commerce (focusing on South America's MERCOSUR, similar to the EU system) which would start the beginning of April.

Of course, I think the NYC decision supercedes Uruguay only because in NYC I am closer to my family and my dad who may or may not be getting a liver transplant which may or may not require my presence. But I'm going to speak with his doctor on March 1st to see if my father could move to NYC or to Long Beach, CA and to see if my father wants to be considered for the transplant. This c onversation will definitely impact the fexibility of my plans.

In other words, right now my life is not very much of anything, but in just three months I could almost be anywhere.

Dear 2006, What did you do to me?

Thu, 04 Jan 2007 19:05:54 GMT

Inspired by all of the other review-of-the-year LJ entries, I thought I would hop on the train with my own and, well, becuase it's something that is expected of us all.

I spent the passage from 2005 to 2006 on Playa Maruata, a small deserted beach in Mexico's state of Michoacan on the Central Pacific Coast. There were lots of hippie types from Mexico City and locals that cooked the fish that my friends had caught. I laid on the beach and looked up at the stars and realized that stars really do exist and that they are rather large looking when they aren't blocked by interference from big city lights. I felt rather at peace, although somewhat alone there on the beach. Alone because I wasn't Mexican, even though my californian friend, Josie, was there, and because I was really annoyed with my mexican ex-boyfriend. But I still met lots of interesting strange people and I think for the first time appreciated nature. It was a good way to start the New Year. That time in my life seems like at least 3 years ago because of all of the big things that have happened since. Little did I know that 2006 would be the first year that I would never see my mother in person, not even for a second. The last time I saw her was December 27th 2005, then I flew to Mexico to pass the New Year.

I went back to NYC, back to reality. I worked at 24 Prince and the LGBT Office at NYU. I went to school. I studied Portuguese and learned about the Mayans and Aztecs. My last NYU semester would turn out to be the easiest and most worthwhile. With Isabelle in the apartment we all got a little crazier and I would say were forced to have more fun. Xiaochang and I watched the second season of PROJECT RUNWAY and the first season of its Brittish counterpart, PROJECT CATWALK, both of which she had downloaded. Xiaochang turned me on to ALIAS and went crazy on her Proust thesis. But of course, when you are in NYC and doing a little bit of everything, time flies quickly and you often forget who you are or why you are there or that you are in one of the most amazing places in the world.

And then there was April 15th, up to this day, the worst day of my life. It started out with me almost being sexually assaulted in the Chelsea apartment of an older, but smaller, German fagot becuase I was irresponsibly intoxicated and unable to take the subway to my own house. After threatening to call the police I was able to escape. After going home and while getting ready to go to work, I heard Xiochang fall down in the hallway. I walked out to see what the noise was all about and I saw her there on the floor, dead looking. I freaked out and got that feeling that I used to get when I was a child and my parents would be passed out from being too drunk (or from falling down stairs from being drunk). I was able to wake Xiaochang up and help her to her feet. She assured me that she was okay, but as soon as I let her go she stood up and immediately fell to the ground, hitting her face on the wall in the process. She stared to convulse. I was sure that she was dying so I called the ambulance. Miraculously, by the time that it arrived she was in perfect condition to be witty with the paramedics. So Xiaochang...that's why we love her!
I went to work, and at about 11pm I got a message from my father asking me to call him back, which was unusual because he would never ask me to do that. I did and all I heard was my little sister crying. No one was able to tell me anything. I called back and I was informed that my mother had passed away. I can't even remember who told me anymore. I sort of freaked out in that it-can't-be-real sort of way. I went upstairs to the bar. Gave them my money and told them that I had to leave because my mother had died. I got in a cab and went to my apartment in Brooklyn.

I graduated on May 11th (I think) and it was a nice, normal sort of thing that leaves you wanting more...and wondering where to go from there. But, I was able to meet Xiaochang's parents (and share my distaste for foie gras), and hang out with KT Red's and Stephen's parents. I couldn't help but wonder where mine were. It was rather difficult seeing all those happy, mostly well-off families. But I guess that's always been an issue of mine, and, I guess I shouldn't assume happiness in any case. At least I had Kristal and Yonnathan as my surrogates!

I moved away from our beautiful apartment in Williamsburg in May as well. I miss it so much these days. But I was soon to go on a trip that would help me deal with everything that was happening around me.

After being in Atlanta for almost a month, or two weeks, and spreading my mother's ashes on Lantana Beach, her childhood stompingrounds, in West Palm Beach, FL, and spending a very trying car trip with my angered and depressed sisters and father, I decided to take a much needed vacation.

I started in Guadalajara, Mexico with Kristal and Mariana in a house on Prisciliano Sanchez street. It was a beautiful house with a horrible landlord. I was an English teacher for a month. But I had to leave because each one of us in the house was depressed for one reason or the other. I had to go a trip alone to deal with my issues.

I then went to Mexico City for two weeks and fell in love, again, with that metropolis. I took a two-lay-over sort of flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina. There I stayed at a deserted hostel in the ghetto, that only cost about 3 USD a day. I accustomed myself to a new type of Spanish and just walked around and enjoyed the architecture. I kind of moped around. I went from sweltering Mexico to freezing Argentina. It was winter there.

There I met many good people, including my favorite Uruguayo, Alvaro. I went to Uruguay and fell in love with Montevideo. I would return two more times during my trip.

I then went to Brazil and worked at Alpha Hostel Rio, a hostel on Rio's Botafogo beach. I went there from Argentina's winter to Rio's "winter". My first day there it was over 100 degrees farenheit. Rio is the most beautiful city I've ever been to or seen in pictures and has strangely integrated itself with jungles and mountains and beaches. Despite all of these things, I had to leave that place because I felt so threatened all the time. The only other city that scares me (but not half as much) is Atlanta, but I'm from there. I quit the hostel and went to Sao Paulo, which is now one of my favorite cities in the world, maybe because it feels so much like NYC. I rented, for the first time in my life, my very own apartment. I lived free of other people, when I decided, and had no obligations. I had to teach myself how not to go crazy with nothing to do. It was a good learning experience. I read a lot of Brazilian books. I became a hermit by day and a party animal by night. As I told all of my friends in Brazil, Brazil sure knows how to make you a fagot. It made me one. Oh, did it. Alvaro came and we had a honeymoon in Sao Paulo. I became a Spanish to Portugues and Portuguese to Spanish translator. I suddenly felt very capable with my foreign language capabilities. I fell in love with Brazil, and in Brazil, with a Uruguayan.

Now my trip is over and I'm in Atlanta. I got back the 13th of December. I have plans of grandeur (grad school, love, family, travelling) but I have to make some money first. So, to celebrate the passage from 2006 to 2007 I was training at one of Atlanta's best restaurants which happens to have lots of Spanish speakers (!). I didn't make any money but I had lots of fun. It felt sort of like a movie when the character at the end is beginning his or her new life. Everyone toasted and I got my glass of cava (they serve only Spanish and Latin American products so champagne was out of the question). I looked around, thought of the difficult but amazing year that I had had, and felt that it was all going to be okay. I was with new friends and will hope see my old ones soon. Here's to a new year!

Happy New Year to everyone!

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 14:57:27 GMT

I'm back in Atlanta looking for a job. booh. Hey atlantans, send me an email.

Tue, 12 Dec 2006 18:42:02 GMT

Well, after maybe the best sex I´ve ever had, I went to the airport and was separated from Álvaro for the fourth time in a matter of four months. I´m now taking advantage of my 14 hours in São Paulo by hanging out at the closest mall to the airport. I rode the bus for an hour and then I walked around inside the mall for hour, then I saw THE ILLUSIONIST (which I kind of liked) and then I ate in the food couth and now I´m going to go see SAW 3.

And even though I´m not taking advantage of my last day in Latin America, I thinks it´s okay because I´m rather sad and pessimistic about the coming months that I am to spend in Atlanta. It just doesn´t seem like fun when I´ve been spending the last few weeks on a second honeymoon in a beautiful, green, european-esque south american city (MONTEVIDEO).

However, being back in São Paulo makes me feel good because it helps me remember why it´s such a great place. I love the language because it´s pretty and easier to understand than spanish, sometimes, and there is a high level of diversity here and no one seems to be bothered or impressed by it. I could definitely come back and live here.

BUT my new romantic life plan is to move to MONTEVIDEO and do a master there. I don´t see why not really. It may not be the smartest idea, but at least I would be happier for a while doing that. If it doesn´t work out it doesn´t work out.

I haven´t really thought about how it WIll work out. But at least there is someone there for me.

I am excited to see my family and friends. Oh, except my family moved to the ghetto without telling me!

love,
michael.

p.s. i have 7 hours left in this hemisphere.

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 13:26:30 GMT

Hey everyone. It´s my last day in Uruguay. My last day with my Uruguayan...for a while anyway. Tomorrow I will be back in Sao Paulo for 14 hours and then I will be in Atlanta 48 hours from now!
What can I say...I´m excited and depressed. Yay!

Viajes e viagens

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 18:05:32 GMT

Well everyone, since I know that people don´t like to search for pictures to look at them, I thought I would try to recap (very briefly) the highlights of my trip with a photo entry!

CAn you believe it? I´m SMILING?!!!

behind the cut? (if this doesn´t work, don´t worry, I´m working on it)

BRAZIL
**I would take more pictures here, but I don´t feel safe pulling out my camara when I´m alone. I never felt safe in Rio taking pictures. There are so many pictures to be taken ...so many opportunities, but I never bring my camara...so the options are few....

São Paulo

Yeah, that´s right. Woot. International lovers!

We made dinner and the bitch is eating!

Is Álvaro trying to look like a thug?

I had to get cute...I was going out all alone.....

and here too...

Álvaro in the big city.

This is the biggest city I´ve ever been too...It´s driving me mad.....

He´s so cute when he´s clean. Puppy eyes.....

Monument to Latin America

Orelhões (public telephones)

Liberdade, the japanese neighborhood...look at the lamp posts!

Part of the city that seems to never end. Some say it´s the second largest city in the world!

Jefferson, My brazilian friend. I´m not racist, I have a brazilian friend.....

The Hand Sculpture and the Monument to Latin America designed by Oscar Niemeyer (Brasilia). Notice the hand bleeding the continent!

Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL

Pão de Açucar! The Most Beautiful thing I´ve ever seen!

Helena, the owner of the hostel and me!

Where´s michael? (pão de açucar)

Leo, o menino triste, and Gladys, the chilean girl. Hostel co-workers.

Gladys (again)

Corcorvado (the Christ statue) as seen from Urca. Botafogo beach too.

Dany (the other chilean who is the female version of me) another coworker and life friend, I´m sure.

Copacabana and Ipanema as seen from Pão de Açucar. To the right would be Botafogo Beach, where I lived.

I was so scared. Pão de Açucar is terrifying, especially the rocking trolley thing.

Montevideo, URUGUAY

Look, We are So CUTE

Didn´t I tell you we were cute. He even likes my dorky glasses!

My Uruguayan family! Álvaro, Ernest, Pabli, and the mom of Pabli.

Look how cute he is, and he even has pretty clothes!

Getting ready to perform, Anaconda Trash!

my favorite plaza in south america...

another night

The only part of Montevideo that isn´t grey

the prettiest street in Montevideo (oops, also not grey....)

also saw oral sex in public...that was funny.

me, photogenic in Montevideo...

according to his friends he has sex with at least a new person everyday...it doesn´t seem like it. At least he didn´t try anything with me! (what could that mean.....?)

Buenos Aires

My last night (boo hoo). With haley, and ricky

You know it!

Did I spit in their faces?

It´s the 20 year old who came on my cardinals shirt in the club....I know you remember that entry...

Tigre, a town north of Buenos Aires. I felt very much at peace here.

The Pink House (like the white house), where the president lives. And where Eva Peron used to come out on the balcony!

Had to get something with the argentine flag....

Mexico (Tie for my favorite country with Brazil, of course)

Mexico City

Sideways pictures are fun. me and my tour guides!

I didn´t think this city was so polluted, the first time I came here.......

My favorite plaza...Insurgentes. I love Mexico City!

There is always a McDondald´s and Burger King next to anything that´s historic!

Mexico´s favela? It looks like it, but I don´t know what the word would be.

It was a beautiful day.

This is one fo the coolest places I´ve ever been. Lots of churches, lots of the Virgen de Guadalupe and great views of the city.

My tour guides, Josue and I can´t remember the name of his boyfriend. But they are broken up now. They really made a great couple. I´m glad I met them because they took me everywhere.

Everybody´s favorite virgen.

Can you believe I stayed in his house for 2 weeks? He looks so scary.

Presidential election protests in the Zócolo.

Rainy day looking through piles of used clothes. Didn´t find a thing.

Guadalajara

My apartment on Prisciliano Sanchez. I loved the house (it´s the yellow one). When it rained the street flooded.

Turtle at the zoo!

View from my roof.

Breakfast with the roomies, or da hoes. However you like it.

Hecho en México

Now we spoon feedin´dis bitch!?

Our dining room. cute and colorful.

Sitting in a plaza on a rainy day!

To see all of the pictures, go to www.photobucket.com and search for mike_719.

Sat, 18 Nov 2006 15:09:57 GMT

I´m in Iguaçu and hopefully I will make it back to São Paulo in time to go to Santa Catarina (the beach)!

Love you all,
michael

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 13:53:57 GMT

Wish me luck! I´m headed out to Iguaçu Falls (I think it´s the 8th wonder of the world unofficially...or something like that...are there only 7?). It´s a 16 hour bus ride each way, but it´s at the border of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. SHould be fun. As always, I didn´t plan well and haven´t made a reservation at a hostel or hotel.

OH, and I´ve bought plane tickets to spend my last 2 weeks in South America with my favorite Uruguayan, so I will get to say good-bye to him for a fourth heart-wrenching time!

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 18:36:41 GMT

Hello everyone. Just posting to let everyone know that I´ve put new photos on my photobucket page of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. (got to photobucket.com, search for mike_719, and open the links to the various photos organized by city)

São Paulo is still going well, with the exception of the neighbors who complain that I make too much noise....when I´m sure that brushing my teeth doesn´t make any perceptible noise.......

Yesterday Àlvaro returned to Uruguay after being in my apartment for 2 weeks. He confessed that he is in love with me. And strangely enough I feel the same way. I have been with him in 3 different countries now (Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil). Our time together totals only 4 weeks. Is that enough time to know?

It´s difficult because it´s possible that I will never see him again.....Uruguay is very far away.
In any case, I´m glad that I´ve had the time that I have had with him.

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 20:11:50 GMT

Last night I was robbed! I guess I was kind of expecting it to happen at some point since everyone I know here (and everyone in RIO) has been. I kind of feel like it was my fault too--I was walking alone at 1am on a normally busy street. Normally I walk alone at night when it´s just getting light outside (a.k.a. after going out to a club) and at that time there really aren´t people searching for people to rob.....however, 1am is right after people are getting home, right when the subway stops. Of course there are going to be stragglers that get home late for some reason, and they are the targets for robbery.

I was getting rather close to home, but I was feeling pretty stupid the whole time for being out so far from home at that hour. I was somewhat nervious. I was about 4 blocks from my house when I see two questionable guys my age. I walked a little further over on the sidewalk to avoid contact with them. They obviously walk towards me and immediately I knew they were going to rob me. So I immediately took everything out of my pockets and told them it was all I had. They wanted a cell phone but I told them I didn´t have one and they left. They were almost friendly. In any case, I never cary much money because that sort of robbery is rather common here. I hope that fulfills my quota for being robbed while I am here. It still feels a thousand times safer than RIO.

I´ve also decided to be not stupid and take cabs when I´m pretty sure I will be robbed.

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 15:03:23 GMT

Well, I moved to São Paulo and within about 20 hours I found an apartment. I´m living all alone! For the first time in my life. I´m excited. I think it could get lonely, but it I think it will be great to sort of have lots of alone time. Right?
Well, by chance, I live across the street from a gay mall, and on the same street as the best gay clubs (not the scary dangerous ones by the hostel that I stayed at the other night.)

that´s about it for now.

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 15:18:00 GMT

hey everyone!

I´m in São Paulo and it looks like it could be fun.
Felix, what is you adress again`?
The paper i wrote it on got wet and i cant read it.

Sat, 14 Oct 2006 13:41:21 GMT

This is taken from cnn money online. Just wanted to see how my hometown compared to NYC. The results surprise me. I feel like the only significant difference in living costs would be housing, but what do I know?

Salary in Atlanta GA: $30,000
Comparable salary in New York (Manhattan) NY: $64,744.32

If you move from Atlanta GA to New York (Manhattan) NY...

Groceries will cost: 41.095% more
Housing will cost: 313.3% more
Utilities will cost: 66.535% more
Transportation will cost: 12.467% more
Healthcare will cost: 31.008% more

and for queens....
Salary in Atlanta GA: $30,000
Comparable salary in New York (Queens) NY: $40,335.01

If you move from Atlanta GA to New York (Queens) NY...

Groceries will cost: 33.779% more
Housing will cost: 89.668% more
Utilities will cost: 58.808% more
Transportation will cost: 8.334% more
Healthcare will cost: 15.302% more

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 12:54:46 GMT

I´m sitting here at work in RIO de Janeiro and I find myself thinking of my family and friends that are somewhat scattered across the globe (or rather, scattered throughout three continents). This might be the first time in my life that I´ve contemplated returning home early. It´s not that I don´t like Brazil, because I do, but there´s just something that´s calling me to return. Of course, I can´t return because that would be stupid, but I´ve never had this urge before.
I think it has a lot to do with my mother´s death. I feel somewhat guilty being so far away from home when my little sister is left alone to take care of my sick father (who is awfully cute and deserves to have his children near). But, to justify this trip to myself, I think about how this is a once in a lifetime opportunity (possibly)--it´s hard to have time and money to travel for 6 months or a year. RIGHT? For me it is. Also, I am working on a marketable skill--Portuguese/foreign language capabilities. also, not to forget, I struggled working entirely too much at restaurants to pay for the four years of my undergraduate education while my friends did worthwhile internships......I deserve a break. BUT, I have been on break since May. So that makes 5 months (I thought it was more). Maybe I do deserve a little more time.

At least people in Brazil are nice! Also, Portuguese grammar, while more complicated that Spanish grammar, is actually easier in its usage because of the extra verb forms that basically allow you not to conjugate sometimes, if you so desire--which is great! WOOT>

SO I´m headed to São Paulo and I´m sure that that´s not the best idea. WHy? well, first of all, I´m leaving RIO because I feel too unsafe, but São Paulo is equally as dangerous. It´s also larger, which could add to the stress factor. I would like to live on a beach somewhere where there are only about 100 inhabitants. Maybe for a month. I guess if I really wanted to do this I could. Maybe I will.

BUT! My uruguayan is coming to São Paulo for the first 2 weeks of November, so I can´t really do the beach plan until afterwards. I´m going to have a honeymoon with a uruguayan in Brazil. I should probably try to get a Brazilian lover....

Fri, 06 Oct 2006 19:35:45 GMT

Well, I´ve come to the decision that I have to leave this hostel and go to São Paulo! I just need to tell the boss. Everyone is disorganized here, and the brazilians hate the chileans! It´s like a soap opera. Besides, I need to not work all day everyday! I would like to actually have a chance to do something social or take a picture.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Michael

Sat, 30 Sep 2006 18:13:56 GMT

Well, I´m still in Rio de Janeiro. I think I like it more and more. I´m still not sure if I like it. But at least it is the most beatiful city I´ve every seen--it has jungles, forests, mountains in the middle of the city, and a billion beaches.

I generally hang out with my 2 chilean co-workers (we either speak Spanish or Portunhol). I´ve been going to lots of straight bars and clubs. Hasn´t been that bad, to be honest. Met an interesting french kid the other day who is part American (kind of strange to think the other people have "american ancestry"). Also have realized that Austrian people are really cool! I´ve met three here in the hostel so far, and they are all so nice and interesting.

When I go to the gay bars I go alone because I don´t have any gay friends-- yet. I did meet a really cute guy that is my age last night! HE works at the Botanical Garden and is studying to be a flight attendant (he already graduated from college). We are going to hang out the following week! Yay for portuguese speaking opportunities!

I´m working in the Hostel now. My ability to speak portuguese is actually better over the phone than in real life...weird, right? My boss and one other co-worker speak are brazilian, so I do speak with them. The co-worker is gay, but is very young. WE don´t really share the same interests. But he has taken me to the garage rock sort of street party that happens once a week. THe people that go are generally younger than me, but it´s interesting to see so many people drinking in the streets (that are 12) with various loud rock music, and sometimes baile funky, in the streets.

I feel like I know my way around the southern part of town, which is to say, the part of town that isn´t as dangerous.

Strangely enough, from a distance, the favelas (ex. City of GOD) are the most beautiful parts of the city. It´s just amazing to walk through the city and suddenly see on a steep mountain beautifully colored tiny houses grouped together. And they are everywhere. THe poorest here live next door to the richest.

I´ve gone to Copacabana to get a tan two days in a row! I even went in the water, although it was rather turbulent yesterday. I am starting to understand the appeal of this place. However, I have an invitation to go to São Paulo. I really want to go, to tell the truth, because I don´t really like working form 2pm to 8pm every 6 days a week because I can´t really do anything but go to the gym in the morning, and go out at night. I would like to do something during the day.

Oh well. that´s all for now. ~
I´m in BRAZIL!

I´m in Rio de Janeiro

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 17:00:43 GMT

Whoah. I get to Rio yesterday. I think to myself. Yes. This is going to be great. I go to the exchange place and they tell me that they can´t take money out of your credit card, but only cash. They recommend that I go to the tellet machine. Sounds good to me. I go to them, on the third floor. None of them recognize my credit card. I have no money. I begin to panick. I go to the information desk and explain to them my problem--that I´ve arrived in their country without a single cent in their currency, and the machines didn´t want to give me anything. They tell me that they don´t know what to do. I go around talking with various banks, but no one knows what do to. I start to panick inside, but tell myself that everything is going to be okay. There are lots of sketchy people in the airport, which isn´t good because I´m walking in circles with all of my stuff (including a sweater and a scarf which don´t belong in Rio).

I finally realize that I have 10 pesos from Argentina. I go to the exchange place and they give me like 5 reales. I go back to the information desk and ask if I can get to a praia de botafogo with 5 reales. He tells me how to go, I get on the bus. I ask the bus driver to let me know when we get there. He does. I get off and I find the hostel.

Everyone is really nice. I´m saved.
Then End.

Okay, so even though that was a rather disconcerting experience, I´ve learned that I should always take money out before I get to a country just in case something horrible happens.

Oh, and there is a citibank down the street from my hostel. Why isn´t there one in the airport? Ugh.

I must say that after all of the horrible things that people have told me about Rio, I feel rather unsafe here.
There is also ..City of God...you know, that movie.

In any case, I´m going to walk around Copacabana and Ipanema today.

The hostel in right on a beach (Botafogo) and a 15 minutes walk away from a swimmable beach. From the Hostel you can see the Christ Statue mountain thing.

RIO is like being in another world.

Also, there are 4 other live-in hostel employees. Two from Chile, one from Mexico, and one from Brazil. I speak portuguese better than all of the non-native portuguese speakers, and English Better than everyone. My spanish is good, but since I´m not native, they win. This means I have a language advantage! Woohoo.

Man, speaking portuguse requires a lot of engergy. Also, everything here is extremely expensive. I´m talking NYC prices.

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 23:43:27 GMT

Well, I was in Montevideo this past weekend y me la pasé super bien. I´m actually rather sad because I´m leaving Argentina and Uruguay, when it seems like I´m falling in love. Crazy. I rarely every like anyone this much.

I´m now scared to go to Rio because someone told me that a friend´s cousin was recently kidnapped there....

I will post love pictures soon.

love you all,
michael

Fri, 08 Sep 2006 21:25:06 GMT

It´s somewhat cold outside. Passed the day in bed until alvaro had his lunch break. We ate pasta...again. DIos. Hung out with Ernest, the drag queen. We walked around a bit. It seems like it´s always colder inside than it is outside. whenever I´m on the internet in Montevideo or Buenos Aires, my hands are cold.

I will be in Brasil in less than a week. That´s rather terrifying. Part of me tells me to just stay in Uruguay, find an apartment, start a life, fall in love. Live a little. But I know that if I took that risk, everything would end up being terrible, and I would always regret not going to Brazil.

In anycase, I already have my first assignment from the Hostel in Brazil--I will be trying to create correspondence between some hostels here in Montevideo and in Buenos Aires....who knows how that will go....

I will be working at www.alphahostel.com
I hope I get my own room. It seems like it will be nice. But Rio seems terrifying. I don´t really know why I want to go Brazil. Oh well, gotta create new memories.

Also, the peacecorps finally told me that they just need two more test results (which I´ve already sent them) so that I can be medically cleared. In any case, I´m less and less inclined to do the Peacecorps. I don´t know if I could handle being so isolated for so long when I should be taking care of my dad. At least if I go to another country to live and work, I can return more easily than if I am in Africa doing the Peace Corps. But I guess I will make that decision when I have to.

I am also entering into the "I don´t know what I want to do with my life and I´m running out of money in foreign land crisis" ..... will update when I figure something out.

Also, lately, have had the desire to study make-up...How ridiculous, right? hahaha. Estoy perdido y eso no tiene remedio.

Tue, 05 Sep 2006 15:39:36 GMT

Okay, so last night, after feeling all sad for leaving the one week love affair, I got this email from Álvaro which brightened my day considerably. If you don´t read Spanish, I´m sure you know someone who does!

"
perdon y exijo mil perdones por no estar y no me lo voy a perdonar te pido mil disculpas de
haber sabido que te ivas tan temprano hubiese estado ahi.cuando supe que te
habias ido no lo podia creer.ademas de muchas gracias por la cartita que me
dejaste es hermosa igual que vos y desde ya te estoy pidiendo y casi
exijiendo que quiero que te vuelvas ya para montevideo no te vamos a mandar
el disco sino que vas a venir a buscarlo.yo se que en bs as tenes mas cosas
para hacer es una ciudad grande pero aca qeremos que vuelvas yo
pricipalmente y mis amigos tambien, hasta los que no te conocieron.podes
estar unos dias mas ahi pero para el viernes a mas tardar me gustaria que
estuvieses aca o aqui como prefieras.ahora voy a llamar a buquebus para
averiguar precios baratos y horarios para que viajes.me encanto conocerte y
nos vamos a ver pronto, en unos dias.
p.d. yo tambien te envidio un poco a vos y te mando un beso GIGANTE.te
vuelvo a escribir en un rato con la informacion de precio y horario."