Sometimes even the Management Counselor has a difficult time adjusting to a new place. It doesn't help when you have a bunch of stuff go wrong all at once. It is especially upsetting when it impacts your family. So, this hasn't been the smoothest of transitions. Let's count the things that have gone wrong:
1) The flea situation was a bigger issue that we thought, and we had to have the house fumigated twice to get rid of all of them.
2) Lovely English Lass was still sick for another month, and then we found out she had gotten another parasite. (She's informed me that since she had one at our last post, and one here, that the third one is her last strike. Duly noted.)
3) The pool pump went out on the pool, so now we have a stagnant water facility in our backyard, waiting on someone to fix it.
4) The heater didn't work when the family first arrived, in the midst of winter, so that needed to be fixed.
5) Now that Spring is here, and with days in the upper 80s and nights in the upper 70s, the A/C stopped working. It's either a power issue, or a freezing issue. We're not sure.
6) Last week our two water tanks sprang leaks. At the same time. In the attic. Got all over photos and stuff we had stored there. These now need to be replaced. Only problem is that the door is 3cm too small, and the new tanks won't fit so we have to widen the door.
7) Yesterday the dishwasher suddenly decided to stop latching, so now we can't use it.
8) After washing dishes in the sink because the dishwasher wasn't working, water suddenly appeared all over the floor.
9) After a heavy rain we discovered a leak in the roof.
10) After another heavy rain we also discovered a bunch of dead flying termites in the attic.
As you can see, for 2 months of me being here, it's been a bit crazy. We're thinking that maybe the house doesn't want us there. I've told LEL that if she comes and finds written in blood, "GET OUT" we are so gone.
There have been some lovely things here in Argentina, but a lot of what colors a place is your home. So, it hasn't been the best. But, I'm determined to make the best of it. Plus the kids seem pretty happy. Hopefully we get all this fixed soon, and then we'll have a place we can truly call home.
Friday, October 3, 2014
My first month (or a little less) in Argentina
Let me tell you, people, it's been a crazy summer in our family. First we had about 2 months from getting orders to shipping out. Then we moved to DC, where I had to take the Spanish language class at FSI. After not improving my Spanish like the teachers thought I should, they decided to extend me. Lovely English Lass and the kids went to Florida to spend time with the grandparents and cousins, and I had to stay in Crystal City to try and get the proper score so I wouldn't have to be in DC longer. That didn't happen, and LEL and the kids had to come to Argentina without me for a month. It was the longest month of my life.
My fantastic and lovely wife came to a country not knowing much in the way of how to communicate, and not only got everyone settled, but she got the internet hooked up, and the kids started at school and in therapies as well. Amazing is a word that is overused, in my opinion. It should really be used for things that really blow you away. This was amazing. She got things moving, and kept the kids going while I tried to remember the preterite form of to be able to in Spanish. (It's Pude, pudiste, pudo, pudimos, pudieron in case you were wondering.)
Finally the Department decided I was better off in Argentina than in DC, and sent me on my way. So, on August 28, I arrived in Buenos Aires. The house was great, save a flea infestation, and it was great to be with the kids and LEL again.
My initial impressions of Buenos Aires are good, but also a bit of the scooby-doo perplexed look. (Head turned to the side, with a quizzical look on my face, in case you were wondering.) Burger King delivers here, but they stop at 4 pm, and begin again at 8. In some stores, when you reach 1000 pesos, they make you pay right then, take your stuff to another line, and go through that line. If you want to use a credit card, you have to register your id number. They don't have sour cream here. The grocery stores have produce, but everyone tells you to go to the green grocer for that, along with meat at a butcher shop. (I approve of this, by the way.) Traffic is insane, and the government doesn't issue the driver's licenses, the Automobile Club of Argentina does. The people here seem very nice, although the neighbor looks askance at our front lawn whenever I see him. (I think their cat is getting in our yard too, which I really don't like.)
Crazy Little Man seems to like it here, but also misses his friends in South Africa. However, he's been a bit impish, as he tells people he speaks fluent Spanish. (In fact he told his teachers that the reason he was so good in Spanish was because we lived in Spain for 10 years. We haven't.) Lovely Little Girl is much like Alice in Wonderland. She likes it here, from what we can tell, and just enjoys life in general. LEL has been ill, but hopefully that'll be over with soon.
We finally got our stuff, so the house, which had been tidy, is a bit of a mess right now. Still, we're glad to have our things now, and soon everything will be put away and life will return to a sense of normal. We're just trying to get by right now. In case you haven't been reading the news, the political and economic situation here in BA has been a bit interesting. Not going to talk about that right now, as it's not something really to discuss. If you want to see how it is, just go online and search for news from Buenos Aires.
Anyways, that's what's happening here. I'll be blogging regularly as we get settled. Thanks again for reading kind people.
My fantastic and lovely wife came to a country not knowing much in the way of how to communicate, and not only got everyone settled, but she got the internet hooked up, and the kids started at school and in therapies as well. Amazing is a word that is overused, in my opinion. It should really be used for things that really blow you away. This was amazing. She got things moving, and kept the kids going while I tried to remember the preterite form of to be able to in Spanish. (It's Pude, pudiste, pudo, pudimos, pudieron in case you were wondering.)
Finally the Department decided I was better off in Argentina than in DC, and sent me on my way. So, on August 28, I arrived in Buenos Aires. The house was great, save a flea infestation, and it was great to be with the kids and LEL again.
My initial impressions of Buenos Aires are good, but also a bit of the scooby-doo perplexed look. (Head turned to the side, with a quizzical look on my face, in case you were wondering.) Burger King delivers here, but they stop at 4 pm, and begin again at 8. In some stores, when you reach 1000 pesos, they make you pay right then, take your stuff to another line, and go through that line. If you want to use a credit card, you have to register your id number. They don't have sour cream here. The grocery stores have produce, but everyone tells you to go to the green grocer for that, along with meat at a butcher shop. (I approve of this, by the way.) Traffic is insane, and the government doesn't issue the driver's licenses, the Automobile Club of Argentina does. The people here seem very nice, although the neighbor looks askance at our front lawn whenever I see him. (I think their cat is getting in our yard too, which I really don't like.)
Crazy Little Man seems to like it here, but also misses his friends in South Africa. However, he's been a bit impish, as he tells people he speaks fluent Spanish. (In fact he told his teachers that the reason he was so good in Spanish was because we lived in Spain for 10 years. We haven't.) Lovely Little Girl is much like Alice in Wonderland. She likes it here, from what we can tell, and just enjoys life in general. LEL has been ill, but hopefully that'll be over with soon.
We finally got our stuff, so the house, which had been tidy, is a bit of a mess right now. Still, we're glad to have our things now, and soon everything will be put away and life will return to a sense of normal. We're just trying to get by right now. In case you haven't been reading the news, the political and economic situation here in BA has been a bit interesting. Not going to talk about that right now, as it's not something really to discuss. If you want to see how it is, just go online and search for news from Buenos Aires.
Anyways, that's what's happening here. I'll be blogging regularly as we get settled. Thanks again for reading kind people.
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