Another day, another set of problems for the little island of St Maarten. Firstly, my fan finally kicked in at 4am after the night-long power blackout came to an end. Then the internet was down at Seaside. And then later at the sports bar. Probably the whole island. So I'm glad I spent most of my day washing clothes and napping, or I'd have been wasting a lot more of my time.
I had the biggest sleep-in since I got to the island, granted mainly by the fact I smartly put my phone on silent, predicting a call or message from J seeing if I wanted to hang out on my day off. He doesn't listen very well, so the fact I was so tired and sounding fatigued on the phone the previous evening wouldn't have resonated and I was sure he would call early morning to check my plans. I was right. When I finally woke, I had 2 missed calls from him.
Didn't respond as I just felt like being alone today - washing my clothes, cleaning my room, having a swim, checking my emails... When the internet didn't work at Seaside, I had my swim and indulged in putting my whole head underwater because I'd planned on washing my hair straight after. For those without dreds, it is funny to hear but I hardly put my head underwater because it takes so long to dry and is super heavy.
I then promptly fell asleep on the banana lounge at Seaside, and afterwards headed home for more housework. I was doing everything in a daze, so tired from the previous days and their heat, and I was eternally grateful to my bosses for letting me have the day off. Turned out better for them in the end, too, because today was dead and tomorrow they need an extra guide because it's cruise ship day.
So that's what I have to look forward to, 2 consecutive days of cruise ship and some quieter days before Saturday's cruise ship again. My lessons haven't begun yet because the people who used to book them haven't re-confirmed. So hopefully I will get some time to do training with the young horses. I momentarily thought about taking one swimming today but I just had no strength in my body.
My walk to the sports cafe tonight had the regular "hey baby, hey rasta" calls but this time one guy actually yelled for a good minute "hey beautiful, hey girl, hey, hey, English, England, England, rasta, England" and so on. I had to cross the road. Fuck, don't they get it??? Not interested. If I could walk around in a habit I would, but it's fucking hot so I walk around in summer dresses. And the kissy-kissy noises, and the cow-like whistles... do they really think calling me like a farm animal is going to get my attention??? REALLY pisses me off. Just keep eyes on the ground.
When I realised the internet was also not working at this place, I had already ordered a beer so I moved to the stools facing the water and just watched the sky's brilliant flashes of lightening as I got lost in my own thoughts and daydreams. I'm not gonna lie, they were all about my plans with A... where we will travel, what our wedding would be like (forward thinking I know, but a girl can dream), when we see each other next...
The mozzies have started to attack. I spray before bed but I still have bumps all over my body. At least I'm getting a tan. Things are looking up!
Showing posts with label sleep-in. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sleep-in. Show all posts
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Buenos Aires = "Good" Air??? Uff
So I am back in Buenos Aires. The familiar stench of exhaust fumes welcomes me with open arms. The rubbish collectors have (again) delayed their pickup just for my return. The men have saved up their best, most deliciously polite comments for me to walk by. Ahh, to be home.
I am counting the days til I leave.
Now having committed myself to yet another pizza party (urgh), I am obliged to stay until Thursday but that kinda works anyway cos I would like a weekend in Cordoba. Apparently it's a small version of Buenos Aires - I'm hoping that means it's a bit cleaner too.
The first night I spent back I had a kip but woke myself to go meet my Australian friend N and her boyfriend, who are here for a short time before heading elsewhere in South America and whom I haven't seen for god knows how long. It was really good to catch up, we were just in the bar around the corner, so it was easy to get to and easy to get home.
I drank nothing, not a drop, because my stomach was still too sensitive for it. And I knew if I took it easy that night I could double my efforts the next night. Which I did. Boom.
I had planned a sleep-in for the next day, but as I went to sleep sober, my body believed it had had enuf sleep at about 10am and I was up n at'em. Ufffff.... Armed with a camera (woot woot), I walked to the main bus terminal to compare prices for buses to Cordoba and took some pics of the cool graffiti about town. There really is some sweet art around here. It gives me a whole new appreciation of the city. Maybe it ain't that bad.
After an afternoon siesta, I was ready to party. But that is a whole other story...a whole other blog. Check in again soon.
I am counting the days til I leave.
Now having committed myself to yet another pizza party (urgh), I am obliged to stay until Thursday but that kinda works anyway cos I would like a weekend in Cordoba. Apparently it's a small version of Buenos Aires - I'm hoping that means it's a bit cleaner too.
The first night I spent back I had a kip but woke myself to go meet my Australian friend N and her boyfriend, who are here for a short time before heading elsewhere in South America and whom I haven't seen for god knows how long. It was really good to catch up, we were just in the bar around the corner, so it was easy to get to and easy to get home.
I drank nothing, not a drop, because my stomach was still too sensitive for it. And I knew if I took it easy that night I could double my efforts the next night. Which I did. Boom.
I had planned a sleep-in for the next day, but as I went to sleep sober, my body believed it had had enuf sleep at about 10am and I was up n at'em. Ufffff.... Armed with a camera (woot woot), I walked to the main bus terminal to compare prices for buses to Cordoba and took some pics of the cool graffiti about town. There really is some sweet art around here. It gives me a whole new appreciation of the city. Maybe it ain't that bad.
After an afternoon siesta, I was ready to party. But that is a whole other story...a whole other blog. Check in again soon.
Friday, 22 April 2011
Night 1 in BA: A taste of Columbia
The Columbian. My first taste of the country and it was every bit as gloriously passionate as I had wanted it to be. The poor boy - and I say boy because he looks about 18 but is actually 24 - is still in love with his ex-gf of 3 years who lives in Spain or somewhere, but refuses to admit it...and is trying desperately to get over her by finding someone else to love. Why he thought I would be that person, god only knows.
I had my first ¨shift¨ last night, which involved ferrying the guests from all 3 connected hostels to the hostel bar next to the Ritz for free pizza. Basically just a rouse to get them drinking at their expensive - although very nice - bar, I was also responsible for telling them the pizza was only for those who had bought a drink. Hmm. That part I didnt do...
At the bar, I met some more of my future workmates including the Columbian, funnily enuf the same friend of L who I worked with in Iguazu...and who I mentioned ¨the Columbian¨ to as a side comment. Dammit, not doing so good on destroying that ¨little whore¨ nickname she gave me haha...
It was fun, I did get lost on the way from hostel to hostel but time will heal those wounds. And met some more people, so that was good. When the bar closed, me and the Columbian went up to the rooftop of the hostel - reserved for staff members only - and it was a beautiful view of the city. The Columbian was all over me, but I was honestly more concerned with the view. I love a good rooftop.
Disappointing attempts to horizontal dance - I think mainly due to aforementioned love and possibly too much weed - and we were heading back to Tango City, me unsure whether he was coming in with me or just walking me back safely. After he had a little tantrum about god knows what...crazy Columbian, we walked in - together - and I saw the night shift guy was one of the people I lived with in Igauzu, although the only one I never really met properly. So we recognised each other but I dont know if either one knew the others name! But thats good I know another person here.
We played some pool, I flirted with the Brazilian barman inconspicuously - probably not though - and then me and the Columbian went to my office slash room. I think I said something that offended him cos he left and I woke up alone. Not entirely a bad thing, considering the afteraffects of me shagging someone the first night on the job, and I wanted my single bed to myself thanks very much! Plenty of time to right my wrongs with him anyway... not that I want this to be a repeatedly disappointing event. Urgh. Next!
Tonight I am preparing - after a MASSIVE but needed sleep-in - for a night on the town with one of the guests from Iguazu, cant wait as it will be one with the locals and my first biggie in the city renowned for its party scene. I am expected to completely spend too much, as I already felt I was doing yesterday, but hey, when in BA... if it all gets too much, I am outta here anyway. No problemo.
I had my first ¨shift¨ last night, which involved ferrying the guests from all 3 connected hostels to the hostel bar next to the Ritz for free pizza. Basically just a rouse to get them drinking at their expensive - although very nice - bar, I was also responsible for telling them the pizza was only for those who had bought a drink. Hmm. That part I didnt do...
At the bar, I met some more of my future workmates including the Columbian, funnily enuf the same friend of L who I worked with in Iguazu...and who I mentioned ¨the Columbian¨ to as a side comment. Dammit, not doing so good on destroying that ¨little whore¨ nickname she gave me haha...
It was fun, I did get lost on the way from hostel to hostel but time will heal those wounds. And met some more people, so that was good. When the bar closed, me and the Columbian went up to the rooftop of the hostel - reserved for staff members only - and it was a beautiful view of the city. The Columbian was all over me, but I was honestly more concerned with the view. I love a good rooftop.
Disappointing attempts to horizontal dance - I think mainly due to aforementioned love and possibly too much weed - and we were heading back to Tango City, me unsure whether he was coming in with me or just walking me back safely. After he had a little tantrum about god knows what...crazy Columbian, we walked in - together - and I saw the night shift guy was one of the people I lived with in Igauzu, although the only one I never really met properly. So we recognised each other but I dont know if either one knew the others name! But thats good I know another person here.
We played some pool, I flirted with the Brazilian barman inconspicuously - probably not though - and then me and the Columbian went to my office slash room. I think I said something that offended him cos he left and I woke up alone. Not entirely a bad thing, considering the afteraffects of me shagging someone the first night on the job, and I wanted my single bed to myself thanks very much! Plenty of time to right my wrongs with him anyway... not that I want this to be a repeatedly disappointing event. Urgh. Next!
Tonight I am preparing - after a MASSIVE but needed sleep-in - for a night on the town with one of the guests from Iguazu, cant wait as it will be one with the locals and my first biggie in the city renowned for its party scene. I am expected to completely spend too much, as I already felt I was doing yesterday, but hey, when in BA... if it all gets too much, I am outta here anyway. No problemo.
Monday, 21 February 2011
Vienna w/e pt. 2: butterflies & kebab store raves
I woke up at 10:30am. I could've died then and been happy because of this. My alarm did not sound. I was not lurched into consciousness by tolling church bells. No hungry animals were angry that I slept so late. I was... free. And it felt good.
I bounced out of bed and got some tips from E about where to go on a budget tour of Vienna, and F and I headed in. We walked around for a while, and I just can't describe how beautiful this city is. Words do not do it justice. We wandered into the first district - I can't believe I hadn't been there yet - and it was one glorious building after another. Even with the cold, overcast weather I was smiling.
F and I were snap happy, catching horse-drawn carts sidling past 1000-year-old monuments and ancient trees adorning grounds once trodden on by aristocrats and royalty. Then finally we found the butterfly house (schmettlingerhaus in German, hehe) and went inside to get some piccies of the pretty winged creatures flying about the humid enclosure. Gotta admit, not AS many as I'd have wanted and less bodily contact with them than desired, but there were the odd moments we had one land on us.
We then headed back to the apartment, made some food and then got ready for another dance class. E had a headache so didn't join us, probably a good thing since it ended up being the most random of drunken nights possible. The dance class was not free, as E had thought, and the thought of shelling out 35 euros ("Tell her she's dreamin...") was a little too much to handle. So we left and turned into the first random pub we saw.
Turned out to be quite funny... we got a table a little out of the way and the locals just kinda stared at us for most of the time. Then we got a little drunk playing darts (me losing every game - score!! haha) and the locals started buying us Jager shots. Aye aye aye. And it was all downhill from there...
Actually, if the evening WAS a hill, I guess this would've been where we grabbed a couple of pieces of cardboard and flew headfirst down the slope, arms flailing and legs kicking in all directions. We then would've landed in a kebab-flavoured bush at the bottom and munched our way out while also cutting some mad dance shapes.
Let me back up a little. After a while, the first pub we went to closed and we were bitterly disappointed, so the owner and some regulars took us around the corner to another local, and the owner basically used the night's earnings to shout us drinks. And it comes full circle. Haha...
After a drink there and some disconcerting looks from the Hungarian wife of the customer we were with (serving behind the bar), we left feeling drunk and fairly satisfied that we'd had a totally unexpected but fun evening. But the night wasn't over yet.
On the tram home (gotta love these trams, free tour of the city... naughty naughty) we made friends with some randoms, then I started complaining to another random black guy that they were trying to pick us up when we just wanted to talk, and by that conversation's end he was all, "So... you wouldn't give me your number, then?" Ahh, FUCK'S sake.
Before going back to the apartment, I was defo in need of a kebab so the randoms took us to his mate's kebab stand and we made him turn the music up so we could have a mini-rave outside the stand while we cooked my kebab. Possibly the reason the kebab took a million minutes to get ready. It would've been the most action his stand had seen in a while. He quickened up, though, when I stormed the stand and demanded he cook FASTER. Haha... would have LOVED me.
I survived the walk home with just one bash into a wall and one mistaken front door, and F swiftly took herself to bed while I cooked dinner for myself and the other flatmate I. We had some good chats and then I ordered F to take out her earphones and sleep. Didn't get much resistance there. I think it was still before 10pm at this stage. Ahh, the beauty of starting early...
I bounced out of bed and got some tips from E about where to go on a budget tour of Vienna, and F and I headed in. We walked around for a while, and I just can't describe how beautiful this city is. Words do not do it justice. We wandered into the first district - I can't believe I hadn't been there yet - and it was one glorious building after another. Even with the cold, overcast weather I was smiling.
F and I were snap happy, catching horse-drawn carts sidling past 1000-year-old monuments and ancient trees adorning grounds once trodden on by aristocrats and royalty. Then finally we found the butterfly house (schmettlingerhaus in German, hehe) and went inside to get some piccies of the pretty winged creatures flying about the humid enclosure. Gotta admit, not AS many as I'd have wanted and less bodily contact with them than desired, but there were the odd moments we had one land on us.
We then headed back to the apartment, made some food and then got ready for another dance class. E had a headache so didn't join us, probably a good thing since it ended up being the most random of drunken nights possible. The dance class was not free, as E had thought, and the thought of shelling out 35 euros ("Tell her she's dreamin...") was a little too much to handle. So we left and turned into the first random pub we saw.
Turned out to be quite funny... we got a table a little out of the way and the locals just kinda stared at us for most of the time. Then we got a little drunk playing darts (me losing every game - score!! haha) and the locals started buying us Jager shots. Aye aye aye. And it was all downhill from there...
Actually, if the evening WAS a hill, I guess this would've been where we grabbed a couple of pieces of cardboard and flew headfirst down the slope, arms flailing and legs kicking in all directions. We then would've landed in a kebab-flavoured bush at the bottom and munched our way out while also cutting some mad dance shapes.
Let me back up a little. After a while, the first pub we went to closed and we were bitterly disappointed, so the owner and some regulars took us around the corner to another local, and the owner basically used the night's earnings to shout us drinks. And it comes full circle. Haha...
After a drink there and some disconcerting looks from the Hungarian wife of the customer we were with (serving behind the bar), we left feeling drunk and fairly satisfied that we'd had a totally unexpected but fun evening. But the night wasn't over yet.
On the tram home (gotta love these trams, free tour of the city... naughty naughty) we made friends with some randoms, then I started complaining to another random black guy that they were trying to pick us up when we just wanted to talk, and by that conversation's end he was all, "So... you wouldn't give me your number, then?" Ahh, FUCK'S sake.
Before going back to the apartment, I was defo in need of a kebab so the randoms took us to his mate's kebab stand and we made him turn the music up so we could have a mini-rave outside the stand while we cooked my kebab. Possibly the reason the kebab took a million minutes to get ready. It would've been the most action his stand had seen in a while. He quickened up, though, when I stormed the stand and demanded he cook FASTER. Haha... would have LOVED me.
I survived the walk home with just one bash into a wall and one mistaken front door, and F swiftly took herself to bed while I cooked dinner for myself and the other flatmate I. We had some good chats and then I ordered F to take out her earphones and sleep. Didn't get much resistance there. I think it was still before 10pm at this stage. Ahh, the beauty of starting early...
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