Wednesday, 06.06.2012 - 8:03 pm.
I got the visa to Bolivia and to Peru in record time. Andrew and I hopped on a bus on sunday, nearly at midnight, and woke up in Santiago the next morning. From the bus station we took the sub and went to two friends' apartment to wash up and establish our tiny headquarters. A place to rest between errands.
We dedicated the morning to walk to one embassy and the other in high-class neighborhoods. We encountered some troubles (e.g. I checked "specific purpose" on the visa app and turns out, turist visa is free, SP visa is $85, FML), but having him by my side was a great deal. I couldn't thank him enough for coming with me.
By 11 am we were free. I got the Bolivian visa right away. The Peruvian visa is granted from one day to the next but we said we lived far south and had no means to stay overnight in the capital (actually, Andrew's friends were kindly prepared to have me over in case I didn't get the visas in one day). We presented our bus tickets to prove our trip and they said they'd have the visa by 5 pm. Kind people.
Andrew knows the city better than me, so he took me to nice neighborhoods with record stores and tiny bookshops and coffeeshops and a building full of freaky stores that, put all together, were like a huge Hot Topic. A guy that had his whole face tattooed like a skeleton wandered around. We took the sub back and forth, met with friends to grab a bite for lunch and later on for supper. It was really nice, although really, really exhausting.
At a record store, I walked in and Andrew asked if I wanted something. I said I'd go look for a White Stripes album. I went to the back of the store and in two minutes he caught up with me. He handed me a bag, he had bought a CD while I wasn't looking. I thought it was for him but it was Jack White's Blunderbuss (Jack White was the first guy that made me feel glad that Joseph had dumped me), an amazing album he knew I wanted to buy and that I listen to over and over. Such a wonderful present, out of nowhere but the goodness of his heart. He tends to get me little gifts here and there, for the sake of it.
We took the bus home at midnight on monday, after supper with a few of his closest, long-time friends. We got here at 6:45 am yesterday. Slept for an hour and he headed to work. I worked, too, except I worked at home, as usual.
He's working part-time now, thanks to the scholarship he won to finish his master's degree. It's nice to have him come home at noon and then stay after lunch instead of going back to his office. It's only been a couple of days like this but I don't think I'll get tired of it because each of us do our own things. I work on my thesis, or the elective, or my blogs, or go to the clinic, or prepare an intervention with the clown doctors (haven't seen them in a while, will do tomorrow).
This morning he said he'd cook lunch and that we'll take turns for it from now on. I took that responsibility nearly as soon as we moved in together, because I have more free time and also to save him some time. But now that he doesn't have to return to his office in the afternoon, we can eat a bit later. He cooked pasta today, he's a great cook.
In other news, I got feedback from my writer friend on the novel I'm writing. In a nutshell, it isn't interesting and it's too self-conscious and too rational. I appreciated that criticism a lot, I needed it. I already knew it wasn't good but I wanted to know exactly why (I figured, but it's different having someone else telling you). I have some points to work on and a book my friend told me to read that approaches the same subject in a compelling way. I need to be more descriptive, more emotional, add a certain conflict that isn't there. I haven't touched the draft because I say I want to read the book first (I bought it in Santiago), though I haven't started it.
I would say I'm putthing this off because I feel overwhelmed with the congress in Bolivia approaching, I'm going solo on the exposition and I'm preparing it. And the thesis. And a paper due next week. And a trip for Andrew's birthday: he wanted a trip, just the two of us, for his birthday, so I booked us in a hotel by a lake, two hours away from here. I'm excited about that. We go on friday and come back on saturday, when we'll have a little get-together with his closest friends (the ones from Santiago are coming to see him).
So, that's why I haven't touched the draft. However, I should stop making excuses and at least start reading the book I was told to read. Time is flying by and I only have six months left of this lifestyle, with no idea about what's coming next.
prev / next