Maudlin, Mundane

Didn't I promise you I wasn't going to use fancy words? Sorry.

We survived the brutality of August.  September is here and has me feeling settled, adventurous, and dare I say, optimistic? Well, today at least.  Yesterday, I was a homesick, weepy puddle.  If you want to feel your feelings- move to South America.  Or probably, move anywhere far away from the people you love.  In the two months we’ve been here, I’ve gone from a stoic German who has actually asked the question in therapy, “But shouldn’t I be able to get mad?” to a fiery, whimpering, sentimental, maudlin mess.  I’m chalking it up to transitions and it’s fine.  Also, both my parents have COVID and I’m 5,705 miles away.  They’re doing ok.  Thank god.  

What I bring you today, it is a catalog of the mundane and a few things that are great.  Here are 5 things about my current life that are strange.  I say that without judgment- it’s not that they are bad or good.  They are different.  I moved here to make my life different, so I’m totally here for it.    

My Soap is Melting:

This is my fancy face soap.  I special order it from Package Free Shop in Brooklyn.  It’s made from charcoal, rosewater, and GLYCERIN!  The glycerin is a humectant which means it pulls the moisture out of the air and in this slight humidity, it is already liquifying.  Soap- it’s not even summer yet!  You’ve failed me!

I Don’t Have an Address:

With my birthday looming, a few lovely people have reached out wanting to know my address.  The answer is simple: I don’t have one.  My building has a number, but it’s just for show.  It’s not used for anything.  The real address is just the name of the street and the two cross streets it’s between.  This works for pedidos (delivery) and Ubers (taxis), but not for mail.  For mail, you have to get some complicated PO Box situation.  What about bills?  They’re all paid through a Paraguayan bank app that I don’t have access to because I’m a trailing spouse without a (real) job.  Also, because I’m a woman and the men are responsible for paying the bills here.  I kid you not.

This Drain is in My House, but It’s Not Mine:

We have four of these drains in our apartment- one in each bathroom, one under the lavarropa, and one in the middle of the kitchen where the dishwasher would be if we had one.  They are all connected to each other and they are also connected to the other gray water drains in the building.  This means that when someone else is doing laundry, I can smell their detergent.  It means when it rains, I can smell the rain water.  If people haven’t used water in a few hours, it smells mildewy. It gurgles constantly.

This is Wild and NSFW:

Kurupi is the name of the most ubiquitous brand of yerba mate tea in the country.  The boxes of this tea are everywhere.  Pictured is my box of cocido, a delightful version of yerba mate that has been toasted with sugar to make a caramel tea mixture.  What’s not delightful is Karupi himself, the namesake of this big brand. Click at your own risk.  It is very intense and not appropriate for children!

The Birds Outside are Parrots:

They are! And not in a novelty way.  They are as ubiquitous as pigeons.  It hasn’t gotten old yet.  They are squawky and loudest on mornings when the air is clean and I like to imagine them all feeling the same way I do- ready to go get out and about.  They fly around collecting long leaves to build their nests in the stanchions.  While I like to think about the Disney-esque little bird families living in those nests, all song and love, they actually probably smell horrible and are filled with sticky poop.

Things that are bringing me joy:

• This walking street with string lights and cute restaurants.  It was fun to eat pasta and watch the kids and dogs play along the walkway.

  

• This water jug and cups we bought at a craft fair last weekend.  Sometimes material objects do bring you joy.

  

• It’s so basic, but putting on my headphones and playing Taylor Swift on my walks this week is making me so happy.  I try and fight against it and choose other things, but nothing puts the pep in my step like TSwift.  

• Trip planning!  Isaac and I are turning forty in mere moments and we are going to Montevideo, Uruguay to celebrate.  We are planning to stroll along the beach, go wine tasting, and go out to at least one fancy dinner.  Have you been?  If so, please send me your reccs. 🇺🇾