the place

A few people have asked about the apartment. What's it like? Well, I've taken a few photos of the apartment and our street. It's very well lit. Good light. High ceilings. Top floor. No elevator (it's only 4 stories). It's quiet, mostly. We have an elderly neighbor who keeps his tv on whenever he's conscious, which is pretty much from 9am - 10pm. That's not a real problem because we're not here during the day that much. The brazilians on the other side, well, they seem to come and go at all hours. And they seem to rent two apartments, one on our floor and one on the floor below, and go up and down so much that we can't figure out the logic. We've tested a number of theories. None work.

We've noticed different sounds from the neighborhood than we're used to. It's part of the cultural difference. Each day, several times a day, I hear the gas can guys. They have small metal tanks of propane on a hand truck that they wheel around the neighborhood and bang on the cans with a stick to let people know they're around. The butane Mr. Softees. Along with the old ladies (viejas) that yell at everyone ("Every day with that dog!!! Enough!"), it feels like the old country. With internet.