Waiting (ever so patiently)
by Grace Carballo ‘17
When you’re adjusting to a new city, of course you need to give yourself some time to figure out how everything works. Waiting to feel comfortable and for some semblance of confidence is frustrating to say the least, especially when you can’t help making comparisons to how things work “so smoothly” back home.
I’ve spent enough time in this adjustment phase to now personally identify with Jack Johnson’s ballad, Sitting, Waiting, Wishing, and what’s worse, Jack, is when you have to do your waiting while standing.
In the past two weeks in Buenos Aires, I’ve probably broken my waiting personal records, so I feel qualified to give unsolicited advice to you readers who are currently in similar adjustment processes and/or looking to move or study abroad in the near future.
Not convinced I know what I’m talking about? Let me walk you briefly through my waiting resumé.
As I write this I’m on a train to school and though I allowed myself 90 minutes for the journey, I’m definitely going to be late because this train has been stopped now for 10 minutes inexplicably and no one else has even batted an eye.
Yesterday, I went to the office of Migraciones to get my student visa (your girl is a “tourist” no more) and thankfully I was accompanied by the guardian angels of the International Students Office from UdeSA. Before I could go to this office, I had to first acquire some specific-sized photos and naturally arrived at the Kodak store (approx. 25 blocks from my house) as it was closing). I finally secured the required photo the following day but my expression in it is anything but patient.
The process to get the visa required several lines, multiple buildings, a good deal of human interaction and confusion, and naturally a healthy dose of waiting. I got up at 6 AM to leave with a visa at 11 AM and of course immediately boarded the wrong train home, giddy with my temporary residence and all the privileges that come with it.
Two days ago, I waited in line patiently at my favorite supermercado where I like to think of myself as a “regular”. I was feeling great, making small talk, very eager to consume my purchases after 6 hours of class, when my credit card decided to be a temperamental diva as a line formed behind me, consisting mainly of big, sweaty men in tank tops buying Gatorade (or similar0 after their “musculación” at the gym next door. The cashier, my almost friend at this point, tried for several minutes but handed my card back to me, informed me with a look riddled with pity I did not have sufficient funds to by my rice cakes, canned peas, and assorted produce.
And let’s not forget some of the best waiting I did two weeks ago- the 3 hour line in the rain endeavor that turned out to literally be a line to nowhere as non Lollapalooza employee had any intention of showing their face at that kiosk.
In all of life, but perhaps even more-so when you’re studying abroad, you’re going to have to wait. Not every culture has the mentality “time is money” and it’s not cute to speak loudly about the efficiency of your home country while waiting in a line in your host country.
I’ll be the first to concur that waiting is not my favorite of the hobbies I’m currently pursuing but like flossing and filing your taxes, it’s a time consuming thing you just have to do. I’ve learned that long waits (for Customs, for commutes, for visas, for weekend travel, etc) are more manageable if you follow W.A.I.T.
Wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
Anticipate waiting twice as long as you are told it will be. (That way you’ll most likely be pleasantly surprised)
Invest in entertainment (books, sudokus, music, or even working on your homework) *note- do not have your iPhone or similar out and visible while you wait, my housemate has already had two phones stolen and it’s the worst.
Take snacks and water with you wherever you go. The worst kind of people are the hangry ones (hungry and angry) which is why I rarely leave the house without a granola bar.
This whole WAIT acronym thing may have taken my self-proclaimed waiting expertise too far but I hope you can look past this to find it helpful.
Wherever your next travel adventure takes you, if you are ready to wait, it’s going to be great!
I’m going to stop myself now because that last line was too much. Although you should know, dear reader, the second half of this blog was written while waiting to get into a museum for my clase de arte latinoámericano so I really do practice what I preach.
An important afterthought - Though you might find yourself getting crabby while waiting, don’t take that out on the people who are just doing their jobs- be they at grocery stores, train stations, museums, embassies, etc. A saying I’m fond of says “You catch more bees with honey than you do with vinegar,” and while I never will advocate catching bees, I do promote common courtesy and being pleasant wherever you may be.
Fight on and I hope whatever it is, it’s worth the wait!
Un beso (all my professors sign their emails with a kiss and it’s too much affection for me),
Graciela ‘17
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