I think I have been in this city enough time to discuss danger, a topic about which my mother will no doubt be keen to hear (sorry Mom!). It must be said that danger in a city is inevitable, and in a city of this size, danger is the elephant in the room that everyone is talking about.
When I first arrived, we had the all too familiar orientations. Sometimes these orientations said helpful things like, 'get cash here' or 'only monedas on the busses,' but normally the point was to scare us careful; a phrase which here means: To make a person so fearful of robbery, mugging, rape and the like, that they will never let anything they own out of their sight." "Ojos Abiertos" meaning "Keep your eyes on the watch at all times" was a phrase used by not only my program directors, but by my host mother, friends, faculty and, more than one old bus driver.
I get it, I get it. The city is dangerous. Be careful, don't be stupid, blah blah blah. Easy. Right? Wrong. It may amaze you to discover that I quite enjoy people. Frolicking, laughing, telling stories. It only seems logical that I would surround myself with like-minded people. The words 'cautious' and 'inconspicuous' don't tend to follow us around.
I thought the city would make me more pensive, which it no doubt has, but I think it has also made me more cautious. Not in the lock your doors and shut your windows to the world kind of way, but in the way that there's always just a little nagging suspicion that there could be something awry around the corner.
There is something unsettling about the feeling of being on a dark street at night, or being alone in an unmarked taxi. And may I say from experience, there is nothing that will pump straight adrenaline into your veins like being aggressively approached by a stranger on a quiet street corner. In a city full of people, you would think I would pine for a moment of solitude, but I actually quite dislike it. I prefer busy streets, lit walkways, lots of traffic, a not so silent sentiment to the fact that when I am surrounded, I feel the safest.
Here in Buenos Aires, caution is necessary, but on the flip side, danger is everywhere. Wait you say... that's not positive, Hilary. But the old two negatives make a positive just might work in this situation; hear me out. If danger is everywhere, than it can pretty much be habitually avoided. If you're just as careful in the café as you are on the streets, and try to acclimate as best as your little darwin gene will let you, (this coming from the albino in BA) you may not be immune to danger, but you will definitely stress less about it. Also, quick tip ladies: keep the important stuff, in your bra (guys: Jock strap?).
The key part of danger is to not let it come in the way of experiences. I'm sure this is the last thing Mom wanted to hear me say but it's true. If you're too scared to ride the colectivos-- you're going to miss the art festival, if you're to scared to walk home from school-- you're not going to discover the most delicious empanada shop on Juramento, That rad museum? Forget it unless you grow a pair and explore Chinatown.
In all reality, I don't mind it. In fact I love it. The danger makes me feel a little devil-may-care and to be honest, it's refreshing to be somewhere with this many people being so alert. There's always the dumb american girl who's yelling loudly at her friend about how lost they are, or the european tourist who left his backpack unzipped, but for the most part, the locals are cautions and conscious, which I admire. To them, eating at a restaurant with their bag on their lap isn't an inconvenience, it's natural. I like natural.
These are the things you'll learn, and the reason you'll never want to leave.
As always,
Besos,
Hil
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