Morning Routine

After being out of routine for 2 weeks, Monday I rode the bus to work in the morning thinking, yup back to normal. I realize however, that this may not be a normal experience and perhaps I should describe it to you all. I walk 4 blocks to the Metro de la Uni and wait there to spot a bus going to Brazil. I won’t take just any bus that says ‘Brazil’ on the side anymore. I’ve learned the quicker routes; some busses make a long way around and turn a lot, others are more direct. When I spot one, I wave it down. Sometimes when they are too full or don’t see me they pass by me without stopping. When one stops I squeeze quickly into it. I live off of a main road that heads into the central part of town. Usually, by the time the busses get to me there are quite a few people already riding it. People are dressed in a range of attire - from jeans to suits, to babies being carried in mantas and nursed when they start crying, women in uniforms and low cut tops and sweatpants, men in sport clothes or nice clothes carrying agendas and briefcases - So I squish myself into any remaining room and grab a hold of the bar on the ceiling. I try to have access to my pockets when the cobrador asks for my pasaje. I tell him I am going to Brazil, and about 20% of the time they don’t understand me and I get frustrated repeating myself thinking, come on its written on the side of your bus, but half the time I think they didn’t hear me or are simply making fun of my accent. When people need to get off of the bus they squish past, yelling baja at the cobrador and driver, freeing up a little wiggle room. Maria Arroyo told me that she used to carry pins in her pockets to avenge anyone standing too close to her back side. I haven’t come to this yet, and re-adjust as necessary. We drive past the fruit market, with many people buying, selling, digging through yesterdays leftovers and the smell is horrific. On good days we aren’t there very long, but during morning traffic this area tends to get stopped up. By the time we hit Plaza Bolonesa, enough people have gotten off that it’s a more comfortable ride, and sometimes I even manage to occupy a seat. I get off of the bus on Brazil in front of the Johnnie Walker sign, and walk to the office half a block, or cross the street and backtrack a block depending on whether or not the stop light turned red or stayed green. The past couple of days I passed by an old man walking the other direction telling me that I am a beautiful doll. This process takes anywhere from 25-40 minutes.

If you want to see pictures of while I was ‘out of routine for two weeks’ check out these facebook picture albums: http://owu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2014625&l=8962f&id=24100417 and http://owu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2014605&l=b872b&id=24100417, also you can read my latest volunteer newsletter: http://www.pcusa.org/missionconnections/letters/yav/yav_phillipsk_0705.htm