Vivo Donde Vive La Bruja

This week has been fairly eventful. Allow me to begin with the story of Wednesday:

The story of Wednesday actually begins the first day I got here. After I had unpacked all 7 of my belongings, read all the sweet notes from my family (INCLUDING a packet of Holidays and fun stuff from Grandma and Grandpa which I forgot to mention, thank you very much I loved it) and got set up, Susana wanted to take me walking around the neighborhood. As we are exiting the building she pulls me close and tells me "You don talk with anyyyone here. Don say 'ello' or 'how are you', nothing because there are a some people here oo ayte people where you're from. If someone says 'buenos dia' say it back, but don answer any questions." In other words, "Welcome to your new home Kendra! People already hate you here, so lay low!"

So, with those warm fuzzies I started my life here in Buenos Aires. Wednesday comes and I go to clase, which has been really great by the way, I learn lots and come home. As I enter the building, el portero (front desk guy) alerts me that the elevators to my apartment are broken and I need to use the back elevator. He points me in the direction of the elevator with a few confusing waves and bending of fingers and I proceed onward. The back elevator is this jenky little elevator located in the back stairwell of the building and there's not much room to move or wait, and as it has to service the whole building and stop at every floor, the wait can be very long. Not 30 seconds had passed upon my arrival when an old lady with a tiny dog that looks like it had just peeled itself from the wall it ran into comes and waits for the elevator.

I try to look unapproachable so she doesn't try to talk to me, but this fails and so begins a very tense and awkward 10 minutes. She tries to talk to me and it's impossible to hide my nationality at this point: if I talk she will hear my accent and know I didn't understand a word she said (plus I would be disobeying Susana's only rule), and if I don't talk she will know I didn't understand a word she said. Silence. Another lady comes, "buenos dia!", I say it back and stare straight ahead. We all get in the elevator, they are talking about who knows what and finally I make it home.

Five minutes after I return home, Susana bursts through the door and makes a beeline for me and asks "Were you jus on the elevator with a wooman with a little dog?" "...sí" "Did you say anyyything to her?? Did you say 'qué'?" "...creo que no, I just said 'buenas dia' to the other lady and that's it" "Thas it? Are you sure?? She is a WITCH! a SNAKE!" "Sí!" Susana is clearly worried and I'm feeling rather disliked and unwelcome and reaalllyy wanting to know how she knew I went on the elevator with her, so I ask. She tells me that el portero warned her that he had seen me get on the elevator with "the witch". Apparently nobody likes this woman, and she is the worst person I could have ever ran into in the building. Sweet. Susana kept repeating that she was "a weeetch!!" and told me if I ever see her again to walk the other way... Welcome home Kendra! Buenos Aires is glad to have you!

And I think I might have said qué. I haven't run into her again so far as I know.