We're Not in America Anymore, Toto

Started school today. Crazy. Many students from all over the world. Americans are few. I have met one though. But from all other countries. Very different vibe here than in Costa Rican or Brasilian schools. Very laid back. I had to beg them to help me find my lost luggage. They are just sooooo I don't know, laidback. They all stand around smoking and talking. And I'm talking about the teachers and administration staff. They put me in my apartment today. Total mess, never got cleaned. No air conditioning!!!! O.k. so that's the worst part. But the second worse part is that my apartment is in this building that's maybe a thousand years old or something with four flights of these ancient stone steps that I have to climb to get into it. No elevators anywhere. I curse those steps as much as I am in awe of their cracked stained broken and ancient appearance. ...

In the eyes of my hostess this morning at breakfast --- which they don't actually have here ---- it was like I was looking into the eyes of my grandmother. It was very nice. I awoke at about 5am and that was really trying to force myself to sleep. So I just sat around for a long time and played the guitar and studied. Decided I would invent/discover a new open tuning for while I am here. So the songs have a certain flavor only for while I am here. The city is not open here till about 7 or 8 really. Just totally asleep. And then again at 1pm all the shops close again till 3 in the afternoon. This is a very different mentality than we have in the states. Anyway, I roamed the streets going from restaurant to restaurant looking for breakfast and had no luck. All they eat is coffee and pastries for breakfast. I asked a hundred people for eggs because I hadn't eaten in a day and they all laughed like I was crazy. You crazy Americans with your breakfast. Here have a pastry and some coffee. I would kill for an egg or some fruit. You take things like fruit for granted in America, especially living in Florida where most people have orange, grapefruit, papaya, or mango trees in their backyards. Here you're going to pay like twenty dollars for one.