Neighborhood update: Two of the three apartments in the building across from me are now vacant. I’m sure they’re pretty cheap to rent, so if you’re thinking of an extended stay living in a working class neighborhood of a beautiful beach town I can talk to the remaining tenant and get some info! Take the third floor though, the second floor apartment has a broken window 🙂
Speaking of neighbors … my vecina right next door (Lupita) and I chatted the other day. She speaks no English, and my Spanish is still pretty much limited to feeding my tummy, so it’s always interesting when we talk 🙂 She was telling me that she has two daughters living with her, and that one is an English teacher for grade school kids, and the other works the cruise ships (9 months at sea, 3 months home). As we were talking, they came home – so I finally got to meet them! They had some work done to their side of the roof – it looks like tiles on the floor. They told me that they won’t have to re-seal the roof every year to prevent rain damage! I’m going to look into it as it looks pretty and is much easier to maintain.
My neighbors next to Lupita have moved. No more screaming/crying 8 year old! I will miss them as the father spoke flawless English and was fun to talk to. I’ve seen him gabbing with the ladies at the tortilleria up the street, so I’ll have to stop and chat with him next time I see him there. They were also the ones that would blast show tunes in English occasionally and freak my s**t out (wait, who’s playing Sweeny Todd songs???)! I haven’t figured out how many are in that apartment now – I see a couple often, but then I’ll see kids and more adults. I’ll have to pay closer attention 🙂
As far as I’m aware, Lupita owns her apartment, Amelia and her husband (2nd floor) own their apartment, and the kid under me rents from his grandfather who owns it. The other two apartments are rented out by their owners (the grandfather?). Makes it fairly stable around here, and Amelia has warmed up to me enough to say buenas tardes back to me when I greet her!
Oscar, the previous owner of my apartment, who was living in his house 4 homes up the street, has moved! This is my really sad time as he was the go-to person for telling me things about the neighborhood and my apartment. He told me that the noise was just too much for him. Being on a major bus line (with buses that don’t believe in functioning mufflers) aside, a little cantina opened up across the street from him, and he said the people behind him were really loud at all hours too. The cantina people don’t bother me, as they’re far enough up the street that I don’t hear them. Really, the bus traffic is my major source of noise, and once you get used to it you really don’t notice it at all.
Lots of changes in the neighborhood! Life marches on and everything is still good when you’re warm, fed, and on a beach!
