06 May xxxx

Ok so I know that Dad warned me but I dont think the electrical system is up to scratch here. I am still a little bit shaken up about what happened this morning. Stupidly I was straightening my hair and then went to unplug the thing before turning it off. Yes I know stupid! I am used to being able to flick the switch off at the wall and then unplug things straight from the wall. Of course here however there is no switch to flick! So anyway I went to unplug the thing and I was given the heftiest electric shock. I have received shocks before in Australia but I think the Clipsal switch thingos kick in and the shock is only minor. This did not feel so minor. The shock shot up my arm through my elbow and shoulder and began to ring in ears. I felt like my head was going to explode. And I couldnt let go of the dam plug!! The whole thing only lasted a millisecond but it felt like it went on for ages. When I eventually managed to drop the plug I fell to the bathroom floor. My legs just fell in. So Ive survived to tell the tale but I still feel a bit shaky! My arm is still a bit sore and I feel like my whole body is a sensitive. I am not kidding though my hair became totally static and pupils opened up like saucers (not sure if it was from the electricity or the fright). I keep having visions of my dead body being found in only underwear on the bathroom floor with a stupid hair straightener in my hand! At least I would be a corpse with lovely hair! The worst part (considering I survived) is that I managed to blow the electricity in my entire apartment building (sorry mum and dad but) Fuck! The other girls hadnt woken up when I left the house but I left it with no working electricity and when I came out to use the lift I found that it was not working and I met people in the stairs saying that they had to take the stairs because there was no electricity. Oh dear! I am wishing wishing wishing that it will all be sorted when I come home. Please god I promise never to be vain again (or maybe not so vain)! Mental note dont give anyone I live with the link to this travel blog! Anyway sorry to the parents who are probably freaking out but remember that the important part of this story is that I didnt die and I now know to be more careful. Even though Dad I know you did warn me about electronic systems in South America!

 

On more pleasant news. My samba class yesterday was SENSATIONAL!! Yes it did deserve the capital letters! The school is incredible. They teach all types of Brazilian dance including Lambada-zouk which I am going to tomorrow night (Alex will understand the joy of that, we discovered zouk when we were at the Sydney salsa congress but there are currently no classes in Adelaide)! I took the beginners samba class coz although I have been doing it for about 7 months at home I thought it would be better to look good in beginners than to look shit in intermediate. Well! Am I glad I took beginners coz I looked shit in the beginners class! The class is taken by a Brazilian guy (yes guy, very smooth. There are also a few guys in the class!). He is the best dancer I have ever seen up close. He looks like he is moving on ice!! Imagine the moon walk done with hips and moving side to side and then add in a bit of almost Can Can style lunging steps. It was incredible. The class runs for an hour and half. I thought that sounded like rather a long time but the teacher structures the class so well moving from one thing to another that I didnt feel it at all. I couldnt understand a thing that he said though. I just followed his steps and occasionally he would come over and move my foot or hip or something (I think after he had said it to the rest of the class several times!!). At the end of the class we did like a relaxation thing. Problem was we were all lying down and I couldnt see anyone so I had no one to copy when I couldnt understand what he was saying. So I just lay there like an idiot. I think idiots stand out quite a lot over here because the teacher soon came over and started repeating everything to me. I still had no idea so in the end he just did everything for me. When he was saying make a tight fist and then let it go (I think) he would take my fist and crush it into a ball and then pull it out. Same with feet, calves etc. Was very kind of him but I found the whole thing so humorous the exercise was completely lost on me as I spent the entire time trying to hold back the giggles. At the end of the class the teacher came over and asked me how it went. I thanked him very much and told him I was sorry that my Spanish was so incredibly bad. To that he laughed and said todo bien, all good, the class was in Portuguese !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow my Spanish really is that bad!! Bugger! Ive become so used to not understanding I cant even tell when people are not speaking Spanish. Oh well! We then had a great old chat about Brazilians in Australia and I understood everything perfectly! Yes! So going back tomorrow night for Zouk and then Thursday for samba and maybe some more over the weekend (I dont have many friends ok?!). For a month I can go to three classes a week for $75 pesos. Divide that by three for Australian dollars. Not bad ey! Last night cost me $8 pesos. Around $2.60 you cant get a coffee in Adelaide for that!! Its weird. Some things in this city are really expensive. Like accommodation and food is not always that cheap (around $10 Aus to eat out which is not that expensive but is not a bargain either). I think though that services are a lot cheaper. For example you can get a hair cut here for $15 pesos. If I had thought about it, it probably would have been cheaper to get my hair styled at a hair dresser every second day then buy a hair dryer!

 

Anyway well thats it from me for now. I just wanted to share my electrocution story considering I actually survived it! And I potentially may have to fess up when I get home and I dont know how that will go. Hope you are all well. Muchos besos. Ju

Posted from Argentina:

posted Tuesday May xxxx