the subject i know you are all dying to know about

me at my hostal and yes, I can wear this to work

Okay, so I've had 3 days of the job so far. And it's getting better. Thank God. Although I am unable to help everybody who comes to me with questions, (either because of the language or because of my slightly more than cursory knowledge of Montevideo) I can successfully make a reservation in Spanish, show them their room, tell them where the bathroom is, that breakfast is included and give them a basic overview of the city. YESSSS!!!!

My position is unique and changes pretty much every day. Yesterday, I got there at 6pm and worked reception until 8, when they told me to open the bar, which is really nothing more than a cupboard with one stool in front of it. Pretty much everything I would need apart from my knife, including running water and the fridge are across the patio that my bar is situated. But it's mine and I pretty much get to make all the decisions regarding it. Keep in mind the cocktail culture here is that of possibly 1991 in the United States as most bars feature Sex on the Beaches and Screwdrivers and some sort of unnatural-colored flaming shot on the menu. When I asked for triple-sec, the response was a blank stare.

So, with my elementary bar experience, (I worked the bar at my first restaurant job in Philly 4 years ago and I drink a lot) I have essentially become the bar manager. Last night, upon my boss's suggestion, we gave out free caipirinhas and who doesn't love a free drink or a bartender who gives them out? Nobody, obviously, which was made evident by the whole $1.50 in tips I made, which I was totally jazzed about by the way.

Which brings me to money... It is more than common for people to get paid by the month in Uruguay, a huge shock for a girl who's used to making cash every single night. My monthly salary - $7,000 (pesos) plus something to do with a possible percentage of sales that I'm pretty positive I won't make and we can't forget about those tips. Allow me translate that - $350 (dollars) a month, for 48 hours a week. Yes, that means that I have on more than one occasion made my Uruguayan monthly salary in one night in a Philadelphia restaurant. I was able to convince my boss for an advance which disappeared before you could say rent, groceries and one cab ride home. Big splurge!

All this talk about South America being dirt cheap, yeah, that's only when you have American dollars to throw around. Working here and living here is a totally different story. By the way, after doing a little research I have become aware that my salary is right on target with what actual Montevideoans are making and as such, most of them work two or three jobs. AHH! My first really personal experience as a big city girl in the third world country. And I'm going to try to keep it up for 2 whole months. I will not be traveling. I will not be going out to dinner. I will for sure be collecting the beer bottles that those rich tourists leave behind so I can recycle them at the Disco across the street from me (worth 50 cents each!!!)

Luckily for me, at the end of this, I have some more travel plans including my mom coming to see me in March, visiting my first South American friends in Paraguay, Bolivia with Josh, Trinidad with Ian and a stop in Florida, all ending in Philly where I can quickly bounce back. For now, though, an unexpected experiment that stems from me getting robbed in Buenos Aires (still no atm card). I definitely believe that things happen for a reason and now maybe this is it. After two months of a total indulgent lifestyle with Tori, (we stayed in hostals so we could go out for $100 dinners) I'm going to attempt to live on this measly salary and see what happens. Expect some future blog posts with titles like "I found a dollar on the ground today!"; "Onions on sale!"; or "Score! Another roll of toilet paper successfully taken from the Radisson!"