Out of the races and onto the tracks...

I am here, but not in the city I will be staying at yet. This has been an insane adventure and I don´t know how to accurately describe how I feel. I am a foreigner; the second i landed in Caracas I was met by a barrage of men saying things to me and I just said ¨no gracias, no gracias¨when a woman on my flight told me that they were saying I couldn´t take a luggage cart beyond a certain point. She and I had been talking but then parted ways to get our luggage, and everyone told me to have a good time when getting off the plane. The man talked to me some more, however, no comprendo, and then the woman said, ¨Let´s go get some coffee, eh? You can´t do this by yourself." And at that point, and still, I do believe that. With my level of Spanish, I am only confident to make a fart joke or tell someone that I´M handsome. It´s really no good for survival.

So, that womán´s name is Nubia, and we have already parted ways. She´s been living in Canada for 30 years but is from Caracas and was coming here to visit her friends. She took me under her wing and made me try this pastry with cheese in it and she got me some cafe con leche and it was served in a nice little cup. She translated for me, helped me with my shit, talked to me, made me laugh and said that everything was going to be okay and understood that this was all overwhelming. It turns out that she is an activist and social worker in canada organizing for women´s immigration rights and works with refugees. she told me all of her projects that she works on and has created herself. She houses immigrants and students who come to Canada for foreign language programs, but says she not really a house mom or anything---but she gives young women a place to stay. She began as an artist and then amalgamated into everything activist and for three years began building her own project where young women and refugees participate in an art program all of her own beginning. She was angry when the local art college completely closed down and said she felt that young women and people weren´t exposed to outlets wherein they can express themselves or just have fun creatively. Three years of her hard work, and then a popular local congressman wanted to outsource her work, but instead, she demanded that she get a grant instead and that the organization would not be co-opted. She is amazing.

Her friends finally found her at the airport, with me as her new immigrant friend, and they guided me through everything. They gave me a ride to the airport so I didn´t have to get a taxi. I asked a lot of questions about which taxis were official, where I could best trade my USDs for Bolivares, and she helped me exchange my money. She said that most banks actually screw you over and that asking people to do it for you is better, contrary to everything study abroad and the internet tells you. I felt safe with her because i know that she was really trying to help me---who else wants to just hang out with a sweaty confused freckly girl who can´t speak a lick of spanish? I can´t even find the "at" sign on this keyboard to write an email, well, I see it but i don´t know how to make it function and no, the shift key is not the answer. Anyway, we got into a woody station wagon jeep that wreaked of exhaust and I was taken to the domestic airport. She came in with me and checked me in, shipped my bag off, and then let me go. I could not have come this far with out her, not without having a break down. I´m scared that I don´t have her as a support anymore, and I´m trying to speak spanish and actually being understood, but I just don´t always understand the response.

It is very humid outside and when Nubia and I were lugging our bags uphil on the way to the woody jeep she said that she should be able to walk with her shirt off because she is wearing a pretty bra. She was very funny, and she gave me all of her information to send her pictures of my trip, and she said that she wanted me to come to Canada to see the work she does and that I could stay with her. After all of her help, not a piece of me things that she doesn´t mean what she says. No stranger anywhere has to be that kind, but she said, "This is what we do, we help each other out, that is what we are here for." I couldn´t have asked for a more welcoming, warm spirit. We talked about so many things within a seemingly short period of time. Do you know what I feel like? Remember that part of Amelie, the movie, where she just narrates to the blind man in a whirlwind practically running with him? She just hurries and takes him around, explains everything, and then dumps him off at where he needs to be? That´s exactly what my morning has been like from 5 AM until 8 AM. She told me about the mountains, the area i´m staying in, general safety, politics, unique fruits to the area and delicious natural delicacies to eat, took me to the airport with her friends, helped me check in, gave me a big hug and then left. Walking inside the airport tentatively, I looked out the window and saw the Woody Jeep drive away.