Real life, abroad

Last Friday was a crappy day, for a number of reasons; progress in my research continued to be slow (more on that soon!), it was raining, and I was unable to accomplish several things I had meant to that day. Then, I was caught in the middle of a not easy Skype conversation with Rachel, and was unable to finish it because my ride home was leaving. So, when I got home, I took a crowded taxi to a flashy mall that is nearby to find a place I could use the internet, and to my surprise, found one. The waiter assured me it was free, which was surprising. So, I found a secluded part of the quasi-coffee shop and logged onto Skype, to call Rachel back, and to call my sister, Lily (with whom I’ve been trying to talk for literally 5 weeks). My internet browser then informed me that the free internet was free for a grand total of 10 minutes. I stared blankly at the screen for a moment, attempted said communication (to little avail), shut the lid, and went to this little place I had heard about that is, ostensibily, rich in culture, frequented by locals, and quite obscure. It’s called McDonald’s.

I bought a medium Coke, a medium french fry, and found a seat by the windows, watching the rush hour foot traffic and dim winter drizzle of rain from a place of sterility and convenience.