Tuesday, Aug. 09, 2005 - 11:10 p.m.
Friday I got the glass in my car fixed. Jairo took me to the Bronx to do it.
Normally, this window is incredibly hard to find and very expensive. Every single car place I called or talked to quoted me something around $850. In the Bronx Jairo found a place that dealt with nothing but glass (it was just a huge garage with nothing but panes of glass and car mirrors) and had a used one for $100.
This area of the Bronx apparently thrives solely on car repair. Each place was specialized; one having just glass, one with just front ends, one just dealing with tires, etc. A bit shady, I wouldn't go there alone.
The whole experience was frustrating for me, even though it benefitted me a lot.
Dealing with car guys is hard. It always is, always. There is a certain aura around those places where I'm immediately assumed to know nothing and am treated second classedly for being female...this time it was also for being white. I know we aren't supposed to say things like that in todays world, but I felt it very clearly.
It comes in handy sometimes that Jairo speaks Spanish and has brown skin, other times it comes in handy that I speak very articulate English (not to say he doesn't) and have youngish looking very fair white features. He can play up knowing struggle if need be. I can play up a false naivete that is often assumed of me if need be. All based on looks. Sad to say, but it's true.
But I'm not good at gender roles really. I'm not ok with the concept of him just "taking care of it" when it's my car. And that's very much a gender thing. "Ok, this is a guy thing, I got it don't worry." I don't go to mechanics without a guy because I know better, but that doesn't mean I'm ok with them talking past me or not letting me know what's up.
And that's exactly how it happened. The guys speaking English spoke to Jairo over me, the guys speaking Spanish spoke to him and I was left a little in the dark. I had to go sit down and just deal with letting him handle it. It took some effort.
But now I have a new windshield.
Sunday we went to the Aquarium in Norwalk, Connecticut with Brooke and James. It was a great little city. The aquarium was neat, but I enjoyed the street fair that we walked to even more. I love street fairs. They just strike a chord with me.
They bring little areas back to a community feeling. They let people have simple fun listening to music, walking around, eating junk food and checking out wares of local vendors and retailers. They feel social and relaxed despite all the stuff going on at once.
Every one you go to is different depending on where it is.
This one had a lot of local artists and not so local artists. Painters, photographers, potters. I have a great respect for people brave enough to figure out how to make a living making their own creations. And I think someday my sister could easily have one of those booths for her photography.
Yesterday I went back to work and was asked once again if I was going to apply for a full time position. How many times can you say no without before you just have to leave?
And today I've spent my evening getting things in order that I've been meaning to. I always find that when I have free time, I have so many things I want to do, that even when I accomplish a good deal of them I don't feel like I got enough done. In this case, I managed to study two languages, go through some old papers and tapes and work on a project I wanted to, but I'm frustrated I didn't get to writing or jobhunting or apartmnent hunting or grad school (funding) searching. Now I understand the meaning of not enough hours in the day. :)
