Alright, maybe it's not totally home with all the warm, fuzzy connotations (yet?), but I have at long last found a place to rest my head, at least temporarily! It's at the corner (esquina) of San Lorenzo and Patricio Saenz in Colonia Del Valle.

I spent yesterday flipping out about potential homelessness after I found out very last-minute that Maru was being sent on a UN mission to Morelia (sp?) this morning and I could no longer stay at her apartment as of last night. Neither of the two places I'd checked out had given me good vibes and it was making me loca that I might have to make an immediate decision between: 1. an apartment four floors up a steep, rickety spiral staircase and 2. a room in the apartment of an old couple whom I hadn't even met.
Yes, I may be prone to slightly exaggerated emotional responses, as the absolute worst case scenario was to pay for a hotel. But on my current budget, a hotel for any length of time would have broken me and, more to the point, accepting even a temporary apartment where I wouldn't feel comfortable would probably have impacted poorly on my adjustment process. Okay, maybe I'm being a spoiled Canadian, but the fact is that it simply feels better to have found an affordable place to unpack my bags and not worry about being displaced at a moment's notice.

Note to potential house-hunters in D.F., especially those from non-Latin American countries: People here don't tend to live on their own, ever. They generally move out from their family homes to get married, and the only people I've met who live on their own are either hugely exceptional or are divorced...

Anyways, back to the present, I am renting on a 2-week trial basis (with the definite possibility of extension) a quasi-separate pad above a family home. The room itself has 2 single beds, 2 desks, and lots of cupboard space, as it is meant for 2 people. There are 2 other single bedrooms, empty at present, into which I may have to move if they end up wanting to rent to roommates. There is also a large living room area where the family holds dance lessons on Sundays, but apparently barely uses, and an adjoining dining room area. There is a kitchen area with plates, glasses, an ironing board and a sink, but not much else. Betty, the woman of the house, has said she will put in a stove if I decide to extend my stay, but for now I will be using the kitchen downstairs. It seems like there may be issues if people want to come visit (which totally sucks) but we'll see what happens. For now, I have a great space to myself.

Okay, they say a picture says 1000 words, so instead of trying to describe, let's see if I can finally download a pic! (If one doesn't eventually appear, I guess it means I failed in this endeavour :P)