It is quiet in here. It is modern in here. It is eclectic in here. Those are a few of my opening salvos as I waltz in from the rain into my friend Alberto's house. It is an apartment, like others who live off campus, but the story - the who, what, when, and why of the equation is the interesting part. ("Why" will be covered next week.)
Suffice to say, Alberto is from Guatemala. Not studying abroad as much as living. He calls this home. He doesn't live alone, but one cannot mistake his style for that of a norteamericano. He tries to pass off this Frank Sinatra and Stephen Colbert poster on his roommate. "A real norteamericano," he laughs.
Times are tough (who's aren't) and for students it's been worse. His home, however, does not exude poverty or struggle. It is clean and, at times, annoyingly proper.
"Let's dispel the myths - my home in Guatemala was nicer than here, minus the staircase," he said.
Home is where the heart is - and it is becoming increasingly clear that home is becoming more streamlined and generic. Alberto agrees. If he had it his way, it would be more reflective of him but like all partnerships, he and his roommate must share. That means Sinatra and Colbert (he finally admits it is his). A typical home, in a typical town, with typical kids worrying about more than design choices.
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