1. Soiled mattresses are thrown into the street daily.
2. Average number of piles of feces (mostly dog, but still...) to be avoided on any one block near my apt.: Seven.
3. Average number of men I see drinking alcohol while walking to the train stop at 9:30 am: Four.
4. The infant mortality rate is higher than anywhere in Europe except Greece and Spain.
5. Number of times I catch at least a whiff of urine on my way to work: Eight.
6. There is actually a reasonable chance that I will be shot at, or at least threatened with a gun, at some point in my life.
7. My neighbors don't start screaming until well after 2 a.m.
8. Fireworks for any occasion: Halloween, cinqo de septembro, ocho de mayo, pay day, Radiers win...