Beer, Pizza, French Fries, and the Easy Life

Things are getting under control. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, I’ll be home in a few weeks, and by the end of this week Robert will be with me. Also, I’ve seen a lot of the city and feel good about my accomplishments and overcoming certain challenges. I've been taking the time to slow down and enjoy the city. Sip cold beer and gobble down cheesey pizza.

I spent some time last week exploring some of the cultural centers here. These are great! There are several scattered around the city and they offer classes, galleries of local artists, films, plays, discussions, debates, lectures, and various other exhibitions and activities.

I’m continually amazed by how much free art is in the city. Most of the galleries are free, not to mention to street artists, creative (and sometimes not so creative) graffiti, and so on. I’ve tried my best to take full advantage of the arts here. I was very impressed by two exhibits in particular at the Recoleta Cultural Center. One was “Echos of Tibet” by Alicia Fernandez. You can see her website here, but it unfortunately doesn’t have images of these current works. I think they’re amazing and show a great deal of talent. I particularly like the vivid colors and details she incorporates. However, I’m not a huge fan of all of her earlier works displayed on the website. Also, there was a display of photographs of Buenos Aires in the past. Some of the elegant buildings that are now crammed in the urban sprawl of restaurants, boutiques, and apartment buildings, used to actually stand regally on their own.

American movies are everywhere too. I’ve succumbed on a few lazy evenings to watching old movies or sitcoms on the TV either with Spanish subtitles or dubbed. Also, with some of my spare time on unambitious, hot days I’ve gone to a few movies here at the theatre. I watched Che: El Argentino, from Benicio Del Toro and Steven Soderbergh. That film was almost completely in Spanish and almost completely incomprehensible to me. Partially, this was due to: presumably poor sound quality in the theatre where even the English voices sounded muffled and unclear, Steven Soderberg sucking, a non-linear plot line, and yes, my own struggles with the language. I’ve also seen Doubt (in it’s original English with Spanish subtitles). I wasn’t expecting to like this movie much, but actually I was very impressed. In my opinion, the Oscar goes to Meryl Streep, sorry Kate! I could totally empathize with and understand Streep’s character – a conservative, strict, old nun. Now, that’s acting! Just the other day, I also saw Benjamin Button which was a total waste of time, overly sentimental, and more closely resembled the piles of stinking, cakey, smudgey dog mess on the streets here than something that is Oscar worthy. The wrath that I feel for this movie knows few bounds, probably because I had high expectations. Hated it! ….but, it could just be me. It’s gotten some solid reviews and some people in the theatre even clapped at the end. I also went to a cultural center to see an Argentine movie: The Tango of my Life. This was a great little documentary about a local tango singing competition. Luckily, it had subtitles so I could understand some of the nuances and poetry of the songs.

I also visited another museum that happens to be in a fairly inconvenient location, which is why I’ve avoided it. The Immigration Museum was a fascinating collection of stories, articles, and old relics, but by the time I actually found it I was totally worn out. I just breezed through the old building where immigrants used to come through and read bits and pieces of the stories and looked through the old photographs.

Sidenote: on the way to the museum I spotted the Microsoft headquarters here and a Starbucks on the way home.




























I’ve also been keeping up with social activities, which can be a bit challenging for me due to my introverted tendencies. Pretty much every Friday and Saturday night I can plan on a fiesta of some sort hosted by the Colombians. I’m getting fairly familiar with their international circle of friends and feel warmly accepted by them. This last Saturday was the Dips Fiesta where everyone brought a dip inspired by a recipe in their home country. Everyone brought tasty dishes, and I was impressed and overfed myself. I made a blue cheese dip with carrots on the side. Well, it was fairly invented by me and not quite the traditional style, but people really liked the ‘spiciness’ of the raw garlic and raw onions I chopped up for it, mixed with the strong flavor of the blue cheese and the sweet crunchiness of the carrots. I’d say it was a hit, but so was everything else there. I left the party at 2:30, which was early since it ended up going until 8:00am.

So all in all I’ve felt fairly confident here with my easy-going lifestyle. Well, except in Palermo, in which I always seem to get turned around and confused! Bah! I did eventually find the Japanese Gardens and managed to have some relaxation in the middle of feeling lost nearly all day.

Like a Careless Pigeon or Over-Heated Kitty

Actually, it’s not so hard to stay busy in Buenos Aires. Even though I don’t have much of a schedule or routine, every day seems relatively full of possibilities. It seems that every day I manage to discover something new and charming. Just today, while casually walking around my neighborhood, (curses, without a camera because I thought I photographed enough) I stumbled upon a palace. Sheesh! A palace. What an amazing city! I mean, of course, the fact that this is such a big, bustling city is one of the reasons I feel so claustrophobic and overwhelmed here, but it is fascinating to be in a place with so much…stuff!

This do it yourself and keep busy mentality might have a bit to do with my childhood as well. Not only did my mom tell me to clean my room when I dared to whine that I was bored, but she frequently reminded me that: A) “There is no maid service in this house” and B) “I am not your entertainment committee.” Due to the advanced age of my siblings, I was raised like an only child and had to learn how to keep myself busy and entertained.

So, what have I been up to lately to keep myself busy in the big city? Lots. And nothing.

I spent one very hot day last week walking around my neighborhood. I looked at all the small shops with cheap clothes (luckily I was sweaty and definitely not in a “let’s try that on” mood). I ventured to a huge mall, the Abasto and loitered in the air conditioning to get a break from the heat. I also located the block dedicated to a famous tango singer, Carlos Gardel. Then I made my way on a very long and disorienting walk to the Natural History Museum. Like most Natural History Museums, it was a little quirky and a little creepy. Even though they are kind of gross, I have a weird interest in Natural History Museums.

This past weekend I spent some time at some of the local markets. The markets are pretty packed with repetitive souvenirs and little crafts, although sometimes you can see stuff with real creativity and talent. The biggest market is every Sunday in San Telmo, the antiques district. There are tons of stalls with very expen$ive antiques, most of them with off the wall prices that I can’t even begin to think about bartering down: “Um, how about I pay about 10% of what you just quoted me, you outrageous %*#^!” But anyways, I got myself a delicious freshly squeezed glass of orange juice and wound down my day in the park.

Check out this picture. I love how even the cats and pigeons are too lazy and disinterested to pick fights with each other!

Sometimes I feel this same way in the city. Just idly passing the time away, either reading quietly in the house or people watching from a cafe. It's easy to be a little lazy here and just watch the time pass.

In my private room, I keep myself busy with studying. I spend a little time studying and practicing Spanish grammar, writing in my journal, and researching the history, arts, and literature of Argentina. This helps me feel a little more concretely productive each day and it seems like a relevant way to pass some of my free time (especially at night when I don’t want to deal with the hassle of going out).

I’m literally (and a little pathetically) counting the days until Robert gets here. Not only am I excited to show him around the city and point out some of the little secrets and special things I’ve found, I hope to discover more with him. Now, if only I could get him to read this blog….

Photos from La Tigre

I was too tired to post pictures from my day trip to La Tigre. So here are a few. The bright sun here isn't particularly conducive to brilliant photos...but I took them, so I might as well post a few!

Embrace your inner tourist

It is a rainy day here in Buenos Aires. Rain showers tend to be scattered but very heavy when they do fall. For a good chunk of time this early afternoon I sat in a café watching people scurry around in the rain while I drank a hot cup of coffee. Eventually, I took a chance between showers, but got drenched before I was even close to my intended destination and retreated back home. Which is just as well, I didn’t have wildly ambitious plans today. The rain is a perfect excuse to stay indoors and catch up on my blogging!

So, I’ve done a bit more sight-seeing this week and am very proud of my adventures and accomplishments.

On Wednesday I went to Palermo and had a lovely day of walking through the parks and gardens as well as visiting three art museums. I was particularly impressed with a small museum near the rose gardens. Not only did it have a picturesque location and some gorgeous Argentine works, but it was also free! I also treated myself to a hot chocolate, which was awkward because it was pretty hot outside, but in the café I was right under the air conditioner and actually quite cold (for a change!)

I then walked to the large art museum which is free on Wednesdays. This was a brightly lit extravaganza of art. They also had a pretty nice exhibit on old Argentine films, but since I’m not an old-movie buff and really not an old-international-movie buff, this exhibit was wasted on me.

The third museum I saw was teeny and if you’d blink at the wrong time, you’d miss it. They had some nice old paintings and some neat exhibits of gaucho tools and clothes.

I wound down my day in the botanical gardens. Argentina has actually seen a bit of a drought lately, so while much of the gardens were lush, there were other parts that were obviously hurting from lack of water. Even though the gardens are right in the middle of the hub-bub of Palermo, they were very tranquil and a nice break from the busy streets. I wrote in my journal and went cat-crazy. This is apparently a popular hang out for cats, either abandoned by their owners or just outdoor animals. They aren’t like wild cats: dirty, mangy, and skittish, they’re actually friendly and reasonably clean and smooth. However, I could only manage to pet one for about thirty seconds before it got restless and wanted to nap in the bushes.

Yesterday, I was supremely proud of myself. There’s a major tourist destination here called: El Caminito. It’s a brightly colored set of houses that were once home to the early Italian immigrants. However, it is located in the neighborhood called La Boca, which is known for being a little sketchy. I think this is strange that such a hot tourist destination would be smack dab in the middle of such a poor place, but people warn you not to stray far from the tourist areas and to keep an eye on your purse. So, not only is it too far to walk, it’s also a walk through a neighborhood you shouldn’t walk through, so I had to take the bus.

Now, I hate taking buses. They make me nervous because they go so fast and far that I often lose my sense of direction. Also, Buenos Aires is full of one-way streets, so sometimes the way back is different than the way there. I really didn’t want to take a bus. But, I really wanted to visit El Caminito. So, I figured out a few bus routes and went on the first one I found. I did ask for help from a few helpful Argentine ladies – which saved me from getting on the right bus in the wrong direction. I also got some help from a well-to-do Bolivian family who was also going in that direction. Their teenage daughter studied English in North Carolina and was eager to practice her language skills.

So, I arrived! Success! And boy, it was touristy! It is probably the most thoroughly touristy place I’ve seen in Buenos Aires. There are souvenir shops everywhere, tango dancers and folk dancers perform on the street and offer to pose in pictures with tourists for tips, and all sorts of vendors compete for attention. What could I do? I went with the tourist thing. I tipped the dancers and snapped a few photos. Also, I visited the fine arts museum, which impressed me. There were nice paintings, a roof top view, and even an exhibit of old bowsprits (the carved parts in the front of boats, normally big busted ladies).

I even treated myself to an indulgent steak for lunch. It was such a big portion, but I managed to cram it all in somehow. The restaurant had a live band, live singers, and live tango dancers, so I figured about $20 for a nice meal and entertainment was well worth it. I felt a little silly because it was so touristy and a bit ridiculous though. But, sometimes you just have to go for the tourist trap to full enjoy being a tourist.

Also, I wanted to buy myself something to commemorate the special day. I felt like I had made a pretty good achievement by using a bus, walking around Caminito, and also just for my general exploration of Buenos Aires. Plus, I’ve been pinching my pennies, so I thought this would be the time to splurge. I went into a shop and bought myself a lovely shawl. The sales lady was very talented, otherwise I maybe wouldn’t have found such an extravagant souvenir.

All in all, I’m continuing to be a busy little sight-seer here in Buenos Aires. Not every day has been wonderful and perfect, but I have had some very lovely adventures and fortunate excursions. I think also being forced into such self sufficiency has really helped me grow and learn a lot. I’ve definitely gotten over the shame factor of speaking Spanish poorly and have embraced many opportunities to speak it and very rarely converse in English.

Dias Tres y Quatro

Day Three: Recoleta

So, I started my day wanting to explore a new neighborhood. This is supposed to be one of the nicer parts of the city, and I wasn’t disappointed. The way Recoleta looked better matched what I expected all of Buenos Aires to be like.

I’ve never seen anything quite like the Cemetery in Recoleta.

It is a huge walled area full of family tombs. Not just any families though, only the top notch persons in Argentina are allowed to rest here, and not just any tombs, only the nicest monuments with embellishments and plaques are suitable for the fashionable homes of the dead. The sepulchers are locked up with chains or large doors; some are even encased in glass and you can see coffins inside or little stairways leading down to the tomb. The monuments themselves are incredible and the actual size of the place and density of the monuments makes it quite a sight to see. Some parts are overwhelmed by tourists, but it is possible to wind away through the different aisles to places that were quite somber and adequately creepy. I didn’t buy a map and go on a hunt of finding the most famous people in the cemetery; that might be a fun activity for me and any Buenos Aires guests I may have.

Oh, another creepy factor is all the feral cats strutting around and napping in the heat…must be good hunting for mice and rats. Eek! I think Edgar Allen Poe would have loved this place!


After having a coffee and snack at a nice little outdoor cafe, I made my way to the Museum of Fine Arts. Like the cemetery, I didn’t spend a great deal of time investigating the paintings and artists. I just strolled through the rooms and admired to beautiful museum and fine exhibitions. I was mainly grateful to be out of the sun and in the air conditioning.

Just a short way from the museum was a large metal statue of a flower. Apparently, it closes at night, but I doubt I’ll ever be in this area in the evening. A curiosity though, and I got my daytime snap of it.
My next destination was the central library. It’s a hideous building, but apparently it has great panoramic views of the city from the top floor.

Unfortunately, it’s closed until February. But, at least I could rest well knowing Seattle isn’t the only place with an unfortunate library building.

At this point in the day it was only 3pm. Even though my feet were killing me, I knew it was too early to head back to my room. So, I decided to broach a new field of study: the subway and a new neighborhood called Palermo. The subway was easy to use, fast, comfortable, and uneventful. Oh, one fun fact is that I got asked for directions again! Gosh, I love this strange superpower! By the time I got to Palermo and walked around for oh, 5 seconds, I discovered I was totally wrecked and overly exerted. I stumbled around totally disregarding street names and where I was going. (I generally maintained good direction though.) Finally, I staggered to a nice café, sat outside on a beautiful, quiet, tree-lined street, and drank a beer and ate a delicious caprese salad. I was wise enough at this point to head home, which was great because due to losing myself in the neighborhood and having a long and leisurely meal, it really was time to get home, shower, and relax! This excursion really ruined my feet though and I was worrying about which shoes I could bear to wear the next day.

Day Four: Puerto Madero

I wore my good old sneakers to Puerto Madero. This is an interesting and developing part of the city. It’s where a bunch of skyscrapers stand about ¾ of the way done…hinting and the potential of a brave new skyline for Buenos Aires.

This fancy area lines the river (slow, brown, and not too pretty) and boasts some of the high life for Buenos Aires like a palatial Hilton, Mercedes Benz dealership, and probably many more that I didn’t even notice.

I was mainly walking in this direction to find the Ecological Reserve. It was a lovely walk towards the entrance of the reserve and there were many families, singles, and couples strolling along as well. Lining the walk were parillas (or barbecues -- see the yellow stand in the background and all the smoke? Yum!)where they sold many things I had never heard of (variations of pieces of cow though.) I took a safe bet and got a big fat sausage and globbed some of the mystery sauces on there. Delicious! I even sprung for a cheap ice cream bar. When I finally got to the entrance of the ecological preserve though…it was hot, stuffy, dry, and I was full of some rich food and just wanted to sleep. Here's a bit of a view of the city from the walkway in the reserve: I might give this area another chance on another day. I just ended up sitting down in a park to gain the energy to walk back on the subway and get home. All in all though, it wasn't a bad way to spend a lazy Buenos Aires Sunday.

Dias Uno y Dos

I spent my first day processing my new location. I got money from the bank, which actually turned out to be quite the time-consuming pain in the a**. There are (small) limits to how much you can pull out of the ATM at one time, long lines, and broken machines. I explored my neighborhood briefly and was a bit disappointed to see that a bunch of construction is happening right outside my window. So, when I first got into my room, it was full of loud jackhammering! Also, it didn’t help that my room also faces a very busy street full of honking horns, sirens, and people walking around shouting. This all added to my uncomfortable and shocking first day. On the upside, when I get off at the subway stop and forget which direction to go, I just look for all the construction regalia outside my apartment.

I also live in a less than elegant neighborhood, and while the first day I was a bit perplexed about how I might enjoy this part of Buenos Aires, each day I like my room and neighborhood more and more. I snapped this picture today and it was the first time I actually observed my current home from the outside – it’s a kind of cool looking building!

I bought some fruit for snacking and plug adaptor for my laptop. On a side note, on the way to buy fruit, I’m proud to say that a woman asked me for directions. I think I have this strange superpower that I always appear to know where I’m going. It’s useful for traveling.

Also, on my first day I tried to go out with some Australians who are staying here for a beer. Unfortunately, the recycled airplane air and the hot Buenos Aires weather created an unstoppable nosebleed that embarassingly cut our night short.

Day Two: The City Center

I first went to the main plaza of the city, Plaza de Mayo. This is an amazing area with elegant old buildings in spectacular condition. – The primary plaza in the city. I was amazed by all the elegant, old buildings, most in this area are in great condition. I need to make sure to go there next Thursday for the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo. These women still

protest for a full account about the people who were disappeared (particularly the kidnapped children) during the Dirty War 1976-1983. Apparently there are other activists in the plaza who protest this or that about the government or life in general. When I took my pictures, it was a lazy Sunday without these kinds of activities. And when I was there I didn't pay close enough attention to the protesters.

The Casa Rosada in the plaza has been the site of many important speeches, and Madonna singing Don’t Cry for me Argentina….

Also in the plaza is the Museo del Cabildon. The former town center and former jail is a little mixed up museum with a lot of old stuff thrown together. See the white building on the right in this picture?

I've also spent some time gawking but not shoping along Florida Avenue. This is a long street with beautiful stores, street vendors, performers and all kinds of shoppers! It was too hot to shop for me though!

At the end of Aveneda Florida is a very elegant mall, Galerias Pacificos. Spectacular! Take that Bel-Square!