Hola armchair travellers! (I like that one, Joanna!) And so it is time once again folks for an update on life in Argentina...so I have now been here for 3 weeks and in Spanish class for the past two. I must say at this point in relation to the Spanish--yeah, not going well. This would mostly be because my social obligations seem to outweigh my desire to actually study since I have been all about anti-work these past few weeks. Alas, my progress has been so dismal, that I am finding I have to switch to private classes next week as the rest of the class moves on since they are all apparently buckling down and learning something. I have actually spent the weekend getting my notes in order though, so hopefully that will help tomorrow! If not, at least one can hope for a new teacher, so that none of the others I have previosly had will notice my total failure to progress.
Let's see, other news to report: My total inability to get pictures uploaded to this site. I have been trying to connnect my camera to the computer here, and thus far with no success. This could be due to the fact that the computers are a little older, or due to the fact that I am completely inept at all things technological. I will wait until Roger comes home and try to have him help me with it this evening. :) I have scheduled to stay home this evening just in order to do this, so it better work out.
In the past week, I have done some interesting things. Last Sunday we did in fact get over to the cemetary--which is really fascinating. It is a bit like the cemetaries in New Orleans with everything being in it's own masoleum. Although I guess all the people buried here are rich and important, so it makes sense that they want to have their own little house of the afterlife. Shocking though, is that all of them have glass doors and you are just gazing in on several coffins set up in a variety of ways. Bizarre and a little creepy. Very different sort of architeture on all of them though, and asthetically interesting to look at. Eva Peron is actually buried with her family (not her husband's--he is in the second class cemetary for whatever the reason) and there is a big story about how it got to be here. Apparently her body was mising for a while, and then someone held it for ransom...so on and so forth. So it is just in the house of her father here. Of course many people were gathered around and such, and eventually perhaps you all will be able to see my picture of it! On our way back, Roger and I found a great grocery store in Recoleta--it had two floors and we were so excited (the grocery stores are nothing to write home about here) that we went shopping and had to lug the stuff into the subway and 15 blocks home.....ah just like being back home!
On Wednesday night, I went to this private sushi-Peruvian fusion party thing. I guess this guy owns a buidling that he does some events and things at and has a sushi night every once in a while. It is an invitation only thing, so not a restaurant where people just come in, and for 60 pesos it was all you can eat sushi. They had a great live band and it was a blast. The atmosphere is very dark, with candes and smoking! Guess that is something you can allow when it is your own private party rather than a business. I am not sure when the nonsmoking thing went into effect here, but the Argentines don't seem too thrilled with it.
Thursday night I attended a Mate tasting class here at the clubhouse. The event was hosted by a company called Maneras Argentinas www.manerasargentinas.com.ar and they do all kinds of instructional and informational programs regarding Argentine culture, food, etc. Mate is the the traditional drink of Argentina and we learned all about it's origins, how to serve it, so on and so forth. Pretty involved and a great time. Mate is like a very strong very bitter green tea drunk hot through a specific straw (called a bombilla) out of a gourd. Very interesting and I am now hoping to introduce it to the supper club in October when I come back for a few days! Something for you ladies to look forward to!
On Friday night, I went to an amazing jazz concert here in San Telmo with some of my classmates from the school. One of the guys in class has lived here for a while, and his daughter goes to school with the daughter of a guy who is apparently considered the one of the best jazz musicians in the country. He plays the bass, and had a 12 man orchestra with him. It was wonderful, and something I am sure I never would have thought to do if there wasn't someone in the know to point it out. Afterwards we went to dinner and I had the bife de chorizo, which is the Aregentine favorite cut of beef. It was incredible, although I am still getting used to the idea of going out to eat at 1 in the morning, which is standard here on the weekends. Even the kids are out with their parents eating that late--it is all a bit bizarre, but I am getting to be OK with it. On regular weeknights people go out for dinner around 10-11. Not sure I have gotten to bed earlier than 3 in a few weeks....
So, let's see. Last night I went to a tango show with a woman I met through Lonely Planet. She has been down here travelling with her husband who had to take off for San Diego yesterday for business, so she was here one last night before heading back to England today. She found a place she wanted to try that was near me, but turned out to be 180 pesos per person! She had already been to one of the big expensive tango shows and didn't want to do that again, and I was not really looking to drop that kind of cash, so we ended up at a small tango club near the main plaza in San Telmo. The show was free and we had dinner and wine for about 30 pesos($10) each. Definately better! They had musicans and dancers and although the whole thing has a little bit of a cheese element (just like Broadway) it was still a great fun touristy thing to do!
In general, I have to say I really love Argentina. The people are great, it is very laid back (although apparently everyone is in therapy here--I think it has to do with the loss of a sense of life since the history of the country is so riddled with corruption, etc. and they get to a point where they have faith in nothing--at least this is how one porteno explained it to me) and people seem to know how to enjoy life rather than always being so focused on how to get to the next step in thier career, or how to screw someone over, or whatever it is that we seem to think we must do in the states.
The attention from men is pretty much exactly what I expeted in a Latin American country, so no surprises there. They do the whole catcalls and calling out and lots of starting, but never to a put (at least thus far, knock wood) where you feel afraid they are going to follow you or something.
The middle of the night is like the middle of the day here--anytime I am coming home at 4 am, there are people and traffic all over the streets, and I haven't gotten a grasp yet on what time of the morning most of these folks go to work. I'll have to check on that and give an update next time. They do coffee or tea and a sandwich around 5-6 PM and that is how they are all able to go to dinner at 11, I guess.
OK, I think that is it for now. It is 8:30, so I have just enough time to take a nap before having to think about dinner :)
Let's see, other news to report: My total inability to get pictures uploaded to this site. I have been trying to connnect my camera to the computer here, and thus far with no success. This could be due to the fact that the computers are a little older, or due to the fact that I am completely inept at all things technological. I will wait until Roger comes home and try to have him help me with it this evening. :) I have scheduled to stay home this evening just in order to do this, so it better work out.
In the past week, I have done some interesting things. Last Sunday we did in fact get over to the cemetary--which is really fascinating. It is a bit like the cemetaries in New Orleans with everything being in it's own masoleum. Although I guess all the people buried here are rich and important, so it makes sense that they want to have their own little house of the afterlife. Shocking though, is that all of them have glass doors and you are just gazing in on several coffins set up in a variety of ways. Bizarre and a little creepy. Very different sort of architeture on all of them though, and asthetically interesting to look at. Eva Peron is actually buried with her family (not her husband's--he is in the second class cemetary for whatever the reason) and there is a big story about how it got to be here. Apparently her body was mising for a while, and then someone held it for ransom...so on and so forth. So it is just in the house of her father here. Of course many people were gathered around and such, and eventually perhaps you all will be able to see my picture of it! On our way back, Roger and I found a great grocery store in Recoleta--it had two floors and we were so excited (the grocery stores are nothing to write home about here) that we went shopping and had to lug the stuff into the subway and 15 blocks home.....ah just like being back home!
On Wednesday night, I went to this private sushi-Peruvian fusion party thing. I guess this guy owns a buidling that he does some events and things at and has a sushi night every once in a while. It is an invitation only thing, so not a restaurant where people just come in, and for 60 pesos it was all you can eat sushi. They had a great live band and it was a blast. The atmosphere is very dark, with candes and smoking! Guess that is something you can allow when it is your own private party rather than a business. I am not sure when the nonsmoking thing went into effect here, but the Argentines don't seem too thrilled with it.
Thursday night I attended a Mate tasting class here at the clubhouse. The event was hosted by a company called Maneras Argentinas www.manerasargentinas.com.ar and they do all kinds of instructional and informational programs regarding Argentine culture, food, etc. Mate is the the traditional drink of Argentina and we learned all about it's origins, how to serve it, so on and so forth. Pretty involved and a great time. Mate is like a very strong very bitter green tea drunk hot through a specific straw (called a bombilla) out of a gourd. Very interesting and I am now hoping to introduce it to the supper club in October when I come back for a few days! Something for you ladies to look forward to!
On Friday night, I went to an amazing jazz concert here in San Telmo with some of my classmates from the school. One of the guys in class has lived here for a while, and his daughter goes to school with the daughter of a guy who is apparently considered the one of the best jazz musicians in the country. He plays the bass, and had a 12 man orchestra with him. It was wonderful, and something I am sure I never would have thought to do if there wasn't someone in the know to point it out. Afterwards we went to dinner and I had the bife de chorizo, which is the Aregentine favorite cut of beef. It was incredible, although I am still getting used to the idea of going out to eat at 1 in the morning, which is standard here on the weekends. Even the kids are out with their parents eating that late--it is all a bit bizarre, but I am getting to be OK with it. On regular weeknights people go out for dinner around 10-11. Not sure I have gotten to bed earlier than 3 in a few weeks....
So, let's see. Last night I went to a tango show with a woman I met through Lonely Planet. She has been down here travelling with her husband who had to take off for San Diego yesterday for business, so she was here one last night before heading back to England today. She found a place she wanted to try that was near me, but turned out to be 180 pesos per person! She had already been to one of the big expensive tango shows and didn't want to do that again, and I was not really looking to drop that kind of cash, so we ended up at a small tango club near the main plaza in San Telmo. The show was free and we had dinner and wine for about 30 pesos($10) each. Definately better! They had musicans and dancers and although the whole thing has a little bit of a cheese element (just like Broadway) it was still a great fun touristy thing to do!
In general, I have to say I really love Argentina. The people are great, it is very laid back (although apparently everyone is in therapy here--I think it has to do with the loss of a sense of life since the history of the country is so riddled with corruption, etc. and they get to a point where they have faith in nothing--at least this is how one porteno explained it to me) and people seem to know how to enjoy life rather than always being so focused on how to get to the next step in thier career, or how to screw someone over, or whatever it is that we seem to think we must do in the states.
The attention from men is pretty much exactly what I expeted in a Latin American country, so no surprises there. They do the whole catcalls and calling out and lots of starting, but never to a put (at least thus far, knock wood) where you feel afraid they are going to follow you or something.
The middle of the night is like the middle of the day here--anytime I am coming home at 4 am, there are people and traffic all over the streets, and I haven't gotten a grasp yet on what time of the morning most of these folks go to work. I'll have to check on that and give an update next time. They do coffee or tea and a sandwich around 5-6 PM and that is how they are all able to go to dinner at 11, I guess.
OK, I think that is it for now. It is 8:30, so I have just enough time to take a nap before having to think about dinner :)
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