I lied.

Too tired to continue. I'm going to sleep!

Cemetario de Recoleta

I'll admit, I went here really for the Saturday market...what? I love buying shit! But when I arrived I suddenly remembered why I like Sundays in San Telmo so much better--it was all hippie stuff. Each market day (in each neighborhood) has a little of its own personality and while I do like crafts, etc, I'm really much more into the old stuff. If only they had a Funky Designer market...one can wish, right? (Actually they kind of do but it's more of a trade show and it's in October...believe me, I asked.)

So after wandering the maze of booths a bit, I made a beeline for the Cathedral's stand. I'm obsessed with rosaries so I figured I should stock up and I remembered exactly where to go. I picked up a few things but the best one they had was the one I bought last time...oh well. Guess there's always the kiosks at Dolphin Mall...

I stepped inside the Cathedral and it was buenissimo as they all are. Since it was kind of a touristy day, lots of people were taking pictures and not many people were praying so I took advantage:


Doesn't He look like he's given up? Not a good sign people...

Even though I've already been in the cemetery before, I decided to walk around inside again because it really is beautiful. It was getting a little dark and overcast so I spent less time inside than I would like but the last thing I wanted to do was get caught in the dark (vampiros!) or in the rain (absolutely not standing inside a mausoleum to wait for the rain to stop!).


A long corridor of mausoleums. There are a million and I can easily see getting lost (and locked in) this cemetery...

It started to smell like something died in there (excuse the pun! it was probably one of the hundreds of cats...) so I headed out. The thing I've learned about BA is that once you start walking it's kind of hard to stop. The shaded sidewalks and string of parks contribute to this greatly but the rest is made up by my incessant curiosity. I never know what's around the next block so I keep thinking, "one more block then I'll catch a taxi." That one block turns into 2 then 3 then before you know it you've walked half the city, which is exactly what happened to me upon leaving Recoleta. Once I stopped long enough to look around, I was pretty close to home so I kept going. My guide a few days later said I probably walked 4 kilometers at least...that's about 2.5 miles not counting all of the walking in circles and beforehand. Needless to say I was a little tired...

Nonetheless I decided to go out for Thai after resting a bit at home...not bad.

www.lost.eu/192c7

Just go there! For God's sake, I'm in 14,257th place! I only have 683 hours...go, gadget, go!

A Retrospective

I'm so, so far behind so I'll just toss in a bit of everything here. No plans for tonight but updating this blog so I'll get through it...

Well, let's see, one day I went to Museo del Traje (History of Fashion museum) which turned out to be only so-so. The building it was housed in, on the historical register since 1990, was beautiful with a huge atrium and stained glass.


No Photos Inside (whatever).

The clothing wasn't all that interesting really. There was only one dress that I really liked--a Maria Olivares/Barcelona from 1914--and a lot of early silk frocks from their current revolving show of the Silk Road Exibition. Anyone interested should also look for a photograph called "Fashion is Indestructible" by Cecil Beaton (London, September 1941) with Digby Morton. This is an extremely cropped version I found online:



Basically Beaton photographed models (for Vogue I think) in the rubble during WWII...amazing!



A building in my neighborhood that I really like...




The Park at the north end of Calle Florida overlooking (I think) The Independence Tower:



Breaking these up into separate posts so that they're easier to read in bits...

While I Wait for PhotoBucket...

"Insanity is the inability to communicate your ideas. It's as if you were in a foreign country, able to see and understand everything that's going on around you but incapable of explaining what you need to know or of being helped, because you don't understand the language they speak there."

--Paulo Coelho, Veronika Decides to Die

So that's why it feels so normal here...it's exactly like home!

PS

A PS I got in reply to my Craig's List posting:

PS: I read part of your blog's writings and they are pretty good: even though they are true lies

Lmao!

The Dangers of Walking

Since I have no car I've pretty much walked everywhere (even all the way back from Recoleta today) and there are a few things you learn to watch out for--potholes, garbage, leaking AC units overhead and dogshit. The most important thing, however, are the cars. Though I've read a million complaints about both drivers and pedestrians in the city, I actually thought that the two got along way better than in Miami (the city of more pedestrians deaths than murders).

Then today on my way home I saw the worst thing. Apparently this guy was hit while crossing the road and he lay at the edge of the crosswalk in a puddle of blood. I think most of it was coming from his head. The police were already there (as were about 50 or so curious onlookers) and the guy was able to move a little so I just kept walking. Believe me, I think I'll just wait for the light from here on out...

Go River Plate!

Thought I would steal this from another blog since it is so damn funny!

Tattoo Artist Sued Over Penis Tattoo Prank

Komfie Manalo - All Headline News Correspondent
Buenos Aires, Argentina (AHN) - A tattoo artist from Argentina is facing a lawsuit after drawing a penis on the back of an Argentinean football fan instead of his favorite team's official logo.

Reports said the teenager approached the tattoo artist and asked him to tattoo the logo of the Boca Junior football team on his back.

However, the tattooist was an avid supporter of the rival team and decided to play a prank on his young customer.

After reaching home, the victim proudly showed his parents his new tattoo and was surprised to learn that a penis was tattooed on his back.

According to Argentina's Terra newspaper, the victim said, "I could not see what he was tattooing because he didn't have a mirror. I only saw it when I got home and showed it to my parents."

A police spokesperson added, "The tattooist supports Boca Junior's rival, River Plate, so he got annoyed when the teenager asked him to tattoo Boca's symbol and decided to tattoo a penis instead. Unbelievable! "

Rain(e)y Day

Today I woke up and it was pouring. I was wrong about the glass in the patio not leaking which is a shame since it's so nice to sit out there and listen to the rain's rhythm overhead and the gushing of water in the gutters of the building's walkways. Probably for the best since I need to do a little cleaning around the apartment and I bought the Melissa P DVD yesterday at the bookstore. Soon I will have to brave the storm and go in search of dinner. I'm really looking forward to walking BA in the rain but I guess I should at least be smart enough to wait until the lightening passes...

Unplugging my computer now so that if the power goes it won't destroy everything (I don't have a surge protector). But, when I do plug everything back in, I promise, promise, promise to catch up on my photos here...

Twilight Zone

The WIDE sidewalks of Palermo

Ever had that feeling that something just isn't right? That everything's a little off but you don't know exactly why? Let me tell you about yesterday.

I set my alarm for 10am since I was determined to wake up and have a full day and I didn't get to bed the night before until 4am. So imagine how pissed off I was when I woke up at 7:30...wtf! I showered, etc, etc and decided I'd just catch a cab over to Palermo (far, far away) and have dinner. The weird thing was that it was still daylight when I left around 9. It was so strange, in fact, that I checked the clock on my computer to make sure I hadn't somehow changed the time on my watch (and alarm clock and wall clock...hey, you never know). Nope, it was definitely 9.

When I got dropped off at the restaurant it was closed. I cursed the guide book where I'd seen the listing. Maybe they closed down or maybe they were just closed for summer. I decided to walk around a bit and ended up by the zoo. Also closed, of course. But when I made it around to the entrance I noticed lines and lines of little chattering kids waiting. Huh? This late in the evening? By then it was almost 11 and still daylight. Then it dawned on me. It was AM, not PM! Talk about confused. The more I looked around the more obvious it became. Only old people on the street? Check. Stores just opening? Check. All the restaurants closed? Again, check. I am such an idiot.

So what's a girl to do in a strange neighborhood that early in the morning, especially an Americano? No sooner was I thinking this than I spotted the holy grail of commercialism...a mall! So in I went to 'explore' Alto Palermo.

By this point my feet (in cowboy boots) were killing me so first on the agenda was finding a pair of Havianas. No prob. Also did a little shopping for some people.


I know. I know. My feet need Photoshop...

When I eventually got bored (as I always do in malls) I walked over to the botanical gardens. There are tons and tons of parks and gardens in BA, most of them in Palermo. I think I've visited about 10 of them so far and though I'm the first to admit that parks aren't usually my thing, these are beautiful and the shade is usually very welcome when hiking around in the sweltering heat all day.



After sitting for awhile and looking at my map I decided to head over to the Museo Evita since I was in the neighborhood. I don't know much about her and I figured I might as well learn since everyone else in the world does. There was a lot of interesting stuff about the actress/singer most well know for her politics during her time as wife of Perron (the president). And she had lots of nice clothes (better than the ones I saw at the museum the day before...posting on that after this). I couldn't help but think that Eva (Evita to those that watched the Madonna movie of the same name which sucked by the way) and Perron were a lot like what it would've been like if JFK had married Marilyn. Thank God he didn't...I'm a Jackie fan 100%.

Then on to the Planetarium which only does shows at night but looked cool nonetheless so I took a picture. Who knows, maybe I'll make it back for one of the shows...



After all of that (It's a lot of walking...I probably crossed at least a mile of parks) I was on my way to find an ATM then taxi when I stumbled upon the Jardin Japones. I figured what the hell and paid my $3 pesos to go in.



Other than some huge koi fish that are obviously fed regularly by the tourists streaming in, I wasn't that impressed.



I think I like the huge towering trees and marble statues of the other gardens and parks better. I'm just not into Japanese, minimalism or any of that Zen shit. I'm too extravagant.

Finally, I made it back to the apartment. Determined to not take a nap and destroy this new sleeping pattern I was working on, I took my book to a nearby cafe (the one with the submerged bar that I can't think of the name of now...it's really old and famous) to have dinner and drinks.

The End.
(except the part where I still stayed up until 2am...I'll never get this sleeping thing right!)

Still Awake

I'd really like to post my pics from today but it's already 3am and I need to get on some sort of schedule if I ever plan to see much daylight here. Did want to share a quote I read today:

"I hope you have not been leading a double life, pretending to be wicked and really being good all the time. That would be hypocrisy."

--Oscar Wilde
The Importance of Being Earnest

Guilty as charged?

Llamo Estados Unidos desde Buenos Aires...

I only work 2 days a week and I still never feel like it. I really don't think this whole working thing is for me. Maybe I should concentrate my efforts on finding a rich husband... In the meantime I guess I'll continue to waste lots of time and write a little in between.

Yesterday I decided to revisit old stomping grounds so I ventured into high-end (read: tourist) Buenos Aires. I walked down Calle Florida where all the shops and, apparently, all the people are. It was eating in an overpriced cafe here that I got my first begging child (Andrea warned me). She was a cute girl and aside from a (cleanly) bandaged arm looked pretty healthy. I didn't give her anything and it's a good thing. After a collecting a peso from some older ladies at the next table, she ran back to a lady standing on the sidewalk holding two bulging bags of groceries. I saw it all through the cafe window. Figures...


Calle Florida on the block before it gets all congested.

Then it was on to Puerto Madero where I stayed in the Hilton last time I was in town. Passed a really cool building near what I'm guessing was a bus station. Don't know the name but here's a picture:



Puerto Madero, which I learned only started undergoing a massive revitalization in 1989, lines the river and it is a great place to walk as the sun is setting. The only problem is the commercialism of the place. There were lots of nice faux-ritzy restaurants then I see:



On the upside, they had a sign in the window that said (loosely translated): "Are you a Hooter's girl? Apply inside." Since I still didn't have access to my bank account and was looking at the very real possibility that I would spend the next month with only $150USD, I made a mental note.

More pictures of Puerto Madero:




Some nightclub modeled after the Opera House in Sydney that I probably won't be going to.

When I made it home after dinner I finally got my calling card to work but not until I got one key phrase down, "Llamo Estados Unidos desde Buenos Aires". I think I talked to the same operator all 3 times and by the end she was practically yelling the alternate number but at a much slower speed thankfully. How I kept getting "uno" and "ocho" confused is beyond me. The bank situation is finally settled so I guess I can kiss my aspirations of being an international Hooter's girl goodbye for now...such a shame.

I must write my listing now so ciao!

This day-by-day blog thing is a bit tedious and creatively restrictive so I'll just sum up the last few days then add whatever's interesting in the future...

Parque Lezama (a small Saturday market but all junk) and the Museo Historico Nacional (an early 1800s alarm clock and some war medals i would love to have):


(notice the Iglesia Ortodoxa Rusa in the background with the Muscovite blue onion-topped turrents)




Sunday at Plaza Dorrego (amazing antiques market and so many tourist...only a street over from my house so easy to get to if a tad bit aggravating):







The necklace I bought!



Had the best cafe con leche at Cafe Dorrego...wonderful...



That's it for now...too tired. I'll put in today's photos tomorrow then I should be caught up...

Just call me 'Rubia'

Bear with me...I'm playing catch-up...

Day 2:

Well, there wasn't much of a day since I slept until 5pm. Guess I was really tired. Anyway, woke up and went for a walk. I ended up at Plaza Justo where I sat, wrote in my journal and listened to Modest Mouse for awhile as the sky darkened for rain and dirt blew in my eyes (I definitely regretted it when I had an eye infection the next day). No rain ever came but I packed up and went in search of dinner after an hour or so.

Stopped in a little cafe and ordered churrasco (which was only so-so). While I was eating an old homeless man stood in the doorway shouting 'Rubia' at me until the waiter went over and made him leave. It would've been embarrassing if it wasn't (a) really funny and (b) kinda creepy since I had to leave through said door. It reminded me of the old days when I only answered to 'Snowflake'...lmao! Needless to say I made it past him (he was busy harassing a girl carrying her groceries home).

Quilmes Stout is out. Still a fan of the Bock for now...

(sorry no photos for day 2...i have yet to completely lower myself to tourist status by snapping everything that moves. my camera only comes out when there are other snap-happy visitors about...)

Departamento 6

So I guess I should rewind a little bit...perhaps I got a little ahead of myself with yesterday's post about Gilbraltar...



Back to Day 1:

I arrived in BA at around 10am local time. Easy flight and no problem finding a taxi to the apartment (though I overpaid) so no story there. Upon arriving I met my landlord...very nice guy and very helpful which eased my mind quite a bit. Better than some other landlords I know but what's the use in naming names?

The apartment is cute though a little more run-down than I expected from the pictures. I should've known...look at me (or anyone else for that matter) compared to my MySpace photos. Human nature and good business to present the best possible angles I suppose. My building is filled with a bunch of abuelitas, a (I'm assuming) little dog that barks a lot and some children that watch cartoons every afternoon. Not the most glamorous but perfect since I could use a little less bling in my life right about now.











After resting and unpacking (a first!) it was time for mission numero uno--finding food. Though it doesn't seem like such an arduous task, when you don't speak the language and really have no idea where you are it definitely can be. I managed to scavenge some fruit, coke light and oatmeal cookies...I was sure I was going to starve. So much for the South Beach diet...I'm on the Gringa diet now. At least the lady at the fruit stand on the end of my block told me my eyes were beautiful. I love how I can understand compliments no prob but anything else and it's "no comprende"...



Came back to the apartment and tried to use my calling card. Yeah, right. All I could understand was "marque uno...blah, blah, blah" and so on. After trying every option and still only getting "incorrecto" I finally gave up. I still haven't gotten this phone situation down (Skype is taking 4 DAYS to process my payment!) but worst case scenario I'll go buy a CONTROL card and follow the directions my landlord left in the rental agreement (yes, I signed a lease written only in spanish...it looked like the usual). Though my plan was to stay in and rest since I had only 4 hours of sleep (not out of the ordinary) and was up so early (very unusual), by around dusk I decided I was just going to have to suck it up and go to get food.

So I walked a few blocks up and discovered Plaza de Mayo...finally something familiar. I remembered the plaza well because when I was here last and staying in Puerto Madero we always got the taxi to drop us off near the plaza to go to the Prune on Calle Florida. I never forget where to buy inexpensive leather designer handbags...ever. The plaza was pretty empty when I arrived save about a million pigeons, a few groups of teenagers and a line of police.



Turns out the line of police was soon joined by a few TV vans, a group setting up a stage and, about half an hour later, a few hundred people marching and chanting. No matter how far I run, it seems, the stories just keep following me. Obviously I stuck around and obviously I took notes and photos. Old habits die hard.



I won't even try to report on the basis of the protest. I understood far too little and would hate to mislead. I do know it had to do with Julio Lopez who, from what I can gather, was the president that abducted all those people in the late 1970s and early 1980s.


The color of the day was definitely red and lots of banners read 'socialista' and 'communista'. In all they were a pretty peaceful group (lots of singing through microphones attached to old pick-up trucks) save a few firecrackers here and there.





There was one shirtless kid that definitely wasn't feeling the vibe and he made it obvious by tearing the flyers into shreds and tossing them like confetti on people trying to catch the subway. I decided to stay out of his way.



After the crowds cleared I made my way home (passed a guy wearing a shirt that bore a logo very similar to Flavorpill's...the only difference was that the F was solid...think it might've been for the F train in NYC because it also looked a lot like the A shirts Marc and Blu wear). Stopped off at a little bodega and got some pollo con papas (best meal I've had yet) and Quilmes Bock.



And that, my friends, is how I spent my first day. Unless, of course, you want to hear about me watching Ugly Betty episodes on my laptop...didn't think so...

Gilbraltar (Peru 895)

According to my TimeOut Buenos Aires guide book (great company...a friend from New York used to write for them in London) Gilbraltar is the best place "for a skinful of real ale". So, since the pub is only a few blocks away and I'm still taking baby steps in BA nightlife, I decided to check it out.

When I arrived at around 9:30p the place was still kinda empty...figures. Who goes out that early anyway? I have an excuse...I was out for dinner. Happy hour is from 6-10pm so I was just on time--Quilmes, Heiniken, Warsteiner, Stone Stout and Antares Scotch. For some unknown reason I ordered the Quilmes first. Bad, bad idea. Not only do I hate tap beer in general but Argentina's finest was SOUR! I've probably had, oh, a few hundred or so Quilmes and I know it doesn't taste that way. But, alas, my spanish is retarded and of course I couldn't explain to them why I was having such a hard time drinking the Bud Light of Argentina. I drank just enough of it to escape notice while I waited for my fish and chips to arrive. Finally my food came. Average fare...it wasn't the best I've had but also not the worst. I keep getting the greasiest food here. I know fish and chips is not the way to go to avoid grease but, believe me, this was the most grease I've had in a while. Either it really is greasy here or I'm just used to South Beach's ever-present fear of fatness that keeps restaurants free of excessive oil...who knows?

Using my 2 for 1 ticket (I was a little past deadline but the bartender in the Element shirt hooked me up) I got a Stone Stout. Again...disappointment. Though it was leagues better than the Quilmes (at least it wasn't rotten), I'm not a big stout fan. Too milkshake-ish and flat for me. Since I'm not one to complain (and couldn't do so with my limited lingual skills anyway) I drank it like it was the best I'd ever had. And though most that know me consider me to be the ultimate extrovert, I sat alone writing in my notebook the entire time. I keep telling and telling you guys that I'm not that outgoing. I'm just nice. People approach me and I'm nice enough to talk to them. When I'm alone, especially where I don't speak the language well, I tend to be a little more shy.

Next up was the Stone IPA (what is Stone anyway? Must be some English brewer...). Getting much, much better. At this point Gilbraltar was starting to fill up (around midnight) and I thought I might ought to stay awhile and make friends. Definitely not with all the Brits around. No offense but I get along better with Argentinians even if they don't speak the same language. I decided to order one more beer and feel it out. Stone XB, though I don't have any idea what the XB stands for, was definitely the best beer they had (though I didn't taste the Antares Scotch and they have Stella in bottles). It was definitely sweet and reddish if that makes any sense. Similar to Killian's though a bit less sweet and much flatter...probably the tap though. If (maybe I should say when) I go back it will definitely be the one that I order.

Though it seems as if I'm trashing this place completely, I still kinda liked it. The bartenders were awesome and they seemed relieved at my spanish (guess they get a lot of people that speak none at all). There was definitely a local scene...I could tell by the way several people flitted from group to group just like I do at The Room. And, for all you bibliophiles, the second level has a bookshelf with REAL books...y'know, the leather bound editions. I didn't make it up there but maybe next time. The music was okay--everything from old tango music to Gorrillas (which would've made the average American cringe but since I only hear them at Backdoor Bamby I was cool with it).

Approx. depletion of funds: $40 pesos ($13 USD...i had to use a calculator for that)

some randoms:

*On the wall, "Indecision is the key to flexibility"...lovin' that.
*And the pub's catch phrase (on the back of the busboys' t-shirts) "Drink along with the Common People"...funny because I was just writing about "common" people in my notebook when I read this...
*I was really into this one bartender's camo engineer cap. Funny because she was the only non-blonde and also the only one that knew any english...all the others kept passing off patrons to her...poor girl!