How ever did I forget....?

I can't believe I forgot to write about one of my biggest adventures recently... I saw Shakira perform the other weekend!

Shakira is awesome. I will now explain why:
1) She started a foundation called ALAs which is dedicated to helping Latin American kids out with food and education. She co-founded it, I believe, with other Latin American artists to attempt to actually do something for the people now, not just wait around for the governments to fix things.
2) She's just a great performer.

The ALAs group hosted these two huge, free concerts. One was in Mexico City, Mexico (yes, that was necessary) and the other was here in Buenos Aires. I had to go on a wild goose chase to obtain the tickets, but in the end it was totally worth the waiting! On the wild goose chase- doesn't suprise me that it took forever to figure out what was going on--the entire concert seemed really hush-hush.... except for all the people in line with me and the almost 50,000 people that came to the concert! But very Argentine bureaucracy to have to run around with no answers from anyone.

Point being that I got my tickets, and then I went on the 17th and waited ALL day long. We (Sumanya, Miranda, Brent, Julian, Cynthia, Roger, and Julianna) got at the Ecological Reserve of Buenos Aires around 1ish. We didn't leave until around 11:45. But in between that time I saw 5 huge Latin American music stars. I have to admit I don't remember most of them (because I just didn't know the music), but I do know that it was a great lineup. There was a huge stage and the people stood in a huge crowd all around it. It had this Piedmont Park/Music MidTown feel, for those from the A-area.

Our group staked out some grass and we chilled sitting for as long as possible. As it got darker, and the bigger and bigger stars started to play, we had to give up our land and stand. Every artist (about 12) played a 15 -20 minute set, then breakdown/setup starting around 4pm. As it got later, however.... the breaking down/setting up took way. too. long.

I'll save you all the details on the indiviual artists that you don't know and skip straight to Shakira. AMAZING. She has such a stage presence. I was 300 people, easily, away from her, and I could still see her smile (and no, I don't mean just for the big LCD screens that were up... her actual one). She shares the stage so well. She performed with Alejandro Sanz (La Tortura), My Hips Don't Lie (I swear... it was Wyclef Jean), and then she sang a song with this very famous, very fat Argentine folklore singer. It was beautiful.

Overall I throughly enjoyed myself. I learned a whole bunch of new artists, I socialized, I got to see a great show... It was all wonderful. The worst part about the entire thing was how Shakira didn't really say goodbye. She said something like "We are here to make a difference..." and then she just... walked off stage. So I was a little disappointed in her for that, but the rest of the day outshone that small blemish.

I was very cultural today. I saw the Immigrant Museum, which is housed down in the Retiro section of town, right next to the river. During the early 19th century, the Argentine government strongly encouraged immigration from Europe. At one point it paid for passage across the Atlantic. To help the new immigrants out, the government commissioned "Immigrant Hotels." Immigrants arrived, were registered, given papers, a place to eat, sleep, and medical care while they found work and established a life. So the Immigrant Museum of today is in one of the oldest Immigrant Hotels. The museum its self is pretty sad (basically an old dining hall filled with artifacts-the coolest of which being old registry books) . But Stephanie, Diana, and I made the best out of it. We decided to take some stairs and just see where they lead. It's wasn't like the stairs were roped off, they just didn't look inviting either.

We walked up to the third floor. It looks like they are trying to restore the building, but lack funding. There was trash everywhere. Some doors were shut, others lead to large dormitory rooms we assumed. It was medio creepy. There was this one shut room that we peered into via the key hole. In the middle of the room was just.. this chair, perfectly placed for peering via a key hole. Reminiscent of 'The Ring," if you will.

We saw old toilets, communal showers and sinks, and this old lift. Near this lift was this wrought iron ladder that lead to the roof. Stephanie and I wanted to climb it. As Diana was protesting, we heard this yelp/growl/"I'm being eaten to death" noise. We just looked at each other. It happened again. We didn't have any idea what it was or where it came from, until we realized it was coming from this stray dog that had found it's way into the museum and was following us around. We were trying to loose the dog anyway, so Stephanie and I started to run for it. Diana was somewhere behind us, taking pictures. We were all dying of silent laughter because we weren't sure if we were supposed to be where we were and whether we'd get in trouble if someone found us.

Can I say something here: Ditching a dog... doesn't work. Sucker found us. He actually seemed to be making sure we didn't go back upstairs. We "believe he probably saw a ghost...." What this story boils down to is this: We ended up having a blast discovering part of Argentina's past.

I also went to the Buenos Airean Holocaust Museum. As Diana later said it didn't really have anything on the one in D.C. (which I still haven't seen), but what I liked was how it showed the intimate connection of Argentina and the events of the Nazis and Jews during the Second World War. Argentina, for those who don't know, was a huge safe haven for both groups. While Jews still experienced Anti-antisemitism, Nazi's found refugee because Peron, yes, the great Juan Peron, and his lovely wife Evita were huge Nazi supporters. So while most everyone knows the story of the Holocaust and it's effects in Europe, this museum showed, and remembered, the effects in Argentina itself.

After that I had lunch with Diana in a place called Pippo. I wouldn't recommend this place for its food--it's pretty run of the mill and what not. But what I loved about the place (despite as Diana so eloquently put it: "it's painted institutionally pink..") was that you could tell it had a history. There were all these old Argentine guys sitting around eating, drinking wine, and reading newspapers. You could tell it was a place of "regulars." I felt very relaxed and Argentine. So if you're ever in Buenos Aires, Pippo, on Defensa, between Corrientes and Sarmiento. Come during lunch-right around 1pm. Make sure to get a good people watching seat.

It was a pretty dang good day. I'm feeling a little under the weather-first time really. It's a sinus/nose/ears/throat thing. It's like the entire inside of my nose is dry without mucus (eeeww!!) but I keep sniffing. And then the drainage is hurting my throat and ears. I'm hoping it will pass in the next couple of days. I think that it has to do with the sudden change in temperature (colder because of a storm front). So we'll see.

And so that's all I have to say for now... and boy, turned out to be more than I expected!

66 days to go....

AH! I just counted to have a blog title and lo and behold.... I was accosted with this horrendous truth! I can't believe it. So much has happened in the past 4 months-good things, bad things, crazy things, and always with a lot of helado-ice cream.

I got back all my midterm grades yesterday--I did very well, if I may say so myself!! However, the Argentines lie when they say "midterms." They were more like "3/4 terms." So my finals are in 3 weeks or so. Right about the time Natalie gets here... haha. Right. Me study. Not. (Just kidding mom.. of course I'll study...)

And then in about 4 weeks I begin to travel. The plan is to be at Manchu Picchu July 8th and then from there to come back down to Argentina and see more of Argentina with my roommate, Sumanya. Then, when we get back to Buenos Aires, I'll have a few days to pack, wash clothes, celebrate Carmen's 21st birthday, say good bye to my barrio and the city... and then I'll be on a plane back to the States. And who knows what I'll find when I get there...

But enough of those thoughts! Eepps! So what has been going on....

Sumanya left my sorry self and went off to Rio de Janiero and Iguazu. She had a blast. But then I got to meet Carmen's daughter. She came down from Rosario for the weekend that Sumanya was in Iguazu. I enjoyed meeting her. Carmen says that she looks and acts just like her father. However I see more resemblance of Carmen's constant movement and worry in her daughter. Couldn't tell Carmen that though because she thinks she's as tranquil as a lake. Or whatever that phrase is. We had a typical Argentine picada; green olives (I think I forgot to mention how they love olives here. They put full olives on the pizzas. They just sit there being full and olive-y), cold cuts of jam, sliced jam, Brie, Blue cheese, a salad, and bread. It was very good. Drank it all down with Patagonian beer.

Then Carmen started feeling bad. She stayed that way for a better part of a week. The scary part was before she admitted she didn't feel well and when she walked around her inner ear was off so she tipped all over the place and lost her balance alot. And then when she finally had to admit her sickness, she felt horrible and asked if Sumanya and I wanted to move into another house for a little bit. Of course we told her no.

But she's been getting much better. Damn chippy. Sometimes a little too much. Like yesterday morning. Carmen has this really mala costumbre, bad habit, of trying to speak lots of fast Spanish at me right when I wake up. I mean I wouldn't say I'm not a morning person... but I do need my two minutes to get the brain working. So she was going on and on and jabbering about how good she felt. I was mumbling affirmation in my sleepy Spanglished mind. I guess she thought I wasn't paying attention or not agreeing that she should feel good so she asked me roughly "oh, and why shouldn't I feel good, eh?" and I said, "I said muy bien. I didn't say que mala.I said muy bien!! oh.. wait. I mean. Dije muy bien.." That seemed to placate her a bit. Oh Carmen. Well, I left the house and did some things. When I came back, I found out that someone had stolen her purse on the way from the supermarket, el Disco. She was miserable. And I felt bad for her. I had to leave for class. When I came home there was this woman drinking tea with Carmen. She was an English teacher at a nearby religious school, but her contract just ended so she'll be coming back soon. She is American, from L.A. She invited Carmen, Sumanya and me to go to her Evangelical church. She brought preaching pamplets. She'd found Carmen's cartera, purse, in the gutter outside on the street and had returned it to her.

You know what's weird? The only things that were missing from the purse were several Catholic religious symbols that Carmen carried in her purse. The money (more than 200 pesos), the credit/debit cards, the glasses, etc... it was all there. Except for those relics. Interesting, eh? I can't say that all people are so nice when they return purses (ie: the Great Robber of Buenos Aires that affected Diana and I), but Carmen got her things back. Though now she's on a stint wondering whether or not this woman actually found the purse, took out the saints, and is trying to convert Carmen to "her religion."

Ojo (a very Argenine phrase, often accompanied with a motion of the pointed forefinger touching right underneath the eye on the cheek bone) but back to the Ojo! part: In Argentina, many Argentines believe that Christians are of a different religion, and that each division/denomination is a separate religion. Brent has experienced this with his host mom, and has since given up trying to explain it to her. So, this morning Carmen runs her new conspiracy theory by me, once again within the first 10 minutes I'm up, so I can't do much more than just think. When Sumanya gets up, Carmen goes over it again, and I realize what bothers me so much about the theory: the misconception of the different "religion." So we end up having a discussion about where I carefully explain that they are the same religion, just different ideas. And how I think it's strange that the woman, obviously a very strong Christian, would try to go about converting Catholics when there are thousands of Atheists and other Satan worshipers around (I mean it is a big city...). I think Carmen gets it now. She also wants to go to the church, but I dunno if Carmen's ready for an Evangelical church. She's all set on Brent and me going with her.

That all said, Carmen is still very thankful about the entire thing and is glad she has her things back.

Here's another little cultural tidbit: One of Carmen's friends (an Arabian, I think), once told her that in the woman's culture, when you loose something, you turn a wine glass up side down (so the brim is touching the cabinet floor) and then you are assured to find it, and when you do, you turn the glass right-side up again. Carmen had done this when she lost her purse and when it showed back up she turned the glass right side up again. I think it's a very interesting little "superstition," I guess. Gunna have to try it.

Argentines also enjoy drinking out of straws when they are enjoying any nonalcoholic drink out of a bottle, mind that this is coming from a culture where it's a daily routine to share a straw for mate. Funny, huh? But anyways, they serve all bottles of soda and water with straws. I guess our equivalent is maybe napkins? We, as Americans, always give out hundreds of napkins. Or ketchup packets. Point is, that the straws for the drinks are something that you don't have to ask for, they just give it to you.

This little cultural whatnot brings up an interesting thought about waste. I'm sure most of you have heard about how wasteful Americans are compared to the rest of the world. However, I have to admit that between porteños, por lo menos, and Americans there's that much of a difference. At least I don't see it. Maybe I should ask Sumanya who swears by the waste of Americans.

bueno.... time to go out and start another fabulous day!

I drink mate in the gym...

I haven't written since my last big adventure-getting robbed, so I figured that I should probably say some good things about my time here in Buenos Aires. Firstly... I have 11 weeks or there about 77 days left in my time in South America. I can't believe that it's wrapping up.

So something that I've wanted to write about for a while is the gym culture here. I know this will only really interest my mother, but I thought it was very interesting. I joined a gym here about 2 months into coming down. I'm so glad I did. I think I would be going crazy/not fitting into any of my pants anymore. But the gym here is a little different, at least from what I've noticed. First, my gym, (something like $60USD for 3 months) is filled with older, but very well maintenance equipment. That doesn't bother... basically you can parallel it to the Pit at Berry. In the same way of smaller gyms in the States, there is definitely the feel of everyone knows everyone else and will help each other out. The biggest differences are the people I see wearing flip flops and lifting heavy weights. The floor trainers were even helping the guy out without saying anything about his flip flops. Also there is less sense of cleaning up after yourself. People will do bench presses with heavy weights, finish, and walk away without taking them off. There are also weights all over the floor. (note: I realize this also happens in the States, I'm just saying) The biggest, and really only annoyance, I've had has been the other members lack of respect for those working out. I'll be on the floor doing ab work and this person will come up and start lifting heavy weights right above my head. The place is a little crowded, but in general, if you are near their equipment, or you're where they want to be, it won't matter to them--they'll just go for it. A little scary. I can't tell if this is something that the members do to every other member, or if they do it to me because I'm a girl, or because I am obviously not Argentine. Argentines like to wear Spandex to the gym. I've seen some girls that are dangerously skinny. One is all eyes and sharp corners.

Something interesting that I have found is the floor staff. They are there to help you out, and if you ask, for no extra cost, they will give you a full routine. Diana and I decided to try this out yesterday and we had a lot of fun with our personal trainer guy. We named him "Mate Boy" because he walks around the gym with a mate and thermos in hand, pouring out mate while helping people out. At the end of our workout he even offered Diana and I some mate. We have a 'date' on Monday to do legs.

With so little time left I've been trying to figure out what there is I still want to see and where I wanna go. I finally decided--I still have so much! I'm trying to plan a trip at the end of the semester, before I go home that will include the countries of Bolivia, Chile, Peru, and perhaps even Ecuador. The thing I'm most nervous about is booking Manchu Picchu--most everything is getting full... and fast! I am so thankful that I've finally found people to travel with, but now differing budgets, what people want to see, and conflicting time frames seems almost at the edge of pulling us apart. So if anyone has some savings and 3.5 weeks to travel... I'm a great travel partner!

Other exciting news: Natalie comes to visit me in less than 3 weeks! Which also means that I have to finish my 10 page paper in Spanish by that time! epps! She's heading off the Italy tomorrow which is very exciting.