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los dos portenos - mark mesle

Abbey

Height: 5'4"
Hair: Blonde
Smile: Big and beautiful
Hometown: Algona, Iowa
Current Home: Buenos Aires
Former Profession: Nuclear Medicine Technologist
Current Profession: English Teacher
Future Profession: Full Time Vigilante Crime Fighter
Loves: The Ocean, Camping apparel, Spanish Linquistics, Red Wine, Saladix, Foot Rubs
Hates: Senseless evil, Nazis, Flan
Endearing Qualities: When she gets sad her bottom lip can quadruple in size
Favorite Flightless Bird: Penguins
Misses: Dolphins, In-N-Out Burgers, Empty spaces that can only be found in the mid-west, Her Family

Mark

Height: 6'0"
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Blue
Teeth: Off-White
Hometown: Lamoni, Iowa
Current Home: Buenos Aires
Feels deep affection for: To Kill a Mockingbird, Golden Retrievers, Abbey, Public Transportation
Confused by: The Mormon Church, the Spanish Language, the Tango
Inherently Suspicious of: People who genuinely believe in astrology, Scott McClellan, people who prefer Pink Floyd to the Beatles
Latest pathetic attempt at speaking spanish:
In trying to order a ticket for "V is for Vengence" I asked for a ticket for "V is for Embarrasment."
Weaknesses: Proofreading, pathological fear of being late, inability to not talk about Abraham Lincoln or the Electoral College after consuming more than 4 beers

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Joined on: May 27th 2006
Last Login: January 17th 2010

Blog Entries: 13
Photos: 97

TB Code: [blogger=17745]
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Blogs & Travel Journals

by los dos portenos, order by Date newest first.

By los dos portenos
October 29th 2006

It´s not easy being a Peron South America » Argentina » Buenos Aires

The most action packed reburial ever

A week ago the body of General Juan Peron, was moved from the crowded and slightly rundown Charcarita Cemetery here in Buenos Aires to a mausoleum about thirty miles southwest of the city which was built in his honor by one of the powerful unions that Peron helped to create. The transferring of the body was originally intended to offer the Argentine people the chance to commemorate Peron’s greatness and perhaps even lay a hand on his casket. The current president, Nestor Kirchner, who is a member of the Peronist party was even going to show up and say a [View Full Entry]

By los dos portenos
August 8th 2006

Still stuck in the present tense after seven months in Argentina South America » Argentina » Buenos Aires » Buenos Aires

Pato

Prior to moving to Argentina I had spent roughly 45minutes studying the Spanish language. I spent half an hour learning different words from Abbey on the car trip back from San Diego and fifteen minutes learning how to say “Who do you think you are talking to!” at the school I worked at in San Diego. This last phrase often came in handy when I would get one of the Spanish speaking students at school in trouble and they would respond by saying something snotty in Spanish which they knew I didn’t understand. I would just throw my patented phrase out [View Full Entry]

By los dos portenos
June 24th 2006

Nuestros Amigos South America » Argentina » Buenos Aires » Buenos Aires

Jo, England

Natalie Worst Spanish translation: Somehow I confused the words for "cork" and a vulgar female anatomy term, so I botched up my attempt to sound intelligent and environmentally aware about the effects of the high price of natural cork...luckily I was only speaking to one person. Have you sampled free beer at the Alamo?: Yes, yes, and the "Cerveza-Gratis Para Chicas" sign landed me in a room full of American rugby players who (with incredible harmony) serenaded me with "You've Lost that Loving Feeling." Has your acohol tolerance risen while the number of hours you sleep per night fallen since moving [View Full Entry]

By los dos portenos
June 22nd 2006

Testimonies from a Former Non-Believer South America » Argentina » Buenos Aires » Buenos Aires

Abbey after a few months in Argentina

My Non-Existent History with Soccer: As of one month ago, this was (as far as I can remember) the only conversation that the Mesle family has ever had about Soccer. Mark: So how was your weekend? Sarah (my wonderful older sister): It was really great I got recruited to play a game of intramural soccer with some of my friends. Mark: How did it go? Sarah: It was so much fun, you just get to run around and look for things. Mark: You mean like the ball? Sarah: Yeah, I like looking for it. Mark: Well, that’s…um,….that’s great Sarah. Sarah later [View Full Entry]

Me doing my best to be a real soccer fan

By los dos portenos
June 21st 2006

Futbol, Like a Religion, But With More Corner Kicks South America » Argentina » Buenos Aires » Buenos Aires

The Dark Side

The Dark Side: According to a student of mine, who I consider to be a fairly reliable source, sometime ago there was a boxing match between two Argentine boxers, one of whom was a fan of the Boca Juniors football club while the other was a fan of Chacarita, a team from a lower level. Fans from the gangs associated with both teams showed up at the match to support their man, and when at the end of the match the boxer from Chacarita, who had lost the match, began insulting Boca the Boca fans stormed the ring and began pummeling [View Full Entry]

By los dos portenos
June 13th 2006

The Rules of the Game South America » Argentina » Buenos Aires » Buenos Aires

my role model

One of the very wonderful things about Buenos Aires is that old women, young children and mothers to be are never allowed to stand for more than 10 seconds on the bus or subway. I think that this is a wonderful aspect of the culture, as I love it when people make a collective decision to make kindness a priority. (I think that Argentines do this in many different ways.) However this subject is a little tricky for me because when these individuals with their osteoportothisis, sippy cups, and life sustaining wombs come on to a subway or bus, its [View Full Entry]

By los dos portenos
May 29th 2006

Abbey and the Argentine military combine forces to stamp out crime South America » Argentina » Buenos Aires » Buenos Aires

The scene of the crime

The Players: Abbey Studer Argentine Soldier Family of Thieves: Consistenting of little boy, father and mother The Setting: Stretch of broken sidewalk which borders a hectic 12 lane street that wraps around the city named Avenida de Libertador. This particular block of Libertador is probably 200 yards long as it stretches past two polo fields. It is a moderatly busy sidewalk which is occupied by street vendors who sell sandwhiches to cabbies on break. At the time of the crime there was a military exposition taking place in the polo fields. The Props: Insulin pump Insulin cord which is attached to [View Full Entry]

By los dos portenos
May 28th 2006

"Hand of God" South America » Argentina » Buenos Aires » Buenos Aires

Maradona

The Argentine Messiah In attempting to explain Argentina’s fanatical devotion to Soccer, I thought it might be helpful to explain their unconditional love for the big man himself, Mr. Argentina, Diego Amando Maradona. For those of you living in the only country in the world that isn’t obsessed with Soccer it is important to understand that Maradona is a ridiculously talented “futballer” who, during the eighties and early ninties, was competing head-to-head with Pele for the title of “World’s Greatest Futballer.” And while internationally Pele seems to have won out in this historic competition, I think it is safe to say [View Full Entry]

By los dos portenos
May 28th 2006

The "ah, it works" policy South America » Argentina » Buenos Aires » Buenos Aires

Argentine headlights in full force

Closely, intertwined with the Argentine's disdain for safety is their general indifference to superior craftsmanship. Just as headlights are seen as an unnecessary nuisance that should only be used in emergencies, so to are the second coat of paint or the flat, wheel chair accesible sidewalk things that should never be expected, but rather celebrated when they happen to occur either by accident or through the work of the one or two perfectionists that are floating through this country. While I feel that Argentine culture is remarkable in countless ways, in certain areas they have adopted the "ah, it's good enough [View Full Entry]

By los dos portenos
May 27th 2006

Iquazu South America » Argentina » Misiones » Iguazú National Park

Iquazu

Iquazu Things are going pretty well here. They had Thursday and Friday off here for Easter and while I wanted very much to see what an Easter Mass would be like here, we ended up celebrating the resurrection of Christ by watching a Jean Claude Van Damme movie on a bus on the way back from Iquazu Falls. Iquazu is directly on the border of Argentina and Brazil, and while it may not be the most beautiful place that I have ever been (Grand Canyon and Leon Lanes are both pretty awe-inspiring) it is hard to imagine anything really toping Iquazu. [View Full Entry]

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