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Published: January 16th 2009
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Hola!
Sorry for the delay in the update. Life in Buenos Aires seems to move a bit quicker and I have no idea where the time has gone. I arrived here 2 days after X-mas with the intent to learn spanish a bit better. I also had a real craving to see Buenos Aires as I had heard so many good things about the city from fellow travelers.
There were a few things that struck me when I first arrived in Buenos Aires (BA). I couldn't help but notice how different this place was compared to where I had just been. The people here may very well be the exact opposite of people in Southeast Asia. After all, they are halfway around the world from each other AND on different sides of the equator. All it took was one walk around the city to see just how different people here are compared to the far east.
When I landed at the airport, I grabbed a cab and headed straight to my prepaid apartment in the downtown area. I had been on an overnight flight with a screaming 2 year old next to me and so didn't get much sleep.
The cab driver took me to my apartment without any difficulty and I was greeted by my landlady's daughter at the entrance to my new abode. After the customary kiss on the cheek greeting, I was shown my new room and promptly passed out in it. I awoke at about 4 in the afternoon and decided to take a little stroll around my new neighborhood.
The first thing that struck me was that in Buenos Aires, the people are much more passionate than anywhere I have ever been. They are also not afraid to show that passion. You can see people making out everywhere you look here. There is nothing wrong with playing tonsil hockey with your partner while you wait for the bus. So many times here you can see the younger folks (mostly) making out in the parks. Even older folks will give it a go at times. Part of the reason for this is that a lot of young people still live with their parents even though they have graduated from college. If mom and dad don't want you to make out at home, then by god, you will find a place to do it. But
another reason is that it is just more accepted here. No one bats an eye at a couple trying to swallow each others heads in the park. In Thailand, I think they would lock you up and throw away the key for this type of behavior. Or at least give you some very disapproving looks.
Along with passion, comes the down side of it; the almighty temper. The soccer games here are unbelievable. To the point where you have to watch your back. You never want to raise to much of a ruckus yourself, but you never want to be caught NOT cheering for your team either. Soccer is a religion here. There are many, many fights that break out constantly during these games. The fans of the two competing teams are separated and there are police with riot gear ready for any action.
OK, no mention of the passion in BA would be complete without talking about the opposite sex. The interplay between men and women here is something to behold, and from what I know of Italy, probably relates closely to what occurs on that peninsula of passion. The women here all wear sexy and quite revealing clothing
and the men all love it, to the point where ogling and catcalling are commonplace. There are guys who just sit on a street corner or at a cafe and watch the women walk by. UNABASHEDLY watch them walk by. Now, the feminists among you are probably fuming at the blatant machismo here but I have to say, this hasn't stopped the women from wearing some of the sexiest outfits on the planet. Most days the women here wear skin tight pants, a low cut blouse and high heels, with no shortage of makeup. Hence, this must be a bit of a two way street and the women must enjoy it on some level, even if they don't show it. They don't show disgust either, by the way. They simply ignore these pleas for their attention and act as if nothing has happened; that some drooling old porteno (a person from BA) hasn't just been whistling at them. Just another day for a regular sexy girl in BA.
My own limited experience with the women of BA supports this theory of passion. Their blood runs hot. They have a phrase that I have heard more than once - "sangre caliente"
My new wife
just kidding mom! which loosely translated means hot blooded. A couple of the women have outright told me that they are the jealous type and that another woman stands in jeopardy if she gets in the way of her man. Then, there is of course the sex. I am not going to reveal any juicy details (mostly because I don't know any!) but suffice it to say that they have what are called "telos" here, which are, essentially short term hotels that you rent for the hour or two. Again, commonplace. And, believe it or not, not sleazy (so I hear).
Physically, BA looks a lot like a scene from an Italian film. I have roved around Latin America a bit and I see very little of Latin America here. BA strikes me as much more European. This is held true by the fact that 97% of portenos can claim European ancestry (Lonely Planet, 2007). This place is a lot more like Europe than it is like Latin America. Another thing that struck me as I walked around the city that first day was how homogeneous the population here is. New York has a ton more diversity than BA. You don't see Asians, Blacks or Muslims here; at all. BA might well be more European than a lot of actual European cities these days.
Thai food is some of the best in the world in my opinion. Here, the food is entirely uninspiring. They eat empanadas and pizzas almost constantly. An empanada is like a hot pocket - a stuffed bread sort of contraption. Though I actually like the hot pockets better. If you are feeling crazy, you might get a plate of spaghetti but for those of you who thought that Latin American automatically means spicy, guess again. BA has almost no spice whatsoever. There are no tacos, burritos or hot sauces here. Salads, are almost non-existent here. This place is undoubtedly a vegetarians worst nightmare. If anyone wants to open an international restaurant here, there is definitely a market in BA for you to do just that. There were a couple of guys from California that I met who opened up a new burrito place (much along the lines of a Qdoba) and are making a killing.
But if you do want a steak, this is the place to be. The steaks are delicious and cheap. A nice tenderloin here costs as much as a salad! I've heard the red wine is good here as well, though, not being much of a connoisseur myself, I wouldn't know a good wine from a wine in a box.
Another difference is was how late it gets dark here. Argentina is, of course, in the southern hemisphere and they are currently enjoying their summers now. I figure Buenos Aires is about the same distance from the equator as is North Carolina in the US. I arrived here just after their summer solstice and so enjoyed some of the longest days of the year here, but was not prepared for daylight until 10 pm! They move their clocks in Argentina to take keep the nights lit as long as possible in order to save money on electricity. No one gets up early here, so they keep the daylight going long into the evening. Just the opposite from what we do.
Well, thats all for now. Let me know if any of you have any questions that I could answer or any suggestions on other topics. I have pretty good access to the internet here so I can field more questions this go around.
Hasta luego!
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