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Published: November 24th 2006
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16th/17th November
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Flying to Argentina
After delays due to a faulty airplane, and a scramble to let people expecting me know I´ll be late, finally the lift off. I take the view that the practice makes perfect...chill out lesson numero uno (made easier as I´m sleeping with my eyes wide open).
You know how, when you are a kid, rivers on your drawings meander perfectly?
Well, they do so in real life too. As seen from Boeing (flying into Brazil-Sao Paolo) point of view.
How on earth , or air, do kids know this?
Another mystery are the huge true crop circles (rather than fake ones, made by aliens), divided into different crop pie chunks. Earth from air...a start of me smiling away.
Flying into Sao Paolo woke me up as I found the endlessly sprawling Legoland on one side of the plane and on the other, as if divided by an invisible pane of glass, broccoli-shaped trees, thick and coiffured. Two very different worlds, showing off human ability to alter its environment into a completely different reality.
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17th November
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Well if I thought things were going to slow down
when I turn my back on London... ha!
My introduction to friendliness and generosity of Argentineans, kicked off with some speed; I was picked up from Buenos Aires international airport by Esteban who works for Birdlife International in Argentina. So, my initial conversation was about birds...escape? ...ha!
Within an hour of my arrival I was given keys to two houses, had 5 minutes to say hellos in spanglish (both mine and theirs) to each family as Esteban was rushing back to town. Than I was deposited in the centre (close to Florida street, surrounded by art-ey hearts dressed in different 'shirts'), took a deep breath, found my own centre and than the Information Centre. They pointed out that Sheraton Hotel, I was looking for, was just behind me (bloody tourists).
Time to have weird touch down at the other end of the world with my angloslavic "sister" Marija (Maya). Madness were taking part at a festival in BA and Mike, her boyfriend is their keyboard player. Having accosted Madness guys in the lobby I promptly asked if they were "with Madness"... Finally finding Maya and all the other Ms, I was then eyed by Black Eyed Peas
in the lift...I had a great time at the concert that night, especially as I wore baggy trousers. I did. (can you tell I miss Dr. Dickies´s humour).
I tried to find the sons of my hosts (who I have seen for about 5 minutes on my arrival) to check if they sailed through the guest list ok. Great excuse to check out the ´talent´. But there were too many handsome, tall young men there (girls! get on the next plane over). Plus they didn't know how to react to the fact that Maya and myself were mostly looking at their hands... One of the guys we were looking for (Alehandro) "fell down" on his hand and wore a plaster cast. Our eyes were picking up info at an unusual level and as you can imagine...hands have a life of their own. That and the fact that it was getting rather crowded led us to give up after a while.
Thank you's go to Madness manager, who with gentlemanly care made sure I was sent home safely in a taxi from the gig. It was appreciated as crowd was blocking all the routes from Club Ciudad grounds.
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18th November - Saturday
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Spent the next afternoon 'with the band' in La Boca , historicaly an immigrant (mainly Italian)part of town - with its tourist show piece 'ye-olde-town', Caminito. Taking a moment to explore on my own, I found my self in Rasputin's passage and in a real world of corrugated walls, dusty dogs, laundry criss crossing the air, folk music joined by the jovial male voice blasting from the belly of the houses and urchin kids running away. Not wanting to intrude I smiled gratefully and left.
San Telmo is a 'borough of Tango' (can´t help but do some comparative thinking and the possible association of one of the London boroughs with, for example, Morris dancing...).
We were wandering through antique shops and markets and came across what seemed as an arty hippy colony, set up around the main cafe square. At one stall, having explained that I can´t buy anything as I have a long way ahead of me, I was offered (by a guy weaving a plait) a gift of a tiny piece of stone citrine and was instructed to make three wishes ("they must be spiritual"). In turn I said: "that´s
cool man"...and went blank...than recovered and concentrated on the suffering of all beings (one should always think big, just in case). I suppressed an internal giggle at the thought that I would make a great Miss Universe. In the middle of the internal banter I was interrupted by my donor´s suggestion that if I feel the transferability of this sharing moment I might want to share/offer something too...I should feel free to do so, should go with that impulse...
Ha!
But...hey...
So, I found a shiny 20 pence in my bag and offered it as a test of benevolence to my puzzled benefactor. I think I have bought my way out of eternal damnation but am not sure about the world suffering. I remain hopeful.
It is interesting to see the other side of most things in life, including moon, ourselves, coin...or in this case, band members. Madness guys had the usual human curiosity abroad, their own brand of guy banter (having spent quite a few moments with London Wetland Centre guys I´m sort of used to the phenomenon) but have remained courteous towards my sudden addition to the day.
I have joined Maya and Mike in the
posh borough of Recoleta to visit Pilar franciscan church, with its sacral, artefact-filled 'cloisters', alabaster windows and views of the mausoleum-filled cemetery.
Three vegetarians, asking for 'no carne' in Argentina...we opted for Italian cuisine. As sun was setting and we were trying to get most of it (at the thought of English climate)...we were contemplating a move into wrong chairs! The sun was setting to the right!!
Having left Maya and Mike to rest I found the hotel´s snazzy new 'Link' corner, with Internet connections and a dedicated staff team. I have managed to hit their weak spot as their printer refused to print one of my e-mails. I was led to the Business and Conference Centre. No luck. Finally I was taken by the main manager to their offices through basic bare corridors (in comparison to marble everywhere else) and a nailbiting finish (1hour and lots of appologies later) to finaly print the invite for Biodiversity talk on Monday.
As tango can be found everywhere (almost like a mascot), we followed a recommendation to the Armenian Cultural Centre to experience tango as danced by Jose Bloggas of B.A.
A dance of tease, patience and skill... the best dancers glided across the floor filled with couples of all shapes, young and old. Men were focused on making ladies lives interesting, unpredictable and challenging with their every move or pause. Ladies were playful, following, weaving around and inventing ways of 'humouring', warning or complementing their partners. Another great thing about Argentinean man...they love to dance...without having to drink.
Saying farewell to Maya and Mike, it is another night, well past midnight, that I slip into Ruis house like a coocoo egg into other birds nest.
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In the next installment....why is river not a sea, bathtub on wheels and how to ignore Evita...
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SteveB
non-member comment
Greetings to the cosmic traveller...
Hey, so you're off and away and the adventures have begun with some Madness! Ta for flagging up your blog - great to get your news and pics. Is there some way I can get updates automatically? All good here - wonderful clear crisp day today. Off to host gdrinks right now. Hug Sx