Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Hola Amigos

Last week I was busy job searching - I have a job already (starts in March) but am checking out all the options. I think I will take a job that pays a little less, but offers me free Spanish courses. I´ve been taking some, and can´t really afford it, so free ones is a good idea.

This past week I was in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Great time, the woman there are awesome. The city is very European looking, lots of old buildings, etc, but the streets are littered with garbage. On garbage night, people would put there stuff out, but 10 mins later poor people (who are surprisingly dressed quite well) would tear through the garbage taking whatever looked like it might be worth something. Argentina is in serious economic problems, so we were able to take advantage of the cheap prices - steak dinner (one of the best I have ever had) was $4.50 US!!! Went to the capital buildings, and to my surprise, the grass had not been cut in some time, and graffiti covered the buildings surrounding the main building. Traffic is crazy - while there are lines painted on the roads, you wouldn't know it. Traffic just goes wherever it wants - much worse than Santiago. Many cars do not put there lights on at night - we asked a taxi driver about this - he said "why put lights on if the streets have lights" - that was his logic. While rat tails and mullets are still common in Argentina (including fluorescent yellow mullets) the unibrow was likely the most common trait. On a mullet related topic, I got my haircut in Buenos Aires - ended up doing a good job, but they tried to start me growing a mullet! the dude cut the sides, but not the back, so I had to tell him to cut it, which he did, but only after giving me a puzzled look.

Has anyone heard about this new reality TV show on Midgets?!? I saw an ad for it on MTV the other day, and it looks really funny.

Anyhow, that's all from here for now - next week, I´m gonna relax a bit, and see some of the free things in Santiago, as money is getting tight. It will be nice to get paid at the end of March (you get paid only once a month here)

Take care all, and let me know when you are coming to visit.
later
JIM

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Photos

Capital Building
Buenos Aries

"Don't Cry for Me Argentina"
La Casa Rosa - Evita sang from here.