Feliz Fiestas

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Navidad

Christmas outside of the USA...a good time! i love christmas outside of the usa. there isn't the overzealous christmas music blaring from speakers. i don't have to rush around feeling guilty that i didn't find the right gifts. i get to make instantaneous friends. but i did have a slight homesickness that stuck with me the weeks leading up to christmas.

I avoided the capitalist Christmas this year. I missed the advertisement after advertisement of last minute sells. I didn't have to hear jingle bells and other christmas carols over and over again...until my head couldn't take it any more...I think i heard one christmas song the whole holiday season. The city doesn't line up with crowds of angry people all trying to get the last barbie doll. It is quite enjoyable to have only subtle signs of Christmas. Like a small Christmas tree here and there. An occassional store with ornaments and a couple of cards sold in a kiosk. All the lack of santa claus is quite nice for just enjoying the time like it was another day. The days leading up to Christmas were quite enjoyable...many gatherings of folks...and drinking of beers to enjoy the night. A lot of random adventures...and then the big day.

Christmas is celebrated on the 24th & 25th of December. I celebrated the evening with folks from all over the world..mostly in the european area. We ate and drank from 5pm until 1130pm. It was another time of insta-friend...a handshake and a name exchanged. We are in it together now. Stories were exchanged and politics were brought up. We ate and ate. And drank and drank. Then at 1200 we rushed out to see fireworks. I was on my way out to Plaza Dorrego in San Telmo behind me there was a fellow from finland and a lad from england. We got to the front door and it was locked. The english girl ahead of us didn't remember that the doors lock when you shut them in Argentina. You have to unlock them from the inside in order to get out. I think its a fire hazard. They think that its safer from being robbed. So, there the 3 of us were stuck in an apartment building looking out a window and seeing nothing, but hearing the kapows of fireworks exploding. Finally after calling several times, because the phone systems crashes at midnight on christmas in buenos aires, I was able to contact the man with the skeleton key to free us. There we were on Christmas eve in Plaza Dorrego, San Telmo, Buenos Aires, Argentina. There were fireworks being set off and these globos floating in the air. The globos were my favorite, they are paper lamps that have a fire lit inside and they fly into the air. Eventually they catch on fire and the clump of burnt material falls to the ground. I wonder where they end up? Probably sitting on some street corner waiting until the next rain fall to be washed away into the river. The night continued with a small amount of time sitting at the plaza and conversing. Then we dispersed. Many went home, but a few of us made it to the club Oprah Bay. A more ritzy club that has a 30 peso cover fee and the beer is more than anywhere else I have been. After entering at about 0130 am the fun was delayed momentarily. At this time of night we were about the only ones in there. The club was empty. People started showing up at 0300 am. After that the dancing began. I felt like I was in a club in south florida. The three rooms were large, there was an outside patio, and one of the rooms blared american hip hop all night. It seemed really funny to me. I had a good time, but it didn't seem like a true argentinian experience. Feliz Navidad. Yo encanto las fiestas aca.

Ano Nuevo

Oh, New Year. I didn't hear the talking heads blaring from my family's annual party this year. But it was a nice change. I think it was one of my favorite new years. Something different.

The day before new year's eve was fully celebrated. We had a picnic eating and chatting all day with people all around the world. I talked half spanish and half english that day. We ate sandwiches and drank mate. It was a hot and humid day and we all baked in the sun for a couple of hours before moving to the shade. It was another day of a kiss on the cheek to welcome, a name exchange, and it was like we were friends. I still fall in love each time with the overall communal nature of travelers. We exchanged what we did...where we traveled...and asked the repeated question of "What are you doing for new years?"/ "?Que hiciste por ano nuevo?" The question wasn't answered by the end of the afternoon. But we had plans for the evening. San Telmo. It was a fun evening of drinks at a bar in San Telmo. I showed up late and was greeted by the familiar faces. Its a nice feeling to have when meeting new people all the time. A couple hours later we decided to go dancing. We all started walking...not knowing where we were going...following one person...we started off 15 people and ended up 13 personas. We made our way to a tango club. It wasn't most of our style, but something you have to do once. I danced one song with a smiling Argentinian with an upbeat energy. He directed me in spanish. I could understand but didn't feel smooth at all. Then it was time to go. The sun was on the horizon. Right before leaving the music changed to electronic. The energy of the group went from 5% to 80%. We danced a few songs then made it out the door to see the hours switch from night to day. We disperesed all going our seperate ways. But it seemed like we had the questions answered of what we were doing for new years...a party in san telmo...then the planetarium for dancing. I jumped on the bus and strained to keep my eyes open until I made it to my stop, up the stairs, and into bed. How does the argentinian night steal all your daylight hours?

New Year's eve was slightly unproductive...sleeping...going to the grocery store...getting rid of a headache...making a dinner...and then out the door to celebrate the evening. The city is dead around the holidays. Most people go on vacation to enjoy the holidays and to escape the city's heat. Their buildings are constructed for cross breezes and get quite hot and stuffy. I jumped on the bus and carried my heavy bags full of goods for the night, hearing the glasses clank. I was on time, but the first one there. Should have known. But the room began to fill up about an hour later. Again with a diverse mixture of people. Mostly familiar faces. We ate hamburguesas, doriritos & guacamole, drank quilmes etc etc. We chatted about everything. Met knew faces. Smiled and had a wonderful time. Though, the house was quite hot from cooking and people's bodies. There weren't very many windows and high ceilings. Then it was almost time for the countdown.

We all walked up what seemed like hundreds of stairs to a rooftop. It was like heaven. The temperature and breeze changed the night. We could see the city for miles. We could stare down at Plaza Dorrego. Let the countdown begin. Yet, there wasn't really a countdown. There was no ball dropping in Time Square NYC. It was different. Yet, at about 12pm in Buenos Argentina the skies lit up. We continuously cheered and said happy new years. We watched a chaotic array of fireworks lighting up around the city. The noises echoed from the buildings, tango music blared, the wonderful globos floated over our heads. It was a wonderful time. We exchanged hugs and drank champagne. We stared over the city. We counted down over and over again as a joke. We snapped pictures. We drank more champagne and beer...throwing cheers. We watched more and more fireworks light up the light polluted sky. The Argentinian boys set off a few bottle rockets. Laughter echoed from this rooftop for a couple of hours. Then it was on to the Planetarium.

The Planetarium is an area where they play electronic music and people gather outside. Transportation is a little tricky to get on New Years, but we were determined to get there. We had like 20 people and had some casualties that drifted away during the migration. One taxi would only take 3 people, so, we got out of the car. After wandering around the streets in a large confused mass we made it to the planetarium. Here we danced for a little while, but it was already...i dunno what time? We met up with more people that we knew in a group. Most of us sat in the grass and then layed down. It was a humorous situation. People started to drift away. Groups disappeared without a adios. We were all in a daze, but having a good time. The night was eating away at our energy. The electronic music wasn't my favorite and actually gave me a headache after a couple of hours. But we stayed there until sunrise. Then we walked to find a place to eat breakfast and have a glass of non-alcoholic liquid. By morning time I was chowing down pizza and sandwiches with a german and an argentinian. The restaraunt was full. Our eyes were getting tired, but we held it out until the end. After the final happy new years we went our seperate beds to start 2007. And all I could think was "Feliz Ano Nuevo"!

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Photos

Calle de Florida
Navidad decorations

Santa
One sign of Santa Claus.

Arbole Navidad
Arbole Navidad despues la noche de ano nuevo.

Amigos
Celebrating the final days of 2006.

Buenos Noches
The final view before 2007.

Plaza Dorrego
Plaza Dorrego, San Telmo. 10.9.8.7.6...

Fuegos Artificiales
San Telmo. Buenos Aires 10.9.8.7.6...
Feliz ano nuevo!!

Los Hombres
Feliz ano nuevo!!

our firework display
Boys will be boys!

Celebrating
At the final destination.

Feliz Ano Nuevo!
The last standing

Feliz Ano Nuevo!
I can't believe its 2007!