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Published: March 12th 2007
I woke up this morning, put on my bathing suit, and laid out for awhile on my apartment’s balcony while I reviewed yesterday’s Spanish lesson. Yeah, I’d say life is improving here. And I've got the beginnings of a very nice tan!
My Spanish is rapidly improving. Every 2 weeks, there is a test to see if you’ve learned and retained enough to move onto the next level. I came in on an off week, so that test was on Friday and I moved up from the lowest level of Spanish (1A) to the second lowest level (1B). I want to get through 2A by the time I finish. I only have 4 weeks, so we'll see how it goes. I might have to tack on an extra week. To all you Spanish speakers out there, send me emails in Spanish and I’ll respond in Spanish - you can be part of my success!
I get asked all the time where I'm from and my response to the question of where I’m from is always a moment of hesitation, followed by, well, I’m originally from California, but I lived on the East Coast and, most recently, in Atlanta. But now, I don’t live anywhere. I live in Buenos Aires. That’s so ridiculous.
Observations from an American about the portenos:
∑ Almost everyone has a dog. And there are no poop and scoop laws here, so there’s dog crap everywhere. Look out!
∑ There must have been a day where everyone stayed in to have sex back in August or September because I have never seen so many very visibly pregnant women concentrated in one area. I think it’s exaggerated b/c of how small the women are. They look like they could topple over at any second!
∑ When a stoplight goes from red to green, the yellow light comes on to let you know it is about to change. This allows the crazy drivers to rev up their engines a little earlier and jump out into the intersection. Everyone knows this is going to happen, so when coming up on a yellow light, no one guns it through the light like us Americans. It’s actually the opposite - they SLAM on the brakes. I’ve not seen anyone run through a yellow light yet.
∑ However, as a pedestrian, you want to keep a sharp eye out for those turning. The pedestrian does not have right of way in this country. Oh no. Cars turn wider to get right in front of you as you’re walking. They will hit you, if you’re not careful. This must be some sort of controlled chaos because I also have not seen a car accident yet.
∑ Storefronts hose down their sidewalks in the morning. These sidewalks are not made for traction, however. They seem to be some kind of smooth stone, so make sure you have shoes with a good grip if you’re out walking at 7:30 am. I was in old Reef flip-flops and just about bust my ass on multiple occasions during my 15 min walk.
∑ Another activity that boggles my mind a bit is the picking through of trash on city streets. There are people who rifle through the trash to find recyclables they turn in for money. But they leave the trash out of the bags on the street! It is so nasty. I was walking yesterday morning and there was a horrible horrible smell. I got closer to it and then I saw it. A headless, HUGE fish just chillin’, decomposing on the sidewalk. Disgusting! I don’t know if that’s the result of the trash people or just a gross restaurant, but yuk.
OK. Enough of the observations. On to the good stuff. The food here can be bland, but is very tasty. Portenos are known for their steak, their empanadas, and surprisingly, their pizza (there is a large Italian influence here). Empanadas are basically teeny calzones filled with a tasty stuffing and baked or fried. They are super cheap and a staple in my diet 😊 My favorites are empanadas de carne piccante and empanadas de jamon y queso. Now I know how to do make them, so I’ll make some when I come home. The steaks are HUGE and come all alone on a plate. There doesn't seem to be any seasoning on them other than a little salt, which is amazing considering the amount of flavor the meat has. What I've learned is, unless you're just about starving, you should split the steak with someone, get a side dish and a bottle of wine, and you're set for dinner. One bife de chorizo is PLENTY of food for 2 people. Though the guys I know here devour a whole one on their own. That's just too much meat. Also, if you like your meat anything other than well done, you have to ask for it. If you don't specify, they give you your meat done. Pizza here is plentiful, if nothing else. You can eat pizza in almost any restaurant and the quality varies. The one thing they do here is put whole olives on top of each piece of pizza. So if you don't like them, pick them off (not hard b/c they're whole) or ask the restaurant not to put them on (harder if you don't know the language well). All in all I'm eating quite well, quite inexpensively; though, I think it's time to start cooking.
I also made some friends, which is always nice. I'm hanging out with a girl who's from NYC and has ended up living 4 blocks from me in BsAs, but lived most recently in Colorado, where she knew a friend of mine from Stanford! The world is so small. I hope to find a few people to kick it and travel with while I’m here. Slowly slowly... I know, I know. Patience, grasshopper. I'm starting to plan my trips outside of the city, with the first one to an estancia (ranch) in Buenos Aires Province this weekend. Next weekend is the trip to Iguazu Falls and after that, probably Mar Del Plata for the BEACH!! It might be too cold to get in the water by then, but I wouldn't mind just being near the ocean...
Last things b/c this is a ridiculously long blog at this point. I have hit the tourist spots: Recoleta cemetery which is more of an architectural event than a place to mourn the dead, San Telmo's Ferie de Artes (art/antique market) on Sunday, San Telmo marketplace which has really cool antiques and all kinds of random, quirky finds (and is different from the Ferie de Artes), and La Boca's Sunday market with tango dances strewn throughout. All were ridiculously touristy, but I had to do them to say I did it. I also went to a restaurant in BsAs that serves traditional northern Argentine food. I went with my school so we were a big group, but the atmosphere was pure porteno. I enjoyed my food, my wine, and the live music of a local band, thoroughly. I hope to find more spots like that as I explore the rest of the neighborhoods here.
Pictures are forthcoming...
As always, be well and stay safe. I will do the same. Love.
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Mike McGurl
non-member comment
bah, why so ordinary?
Bland, Bland, Bland!!! I think I am having more fun at work laughing at Doug T's horrible haircut, think mullet in training. Hmmmmmmmmmmm, well, o.k. maybe you are having a more interesting time galavanting around South America while us non-traveler types pf3 our way into oblivion. Sounds like you are having a blast learning all about a new culture and experiencing it first hand. The dog doo sounds really nasty to me too, but the staying inside and having sex for the months of August and September sounds like fun. Oh the things I can say not that you are no longer my boss. I always wanted to ask you to help me with my Climax, just to see your reaction. Climax, if you didn't know is one of our suppliers. I'm still thinking about trying that line at work, but then the conservative side of my brain takes over and I don't. I did finally manage to sent a message to Kyle H, and he quickly resonded with some helpful lacrosse info. I think I'll post the picture of you, me and Stephanie on myspace for the world to see. Glad you are having fun and getting some sun. Mike