get me to the bosques!

Have I mentioned how everything in BsAs shuts down on sundays? It's like it's a small town, except that it's a city filled to the brim with people. And where do all the people who aren't working go on sundays? to the park! on sundays, the parks are full of people settled down for a picnic, a run, some mate, suntanning, anything to be outside. sunday is the day to spend time with family and friends. I have several argentine friends here who seem to have similar routines of having weekly lunches with their relatives in the city. My favorite place to go is definitely "Los Bosques del Palermo" where we went this weekend.


side note: I was robbed today. I feel like it was inevitable; almost. It's that it's just so common here and I think that had I not already been told so many stories and been told to watch out so many times, it would have shaken me up much more. It's ok, really! But oh Argentina, why'd you have to go and do that?! 


Heading out to the northern region of Argentina to visit Salta/Jujuy tomorrow. Chau!

Maddy made cake! I was still a bit sick, so naranja-limon juice sounded like a good idea. 

la guarnición had to be patagonia berries, obvio.

Maddy at our little place by the pond

In Argentina, you have two options when it comes to buying/ordering water: agua sin gas or con gas. Today i decided to opt for MAS gas. Reloco, i tell you.

Ready for more days like this.

i couldn't even drive yet

loveyoupooh."For a little while, we lounged in the sand collecting seashells for our summer necklaces (every time we go, we find just one to keep). Once we found the one we wanted to save, we decided to return the others to the ocean and started yelling stuff like "This is for every time you made me brush my teeth!" or "This is for every sad love song!" whenever casting one off. The last one, we threw together, and yelled, "...and this is one, this is for every good time that we might forget!"

summer '05

hola, primavera

my little mate gourd

Today I spent the entire day "tomando mate y sol" en true Argentine style by celebrating Dia del Primavera, which also happens to be Dia del Estudiante...which means no class for students! It's hard to rightfully describe to someone the laid-back nature that is living in Buenos Aires, but the number of holidays this country takes and the way in which they celebrate each one definitely says something about it. Dia del Primavera is a day each year when la gente flock to the Bosques de Palermo or any city plaza/parque nearby to spend the day picnicing, drinking, playing music, etc. etc. * Some places are a bit crazier than others - several people warned me to be wary of getting robbed and to watch out for peleas/fights - and others places are more tranquil, like the one some friends from my theatre class and I went to today. 


I spent the entire day taking in the sun, celebrating Dia del Primavera!


My day went a little like this:
I picked out my favorite long skirt to wear because, it being the first day of spring, weather permitted. Walked to Palermo to meet Sarah, where we walked some more around the city to find some sidewalk cafe to eat at and people watch. I loved seeing everyone in their summer gear. And it was clear that many people were headed to the parks, because almost everyone was walking with groceries in their hand or what looked like a picnic bag with their friends.


Afterwards, I met up with the girls/guys from theatre in the park. We had an overabundance of facturas, little pastries/sweet breads, wine, and of course, mate. We found ourselves a little patch of grass and blissfully spent the next five or so hours there in the grass, tomando sol y mate. This is pretty typical for Dia del Estudiante, and looking around there were tons of little groups just like ours, all little circles of friends hanging out in the grass. Some guys were playing soccer. Other groups had out guitars and were clapping/singing along. Even after the sun set, no one seemed to be in a hurry to leave. Really, what's the rush? No one is ever in a hurry here. Some of them are probably still in the park now.


*I think open container laws technically exist here, but only technically. If you see the policia, you're supposed to conceal your botella de vino or what have you, but it appears to be just a sign of courtesy, really. Actually, visit any weekend feria and you'll find venders selling Quilmes, the national beer, in the grass where people are snacking/listening to music in the plaza.

Ulises Conti - El Chico de la Moto

I've been loving this composer recently. He's from here in Buenos Aires.

view from my window at nighttime

When you're really far away from home, it makes you think a lot about where you come from. 

July 11th

on the way to the international airport

Also, Texas still rules. 

Survival mode

 currently listening Onda Vaga knows.

legendary dog walkers

Finally. Finally, finally, finally. Finalmente. Finally, I feel like I'm beginning to understand something here. I came to a sudden conclusion last week that really took me by suprise: IN BUENOS AIRES I HAVE TO SPEAK SPANISH. Naturally, for the first month or so of being in Bs.As., I was  in the "I just got here, learning spanish, heheh" phase and anytime I'd ask for a medialuna at a cafe or speak with someone on the bus, it'd always be, "Oh, I'm learning spanish" and "what was I doing in Buenos Aires anyway?" And we'd giggle. But after a while, it gets kind of old having the same conversation over and over again, especially knowing that it isn't really going to help you get any better at a language. So, last Thursday, I was sitting in Havanna sipping my typical miniature-sized coffee, and feeling pretty silly with my giant ingles-espanol/espanol-ingles diccionario on the mesa when I realized that it was time to stop pretending I had no clue what was coming out of my mouth. I know how to get a point across. Certainly, in some situations it's easier to communicate than in others. For example, my castellano is miraculously better when I speak comfortably in class with my teachers at school or when I'm having a delightfully tranquil conversation versus when the bus driver stares at me demanding directions or when my host mother gives me a blank look in response to nearly every sentence I sputter. I've realized that I think I'm starting to get it and (I daresay) Bs.As. too. It's such an interesting experience - to learn a language and its culture at the same time. Suddenly, and from where I'm not at all sure, I'm able to understand what people are saying on TV, to each other on the street, and (perhaps most importantly) what they are saying to me. It's like this wave of comprehension just came over me, and is still crashing.


Although I'm past what they call the "bright eyes" stage of studying abroad, I'm certainly still enamored with everything going on around me. I miss everyone. A lot. Especially sometimes more than others. But then I can't help but to think, damn, what a beautiful place this is and really, there's no time for looking down. Having new Argentine friends helps!


Meanwhile, I've still been exploring the streets and scenes of this place and I've taken some photos to go along.

An orange juice cart/bike in Barrio Chino

the alfajor addiction continues

a day spent at the botanical gardens; so that's where mate comes from!

Juana de Arco fashion show at Buenos Aires Fashion Week

just a cold, windy, COLD day at Puerto Madero

always miniature-sized coffee; even gas station takeout

Puerto Madero is also host to a wide variety of choripan/parilla stands

AND 2 PESO ALFAJORES, hechos de mano, the best I've ever had

there are carrousels in several different plazas around the city, but this one I really liked a lot

discovering nature at the ecological reserve

we found the beach(like setting at the ecological reserve)!

I'll always be in love with the shoreline

nature's pretty cool I guess

produce vendor at san telmo market

cute mate gourds/bombillas! still on the lookout for the one to become my own

crowd sample at the San Telmo market on sunday

inside the grand Cafe Tortoni, the oldest cafe in Buenos Aires

the Tortoni

Entryway into La Prensa, the building that hosted LA's most important early newspaper

grand salon in La Prensa

La Prensa is now a cultural center and the salon is used for tallers and exhibitions

museum days: MALBA