So many things are miniature-sized here
little garbage cans
little window
little toiletries holder
little "feminine bullets"
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Sexyonary!!
THURSDAY 02/25/10
Met up with a Colombian, Fer, from Couchsurfing in the afternoon to go take pictures around town. He was a great guy – an architect who’s going back to school for urban planning. We walked around while he pointed out some of the architecture – some of which is quite hideous from the 1960s and 70s – large concrete blocks. The Biblioteca Nacional, for example.
But there are others that are completely gothic and ornate, like the Engineering building of the UBA.
On the walk, I saw the first person, with a plastic bag in hand, pick up its dog’s poop!! Qué milagro!
Later that night, we had a going away party for Marine, one of the French girls from Vanessa’s rugby team, who was returning to France. We went to a great bohemian bar in my neighborhood, Acabar, where we played Sexyonary (Pictionary with Spanish sex words)!
I also met some Mexican friends of hers that are from Culiacan and Guadalajara – it was so great to speak Mexican with them! J I miss the other accents once in a while. As the bar closed at 1:00 am, we decided to go to Jackie O’s in Las Cañitas. It’s a 3 story club with pool tables and a lounge on the top level. Vanessa pointed out the typical “cheta” (or “fresa” in Mexican) – upper class, generally snotty girls – they just have a way of carrying themselves.
Met up with a Colombian, Fer, from Couchsurfing in the afternoon to go take pictures around town. He was a great guy – an architect who’s going back to school for urban planning. We walked around while he pointed out some of the architecture – some of which is quite hideous from the 1960s and 70s – large concrete blocks. The Biblioteca Nacional, for example.
But there are others that are completely gothic and ornate, like the Engineering building of the UBA.
On the walk, I saw the first person, with a plastic bag in hand, pick up its dog’s poop!! Qué milagro!
Later that night, we had a going away party for Marine, one of the French girls from Vanessa’s rugby team, who was returning to France. We went to a great bohemian bar in my neighborhood, Acabar, where we played Sexyonary (Pictionary with Spanish sex words)!
I also met some Mexican friends of hers that are from Culiacan and Guadalajara – it was so great to speak Mexican with them! J I miss the other accents once in a while. As the bar closed at 1:00 am, we decided to go to Jackie O’s in Las Cañitas. It’s a 3 story club with pool tables and a lounge on the top level. Vanessa pointed out the typical “cheta” (or “fresa” in Mexican) – upper class, generally snotty girls – they just have a way of carrying themselves.
Live Cuban jazz!
WEDNESDAY 02/24/10
Started the day by looking at an apartment in Palermo Soho. It ended up being tiny and shared with an older woman who again complained and criticized…no thanks!
Later in the afternoon, I looked at another house in Las Cañitas, also close to where I am now. The house was very nice and the Argentine couple who owns it generally fills it with 3 international people – we got along really well! The house is just a bit dark with dark wood and not a whole lot of natural light. The neighborhood has many restaurants and bars and it’s close to parks.
Went to my classes and then to UNIClub, a place that the BA Salsa Dancing Couchsurfer group goes to every week. I had met a girl, Audrey, from Seattle, on Couchsurfing and she was going, as well. Luckily, I changed out of my “classier” salsa outfit at the last minute and opted for jeans – the venue was very reggae and chill. Great atmosphere and the 12-piece Cuban jazz band that played was fabulous, but a majority of the people just stood and watched or danced very minimally. I was more in the mood for some serious dancing, and as a wave of tiredness swept over me, I decided to head home early at 3:00 am.
Started the day by looking at an apartment in Palermo Soho. It ended up being tiny and shared with an older woman who again complained and criticized…no thanks!
Later in the afternoon, I looked at another house in Las Cañitas, also close to where I am now. The house was very nice and the Argentine couple who owns it generally fills it with 3 international people – we got along really well! The house is just a bit dark with dark wood and not a whole lot of natural light. The neighborhood has many restaurants and bars and it’s close to parks.
Went to my classes and then to UNIClub, a place that the BA Salsa Dancing Couchsurfer group goes to every week. I had met a girl, Audrey, from Seattle, on Couchsurfing and she was going, as well. Luckily, I changed out of my “classier” salsa outfit at the last minute and opted for jeans – the venue was very reggae and chill. Great atmosphere and the 12-piece Cuban jazz band that played was fabulous, but a majority of the people just stood and watched or danced very minimally. I was more in the mood for some serious dancing, and as a wave of tiredness swept over me, I decided to head home early at 3:00 am.
The apartment search continues
TUESDAY 02/23/10
Started up the intense apartment search – I still have time, but the online search and then the in-person follow up is starting to exhaust me. The first of the day was just a few blocks from me, still in Palermo Hollywood – a really nice Chilean guy who works in post-production for MTV’s channel in Chile. The house was very nice, huge ceilings, nice sized bedroom, large terrace patio with a parrilla, but he has a pit bull. I really don’t mind being around pit bulls, but I just don’t completely feel comfortable living with one.
Later that day, walked to a house north of my barrio, in Chacarita. The area seemed to get a bit more “dodgy” (as Tyrone would say) as I got closer to the train station that’s nearby and the Chacarita cemetery. The house was large with many international people that stay (very reminiscent of L’Auberge Espagnole), but it was completely disorderly and cluttered…too bad I’m so type-A and can’t just live anywhere!
On my way back home, I passed a bakery that was just beckoning me to come in with its sweet aromas that were wafting out to the street. I succumbed and bought some facturas, palmeras and alfajorones de maicena.
palmeras and facturas (pastries)
I then went in search of the movie for my class. The professor had directed me to a movie store closer to the center of the city. This was a large, independent book/movie store that has archives of all movies – the store clerk knew exactly which movie I was requesting and wished he had it, but the only copy had been checked out a year and a half ago and never returned (so much for the “garantía” that they require for renting movies). As I was looking through the books in the front half of the store, he came to me and said he had found one of their archived copies that they keep for themselves and that he could burn me a copy. Perfect!
As I waited for it to be burned, I looked through the collection of books, organized by topics such as, anarchism, socialism, Peronism, Argentine history, and Latin American literature. A book on Argentine immigration caught my eye – I’m starting to look into finding some volunteer position related to immigration here in Argentina, and the book had a great overview of immigration in both Argentina and throughout Latin America and its political and cultural impacts. It was self-published by a non-profit organization, CLACSO (Latin American Council of Social Sciences), so I looked them up when I got home and sent out a request to the woman in charge of the “Migration, Culture and Politics” group. Also, an attorney down here referred me to FCCAM (Argentine Catholic Commission Foundation of Migrations) – still waiting for responses from both organizations.
Started up the intense apartment search – I still have time, but the online search and then the in-person follow up is starting to exhaust me. The first of the day was just a few blocks from me, still in Palermo Hollywood – a really nice Chilean guy who works in post-production for MTV’s channel in Chile. The house was very nice, huge ceilings, nice sized bedroom, large terrace patio with a parrilla, but he has a pit bull. I really don’t mind being around pit bulls, but I just don’t completely feel comfortable living with one.
Later that day, walked to a house north of my barrio, in Chacarita. The area seemed to get a bit more “dodgy” (as Tyrone would say) as I got closer to the train station that’s nearby and the Chacarita cemetery. The house was large with many international people that stay (very reminiscent of L’Auberge Espagnole), but it was completely disorderly and cluttered…too bad I’m so type-A and can’t just live anywhere!
On my way back home, I passed a bakery that was just beckoning me to come in with its sweet aromas that were wafting out to the street. I succumbed and bought some facturas, palmeras and alfajorones de maicena.
palmeras and facturas (pastries)
alafajores de maicena (shortbread cookies with dulce de leche & coconut)
I then went in search of the movie for my class. The professor had directed me to a movie store closer to the center of the city. This was a large, independent book/movie store that has archives of all movies – the store clerk knew exactly which movie I was requesting and wished he had it, but the only copy had been checked out a year and a half ago and never returned (so much for the “garantía” that they require for renting movies). As I was looking through the books in the front half of the store, he came to me and said he had found one of their archived copies that they keep for themselves and that he could burn me a copy. Perfect!
As I waited for it to be burned, I looked through the collection of books, organized by topics such as, anarchism, socialism, Peronism, Argentine history, and Latin American literature. A book on Argentine immigration caught my eye – I’m starting to look into finding some volunteer position related to immigration here in Argentina, and the book had a great overview of immigration in both Argentina and throughout Latin America and its political and cultural impacts. It was self-published by a non-profit organization, CLACSO (Latin American Council of Social Sciences), so I looked them up when I got home and sent out a request to the woman in charge of the “Migration, Culture and Politics” group. Also, an attorney down here referred me to FCCAM (Argentine Catholic Commission Foundation of Migrations) – still waiting for responses from both organizations.
Rain, but no floods!
Woke up to more rain. I usually go to yoga Monday afternoons, but as it was raining pretty hard, I didn’t want to risk leaving and returning to a river that wouldn’t allow me to enter my house…so I went into the dance studio, turned on an online radio station that Vanessa introduced me to (http://icebergradio.com – it has a variety of genres of music, one of which being a mix of Putumayo songs) – and did a yoga lesson that’s streamed online.
The sun did start to come out and a flood was avoided! I headed out to find a movie from 1981 that I was supposed to watch for my cine class on Wednesday. The twenty-something people that worked at the movie stores around here, both small neighborhood ones and Blockbuster, just looked at me with a confused look as if I were asking for some archaic silent film that only their grandparents spoke of.
Went for a coffee with Vanessa’s roommate, Agustin, and then went to Romario pizzeria. I had been thinking of their pizza since I arrived – I had eaten at the one just a few blocks from my house when I was here last year – the crust nice and crispy and thick but not too think, the sauce a chunkier tomato sauce, and the ingredients fresh and a multitude to choose from.
The sun did start to come out and a flood was avoided! I headed out to find a movie from 1981 that I was supposed to watch for my cine class on Wednesday. The twenty-something people that worked at the movie stores around here, both small neighborhood ones and Blockbuster, just looked at me with a confused look as if I were asking for some archaic silent film that only their grandparents spoke of.
Went for a coffee with Vanessa’s roommate, Agustin, and then went to Romario pizzeria. I had been thinking of their pizza since I arrived – I had eaten at the one just a few blocks from my house when I was here last year – the crust nice and crispy and thick but not too think, the sauce a chunkier tomato sauce, and the ingredients fresh and a multitude to choose from.
Friday, February 26, 2010
A perfectly beautiful day for a run
FRIDAY 02/26/10
So, I finally found out why I wasn’t receiving anyone’s calls or texts and why my phone never had credit: I went to recharge my phone with minutes (and it happened to be a day where you get double the minutes), but I never received a confirmation text of the recharge. I finally decided to verify my phone number and realized that I had somehow thought it ended in 6881, when it really ends in 7881. Wow!! Whoever has the 6881 number is quite lucky with the minutes that I put on it…and unlucky at the same time, as they keep getting all of my phone calls. Well, glad that was all figured out – minus the money lost!
Went for a run around the Bosques de Palermo – ABSOLUTELY gorgeous!! Huge palm trees, lots of grass and man-made “lakes” with trails all around. It’s 10 times better than Retiro in Madrid.
Headed out to look at a house near Vanessa’s apartment…and I’m finally getting close to ending the search! The owner, a 38-year-old woman who owns her own travel agency, completely renovated it. She’s so sweet and open and has tons of friends who are serious salsa and tango dancers! She said that all of their asados and parties end in dancing! (Just like ours, Amanda!) There will be an Aussie tango dancer moving in in the end of March and possibly a couple from San Francisco who also dance and are chefs!
From there, I made my way to Caballito (the neighborhood I stayed in last time – much less ex-pats, but a great part of the city). After waiting about 10 minutes, I saw my bus was approaching, I looked down to get my money, and when I looked back up realized it had just passed by, despite the 10 people waving it down. We had to wait another 5 minutes or so for a completely packed bus. It didn’t really seem to empty the entire 30 minutes I was on it. I finally arrived at the house, and it took my breath away. It has huge ceilings, very bright but has a warm feeling. The owner is definitely all-business – she’s a photographer and does quite a lot of traveling. The main issue for her is that I would be gone the month of July, and she’s going to be out of the country May through August. It did help me to remember how much I love Caballito, and I’ll definitely try to live there at some point while I’m down here.
I made my way back home, even after taking the bus too far and having to catch the subte. Tyrone and I went to a local parrilla and had some ensalada rusa (potatoes, carrots and peas with mayonnaise), 3 large chunks of wonderfully juicy beef tenderloin with chimichurri sauce (garlic and olive oil and spices), papas fritas a la provencal (with parsley and garlic) and a 500 ml pitcher of house wine – all for $11 each!
So, I finally found out why I wasn’t receiving anyone’s calls or texts and why my phone never had credit: I went to recharge my phone with minutes (and it happened to be a day where you get double the minutes), but I never received a confirmation text of the recharge. I finally decided to verify my phone number and realized that I had somehow thought it ended in 6881, when it really ends in 7881. Wow!! Whoever has the 6881 number is quite lucky with the minutes that I put on it…and unlucky at the same time, as they keep getting all of my phone calls. Well, glad that was all figured out – minus the money lost!
Went for a run around the Bosques de Palermo – ABSOLUTELY gorgeous!! Huge palm trees, lots of grass and man-made “lakes” with trails all around. It’s 10 times better than Retiro in Madrid.
Headed out to look at a house near Vanessa’s apartment…and I’m finally getting close to ending the search! The owner, a 38-year-old woman who owns her own travel agency, completely renovated it. She’s so sweet and open and has tons of friends who are serious salsa and tango dancers! She said that all of their asados and parties end in dancing! (Just like ours, Amanda!) There will be an Aussie tango dancer moving in in the end of March and possibly a couple from San Francisco who also dance and are chefs!
From there, I made my way to Caballito (the neighborhood I stayed in last time – much less ex-pats, but a great part of the city). After waiting about 10 minutes, I saw my bus was approaching, I looked down to get my money, and when I looked back up realized it had just passed by, despite the 10 people waving it down. We had to wait another 5 minutes or so for a completely packed bus. It didn’t really seem to empty the entire 30 minutes I was on it. I finally arrived at the house, and it took my breath away. It has huge ceilings, very bright but has a warm feeling. The owner is definitely all-business – she’s a photographer and does quite a lot of traveling. The main issue for her is that I would be gone the month of July, and she’s going to be out of the country May through August. It did help me to remember how much I love Caballito, and I’ll definitely try to live there at some point while I’m down here.
I made my way back home, even after taking the bus too far and having to catch the subte. Tyrone and I went to a local parrilla and had some ensalada rusa (potatoes, carrots and peas with mayonnaise), 3 large chunks of wonderfully juicy beef tenderloin with chimichurri sauce (garlic and olive oil and spices), papas fritas a la provencal (with parsley and garlic) and a 500 ml pitcher of house wine – all for $11 each!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Not a tourist anymore
SUNDAY 02/21/10
It has officially set in that I need to set a routine, make meals at home more frequently, and begin living life in a normal rhythm. Tyrone and I cleaned the apartment from top to bottom, in spite of the scarce cleaning equipment that we have (we both agreed a vacuum, mop and real sponges would really make life a lot easier, but they either don’t exist down here or are very expensive). The rest of the cloudy/rainy day was just spent getting caught up on things and relaxing, which was much needed.
It has officially set in that I need to set a routine, make meals at home more frequently, and begin living life in a normal rhythm. Tyrone and I cleaned the apartment from top to bottom, in spite of the scarce cleaning equipment that we have (we both agreed a vacuum, mop and real sponges would really make life a lot easier, but they either don’t exist down here or are very expensive). The rest of the cloudy/rainy day was just spent getting caught up on things and relaxing, which was much needed.
4 countries in one day
SATURDAY 02/20/10
Vanessa invited me to her house to have pancakes with her and her friend from Oregon, Tara. We had a good little brunch of pancakes with dulce de leche and fresh fruit!
Then, I headed to the Museum of Latin American Art of Buenos Aires (MALBA) with Calu to see the Andy Warhol: Mr. America exhibit – the hour and a half wait was worth it for me! (It was the last weekend that it will be here.) It wasn’t a huge exhibit, but definitely had some great pieces and quotes from Warhol. From there, we walked down to the Obelisco on Avenida 9 de Julio for a free outdoor tango concert that Vanessa had told me about. It was incredible – a huge stage set up in front of the Obelisco monument with hundreds of chairs set up for the audience and two areas behind it all for people to milonguear on the street. We made it for the very ending of a dance group, but got to see another tango band perform.
(Obelisco in the background)
(the milonga on the street)
Then, the hunger definitely sat in, so we went to an Asturian (northern Spanish) seafood restaurant that Calu had wanted to try. It was packed, but the food was certainly what we expected – frozen seafood made in large quantities.
(this is what Argetines think of tourists)
To finish off the multi-cultural day, where we went from the U.S. (Warhol), back to Buenos Aires (tango), to Spain (dinner), I went to Maluco Belleza (the Brazilian club) with Vanessa, Aurora, Natalia and their French friend, Marine, who’s leaving next week after being here for 6 months. It was good night (morning) of dancing, and I returned at 6:00 am (as most porteños were coming home, as well).
Vanessa invited me to her house to have pancakes with her and her friend from Oregon, Tara. We had a good little brunch of pancakes with dulce de leche and fresh fruit!
Then, I headed to the Museum of Latin American Art of Buenos Aires (MALBA) with Calu to see the Andy Warhol: Mr. America exhibit – the hour and a half wait was worth it for me! (It was the last weekend that it will be here.) It wasn’t a huge exhibit, but definitely had some great pieces and quotes from Warhol. From there, we walked down to the Obelisco on Avenida 9 de Julio for a free outdoor tango concert that Vanessa had told me about. It was incredible – a huge stage set up in front of the Obelisco monument with hundreds of chairs set up for the audience and two areas behind it all for people to milonguear on the street. We made it for the very ending of a dance group, but got to see another tango band perform.
(Obelisco in the background)
(the milonga on the street)
Then, the hunger definitely sat in, so we went to an Asturian (northern Spanish) seafood restaurant that Calu had wanted to try. It was packed, but the food was certainly what we expected – frozen seafood made in large quantities.
(this is what Argetines think of tourists)
To finish off the multi-cultural day, where we went from the U.S. (Warhol), back to Buenos Aires (tango), to Spain (dinner), I went to Maluco Belleza (the Brazilian club) with Vanessa, Aurora, Natalia and their French friend, Marine, who’s leaving next week after being here for 6 months. It was good night (morning) of dancing, and I returned at 6:00 am (as most porteños were coming home, as well).
Power out, flooded in
FRIDAY 02/19/10
I headed to the center to meet a few attorneys to discuss ABIL and then went down to Puerto Madero (waterfront) to have some lunch. The restaurants didn’t open for an hour, so I finished the book that I had been reading about the “desaparecidos” (the Argentines who went “missing” during the dictatorship from 1976-1983) while sitting partly shaded on a park bench on the boardwalk. After lunch, I went home, as the clouds started to roll in.
The rain began around 5:30 pm, and our street converted into a river again within about half an hour. This time, however, the apartment stayed dry (aside from the leaking room).
(our street)
(our street)
(Tyrone)
Then, at 7:00 pm, as I was talking on Skype with my grandma, the power went out. Tyrone said it had happened before I moved in, and it only lasted an hour or so. So, we did what we could with the dimming daylight and conservation of our electronics. We each took little naps – just to pass the time, since we couldn’t leave the house with the mixture of rain and sewer water streaming down the street. Around 8:30 pm, we both agreed that we were too dependent on electricity and needed to get out of the house, as the air was starting to get stuffier and the heat was rising without our fans. So, we trekked out in search of some dinner (the street had drained by this point). Not only was it a challenge finding a restaurant that had electricity, but one that was open at 8:30 pm – since most open around 9:00 or 9:30 pm for dinner. We did find one, had a mediocre meal, and returned home in hopes of the lights being back on. Our excitement started growing with each block closer that had electricity…we turned the corner of our block, and there was light!...but not in our building. We went in just completely let down, and both agreed that we couldn’t sit in the apartment, and neither of us was tired enough to go to bed at 11:00 pm. So, we went on a quest for candles. As we went to the main intersection, Santa Fe and Juan B. Justo (each street is about 8 lanes wide), all power was out, there were news crews all around, and police directing traffic. Turns out we weren’t the only ones without electricity. We walked around to find cars pushed up against trees and buildings from the water pressure and people just wandering in the same aimless direction as ourselves.
(cars against trees)
(car against building)
(water randomly coming out of building)
(one of the very few drains that we saw)
Needless to say, nobody had candles. We went back to the house around 11:30 pm and decided to watch a movie as long as we could before my computer ran out of batteries. Just as Tyrone was mentioning how depressing it would be if we woke up in the morning and the lights still hadn’t come on, there was a flicker of light, the air started to move again from our fans, and we had electricity! We let out a joyous shout and both immediately retreated to our respective rooms to catch up on the 5 hours that we had gone without our precious plugged in devices.
It turns out that a great deal of Buenos Aires was out of electricity that night, and ours wasn’t the only area to get flooded, ‘though it was one of the worst parts. I guess I’ll take the occasional flood to many feet of snow.
I headed to the center to meet a few attorneys to discuss ABIL and then went down to Puerto Madero (waterfront) to have some lunch. The restaurants didn’t open for an hour, so I finished the book that I had been reading about the “desaparecidos” (the Argentines who went “missing” during the dictatorship from 1976-1983) while sitting partly shaded on a park bench on the boardwalk. After lunch, I went home, as the clouds started to roll in.
The rain began around 5:30 pm, and our street converted into a river again within about half an hour. This time, however, the apartment stayed dry (aside from the leaking room).
(our street)
(our street)
(Tyrone)
Then, at 7:00 pm, as I was talking on Skype with my grandma, the power went out. Tyrone said it had happened before I moved in, and it only lasted an hour or so. So, we did what we could with the dimming daylight and conservation of our electronics. We each took little naps – just to pass the time, since we couldn’t leave the house with the mixture of rain and sewer water streaming down the street. Around 8:30 pm, we both agreed that we were too dependent on electricity and needed to get out of the house, as the air was starting to get stuffier and the heat was rising without our fans. So, we trekked out in search of some dinner (the street had drained by this point). Not only was it a challenge finding a restaurant that had electricity, but one that was open at 8:30 pm – since most open around 9:00 or 9:30 pm for dinner. We did find one, had a mediocre meal, and returned home in hopes of the lights being back on. Our excitement started growing with each block closer that had electricity…we turned the corner of our block, and there was light!...but not in our building. We went in just completely let down, and both agreed that we couldn’t sit in the apartment, and neither of us was tired enough to go to bed at 11:00 pm. So, we went on a quest for candles. As we went to the main intersection, Santa Fe and Juan B. Justo (each street is about 8 lanes wide), all power was out, there were news crews all around, and police directing traffic. Turns out we weren’t the only ones without electricity. We walked around to find cars pushed up against trees and buildings from the water pressure and people just wandering in the same aimless direction as ourselves.
(cars against trees)
(car against building)
(water randomly coming out of building)
(one of the very few drains that we saw)
Needless to say, nobody had candles. We went back to the house around 11:30 pm and decided to watch a movie as long as we could before my computer ran out of batteries. Just as Tyrone was mentioning how depressing it would be if we woke up in the morning and the lights still hadn’t come on, there was a flicker of light, the air started to move again from our fans, and we had electricity! We let out a joyous shout and both immediately retreated to our respective rooms to catch up on the 5 hours that we had gone without our precious plugged in devices.
It turns out that a great deal of Buenos Aires was out of electricity that night, and ours wasn’t the only area to get flooded, ‘though it was one of the worst parts. I guess I’ll take the occasional flood to many feet of snow.
Don’t wait until 5:00 pm to eat lunch
THURSDAY 02/18/10
Woke up and walked down to Recoleta/Barrio Norte to look at an apartment. I took a very nice street with a tree-lined median and little shops and restaurants – very nice day out for a stroll. The apartment was an interior apartment with 2 “patios” (1st floor shaft patios – not much light). There is a Minnesotan who’s staying there, coincidentally! (Another odd connection – my roommate ended up meeting her at an asado a few days later.) Later in the afternoon, I looked at another apartment, which was really nice & in my barrio, but the room is completely interior – no windows (no fire escape?!), which was a let down, since I really liked the apartment and there are 4 foreign roommates. The owner of the place took me on a little walking tour of the area – pointing out all of the local bars, restaurants, and clubs, which was nice, since I haven’t quite explored the entire neighborhood yet.
By this time, it was 5:00 pm, which is when most restaurants close until dinner around 9:00 pm, and despite my hunger, I went in search of a new restaurant to try – wandering around trying not to take the same street twice, or at least not the same side of the street, so that people didn’t think I was crazy. But I ended up going back to Miranda (where I had the pork tenderloin). I ordered a chicken salad with sweet potatoes, sundried tomatoes, sunflower seeds & mustard vinaigrette – also absolutely incredible!! Definitely worth the return!!
Mauri, the guy that I had met the previous week when looking at his house, had a show at a Mexican restaurant (decorated in Frida Kahlo decor) up near his house. It was a cute little restaurant, and his band plays traditional love ballads – a really nice evening out.
Calu (his roommate) and I watched them play and then we headed back to their house. Again, we spent a few hours just chattin’ – another great evening to be on their patio!
(Calu & Mauri)
Woke up and walked down to Recoleta/Barrio Norte to look at an apartment. I took a very nice street with a tree-lined median and little shops and restaurants – very nice day out for a stroll. The apartment was an interior apartment with 2 “patios” (1st floor shaft patios – not much light). There is a Minnesotan who’s staying there, coincidentally! (Another odd connection – my roommate ended up meeting her at an asado a few days later.) Later in the afternoon, I looked at another apartment, which was really nice & in my barrio, but the room is completely interior – no windows (no fire escape?!), which was a let down, since I really liked the apartment and there are 4 foreign roommates. The owner of the place took me on a little walking tour of the area – pointing out all of the local bars, restaurants, and clubs, which was nice, since I haven’t quite explored the entire neighborhood yet.
By this time, it was 5:00 pm, which is when most restaurants close until dinner around 9:00 pm, and despite my hunger, I went in search of a new restaurant to try – wandering around trying not to take the same street twice, or at least not the same side of the street, so that people didn’t think I was crazy. But I ended up going back to Miranda (where I had the pork tenderloin). I ordered a chicken salad with sweet potatoes, sundried tomatoes, sunflower seeds & mustard vinaigrette – also absolutely incredible!! Definitely worth the return!!
Mauri, the guy that I had met the previous week when looking at his house, had a show at a Mexican restaurant (decorated in Frida Kahlo decor) up near his house. It was a cute little restaurant, and his band plays traditional love ballads – a really nice evening out.
Calu (his roommate) and I watched them play and then we headed back to their house. Again, we spent a few hours just chattin’ – another great evening to be on their patio!
(Calu & Mauri)
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Out and about
WEDNESDAY 02/17/10
I met up with another friend of Nicole’s, Julia (an Argentine) for lunch, and we ended up spending 4 hours together! We went to an Italian restaurant near Plaza Italia (and the Recoleta cemetery) where we had a build-your-own salad (with as many ingredients as you wanted, and they had nearly everything available) and all-you-can-eat pasta. Julia just finished law school and we definitely seem to have a lot in common – traveling and enjoying life being the principal similarities! It’s amazing how easy it is to just immediately feel intimate with the people here – there are no fronts that people put on or distance that they place between themselves and new acquaintances. There really is a quality of genuineness to a majority of the people that I’ve met – whether it’s a barista or someone I have a connection to. Granted, maybe I’m being fooled, but I feel that I can judge situations pretty well, and there is a sense of sincerity and openness that I have found in many of my encounters with Argentines. Anyway, Julia and I spent a great afternoon together and I wandered around Recoleta a little before going to my Danza Africana class at the UBA.
The instructor is from the U.S., I believe (when we made introductions, she asked what part of the U.S. I was from and her accent isn’t quite native, although very close). She teaches mainly Senegalese style, which is similar to what I’ve learned from my classes in MN from Fatawu (who’s from Ghana), but there are some differences that make it exciting for me to learn something new. It was a really great practice, and I’m excited for next week!!
I quickly grabbed some empanadas de espinaca from the school cafeteria (coffee shop) and went to my Cine Argentino class. The instructor is really interesting and does a good job of engaging the class (and stopping a viejito know-it-all that just wants to speak every chance that he can). He guided the class in asking each of us to name an Argentine movie that has impacted us, and through each movie, he went outlined the main themes and place in history to which they pertained. His breadth of knowledge was impressive and he gave some great insights into the overall Argentine cinema. One is the fact that it’s been waning in the last decade due to many people not going to movie theaters anymore – many theaters have closed and the black market for getting movies has increased drastically that there isn’t as much financial security for moviemakers to produce and distribute their movies. He also mentioned two primary themes in the Argentine cinema: the loss of memory (attempting to erase the past, which results in a repetition of history) and not being able to bring closure to stories (many films end abruptly without any finality). It was so stimulating to be in a classroom again!
After class, I walked in what I thought was the direction of the subte, but soon realized I needed to get over a few streets, but I continued walking until I hit a busier street. So, I ended up walking quite a bit extra to get to the subte. Along the way, I made some observations:
STREET SIGHTINGS
Oddly, I feel safer on the street when there are a bunch of Hasidic Jews and elderly people around. Not sure what kind of defense they can offer.
I met up with another friend of Nicole’s, Julia (an Argentine) for lunch, and we ended up spending 4 hours together! We went to an Italian restaurant near Plaza Italia (and the Recoleta cemetery) where we had a build-your-own salad (with as many ingredients as you wanted, and they had nearly everything available) and all-you-can-eat pasta. Julia just finished law school and we definitely seem to have a lot in common – traveling and enjoying life being the principal similarities! It’s amazing how easy it is to just immediately feel intimate with the people here – there are no fronts that people put on or distance that they place between themselves and new acquaintances. There really is a quality of genuineness to a majority of the people that I’ve met – whether it’s a barista or someone I have a connection to. Granted, maybe I’m being fooled, but I feel that I can judge situations pretty well, and there is a sense of sincerity and openness that I have found in many of my encounters with Argentines. Anyway, Julia and I spent a great afternoon together and I wandered around Recoleta a little before going to my Danza Africana class at the UBA.
The instructor is from the U.S., I believe (when we made introductions, she asked what part of the U.S. I was from and her accent isn’t quite native, although very close). She teaches mainly Senegalese style, which is similar to what I’ve learned from my classes in MN from Fatawu (who’s from Ghana), but there are some differences that make it exciting for me to learn something new. It was a really great practice, and I’m excited for next week!!
I quickly grabbed some empanadas de espinaca from the school cafeteria (coffee shop) and went to my Cine Argentino class. The instructor is really interesting and does a good job of engaging the class (and stopping a viejito know-it-all that just wants to speak every chance that he can). He guided the class in asking each of us to name an Argentine movie that has impacted us, and through each movie, he went outlined the main themes and place in history to which they pertained. His breadth of knowledge was impressive and he gave some great insights into the overall Argentine cinema. One is the fact that it’s been waning in the last decade due to many people not going to movie theaters anymore – many theaters have closed and the black market for getting movies has increased drastically that there isn’t as much financial security for moviemakers to produce and distribute their movies. He also mentioned two primary themes in the Argentine cinema: the loss of memory (attempting to erase the past, which results in a repetition of history) and not being able to bring closure to stories (many films end abruptly without any finality). It was so stimulating to be in a classroom again!
After class, I walked in what I thought was the direction of the subte, but soon realized I needed to get over a few streets, but I continued walking until I hit a busier street. So, I ended up walking quite a bit extra to get to the subte. Along the way, I made some observations:
STREET SIGHTINGS
Oddly, I feel safer on the street when there are a bunch of Hasidic Jews and elderly people around. Not sure what kind of defense they can offer.
The garbage diggers come out before the garbage is collected at 11:00 pm, and it really is a production. They come with huge carts to take the sorted trash away and completely empty the garbage cans before replace the invaluable rubbish.
There really is a lot of litter on the streets – not sure if it’s due to the system of placing the garbage out and not having it secure, the garbage diggers themselves, the laziness of people to use receptacles, the lack of receptacles, the shortage of employees to clean up the streets, or a combination of all of the above.
Good eats
TUESDAY 02/16/10
Woke up to more drizzling rain and decided not to go Puerto Madero for lunch as I had anticipated. Stayed home until the later afternoon as it dried up and then went out for lunch in my barrio. I went to a parrilla that I had passed a few times and had wanted to try. And thank goodness I did…I ate the best pork tenderloin I have ever had! It was a large portion, but juicy and so flavorful, with a sweet tomato marmalade. It was accompanied by a grilled onion, apple and sweet potato and a tangy pico de gallo. Top it all off with a glass of malbec, and I was content! After relaxing a bit at the restaurant, I stopped in a little bohemian café for a café cortado and then went home. Later in the evening, I caught the colectivo (bus) to La Catedtral, a burlesque tango venue that I had gone to the last time that I was here, and met up with the francesas that had come to Gualeguaychú. Evidently, we signed ourselves up for a group tango class, which was a great way to start the evening, but really all I could think about were the picadas (small appetizers) that I had the last time I was there. After more than an hour of the class, and putting up with a rather arrogant guy from Miami (followed by a really sweet Argentine), I went to find an American friend of Nicole’s, Gabi, who tangos frequently. She introduced me to her friend, Maxi, and the 3 of us sat around chatting and enjoying the picadas. I danced a few more tangos, but as it got later, I just couldn’t force myself to concentrate on the steps, so I watched the live band that played until about 3:00 am and then took a taxi home – a great first milonga of my time here!
Woke up to more drizzling rain and decided not to go Puerto Madero for lunch as I had anticipated. Stayed home until the later afternoon as it dried up and then went out for lunch in my barrio. I went to a parrilla that I had passed a few times and had wanted to try. And thank goodness I did…I ate the best pork tenderloin I have ever had! It was a large portion, but juicy and so flavorful, with a sweet tomato marmalade. It was accompanied by a grilled onion, apple and sweet potato and a tangy pico de gallo. Top it all off with a glass of malbec, and I was content! After relaxing a bit at the restaurant, I stopped in a little bohemian café for a café cortado and then went home. Later in the evening, I caught the colectivo (bus) to La Catedtral, a burlesque tango venue that I had gone to the last time that I was here, and met up with the francesas that had come to Gualeguaychú. Evidently, we signed ourselves up for a group tango class, which was a great way to start the evening, but really all I could think about were the picadas (small appetizers) that I had the last time I was there. After more than an hour of the class, and putting up with a rather arrogant guy from Miami (followed by a really sweet Argentine), I went to find an American friend of Nicole’s, Gabi, who tangos frequently. She introduced me to her friend, Maxi, and the 3 of us sat around chatting and enjoying the picadas. I danced a few more tangos, but as it got later, I just couldn’t force myself to concentrate on the steps, so I watched the live band that played until about 3:00 am and then took a taxi home – a great first milonga of my time here!
Floods…both inside and outside
MONDAY 02/15/10
Did some work and then went to yoga at Thuy’s apartment – I got there with plenty of time – and it felt good to exercise again. I got a little lost again on the way back home, and then stopped at the Chino supermarket (the Chinese tend to have the best prices, even though they have less stock) and then went to look at another apartment. This one was only about 8 blocks from mine, and I had seen it posted on Craigslist in December when I was looking before coming here. When I arrived at the door, it was quite unassuming and did not seem to be the place I had seen in the pictures. Upon entering, however, it was everything I expected and more. The Argentine who answered the door, Nico, was a friend of one of the Argentines who lived there – he was just helping him out to rent it. There were 2 Americans, a French girl and a German guy just hangin’ out in the homey living room. Nico and I went out to the enclosed patio with a nice table, a little pool, and grass, and we talked about yoga and biking…and it turns out he only lives 2 blocks away from where I am now. At the moment, they’re looking to fill the spot within the next few weeks, but hopefully by March 20, there will be another opening. I already found a good empanada place and a bakery with homemade facturas (pastries) in the neighborhood.
As I was relaxing and thinking about which restaurant to go to for dinner, the rain started to pitter patter on the retractable roof. Soon, it was coming down in sheets, and I decided to wait it out. As I was heading to the kitchen to get some yogurt to tide me over, Tyrone and I realized the mess sink was getting quite full from the spout that comes in from the roof. We started scooping it out by the bucketful – wondering what would happen if it were to overflow. No sooner did we think it, the rain started to come down faster and we couldn’t keep up with it.
We decided to let the sink overflow – there was a drain in the floor, and the roof was leaking anyway, so the floor was certainly not dry. The floor drain was equally clogged and didn’t seem to keep up with the rain, so we started squeegeeing the water into the hallway that already had standing water.
Our neighbor walked by as Tyrone and I were taking pictures – she said that she had never seen our apartment this bad. The rain let up and the drains were able to clear. I got ready and headed out to dinner…until I arrived at the front door. The front step was filled with water – a good 8 inches – and the entire road was flowing with water at a rather fast pace.
(front entryway - from the inside)
(front entryway - looking outside)
(the new river outside our apartment)
It was inconceivable that half an hour of hard rain would cause such a flood – the drainage system in Buenos Aires is nowhere near that of the U.S. I went to get Tyrone and we just stood in awe watching the debris wash by us. We went to the 2nd floor balcony where another couple was watching a man try to salvage something from his shop across the street – waist-high in water. As we descended the stairs again, our neighbor and her kids were in the hallway commenting on the fact that the garbage is usually picked up at 11:00 pm, and the flood had started about 10 minutes to 11 – all garbage that had been put in the street to be collected was now scattered about. Needless to say, I was not going out for dinner, so I had some of my Honey-O’s, some cheese and wine for dinner.
Did some work and then went to yoga at Thuy’s apartment – I got there with plenty of time – and it felt good to exercise again. I got a little lost again on the way back home, and then stopped at the Chino supermarket (the Chinese tend to have the best prices, even though they have less stock) and then went to look at another apartment. This one was only about 8 blocks from mine, and I had seen it posted on Craigslist in December when I was looking before coming here. When I arrived at the door, it was quite unassuming and did not seem to be the place I had seen in the pictures. Upon entering, however, it was everything I expected and more. The Argentine who answered the door, Nico, was a friend of one of the Argentines who lived there – he was just helping him out to rent it. There were 2 Americans, a French girl and a German guy just hangin’ out in the homey living room. Nico and I went out to the enclosed patio with a nice table, a little pool, and grass, and we talked about yoga and biking…and it turns out he only lives 2 blocks away from where I am now. At the moment, they’re looking to fill the spot within the next few weeks, but hopefully by March 20, there will be another opening. I already found a good empanada place and a bakery with homemade facturas (pastries) in the neighborhood.
As I was relaxing and thinking about which restaurant to go to for dinner, the rain started to pitter patter on the retractable roof. Soon, it was coming down in sheets, and I decided to wait it out. As I was heading to the kitchen to get some yogurt to tide me over, Tyrone and I realized the mess sink was getting quite full from the spout that comes in from the roof. We started scooping it out by the bucketful – wondering what would happen if it were to overflow. No sooner did we think it, the rain started to come down faster and we couldn’t keep up with it.
We decided to let the sink overflow – there was a drain in the floor, and the roof was leaking anyway, so the floor was certainly not dry. The floor drain was equally clogged and didn’t seem to keep up with the rain, so we started squeegeeing the water into the hallway that already had standing water.
Our neighbor walked by as Tyrone and I were taking pictures – she said that she had never seen our apartment this bad. The rain let up and the drains were able to clear. I got ready and headed out to dinner…until I arrived at the front door. The front step was filled with water – a good 8 inches – and the entire road was flowing with water at a rather fast pace.
(front entryway - from the inside)
(front entryway - looking outside)
(the new river outside our apartment)
It was inconceivable that half an hour of hard rain would cause such a flood – the drainage system in Buenos Aires is nowhere near that of the U.S. I went to get Tyrone and we just stood in awe watching the debris wash by us. We went to the 2nd floor balcony where another couple was watching a man try to salvage something from his shop across the street – waist-high in water. As we descended the stairs again, our neighbor and her kids were in the hallway commenting on the fact that the garbage is usually picked up at 11:00 pm, and the flood had started about 10 minutes to 11 – all garbage that had been put in the street to be collected was now scattered about. Needless to say, I was not going out for dinner, so I had some of my Honey-O’s, some cheese and wine for dinner.
I really do love the city
SUNDAY 02/14/10
I was the first to wake at 11:30 am – and the first to get in the shower! We left the hostel around 1:30 pm to have lunch at the same place again and then we were off to Las Termas (hot springs). I expected natural pools of water like in the U.S. or the cenotes of Mexico, but they were just temperate pools that looked like a community center.
I chose to take a siesta in the grass and just relax, since the pools were pretty full. It was nice to just do nothing and not be herded like cows from one thing to the next. We left Gualeguaychú at 7:30 pm and stopped at a truck stop for “20 minutes” for dinner – an hour later, we were on our way back to Buenos Aires. As we arrived, I didn’t realize how much I had missed the city – it felt like I was home again…which, essentially, I was. I just hadn’t realized how much I had identified with the streets and smells and rhythm of life here in such a short period of time. I caught a taxi…where the taxista told me that he connects really well with Americans and Brits and proceeded to explain a Boy George movie that had helped him to learn English and moved him so much that he just couldn’t watch it again…I think it was all a ploy to milk the meter, but I humored him. I got home around 12:00 am, did some catching up and went to bed – not even exhausted, which felt quite nice!
I was the first to wake at 11:30 am – and the first to get in the shower! We left the hostel around 1:30 pm to have lunch at the same place again and then we were off to Las Termas (hot springs). I expected natural pools of water like in the U.S. or the cenotes of Mexico, but they were just temperate pools that looked like a community center.
I chose to take a siesta in the grass and just relax, since the pools were pretty full. It was nice to just do nothing and not be herded like cows from one thing to the next. We left Gualeguaychú at 7:30 pm and stopped at a truck stop for “20 minutes” for dinner – an hour later, we were on our way back to Buenos Aires. As we arrived, I didn’t realize how much I had missed the city – it felt like I was home again…which, essentially, I was. I just hadn’t realized how much I had identified with the streets and smells and rhythm of life here in such a short period of time. I caught a taxi…where the taxista told me that he connects really well with Americans and Brits and proceeded to explain a Boy George movie that had helped him to learn English and moved him so much that he just couldn’t watch it again…I think it was all a ploy to milk the meter, but I humored him. I got home around 12:00 am, did some catching up and went to bed – not even exhausted, which felt quite nice!
CARNAVAL DE GUALEGUAYCHÚ
(loosely translated from
http://www.carnavaldelpais.com.ar/inicio/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=80&Itemid=47&lang=en)
In the Carnaval 2010, the comparsas (groups of floats and dancers) that paraded were Papelitos of the Club Juventud Unida (2009 winner); O Bahía of the club of Pescadores and Ara-Yeví of the club Tiro Federal – each showed the quality of their wardrobe, the synchronization of the choreography and the great display of its floats.
O Bahía is named for the Brasilian city of Bahia.
Ara Yevi means Fun Time in the language of Guarani
Papelitos comes from when it started in 1977, the costumes were made from paper
The carnaval of Gualeguaychú is the largest spectacle of the Argentine summer, which takes place among dozens of thousands of people before the passing of the comparsas. Furthermore, the Carnaval is considered amongst the best in the world next to those of Rio de Janeiro and Venice.
There were more that 70,000 feathers, and for example, there were costumes that had 500,000 sequins with its respective beads and there were appliqués a little larger than a watch that are made of 200 embroidered pieces (between sequins, pearls, etc.).
The corsódromo (parade route) has a capacity of 30,000 people and is 500 meters long and 10 meters wide.
For Gualeguaychú, Carnaval represents the most important touristic, social, cultural and economic phenomenon in the history of the city – and it only began in 1997.
The comparsas in Gualeguaychú have a limit of 300 members, 4 floats and 4 fantasy suits (costumes).
Each year the comparsas elaborate the theme or argument that develops through different parts. The parade generally opens with a group called the front commission, composed of very visible figures and impactful costumes that are related to the theme.
Then comes the opening float. This generally contains a presentation of the theme and frequently has the name of the comparsa on its front.
The two intermediate floats are connected thematically to the group and the closing one generally has a final message integrating itself with a batucada (Brazilian drumming group).
In the comparsa, the ambassador couple is a woman and a man with eye-catching costumes that tend to have the colors or some symbol of the patronizing entity on some part of the costume. The woman carries a flag and the man dances around her, paying homage with a large fan, not only to the woman but also to the flag.
The squads of a comparasa are generally commanded by a figure or pair of baton carriers. Each one represents a subtheme within the comparsa, that is symbolized in the shoulder carriers, headdresses, skirts and sometimes in the bracelets or shoes. Some squads complete themselves with an allusive float and these would have total four per comparsa, constituting these for their size and splendor, one of the most prominent aspects of the Carnaval of the Country.
The shoulder carriers are the most spectacular of a comparsa – for their size and detail. They can reach to weigh more than 80 kilograms, have up to 2,500 feathers and various kilograms of sequins embroidered one by one with beading, including stones, pearls and other elements, that in some cases total more than 500,000 pieces.
The comparsas are judged by national and internationally acclaimed judges on the: scenes, costumes, painting, architecture, music, etc.
THE 3 COMPARSAS
O’Bahía Tribal
It started about 30 years ago with an urban tribe of fisherman who prepared a ritual for carnaval. There is a Shaman that conjures up magic through herbs and enters into a trance where he journeys to the center of the universe and back to the land. O’Bahia concentrates on the fact that all beings are part of the cosmos – the spirits of many animals (deer, buffalo, wolves, and eagles) as well as plants are represented.
Papelitos “Pan y Circo”
It is not a novelty that we live in a world super saturated with offers of entertainment: sports, movies, theme parks, video games, among many other things. Each show is more spectacular and there is always an expectation of the next exceeding the previous. On the other hand the manipulation of information by the media molds the public opinion. Oftentimes it is difficult to distinguish the reality from the fiction. While we contemplate the uncountable images that pass before our eyes in this globalized circus, we must ask ourselves if we are contemplating through our critical judgment or with the view of those who want us to see the reality that is convenient to them.
Ara Yevi “Spirit of Nature”
To show the repetition of history, Ara Yevi tells a story that transcends time and space – making humanity reflect on the harms that are caused to our nature and that we are part of it. A guaraní shaman guides the legend.
http://www.carnavaldelpais.com.ar/inicio/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=80&Itemid=47&lang=en)
In the Carnaval 2010, the comparsas (groups of floats and dancers) that paraded were Papelitos of the Club Juventud Unida (2009 winner); O Bahía of the club of Pescadores and Ara-Yeví of the club Tiro Federal – each showed the quality of their wardrobe, the synchronization of the choreography and the great display of its floats.
O Bahía is named for the Brasilian city of Bahia.
Ara Yevi means Fun Time in the language of Guarani
Papelitos comes from when it started in 1977, the costumes were made from paper
The carnaval of Gualeguaychú is the largest spectacle of the Argentine summer, which takes place among dozens of thousands of people before the passing of the comparsas. Furthermore, the Carnaval is considered amongst the best in the world next to those of Rio de Janeiro and Venice.
There were more that 70,000 feathers, and for example, there were costumes that had 500,000 sequins with its respective beads and there were appliqués a little larger than a watch that are made of 200 embroidered pieces (between sequins, pearls, etc.).
The corsódromo (parade route) has a capacity of 30,000 people and is 500 meters long and 10 meters wide.
For Gualeguaychú, Carnaval represents the most important touristic, social, cultural and economic phenomenon in the history of the city – and it only began in 1997.
The comparsas in Gualeguaychú have a limit of 300 members, 4 floats and 4 fantasy suits (costumes).
Each year the comparsas elaborate the theme or argument that develops through different parts. The parade generally opens with a group called the front commission, composed of very visible figures and impactful costumes that are related to the theme.
Then comes the opening float. This generally contains a presentation of the theme and frequently has the name of the comparsa on its front.
The two intermediate floats are connected thematically to the group and the closing one generally has a final message integrating itself with a batucada (Brazilian drumming group).
In the comparsa, the ambassador couple is a woman and a man with eye-catching costumes that tend to have the colors or some symbol of the patronizing entity on some part of the costume. The woman carries a flag and the man dances around her, paying homage with a large fan, not only to the woman but also to the flag.
The squads of a comparasa are generally commanded by a figure or pair of baton carriers. Each one represents a subtheme within the comparsa, that is symbolized in the shoulder carriers, headdresses, skirts and sometimes in the bracelets or shoes. Some squads complete themselves with an allusive float and these would have total four per comparsa, constituting these for their size and splendor, one of the most prominent aspects of the Carnaval of the Country.
The shoulder carriers are the most spectacular of a comparsa – for their size and detail. They can reach to weigh more than 80 kilograms, have up to 2,500 feathers and various kilograms of sequins embroidered one by one with beading, including stones, pearls and other elements, that in some cases total more than 500,000 pieces.
The comparsas are judged by national and internationally acclaimed judges on the: scenes, costumes, painting, architecture, music, etc.
THE 3 COMPARSAS
O’Bahía Tribal
It started about 30 years ago with an urban tribe of fisherman who prepared a ritual for carnaval. There is a Shaman that conjures up magic through herbs and enters into a trance where he journeys to the center of the universe and back to the land. O’Bahia concentrates on the fact that all beings are part of the cosmos – the spirits of many animals (deer, buffalo, wolves, and eagles) as well as plants are represented.
Papelitos “Pan y Circo”
It is not a novelty that we live in a world super saturated with offers of entertainment: sports, movies, theme parks, video games, among many other things. Each show is more spectacular and there is always an expectation of the next exceeding the previous. On the other hand the manipulation of information by the media molds the public opinion. Oftentimes it is difficult to distinguish the reality from the fiction. While we contemplate the uncountable images that pass before our eyes in this globalized circus, we must ask ourselves if we are contemplating through our critical judgment or with the view of those who want us to see the reality that is convenient to them.
Ara Yevi “Spirit of Nature”
To show the repetition of history, Ara Yevi tells a story that transcends time and space – making humanity reflect on the harms that are caused to our nature and that we are part of it. A guaraní shaman guides the legend.
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