I am completely worn out. It's been pretty tranquilo here in New Jersey since I've gotten home, yet I'm still recovering from my semester abroad in Buenos Aires. I simply think that sleeping 4-5 hours a night and often going to sleep at 5 just hasn't sat so well with my body, and I'm dealing with it now.
That being said, although it was sad to say good bye to Argentina, my home for the last 4 months, it's great being back home, where I can enjoy the summer. Even more so, I have gone into NYC every day since I've been back and it's been strange. I have walked through the city in complete awe, just thinking how amazing of a city NY is. This would be an outlook most likely shared by a tourist. I was wandering the streets, admiring the city as if I had never been there in my life. Sure, Buenos Aires is great, a huge city, but it seemed like a town in comparison to NY. One could say I had experienced some reverse culture shock. I also realized just how much more expensive things are, especially produce or subway tickets, for example.
Nevertheless, I was ready to come home and to come back to my real life. The semester abroad in Buenos Aires was very far from reality, yet that shouldn't take away from how enjoyable and meaningful it was.
Anyway, a little summary of my experience the last 4.5 months:
Worst of Buenos Aires (in no particular order):
- Lack of organization
-Very little gets done
-Extreme Filth
-Insecurity- though thankfully, I managed to avoid crime
-Lack of variety in the food department (kosher)
Best of Buenos Aires (in no particular order):
- Meat
-Ice cream
-Laid-back lifestyle
-kiss greeting- in reality, I'm not such a fan, but I love the idea of it, how society includes everyone in a greeting
-Cultural activities- fairs, festivals, shows...
- nightlife
So I loved many elements of the city of Buenos Aires, including a huge vibrant Jewish community as well.
So could I live in Buenos Aires, at least for a longer period of time? Yes. Would I want to live in Buenos Aires for a longer period of time? Absolutely not. When the vast majority of locals with whom you speak tell you that the economy will completely collapse and that crime continues to rise, it doesn't sound too appealing. Add that to the fact that my attempts to find an Argentine girlfriend failed miserably.
But it's ok- my lack of desire to want to live there didn't affect my incredible semester. I would say that Argentina remains a wonderful country to visit and to study, but being a permanent resident isn't for me.
Regarding this blog, I admit sometimes, I exaggerated a bit in poking fun at Argentina but it was simply for comic effect. I hope you enjoyed following my experience for the past few months. If you wish to hear more about it, ask next time you see me.
Until then, as they say in Argentina, Chau Chau!
Ariel
Friday, July 1, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Final Week in Argentina
My final week in Argentina, which concluded today, has been awfully busy, and as a result, I have not given myself the time to update my blog. On Thursday night, we rented a party bus for my friend Sarah, who celebrated her 21st birthday. To sum up the party bus experience in one word: ridiculous- we took a bus with flashing lights all around Buenos Aires, blasting a music playlist that our friend Drew had prepared before-hand. Whenever we were stopped at traffic lights, some people would look at us like we were insane, others would laugh at us, and others would dance along to the music as well. At one point, a group of little kids wanted to join in on the fun, chasing after the bus, though their main goal was to get us to throw them some money. It really was unlike anything I had ever done.
This of course followed my last final exam of the semester, in my Argentine sociology class. This is how the exam went: I walked into the room, took a seat opposite my professor. She asked me to discuss a topic that we had covered during the second half of the semester. I obviously chose Juan Peron. I told her that I found it interesting because people have such strong opinions about the former president. It remains such a complicated issue that I still find it difficult to say anything for sure regarding his leadership. Afterward, she elaborated and gave her 2 cents on the matter, and that was it- I had passed my final “final exam” at the University of Belgrano. As you can see, the university didn’t get more challenging towards the end of the semester. Normally, after completing a semester in school, I have this tremendous sense of relief and accomplishment. I honestly didn’t feel anything except for disbelief at how I could have called the last 4 months a college semester. I’ll take it, however. If only the University of Maryland knew….
Friday afternoon, our program divided itself up into different teams to go on a scavenger hunt around the city. Although we were all pretty exhausted from a long week (not from working too hard), our team managed to accomplish some interesting tasks, such as serenading an old man,(props to Mari) who didn’t even acknowledge what was happening, in a café, and dancing the Makarena on the Subte.
Friday night, our program met at our resident director’s house for a final dinner/get-together. The night included a very delicious looking dinner (I bought some challah, empanadas, and kibbeh for myself) and a slideshow. Needless to say, the girls were all very emotional. But I understood- we had all become very close, spending almost every day with each other for the last 4 months, living and “studying” and traveling in a foreign country together. Obviously, some discussed potential dates for the first reunion back in the US. At the end of the night, I made my final trek from the center of town back to Belgrano.
I spent Sunday, my last full day in Argentina, in typical fashion, that is, exploring both the San Telmo and Recoleta fairs, eating ice cream for a pre dinner snack, and having a nice steak dinner at a restaurant in Once. These activities represented such a big part of my Argentine experience so I felt it appropriate to include them on my last day.
The fairs are especially good places to talk with locals, especially as one looks at specific things to buy. Many different locals asked me the same thing: “So when are you going to come back to Argentina?” I don’t think they quite understand that just because I’m an American doesn’t mean I’m made out of money. NJ and Argentina lie in different continents/hemispheres, a 10 hour flight. It’s by no means an easy trip plus flights remain expensive. At this point in my life, I can’t just decide on a whim that I’m going to go to Argentina. Sure, I’d love to say that I’ll be back soon but who knows where I’ll be with anything in my life even by next year. Thus, I found it interesting how so many Portenos have casually asked me when I’ll be back.
Before going out to dinner last night, I went to this car show, which advertised itself as cars of the future. With that headline, I imagined environmentally friendly/electric cars. Not surprisingly, I don’t think Argentina has reached that point yet of striving to be truly environmentally friendly. After all, Buenos Aires remains engulfed in smog and littered with feces and any other trash you could imagine. So instead of finding future hybrids, I encountered what looked like a giant car dealership, basically an advertising technique. I did see some pretty fancy cars and some old classic ones from the mid 20th century- I’m not a big car guy, but it was cool to see some of these models.
Interesting note: Being out on Sunday, I saw tons and tons of Brazilians. Everywhere I went, I heard Portuguese. It was if they all had been unleashed for the weekend from Brazil, strange too, because as far as I know, it's not vacation time.
I ended Sunday by meeting Kelsey, Aidan, and AJ, the only other API ppl (except for 3 others) left in BA, at this bar in Palermo. Cool place- very chill and the walls being decorated with graffiti. We reminisced about the semester, recounting many of the ridiculous and hilarious moments. We then discussed plans to have reunions back in the US. Then as quickly as I got to the bar and to Buenos Aires, I left my new friends, taking one last colectivo (bus) back to Belgrano, to pack my bags and go to the airport.
1 final post to come from NJ.
Some final pics in Buenos Aires
Plaza San Martin
 |
| Car show |
Hasta manana
Ariel
Monday, June 20, 2011
Subte
Living in Buenos Aires has required me to take the Subte often to get from 1 neighborhood to the next. The Subte is the name of the subway system in the city, and each time I ride on it, I experience something different. It is unlike any other transport system that I have been on, although it certainly has some things in common with other subways.
You will never ride the train in boredom. For example, entertainers, which include musicians, actors, singers, rappers, and poets, walk into each section of the train, performing for a couple of stops. In particular, I have seen guitars, accordions, violins, trumpets, saxophones, bongos, and a huge pole which makes some deep electronic/futuristic sound- kinda scary. People play a range of music from jazz to blues to Tango.
In addition to entertainers, many people pass through the car and hand out either candy or some cheap product, such as a subte map, clips, gum, markers, or even socks. They let you look at the item and if you wish to buy the thing, you give them the money as the vendors come back. Otherwise, you simply return the item. The vendors usually perform their work without any communication, although I have seen one person shake every potential customer’s hand upon handing out his good (perhaps a way for us to feel for him and thus feel inclined to buy).
These vendors and entertainers range in age. While most people look to be young adults, I have seen a few senior citizens and even kids as young as 4 passing through to try and sell their items, looking to make any money they can for their families.
Sometimes, however, entertainment on the Subte remains impossible: that is when the trains are so stuffed that it’s hard to breathe let alone play an instrument. In some instances, I have to wait for about 2-3 trains to pass until enough room exists on the train to board. During the moments when I actually succeed in getting onto the train, as I’m stuck and smothered b/w 20 other people, it feels like 100 degrees, and I think about the descriptions of the huge pileups in football that ensue as reflected in different articles I have read. So much goes on down in those piles, as people will do anything just to end up with the ball. Nevertheless, I myself have not experienced testicle groping, biting, or anything else that could be considered sexual harassment in these train pileups but I’m sure it happens. In fact, my friend recently had his computer stolen from him during a busy train ride, and it was simply too crowded for people to realize what was going on. As a result, I usually keep my hands in my pockets, ensuring that my wallet and phone remain inside.
Yes, the Subte can be a dangerous place, but it also has a historic side to it as well: Some of the original cars -from the early 1900’s- on the A Line are still in use. One must open and close the doors manually in order for the train to continue on its way- pretty old school.
My favorite part about the experience is that it only costs 1.10 pesos, about 25 cents, to ride, so it feels like nothing when compared to the subway systems in the US.
For now, I’ve got nothing else to say about the Subte, so I’m going to sign off.
1 week until I’m back in the US
Ariel
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Sketchy People
This past Friday, my friend and I sat down on a bench to eat lunch, and these 2 guys came up to us and asked us for our food. They didn't threaten us at all, but simply asked us to give them what we were eating. We refused, and they went away. 5 minutes later, they came back and again asked for food. We refused again and this time, they shouted some spanish profanities. Looking back I suppose it was our obligation to give them our lunch. Sensing that we were foreigners, they kept on coming back, picking on us, laughing at us for whatever reason, just to make themselves happy. Ultimately, after a few more rounds, one of the guys came up to us to show us that he too had obtained food- a meat sandwich. I wasn't sure whether he was showing us that he too had the means to get a hold of food or he was asking for a vegetable or two to put into his sandwich. It was all very strange, and we were in a public area, so despite the verbal harassment, we continued to sit there, eating.
Following on the sketchy theme, on Sunday night, returning from my friend's apartment after watching Game 6, I started talking to this guy waiting at the bus stop. He told me where he was going, and I asked him why he wasn't walking- it was a mere 10 minute walk. At that moment, it became obvious that I was a tourist, he said, that if I were Argentine, I'd know that it's too dangerous to walk to Plaza Italia at that time. Apparently, I have really pushed my luck, in that I have made the exact walk at least 5 times over the course of the semester. But when talking to locals and hearing how dangerous the city can be, it's pretty scary. Muggings and robberies remain rampant. A woman that I met earlier in the semester at Friday night dinner had been threatened with a gun.
Aside from the subject of how dangerous Buenos Aires is, the guy at the bus stop and I somehow ended up talking about Israelis. According to him, his main association with Israelis is marijuana- that all they do is smoke pot. When I asked him if he smoked pot, he told me never... it's really bad for you. When I asked him if he smoked cigarettes, however, he answered of course. It was a pretty safe bet- Argentines love smoking. He then said that he smokes cigarettes because they are cheap .... Argentina, what a country.
But apparently, the president intends to sign off on some anti tobacco law. As a result, perhaps the smell of smoke will linger in my pants and coat for less than 3 days after being outside.
Speaking of smoking, a big volcano erupted in Chile a couple of weeks ago, causing major delays in airports all across Argentina because of the ash produced. Passengers were stranded for days. Things have settled and flights have resumed so it looks like I'll be coming home at the end of June.
A few things of note from the last few days:
1. Took a tour of the Colon Theater, one of the most famous opera houses in the world. According to some major physics survey/experiment/wtvr, the theater has the best acoustics in the world. The sound aside, the building is pretty beautiful as well.
On Saturday night, I was supposed to see this cool show featuring blind actors, and the audience is blind as well, having to adapt and to rely on its other senses. The show was sold out, and my friend Jonah peer pressured me into seeing some monologue show about 3 women talking about their problems on same game show in the 1950's. My bad attitude certainly didn't help, but the show was horrendous- I was miserable. I'm not sure if I was more upset about spending the 9 bucks or the hour watching the women go on and on about their respective issues.
Jonah redeemed himself by bringing me to his host sister's birthday party, a wonderful porteno affair, with a small dance floor cleared out for some boliche action and some classic Latin American hits. It was a great time to hang out with the locals, something that I unfortunately haven't done as much as I wanted to over the course of my stay in Buenos Aires. It always remains nice to be in your total comfort zone with other Americans but I have found that my most rewarding times here have taken place with Argentines and Spanish speakers from other countries.
Finally, Sunday, getting up from a usual 3 hour night of sleep, I went to the Casa Rosada, the government house, which seats the executive branch. Why is the house Pink? 2 possible answers exist: 1- The house's pink color resulted from mixing cow's blood with white paint, which protected the building from the extreme humidity in the city; 2- political- white represented the Liberal Party and red represented the Radicals- Thus, mixing the colors reflected the desire and importance for political unity within the country. If the 2nd answer is indeed correct, it has failed in a big way (see Peron and Kirchner).
Regarding work, I took 3 out of my 4 finals this week, leaving me with 1 to take and of course the extremely important activity of receiving my professor's signatures. Without those signatures, I won't pass my courses. I'll make sure to be in school next wednesday and thursday.
Que tengan un buen fin de semana
Ariel
Teatro Colon
Casa Rosada
Random Book Structure and statue in Plaza San Martin (Retiro neighborhood)
Following on the sketchy theme, on Sunday night, returning from my friend's apartment after watching Game 6, I started talking to this guy waiting at the bus stop. He told me where he was going, and I asked him why he wasn't walking- it was a mere 10 minute walk. At that moment, it became obvious that I was a tourist, he said, that if I were Argentine, I'd know that it's too dangerous to walk to Plaza Italia at that time. Apparently, I have really pushed my luck, in that I have made the exact walk at least 5 times over the course of the semester. But when talking to locals and hearing how dangerous the city can be, it's pretty scary. Muggings and robberies remain rampant. A woman that I met earlier in the semester at Friday night dinner had been threatened with a gun.
Aside from the subject of how dangerous Buenos Aires is, the guy at the bus stop and I somehow ended up talking about Israelis. According to him, his main association with Israelis is marijuana- that all they do is smoke pot. When I asked him if he smoked pot, he told me never... it's really bad for you. When I asked him if he smoked cigarettes, however, he answered of course. It was a pretty safe bet- Argentines love smoking. He then said that he smokes cigarettes because they are cheap .... Argentina, what a country.
But apparently, the president intends to sign off on some anti tobacco law. As a result, perhaps the smell of smoke will linger in my pants and coat for less than 3 days after being outside.
Speaking of smoking, a big volcano erupted in Chile a couple of weeks ago, causing major delays in airports all across Argentina because of the ash produced. Passengers were stranded for days. Things have settled and flights have resumed so it looks like I'll be coming home at the end of June.
A few things of note from the last few days:
1. Took a tour of the Colon Theater, one of the most famous opera houses in the world. According to some major physics survey/experiment/wtvr, the theater has the best acoustics in the world. The sound aside, the building is pretty beautiful as well.
On Saturday night, I was supposed to see this cool show featuring blind actors, and the audience is blind as well, having to adapt and to rely on its other senses. The show was sold out, and my friend Jonah peer pressured me into seeing some monologue show about 3 women talking about their problems on same game show in the 1950's. My bad attitude certainly didn't help, but the show was horrendous- I was miserable. I'm not sure if I was more upset about spending the 9 bucks or the hour watching the women go on and on about their respective issues.
Jonah redeemed himself by bringing me to his host sister's birthday party, a wonderful porteno affair, with a small dance floor cleared out for some boliche action and some classic Latin American hits. It was a great time to hang out with the locals, something that I unfortunately haven't done as much as I wanted to over the course of my stay in Buenos Aires. It always remains nice to be in your total comfort zone with other Americans but I have found that my most rewarding times here have taken place with Argentines and Spanish speakers from other countries.
Finally, Sunday, getting up from a usual 3 hour night of sleep, I went to the Casa Rosada, the government house, which seats the executive branch. Why is the house Pink? 2 possible answers exist: 1- The house's pink color resulted from mixing cow's blood with white paint, which protected the building from the extreme humidity in the city; 2- political- white represented the Liberal Party and red represented the Radicals- Thus, mixing the colors reflected the desire and importance for political unity within the country. If the 2nd answer is indeed correct, it has failed in a big way (see Peron and Kirchner).
Regarding work, I took 3 out of my 4 finals this week, leaving me with 1 to take and of course the extremely important activity of receiving my professor's signatures. Without those signatures, I won't pass my courses. I'll make sure to be in school next wednesday and thursday.
Que tengan un buen fin de semana
Ariel
Teatro Colon
Friday, June 10, 2011
Mataderos y Colonia
This past Sunday, I went to the big Gaucho fair in Mataderos, an area located on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. The bus trip took about an hour to get there, and you felt like you were in a completely different city. Nothing looked familiar. It had a very different feel from central Buenos Aires. Certainly not very attractive and poorer. Nevertheless, every Sunday, this section of the city houses a Gaucho fair. It seemed more authentic, more representative of the Argentina that exists outside the capital. By encountering some of the customs and products from outside, one realizes that Buenos Aires is not a microcosm of the country: it's one giant exception. Very cool to see the contrasts.
Anyway, the fair featured many different stalls, each representing a different region within the country. For example, one stall sold chocolates from the province of Rio Negro, another sold sweets from Tucuman, and another with bread containing all of the grasa (beef fat) in the world. Other foods included cheeses, meats, jams, dried fruit...
In addition to the food, as in the other fairs I have been to, vendors were selling different handicrafts, although much more gaucho theme, regarding clothing, kitchen utensils, and appliances like wine bottle holders.
The highlight of the fair, however, were the activities. Several bands came on stage to perform different types of gaucho music, and people in the crowd made room to dance to the different styles- very interactive. On the other side of the fair, gauchos participated in some activity where they ride a horse as fast as they can and try to dislodge a ring from a pole (like a field goal post). It's hard to explain so I'll post a video about it. In another odd sight, 2 little puppies were riding on a pony- very cute, but bizarre. I could only watch the horse riding and gaucho dances for so long. I returned to Belgrano for a rare night of homework.
The following day, I got up first thing and went to Colonia, Uruguay, with my friend Mya for the day. I had missed the group excursion a couple months ago but I was able to use my unused ticket for this past week. Riding the ferry is nothing but a pleasure- almost worth going to Uruguay for that- it beats the claustrophobia of the the subway, the inconvenience of the bus, where you always need to pay with coins, or planes, which always seem to get canceled in this country, especially in light of the recent volcanic eruption in Chile.
Anyway, Colonia contains a historic district, which apparently is a world heritage site, whatever that means. It was founded by the Portuguese in the late 1600's, and it served as an important port city. Ultimately, Spain and Portugal agreed to some land swap, with Spain taking control of Colonia and Portugal getting control of what is now parts of southern Brazil. So many old ruins and historic buildings, such as government houses and such, remain, many of them now being converted into museums.
So we strolled through the area, walking along the coast, stopping at some of the different museums, lookouts, and ruins, taking our time on the cobblestone streets. Needing a break from the cold, we stopped at Freddo ( ice cream chain) for hot chocolate, made simply from melted chocolate ice cream- how brilliant is that?
Here are my thoughts on Colonia, which other people seem to share as well: Pretty boring, very little to do, but a great day trip. It remains a nice place to get away from Buenos Aires for the day, and you can add another stamp to your passport at the same time. Unfortunately, when we went, it was rainy and cold. But I could imagine it being a more enjoyable experience in the summer, touring the ruins, enjoying a long lunch at a cafe, and sitting along the water for a nice sunset.
We stopped at a restaurant after seeing the different museums, and when we asked for tap water, the waitress complied and immediately brought us a pitcher of water. In that small example, I felt a difference between Uruguay and Argentina: Whereas in Argentina, you have to fight and argue and beg for small things/conveniences such as tap water, in Uruguay, they provide it for you- they're content to see you happy. While Argentina leaves you shaking your head, Uruguay accommodates you. In Uruguay, there exists a sense of tranquilidad (tranquility) that doesn't drive you crazy like it does in Argentina. Then again, I've only been in Uruguay for a total of 5 days in my life so my claim could be a little short sighted. But that's been my experience.
So after a nice day off Monday spent in Uruguay, I returned to school for the past 3 days, but with Shavuot and my teacher canceling class and all, it once again seemed like another week of nonexistent school.
Though I've still got my student visa to prove I'm "studying" here.
Mataderos (Top 4)
Colonia pics are after
Ariel
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
The life of an Argentine Aristocrat
This past Friday afternoon, before going to Carmen, the resident director's house for a birthday party, a few of us went to the Museo Arte Decorativo, located in the Recoleta section of town. The museum features classical art, with tapestries dating from the 15-18th centuries, and many paintings as well. It also hosts many of the old furniture and house appliances from the early 20th century in Buenos Aires. I kind of overlooked that though- the coolest part about the musuem was that it was housed in a former mansion built for the well known Alvear family. Similar to many of the absurdly wealthy Argentines from the early 20th century, this family made its wealth from the meat and agriculture industries. With some of that money, they built a ridiculous mansion that ultimately became this museum. As we were walking through the palace, we were thinking, yep, we could certainly live in a house like this. The house features a Ball room, a Drawing room (I don't even know what that is, but it sounds grand), a great hall, and then the classic rooms other house would have. But then I thought, with my American accent, I couldn't live in a place like this- not sophisticated enough. I kept on hearing British English in my head as I toured the place. Of course my accent wouldn't be the only problem- I have no money to pay rent for any home, let alone a mansion.
As we walked into the Drawing room, a huge open space that once housed the daughter's wedding, we imagined using the space for a boliche, a dance club- it would probably be the event of the semester- taking Buenos Aires nightlife to a new level- having a crazy dance party in an old mansion, but it would never work- security is so tight they follow you into every room to ensure that you don't take any pictures.
Nevertheless, these people, as well as the rest of the Argentine upper class, must have lived really well, with tons of servants, parties, meat all the time, and anything else at their request. I guess it's only fitting that Alvear Street is the 5th avenue of Buenos Aires, featuring the fanciest stores and hotels in the city.
To see pictures of this wonder: http://www.mnad.org/ - see the inside by taking a virtual tour.
But this aristocratic lifestyle certainly doesn't define today's Argentina. In my conversations with many different Argentines recently, here are some of the descriptions I have heard about the country:
- Argentina is a joke
-Argentina is sh$t
-Argentina is the worst place to live
-The government is corrupt and don't care about it's people
Pretty intense. Yes the people I have talked to haven't appeared to be uber wealthy Argentines, and Argentines in general love to complain, but it's pretty sad to hear what people think about their own country. Many of them would leave if they could and go to the US. Some would go to Brazil but it's too expensive, and others would go to Chile but don't want to leave their families. It goes along with the fact that very little patriotism and Argentine pride exists. Intense patriotism remains a very American concept. Sure, Argentines rally around their country when they're dominating in the world cup and adore other sports figures, but many don't seem to have a true love for their country like people from other countries do (based on the relatively few amount of people I have talked to. For all I know, I've just talked to the wrong people). Of course, I'm sure many Argentines do love their country, but unfortunately, it seems that it's an exception, not the norm.
On Saturday night, in continuing to experience a sophisticated lifestyle, I went with some friends from my Tango class to see my professor Jose perform. The show took place in Cafe Tortoni, a historic cafe where famous Tango artists such as Carlos Gardel used to perform. I was expecting the professor and his partner to dance to some behind the scenes music the whole time. Instead, however, the event included an orchestra, featuring a piano, accordion, bass, violin, and singer. In between dances, as the dancers changed outfits, the singer would belt out classic Tango songs. I usually don't have patience for the opera esque style but this was quite all right. As I watched the professor dance, many of the steps that he used looked familiar from class, but it was amazing to see the connection he had with his partner, always in sync. Graceful, yet really sexual at the same time, leaving me wide eyed at some points, thinking, are they really moving like that? And then towards the end, we almost witnessed a second coming of a Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction, but Jose's partner "fixed it" just in time.
The 2 highlights of the night:
1. Out of no where, the professor came out in a gaucho outfit and began to dance one of the folkloric dances that I talked about in a recent post, his feet going clackety clack on the floor at a great pace and with awesome rhythm. This served as a major contrast to the more graceful Tango
2. During the interactive part of the show, our professor came to our table and invited our friend Steph to come up and showcase her tango skills for the crowd. Steph, despite the pressure, came through in a big way. Following Jose's lead, she turned, spun, and kicked all on cue, demonstrating her grace and elegance. With her wonderful performance, no doubt she will be getting an A in the class.
Some pics from Cafe Tortoni:
Happy holidays everyone
ciao
Ariel
As we walked into the Drawing room, a huge open space that once housed the daughter's wedding, we imagined using the space for a boliche, a dance club- it would probably be the event of the semester- taking Buenos Aires nightlife to a new level- having a crazy dance party in an old mansion, but it would never work- security is so tight they follow you into every room to ensure that you don't take any pictures.
Nevertheless, these people, as well as the rest of the Argentine upper class, must have lived really well, with tons of servants, parties, meat all the time, and anything else at their request. I guess it's only fitting that Alvear Street is the 5th avenue of Buenos Aires, featuring the fanciest stores and hotels in the city.
To see pictures of this wonder: http://www.mnad.org/ - see the inside by taking a virtual tour.
But this aristocratic lifestyle certainly doesn't define today's Argentina. In my conversations with many different Argentines recently, here are some of the descriptions I have heard about the country:
- Argentina is a joke
-Argentina is sh$t
-Argentina is the worst place to live
-The government is corrupt and don't care about it's people
Pretty intense. Yes the people I have talked to haven't appeared to be uber wealthy Argentines, and Argentines in general love to complain, but it's pretty sad to hear what people think about their own country. Many of them would leave if they could and go to the US. Some would go to Brazil but it's too expensive, and others would go to Chile but don't want to leave their families. It goes along with the fact that very little patriotism and Argentine pride exists. Intense patriotism remains a very American concept. Sure, Argentines rally around their country when they're dominating in the world cup and adore other sports figures, but many don't seem to have a true love for their country like people from other countries do (based on the relatively few amount of people I have talked to. For all I know, I've just talked to the wrong people). Of course, I'm sure many Argentines do love their country, but unfortunately, it seems that it's an exception, not the norm.
On Saturday night, in continuing to experience a sophisticated lifestyle, I went with some friends from my Tango class to see my professor Jose perform. The show took place in Cafe Tortoni, a historic cafe where famous Tango artists such as Carlos Gardel used to perform. I was expecting the professor and his partner to dance to some behind the scenes music the whole time. Instead, however, the event included an orchestra, featuring a piano, accordion, bass, violin, and singer. In between dances, as the dancers changed outfits, the singer would belt out classic Tango songs. I usually don't have patience for the opera esque style but this was quite all right. As I watched the professor dance, many of the steps that he used looked familiar from class, but it was amazing to see the connection he had with his partner, always in sync. Graceful, yet really sexual at the same time, leaving me wide eyed at some points, thinking, are they really moving like that? And then towards the end, we almost witnessed a second coming of a Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction, but Jose's partner "fixed it" just in time.
The 2 highlights of the night:
1. Out of no where, the professor came out in a gaucho outfit and began to dance one of the folkloric dances that I talked about in a recent post, his feet going clackety clack on the floor at a great pace and with awesome rhythm. This served as a major contrast to the more graceful Tango
2. During the interactive part of the show, our professor came to our table and invited our friend Steph to come up and showcase her tango skills for the crowd. Steph, despite the pressure, came through in a big way. Following Jose's lead, she turned, spun, and kicked all on cue, demonstrating her grace and elegance. With her wonderful performance, no doubt she will be getting an A in the class.
Some pics from Cafe Tortoni:
ciao
Ariel
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Tigre
This past weekend, I was talking to this Argentine dude I had met and used the word "Che." He seemed pretty impressed and told me that I sounded like a true Argentine. Flattering to hear, yet the good news is that you can use the word pretty much in any situation and it makes sense: Che, I'm going to take a day off from work today, or Che, I hate the government, or Che, I can't breathe because everyone smokes in this country, or just Che. Either way, I took it as a compliment.
This past Sunday, I went to Tigre, a small city located about an hour outside of Buenos Aires. Tigre makes for a great day trip, featuring small rivers and inlets and a giant artisan fair. There exist many private mini islands in Tigre, with privately owned houses. In fact, when API went to Tigre in March, they went to some private home, whose owners know my resident director, and had a giant asado. Unfortunately, I couldn't attend because they went on Saturday. So unless you know people who live on these islands, I'm not sure if you can take the boat to them. So I took a boat to some public area with a mini hike/paseo, walking along an outlet of the river, passing by different homes and restaurants. Very quiet walk, disturbed by the occasional passing of a boat or canoe.
It's a terrible comparison but I thought of Venice as I was in Tigre. I'd say the major similarities included the type of boats people use and that many people use boats to commute and go shopping. But an experience nonetheless.
After our river trip, we went to the giant artisan fair, which featured dance performances, different food stations, and tons of stores, some very trendy in fact. These giant fairs, which offer so many different types of merchandise, can certainly be very overwhelming. But it helps to experience it the Argentine way, strolling along, remaining outside of time, being in the moment. It's nice to have girls present on these occasions as well to guide you in your purchases- so that you don't end up buying really dumb or ugly things. And Yael even gave me the idea to buy photo frames. I never would have thought about buying one of those. In the end, I bought a couple and I'm happy with the purchase. Plus I found Messi jerseys for cheap (granted they're copies)!
Upon leaving the fair, this group of kids, hearing English, approached us and said "hello," "welcome," and "where are you from." Just hearing English gives them the excuse to say the few words they know. Again, it's the excitement of speaking English, the native tongue of the US that attracts them. To so many kids, US represents the land of the rich, exotic, and famous, and the ability to communicate gives them a piece of it, in a way.
On Sunday night, some Jewish event was held at a bar. Mexican themed, the event featured Corona, mojitos, and fajitas, really delicious ones in fact- the first Mexican food I've had here. I thought it was a chance for young Jewish Argentine to gather and socialize. It soon turned into a religious propaganda event, with two men getting up to preach about becoming religious and the need to keep the entire land of Israel. I thought the timing was borderline inappropriate. I doubt that's what the audience was hoping for when they decided to attend Mexican bar night in Belgrano.
En cualquier caso, tengo hambre (in any case, i'm hungry)
buen dia
ariel
Pics from tigre:
This past Sunday, I went to Tigre, a small city located about an hour outside of Buenos Aires. Tigre makes for a great day trip, featuring small rivers and inlets and a giant artisan fair. There exist many private mini islands in Tigre, with privately owned houses. In fact, when API went to Tigre in March, they went to some private home, whose owners know my resident director, and had a giant asado. Unfortunately, I couldn't attend because they went on Saturday. So unless you know people who live on these islands, I'm not sure if you can take the boat to them. So I took a boat to some public area with a mini hike/paseo, walking along an outlet of the river, passing by different homes and restaurants. Very quiet walk, disturbed by the occasional passing of a boat or canoe.
It's a terrible comparison but I thought of Venice as I was in Tigre. I'd say the major similarities included the type of boats people use and that many people use boats to commute and go shopping. But an experience nonetheless.
After our river trip, we went to the giant artisan fair, which featured dance performances, different food stations, and tons of stores, some very trendy in fact. These giant fairs, which offer so many different types of merchandise, can certainly be very overwhelming. But it helps to experience it the Argentine way, strolling along, remaining outside of time, being in the moment. It's nice to have girls present on these occasions as well to guide you in your purchases- so that you don't end up buying really dumb or ugly things. And Yael even gave me the idea to buy photo frames. I never would have thought about buying one of those. In the end, I bought a couple and I'm happy with the purchase. Plus I found Messi jerseys for cheap (granted they're copies)!
Upon leaving the fair, this group of kids, hearing English, approached us and said "hello," "welcome," and "where are you from." Just hearing English gives them the excuse to say the few words they know. Again, it's the excitement of speaking English, the native tongue of the US that attracts them. To so many kids, US represents the land of the rich, exotic, and famous, and the ability to communicate gives them a piece of it, in a way.
On Sunday night, some Jewish event was held at a bar. Mexican themed, the event featured Corona, mojitos, and fajitas, really delicious ones in fact- the first Mexican food I've had here. I thought it was a chance for young Jewish Argentine to gather and socialize. It soon turned into a religious propaganda event, with two men getting up to preach about becoming religious and the need to keep the entire land of Israel. I thought the timing was borderline inappropriate. I doubt that's what the audience was hoping for when they decided to attend Mexican bar night in Belgrano.
En cualquier caso, tengo hambre (in any case, i'm hungry)
buen dia
ariel
Pics from tigre:
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