I got a late start to my 3rd full day living with the Kiesel family in Belgrano. As I was preparing a bowl of cereal for myself, Dalia, the younger daughter, brought a big chair for me and a little chair for herself to the table. Glad to see everyone in the family including the kids have been quite hospitable so far.
I walked around a few areas today, starting with Centro (the main center), followed by Once and Abasto. It is really fascinating walking around Once, a bustling and unattractive industrial area. It is here that you see many chasidim. Additionally, you pass by storefronts with mezuzot and a various kosher establishments. With the frumness and the Spanish, it feels like a cross b/w Crown and Washington Heights.
In taking a break from my inner-city trek, I stopped at the Abasto Mall, whose owner is my future father-in-law according to my dad. One of the most extravagant malls I've ever been in, Abasto features the only Kosher McDonalds outside of Israel. I obviously went there and the burger was decent. In the words of Hune Margulies, some spacy but well-meaning man who led my volunteer trip to argentina a few summers back, I "personally" went to the mall.
After roaming around these areas for the entire afternoon, I had quite the unpleasant experience in the subway station: The first train that arrived was so full that after remaining in the station for ten minutes, it was declared to be out of service. Therefore, all of the passengers exited the train. For some reason, a few pps didn't get the memo and remained on the train- I really didn't understand what they were thinking. Anyways, after the few remaining passengers finally realized they weren't going anywhere and thus exited, the train was able to depart. However, I had to wait for another 3 trains until I could squeeze myself on. To say the train was cramped is a huge understatement. Put it this way: those who are highly sensitive to heat, are claustrophobic, or are strictly shomer negiah would not have made it.
For dinner tonight, I had the privilege of eating at my host family's parents, Rabino Shlomo and wife. I am slowly getting swayed towards chabad- this family has their own beautiful house in the heart of the city. Dinner was excellent- ribs, roast potatoes, cabbage salad, and cucumber salad. However, despite my satisfaction with the food, I had no idea what was flying during the meal. I understood words here and there but I felt totally lost. After the meal, trying to minimize my feelings of awkwardness, I decided to look at all of the sefarim in the bookcase, one by one.. However, I could only look at them for so long. Thank g-d I was then rescued by the "vamos" call, meaning it was time to go back home
These Chabad ppl really confuse me:
on one hand, they've got the long beards, the velvet yamukahs, cholov yisrael only diets
but then on the other hand, they're obsessed with Play Station and Katy Perry. Go figure
Hasta la proxima vez
Buenas Noches
Ariel
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