I've been getting into Tango Electronic music, which is a more lounge style, modern type of Tango. So on Friday, I went to the center of town to look for some cheap CD's. After visiting the Cabildo Museum, which tells the history of the building and Argentina's independence, I got lunch at this restaurant that I had been at earlier on in the semester. It's an all you can eat vegan buffet, and somehow, in 2 months, the price for lunch had risen 11 pesos. When I asked the waiter about this, he responded that they had raised the price of the meal by 2 pesos and that you had to order a drink as well. I tried ordering tap water but I wasn't allowed- apparently the restaurant doesn't have a sink. Thus, I ended up ordering a 9 peso water. I clearly looked peeved because as I paid, he asked me where I was from. I truthfully responded the US, and he asked me why Americans tend to be so cheap. I didn't want to get into a whole argument about this but I explained to him that in any restaurant in the US, one could always get tap water, thus saving a couple of bucks. I expressed how frustrating it was that surely the restaurant has tap water to spare but I have to pay for water, the most basic thing. (Yes billions of people don't have access to good drinking water but that's not for here). And what do I need to drink water from a glass bottle for? This restaurant was by no means classy. And the water in Buenos Aires happens to be pretty good. But no, I had to drink water from a glass bottle. Argen freakin tina!! It was both a principle thing and the drink cost nearly 2 dollars.
In the last few weeks, between learning about it in school and getting used to living here, I have become quite interested in the whole history of Juan Peron, the Argentine president beginning in the 1940's, serving 3 different terms. The fascinating part about it remains that everyone has a different opinion about him. It continues as a heated debate- ask any Argentine about Peron and you'll get a rant in many cases, always with a different attitude. But it's not just opinion where people disagree. People have told me completely contradictory things regarding facts about the Peron regime. I'm almost obsessed at this point with knowing what really is Peronism and how he was as a leader.
For example, in class, I learned that the general quality of life greatly improved and a middle class developed during his time. Then at Friday night dinner, my hosts explained to me that he ruined the flourishing middle class and poverty became even more widespread and extreme. Some held that Peron led a democracy, others held that he led a dictatorship. What actually happened? I still don't really know, but I'll try not to stress about it.
On shabbat day, I walked to Palermo to daven at Menorah, where I attended last week. There, I encountered the most strict security yet. When I got to the door, the guard barely opened the door, asked me for my name, where I was from, what I was doing in Argentina, whom I was going to see at the shul. It was as if I were checking in for an El Al flight. Even after providing him with all of this information, he shut the door and went upstairs to confirm that I wasn't making this stuff up. After a couple of minutes, I entered. But seriously, I guess the different synagogues feel the need to do this security check, but it's pretty sad and a bit scary nevertheless.
Shabbat afternoon, following lunch, I walked with my friend Yael to her house, located in an area I had not yet visited called San Cristobal. We walked for a fairly long time, talking about the semester and our thoughts about Buenos Aires. Of course, one can never fail to mention the filth that exists on the streets. Amazingly, just as Yael said "this city is just full of so much sh#t, some pigeon poop landed right in between us- right on cue. It's nice to know that the major inhabitants of Buenos Aires, people, dogs, and pigeons, all play a part in providing fertilizer to the sidewalks. If only everyone were that united about politics here.
A couple other observations:
1. Argentines love walking slowly, but even more so, somehow always walk in the middle of the sidewalk, so unless it's a Sunday morning, where nobody is awake, you can't pass these people. So you just gotta roll your eyes, inch along, until you find an opening to pass.
2. Babies are everywhere
Right down the block from me sits an ice cream store that offers the strangest/most interesting promotions:
1. Whenever it rains, if you buy a kilo of ice cream, you get another one free.
2. If the outside temperature sits between 0-5 degrees Celsius, if you buy a kilo, you get another kilo free.
3. If the outside temperature sits between 5-9 degrees, if you buy a kilo, you get 1/2 of a kilo free.
4. If the outside temperature sits between 9-16 degrees, if you buy a kilo, you get 1/4 of a kilo free.
They're clearly obsessed with the weather, though it's a very creative way to come up with a promotion. While I do like their ice cream, however, I don't plan on buying a kilo anytime soon. Plus I'm not going to round up everyone I know in Belgrano in the middle of a thunderstorm.
Hasta luego
Ariel
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