Feliz Primavera!

22 September 2009

The weeks in Buenos Aires haven’t been too exciting, with work and all, but this week is definitely an exception. Monday was a big holiday for Argentina, the first day of spring! Feliz Primavera everyone! There was a big fiesta for the kids in the jardin, with music, costumes, cookies, and even SODA! Lots of Fanta orange (which is huge down here). Of course, I forgot my camera, but Allie and Ilana got some great pictures, which I will later steal. It was so much fun in the jardin that we were actually disappointed when our students showed up for English classes. We wanted to play in the jardin and do the Hokey Pokey and drink Fanta!

For after work, the girls and I had planned to go to La Bomba del Tiempo, which is THE thing to do on a Monday, at least in certain circles. It’s this semi-outdoor concert that is essentially a drum circle on steroids and just has an amazing vibe. I had not been and was so excited about going, but because of the holiday, we couldn’t get in! The week before, the girls got in without a hitch, but we arrived around the same time this week, and the line was over 2 blocks long. At one point they stopped selling tickets. We thought we could finagle our way in, being 3 girls (and one natural blonde, a powerful weapon in these parts), but alas, we were unsuccessful. We started to look for another bar and ended up near Abasto shopping center, so we stopped in for some McDonald’s, to put something in our stomachs… the first American fast-food I’ve had in South America, I assure you. But it always tastes the same, in every country, which is comforting. We ended up at this bar which was the after-La Bomba party spot in the prior week, and the bar had live reggae music later in the night, which was awesome. However, prior to the band starting, they played Bob Marley’s greatest hits on loop…and as much as we love Bob Marley, we were happy for the musica in vivo to start.

I find it amazing how much better my Spanish becomes with a little bit of alcohol. It’s an extremely common occurrence for many people, in both Spanish and English, but it still blows my mind. I love meeting new people and having to socialize in Spanish, but it has its pros and cons. The pros: it helps my Spanish immensely. For example, in Chile, I had conversations where I spoke solely in Spanish, and the native Spanish speakers spoke solely in English…a sight to see for others around us. The cons: the blond curls have attracted a large and varied group of men down here in South America – to the point that Melissa joked about my many “boyfriends.” The combination of Latino, Spanish, and Italian here in Argentina makes for a pretty aggressive environment, so staying polite while fending off advances is in no way an effortless activity, like it is in the states (MUCH, MUCH less frequently, of course). It will definitely be a shot to my self esteem to come back to the states, but not necessarily an unwanted one. After many discussions with the girls, I believe that something in between would be perfect…something between the aggressive advances here and the shy, generally inhibited guys in the states. At least the guys here aren’t hard to read…it’s like a children’s book here in Argentina. But that’s neither here nor there.

Regardless, we drank, danced, and enjoyed ourselves until closing time, on a Monday. Needless to say, all three of us were pleased with the rain this morning, since rain = a free day off from work. (The infrastructure where we work is such that it is difficult for the people to get there in the rain. The main road is paved; we can get there via van and bus, but may have to wade through ankle-deep water for half a block. But aside from the main road, it’s all dirt roads, which become large, muddy puddles preventing travel to and from the cooperativa.)

I should have done some sight-seeing this afternoon, but with a ton of Spanish homework to do before my lesson from 6-8, a nap and homework trumped. I feel like I need to see all I can in my last week, but I just don’t always have the energy! There’s something about the rain that sucks it all up. I think tomorrow I will go to see Recoleta Cemetery, where Eva Peron is buried, weather permitting. That is, if I get up early enough. Vamos a ver (we will see) …

Buenas noches, mis queridos!