I am safe

I just found out that the nightclub fire last night [here in BA] made international news. No, I was not there.

Now, I just have to survive the streets tonight -- I've heard there are many drunk drivers on the streets, and the police don't patrol them as much as they do in the US.

Happy New Year everyone!!!

Shana's Travel Diet

While I haven't weighed myself in a couple weeks, I am certain I have lost more weight. When I last weighed myself, I was done about 20-25 pounds. And since the Goal Jeans I brought with me (girls, you understand; guys, don't ask if you don't know) couldn't be buttoned then, and can be now (though, they are dangerously tight -- but the point is I could barely get them over my hips before I left), I reckon another 5-8 pounds have been lost.

This phenomenon is not uncommon with me. I traditionally lose weight everytime I travel for more than a week. It's generally about 10 pounds per month. Simply, I'm just more active (when I have the time, I walk quite a bit), and my diet tends to be better. Read: I am not stuck in the office building that only has relatively high-fat lunch options (their low-fat options usually tasted on par with cardboard). Granted, I am also unofficially on the Atkins diet. Before I came to Argentina, I had a steak maybe once a year. Now, I have steaks an average of 2-4 times a week. I've even had steak for lunch and dinner on the same day...

And it goes without saying that I eat Alfajores and chocolate frequently. As in: Every Single Day...and I'm still losing weight.

Travel tidbits

So, after watching CNN today, Thailand is now officially axed from my itinerary. Possibly India, too. A friend just emailed and said there was a 9.0 earthquake in Russia today. What is going on??? That's three 8.0+ earthquakes in under a week.

The current total is 80,000 people dead. They estimate there will be at least 100,000 dead. There are so many corpses, they don't have enough people to be able to check for identification, and the mass graves are already starting. This is an incredibly horrific event and probably the worst most of us will witness in our lives. Please give to Red Cross to help the relief effort:

http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts/my-pay-page/PX3BEL97U9A4I

While there is normally a charge for organizations to use this feature through Amazon.com, Amazon.com is not taking a percentage of the amount they collect for this disaster. 100% of all money collected will go to the Red Cross.

Next week, I will start figuring out a new itinerary. Perhaps I will stay in this area for a little while longer, and then just head towards Europe. Or, if you have any suggestions, do email me and let me know. I don't fancy going anywhere prone to natural disasters, nor do I really fancy going to anywhere that has just experienced one (or more). (Side note: OK. Florida was an exception, because I already had my ticket to Argentina, and the area of Florida I went to was not really affected by the hurricanes.)

Why, hello there sun

Yes. The sun has returned today. Though, not with blistering hit and crippling humidity. It is a lovely 80 or so degree (F) day.

So, am officially back on the Life of Leisure. No school today, so I slept in, finished a couple hundred pages of a book, and went out to lunch. Tonight, going to either a tango class or an End of Year party at the restaurant I take salsa classes at.

Oh, and the guy sitting next to me in the locutorio is surfing almost-porn photos, and saving them to his desktop. How that site wasn't blocked by the adult filter software here, I don't know. I can't read PC's or Iceward Bound's blogs from this locutorio. Go figure.

Now, time to either take a siesta or grab a new book and read in a park, or take my private journal and write in the park. Will decide when I return to the residence.

Feliz Navidad

Last night there was a dinner in the residence for everyone, and it was really nice. I haven't felt any Christmas spirit since my father died, and I actually started to feel a little last night. Not sure why this year is different -- though, I think it was the dinner as I hadn't felt anything until last night.

The tradition here is to celebrate Christmas on what Americans call Christmas Eve. Just about everything shut around 3-4pm yesterday, and taxis were a rarity. Though, I hear everything re-opened about 3am -- restaurants, bars, kiosks, and the taxis re-appeared. At midnight, the fireworks that were intermittently going off all evening started being lit in earnest. To a casual observer, there do not appear to be any laws governing fireworks here. While sitting on the patio (it was a cool-ish 60-65 F) chatting and listening to music post-dinner, we would point out the Fire Bags (my name) that would float overhead. A FB looks like a balloon with a ball of fire in it. After the third one I spotted, I heard a fire engine roar past. That FB was going in the direction of the Congress building... To my knowledge, there weren't any fires in my neighborhood last night.

Was looking forward to a day of sunshine. A day that I could take my book on to the patio and work a little on my tan. Nooooooooo. It's rained on and off throughout the entire day. I'm actually wearing the one sweater I brought on this trip. It's summer in Argentina. It's wrong. But so it goes.

Have plans to go salsa dancing tonight. Though, I've been laying in bed all day, alternating napping and reading a Carl Hiassen book, and I'm feeling rather lazy and uninspired. I came to check my email, hoping for an email from someone in particular (and not finding one - che boludo). Found an email from someone else, and there's a possibility we will both be in Thailand at the same time. It's all very conditional, as I've been thinking about changing my itinerary, in a variety of ways, and it also depends on what he and his girlfriend actually decide to do for a vacation next year. I also have a couple other friends that may be in Copenhagen next year, at roughly the time I will be in Europe. To see them, I would border hop as necessary -- they are particularly cool people.

So, Feliz Navidad to you. Or happy day of quiet far from the madding crowds.

I hope it's sunny tomorrow.

The milonga kitten

No, that isn't me. Well, not yet...

Last night, went to my favorite milonga so far. La Catedral. Very bohemian and laid back. Catedral is in an old warehouse, and would look horrible in the full light of day. However, dim the lights, play some tango music, put some funky art on the walls, place a variety of mismatched tables and chairs around an uneven dance floor, and voila, you have a spectacular milonga.

For a while, someone had their kitten under our table. People talk about having watch dogs, but this kitten could rival a rottweiler. She laid on top of the owner's shoebag, and swatted anyone who started to pet her. An absolute doll.

Also, it was the first milonga I've gone to with a profusion of gorgeous men in attendance. ¡Que bombones!

I will finish with my Spanish lessons on Friday. This is not because I am ever-so fluent, but because I want to now spend more time studying tango and going to milongas. 10am classes just don't mesh with staying out until 3-5am in the morning... I'm still terrified of dancing with Argentinian men, which means that I don't dance much as I don't meet the eyes of men searching for dances. However, I do dance a tiny bit, and I'm starting to take classes again. [Note: after ditching the class on Monday, I went to another class that evening (absolute beginners, as I feel I should start over and also because I haven't danced tango in about two months), and that class was really great. The teacher is well-known, and was even one of the teachers Monday night.]

Someone at the residence has started organizing a little dinner for Friday night, to celebrate Christmas. As I've established that I'm not really a fan of Christmas, that aspect doesn't appeal to me. However, I am looking forward to a group dinner, and I believe that we're able to invite other orphans along, too. Also, precious little will be open on Friday night (I imagine), and even less on Saturday -- this is a Catholic country, after all -- so spending that time with friends is a welcome diversion.

Whatever you're doing this weekend, or however you're celebrating (or not), I wish you the best.

Now, pass the suntan lotion, please... Yesterday was the official start of summer.

Tango classes and huge protests

No. These are about the same thing.

To wit. I went to a tango class (on my own) today. [note: cool Australian chick has danced tango longer than yours truly] Hated it. The class was billed as All Levels. Hardly. I know a tiny bit, so I was put with what I can only imagine was an intermediate dancer. Or, he liked to think he was an intermediate dancer. What was being taught was well into intermediate level, if not beginning advanced. It was lovely, but not something I could realistically do. And the instructor said boo to me only when finding out how much I've studied tango. The second guy I danced with, already mentioned above, kept trying to get his attention for some help, to no avail. I was left to the devices of a couple leads, without any intervention from either instructor. Then the female instructor showed up [late] and started barking orders like a constipated drill sargeant. It was at this point I left. No. Thank. You.

It is worth noting that the classes I've already taken here are an intermediate level, and 1. I was able to participate just fine; and 2. were not the level of difficulty of the class today. Also, I was not so awkward or fumbling when I danced with the NZ fellow on Friday night. So, bad class or bad leads? Dunno. Don't care.

I walked out after 30 minutes, and I do not intend on going back to this particular studio. At all. Nunca.

At least I didn't pay for four classes up front, which is what I originally intended to do...

So, time to find another studio for a class.

On to protests. Today is the anniversary of the financial crisis in Argentina. What does this mean for me? Well, you might remember that I've mentioned that I live mere blocks from Congreso. Yes, dear reader, there are at least three protests today. The largest of which is pretty much outside my front door. Just try taking a taxi in this city... Though, I had a lovely taxi driver after I ditched my class, and he did a very quick and relatively quick drop off [albeit eight blocks from my residence, but I opted to get out there and walk].

Oh, and in case you're wondering, the Australian chick and I are still getting along famously. She's even been oh-so-graceful and indulgent in dealing with my PMS rantings and mood swings. Really, this is a bad case of PMS, and she's tolerated more than one could ever expect a new friend to. She talks just as much as I do (read: A Lot), and we just have a great synchronicity. We went for manicures and pedicures on Saturday. She's a doll and I adore her. I envy her hair.

More milongas

So. Yesterday. Bought two, yes two, pairs of tango shoes. And I went to two, yes two, milongas. Though, only danced with one guy. If the men have never seen you dance, getting requests for dancing are few and far between. Though, I still loved going to the milongas, and there was a live band at one of them (Color Tango -- band, not the club name). At one milonga, we saw a couple of the Young, Professional dancing couples, and they were the most beautiful couples to watch. Absolutely glided across the floor -- like silk rippling in a breeze.

Oh, and here's the funny part: [I went dancing with the Australian chica] I met a couple of New Zealanders [friends of the A chica], also tango dancers. Back in September, or thereabouts, one of my original tango teachers took off for a month vacation in NZ. The people I met last night met him in NZ and [I believe] are somewhat acquainted with him. So, there you go: Six Degrees of Separation in Argentina.

One of the pairs of shoes is sex on heels. Lovely, dark raspberry red leather, lightly textured (almost feels like suede), hugs my foot and beautifies my foot most splendidly. I'm in love.

Ahh, the weekend finally arrives...

...and I have a sore throat. I sincerely hope I am not getting a cold. However, running in and out of air conditioning all the time isn't the best for the body. Combined with not sleeping well (don't know why), there you go. Tonight will most likely be movie night for me, with a scarf around my neck in the movie theater.

There is a new chick in the residence. Australian. We talked for a couple hours yesterday, and to watch us you'd think we were long-lost friends (in fact, I think someone did). As in, we get on like a house on fire. She is here to dance, and we are going to buy tango shoes this afternoon. She also told me about a tango shoe shop here, where the only way to describe the shoes are the words: Jimmy Choo. The last time she was here, she bought ten (10!) pairs, and just wears them when she goes out and about in Sydney. Unless she has a multiple personality, I predict we will be spending a lot of time together dancing and raising hell. And swapping books... And buying tango shoes with cowhide.

Here's to hoping my throat feels better soon.

The drug of a Book Nerd

Now, I've always been a bookworm. Or, as the button on my jean jacket says, a Book Nerd. [side note: try explaining the concept of geek vs nerd to a non-native English speaker, and then try explaining the joke of Book Nerd...not necessarily easy.]

I finally found a shop that has more than Harlequin romance novels, horrible bestselling novels, or horror novels -- in English. I bought three books at one store. Chick lit, if you must know -- it's a guilty pleasure of mine. At another store, I bought a nice 'literary' book -- a collection of short stories translated from German (by the author of The Reader, which I heard was a very good book).

When I was walking back to the subte with my purchases, I had a rush equal to that of having a crush on someone, or what it must be like to have just partaken in a narcotic (drugs aren't my thing, so I can only imagine).

What a rush!!

I am rather hungry, and all I want to do is go to my residence and read all night long. I feel as if I'm carrying around a little bag of treasures. Which, to me anyway, I am.

Thankfully, I don't have any homework from my class today -- just a little studying to do.

Ahh, beautiful Uruguay

Folks, Uruguay is one of the loveliest places I've seen. The countryside is absolutely beautiful, and Colonia (de Sacramento) is absolutely charming and divine. It is a tiny little city, colonized by the Portuguese back in the day. It is pure tranquility and lovely without being quaint. There are dogs that roam the streets, but they are more friendly than feral, and there is a distinct lack of dogshit on the streets. How nice to be able to walk without constantly looking down and watching for messes to avoid!

The group of us also went to Montevideo on Sunday. I think Montevideo could be nice, but it's hard to have a solid opinion when 99% of everything was closed up and there were few people on the streets. Catholic countries really shut down on Sundays, and Montevideo was the most shut down Catholic city I've seen in a very long time. My friends wanted to 'do' (one of them actually used this word...) Montevideo in about five hours. Fine, I thought. Though, I don't quite understand the desire to walk the entire city, when there isn't anything to see on the streets (aside from the child beggars running after you shouting 'moneda! moneda!' (moneda=coin). Especially in 90+ degree heat. After getting exceptionally bored, and tired of walking very quickly in jeans (remember, the heat factor), I ditched my friends and went off on my own. I found an open-air street market and browsed the stalls for a bit. There were some interesting items, but not interesting enough for me to buy. I stopped by a bookshop, as I need a new book to read (I can't live without reading and I haven't had anything compelling to read in a couple weeks). They didn't carry English-language books, so I walked for a few blocks, bought a Coke and sat in a park. Considering the possibilities (nada), I opted to go back to the air-conditioned bus station and write in my journal for a while. The others walked for the 2.5-3 hours that we were apart. They'd gone to a beach, but it doesn't sound like they even stopped to sit at the beach for a while. So, I ask you, what is the point of visiting a city that is closed on Sundays and spending the entire time walking through it? Answer: none. Unless, of course, you are going to visit someone you know, and hence, are not sightseeing. The architecture wasn't anything special, so there wasn't even that to look at while walking around. For me, the walking was largely pointless. I mean, really, why not take a taxi, considering how cheap the taxis are?? Especially when that means you could spend more time somewhere interesting (e.g. the market or the beach)? If I'm going to walk for exercise -- which is something I actually do quite frequently -- I would never choose to do so in that level of heat. Especially as I was already sporting a mild sunburn from lounging at the hotel pool the day before.

So, that is my rant of the week.

Though, Montevideo seems like a nice place and I've recently heard someone rave about it, so I might go back for another visit. I would like to go back to Colonia, at the very least. It was that nice and it was incredibly enjoyable to be somewhere quiet (NO car horns, shouting, buses at 3am, barking dogs at 6am) and peaceful. I felt my stress factor plummet as soon as we started walking around (after dropping our bags at the hotel). I actually quite enjoy being someplace very small, were you can see everything in a few hours, and then spend the rest of the time ambling around or just sit by the pool or the beach or in a cafe, and not feel guilty that you're not out Seeing the Sights. I am a big fan of the beach destination holiday.

Though, I do have to admit that the part I liked best about the Montevideo side trip was getting to see the countryside from the bus. I've seen some of the Argentinian countryside, and it has a rundown, tired look. The countryside in Uruguay reminded me most of the Irish countryside (though, Uruguay is less green). It was clean, with hills, farms and horses and cows in abundance. Uruguay is not a rich country, yet the countryside is not a testament to its relative poorness when compared with a rich country, unlike what I've seen so far of Argentina. However, when I really hit the Argentinian road in January, maybe my perspective will change.

If you, dear reader, ever happen to visit Buenos Aires, I definitely recommend heading to Colonia. It's only one hour by the rapid boat (there is a three-hour 'slow' boat). And when you need a new visa stamp for your passport, it doesn't get easier than a quick trip to Uruguay.

Finally...

My stomach is no longer a cesspit of gas and, umm, discomfort. I am healthy again. Just in time for the weekend and my trip to Uruguay. Thank you Immodium and Gatorade.

Life is good, again.

Now, time to pack and color my hair. I'm constantly surprised at how many people think my red-headness is natural... I've had red hair for over a year, now, and in Seattle, it still takes me a moment that when some moron is yelling 'Hey, Red' they're trying to get *my* attention. Of course, it just annoys me. It's not like I get the opportunity to yell back 'Hey, Jackass'. Unless, of course, I want to risk my personal safety.

On the plane to Buenos Aires, there was a small boy wandering around the front of the plane, without or ahead of his parents, and the pilot pointed him out to me thinking I was the mother. All because the boy had red hair and so do I.

Visiting new places

So, today is a national holiday in Argentina (the Day of the Immaculate Conception, I think). A couple others and I went to Lujan today, which was rumored to be a place of much activity for the holiday.

Getting there: local train to Moreno, then colectivo (bus) to Lujan. In all, about two hours for a 65km journey. 6 pesos, roundtrip.

The cathedral is Lujan is under renovation. I saw a picture that looked like part of it collapsed. Storm? Just a factor of poor contruction or old age? Dunno. There was a priest showering holy water over the procession inside the church and there was a service going on. I avoided the holy water shower... There was a woman crawling on her knees, with extreme sadness and pain on her face, through the procession. Other people held up various objects so they would be touched and blessed by the water. Some, religious icons and crucifixes, made sense. Others, soda bottles, did not.

We walked through a little of the town. Not much to see as it is a holiday and every effort is focused on the church and related activities. What looked to be a bazaar was really endless stands selling the same religious paraphenalia. Endlessly. A few restaurants were open, and they were unmemorable.

When we arrived, a massive downpour started. Of course, we did not have jackets or an umbrella. So, we went for me to eat lunch (they weren't hungry, because they'd had breakfast before the trip (I hadn't)). When I was finished eating and the rain abated, we walked to the cathedral. There was a little frog in the street, hopping about. We watched as it made it's way about halfway across a street. We didn't wait to see if it made it across or if it got ran over. Frogger anyone?

Friday, I leave for the previously mentioned trip to Colonia, Uruguay. The hotel has a pool. Yay! Though, I will put on sunblock every 20 minutes that I am next to it... My chest and shoulders are still peeling from the Iguazu burn two weeks ago...

Champagne? Chorizo?

Wow. The parilla yesterday was nice. Chock-a-block
filled with diplomats new and experienced. I met the
Swiss Ambassador to Argentina, and he and his wife
appeared a lot more kind and approachable than I would
have imagined (I didn't actually get to speak with
them). The CdA was also very kind -- I actually got to
speak to him for a bit, when he sat down at the table
I was at. He's been to Seattle and enjoyed it. And, as
the diplomat, he was quite complimentary, considering
it probably rained a lot while he was there...

Oh, and I'll mention that this event was the first
time I'd ever gone to a private party in a home, where
there was waitstaff. For me, not like I'm a Poor
Bumpkin Girl, it was like stepping in to a movie. I
hadn't considered beforehand who would be serving the
food.

Though, I quickly figured out that the people most
accustomed to being waited on in this manner said the
least to the waitstaff. Initially, I found myself
saying 'gracias' every time something was presented to
me. Then, I started doing so less frequently.

There was a black lab at the house, and it was so
wonderful to be around a dog with personality again.
He is only 7 months old, and his charm and personality
is not as developed as Tosi's was. However, Leo is
young and has time to work all that out.

I've come to really love dogs over the past couple
years.

All in all, it was a nice day. Though, the flamenco
show in the evening was a bit too much for me, and
also not quite traditional (traditional does not
include an electric guitar...). It also got quite
loud, and I felt like a little old geriatric when
after we left, I commented I had a raging headache
because the music had been so loud at the end. I'm not
that old...

Laziness and weirdness

So. Laziness: I am a shining example this week. Granted, my stomach has felt like it had Alien in it, so that has severely limited what I did this week, as until yesterday, I never knew when I was going to have to run for a bathroom... Ick. However, am finally starting to feel normal today, and I have plans for tonight and the weekend. Tonight is a friend's birthday, and another from the residence, and I, will be taking her out to dinner. Then tomorrow, the Chargez d'Affaires at the embassy she is interning at is hosting a parilla and she invited me to join her. Fancy that, me going to a parilla at the residence of a ranked embassy official. I had to give my full name to my friend, because the CdA needed a list of all the guest's full names. Cursory background check? Or just a desire to know who will be entering your home? You decide.

So. Weirdness: it seems rather strange to me to see a man wearing shorts, with his shirt unbuttoned to his waist (thus exposing his chest and beer belly), contemplating which plastic Christmas tree to buy. It is starting to get rather warm here (it's been in the mid-80s this week, and will only get hotter from here on out), and it will be unusual for me to be spending the holidays and New Year somewhere where I am not wearing sweaters and shivering and hiding from freezing rain. Granted, I'm from Seattle and 'White Christmas' is a movie you watch on tv, not experience, but still...

Also, it's worth noting that I'm not one that gets possessed by the Christmas Spirit. I enjoy giving gifts to friends and my mother. However, I strongly prefer to do it when the inspiration strikes me, not when society says that I should go into Shopping Overdrive and overspend in an effort to observe a holiday that doesn't mean anything to me personally (I was not raised with religion, I have not 'discovered' or adopted a religion (ever) nor do I observe any religious tenets -- though, I can respect some ideas (such as not murdering someone or respecting the earth and all objects on it)). I suppose at the root of it all, I just have a big problem with someone or something else telling me how to live my life and what I can or cannot do. I went to a Baptist church for a short period of time when I was 13 or 14. Let's just say that I didn't find God or anything else of much interest to me, there. I remember being in Sunday School and being told I couldn't travel by myself. 'Why?' I asked. My memory of the response was that it was wrong for a girl to do on her own (Look At Me Now!) and that it was just plain frowned upon by that particular Sunday School teacher. I am not an avid Rule Breaker (well, maybe I am, but I generally don't get caught in my sly escapades and if you don't know what those escapades are, I'm not going to tell), but if someone can't provide a good, sane and reasonable reason to not do something (e.g. don't go to Juarez, Mexico because it is one of the most dangerous places in the world for women -- women NEED to be home before dark, or they risk being kidnapped, brutually raped, then possibly killed, before being dumped in the desert and abandoned), I'm going to do what I want to do, screw what other people think.

Alive...barely

Did you know that you can get sick (for decorum reasons, I will not go in to the ghastly specifics) from a sunburn? Well, you can. I have a 2nd degree burn on my left shoulder and have been in a sorry state of health the past few days. Today is a little better, and I actually *want* to eat, and the food I've had today has stayed with me. So far. So, things are looking a little better.

And yes, before you start sending me reprimands, I was slathered in sunblock.

I learned that even if you are under an umbrella, the UV rays can penetrate the umbrella and burn you. This happened to someone else at the residence, in a different country.

I was only directly in the sun for about an hour (the length of a CD).