The Day Yoko Came to Town

Yoko is visiting us from Japan for 12 days! Yay! She just arrived today, so we are having a celebratory drink of Malbec Rosado (which is so-so). Tomorrow we have a short tour of the city`s main sights planned - depending on her jet-lag.

In other news the Argentine President for the next four years will indeed be Christina Kirchner, who won over 40 % of the popular vote, and so avoiding going to a second ballot in November. She is, as i have mentioned, the wife of the current president (Nestor Kirchner) but this should not be taken to mean that she is either capable or incapable of the job. Hopefully she will continue the strategies of their common party in moving Argentina forward and away from the economic crash of six years ago that is still so much on the minds of the Argentine people. Hopefully also she will take many of the oppositions suggestions on how to make the government more accountable overall so as to avoid the corruption and in-fighting that has plagued this still-new democracy. No matter what happens, the next four years here should prove very interesting here in Argentina.

Election Day in Argentina

Well, it`s election day here in Argentina and it looks like it will be an interesting one. I don`t know much about the candidates or their platforms but it is a hotly contested election race mostly between Christina Kirchner and Roberto Lavagna. Robert Lavagna is an economist and saw Argentina through the economic crash of six years ago, and Christina Kirchner is a senator and a popular choice to win today. She is also the wife of the current president, Nestor Kirchner, a fact that has dominated the headlines since she announced her candidacy. This is the sort of gimmick that makes me shake my head and wonder if politics hasn`t sunk to the level of crappy reality TV. Then i remember that politics came first and it`s always been this way. From a memetic perspective it`s fascinating to watch how information spreads and changes, affecting campaigns and the entire political discourse during election time. Here i am thinking more of the recent Ontario provivcial election, where there were many important issues that would directly affect voters over the course of the next four years but instead the discourse revolved largely around the idea of government funding of faith-based schools, an emotional topic that sucked in people`s attention and opinions like a black hole despite it`s logical irrelevance (there is simply no way in today`s Ontario that such a bill ever would have passed).
But back to the Argentine election - It will be interesting to see what happens here throughout the day and the coming week. Argentines are quick to take to the streets in dramatic displays of political protest over even the smallest of issues. And with high unemployment and inflation running at roughly 18 % (yeah - EIGHTEEN!!!!!! WTF?! ) there is plenty to march about (though little is known what the government can actually DO about it). Also of note is the fact that here in Argentina voting is taking place on Sunday (Domingo) - not Tuesday or Monday. This is due to the fact that voting here is compulsory. i will never understand the sheer logistics of accounting for everyone in a highly mobile (borderline chaotic) demography like South America. Many of my Canadian and American friends might disagree with me here but i firmly believe that voting should be mandatory. But i`ll save my ranting for another time. Keep an eye on the international news and tomorrow i`ll post the results here. Stay tuned to see what happens next on a very special episode of "The B.A."...

Below are some links to extra information and articles regarding the election, should you be so inclined. Hope everyone has/had a great weekend.

BBC News coverage - Key Questions in Argentina`s Election
Newsvine.com`s brief description of the Argentine electoral process
The Guardian (UK) - The leading contenders in Argentina's election
Reuters.com - First lady is favorite to win Argentina election

Team Kirchner:

Opposition Leader Robert Lavagna:

Christina Kirchner as Senator:

Christina Kirchner with U.S. First Lady, Laura "The Smile-a-nator" Bush:

A Day Amongst The Dead

So we got the internet back on Thursday night but i`ve been lazy about blogging, settling for putting pictures in the Facebook galleries. But today we took a nice long walk down through the parks and squares of Recoleta to the cemetery (it`s not a long walk but we took the scenic route), The Recoleta Cemetery is a world famous necropolis, and one of the largest, housing the remains of Argentina`s elite for well over a century and a half (including Eva Peron). The mausoleums are impressive and run from the simple and elegant all the way to the uber-tacky monstrosity. Some of them are just plain creepy. The cemetery itself is huge and really is like a small city. Here are just a few of the many pictures i took on our first walk through the city of the dead:

Oh, Internet, Where Art Thou?

I am writing this from a locutorio (phone office) a few blocks from our apartment. Our internet has crashed and ceased to function and we are currenmtly in the midst of dealing with our rental agency in an effort to resolve the numerous small but annoying problems with our place. I refuse to let any of this dampen my spirits or cast a shadow my stay here but it does mean that i will be unable to Blog or Facebook for a few days perhaps. Please be patient if my e-mail responses are slow (slower than their normal slowness, anyway) and hopefully i will be back online and posting photos soon enough. ¡hasta luego!

Pics from yesterday

Ulala and i did next to nothing today of any interest. we woke up late and i made a nice brunch (awesome fiance that i am) and then we hung out around the house reading and studying until boredom drove us out into the streets for a walk around Palermo Soho, where we had not ventured as of yet. There were lots of nice houses and cafes and shops and all that you expect from an area that all the guides say is "trendy" and "modern". I did try a beer called "Iguana", which was mediocre as far as beers go but still worth the experience. I also love the fact that beer comes in one litre bottles (well, 930ml - close enough) and that these cost on average and 70 cents to a dollar fifty Canadian. Love It. And i stopped in at a locutorio (phone office) to call mom and wish her a happy Dia de La Madre (Mother`s Day). That`s right, Mother`s Day is in October here since it is Spring! Weird, hunh? =)

Perfect moment of today: sitting outside on the balcony in the sunshine, feeling the cool Spring breeze that is the city`s namesake, reading Dashiell Hammett, tasting strong, fresh coffee, hearing people on the street laughing and talking, and smelling a neighbour`s barbecue grilling the famous Argentine beef.

And since there are no pictures of note from today, here are those pictures i promised from yesterday.

From left, Tomoko, Ben and Miki Schwartz:

Walkabout with Ben, Tomoko, and Miki

Today Ulala and i met up with Tomoko and Ben Schwartz and their adorable baby Miki and we walked around BA to some new neighbourhoods and had a nice lunch in San Telmo and `cafe con leche` at an outdoor cafe in Plaza Dorrego. Ulala met Tomoko online through Mixi (a Japanese networking site not unlike MySpace or Facebook). Ben and Tomoko have lived in BA for two years and have a great apartment which they have bought and renovated here in the city. Today they took us through downtown and into San Telmo to have lunch (beef in various forms) at Desnivel, which was excellent. Then we walked through Puerto Madero and i took lots of pictures and we got to see the modern side of BA. I had this image in my mind of BA as being an old colonial style city with European architecture and cobbled streets and wide avenuesand monuments and little else. This is all here, no doubt, and Ulala and i have seen much of this in our first week. But today we also got to see (thanks to Ben and Tomoko) the heart and character of the city. The reason tourists come here at all and the reason why this is really an under-appreciated and (almost) world-class city. We also got to see modern condos and towers of glass and steel (though no less creative or elegant in their structures). I am reminded thankfully that this is a big city with many facets and one must never give into the temptation to allow stereotype to replace one`s first hand experience. The stereotypes are here, but there is so much more. I`ve put some pictures in Facebook galleries for now and will hopefully post some pictures from the day here tomorrow.

Walking Around Downtown BA

We had a busy day today but only because it started kind of late. We took the subway, the "Subte" (which i can only assume is hort for "sub-terranean"), for the first time today. Yes, we`ve been here a whole week and we are just now getting around to trying out the subway system, a mere four blocks from our place. I`d like to believe this is simply a sign that there is plenty to do and see in our neighbourhood and surrounding area. We have been busy everyday walking and exploring Palermo and Recoleta, getting familiar with the main streets and landmarks. And of course, taking pictures. But today we signed up for Spanish lessons (which start monday) and on our way home from the Spanish school, we decided to take a wander around the architecture-packed central area. Then we walked through Calle Floridda (Florida street), which is a famous and trendy pedestrian-only shopping street that leads outwards from the core of town. This whole area (sometimes reffered to as "Microcentro" and featured prominently on postcard racks throughout the country) has so many amazing old buildings that if i tried to take pictures of them all today i would certainly run out of memory on my camera. These classically styled monuments to Argentina`s Colonial and European heritage provide a backdrop to crowded avenues and busy sidewalks, which is where the real stories of Buenos Aires have unfolded for centuries. I took only a few pictures since i plan to do many more thorough visits to this area in the near future. Tonight we were supposed to go out and see some of the BA nightlife but we were so tired and hungry that when we got home i made some delicious Milanesa (a breaded and fried meat dish) and took a nap. Most of the pictures are in the facebook album but here are a couple examples. Enjoy!

Just Around The Corner

Today Ulala and i spent a lovely day at the zoo here in Buenos Aires. It is just a short walk from our apartment and we had a perfect sunny day that needed some enjoying. The Zoo was fun and i always love seeing the variety of creatures (though i am not a fan of seeing them penned up, per se. The sheer diversity and imagination of the evolutionary process is stunning. My mind has been blown.

The zoo itself was much like the rest of BA - old and faded. Which isn`t to say that it was bad. Just a little worn out. There is another blog by an American expat named Jeff Barry living here in the city called "Buenos Aires: City of Faded Elegance". This is an accurate and poetic way to describe this lovely city. As for pictures from the zoo there are too many to post here so i have posted them in facebook for anyone who cares to take a look. Another excellent blog about BA and one man`s attempt to map it and walk it`s entirety is "Line of Sight" written by another American expat named Robert Wright.

But, on that note, now it is late and i am tired and our TV is broken so i am off to bed. I`ll just post this one picture i took today of the quaint little street that is next to ours. This is just around the corner from our place:

Cars of Buenos Aires

I`ve found it! The place where all those old rusted husks of cars come to live again! Argentines aren`t much on maintainence of, well, anything really. But the fact that they can keep some of these scrap-metal-on-wheels moving is impressive. This is, of course, to say nothing of emmissions testing or anything of the sort. They haven`t even heard of that here! In fact, judging from the sound of some of the mechanical undead beasts that roar past our apartment, many haven`t heard of mufflers, either. But i do like the look of the old rusted-out cars.

The Little Toaster That Couldn`t

This is our toaster. i think. that`s what we`re using it for anyway. One side at a time.... It`s kind of like torturing your bread before you eat it.

Pictures

Sinec i am as yet unable to figure out why i can`t upload pictures to Blogger here is trhe link to my pictures in Facebook. These are just a few snaps from our first few days in Buenos Aires. Enjoy!

Facebook Gallery of Buenos Aires

Welcome to BUENOS AIRES!!

Bin a long time
shouldn`a left you
without a dope blog
to read thru.

There will be lots more pictures and entries from the rest of my time in Canada (LOTS more) but first a brief update is needed. Ulala and i flew down to Buenos Aires on Thursday night and arrived Friday around mid-afternoon and got settled into our new place sin problemo (without problem). BA has been interesting so far. The city itself is terribly dirty but the people seem very friendly and i`m really looking forward to exploring the city and the culture more. Our place is in Palermo area, which is trendy and known for shopping. We`ve walked around our neighbourhood a bit and found the grocery stores (in which, to my delight, i found massive bottles of Heineken and Stella for roughloy a dollar Canadian!!) and pharmacies and an electronics shop. We also passed many fashion boutiques along Santa Fe avenue and judging by the window displays, i am going to really like it here in Summer (It`s Spring here now, for all my Northern Hemisphere amigos). Most importantly right next to our building is a fabulous wine and cheese shop, those being two things Argentines do exceptionally. There are shelves upon shelves stacked to the ceiling with bottles of red and white and then at the back there are stacks of HUGE cheese wheels. Wheels! Whole bigger-than-your-head wheels of cheese! The only real drawback to this is that when you enter or exit our building you can smell the cheese. It`s a little weird. And we`ve been checking out the selection on Argentine TV which has included a few episodes of Los Simpsons en Espanol (and since i know most of the episodes by heart i can use it to practice my Spanish!) and a ridiculous number of Denzel Washington movies. No joke! We haven`t watchjed any in their entirety yet but so far we have come across four of his movies in less than two days! Germans love David Hasslehoff and Argentines love Denzel Washington. On that odd note i have to post this without pictures since we do have internet but for some reason i can`t upload photos. I`ll figure it out tomorrow. =)