tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63860682335442101332024-03-13T13:15:48.871-03:00First World White GirlAmerican girl wandering the world, currently in Cape Town, South Africa.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-74975477110794994632013-12-27T14:18:00.002-03:002013-12-27T14:45:25.591-03:00A Place to Run Towards<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Today the hubs and I decided to go for a nice lunch out in
the Cape Winelands. If you even sort of follow this blog you know <a href="http://www.firstworldwhitegirl.com/2012/01/gimme-dop.html">that wine is a
little bit of a thing for us</a>… so this is a pretty routine trip. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">It’s about a half hour into Stellenbosch, a very nice wine
area that is close by but also has loads of interesting stuff. We bundled
ourselves into the car, slathered ourselves with sunblock (African sun is outta
hand – you even burn while driving), put on some tunes and hit the road. While
on the very crowded roads, we noticed something – every other car had a license
place from Gauteng, the province of Johannesburg.</span></span></div>
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" 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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Normally this would not be a big deal – Cape Town has cars from
all over the place driving around. Cars from neighboring Lesotho, Swaziland,
Namibia. Cars from the UK. Even cars with a left-hand drive (remember they
navigate from and drive on the wrong…ahem opposite… side of the road here). The vast number of Joburgers - and their awful
driving habits - made me realize that there are two types of places in the
world: the ones people come to for Christmas vacation and the ones they drive
away from to Christmas vacation.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">My first thought today was something akin to that moment in
South Florida when the shofar and the wind blows in points north and the place
becomes invaded. But this is more
severe. This is more like Christmas, which is more like a blitzkrieg – brief
and intense. Cars stuffed with screaming children and the things meant to keep
them from screaming, stressed out parents who don’t know where they’re going while trying to juggle screaming kids and the
various and sundry aunts, uncles and parents. It’s enough to drive them… into
my lane.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is the complete opposite of somewhere like Washington,
DC which is devoid of all human beings during the holidays. One of my favorite
things about being in DC for a chunk of the holidays was the traffic-free
streets, the half-empty bars and restaurants, and the peace and quiet. It’s
probably how things are in Johannesburg this week since all of those people are
here.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">So we’re mostly hunkered down at home. Haven’t been on a proper
grocery shop in days, but tomorrow we’re gonna run out of milk. Wonder if the
grocery store will have something in common with DC during a snowstorm? I
suspect yes, so I am thankful we’re all stocked up on toilet paper.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nonetheless, the wine and the views at lunch certainly made
up for the Joburg blitzkrieg, which is why they’re here in the first place,
right?</span></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-37779030271673200852013-12-11T10:12:00.002-03:002013-12-11T10:12:43.608-03:00The Politics of Those Boos
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">OK world, I get it. South Africa was certainly not on its
best behavior yesterday in front of the world. </span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://mg.co.za/article/2013-12-11-sabc-censors-footage-of-mandela-memorial-zuma-booing/" target="_blank">Even the South African Broadcasting Company tried to spare the world</a>, to no avail. I’ve read how many South
Africans were mortified about the boos, that people were being rude and lamenting
that Madiba would be upset about how people behaved
</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6tPnZRqj-J4/Uqhj-l2SgfI/AAAAAAAAAp0/G1mLU1el7tk/s1600/10_g1a6002_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6tPnZRqj-J4/Uqhj-l2SgfI/AAAAAAAAAp0/G1mLU1el7tk/s200/10_g1a6002_0.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Photo via http://1.usa.gov/IF82Kd</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">But would he?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">He spent his whole life fighting so that people could boo,
so they could voice their support and their dissent… regardless of who
they were. So maybe he would have wished that people had more class, but he
probably would have been proud that people were able to make their dissent known–
without violence but with their voices.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Of course the reasons for it are complicated and largely
internal to South Africa. Perhaps people are disappointed that President, Zuma,
the ANC and its leadership are something Mandela would be less than pleased
with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It might be directed exclusively
at Zuma for his transgressions, recent and historic. It might be that people
feel that things haven’t changed enough since Mandela fought so hard to get
them there. It could be that the spectacle yesterday was the world’s and not
the people of South Africa’s… who may mourn differently through song, noise and
dancing.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Whatever the reason, they do have the right to bitch. Just
maybe not in front of the world.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">A highlight from yesterday was certainly President Obama.
The handshake with President Raul Casto showed the world that the day was
beyond politics, unlike those mentioned above. The speech showed the personal
connection for Obama, as well as the unique connection between South Africa and
the US as multi-racial democracies. The irony of President Obama’s words in
front of many who profess to admire Madiba but also continue policies against
his ideas should not be lost on anyone. But I think that was point – everyone
could find something to admire in Nelson Mandela – dictator, Democrat or
Republican alike.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-86455497187454545942013-12-06T04:08:00.000-03:002013-12-06T05:17:45.862-03:00 Hamba Kahle, Tata <style>
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I haven’t written here in a long while. Nevermind as to why…
today I am moved by the passing of Tata Madiba.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Madiba was George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Martin
Luther King Jr. all in one. He was part of a group of people that chose the
path and defined what South Africa wants to be, is trying to be and hopefully
will become. He is the backbone of roadmap to get there… both it and him not
perfect, but aiming to be more perfect. He himself said he was <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“not
a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The world loved Madiba and rightly so. He stands a fleeting
symbol of struggle, of sacrifice, of belief, of hope. We see fewer and fewer
icons of this magnitude today- perhaps it is the relentless news cycle that casts
a pallor on every possible successor’s imperfections. Can the world ever have
another Madiba?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We can only hope.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qq1T9FCORYE/UqF3OlrAfhI/AAAAAAAAApU/4_UdIZWXHY4/s1600/ap090102024057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qq1T9FCORYE/UqF3OlrAfhI/AAAAAAAAApU/4_UdIZWXHY4/s200/ap090102024057.jpg" width="173" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first treason trial in 1958. (Jurgen Schadenberg, AP)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
People ask how will this impact South Africa? The reality is
that Madiba has been and will continue to live in people’s hearts, minds and
souls… just as he <br />
has been since he mostly left public life 10+ years ago. In
terms of politics, the political party that Nelson Madela belonged to most of
his life is vastly different than the one that rules South Africa today. If only
the party could remember what Nelson Mandela, OR Tambo, John Dube, Chris Hani
and Sol Plaatje were all about.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We woke up this morning crying. My husband cried
inconsolably when Madiba was in critical condition earlier this year but today
he was more subdued – as if he had already said goodbye. We held each other and
saw the start of a beautiful day in the most beautiful place on earth, Cape
Town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could only think that instead
of being sad today about the loss of a great human being, I am thankful that we
could ever know of him and be touched by his intentions for the world. I remain
hopeful for South Africa and the world that the spirit of Madiba will remain
alive in all of us.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hamba Kahle, Tata.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/BGS7SpI7obY?rel=0" width="420"></iframe><br /></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-18052947833287770502012-08-03T13:30:00.002-03:002012-08-03T15:57:08.778-03:00Proudly.... Something<style>
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I, along with the rest of the world (both free and un-free I
suspect), have been watching the Olympics. I’ve enjoyed watching swimming,
where the hair of a second can make you a winner or a loser; laughed
about the Spanish warm-up suits (<a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetorch/2012/07/25/157356557/its-what-we-have-spains-athletes-sigh-and-put-on-olympic-uniforms">which
were donated by the same designer who did the Russian and Ukrainian warms up…
even the Spanish complained via Twitter);</a> and of course, I loved being in
another country and experiencing the games in a foreign land.</div>
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First off, I’m not watching NBC. There’s no Bob Costas,
Meredith Viera or the rest of the familiar faces and voices that I know from
watching American TV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, in South
Africa we get a patchwork of English language announcers from Australia, the UK
and the US. Swimming stats are squawked from two Aussies, their flattened Fs ,
garggly Gs, and mealy Ms punctuating every sentence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Brits have taken more civilized pursuits
– rowing coverage comes from the UK. And what’s American? Gymnastics, of
course!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/1909/779df3d7e4fd40379357be07668617aa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/1909/779df3d7e4fd40379357be07668617aa.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chad le Clos</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I have also felt great pride at the amazing accomplishments
of my country. My poor other half has grown tired of seeing the “stars and
bars” rise on a regular basis - I taught him that one, now he’s using it.
Although he has yet to belt out “Oh, say can you see…” This feeling comes not
just from all the medals we have won (as of right now the US is near the top of
the medal count) but all of the medal winners from around the world that my
nation has helped shape. Many swimmers from other nations train in the US,
as do runners and rowers and lots of other competitors. I don’t know if I fully
realized that until I lived in a nation that sends many of its best athletes
to train in the US.</div>
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Beyond that, watching the Olympic games from afar also gives
me the perspective of another country competing in the games…. one that sent just 125
athletes to the games (the US sent 530). The South African team is
certainly not shabby – they have three gold medals so far, including one from Chad le Clos that
many had already anointed to super-Olympian Michael Phelps. As they say here -
about everything, not just their athletes - proudly South African.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Chad le Clos photo from: Gallo Images & </span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://www.sport24.co.za/OtherSport/Olympics2012/Le-Clos-withdraws-from-final-20120802%20" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> http://www.sport24.co.za/OtherSport/Olympics2012/Le-Clos-withdraws-from-final-20120802 </span></a></td></tr>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-87549956432546160892012-01-11T07:59:00.004-03:002012-01-11T08:12:18.818-03:00Gimme A Dop<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"MS 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"MS 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; mso-themecolor:hyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --> </style> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">You probably know that South Africa produces some of the world’s most delicious wine. Vines have been grown in this area since about 1680 or so, dating back to Jan Van Riebeeck and the first Dutch settlers in the Cape colony.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A quick 15-minute ride from our house is the oldest ‘wine farm’ in South Africa.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>(Wine farm, in case you were wondering, is South African for vineyard). The area, called Constantia (and seen in the photo, albeit not from Van Riebeeck's time), produced such delicious vino that it was the first wine from the new world sent back for the hoi polloi of Europe to enjoy.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">The busin</span><span style="font-size:100%;">ess didn’t stop with the Europea</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8wbZw1aKGn0/Tw1slVCQZOI/AAAAAAAAAak/qXQzWuOK8iQ/s1600/CIMG3749.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 157px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8wbZw1aKGn0/Tw1slVCQZOI/AAAAAAAAAak/qXQzWuOK8iQ/s200/CIMG3749.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696328492251112674" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">n crème-de-la-crème, alt</span><span style="font-size:100%;">hough they are still the bigge</span><span style="font-size:100%;">st importers of our local juice. Wine is a big business here: South Africa is the seventh largest wine producer in the world and contributes about US$3 billion to the country’s GDP. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Aside from coining their own name for vineyards, South Africans even created their own wine varietal, Pinotage- a mix of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut grapes. It’s a little sweet for me, but I have enjoyed one or two glasses of the stuff on occasion. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>You can’t live here and not give it a sip.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">To be honest, the real problem is not the Pinotgae, it’s the Savignon Blanc. And the lovely bubbles. And the delicious Shriraz. And the spicy red blends with Cabernet Franc and Merlot. It’s the inescapable fact that you can go into virtually any restaurant around Cape Town and order a fabulous, reasonably priced bottle of wine.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">This is even more obvious when you travel around the rest of South Africa and see the lame excuses for wine they serve at restaurants. Johannesburg is cosmopolitan?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Not when it comes to your average wine lists. Love the sun of Durban? You won’t love the sub-par wine.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>After one night out in either of these places, you’ll be begging to be back in Cape Town, drinking fabulous wine.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Considering the history of South Africa and the apartheid government, there is also a disturbing backstory about wine production – namely the <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>“Dop System”. In Afrikaans, a “dop” is an alcoholic drink. Going back as early as the 1800s, those who worked on the wine farms were paid in wine.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Sometimes, most or even all of their salaries were paid in drink - hence a system called the "Dop System". While I am sure many of you would not mind part of your salary in wine (in fact, I know it might save some of you quite a bit of cash throughout the year), it has created a disturbingly high incidence of alcoholism, fetal alcohol syndrome (the highest in the world in parts of the Western Cape) and tons of other negative consequences.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Since I don’t want you to have sour grapes about South African wine, I will tell you that the “Dop System” has been outlawed since the 1960’s and the post-apartheid government has been particularly outspoken about getting rid of it. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Some say it still persists in areas of the Western Cape. <a href="http://www.hrw.org/embargo/node/101085?signature=0878b37e7b823d0553bebf3ac0db4bd0&suid=6">A recent Human Rights Watch report</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> said two farms in the area were giving their workers wine, but the industry has certainly cleaned itself up.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Mostly they just exploit workers like any other farming industry in the world.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Apologies for leaving you as bitter as red wine left out too long.</span></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-61657278146340317262011-12-08T05:26:00.005-03:002011-12-08T05:51:21.497-03:00Driving Me to Insanity<style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --> </style> <p class="MsoNormal">One of life’s necessities since moving to Cape Town is that I have to drive. After living in urbanity for the better chunk of the last 15 years, my driving escapades have been limited to the occasional rental in some far flung locale, the borrowing of a friend’s car or the occasional use of a Zipcar. Hence, I may be a little rusty in the applied vehicular knowledge.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">If my rusty driving skills were the sole problem, this thing would be a cakewalk. Pile on the fact that people drive on the other side of the road, you sit on the other side of the car and parking on the sidewalk is not the sign of a drunk or insane person – now you can imagine my own personal hell every time I get behind the wheel.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">But alas, I have no choice in the matter. Driving means doing the things I want to do in my life, so now I am a driver.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">First, the wrong side of the road thing. At first I thought this would be the killer. But it’s fine as long as you keep shouting left to the left, right to the left to yourself as a reminder to keep you from pulling onto the wrong side of the road when turning. Problem solved. Circles; a tad more challenging but as long as there are other people there, you can just follow along. The only issue was a recent brief foray to the US when I became utterly confused at an empty street corner and had to think hard before deciding which lane to go into. Yikes!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">So once I got the hang of the wrong side thing, I noticed all the other things… namely the roads. Ladies and gentlemen, we are not talking the interstate highway system – South Africa has yet to elect their own Dwight Eisenhower. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Most roads are as wide as the sidewalk on Broadway near Herald Square but with the ludicrous expectation that two-way traffic will use it. Sure the cars are small, but c’mon! Spending a lot of time in reverse, rather than playing <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CqOM3ZE2_0A/TuB4KCL3oTI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/L01-7IM2MLk/s1600/IMG-20111206-00071.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 223px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CqOM3ZE2_0A/TuB4KCL3oTI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/L01-7IM2MLk/s200/IMG-20111206-00071.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683674843522244914" border="0" /></a>(but feeling) chicken.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Even parking in the driveway can seem like stuffing a sausage into the casing - see photo.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The parking lunacy doesn't end there. While driving last week on a beautiful scenic road (which there are no shortage of), I noticed that they had actually marked little white lines for parking spots on the SIDEWALK – which explains why everyone thinks it is perfectly fine to park pretty much anywhere they want, often leaving pedestrians to walk in the road. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">But I have also noticed this flagrant attitude of “Fuck You” that comes from pedestrians. They walk right in front of moving cars, indifferent to the fact that a machine is barreling towards them at 40 miles an hour (will never get that kms thing, sorry). Overall, it's a very tense relationship but can you blame them? I mean the cars park right in your path!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Cars v. pedestrians. Same ‘ole war no matter where you are.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">P.S. Haven’t even thought about riding my bike. Scared shitless for that one!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-78306426445772010172011-11-07T12:48:00.004-03:002011-11-07T12:54:21.565-03:00Lattitudes and Attitudes<span style="font-size:100%;">Okay everyone... I guess I have some 'splaing to do. </span>It's a long story, one I'll save for a bottle of luscious wine, succulent yummies and good lighting. Until then, I'll just attend to the matter at hand - blogging.<br /><br />So, I have traded Buenos Aires for Cape Town, South Africa. The only thing they have in common, honestly, is their latitude. Buenos Aires is extremes... loud and Latin, sweaty and screaming, hectic and hungry. It's got a New York attitude replete with yellow and black taxis, culture spilling into the streets, and millions of people squeezed into a 132-story high rise.<br /><br />Cape Town is the complete opposite.<br /><br />Think blues. Cerulean seas, ultramarine skies. Mountains peeking over<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OrGtO9wbRPI/Trf_Fba233I/AAAAAAAAAaA/rLyB_pO62wA/s1600/IMG_5725.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OrGtO9wbRPI/Trf_Fba233I/AAAAAAAAAaA/rLyB_pO62wA/s200/IMG_5725.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672282724421263218" border="0" /></a> the skylines in any direction you spin. The only truly hectic thing aside from the asshole drivers (this is an upcoming blog post... I mean, they drive ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD... a topic begging to be deconstructed on this blog) is the wind. Pachamama got the last word in this place - the southern seas whip a wind for several months a year that can be more hectic than Buenos Aires' humanly induced insanity.<br /><br />I don't want to give away everything that's ahead but just lay the marker down and promise to recommit to my first world white girl blogging. So thanks for coming back, lovely to have you.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-42025766672226545172010-08-19T09:51:00.011-03:002010-08-19T09:59:14.576-03:00What's In A Name?A couple of weeks ago, NPR (the most fabulous news source <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.timbratcher.com/IMAGES_HAZELIP/PLACES/KY-SUNFISH-SCHOOL-BACK-LIST-OF-NAMES.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 243px; height: 455px;" src="http://www.timbratcher.com/IMAGES_HAZELIP/PLACES/KY-SUNFISH-SCHOOL-BACK-LIST-OF-NAMES.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>that exists in the United States, hands down)<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128828538"> had a story</a> about your coffee name. This is the name that people give to themselves at Starbucks when ordering coffee as to be efficient and not have to spell out their name. With a name like Jill, of course, I don’t have this issue. Jill is perky, short, simple, and easy. That is until you get to Latin America. In Buenos Aires, my name would cause bewilderment equivalent to the name Rumpelstilskin anywhere else. So what did I do? Exactly what the chick in the NPR story did – when going to a restaurant and putting my name in, my restaurant alter ego – Julia – came to life.<br /><br />In the US, for the most part, your name is your name. As that NPR story signifies, people react with shock and awe if you stray too far from your given name. Sure, we’ve got Joseph’s who become Joes, Jennifer’s who become Jennies. But radical departures are seen as just that – radical and inspiring of NPR stories that people talk about.<br /><br />In Latin America, it is common for people to have a variety of names and naming customs are very different. In the northern parts of South America and in Central America, people often take their mother’s maiden name too. So you can meet a Maria Jamilla Ruiz Perez that is sometimes know as Maria Jamillia Ruiz P.<br /><br />Another one you will encounter all over LatAm is people being called names that are not even among the litany of legal names they may have. Some of them sound obvious – Lau for Laura, for example. But other times, people use a name that has nothing to do with their other name – like Nacho in place of Guillermo. In Bogota, I even ran in fear from trying to see an apartment when I asked for Maria, only to be told there was no one by that name there. Turns out, Maria was just the name she used on email. Violeta was the name her neighbors knew her by. Me? At first I thought it was a tourist scam (Craiglist, while wonderful sometimes, can also be sketch city regardless of what city you are hunting in) but I eventually realized the naming customs were not what I was used to.<br /><br />Today, I am just going by Jill and kinda liking it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-37286719702378479502010-07-28T09:14:00.005-03:002010-07-28T09:24:08.796-03:00Five Things I Miss About Buenos AiresI am sure you feel like you need an explanation. <br /><br />Where have I been? What have I been doing? More importantly, WHERE am I? Well, I am in Washington for the summer, enjoying mi bi-hemisphericality (yes, it is a lifestyle choice). <br /><br />While enjoying my blazing fast internet speed recently, I read <a href=" http://www.brendansadventures.com/10things//r:t">a blog post from blogger Brendan van Son </a> about all the things he won’t miss about South America and my first thought was that I had to agree with many of them. While life in Buenos Aires is different than in many parts of South America (ie you don’t usually have to worry about the lettuce there), there are still a tons of things he mentioned that I found myself agreeing with.<br /><br />But in my nearly two months back in North America, I also find myself missing a ton of things. <br /><br />So here it goes... Five things I miss about Buenos Aires:<br /><br />1. My Friends. Wandering expat and porteños alike, I have an amazing and supportive group of friends in Buenos Aires. It’s not that I don’t love my friends in North America or the rest of the world (I love you all). Maybe it’s about me and the place I was in when I met my BsAs posse – I feel this wonderful connection, this ability to say and be myself unlike I have with many people I know in other parts of the world.<br /><br />2. The loose concept of time. As one learns quickly in Latin America, time is a different concept in those parts. Latin time is a flexible, adjustable, whim driven concept. Planning? Pshaw! Por que? While at first this drove my type A self insane (getting an invite for a huge party two days before? Whhhatt?) , I have found myself frustrated with my overscheduled life (and the lives of others) since I am back in the north. Scheduling things two to three weeks in advance is the norm. "But hell, I could jet off to Paris in the morning", I think sometimes when putting something on my schedule a month ahead of time. I miss the whimsical nature of deciding today what I want today, instead of focusing on the future in the present.<br /><br />3. New experiences. I am back in the city where I have lived on and off for more than a decade. Sure, there are new people, new places, new things happening everywhere. The US has changed more in the last two years than in the last two decades, but the changes are merely a raindrop in a storm compared to the rollercoaster life in Latin America. Maybe my standards have changed, maybe I am lazy, but I just feel like it is easier to walk around with my blinders on in a place that feels like an old pair of shoes. <br /><br />4. Facturas. No, not my bills. Pastries. These are the most delicious, melt in your mouth snacks that induce an immediate gut reaction to run to the gym afterwards. They are sugary sweet and I love and miss them.<br /><br />5. Speaking Spanish everyday. Some days I adored it as the rrrrr’s rolled from my tongue efforrrtlessly. Other days it was a nightmare – no one understood what the hell I was saying, I felt deaf, dumb and mute as people looked at me like I was a moron. But the struggle was delicious and gave me more confidence and sense of accomplishment than arguing with a Senator and winning.<br /><br />Ok, now the nostalgia is killing me. Will just have to turn on some tango and read some Julio Cortazár for relief.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-66682806641185077822010-06-01T10:11:00.007-03:002010-06-01T11:43:53.730-03:00Re-entry <meta name="Title" content=""> <meta name="Keywords" content=""> <meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 2008"> <meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 2008"> <link rel="File-List" href="file://localhost/Users/jill_greenberg/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_filelist.xml"> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" >I realize that I haven’t been writing, giving you the delicious tidbits of my expat existence as you sit in your cubicle, daydreaming of escaping to some foreign land and then returning to online shopping or your annoying boss. The big news, folks, is that I have returned to the first world and the remains of my former life. This just means I am back in DC and living in my beautiful, extremely spacious (and extremely expensive) first world apartment replete with every modern convenience known to man. This is not really a permanent move but a strategic moment in the shift of the weather to figure out some stuff. Or for those of you new to the game - it is summer here in the north.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://galaxywire.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/apollo-re-entry-space-art.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 340px; height: 257px;" src="http://galaxywire.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/apollo-re-entry-space-art.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" >
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I have been about town a fair amount in the last week for meetings and other s</span><span style="font-size:100%;">tuff, which means that I’ve been running into people left and right. People who look at me and exclaim, “Wow, you look great! How are you?” and then sometimes they ask again, filling up the awkwardness between us when I cannot tell some of them the same (some of you look fabulous, really) because the majority look tired and sallow from too many hours under the florescent lights, fighting the ego laced turf battles that define a large part of Washington life.<span style=""> </span>I can’t decide if they keep saying this because they have nothing to say to me, feeling that I have detached myself too far from the matrix to understand anything or that they are so deeply into the matrix that they cannot even see a glimmer of light from the outside of it. Or maybe it’s true that the last two years of avoiding winter, struggling to find work, and living a life a little less predictable have all agreed with me.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Either way, some of these reunions have been a little bit painful. As I walk away, I often think about how lucky I am to have escaped. Now don’t get me wrong – there is another kind of comfort and pleasure that my friends are getting in that other life. Sometimes I wistfully dream of a day when I am not worried about a bank balance that is in a downward spiral that would rival the stock market circa September 2008, where I will live in the next few months, my lack of 401K contributions -- a life somewhat more secure than my somewhat (at times) precarious existence.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Ultimately, security is an illusion most of the time anyway- something we convince ourselves exists as to not feel like daily life is a precipice. Just don’t look down.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-41137384356789646872010-04-07T08:58:00.005-03:002010-04-07T09:14:25.736-03:00Weighty ProblemNote: Canadians and Europeans (sans Brits) will NOT find this funny. This is for true-blooded gringos who slept through math class in the seventh grade.<br /><br />So the world here is in metrics. Summer temperatures swelter above 35 degrees, meat comes by the kilo, and car rides are in kilometers. Fine, fine. I am not a complete idiot, as I know that 32 degrees does not mean boots but rather sandals. I did struggle once with a cookie purchase, ordering 500 grams and lamenting afterward how it was just simply too many cookies to eat (ok, not really since I love cookies more than just about anything in the world and I was probably really happy to have that many cookies to eat).<br /><br />Yes, those of us from the U<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://school.discoveryeducation.com/clipart/images/scale.gif"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 355px; height: 222px;" src="http://school.discoveryeducation.com/clipart/images/scale.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>S are more accustomed to ordering illicit drugs in grams than our food.<br /><br />This problem became a weighty one a few weeks ago when I decided to weigh myself. With a life stuffed with crusty pizzas, crustier empanadas, endless rivers of red wine and a cavity inducing sweet tooth, I could feel my pants cinching my waist like a corset. So I step on the scale before my workout and immediately freak out. What is the conversion again? Since the number was just in double digits, I knew it had to be at a minimum doubled. But then what? Add 5? Or was it really multiply by 3? Shit, shit, shit, I couldn’t remember. All I knew was that this number I did know had no reference for me – it could have been equal to 200 pounds, it could have been equal to 150, I had no idea.<br /><br />Since I was at the gym while all this went down, I naturally did an extra 20 minutes on the elliptical so I could think about the unsolvable math equation. Or try to help with its unknown outcome. And then I tried through the powers of reasoning to figure it out from the weight machines that litter the gym, some of which have both kilos and pounds. Forget it. I was such a neurotic mess thinking I weighted 200 pounds that I eventually raced home to find out.<br /><br />I opened my Mac, I checked the little widget and sighed with relief when it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought. One kilo is 2.2 pounds, so it’s a little more than double and if you’ve a first world white girl (or probably any girl for that matter, especially here in Argentina where they sadly have the highest rates of anorexia in the world) you know that every pound counts. Which is why I don’t weigh myself too much – in kilos or pounds.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Photo Courtesy of<a href="http://school.discoveryeducation.com/clipart/images/scale.gif"> http://school.discoveryeducation.com/clipart/images/scale.gif</a></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-61161593546316978952010-03-30T09:52:00.005-03:002010-03-30T10:02:39.963-03:00Baubled BeautiesI’ve talked to you about the ladies of my hood. Some go out at 2o’clock in the afternoon with enough makeup on to rival RuPaul.<br /><br />It’s not just the makeup, however. Ladies flout about town bedazzled beyond belief with tons of shiny baubles bejeweling their bodies, skyscraper high shoes with acrylic heels (just saw it last week), and skirts with hemlines as short as a sailor’s haircut.<br /><br />After living here for a while you start to realize that maybe your sense of style changes. No, it doesn’t mean that I have cut my hair into a mullet, but it does mean I keep letting it grow. Nor does it mean that I’ve picked up a pair of hooker heels to wear to Sunday brunch. Instead, it takes on more subtle things, like wearing makeup (which I barely wear anyway) to lunch or always making sure I’ve got on some earrings or a little something to jazz up my outfit when I go out.<br /><br />Women here also love jewelry. And I always have too, honestly. Even when I lived in DC, I still managed to gather a collection of little bits of glitter and sparkle to bejewel myself with when I felt like it. DC gals are a bit more, well… conservative in their style than many other places I’ve been or even lived.<br /><br />But here they take it to whole other heights. For example, there is the flower. We’re not talking a flower on a lovely spring day or for an event. No, we’re talking a plastic flower in the hair for a Friday night drink with the gals. A friend from the US who has lived here for a while even sheepishly admitted to me that she has one and has worn it on occasion. We got a nice belly laugh out of that one.<br /><br />Maybe it is beca<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.fuss-schuhe.de/hhfc/images/PU-967sw5.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 168px; height: 225px;" src="http://www.fuss-schuhe.de/hhfc/images/PU-967sw5.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>use women like to fix themselves up. Maybe it is because women equate femininity with the stuff that is seen as “womanly” – jewelry, makeup, etc. Maybe it is because gender roles are a bit more rigid here and women are expected and taught to behave as women were traditionally expected to behave and look. Granted, Buenos Aires is one of the more progressive cities in Latin America, but old habits die hard I guess.<br /><br />Whatever it is, I have to admit I am affected by it. As long as it’s a little jewelry or a touch of makeup to keep me fresh-faced, that’s fine. But if you see me eying any heels with metal tips… please shoot me.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-39818298523916317212010-03-23T09:22:00.001-03:002010-03-23T09:25:37.866-03:00Spicy Accent? NOT!I’ve made fun of my own accent in Spanish. Honestly, it isn’t very hard to do. I sound like a chick from the US trying to speak Spanish. Occasionally, I have gotten comments in other parts of Latin America about my Argentine accent, which is a shhh sound for the ll instead of the y-like sound used outside of Argentina and Uruguay. So calle sounds like ca-shh-e. This was problematic in taxis in Colombia too many times, so now most of the time I say ca-y-e.<br /><br />In English, I have no real accent. I grew up on the east coast, so I definitely talk quickly but there’s nothing else notable about my twang when I chatter away. I remember as a child, I wished for the clipped tones of a British accent, always thinking it much sexier and interesting. I think it even was what made me love Simon LeBon. But I digress.<br /><br />I’m not alone in my love for the tarty tone of the Brits. Even here in Argentina, people learn British English and it is always pretty funny to hear an Argentine switch into English and sound like Hugh Grant or Elizabeth Hurley.<br /><br />This has made me realize a sad fact – a US accent just isn’t sexy or interesting. It’s just a plain ‘ol American accent. The kind from the movies or TV, I am told. In fact, I recall when I first started traveling around Latin America I hung out with a couple of Asian chicks. I was always the spokeswoman for the group; mostly because I knew some Spanish and if not, my English was the kind of English that almost anyone could understand. Useful, yes. Sultry and exotic, no.<br /><br />Sigh. Oh, the plight of the first world white girl traveling the world!<br /><br />My spirits were lifted about this sad syllabic state by my Spanish tutor when she told me recently that when I travel to Spain, my Argentine-ish accent will be seen as sexy by some Spaniards, like a British accent to my North American ear. For this, I was stoked. Finally, FINALLY, someone may develop a crush on me because of my accent!!<br /><br />Eat your heart out, Keira Knightly! As I am sure that’s why all those boys love her.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-51895211625460377962010-03-18T15:47:00.013-03:002010-03-18T16:00:38.004-03:00Stick ThisIt seems fitting to write about this now with <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/18/health/policy/18health.html?hp">what is happening in the states</a>. And while it is not specifically Argentina related, it does have a shit-ton to do with living outside the US and being a first world white girl wandering the world. Beware people: this is a healthcare rant.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Syringe_details_raw.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 586px; height: 61px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Syringe_details_raw.jpeg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I am preparing for my summer in the North, which is likely to include some time in the US, Europe and even a dash of Canada for a dear friend’s wedding. The bottom line is that I need to make sure I have health insurance to take care of me everywhere. I mean, one never knows what can happen and as a US citizen, I am sadly all too aware of the financial cost of just one little incident.<br /><br />I have asked around, I have searched the internet. I have been on the phone with people in the UK, in the US, even here in Argentina. And this is the sad fact – if I want any coverage in the United States at all for any real period of time, I basically have to pay more than double the premiums. Double!<br /><br />This problem is unique to those of us from the U.S (my other English speaking first world friends don’t have this problem) where health care costs FOUR TIMES more than anywhere else in the world.<br /><br />This whole thing reminds me about something that is always on my mind when non-Americans talk about life in the U.S. , which is that there is truly a price for a first-world life, isn’t there? It cost four times more to save your life in an emergency.<br /><br />Anyway, it is stressing me out beyond belief. And pissing me off. The rest of the fricking world doesn’t put up with this shit. Now for all you fascists who want to rave and bitch about health care that is government run (and I know you are out there), c’mon. The reality is that we will never have a fully government implemented system in the US – there’s just too much money to be made. But what can work is some kind of public-private effort, like you see in most places in the world. Here in Argentina, I have private insurance that is modestly priced by my distorted U.S. standards. The funny part is that all of my friends from other parts of the world complain about how expensive it is!<br /><br />Here in the Paris of the South, where the health care system seems ok (note, this is based on what I have heard and I can only speak about Buenos Aires, as I imagine it is different outside of the capital) there are two systems – a public one and a private one. While the private one is pretty glam (private rooms in the hospital for example) and the public one less so (old buildings, lots of waiting), there is basic care available for everyone. And if you do have something terrible happen, you are not likely to lose your home, all of your savings and be pushed into bankruptcy.<br /><br />Anyway, I have no idea if what Congress is plotting and planning will solve the problem. After living and working in DC for over a decade, I am certainly skeptical of a politician’s grip on the real life of most people. And while my life is far from an average one, I am now burdened by what has unfortunately become an entirely average problem in the United States– the obscene cost of health care.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-83980764833592719672010-03-16T10:58:00.011-03:002010-03-16T11:11:06.638-03:00Careful Where You Shake Your Milkshake
<br /><meta name="Title" content=""> <meta name="Keywords" content=""> <meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 2008"> <meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 2008"> <link rel="File-List" href="file://localhost/Users/jill_greenberg/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_filelist.xml"> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>In Argentina, there is no shortage of hot dudes. Tall and buff, short and stocky, muscled, skinny, curly haired, long-haired, no haired – they’ve got it all here, ladies. And the men love the chicas. Maybe there’s something in the water, maybe it’s in the famously succulent beef, but whatever it is, you can pretty much guarantee that when you walk down the street, the boys will be in the yard to check out your <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=milkshake&defid=328669">milkshake</a>.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.edupics.com/milkshake-t5866.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 231px; height: 328px;" src="http://www.edupics.com/milkshake-t5866.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>
<br />While all you first world white girls out there are thinking, shit, I am on the next plane, think again girls. With these admiring glances also comes a whole slew of cultural games that one has to be prepared for, particularly the omission of vital information like being married, having children or living with your significant other.
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">For example, it is common for men not to wear a wedding ring even if they are, in fact, married. I recently met a hunky guy who chased me around for an entire evening only to find out he was married when he friended me on Facebook, his page replete with photos of his wife and children.
<br />
<br />Besides the fact that most North American men would wear a wedding ring if they were married, they also probably would at some point reference the ‘ole ball and chain. But not here – you could go out to a party or club on a Saturday night (which here means sometime around 4 am) and spend the night being pursued by a man who has a wife and kids that he kissed goodbye after dinner around 1 am to come out on the prowl.
<br />
<br />
<br />When I mentioned that I wanted to write something on my blog about this, horror stories quickly piled up from my girlfriends – Argentine and North American alike.
<br />
<br />Among my faves:
<br />
<br />- The man who dated my friend for a few weeks one summer and when she wanted to see his house he got super nervous. Why? When she got there, there were photos of his wife and kid who were off at the beach for the summer!
<br />
<br />- Another friend’s boss revealed that among his 10 closest friends, seven of them had double families! WTF?
<br />
<br />Someone remarked to me how ironic it was that a culture that values family so much would be willing to tolerate this violation of “family values”. But maybe that’s the point – could it be that they don’t see one night or even a regular sexual relationship as a violation? Are they just such master compartmentalizers that it doesn’t seem like they are bringing pain onto anyone or even risking their families?
<br />
<br />I will never understand it. All I can do is chalk it up to the fine Latin art of not saying what you’re saying while you sort of say it. There, I said it. Or did I?
<br /><!--EndFragment--> </p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-12654590642833760092010-03-16T10:12:00.001-03:002010-03-16T10:14:02.521-03:00Cross PostMy dear readers, I just did a post for a lovely blog called<a href="http://www.unpavedsouthamerica.com/"> Unpaved South America</a> about<a href="http://www.unpavedsouthamerica.com/2010/intransit/on-the-pavement-in-buenos-aires/"> traveling via bicycle here in BsAs. Check it out</a>!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-22689501657803887292010-03-01T15:16:00.004-03:002010-03-01T15:24:52.913-03:00Seasonal Disconnect<span style="font-size:100%;">Today is the first day of school. Yes, on March 1st, kids begin school here in Argentina. As I walked along to the gym this morning, I could see the excitement in their eyes as they strolled along hand in hand with their mothers or walked along in their freshly pressed uniforms along the tree lined streets of my barrio.<br /><br />This realization th</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ju1l4--siF4/S4wGTjeHZCI/AAAAAAAAAVU/4iGKN71NOdQ/s1600-h/IMG_3793.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ju1l4--siF4/S4wGTjeHZCI/AAAAAAAAAVU/4iGKN71NOdQ/s200/IMG_3793.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443732982592922658" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">is morning threw me for a loop. It’s summer, isn’t it? I mean, I come here to enjoy the sun and th</span><span style="font-size:100%;">e heat. Could it really be the southern world equivalent of the end o</span><span style="font-size:100%;">f summer?<br /><br />It’s only March! I want more!<br /><br />This is something I always struggle with – I never really know what time of year it is in that seasonal sense here in the Southern Hemisphere. In the last few weeks, we have had outrageous rains that have inundated neighborhoods all over town. I was on a bus the other week that got diverted because people were rioting in the streets because they had gone two days with no power. Nice. This brought about some cooler weather that left everyone asking if summer was already over. I blamed the cold (as everyone did) on all of the rain, but I think I may be wrong.<br /><br />It really started to hit me last night as a friend and I rode out bikes home at about 8 pm, the city was already enveloped in that inky black darkness that comes with days that are shorter, winds that are brisker.<br /><br />If you know me, you know my thoughts on this. I am a seasonal nomad, so even the slightest idea of cold weather is enough to get me checking out Travelocity. But yes, it is true. March is September in my Northern oriented internal clock, with the first day of fall being March 20th.<br /><br />Anyway, it appears that summer is over. The children were not the first sign, they were the final sign.<br /><br />Adios.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-65011570164042031832010-02-17T13:44:00.009-03:002010-02-17T13:52:39.057-03:00Mas MoneyI have written in the past about<a href="http://www.firstworldwhitegirl.com/2009/01/monetary-policy-in-buenos-aires.html"> the moneda situation (since resolved)</a> here in Buenos Aires. That is not the only problem. Money in general is a huge problem – especially if you are of the peso earning persuasion.<br /><br />For those who earn pesos, they have t<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ce/5pesos.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 399px; height: 164px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ce/5pesos.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>o manage a couple of things, most importantly the exchange rate between the dollar and the peso. You wonder why people in Argentina have to worry about a currency that is legal tender 5,000 miles away? Well, because things like houses are priced in dollars. So this means that if you want to buy a house here, you have to borrow dollars. But you earn pesos. Oh and did I mention that the peso is constantly losing value against the dollar? When I first arrived here, the exchange rate was 3.50 pesos to the dollar. And now, 15 months later, it is 3.85 to the dollar. For me, this is seemingly a good deal. But for the peso peeps, it kinda sucks.<br /><br />While this all may seem like a great deal for me, it really isn’t as lovely as it sounds. Inflation eats everyone alive here, regardless of one’s currency status. Last month,<a href="http://www.tradingeconomics.com/Economics/Inflation-CPI.aspx?symbol=ARS"> inflation was eight percent</a>. As for last year, there’s some debate -<a href="http://en.mercopress.com/2010/01/05/argentinas-inflation-third-highest-in-the-world-say-private-consultants"> the government of Krazy Kristina (aka Presidenta Cristina Kirchner) says it was eight percent, private economist say more like 15-18 percent</a>. What does that mean for real? It means that every time I go buy something, it costs more. For me, with my dollar driven life, it’s like a pinch of salt. But if your money is worth less and less every month, it’s like a shovelful of shit.<br /><br />The reasons why are complex and I would never profess to being an economist: It has to do with the Argentine government keeping the peso low to encourage investment by foreigners. It has to do with trying to keep the cost of exports low so someone will buy them. It has to do with the huge amounts of foreign currency the government needs to pay its huge debts. It has to do with the amount of money the government prints. It has to do with a taxation system that is insane, antiquated and easy to avoid. Whatever the reasons, the result is the same: it is harder and harder for everyone but the very rich to afford life in Argentina.<br /><br />For many people, this roller coaster economy is better than it was. There is a deep history of economic instability and inflation insanity here. During the economic crisis, the rates of inflation were so outrageous that the prices in the grocery stores used to change every hour. Fellow blogger<a href="http://www.buenosairesphotographer.com/2009/01/hyperinflation-powers-of-ten.html"> Buenos Aires Photographer has a beautiful posting (with photos)</a> that can give you some of the backstory.<br /><br />So while my friends freezing their tuchases off up north may be bitching about things, it’s for sure not as wacked as here … if that’s any consolation.<br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Photo from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ce/5pesos.jpg</span><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-11365970977824724922010-02-01T13:28:00.009-03:002010-02-03T09:19:32.008-03:00A Kiss is Just a Kiss<span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span> <meta name="Title" content=""> <meta name="Keywords" content=""> <meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 2008"> <meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 2008"> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >You probably know that people kiss hello and goodbye here in BsAs. I like the kiss, something that is somehow more emotive and warmer than just a simple, clammy handshake. Of course, this means when you are leaving a party it can take forever and a day to kiss everyone goodbye, but I digress.</span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Anyway, I bring up the kiss for two reasons… one is because I always struggle with what to do when I meet fellow Americans. Do I kiss them? Of I do I just say hello with a feeble wave or even WORSE, </span><span style="font-size:100%;">a limp halfhearted handshake? </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I have fallen on the side of the kiss route, mostly because<a href="http://www.firstworldwhitegirl.com/2009/12/bathroom-cultural-alert.html"> I am a when-in-Rome-kinda-gal</a>, which hasn’t always served me but at least I am consistent! </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The other reason why I mention the kiss is that often men will kiss each other in greeting too. Just a peck on </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://returntomanliness.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/godfather_kiss_of_death.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 408px; height: 224px;" src="http://returntomanliness.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/godfather_kiss_of_death.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">the cheek to say hello. And no, this is not just the gay men, I promise!</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I have seen old men kiss hello, the guys at the gym kiss hello, buddies meeting for lunch in a busy café. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6386068233544210133&postID=1136597097782472492&page=1&token=1265199303205_AIe9_BGd6nxl00qJipskuCHazhVveFJe7FsGd3KhfxzATXM7poF8w3PFuhCyV1Cmgeg_1IGR_u_LFbnjXZCcgcAiu0LUgKkF0C3wp3LYeBZL_0zCtsRK-8bkM9S5U7eRPqgPBLkl-bmb6PWBrVUXVNRK9AdVICTDuEwrPCHti2Y0GjAzt-LRgEh5W9_QJrCqPLUjemylFzJI-WDIICzAbtpR34NC28mu591oYtP_zEZW_gg7zU7TZfs">Even reader Emily commented</a> about how this is part of work culture as well.
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Of course, I was super-curious about this custom. I asked and poked around a bit and it seems this male kissing phenomena is unique to Argentina in Latin America. You may find it in other cultures, including in the Middle East and of course, Italy. Even in some parts of the former Soviet Union you can find men who will embrace with a little kiss. But Brazil? No. In Colombia – forget about it. Colombians don’t really kiss hello for the most part, it is more of handshake type of society even for the chicks. NB: Reader Yonas H <a href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6386068233544210133&postID=1136597097782472492">comments </a>that in Portugal, men in fact, do kiss.
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">What’s so interesting about the dude kiss is that machismo level of Argentine society. Many of these men who are kissing their dude friends hello are cut from the cloth of some of the most macho men en el mundo. Argentine society can sometimes be a retro throwback – at a party, the women and men can usually been seen gathered in gender specific groups, something out of a sweet 16. I’ve talked incessantly about the level of sexism here, so I don’t need to remind you, my loyal readers about this or why it would seem a tad peculiar to have dudes showing some affection to other dudes.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I will say though, that maybe because there’s so much kissing everywhere, maybe the kiss doesn’t mean as much as it would to a gringa, yanqui or whatever you want to call us cooler blooded northern folk. After all, a kiss is just a kiss. Even if you get them from different people all day long.
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Beso!</span>
<br /></p> <!--EndFragment--> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-77352552126343646142010-01-28T15:09:00.002-03:002010-01-28T15:11:40.934-03:00Caca- Segundo CapituloSo I have already<a href="http://www.firstworldwhitegirl.com/2009/02/caca.html"> bitched and bitched about the poo poo problem </a>on the streets of Buenos Aires – no one picks up their dog shit. Boo and hoo. Every day walking on the street is akin to a field of landmines, watching your every step as though it could be the last (well, for that pair of shoes anyway).<br /><br />I thought I had all my caca issues under control. Remain vigilant, especially in the morning (what creature doesn’t drop a load between the hours of 8 and 11am?). But this week, they got me.<br /><br />Of course I don’t realize it when it happens. I arrive at my slightly snooty gym (there is a snootier one a block away) and head for the elliptical. I get on and start moving, putting my ipod on and enjoying my new gym mix. And then, it beings - a musty, gaggy, repulsive, treacherous and disgusting stench. At first, I look around. Could it be the guy two machines over, sweating a tad piggishly as he huffs and puffs to nowhere? Or the woman striding with purpose up an imaginary hill? Yes, it must her. How gross I think, imaging what in the world she must have done to herself (or not done to herself) to bring such a foul odor onto all of us.<br /><br />Before too long, the smell faded and I continue my sweatfest. I strolled over to the weights – arms, back, chest, those little triceps all get their due. Wiped out, I collapsed onto a mat to stretch a bit and then, it starts again. That tang, that vicious olfactory assault that had nearly killed me an hour earlier. I frantically looked around for Lady Reek, but she was nowhere to be found.<br /><br />This could mean only one thing – I was Lady Reek.<br /><br />Shit (literally)! I quickly look down to my lovely Adidas Supernovas (the only shoe for me, I love them) and sandwiched in the little cavities of the bottom of my sneaker is shit, shit and shit.<br /><br />Shit!<br /><br />I leave in embarrassment (after all, I was Lady Reek to everyone else) and when I get to the street, I begin scraping my shoe wildly against the sidewalk, like an animal with a bad itch. But the shit is just caked in after 45 minutes of cardio pounding.<br /><br />Pissed off, I walk home. I take off my shoes outside the front door, carry them inside and stick them on the patio, leaving the smell for my neighbors to enjoy. What the hell did this dog eat?<br /><br />I avoiding going to the gym yesterday because I just didn’t want to deal with my shitty shoes. But today, feeling brave, I put on rubber gloves, grabbed the paper towels and held my nose. Done and done, shit-free run.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-53701498221739876532010-01-08T11:50:00.004-03:002010-01-08T11:53:35.852-03:00Knowing What Matters <meta name="Title" content=""> <meta name="Keywords" content=""> <meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 2008"> <meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 2008"> <link rel="File-List" href="file://localhost/Users/jill_greenberg/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_filelist.xml"> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">I have been in the US for the holidays and for a little business time, doing my usual east coast lap from Ft. Lauderdale to NYC to DC. It’s a familiar route at this point in my life that’s spread around across two continents, two time zones and two languages.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Before I embark on these multi-week schleps, I try to organize coffees, meetings, lunches, cocktails, dinners, chats, gym dates or whatever to catch up with people, organize more work, get some gossip or even get some love (love has many forms, you filthy freakshow).
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As you can imagine, this is not only time consuming trying to organize all these type-A people’s schedules (No, I can’t do Wednesday, I have my shrink or well, if the lawyers get back to me, I won’t be able to do 3pm – that kind of shit), but it’s just nuts to actually follow through and do EVERY SIN<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ju1l4--siF4/S0dGsaFo54I/AAAAAAAAAVM/PUSYdH7ieEs/s1600-h/CIMG5535.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ju1l4--siF4/S0dGsaFo54I/AAAAAAAAAVM/PUSYdH7ieEs/s320/CIMG5535.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424382004922214274" border="0" /></a>GLE THING you overcommitted yourself to when you were sitting in the summertime and chilling out. But inevitably after three weeks of dragging your ass through the winter, a cold starts to bud, digits are perpetually frozen and a you have a stump speech on what’s been going on that would make an incumbent senator a little jealous.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Truthfully, it’s all lovely: all the friends, all the festivities, all the food, all the memoires.<span style=""> </span>Everyone is happy to see you; you are happy to see them. But there are other people, the people who you once imbibed with countless glasses of fancy wine and canapés who don’t return your calls or your emails. The people who you thought were friends that once you unplugged from the matrix, no longer want anything to do with you. I don’t have tons of these types but there are some people who have mysteriously disappeared from the universe. Hmmm.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">When I first started doing these east coast tours and I didn’t hear back from these ghosts, I felt sort of bad. What happened to my friends? Then I realized that these people were never my friends – they were part of the transactional life that has overtaken life in the big city. And now that I can only regale folks with tales of my wacky Argentine life or third world wanderings, I don’t have something they think of as valuable.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The good news is that people I never thought of as particularly close have also come out of the woodwork, becoming good friends even when I am far away. These people have served as inspiration and support and I am more grateful than ever for them.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">I no longer feel bad about these spirits that have disappeared. And I don’t even bother sending those emails anymore, I just enjoy my wonderful, amazing North American friends.</p> <!--EndFragment--> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-8082446796979748782009-12-17T12:31:00.009-03:002009-12-17T12:38:57.321-03:00Sweet SoundsHave we talked about noise? This city is a sonata, beginning with the gentle whirring of a saw around 8:30 am. It usually builds to include a chorus of dog barks, a baseline of gruffly cars without mufflers, the evening’s delivery boys with their puny motorcycles chirping and finally to the crescendo of high school boys high on cheap beer clapping and singing at 3 am virtually every night of the week.<br /><br />Sounds like it must be hard to sleep, huh?<br /><br />Anyway, this gives you a sense of the daily life of sound in BsAs. So you can imagine what happens when’s there’s really something to yell about. Dude, you don’t want to be there. It’s something along the lines of a Kiss concert without earplugs. Ok, maybe a little dramatic…<br /><br />So it was not really surprising the other weekend at <a href="http://www.masacriticabsas.com.ar/">Masa Critica</a> when one of our masa ended up in a little fender bender with a taxi, that all hell broke loose. We were ri<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ju1l4--siF4/SypQNtAyBBI/AAAAAAAAAVE/Dk5ZAUlJsww/s1600-h/CIMG5366.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ju1l4--siF4/SypQNtAyBBI/AAAAAAAAAVE/Dk5ZAUlJsww/s320/CIMG5366.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416229698217837586" border="0" /></a>ding along, the masa growing into a group of well over 100 cyclists. Cruising through the fancypants neighborhood of Recoleta, the group was like a web covering Calle Callo. When we got to the bottom of the hill, there was already something going down, a rolly polly taxi driver screaming at a hippie dippie kid.<br /><br /><br />Traffic was starting to pile up, as the fracas was in the middle lane. The group of bikers had pulled into a gas station, people were chatting, smoking, sharing food and drink. Bellowing cars begged their impatience to get the hell out of the way. The cops showed up. The crowd warmed up. And the clapping commenced.<br /><br />Of course, there were words to go with the clapping. “Bici, si. Taxista, no.” keeping with the rhythm of the rhyme as the argument with the taxista, the police and the kid kept going. The voices thundered together, the clapping adding force to the message of the masa. At one point someone held up the bike to egg the crowd on, the back tire deformed by the force of the taxi. We roared.<br /><br />Another policeman came and the crowd got louder – “Bici, si. Taxista, no.” The honking continued, the chant too, until our hands were red and our voices hoarse from screaming.<br /><br />After an hour or so, it got resolved. I have no idea what the resolution was exactly. Satisfied, we stopped screaming, got back on our bicis and headed south.<br /><br />P.S. Thanks to my wonderful friend and writer<a href="http://www.sharonhaywood.com/"> Sharon Haywood </a>for the inspiration for this post!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-38447740196723955102009-12-11T11:39:00.004-03:002009-12-11T11:49:58.223-03:00Bathroom Cultural AlertThe other night, I went to see one of my most favorite singers in the world, Concha Buika. Think Erykah Badu and Nina Simone rolled into one tiny woman from Mallorca, with a family from Equatorial Guinea – the only African country where the predominant language is Spanish<br /><br />The girl is fly. She dresses and looks like Badu, emits that amazing air of power a la Badu too. But the voice. That voice – a creamy dream with a range that will knock your socks off. She’s kinda jazzy, but girl ain’t afraid to bring in beautiful Cuban rhythms, hip rocking drumbeats or dramatic flamenco.<br /><br />Divine. Here’s a little clip.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fpaOTWZUIgA&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fpaOTWZUIgA&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Before we went into the show, a friend and I ran to the bathroom. Of course, in true woman form, there was a line. We waited patiently, as the line moved at a decent clip. The bathroom was your typical post-modern public outhouse, with stale green walls and an antiseptic vibe. I noticed out of the corner of my eye there was a woman selling your usual bathroom fodder, including little squares of TP.<br /><br />My friend leans in and whispers, do you think its drip dry? I look around and see that no one else is buying paper. Well, I respond, when I am in a place where the custom isn’t clear, I usually look at what other people are doing to get a sense of the system.<br /><br />We opt for the gamble. My friend, who enters the bathroom ahead of me, yells out to me in disgust, “So much for when in Rome…”Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-48232843798110707262009-12-07T18:41:00.000-03:002009-12-07T18:41:12.380-03:00My Sparrows<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Sorry for the slack gang. I have been in work mode, holiday planning mode and party mode as spring and a trip back north for the holidays is creeping upon me. This has given me little time to reflect on my life here, sadly.<br />
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But since it’s the end of the year, which is a time for broad reflection and thanks for everything, I keep coming back to a story about a lovely little necklace that represents my journey of the last 18 months.<br />
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My favorite shop in Washington is called <a href="http://www.nanadc.com/">Nana</a> and is owned by a dear friend Jackie Flanagan. (Everyone in DC, go and go immediately!) She has the cutest stuff known to humankind in her beautiful U Street boutique, including lovely jewelry by a designer called<a href="http://www.piecesofagirl.com/index.php#homepage"> Pieces of a Girl.</a> <br />
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Years ago, I bought myself a lovely little necklace of a sparrow. I always got compliments on it, as it is delicate and beautiful and looks nice with almost anything. I wore it all the time and even bought a few for some dear friends.<br />
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I have had my sparrow with me constantly, a reminder of the people that are far from me physically but not emotionally. They are all my dear friends in DC and throughout the world that have helped me get to right now. And for them, I am grateful. Especially my friend Jackie, as she is an example in my life of how one can achieve something with hard work and a desire to succeed.<br />
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Sparrows are tiny little birds that are found in almost every part of the world. The great thing about a sparrow is that they are free to come and go wherever they want, only constrained by the extremes of temperature. Because their tribe is everywhere, they are able to find their own group of fellow sparrows wherever they end up.<br />
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My own little sparrow flew with me from Washington to Buenos Aires, from La Paz to Cape Town and all the way back to the US. Sometime earlier this year, it broke. I held onto the chain and my little bird as they continued around with me through the US and Colombia. I finally brought my sparrow in to Jackie in the late summer when I was back in DC for a while and she vowed to get it fixed for me.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ju1l4--siF4/Sx11zX26H3I/AAAAAAAAASY/zslsfb63hDk/s1600-h/IMG_3769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ju1l4--siF4/Sx11zX26H3I/AAAAAAAAASY/zslsfb63hDk/s200/IMG_3769.JPG" /></a>On my last full day in town, I went over to<a href="http://www.nanadc.com/"> Nana</a> to say goodbye to Jackie. Things had been crazy at the store and while everything looked beautiful and ready for fall, she hadn’t had the time to get my sparrow fixed. She wanted to just give me a new one, but she didn’t want me to continue traveling without my first sparrow, the one that had been all of those places and had experienced all those things with me.<br />
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So now, I have a necklace with two sparrows. The sparrow from the first part of this great adventure and now, a shiny new one for the next part.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6386068233544210133.post-13080257160378496582009-11-27T11:15:00.001-03:002009-11-27T13:50:05.917-03:00ThanksThanksgiving is my favorite holiday in the world because it is a holiday that is about food, not gifts. Thanksgiving is a memory of people and shared experience, not about spending money because of a societal obligation. Because of this, I had no idea what kind of experience I was going to have living in a place where my roots are just starting to take hold.<br />
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We went Thanksgiving shopping on Tuesday, my friend Mary and I scoured the giant megastore for cranberries, turkey, green beans, and the ever necessary, bricks of butter. Success on the butter and the beans. Well, the turkey too – we scored these little girl turkeys from Brazil, pavitas, and we grabbed two of them from the nearly empty giant freezer. The cranberries were sadly never found and tangy plum marmalade was subbed in its’ place.<br />
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When I arrived at Mary’s on Thursday, I had already been living in cognitive dissonance. Always in two worlds, it was more severe on this day – life hummed as it always does in my physical space, while half a world away existed some other reality that is also my own. But it was different. Thanksgiving is about the people you love and there were many people who were in that world far, far away. Normally I spend Thanksgiving with my dear friend Marc. <a href="http://www.firstworldwhitegirl.com/2008/12/thanksgiving.html">I even wrote a poem about it last year</a>, closing my eyes to imagine his day of thanks at the same moment as mine. I remember feeling the distance of half a world on that day.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ju1l4--siF4/Sw_eIlLn-lI/AAAAAAAAARg/FefeibsFvXU/s1600/IMG_3677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ju1l4--siF4/Sw_eIlLn-lI/AAAAAAAAARg/FefeibsFvXU/s200/IMG_3677.JPG" /></a><br />
But this year, something was different. I walked into Mary’s house to a hurricane of cooking. Mary, an incredible cook, had prepared beautiful green beans worthy of a Gourmet photo spread and pale yellow potatoes au gratin laced with cream and cheese. I ran out to get some wine and when I came back, the smell of the pavitas filled the kitchen. Darkness had come and with that, a drop in the temperature that made it feel closer to a slightly bleak northern world November than a crisp Argentine spring evening.<br />
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Before too long the guests began to arrive. Argentines, a Cuban, a Brazilian. Only one-third of us had celebrated Thanksgiving before, so it was a treat for many of the newbies. As we were piling our plates with food, we had to show the newbies where the most delicious stuffing was (inside the bird of course), explain the plum marmalade on the table.<br />
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It was a joyous occasion – in English, Spanish and even a little Portuguese. When asked about what she was thankful for, our host put it perfectly – “I am thankful for yesterday for becoming today and today for becoming tomorrow.”<br />
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Me too.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143915360124750174noreply@blogger.com1