Monday 15 February 2010

No Te Amo Mas

A brilliant little poem. Once you've finished read it backwards!

No te amo,
Mentiría diciendo que
todavía te quiero como siempre te quise.
Tengo la certeza que
nada fue en vano.
Siento dentro de mí que
tú no significas nada.
No podría decir jamás que
alimento un gran amor.
Siento cada vez más que
¡Ya te olvidé!
Y jamás usaré la frase
¡YO TE AMO!
Lo siento pero debo decir la verdad.
Es muy tarde…

Alfaho-down

Best alfajores (so good with mate)?

Expensive: Havanna from Havanna cafes
Cheap: Jorgecito from most kioscos

mmmmmmmmmmmmm

p.s. not a 'cookie'

Susana Gimenez

Ummm, not much to say on that front.

In a country steeped in amazing culture, words literally escape me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeRCtzO1JD8&feature=related

Plastic Fantastic

Argentina is home to a LOT of plastic surgery. Everyone loves it, from the president Cristina to the former Miss Argentina Solange Magnano who died after complications during a surgery session. Once you are in possession of your 'Obra Social' (public health care), you are entitled to a free surgery per year of your choice. No wonder they all look so darn good.

Ice cream dream

Not even WORTH trying to explain how good the ice cream in Argentina is. We all know, came over from Italy bla bla bla...... who cares??! GIVE ME MORE DOUBLE DULCE DE LECHE WITH BROWNIEEEEEEEEEEE mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, yum!!! The people at Cremolatti do it so good for a reasonable price but it's hard to go wrong with anything artesenal on any street, anywhere. Although I once had a cabernet sauvignon sorbet in Mendoza and it was minging.

Achtung Baby!

I am SO fed-up with reading stupid blogs written largely by silly Americans about how 'dangerous' Buenos Aires is. Yes, after everything that happened with the economic crash in 2001, crime increased and attitudes changed. Many modifications to houses were made and some families fled the cities to live in the campo. To be fair to the silly American blog writers there are also two types of Argentine's that I hear talking about this 'danger' - people who live in the campo, and people of an older generation who live in the city. There was such a huge fear factor instilled in the minds of these groups after the crash that they can't believe things have really changed. In my opinion they are overly paranoid. I can tell you that in 2010, Buenos Aires is like any other capital city in the world - New York, London, Rome, Moscow etc etc. The only major difference is that unlike these cities, Buenos Aires does not have an extensive CCTV system.

IF you are going to talk in a loud voice everywhere you go, IF you are going to walk around on your own at night in the center, drunk, IF you are going to carry everything you own from stashes of cash to ipods to Nikon D3's, IF you are going to wear obviously touristy/hostel-type clothing and IF you are going to go wandering on your own into the villa then yes, you probably will get a gun pulled on you by a crazy crack addict. I am a foreigner and I can spot a tourist a mile off, especially an American or a German (with my random radar that I have). Generally speaking, being low-key helps. A lot.

Buenos Aires is an amazing city and so don't be afraid to go!

Saturday 6 February 2010

Tattoos

Many Argentine girls are beautiful, there is no denying that even though I would love to lie and say it's all bollocks and they're all obese and hairy. But one thing that I've noticed (to my slight glee) is that their bodies are home to some of the WORST tattoos I've ever seen! Please, Argentine Girl, if you are thinking about getting a weird, colourful pattern across your back or arm or leg, like your friends - don't do it!! You are probably pretty enough just as you are.

Mosquitos and cockroaches and whiskers on kittens

Both bearable if you have any other blood other than type 'O' or a bottle of Off, and if you don't mind occasionally having to kill a very large crunchy insect or keep alert while wearing flip-flops walking around at night (fun for 'eye-spy' but you have to be good - they are quick!).

When it rains however, mosquito colonies seem to double (more Off!) and streets can become rivers where drowning cockroaches crash into you and clamber up your bare leg in a bid to save themselves - eeeeeeeeeeeee!

Trains

I love the trains in Buenos Aires. They're my favourite way to travel and it's a good way to get to know the whole city. Sometimes you don't even need to pay! (But you might get caught and be forced to pay a fine.....)

100 peso notes (false friends)

I don't understand why people complain about the 100 peso note syndrome - that shops and kiosks don't have the change to take one so you can only use it to buy things for over 30ish pesos and the banks won't give you anything smaller. I love having the excuse of having to spend money: don't really need that bottle of wine/moisturiser/completely useless item for the kitchen, but oh well, if I have to.....

Sleep

I love that in this country you are allowed to sleep. No one judges you if you want to sleep all day, especially if it's raining like today. You are not expected to get up and 'do things' if you don't want to. Someone might call you lazy but they will probably do exactly the same thing tomorrow so you don't need to take it personally.