Joke

The following joke was told to me in Spanish.

What do you call a person that speaks three languages? Tri-lingual.

What do you call a person that speaks two languages? Bi-lingual

What do  you call a person that speaks one language? American (estadounidense).

EU Politics

During my visit to Argentina, I was asked many questions about the U.S. (Estados Unidos, E.U. or EEUU). Generally, people expressed optimism about Barack Obama and strong negativity toward George Bush.

-Why do you want Afghanistan?

-Is the U.S. out of Iraq?

-Is Guantanamo closed?

-Some people say the Americans are the terrorists.

-Is the economy better? When will it get better?

-Why do U.S. women oppose sensuality?

-Why don’t Americans like soccer when every other country in the world does?

Buenos Aires

My trip to Buenos Aires was different from my other trips. I stayed in an apartment for a month. I had a daily routine I followed to get to school, study and see the city. I enjoyed living there. I like the hustle and bustle of the city, a city with flair and a sense of gentrification. There was always something to see and somewhere to go.
The downside was the pollution above and below. The air is toxic primarily from the ancient collectivos (or buses) the provide goood transportation but also belch enormous plumes of foul exhaust. The air made my eyes sting and nose run. Dog poop, unhappily, is everywhere. Dog owners and walkers allow their pets to go anywhere. The rain doesn’t clear this mess, it only moves it around.

City Attractions:
Corrientes–visiting booksellers and cafes.
Obelisk–iconic.
Visiting the Barrios: Boca, San Telmo, Palermo, Ricoleta.
MALBEC–nice museum bilding, but had Andy Warhol exhibit instead of Latin American artists.
Belle Arts-wonderful museum, classic European and wide swath of Argentinian artists.
Evita Peron–intresting museum.
Japanese Garden–nice respite in city.
Botanical Gardens–wonderful city park. Saw Jazz band play on Sunday afternoon.
Museum of Buenos Aires–toys and soccer paraphenalia.
Retiro train station–faded European glory.
Florida Street — take a walk.
City Bus Tour–disappointing: too many people, too few buses.
Plaza de May, Casa Roja and Cathedral–of course.
Reserva Ecologica–good walk, clean(er) air, interesting environment.
Palacio de Agua Corriente–great building.
China Town –eat some veggies!
Central Cultural Borges–interesting art, but nothing to do with Borges (I guess he had an office here).  Good tango show.

Dakar Rally

I posed beside a mega-SUV outfitted to race in the Dakar Rally. It was outfitted with special dust-free air intakes, oversize tires, heavy duty suspension and sponsor stickers on every available inch of paint. Wearing my fishing shirt rolled up at the sleeves, my Tilley hat and Ray-Ban sunglasses, people mistook me for a driver. Three separate couples came up to ask me about the competititon and wish me luck. Instead we talked weather, economics and Obama.
The original Dakar was held in the desert in Africa, but because of security concerns, it moved to Argentina and Chile. An Argentinian, Patroncelli, ultimately won the motorcylce section of the race.

Evita Museum

The Evita Museum is worth visiting. In addition to the numerous artifacts and photos, I enjoyed the news reel footage of showing the public Evita at historic events.