The truth is that life is pretty much the same here as it is back home (except life is in Spanish here). Buenos Aires is very cool and very European. It is always amazing to be walking down a street and see old beautiful buildings mixed in with new high rises. We did a tour of the Teatro Colon and it is truly incredible. The theatre was built in the nineteenth century and has hosted many operas and ballets. They have a huge in house costume, shoe, wig, mask and set design studios. It is incredible!
We also went to a polo match. The people here are quick to tell you that polo is not "popular", it is "elite". Apparently, since it cost so much to maintain the horses and purchase the horses only the very wealthy play polo and consequently mainly the wealthy watch the sport. I thought it was great. I got to watch a men riding horses carrying sticks trying to hit a little tiny white ball in between 2 poles. What is more fascinating than that?!?!?!! I attached a photo of my roommate and me at the polo game. Yes... we are at a polo game, not advertising the beer.
Other than that I have basically been wondering around Buenos Aires looking at the sites. I saw the Casa Rosada, where the president used to live. I think if I were president I would find it emasculating to live in a pink house, but, hey, that is me. And the Plaza de Mayo where they still hold protests about the thousands of people that disappeared during the Dirty War. And all of the other plazas and parks.
I still haven't seen an official tango show but they really do tango on the streets. It would be like on 3rd Street people busting out with tango shows. They are very beautiful to watch but you just feel like the people dancing are having an awful time since they never smile.
Also Argentinians have a very strange custom of drinking this stuff called mate. It is tea, but instead of filtering out the taste of tea through a tea bag, you fill up the cup with tea herbs and then filter the hot water out through a special straw. It is very strong and bitter but EVERYONE drinks it. I was invited to a friends house and she busted out this mate cup and everyone shares. I think it is a bit unsanitary (everyone drinks from the same straw) but it is also very communal and hospitable. (She also had awesome ice-cream so I wasn't going to complain.) Which leads me to tell you about the food. Oh my Gosh!! The food is incredible and so cheap! I had an incredible steak and chicken meal with wine and appetizer and dessert for .... U$D 10. It doesn't pay to eat at home here. Of course my waistline is demonstrating that I feel that way, but there is always 4 months before the wedding to lose it. (Famous last words). We usually go to a different restaurant each night.
I have plans to start traveling around the country so I should have some more stories when I go.
