Oh Baby... Shakira Shakira

Wow! What an incredible concert. This concert would never happen in the US. It was held in a futbol statium and we arrived a little late due to the traffic. Were were waiting in line when she
as about to start. The personnel at the statuim started screaming at us to run. It became a mass frenzy with people trying to make it on time. Mana and I just were laughing the whole time.

Shakira is an amazing performer. She can sing and boy can she dance. Incredible!

See the pictures... it is great.

School is out for winter

School just ended on Wednesday and I feel very guilty about getting credit for my studies. I only had classes for 6 weeks, 2 days a week and now I have to write a few final papers. I figure that is a fair exchange for a whole quarter of credit at Anderson.

The last 2 weekends I have been travelling and doing school in between. One weekend to Rosario and Cordoba and this past weekend to Peninsula Valdes. The most amusing part of both of these trips is that I visited a Swiss town in Cordoba and took high tea in a Welsh town near Peninsula Valdes.



Who knew that you could come to Argentina and experience so many cultures?!? I don't even have to go to Europe anymore. They even have an American "town" right here in Buenos Aires. It is called "Kansas" and it is a restuarant (but big enough to be a city) and it is owned by Huston's Restaurant. Every Sunday the other Americans go there to get their fix if American style baby-back ribs and mashed potatoes. It is like a home away from home (but the waiters still speak Spanish).

This week I was on a quest for a turkey in honor of Thanksgiving. That proved to be a fruitless search. Argentinians, according to everyone including the poor meat guy I accosted, do not eat turkey except on Christmas. It is forbidden all other times. So on Dec 15 the stores start stocking turkeys and then the day after Christmas all of the turkeys are promptly removed. So in honor of Thanksgiving, I did something as American as I could think of .... I ate at McDonalds. But it wasn't the same. The McDonalds was clean. The hamburger was made from meat and my sundae had Dulce de Leche on it. Sigh. I'm just going to have to settle for a big fat piece of beef and say my "thanks".

I'm going to the Shakira ("Shakira Shakira") concert on Sat night and then I'm off on my amazing race through Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Brazil.

Hope all is well and Happy Thanksgiving!

Land of animals and delays

Yesterday was almost as great as the first day. With 3 other British people I rented a car and went to see the penguins, dolphins and had tea at a welsh town. Normally those 3 trips would cost a total of 400 pesos or 130 dollars but with the car rental it was closer to 150 pesos and I had a great time.

The penguin colony was beyond anything I would have ever expected. Over 1 million penguins walking around and we got to walk in their territory without many fences. They didn't seem to be bothered by us being there though.

For the dolphins we were really lucky to see them. Also we were the only 3 people on the boat. It was incredible. For all of these animals I got video also so I cannot wait to show you.

My flight back to Buenos Aires was cancelled. It is amazing. It was just a fluke that I called to confirm my flight and they said .. Oh that was completely cancelled, you are now put on at 10 o' clock flight (instead of 7:45) and by the way your credit card didn't work either. So I have to pay when I get to the airport. That is Argentina for you.

Whale watching

So no killer whales but we saw southern right whales and it was INCREDIBLE!!!

They came so close to the boat that they bumped us a little. It was amazing. I also have about 1 million pictures of it raising it´s tail and waving to us. It was like the whales were putting on a show.

I have meet 2 really nice Londoners and we are renting a car tomorrow and seeing the penguins. Everything is just gravy after seeing the whales.

I meet the only 2 non-price sensitive ppl in the hostel I think. One is a consultant and the other an investment banker. One has their MBA and the other is applying next year.

Supposedly we were really lucky since other boats did not see the tail raise out of the water in proper whale fashion.

I am so glad I came and I have a bunch of pictures to prove it. I had a whale of a good time today!

The land of steak

We are in the land of steak, leather and tango and loving it. We fill our days with shopping, tango shows, dancing, exploring the city and surrounding areas, eating and .... classes (of course). The 3 peso to 1 dollar exchange rate is great for us. We eat dinner at the coolest, best, hippest places with great wine and dessert for about $10 USD. Leather goods are abundant, great quality and reasonable. And the portenos (people from Buenos Aires) are so friendly and helpful.

Top 10 things that we have discovered while here in BA:
1. Everyone drinks Mate, a very strong tea thing. They carry around their thermoses full of hot water and their yerba (herb for mate).
2. When you park on the street you have to pay a guy to watch your car so nothing "bad" happens to it and that still isn't a guarantee.
3. You always have to look down when you walk. You never know what you will step in.
4. A ring on your finger doesn't matter to the guys and for guys, if you are not making out by the end of the night, you must be gay.
5. Time doesn't mean a thing. Dinner at 9:30 means dinner at 11:00 and don't even think about showing up at a club before 2:00 am.
6. The buses are unmarked and you have to have a special 6th "bus sense" to know where they stop and pick up.
7. You always have to check your bills since fake money is EVERYWHERE!
8. Panchos are not something you wear they are something you eat. (Hot dogs)
9. Dulche de Leche has taken over all the desserts.
10. The most common phrase is "super" combined with a Spanish word. Example "super despacio" = really slow. "Muy cool" is the second most common phrase.

ok ... just one more (it was hard to limit the list)
11. If you look at a guy in a club, that means you want to take him home.

Attached is a picture from a dinner at an Anderson Alums house just outside BA and Mana and I hosted a Halloween party to show the Argentineans how to party.

In the meantime, we will look where we walk, eat panchos and dulche de leche, dance the night away, avoid looking at guys and... of course, study.