Day Sixty-Three: Back to BA

Due to the weather yesterday I didn’t go outside in the afternoon.  It’s cold today, but its partly sunny, so I take a kayak out and then go for a bike ride before heading to the airport.

Alanna’s friend Juan, reaches out to me when I arrive in BA.  He invites me to join him for his friend jule’s birthday tonight.  He comes by my hotel and we walk to the apartment together.

Fernando comes downstairs to let us in.  Apartments don’t have buzzers here, so when there is a party, the last person to get there goes downstairs to let the next person in.

In the apartment we are greeted by Jules, Manuel, Lola the dog and a few of their friends.  I sit down to join the conversation.  They are talking about something funny.  They are laughing, smiling, gesturing.  It’s a good time, but I can barely understand a word they are saying.  Juan tells me that they are talking about the wedding. Jules and Manuel just got married last week.

Juan explains that the girls are discussing what colors the women were wearing at the wedding.  Jules points to herself and says “blanco,” the girls laugh and say “claro, claro!”  I get it!

Then I realize that Juan is the only male in the room and he is surrounded by eight women, including myself. Twenty minutes later, he explains that they are still talking about the dresses.  He looks as confused as I am that this topic could go on for so long.  Then I notice that all of the other males are in the kitchen.  That’s odd.  Eight ladies and Juan.  I imagine that he’d be in the kitchen too if I weren’t here, but he is being a good host to me.

I watch Jules as she tells a story.  She is beaming.  A glowing bride, married a week ago, surrounded by her best friends.  I’m so happy for her.  It’s a pleasure to be around such happy people.

Manuel brings home made pizza into the living room and everyone grabs a slice before he brings in another pie and another one after that.  I realize and confirm with Juan that this is why Argentines go out so late.  They do this beforehand.  Good friends get together.  They aren’t in a rush to meet anyone at a bar.

Juan invites me to another one of these shindigs on Saturday for friends who just moved into a new house.  They are all in their late twenties or early thirties.  It seems like the natural age to get married and settle down with a dog in a house.

I thank Jules and Manuel, say goodbye and head to wherever bar to meet Laura.  I arrive before her and find her brother Sergio working in the DJ booth.  He works here four nights a week playing music for the place.

Sergio. CD is Oasis. It’s just a pub, but for this group of friends, it is their hang out.  Everyone I’ve spoken to about the bar notes that they play really great music, thanks to Sergio of course.  “I play whatever I want. No one tells me this band or this genre.  Someone at the bar might request the police.  I say ok!” Sergio tells me.  ”Roooxanne, you dont have to put on the red light,” he sings.

Laura arrives and we sit down and order something to eat.  Ezequiel comes by and joins us.

After we finish i find Kike at the bar.  He is a little sad tonight.  He just came from a tribute concert for Pappo, a legend here.  Pappo’s brother asked him to play a song at the show, so he performed.  After a beer and some laughs Kike’s spirits are lifted and he is dancing.

Kike

Kike and LauraHe has a peculiar way about him.  It’s not easy to describe.  He moves to his own rhythm.  “He has music in his body. He’s a rock star,” Laura says.

Kike, me and LauraShe explains that her brother Sergio is a rockstar too.  He is one year older than her and he was this way his whole life.  When they were growing up, he would play his guitar until five in the morning while she was trying to study or sleep.  She would complain and he’d say “I have to practice!”  I can appreciate the adolescent sibling rivalry.  Now he is a musician and she is a psychologist.

I persuade Laura to join me in Mendoza.  We are going to leave on Saturday.  I’m excited to have a travel buddy. 

Kike’s friend Maggie, his sister Rosario and a few other friends show up.  It’s an Argentine version of Cheers.  We head to Franks before I call it a night.

See more pictures.

Day Fifty-Six: What Brings You to BA?

Future soccer starsI take a long walk this afternoon, check out the MALBA museum and stroll through the parks. 

Lots of dogs in BA.Dogs appear to have a great life in BA.  I bet Lyla would love it.  I wonder what she is doing.  I picture her romping around in the countryside.  I miss her.

Fernando emailed me on ASW and invited me to a dinner with other ASW people at La Fonda Del Polo in Las Canitas tonight.  He is a polo instructor and I am taking a lesson with him tomorrow.

A Small World is a great network to plug into for traveling.  You meet all kinds of people from different places.  At dinner I sit across from Michael.  He is a journalist currently producing a pilot for show about ex-pats in BA and other cities around the world.  I tell him about where I am staying and suggest that he check it out.  It is the perfect place to find a few interviews.

Denidsia and Desislava are sitting across from me.  They are from Bulgaria and played polo at Fernando’s farm this afternoon.  Desislava tells me that in Bulgaria you need to pick your major before you finish high school.  She studied business administration and then realized she hated it, but she was stuck.  “What do I do with it now?” she asks of her degree.  She wanted to travel and she saw the Emirates was hiring so she became a flight attendant.

Denidsia and DesislavaAfter dinner I meet Kike and pals at Wherever, Kike’s friend’s bar in Palermo.  I meet Consuelo.  She is 26.  She married when she was 22 and is now divorced and lives with her parents 50km outside the city.  Consuelo is one of many twenty-something Argentines who lives at home.  Pato also lives with his family about 30km outside the city.  For Argentines, everything revolves around family.  You live at home until you get married.  In Consuelo’s case, you move back home when it doesn’t work.

Pato, Kike and Consuelo and WhereverKike tells me about his band, Misticos (see website).  He is from another time and place.  London in the sixties.  The Beatles or the Ramones. 

KikeWe head to Franks, Kike’s new favorite spot. 

The telephone booth to get into FranksI am talking to Consuelo and Pato and somehow we get onto the subject of Ninja Turtles.  They are my age and grew up with the same cartoons as me.  He-man, Ninja Turtles, Thundercats.  It’s surprising.  They grew up a world away but we watched the same television.

Sergio’s sister, Laura, helps me with my Spanish.  She uses Italian as a bridge and it’s really helpful, although I start to confuse the languages.

I’ve met so many people in BA from all over the world.  Everyone has an interesting story about how they ended up here.  It’s a diverse city.  I’m really excited to see what the weekend has in store.  See more pictures.