While there was no turkey for me yesterday, I did have a distinctly American Thanksgiving.
FINALLY, I made it to Rosario. My Rotary counselor picked me up at around 9:30 in the morning, and we made the hour and half drive with her mother, daughter and nephew.
When we got to Rosario, we went to a few malls for an hour or so and then decided to have lunch. The fine dining establishment we chose: McDonald's. I thoroughly enjoyed my crispy honey mustard chicken wrap and french fries.
Next big adventure: I found the Kanye glasses I've been looking for the last six months!
Apparently, they're sold all over Rosario. The "Floggers" love them (it's an Argentinean fashion trend...I'll explain in another blog post).
Our main activity for the day: Go to the movie theater to see High School Musical 3! It was just like being back in America, except way more fun.
In Argentina, people know how movies like High School Musical are supposed to be watched. We were surrounded by at least two dozen pre-teen girls who screamed every time Zac Effron appeared in a tank top or had a close-up. You should have heard them when he took his shirt off. And that kiss with Gabriella? I think one of them may have fainted. At the end of the big musical numbers, they clapped and cheered. They were practically dancing to the catchier songs. Essentially: it was big fun.
On the ride home, my Rotary counselor's daughter insisted that we listen to a Barbra Streisand CD. Not the usual Christmas songs I prefer, but at least it's American.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Argentinean Falafel
For anyone who has ever tried my brittle chocolate chip or mushy peanut butter cookies, you are in for a surprise: I CAN COOK.
Sort of. Thanksgiving's tomorrow so I figured I would give my host family a taste of my home. Unfortunately, turkeys don't really exist here and stuffing is far too complicated so I settled on the all-American falafel.
There are a number of foods I've been craving since I first came to Argentina. Falafel wasn't one of them. But when I saw the box of falafel mix in the international section of Wal-Mart last week (yes, there are Wal-Marts in some Argentinean cities), I knew that I had to buy it.
The directions seemed easy enough but I was a little nervous. I'm quite good at messing just about anything up.
To my pleasant surprise, the falafel balls actually turned out very tasty! Perfectly crispy on the outside and a little mushy on the inside. I even made them all the right size! Meli tried one first and gave it the Argentinean seal of approval - "muy rico." (And I know she wasn't just trying to make me feel good because she had another). Next time I'll have to find pita, hummus, tahini, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and perhaps even tabuli. But don't worry...I'm not getting ahead of myself.
My next cooking venture: the asado, Argentina's signature cooking style, an open barbecue with the most delicious beef and sausage. Hopefully I'll have similar success...though that's doubtful.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Sort of. Thanksgiving's tomorrow so I figured I would give my host family a taste of my home. Unfortunately, turkeys don't really exist here and stuffing is far too complicated so I settled on the all-American falafel.
There are a number of foods I've been craving since I first came to Argentina. Falafel wasn't one of them. But when I saw the box of falafel mix in the international section of Wal-Mart last week (yes, there are Wal-Marts in some Argentinean cities), I knew that I had to buy it.
The directions seemed easy enough but I was a little nervous. I'm quite good at messing just about anything up.
To my pleasant surprise, the falafel balls actually turned out very tasty! Perfectly crispy on the outside and a little mushy on the inside. I even made them all the right size! Meli tried one first and gave it the Argentinean seal of approval - "muy rico." (And I know she wasn't just trying to make me feel good because she had another). Next time I'll have to find pita, hummus, tahini, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and perhaps even tabuli. But don't worry...I'm not getting ahead of myself.
My next cooking venture: the asado, Argentina's signature cooking style, an open barbecue with the most delicious beef and sausage. Hopefully I'll have similar success...though that's doubtful.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Nazis
Ushuaia: the last city on earth, the southern tip of the world. Stunning mountain scenery, snow, the famous red and white lighthouse, sea lions and rare Patagonian birds.
And Nazis, too.
On my first day in Ushuaia, I stopped in a store and found an awesome gift for a friend of mine (I won't say what it was because then that friend will know). Anyway, for some reason (perhaps my cheapness, which would be ironic considering the events of this story), I decided to wait to purchase the gift until the end of my stay in Ushuaia.
So it's my last couple hours in Ushuaia and I can't find that store again. I'm racing all over the main street, until finally, the end of the street at the end of the world, I find that little souvenier shop that sells the particular item I want.
Elated, I hurry in, put my 50 pesos on the counter, and in between pants say "Dame eso." The clerk kindly shows me other designs and I finally settle on what I think is the most unique option. The clerk, an older woman, puts the item in its bag and asks me where I'm from.
"Los Estados Unidos," I respond.
She opens the cash register and says, "You have a new president, right?"
"Yep," I answer with a smile on my face.
The woman then asks me when he will take office.
Now, at this point I'm thinking that, like everyone else in Argentina, this woman is tired of Republicans and President Bush and is excited about the new guy. So I pleasantly say, "January...don't worry, only a little time is left!"
She gives me a disapproving look. "I don't like him," she says.
Me: (Shocked) Why?
Her: Because he's black.
Me: (Awkward silence). Uh...
Her: Black people only care about other black people and they don't like white people.
Me: (Slightly more shocked) ...It's not like that in America.
Her: Yeah? Well when I was a little girl in Germany it was like that.
Little girl...Germany...
History lesson: what was going on in Germany when that old woman was a little girl?
Was it:
A) the fall of the Berlin Wall,
B) World War II/the Holocaust, or
C) the Germanic barbarians' invasion of Rome?
I do believe the correct answer is B.
I took the souvenier, said "gracias," and peaced the hell out of that place.
But later, I started thinking:
There aren't many racists left in the world. We just elected a half-black president, and you know it wouldn't have been possible if a number of geezers in Virginia, North Carolina, etc. hadn't died in the last decade or so. This woman is the first Nazi I've ever met, and there aren't many left. As the number of Holocaust survivors dwindles, so too does the number of Nazis. Maybe Spielberg should do a "Shoah Project" recording their thoughts, so future generations can say, "you mean, people actually didn't like other people because of their skin?" or "people doubted that a black man would be voted president?"
I'm not mourning intolerance, but it is noteworthy that one of my most interesting conversations of the trip was with an ex-Nazi.
And Nazis, too.
On my first day in Ushuaia, I stopped in a store and found an awesome gift for a friend of mine (I won't say what it was because then that friend will know). Anyway, for some reason (perhaps my cheapness, which would be ironic considering the events of this story), I decided to wait to purchase the gift until the end of my stay in Ushuaia.
So it's my last couple hours in Ushuaia and I can't find that store again. I'm racing all over the main street, until finally, the end of the street at the end of the world, I find that little souvenier shop that sells the particular item I want.
Elated, I hurry in, put my 50 pesos on the counter, and in between pants say "Dame eso." The clerk kindly shows me other designs and I finally settle on what I think is the most unique option. The clerk, an older woman, puts the item in its bag and asks me where I'm from.
"Los Estados Unidos," I respond.
She opens the cash register and says, "You have a new president, right?"
"Yep," I answer with a smile on my face.
The woman then asks me when he will take office.
Now, at this point I'm thinking that, like everyone else in Argentina, this woman is tired of Republicans and President Bush and is excited about the new guy. So I pleasantly say, "January...don't worry, only a little time is left!"
She gives me a disapproving look. "I don't like him," she says.
Me: (Shocked) Why?
Her: Because he's black.
Me: (Awkward silence). Uh...
Her: Black people only care about other black people and they don't like white people.
Me: (Slightly more shocked) ...It's not like that in America.
Her: Yeah? Well when I was a little girl in Germany it was like that.
Little girl...Germany...
History lesson: what was going on in Germany when that old woman was a little girl?
Was it:
A) the fall of the Berlin Wall,
B) World War II/the Holocaust, or
C) the Germanic barbarians' invasion of Rome?
I do believe the correct answer is B.
I took the souvenier, said "gracias," and peaced the hell out of that place.
But later, I started thinking:
There aren't many racists left in the world. We just elected a half-black president, and you know it wouldn't have been possible if a number of geezers in Virginia, North Carolina, etc. hadn't died in the last decade or so. This woman is the first Nazi I've ever met, and there aren't many left. As the number of Holocaust survivors dwindles, so too does the number of Nazis. Maybe Spielberg should do a "Shoah Project" recording their thoughts, so future generations can say, "you mean, people actually didn't like other people because of their skin?" or "people doubted that a black man would be voted president?"
I'm not mourning intolerance, but it is noteworthy that one of my most interesting conversations of the trip was with an ex-Nazi.
Glacier Trekking
You know that movie Elf when Will Ferrell is walking through the Arctic to get to New York City and he passes through lots of really random winter wonderland scenes? That was basically glacier trekking on el Glacial Perrito Moreno.
We started out by walking around el Lago Argentino; the glacier begins a kilometer or so from the lake's coast. Ice fell off the glacier and into the lake, sending giant waves in every direction. The sound of the water hitting against the ice ricocheted off the mountains creating nice background music as we took pictures with our American, German, Swedish and Argentinean flags.
We then took a boat to get to the base of the glacier. We strapped the grampons and off we went. Hiking on the glacier was one of the most spectacular things I've ever done. The puddles were a bright blue and the lake below looked like jade. I was sure that I would trip within five minutes, but I was actually able to keep my balance. At one point, we had to walk over a crack in the ice that was so large I found myself hopping from one foot to the other. At another part, our path was right through a narrow mini-waterfall; my shoes were sopping wet. The trek ended with alfajores and a glass of whiskey atop Perrito Moreno with views of Lago Argentino and the mountains around it. I looked at the other hikers; they were specks compared to the glacier. It looked like one of those Romantic "Man vs. Nature" paintings. With miles of the glacier still remaining behind me, I was pretty sure that, at least in Patagonia, nature won.
Penguins and Sea Elephants
Watching Happy Feet put me in the right mood for our visit to the Magallenic penguins...but what we saw was a little different from Mumbo & Co.
First of all, the Magallenic penguins live in little holes in the sand near the beach. It's actually pretty hot where they live - not at all like the Antarctic ice. At first glance, they look a little bit like badgers curled up in the ground. But their waddling is exactly what you expect from penguins (unfortunately, none of them were tap dancing). The park we visited allowed us to get just a few feet away from the penguins; a few of them were actually living right under the wooden walkway.
From the penguins, we went to another nearby park to see sea elephants. The sea elephants could not have been a sharper contrast to the cute and cuddly penguins. These animals are pretty hideous. Their nose is a like a stout elephant trunk which grows every year. Instead of waddling, they just roll around the sand and sometimes hop into the water for a swim. Orcas sometimes come up to the beach to eat a baby sea elephant, but for better or worse, we did not see that.
First of all, the Magallenic penguins live in little holes in the sand near the beach. It's actually pretty hot where they live - not at all like the Antarctic ice. At first glance, they look a little bit like badgers curled up in the ground. But their waddling is exactly what you expect from penguins (unfortunately, none of them were tap dancing). The park we visited allowed us to get just a few feet away from the penguins; a few of them were actually living right under the wooden walkway.
From the penguins, we went to another nearby park to see sea elephants. The sea elephants could not have been a sharper contrast to the cute and cuddly penguins. These animals are pretty hideous. Their nose is a like a stout elephant trunk which grows every year. Instead of waddling, they just roll around the sand and sometimes hop into the water for a swim. Orcas sometimes come up to the beach to eat a baby sea elephant, but for better or worse, we did not see that.
Whale Watching
I've just come back from Argentinean Patagonia - what a trip! It's a long bus ride to the end of the world, but we made it all the way there, from the mountain city of Cordoba in the north to Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego. To write about everything that happened would be tedious and boring, so instead I'll write about some highlights and funny/interesting things that happened.
Beginning with the whales.
Our first major excursion was to Peninsula Valdez, outside of the town Puerto Madryn. I wasn't expecting much, maybe a couple hours on a boat interspersed with one or two shouts of "WHALE!" five hundred yards away. Instead, we got whales about five yards away.
Up close you can appreciate just how big and powerful these animals are. In the pictures, the tail seems flimsy and flexible, but watching it slap down on the water it looked a lot more like a VERY strong muscle. Their skin is perfectly smooth except around the blowhole, and spotted white, black and gray.
I'm not sure how many whales we actually saw, but there were two that seemed to especially like us - a mother and calf. The younger whale kept doing flips, showing off its fins, while the mother drifted a little too casually next to the boat.
A fun day for everyone - including the breaching baby whale.
Beginning with the whales.
Our first major excursion was to Peninsula Valdez, outside of the town Puerto Madryn. I wasn't expecting much, maybe a couple hours on a boat interspersed with one or two shouts of "WHALE!" five hundred yards away. Instead, we got whales about five yards away.
Up close you can appreciate just how big and powerful these animals are. In the pictures, the tail seems flimsy and flexible, but watching it slap down on the water it looked a lot more like a VERY strong muscle. Their skin is perfectly smooth except around the blowhole, and spotted white, black and gray.
I'm not sure how many whales we actually saw, but there were two that seemed to especially like us - a mother and calf. The younger whale kept doing flips, showing off its fins, while the mother drifted a little too casually next to the boat.
A fun day for everyone - including the breaching baby whale.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
BBL
Hello faithful reader (and unfaithful, cheating, adulterous reader as well):
I am going on a trip to Patagonia tonight and will return on November 22. I will do my best to have lots of fun stories to write in this blog about then.
Paz, Amor, y Obama!
I am going on a trip to Patagonia tonight and will return on November 22. I will do my best to have lots of fun stories to write in this blog about then.
Paz, Amor, y Obama!
Argentinidad al Palo
On Saturday I took a trip to Santa Fe, the capital of my province. The city is unimpressive, but my favorite Argentinean band was playing, and I figured there must be some cool things, so I went.
In most ways, the city met my expectations, not better or worse. I anticipated a run-down small city of the muggy, South American kind. And that's what I got.
Except for one part. The main shopping street in Santa Fe is actually very nice. The only problem with it is that it might as well be in New York.
Literally every store is American. I asked in one store whose name sounded Spanish if the brand was Argentinean. She shrugged. "It's popular here, I guess." It was as if even the idea of an authentic Argentinean chain was inconceivable.
It was a little odd. I mean, you fly across the world, you expect to see something new.
So I headed towards the center of Santa Fe. There are lots of pretty, old buildings there in addition to a few banks. That's cool and authentic. Except for the fact that the banks are all European.
Should I have just stayed in Connecticut for the year? Are Chinatown, Little Italy and Boca Raton more ethnic than Santa Fe, Rosario or Buenos Aires?
Not exactly.
So globalization happened (happens?). Businesses in Rafaela are in trouble because they put their money in Lehman Brothers and Ronald McDonald says Bienvenido as you walk into his very Yankee restaurant.
Enter: Bersuit Vergarabat. Things change.
Bersuit is one of Argentina's most popular rock bands. Their music sounds a little reggae, a little classic rock, a little cumbia (formerly known as Spanish polka music), a little bit tango, but it is all very firmly grounded in Argentina. Even though it incorporates different styles of music from around the world, its lyrics are clearly about life in Argentina.
Take "Argentinidad al Palo" for example, which translates loosely to "Argentina Frenzy." This song describes all the great things about Argentina - the things that are really Argentinean, like dulce de leche and alpargatas and the peaceful mixing of immigrants. It's definitely rock and roll, but you can't escape the distinct Latin rhythm.
I left the concert impressed with their music and performance, but there was another thought I had: this was the first thing I saw all day that is authentically Argentinean.
Overall, I have to say that Argentina is not doing so well. On one wall in Santa Fe, graffiti for the Young Fascists Club was crossed out and replaced by propaganda for Communist Youth. You know when your youth group choices are Hitler Youth: the Sequel and Stalin Groupies you have problems.
But it's comforting to see that there is a definite Argentinean culture and a unique history, and I don't think that should be overlooked. This is not a banana republic or a former European colony whose boundaries were haphazardly thrown together. It's a developing country, but it's only the government and economy that needs to develop; once (if) that happens, stand back, mighty Europe (and America), as Madonna/Evita says. These people have something special to offer the world.
In most ways, the city met my expectations, not better or worse. I anticipated a run-down small city of the muggy, South American kind. And that's what I got.
Except for one part. The main shopping street in Santa Fe is actually very nice. The only problem with it is that it might as well be in New York.
Literally every store is American. I asked in one store whose name sounded Spanish if the brand was Argentinean. She shrugged. "It's popular here, I guess." It was as if even the idea of an authentic Argentinean chain was inconceivable.
It was a little odd. I mean, you fly across the world, you expect to see something new.
So I headed towards the center of Santa Fe. There are lots of pretty, old buildings there in addition to a few banks. That's cool and authentic. Except for the fact that the banks are all European.
Should I have just stayed in Connecticut for the year? Are Chinatown, Little Italy and Boca Raton more ethnic than Santa Fe, Rosario or Buenos Aires?
Not exactly.
So globalization happened (happens?). Businesses in Rafaela are in trouble because they put their money in Lehman Brothers and Ronald McDonald says Bienvenido as you walk into his very Yankee restaurant.
Enter: Bersuit Vergarabat. Things change.
Bersuit is one of Argentina's most popular rock bands. Their music sounds a little reggae, a little classic rock, a little cumbia (formerly known as Spanish polka music), a little bit tango, but it is all very firmly grounded in Argentina. Even though it incorporates different styles of music from around the world, its lyrics are clearly about life in Argentina.
Take "Argentinidad al Palo" for example, which translates loosely to "Argentina Frenzy." This song describes all the great things about Argentina - the things that are really Argentinean, like dulce de leche and alpargatas and the peaceful mixing of immigrants. It's definitely rock and roll, but you can't escape the distinct Latin rhythm.
I left the concert impressed with their music and performance, but there was another thought I had: this was the first thing I saw all day that is authentically Argentinean.
Overall, I have to say that Argentina is not doing so well. On one wall in Santa Fe, graffiti for the Young Fascists Club was crossed out and replaced by propaganda for Communist Youth. You know when your youth group choices are Hitler Youth: the Sequel and Stalin Groupies you have problems.
But it's comforting to see that there is a definite Argentinean culture and a unique history, and I don't think that should be overlooked. This is not a banana republic or a former European colony whose boundaries were haphazardly thrown together. It's a developing country, but it's only the government and economy that needs to develop; once (if) that happens, stand back, mighty Europe (and America), as Madonna/Evita says. These people have something special to offer the world.
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