Pastries, Cakes and other sweet goodies

The Argentinians love sweet things, Dulce de leche (Sweet milk), Factura (pastries) and loads of other sweet yummie goodies. Yesterday when I went to collect my laundry from the Lavadero, I noticed a coffee shop and pastry house right opposite. Not sure why I hadn't noticed it before. I normally have a pretty good eyes for such places. Anyhow I ordered myself a cafe con leche (that's my standard coffee) and then I caught a glimpse of the pastry counter...... loads of heavenly factura and they were only $1peso each! I couldn't stop myself I had two. They were so delicious. And if my jeans don't fit its because they shrunk in the laundry!

OUR NEW HOME - Laprida 1257

After three weeks of searching I have finally found us an apartment to rent. I have taken a three month lease with the option to renew. It is one bedroom with a nice open plan living space which opens on to a small run balcony. The kitchen is fully equipped and the bathroom has everything we need. Included is a once a week maid service, Internet connection, a TV with cable a small stereo system and a pay as you go telephone. It is 2 blocks from Ave Santa Fe, and the Aquero Subte station, so it has a very good location. I move in on 17 June, and will have it all sorted by the time Brad arrives 1 July. I took a walk around the neighbourhood and found a "Hotel Familia" around the corner, so any friends and family who wish to visit can check in there.... depending on your budget, you can have a room with or without a bathroom!!! Can you imagine what it must be like...........................

the COMPLEJO TANGO experience (part 2)

Confident in our dancing skills, we went into the show venue. A dinner theatre. We had a wonderful choice of dinner options, Thee of us had the salad starter, Amy had the empanada and then we all had the STEAK....... melt in your mouth delicious..wow! it was super, the meat has such a wonderful flavour here (I'm starting to salivate just thinking about it!) and then there was a wonderful selection of deserts, I opted for the poached pears. Drinks were included, so being a white wine drinker I had my own bottle, and the girls shared 2 bottles of red - Malbec! Then the show began................... it was truly wonderful. Tango is divided into 3 parts (a) the music, (b)the song/poem, and then (c) the dance. This show included all three and was really slick and professional. A stunning evening out. To find out more check their website. www.complejotango.com.ar

the COMPLEJO TANGO experience (part 1)

To come to Argentina and not see Tango, is like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower.....

So when some of the girls from the class said they wanted to take a lesson and see a show, I contacted my friend Max Lopez . (Max was the tour guide that was so helpful in 2007 when we were here.) He arranged a good evening out for us at COMPLEJOtango. The transport collected us from a hotel not from our apartments and took us to the venue where we started off with a tango demonstration and then a lesson. We learnt two steps and put them together into a little routine, once the teacher were certain we could do the moves they handed out our Certificates.........

THE PAST WEEK - WHAT A WEEK............(2)....

We started our teaching prac. lesson this week. Three down and three to go.............

I have received good feedback and really enjoy the experience. My admiration for teachers has grown this last week. I really didn't realise how much time goes into lesson planning - and preparation, but it has all been worth it. I have had good lessons and constructive feedback.

Each lesson that we do is observed by one of the TEFL trainers and one of our peers. They give us feedback, and so do the students. THE STUDENTS , they are awesome, all adult learners ranching from 20's to 60's - male and female. TEFL offers the lesson free of charge so that we can get experience. The students know this when they sign up. There are different language ability groups, ranging from Basic Beginners to High Intermediate. Some of the students have been at the school for 3 years and have moved from basic beginner to high intermediate. Over six lessons we get the opportunity to teach all the groups, as well as doing a One to One Assessment and Lesson. This as you can imagine gives us great experience teaching the different language proficiencies. It is also quite a challenge, because each group is different and you only get to teach them once or maybe twice over the 2 week period. But it has been a brilliant experience and I have learned so much. Totally worth it. Today we had a seminar about getting work and job opportunities in Buenos Aires, and despite the economical crisis, I feel rather positive. Will need to work 30-40 hours a week to meet expenses and have some fun! Will make a change from the 80-100 that I used to work!!!! Wednesday morning got great news...............................................................

I passed my Grammar Exam - 84% , I was so chuffed. Celebrated with my own small bottle of Chandon (bottle of bubbles). Other good news have finally found a suitable apartment for Brad and Myself. (watch future posts for more info and photos). Other good news this week is that Brad has changed his ticket so arrives in BA a week earlier 1 JULY .

Will celebrate the end of a great week with a TANGO LESSON/DINNER AND SHOW...............

going out tomorrow with the gals to chill out and enjoy!

THE PAST WEEK - WHAT A WEEK............(1)....

This has been one of those weeks that has just whizzed by, but so much has happened... started off as you know with Independence Day and the dreaded Grammar Exam! and then it has just got better. Monday night I went to the La Bomba del Tiempo, with Amy and Lisa (my classmates), we had a brilliant time. Because we all live in different places around the city, we decided to meet at a central location, as I walked out the apartment door the heavens opened and I got quite wet. So by the time we walked 10 blocks and got to Konex to see La Bomba we were all rather wet. (not quite sure why we didn't take a taxi???) Some one was on our side, because the drinks were a fantastic price $8 peso for a high ball glass of wine. I mean who could turn that down.... so after 2 glasses and drying my hair with my scarf I was ready to move to those Latin drum beats..... The La Bomba is a 17 piece percussion band that plays every Monday at the Konex Centre. There is a conductor/ band leader who using some very interesting hand signals directs the musicians. The music is very Afro-Latin and you just dance and enjoy the show. The music begins at about 8 pm and goes on non stop for two hours - talk about a work out ! these guides are good. By the time we left the rain had cleared up and it was a great evening.

25 MAY - INDEPENDENCE DAY

Today is the National holiday when Argentina celebrates its

Independence from Spain. I could not quite understand why there were no people about this morning, the streets were scarey quiet. Like everyone had been abducted over night and I got left behind! but then I saw blue and white ribbons and realised PING! public holiday!!!!. We still had to go to school and do our grammar assessment. That's over now and we get the results back later on in the week..... We also did our lesson plans and prac. teaching preparation for this weeks lessons. It has been so hot and humid today, but it has just started raining... hope that doesn't mess up the plans for tonight.. Some girls from the class plus some of their friends and me ( and maybe Aldo - the Mexican who shares the apartment with me), have planned to go to La Bamba del Tiempo. (now that is such good grammar and sentence construction!!!! what have I learned?)

Hope its not washed out! It is now pouring down, huge gigantic raindrops!!! Will tell you all about it on the next blog post!

CEMENTARIO de CHACARITA

This is the Neighbourhood of the Dead, a truly amazing place. I am still a bit lost for words to describe it. It is an enormous cemetery some say it expands 95ha (234acres). It was opened in 1871 during a yellow fever epidemic in the city. It really is a neighbourhood in its own right, with roads that go through the mausoleums. Then there are the galleria which are both above and below ground level, that house I don't know how many bodies, and then there are the areas of graves marked with tomb stones and crosses. This cemetery is also home to Carlos Gardel's tomb, which is treated more like a shrine by his hordes of fans. It is certainly worth a visit.

To view more pictures of the Cementario de Chacarita check out my facebook page

WHO IS CARLOS GARDEL?

Carlos Gardel was a famous Tango Singer. Although he was born in France, he moved to Buenos Aires at a young age. He wrote and performed many Tango songs. He is to Tango what Maradonna is to Soccer. If you want to listen to some of his music, click on the link below.

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WtdMwjmRd8.

The area around the Abasto Mall has a lot of Gardel and Tango memoriabelia. A bit touristy, but hey - think Argentina - think Tango! The museum is housed in the house he lived in before he died. It has great displays and it also serves to show what the houses and life style was like in Argentina in the early 1930's. The house is a fine example of what is known as a casa chorizo (sausage house). Unfortunately no photographs were allowed to be taken. But they did only charge a $1 peso entrance. Gardel died in a plane crash. He is buried in the Cemetario de Chacarita. Which I decided to visit as well.

Something else I noticed, which I think is quite fun is the specic art work and signage used in certain areas. It is known as FILETEADO. It is usually characterised by garlands of flowers and scrolls of bright colours. The compositions often have local sayings and proverbs included in the design. Aparently during the 70's and Military rule in the country, this art work was banned, it went underground and is now truly admired as a porteno art form.

TIME TO CATCH UP...

The last few days have been rather hectic. The course has been going well, and there has been so much to take in. The theory part is now over, and the next two weeks are filled with prac teaching. My first lesson is on Tuesday at 5pm to a small group of adult learners who are basic beginners. Our trainers set the theme for the lesson and then its up to us to plan the lesson with all the activities etc. Because this class is basic, their understanding and ability to speak English is quite limited, so I have to rely on gestures, modelling what I want them to do and playing some basic games to teach my lesson. I am looking forward to the class. The input that we have had during these 2 theory weeks have been phenomenal. My brain has never worked this hard before, but I am so enjoying the intellectual input. It like I've switched on the light and the room has become illuminated. The small hurdle that I still have to overcome is tomorrows Grammar Assessment. Its been over 20 years since I've had to worry about past perfect progressive tenses, modals and auxiliary verbs!!!! I have been doing quite a bit of revision, so now please everyone hold thumbs!!

Well we know what they say about all work and no play...... so this afternoon I took a walk down to the neighbourhood of Abasto

This neighbourhood is a good 16 blocks from my apartment but I thought that a walk would be good, I practiced my verb tenses as I went along " I walk , I am walking ..... "

One of the many things that I have noticed about Argentianians is that they really love to shop. Clothes and shoes rank nuber 1 here, and not just for women. There are equal number of cloyhing shops for men. The men here are well groomed, well dressed and dare I say quite sexy!! So they love to shop to. So it feed this need of shopping are main shopping centres in the Barrios, such as Palermo Alto, Patio Bullrich, Galleria Pacifico and Abasto. These centres are huge and are filled with all local and international brands and designers, Cacharel, Lacroix, Dior as well as local chains. The Abasto Mall is something else. It is housed in the old Muncipal Mercado, it was once a huge fresh produce market. But has been re-modelled into a three story centre. The building is a fine example of Art Deco Architecture. I love just sitting or walking around and taking the scenes in around me.

Apart from shopping Argentians also love sweet things... Dulce de Leche being a firm favourite. Ice cream or helado comes quite high on the list. So since I had n't had a little icecream in a while I had one. The iceream shop I went into was fatal - probably 40 flavours to choose from.. I chose 2 - swiss chocolate and someother flavour that was vanila based but with chocolate shavings added... no wonder I haven't last any weight! It was sublime. I then wandered around the centre and then decided to go off in search of the Carlos Gardel Museum.

melancholy tuesday

It's almost 2 weeks since I arrived.................

The TEFL course is going well, I am learning so much. Today we went over how to plan our lessons, it was so beneficial. Tomorrow we get our teaching prac. time tables and then next week we start!! I must say that I am feeling a little anxious, which I hope is normal. We have two more grammar lessons and then next week we have an assessment. Not really looking forward to that - grammar is not really my strong point. I thing my speaking and writing is ok, but when I have to dissect my sentence and say what everything is and why, I battle!!!

The good news though is that I went for a job interview at a language school called oneonone argentina. I saw their ad for a teacher, so I sent along my resume and they called me in for an interview. I think that the interview went well, they have 2 positions available starting begin July. They will let successful candidates know in 2 weeks. So hold thumbs! It seems that most of the language teaching jobs here are hour based so its up to the 'teacher' to fill up her hours. I've worked out that I need to work a minimum of 30 hours a week to live comfortably. I also found out how to get a cuit number (which is like a tax number) and that will make looking for work a lot easier. Looking for suitable accommodation at an affordable price, is proving to be a bit more of a challenge - but no doubt with my constant perseverance I will find something before my beloved arrives in July!

I haven't been sleeping too well since I arrived. The lifestyle is so different, everything happens so late here. I'm finding that I have dinner between 9-10pm and then once I've done my chores and homework its after midnight, and then I still am not able to go to sleep straight away. Might have to start taking an afternoon siesta.

The weather has been a bit chilly in the mornings, which I don't really feel as the apartment has central heating, but when I walk out the front door it really hits me. This morning I woke up with a bit of a scratchy throat, have been taking my homeopathic remedy but I think I might be coming down with the dreaded lurgy!!! This post is getting very melancholy so I think I'll sign off now.

Sunday Relaxing

I had a really nice chill out day today. After the family skype time I decided that I needed to stock up on some provisions for the week so I went down to the local supermarket. Now I have been told never shop on an empty stomach, so lucky for me the supermarket has a really good little coffee shop and I ordered my usual Cafe con leche, but this time I ordered it with 2 medaluna. They are the most delicious little pastries. I have resisted for over a week now but I just couldn't hold back any more - mmm, they were so worth it. I guess that means at least another extra few km's of walking this week... Anyway, I did my shopping and came back with bags of health goods ready for my breakfast and luch everyday and at least 3 dinners worth of groceries.

I did a bit of grammar review for the TEFL course. I am loving the course, it is just so good to have that intellectual input. I have learnt so much this past week, the most important thing though is that my English grammar is crap!!! I'm okay with verbs, and nouns, and adjectives etc. but the Past Perfect Progressive Tense and the like just aren't working for me. I borrowed a CD and downloaded a whole heap of worksheets and tests, so hopefully when we do our grammar assessment I'll be ok. We have another week of theory and then during week 3-4 we start our practical teaching. A little bit nerve wracking! We teach 6 lessons and the are assessed by one of our trainers and also one of our class mates, and of course our own self assessment.

Cucky (pronounced cookie) took me out for lunch today. Cuckie owns the apartment that I am renting a room in. She is a lovely lady, lots of fun and she is very good at English. So because she just wants to practice her English skills, I don't really get time to increase my Spanish, ah well. I am now continuing with the audio tapes that I started with in SA. They make more sense to me now. Anyway we went for a lovely drive and ended up at a restaurant on the banks of the Rio Del La Plata. We had traditional food of a grilled provoleta cheese , which was very tasty, and then a piece of meat (not sure, but I think it was beef) it was about 3cm thick and about the size of an A3 piece of paper. It was so tender and delicious. The dish was called Matambre Tiernizado. I must look this up to see what it is all about. From there we drove through to San Isidro, an old part of the outer suburbs. Property is very expensive in this area, as it is rather exclusive. The Cathedral at San Isidro is a splendid example of Neo-Gothic Architecture. By then it was time for some afternoon coffee, so Cucky took me to her Country club. Oh wow, it was so grand. The grounds are just awesome, the golf course looked beautiful, there is also a Olympic size swimming pool and polo fields. Autumn is such a beautiful time of the year, although the trees on the golf course are mostly evergreen, around the club house are beautiful Acers and Liquidambers with their turning leaves of red and gold. We had each had a coffee and shared one of the most delicious chocolate tarts I ever eaten. I guess that definitely means walking extra km's tomorrow.

SHOPPING BUENOS AIRES

Calle Florida (pronounced flo-ree-da) is in the down town area, this street is only for pedestrians and you can literally find and buy anything you want - from leather goods to furniture, appliances, tourist stuff, books and music and anything else in between. It took me about an hour to wander through. I started at the Diagonal Norte intersection and stopped to listen to a band playing good rythm beats and ended up in Plaza San Martin. Because I walked through on a Saturday morning it was not a busy a it gets at night and during the week when office workers, shoppers and sightseers fill Centro's streets. Florida is a bit of a tourist trap, but it has a real buzz about it which I loved. I don't think that I could go there all the time though, but it is fun once in a while. Florida is easy to get to as all the subte lines seem to be found there.

PLAYING TOURIST PART 2......

Plaza Derrago is the centre point of San Telmo, which is an interesting neighbourhood of the city. San Telmo is know for its 'bohemian' feel and its many antique and bric-a-brac shops and markets. On weekends the square is a buzz with Tango Performers, wonderful music and outdoor cafe's and lively craft market. I was rather lucky to get the chance to see two sets of Tango Dancers while I sat in the sun enjoying my cafe con leche. Tango dancing is so beautiful to watch. The dancers are so skilled and their movements so precise. It was so good that I ordered a second Cafe so that I could just enjoy it all. San Telmo itself is a lovely neighbourhood or barrio. The streets are cobbled and narrow and the building have a distinct oldfashioned charm about them. Geraniums tumble over wrought iron balconies and every thing is just a little tired, but that only adds to the appeal.

PLAYING TOURIST PART 1......

I decided that I would spend today playing tourist, so after skpe calls and breakfast I caught the subte downtown to Plaza de Mayo and the Presidential Palace - Casa Rosada - owes its distinctive pink colour to President Sarmiento (19 CENTUARY) who proposed a blend of Federalist red and Unitarist white to symbolize reconcilliation between the two opposing political factions. The Palace was originally painted using a mixture of whitewash and oxblood. Over the years the balconies have been use by various famous Argentines to stir national passions and to demonstrate public support. So after wandering around the square which was very quiet, possibly because it was Saturday, I had a sneaky look in side and had my picture taken with two Palace Guards. As the weather was crisp and dry I walked down to San Telmo and Plaza Dorrego .

YERBA MATE - the drink of the local

Today I decided that I would try Yerba Mate (pronounced yEr-bah mAH-te). Mate is made from pouring hot (not boiling) water over leaves of various herbs into a little bowl called a gourd and then you suck up the liquid through a metal straw,called a bombilla. The bombilla has a filter at the bottom to stop you from sucking up leaves and the occasional twig! It is a common site in Argentina to see a group of people where one is busy sucking on the bombilla while another carries a Thermos of water to top up the gourd. The gourd is shared amongst the group - as is the straw . Well, what does it taste like? ....... it is very much like a bitter green tea. It is rather refreshing, and so I am probably going to go out an buy my very own gourd and bombilla, and a bag of yerba mate.

BACK TO SCHOOL

Yesterday was the start of the TEFL course. For the uninitiated it is a course designed to teacher English to as a foreign language.

At the end of the course in 4 weeks I will hopefully be skilled enough to teach English to Argentians.....

It has been a while since I have been in a formal learning environment. The first two days have been so exciting just taking in all the info and input. The course is structured almost from minute one to equip us to teach. More about that later....

There are six of us "students" in the class, which is a really nice number, perfect for when we have to pair off and do stuff. Amy and Anna are from UK. Amy is the blonde in the picture, she is a ski instructor and is off to Chile after the course. Anna is from Stratford-up0n- Avon, and like some of the other famous people from there, is a very good linguist and today in our first teaching prac. came out tops-born to perform I think. I linked up with both Anna and Amy through Facebook, so it was really great to finally meet them. Beekie (drinking coffee) and Lisa (on her note book ) come from US. Calla, the other American student, has spent time in the north of Argentina in the Juyjuy Province as an exchange student, then there is me. I am the pioneer being the first South African to attend the Buenos Aires TEFL School. I am also the mature student of the group. Although it does have advantages, I must say I don't have the self confidence and self assurance that the younger students have. I did remember how to take notes though, which is a good start. So far we have 2 main Trainers, Roberta, who is from Washington DC and is really good at teaching us various teaching techniques. Keeger, from the Republic of Ireland, he has been teaching us Gaelic.... I hear you ask Gaelic. Why Gaelic??? Well if you have ever heard Gaelic, you will know that it sounds like no other language in the world, and Keeger gives his whole lesson, (using the techniques that Roberta has shown us) in Gaelic. So we as the students have the awareness andexperience what it is like to be a foreign language student. I was amazed at the feelings that it provoked in me, I felt really dumb not being able to understand what was being said,and then not being able to say words and phrases. I was also so frustrated. But the lesson was meant to do this and illustrated that as teachers we have to be mindful and respect our students learning abilities. Keeger also leads a writing workshop, which is just free writing based on various stimuli - yesterday he posted a picture on the board and today we listened to music. I must say that after yesterday's Gaelic class I came home and had 2 glasses of vino (still from my bottle of Chardonnay purchased on Saturday!) Today's classes were good and I am now beginning to enjoy being back at school.

The classes begin at 10 am, and my apartment is a good brisk 20 minute walk away. So I get to do my exercise and arrive with a very healthy glow on my cheeks. My pedometer had died. So I can't measure how many km's I walk a day now.... the pedometer started giving negative steps, I think I exhausted it on the first day or I just keep walking in square circles!! Whatever the story it may just need a new battery. So that will be my next language challenge.

Tonight I managed to take my laundry to the local laundromat and ask for it to be washed, dried and folded. It was a small load , so I got a Valet chico, which I will collect tomorrow evening and it cost $12(peso). The weirdest thing was that the laundry man looked familiar, no one I really knew but he could certainly pass for Gerald Depardieu's double, it really wasn't anything to do with his nose you understand!!

shopping local

One thing I love about Buenos Aires is the local shopping. Yes, there are huge supermercados, there is one nearly every 3-4 blocks, but local shopping is still in.... In my street (only my block) I have this green grocer on the corner, there is also a butcher shop a bakery and a pastry shop. Then there are the normal little dress shop, electrical shop, hairdresser and laundry. We also have 2 parilla and a pizza place. Oh, I forgot about the cafe and the 25 apartment buildings. It is so quaint. I just love it. The apples from this store are the best. I have also been buying my breakfast grapefruit from here, and all my salad stuff. Most of the produce is from Argentina, but there are a few things that come from other South American countries such as the bananas from Brasil.

DAY 4 - sunday 10 may

A lazy Sunday, caught up on correspondence and then headed down to the Recoleta Cemetery. Inaugurated in 1882, this 54,843sq m (14acres) area became Buenos Aire's first public cemetery in 1822. A meander through the maze of narrow lanes lined with elaborate mausoleums is a very different experience. It is so interesting. There are more than 6,400 tombs and mausoleums in the cemetery. The tomb of Eva Peron is found here. The best views are from the church Iglesia de Nuestra Senora del Pilar. From the windows you look down on to the cemetary and you can take in it size and beauty.

I am home now for the evening. Will have an early night as tomorrow is the big day - stating the TEFL course.

DAY 3 - saturday 9 may 2009 ... continued

After the Botanical Gardens, it was off to the Parque 3 de Febrero. This is the capital's most popular park. The park is famous for it Rosendal (rose garden), which feature over 12 000 rose bushes. It is really rather stunning the colours of the roses and of course the scent is awesome. Over the weekends the park fills up with local residents. The health fanatics cycle or jog on the path. Families picknick or enjoy the man made lake...

Visited the Museo de Artes Plasticas Eduardo Sivori, an interesting exhibition of lithographs. Decided to have lunch at the garden cafe in the gallery. The setting was much nicer than the food or the service. The coffee was good though. After lunch just decided to wander. Walked around Palermo found a gigantic superstore. I have never seen anything so huge in my life. It has everything from DIY, to garden, to furniture, to groceries, to clothing - absolutely everything. I am sure that if it is not there it doesn't exsist! Found the wine from last night, and bought a bottle -finca El Portillo (chardonnay), it cost $17 peso a bottle.

Made my own supper of roast chicken and roast veg, washed down with a glass of vino! fantastic.

Life is Good..........

DAY 3 - saturday 9 may 2009

Had arranged to skype my parents at 8am, that was before I knew I was only going to get home in the wee hours, anyhow had a grand old chat but left the web cam off, not looking too good so early in the morning... Technology is brilliant, I mean this skyping stuff and all is so fantastic. So after the chat went back to be for a while and then decided that I would venture forth to the neighbourhood of Palermo. Decide to slow down on the walking bit and caught the tube. First stop was the Jardin Botanico. The gardens a re on 7 hectres, and boast over 5,500 species of plants from Argentina and the world. There are 5 greenhouses. The main one is in Art Nouveau style and was brought over from France in 1900 it is 280sq m. Apart fom all the plants the garden has a wealth of public art including impressive sculptures. The park is also the home of many feral cats.

DAY 2 - friday 8 may 2009

Had a bit of a sleep in, trying to be healthy here and had green tea and fruit for breekie. Decide that after yesterday's "big walk" around the city that I would take it easy. Recently I read a book entitled The Tango Singer, can't remember the author, but the story takes place in Buenos Aires and one of the places mentioned was the "palace of running water" - so being the quizzy beak that I am I had to go and find it and check it out. Well it wasn't too difficult to find and it was really worth it. The Palcio de las Aquas Corrientes - the palacio once housed the headquarters of Aquas Argentina, the city's water board. The building is huge and is one of the most stunning civil buildings. it is decorated terracotta tiles imported from Leeds, green slate from France and marble from Azul in the Buenos Aires Province. There is an interesting museum in the building that explains the history of water sanitation in Argentina and the world.

Came back to the apartment after lunch, which I had at the little restaurant 2 doors down from the apartment. Parrilla campo chico, is a real locals eatery. I had one of the specials which included a small salad and lettuce and tomato, a quarter chicken and chips, a bottle of mineral water and a fruit salad and it cost me $29 (peso). Had a call from Nazareno. Who you ask is Nazareno? Even Cookie could not believe that after only 2 days in the city I was getting calls from men inviting me for drinks.... well Nazareno is a colleague of Fred Phol who is one of our Brad's Bistro customers, Fred emailed Nazareno and told him to contact me which he did. So we have arranged to go out for a drink tonight. But in true portena style we will only be going out at 10.30pm. Way past my bedtime, think I should have a siesta!

The drinks were great, went to a lovely bar/restaurant off Ave Santa Fe, a really popular place. Nazareno's English is very good. He is a lawyer in the city (which is good to know if I ever need legal advice or help). Last year he visited South Africa and really enjoyed his time there. He loves South African girls - although they should look like Charlize Theron, not necessarily come from Benoni, but that might be an advantage. (any likely candidates can respond to this blog!)...

Four of his friends joined us and we had a brilliant time. Eventually arrived back at 2.30am. Can't remember when I last did that! We had a lovely bottle of wine. Now I'm not a fan of Chardonnay, but this one was stunning. Un-wooded with hints of green grass and citrus overtones!, anyway I must look out for it in the supermarket.

BUENOS AIRES HIGHLIGHTS

This gives taking the dog for a walk a whole new meaning.....

The wealthy of Buenos Aires hire a dogwalker to walk their pooches. A paseadores (a professional dog walker) can walk between 10-25 dogs at a time.

DAY 1 - thursday 7 may 2009 continued....

Belgrano is a thriving and powerful neighbourhood, where old mansions and modern skyscrapers and noble building live side by side. I decided to visit the Museo de Arte Espanol. The museum is located in a large house surrounded by a magnificent Spanish-Moresque garden. The museum is in the shape of a Spanish Renaissance palace and houses a significant collection of painting , furniture and carving pieces circa 1880. The garden is awesome and is dominated by a Ginkgo Balboa Tree which because it is autumn is covered in golden leaves which are beginning to drop. It was as if the entire garden was encapsulated in a golden light.

Across the road from the Chinese stores, supermarkets and restaurants covered about 3 blocks, it was kind of weird hearing Chinese people speaking Spanish! The selection of lunch options was mind blowing, but being the little sushi pig that I am, I settle for sushi rolls filled with Salmon, avo and cream cheese. While I was sitting eating I realised what a small world we really live in. Here I was a South African, in Argentina, eating sushi in a Chinese restaurant....... well after that philosophical moment I decided that I needed to get back to the real world, so I headed back to Ave Santa Fe in search of a cell phone shop. Have you ever tried to buy a cell phone in Spanish from an assistant who doesn't speak English. Remember my Spanish goes as far as asking "can you speak English?" normally followed by a definite "NO", followed by me "oh shit!". actually buying the phone was the easy part, it was trying to figure out the Spanish instructions that was the tricky part.... will need to get help on this one!

On the way home decided that I should stock up on a few provisions from the supermercado (supermarket). Finally got home and couldn't figure out why I was feeling so tired. Checked my pedometer... holy moley! I had walked 27km. More great adventure to follow.

DAY 1 - thursday 7 may 2009 (the morning)

After a good nights sleep, I decided that it was time to go and explore. Buenos Aires is a huge city and Avenue Santa Fe is possibly the longest street in the city. My apartment is three blocks away. Ave Santa Fe is filled with shops and stores, restaurants and cafes. One of my favourite stores, is the book shop El Ateneo. El Ateneo is a chain of book stores similar to Exclusive Books. The store on Ave Santa Fe is their flagship. It is also the biggest bookstore in South America. It is housed in the restored Grand Splendid Theatre (built in 1919). The balconies hold bookshelves and there are cosy reading nooks in the boxes and a cafe on the stage. I took a break and had a cafe con leche (what we know as cappuccino), and just admired the absolute beauty of this store. Once my caffeine boost had kicked in I was ready to tackle more kilometers on the Ave. I decide to take the subte (the underground) to the neighbourhood of Belgrano.

ARRIVAL IN ARGENTINA

All the goodbyes having been said it is now time to begin the new adventure....

A good flight over with Malaysian Airlines. I can certainly recommend them. The 9hrs went by rather quickly and when the plane touched down at Ezeiza International Airport I was such a mix of emotions. Customs and baggage collection passed through uneventfully and my transporter was there to meet me. Th airport is about 35km sw of the city centre and the drive took us about 50minutes. I'm sure if the traffic backs up it can take hours! I arranged an airport transfer before hand, which is advisable. I was taken right to my front door for US$30. I opted to rent a room in an apartment for the period of the TEFL course. The apartment is in Ave. Juncal, in the neighbourhood of Recoleta. My room is small but I have everything I need in it including a bathroom, tv and internet connection. The owner of the apartment, Alicia (known as Cookie),speaks english, which is a great help as my spanish is pretty non exisent. Cookie is a psychologist and practices from home. The other flat mate is Aldo, he is Mexican and has been in Argentina since January. We share the common areas - kitchen, dinning, lounge and balcony. Recoleta is an exclusive neighbourhood with a distinctive Parisian feel. It has grand apartment buildings, beautiful monuments, wide tree lined avenues and lovely lush landscaped parks. The shopping options match the neighbourhood Cartier, Dior - all the top names are here. But inbetween are lovely smaller shops and loads of eateries and street cafes. One block from my apartment is a "Carreforre" supermarket. It is big with an excellent selection of every thing. The exchange rate is about R2-25 for $1 (argentian peso). Generally I think the prices are about the same as in SA.

Argentina has a time difference of -5hours to South Africa, so even though it was 5pm here when I arrived it was my bedtime by SA time. I was feeling a little tired, but thought it best to keep going so that my body clock could slowly adapt. I unpacked and put my stamp on my new room by putting my books and photos on the shelves. After some fruit and a shower, I finally went to bed.