Donde esta Ron Paul?

Hola amigos. It’s been a lovely week here in Buenos Aires. I’ve been here for exactly one month. It actually seems like much more. Not in like an “I’ve been here forever wow I must really have been born here not at St. Francis” but just in wow has it really just been 4 weeks? I suppose it’s because I’ve done quite a bit. Went to Mendoza, Iguazu, 4 weeks of classes - it just seems like more than a month’s worth of life.

So let’s see what happened this week.

Oh yes. Monday night we went to this really cool music thing. It’s called Bomba de Tiempo. It happens every Monday night at Konex Cultural Center (where I saw RENT). Basically every student-ish hippie in the Buenos Aires area comes together in this parking lot type location and listens to this drum band. It’s like a hippie drum line. Like if Drumline movie replaced the Grambling band with say – Widespread or something. Quite cool. It was very fun. We didn’t stay the whole time. An hour of drumming is more than enough for me. I bought a nice t-shirt that I clearly can’t wear until I get home. I would be like when I used to play tennis as an adolescent. We would go to all these tournaments. When you checked in, they always gave you the tourney t-shirt. Then the next day, some kids would actually wear the shirt. You just can’t wear the shirt at the event. Not cool. (Also similar to sorority life when they give out the rowdy redneck t on Monday night and on Tuesday 6 girls in the same Journalism class all have it on.)

Tuesday I had class then internship. Or I attempted to. I left school, got on the subte (subway), and got off at my normal stop for work. But somehow I ended up walking around for an hour with no Club del Disco in sight. I honestly felt like I was looking for Platform 9 and ¾. I finally quit and came home. I need OnStar Argentina or something. I spent the afternoon in the Coffee Store instead.

Wednesday I did class and actually made it to work. Hooray! I gave a presentation in class about Susana Giminez – basically the Oprah of Argentina but with scandals. Federico made me do one last presentation. He told me I could do it on anything. That’s too broad. Tuesday I asked him just to give me a topic. He then asked what are my interests. We had been through this many times already. He then asked “Don’t’ you like celebrities and stuff?” Si I do. He told me to pick a famosa from Argentina. It was fun. I know lots about Susana now. Her favorite flower is jasmine and her favorite singer is Sinatra. Her favorite historical figure is Jesus.

Thursday I did school and work. That night I went to a bar called “The Shamrock” (go kd). Then we tried dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Not much success there. Santa Barbara is seriously mixing their Mexican food. So we tried. And it was a failure. They don’t really do spice here hence bland bad mexi food. Jessica ordered this flauta thing that turned out to be basically a foot long, 4-inch wide, hollow fried circle. So bizarre. Then the impossible happened. We went out.

Every Thursday the residencia kids go to this bar bc a guy that lives here works as a promoter and gets everyone in and free drinks on Thursdays. So we had been to Shamrock, dinner, and now it’s about 11:45. But oh no. Here that is much to early to venture out. We had to force ourselves awake until 1:30 or so when we went. (We watched the office premiere… not obsessed.) Then it was time to go. We jumped in cabs and headed to Puerto Madero, the hip fancy area. We got there, got in, and got drink tickets. And everyone got Strawberry Daiquiris. Not a joke. I was just following the crowd and got one too. So Spring Break. So gross. Chewing on sugar basically. With maybe a splash of some sort of alcohol. No good. Then the music begins.

Oh the wonder! 90s music. Including: Shania Twain, The Cardigans, etc. I can’t recall them all but I basically sang and danced for the hour. Then things start getting crunk in da club. Boys here are quite aggressive. It’s kind of a latch on, grab, grind, philosophy. Oh how lovely. We all danced around it but eventually pretty much everyone was pairing off with these dudes. Adios. Taxi please. And I came home. I took a cab with some girls. One of the girls in the car was wasted off 4 of the aforementioned daiquiris. About as wasted as the high school situation of 4 Mike’s Hard Lemonades. Not really possible. I laughed. Got home a bit before 4.

And off to class at 9. Woo hoo fiesta fiesta. My last day was a bit anticlimactic. A new girl joined my class on Wednesday so it was no longer intimate conversation class with Federico. It turned more into preschool. We played Go Fish and Mad Libs and drew on the board. However we did have an interesting last lesson.

Spanish insults.

The other girl is this 18 yr old from Seattle. Fresh from high school. She was ecstatic to learn some Spanish cuss words. I was still cowering from the “let’s learn all the body parts day.” But here we return to private parts on the board with lovely slang words.

To really offend someone here, you can call him or her a used condom. Good to know eh?

So I’m beet red and not looking up and making eye contact with anyone. Federico notices and is like “Charlotte – they’re just words!” Dude I know. Gross bad words. Too much time at Desoto to say such things.

So class ends. I basically say Gracias and Adios. And run. No professions of love.

So I’m free from class! No more waking up early everyday while my roomies sleep! I went to lunch with Santa Barbara. We ate outside at a café. So lovely. Spring really has sprung. It’s much warmer.

Friday night you better believe I was finding somewhere to watch the debate. It was at Ole Miss. I was so into it and had to see it. SO I Google my way around the internet and find one ex-pat debate watching party hosted by – Democrats of Argentina. So me and my new 300 democrats abroad watched the debate at this cool bar. It was packed. People were very into it. Lots of yelling. Lots of McCain sucks. Lots of anger. Lots of fun! I’m probably the only one there who hasn’t dedicated her life to Obama. I’m still holding out for Ron Paul. I miss him dearly. Maybe there’s a Libertarian in Argentina club. I’ll Google that later. Go Ron Paul.

The debate was just so mean. Why can’t we all get along? I hate how the candidates sit there and smirk while the other talks. Hates it. Santa Barbara is going to start volunteering with Democrats of Argentina so I’m sure I’ll tag along to the VP debate. I already feel so sorry for Palin due to the hostility I know will occur all the way in BA.

I’m not sure whom I’m voting for. But my Mom keeps telling me I have to vote to cancel out Gwyneth Paltrow’s expat vote.

Saturday was a fabulous day! We shopped in Recoleta. I bought my new fave purse. We went to the artist’s fair. We went to this huge flower sculpture I’d been dying to see. We went to the cemetery. We drank a beer. Great great day. Saturday night we went to dinner at this teeny tiny sketchy location Indian place. It was very cool. Then we got gelato. Amazing. Still hunting for a good meal.

Today (Sunday) was dreary outside. Perfect for a day in Café Martinez. We sat there with medialunas and tea all afternoon. Also shared my fave torta bomba. It’s like a pie of dulce de leche, custard, brownie, and love. So good.

Then tonight I went to see Hairspray. It was wonderful. Better than the US tour version I saw in Memphis with the skinny Tracy. This was awesome. The Tracy was selected via reality show. Link was played by the same guy who played the lead in the Argentina version of High School Musical (so just like Zach Efron). The Spanish was tricky but I know every word in English so I could follow. I went alone but befriended the people sitting near me. It was in a huge theater. Very Broadway. I can’t wait to go to another show. I love theater. Love it. The man who played Edna Turnblad is some famous comedian genious who also translated and rewrote the play in Spanish. He was great.

Speaking of Tracy Turnblad, does John McCain ever remind you of John Travolta in drag with that lisp? Or is it just me.

So now I’m home, about to go to bed I suppose. No school tomorrow! What shall I do?

Besos y mas besos.

-Carlotta










Back at Konex. Rent propoganda. Big beer. All's good.















The Bomba de Tiempo












At the club with my daiquiri.












Obama party















Recoleta cemetery. Very NOLA.





























Art fair






























Floralis Generico. My fave thing in BA maybe. It opens and closes according the the sun.















Jump flor.