Either way, the Mundial is upon us! Every ad on television blazes with blue and white and gold and flying footballs (er, soccer balls), the kioscos are stocked with patriotic candy and collectible figurines, and my host mother is threatening to drag out the flag-covered jerseys for everyone in the house.
I still don't care about sports. But watching commercials like the following makes me understand why one might:
This super-epic ad never fails to delight me. Besides the absurd visuals, and the use of Historic Football Incidents, it is God telling Argentines that he believes in them.
And it's for beer. Granted, it's Quilmes, which is sort of the national beer and consistently does absolutely absurd and delightful commercials, but beer. And it's probably just because I'm an outsider, and because, well, I'm not exactly accustomed to the results of US patriotism filling me with flag-waving pride - but I really like the feeling of unjaded national pride I'm getting from people over the Mundial. Somehow, patriotism is a lot cuter when it's a still-developing nation using God to invigorate itself, not a super power using God to justify itself.
This Tuesday is also the Bicentenario, two hundred years since, well, not the official declaration of statehood - they're having another party for that in six years - but the first organization of a non-Spanish government in the capital (don't blame the Spanish, they were busy being occupied by Napoleon at the time). So there's holidays (no classes!) and parades and a promise of aerial acrobatics. Viva Argentina!
Other things:
I love the fact that in this town, you can hop off the bus on a whim at one in the morning on a Friday night and go get two scoops of the best ice cream you've ever had for the equivalent of about three dollars. I made a goal about a month ago of visiting every recommended ice cream place in the city, but I had to give it up because there are so very very many and they are (nearly) all so very very good. I will settle for going to as many as possible and trying as many flavors as possible.
Featured oddities I've discovered so far: chocolate al wisky (yes, that's what you think it is, and oh dear lord is it delicious), sambayon (wine and egg. No, really), mousse de arandanas (blueberry mousse - better in some places than others).
I may bore you all with a ridiculously poetic list of ice cream flavors and places I've gone to at some point, just so I have a reference for when I come back here later in life. And so I can pretend I've spent my time here productively.
The rainy season is approaching, of course (ha ha. It's never too cold for ice cream!) but never fear, I'm preparing by scoping out pastry places. Churros and Spanish hot chocolate, fluffy cakes with layers of dulce de leche... bring it on.
In other notes, it's commonplace to go out to the bars and the clubs starting around one or two a.m., and then dance until five a.m. because that's when the Subte opens and you don't have to take a cab home. I approve.
Two weeks ago, the program took us all on a trip to the province of Jujuy, on which we all bought llama sweaters and took pictures of llamas - and the llama cousins up there, vicunas - and tried llama meat. It was incredibly distinct from Buenos Aires and warrants its own long description, but not today.
I've gotten marginally better at blending in on the street (mostly, I think, because I stopped trying to) though I'm probably never going to completely.
Oh, and my taxi driver tried to sell me cocaine last night. I couldn't quite believe it at the time, but that's definitely what happened. I looked up the words just to be sure (because there's coco as in coconut, cocoa as in chocolate, coca as in Coca Cola, coca as in coca leaves, which they chew in the provinces for altitude sickess... and then there's cocaina). I'm already becoming addicted to cafe and mate, thank you, and please, dear country, stop trying to prove to me that you are crazy: I'd noticed and I love you anyway.
Hasta luego, amigos!
Hey i think that the Bicentenario party was awsome. The parades were stunning.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that i love the ice cream here as much as you do, but my favourite flavour is dulce de leche granizado. Try it!
I think that the best ice cream is the one that they give in Freddo or Persico, do you try those shops?
Right now i'm staying in a furnished apartment in Buenos Aires
with one girl of california and a boy from nevada. We should meet!
What do you think?
See you!