A Guideless Traveler's blog: Vida Surrealista

2008-08-27T16:11:00.003-03:00

Ser argentino y no conocer Mar del Plata, es casi como ser francés y no conocer la Torre Eiffel.

Por eso Mar del Plata era una de mis asignaturas pendientes hasta el fin de semana pasado.

¿Eso quiere decir que ahora soy un poquito más argentina?

Con frecuencia había escuchado hablar maravillas sobre esta ciudad costera 404 km al sur de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires sobre el Océano Atlántico: "es una pequeña Buenos Aires con mar," me decían, "es imposible no enamorarse de esta ciudad."

Personalmente prefiero los lugares más verdes, menos edificados y más tranquilos, sobretodo cuando me tomo unos días para descansar. Pero debo admitir que la ciudad tiene su encanto.

En el Puerto de Mar del Plata (pesquero, petrolero, y cerealero), uno puede observar lobos marinos que descansan y toman sol sobre las plataformas del puerto. Acostumbrados a los humanos, se muestran pacíficos y es posible acercarse para tomarse fotos con ellos. Algunos audaces hasta se animan a tocarlos. Aunque es aconsejable seguir las instrucciones de los carteles y mantener distancia ya que son animales salvajes.

Frente al puerto existe un mercado donde se comercializan pescados frescos y enlatados junto con sus derivados. Allí también es posible encontrar recuerditos de la ciudad.

Tanto en invierno como en verano, los turistas pueden deleitarse del mar mientras caminan por la Rambla.

Durante el verano, Mar del Plata recibe entre dos y tres millones de visitantes que disfrutan del "turismo deportivo, ecológico, aventura, pesca y eventos culturales" que ofrece la ciudad. Mar del Plata está muy bien preparada para recibir el migración de turistas provenientes de Buenos Aires y otras ciudades Argentinas. Según Wikipedia, la ciudad cuenta con "un total de 56.771 alojamientos hoteleros de diferentes características para la recepción de sus turistas. Además de 1.590 establecimientos gastronómicos con diferentes servicios de acuerdo a las preferencias de la demanda que abastece la ciudad..129 establecimientos tales como bares, discos, pubs y demás." Por si fuera poco, también cuenta con "el Casino Central..diferentes Bingos: del Puerto, el Peatonal, el Bingo del Sol y el del Mar."

En mi caso, no describiría Mar del Plata como la “Biarritz argentina” como hacen los amantes de la ciudad. Pero considero que es una ciudad interesante con una amplia y diversificada oferta de ocio para el turista.

Publicidad

Primavera en Buenos Aires en Pleno Invierno

2008-08-12T10:13:00.006-03:00

Primavera en Buenos Aires en Pleno Invierno

Este sábado nos visitó la primavera en pleno invierno en Buenos Aires, y aprovechamos para ir conocer el Parque de los Niños a orillas del Río de la Plata.

Detrás del golf del Círculo de la Policía Federal, entre Capital y el Partido de Vicente López, se esconden 24 hectáreas verdes con mesas para picnic, áreas de juegos, bicisendas, baños y hasta un anfiteatro.

El Parque fue inaugurado en 1999, y ofrece una alternativa diferente para disfrutar del aire libre sin salir de la capital. Es un hermoso lugar para jugar a la pelota, saltar en colchones inflables, montar barriletes o simplemente descansar sobre el césped observando los veleros que navegan por el río.

Pescaeneldelta.com.ar cuenta que el Parque también es un excelente lugar para pescar bogas que promedian los 3 kilos, mojarritas, mojarrones, bagres pequeños, doradillos y dorados.

Considerando que lo bien cuidado que está el parque, me llama la atención que tan poca gente lo conozca. Por eso les dejo indicaciones de cómo llegar y los invito visitarlo. Realmente vale la pena.

Cómo llegar:
Avenida Cantilo y Zufriategui (Av. General Paz y costa del Río de la Plata)

El parque está situado detrás del golf de la Círculo de la Policía Federal, junto al campo de la Armada Argentina.

Viniendo desde capital hacia la General Paz por Av. Cantilo, tome Vedia, la última salida hacia el río a su derecha antes de subir el puente.

Horarios: (según Clarín)
Lunes a viernes: 9 a 20
Sábados y Domingos: 9 a 23.

Entrada gratuita.

Otras curiosidades sobre el Parque:
Según Buenosairesbuendia.com.ar, es el único parque de la ciudad que “cuenta con una planta de tratamiento de los residuos cloacales. Esa planta filtra los residuos generados en los baños públicos, con lo cual los líquidos son arrojados al arroyo Raggio sin contaminación. Luego los barros contaminados deberán ser retirados por un camión atmosférico.”

Publicidad

El Narguile: Cultura de Fumar

2008-06-19T16:48:00.010-03:00

A narguile is a water pipe used for smoking flavored tobacco.

The word “narguile” comes from the Persian word “narguil”, which means coconut. This smoking instrument is also known as shisha (which means bottle in Arabic), Kalyan (Iran), hookah (India).

For North Africans, from Morrocco to Egypt, smoking shisha is a common practice. In the last decade, this tradition has become popular at “cultural cafes” around the world where they offer it as a diversion while their clients sip their tea, coffee or cocktails.

This curious pipe, has a base made out of glass, ceramic or metal, that is filled with water, or a mixture of vodka and water. Its body is made of metal and on the top there is a piece with holes in it where the humid flavored tobacco is placed. The tobacco is then covered with aluminum foil, where you place a piece of coal to heat up the tobacco.

Tobacco flavors are very varied: apple, peach, mango, strawberry, coconut, piña colada, coffee, vanilla, mint, cherry, lemon, coca-cola, banana and orange, among many others.

The smoker, needs to suction from a thin tube connected to the narguile. The aspiration enables air to circulate though the internal tube close to where the tobacco is located, to the bottom, where the tobacco mixes with the water and it “cleaned”, producing a thinner, but not less injurious smoke.

While popular belief indicates that smoking through a narguile is less harmful than other methods, there are studies that contradict this belief. Smoking is always damaging. Nevertheless, it is always interesting to learn about different methods and rituals used in different cultures.

According to http://www.aturquia.com/ a narguile is composed of the following pieces:

Lüle: Where you place the tobacco and the piece of coal.

Ser: The body of the narguile that is connected to its base.

Shishe (base): The part that is filled with water or a mixture of water and vodka.
Marpuch: Tube used for smoking.
Sipsi: The mouthpiece connected to the tube that is used for smoking. Aturquia recommends that each user utilizes a different one for sanitary purposes.

Unrolling Pasta Bundles

2008-06-18T19:17:00.003-03:00

Last week, we tried to distinguish different types of “dry” pasta so we can stop asking the same questions every time we go to an Italian restaurant. But the truth is stuffed pasta presents the same confusion whenever we eat out.

That is why this week I decided to focus on this delicious dough once again so we can put it into place for once and for all.

Curiously, I found out that the recipe for the basic dough for all these different types of pasta is the same. The only thing that varies is its shape and its varied fillings: from traditional such as chicken, meat, vegetable and cottage cheese to more peculiar ones such as cabbage, blood sausage with apple, and eggplant with cheese and nuts.

Here are some pictures to help you differentiate different types of stuffed pasta so next time you visit an Italian restaurant you can venture into this delicious cuisine without having to ask about the difference between agnolotti and ravioli.

Publicidad

Stop Repression in Argentina

2008-06-14T15:09:00.002-03:00

After more than 90 days of conflict between the Argentinean government and Argentinean farmers, government officials ordered imprisonment of Alfredo de Angeli, one of the leaders of Federación Agraria Argentina.

While de Angeli was being taken away, in Buenos Aires, people spontaneously protested on the streets.

United for a federal Argentina. "Argentinean Farmland ¡Cheers!"

Argentinean ask for PEACE.

No more repression.

Italy: Solution for Pasta Mix-up

2008-06-05T13:23:00.002-03:00

By Laura Vaillard

What does a university student and an Italian have in common?

They both place “pasta” in the center of their food pyramid. A student always has a pack of pasta on his/her shelf because it’s economical, and it’s a dish that easy to prepare. While Italians always have pasta on their shelves for cultural reasons.

In Italy, lunch in one of the most important meals of the day: they have a pasta dish as an appetizer, meat with a side of vegetables as the main dish, and sweets and fruit for dessert.
Since pasta is present in every Italian lunch, they invented an infinite number of pasta types to camouflage idea of eating the same thing ever day.

However, this excess of creativity tends to cause problems when we go to an Italian restaurant. What is the difference between rigatoni and fusilli again?

Here are some pictures to help you out next time you visit a trattoria:

Publicidad

My Seven Wonders for 2007: Asia

2008-06-02T16:46:00.000-03:00

Pictures by Laura Vaillard

Aisa: Indonesia, China, Malasia

This week I leave you my seven favorite pictures from my trip through Asia in 2007. These are my Seven Wonders. Enjoy!

Bali, Indonesia

Traditional Boat at the Summer Palace, China

The Great Wall of China

Rice fields in Bali, Indonesia

Bangkok, Tailandia

Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Sunset at the Fire Fly Park, Malaysia

Advertisements

Porteños Smoked in Buenos Aires

2008-05-02T13:34:00.000-03:00

There is no article for this week because it was impossible to find a new corner of Buenos Aires to write about, since the entire city was playing hide and seek with the smoke.

Due to the burning of grass in an island close to Zarate, in the provice of Entre Rios, Argentina, and the lack of governmental action, the capital city and hundreds of other cities hid behind the smoke for over a week.

In the statue, one of the Argentinean heroes is raising his spade to proclaim victory, while in the picture, it appears that he is trying to cut through the thick smoke to liberate its people from this cloud that transforms porteños into smoked, red-eyed, taciturn zombies, tired of forcing their sight to see through the smoke.

Unplugged in El Tigre

2008-05-02T12:49:00.000-03:00

Desire. What an ambiguous word!

Despite its various meanings, many of us share the desire to slow down during the weekends so we can spend more time with our family and friends, and travel to a world without deadlines and worries, like El Tigre, only 33 km away from Ciudad de Buenos Aires.

This place over Parana River, is a labyrinth of canals and islands, ideal to escape from the boisterous capital.

According to enargentinaturismo.com.ar “The Delta of Paraná is the world's fifth biggest delta, it begins in the port of Diamante (close to Parque Nacional Pre-Delta ) and continues towards the southeast up to Río de la Plata, so it is the only one that flows into sweet water.”

Once you reach El Tigre, you can select among hundreds of options to entertain yourself.

Those who enjoy shopping can visit Puerto de Frutos del Tigre, and get lost among a rustic world where you can buy wickerwork and wooden furniture, a wide diversity of handmade adornments for the home, hammocks, and paintings, among other things.

Adventurous people and lovers of aquatic sports may want to hop on a canoe or a kayak for an excursion along the river, practice rowing, water sky or wakeboard, for example.

Those interested in nature, may want to explore the interesting flora of the place, totally different from the one found in Buenos Aires, or enjoy bird watching.

While those interested in resting or having a romantic outing, may want to take a boat along the river or spend the day in one of the "recreos" of Delta.

Whatever you choose to do, El Tigre is a great option to unplug yourself from Buenos Aires.

Attractions according to enargentinaturismo.com.ar

Estación Fluvial Tigre: (Mitre 305) Located on Tigre River, a short distance from Lujan River.
El Museo Casa de Domingo F. Sarmiento- Monumento Histórico Nacional:(Over Río Sarmiento and arroyo Reyes) A small wooden construction built in 1853 for Sarmiento. The house is protected by a glass structure that surrounds it.
Paseo Victorica:(Lavalle Street)
Museo Naval de la Nación: (Paseo Victorica 602) originally founded in 1892 at the Naval Center. In en 1948 it was relocated to the Marina de Tigre, where it is found today.
Ex-Tigre Club: (Paseo Victorica 972) Built in 1900 and inaugurated in 1912. In 1910 the country's first casino operated in the bottom floor; the casino was then transferred to Mar del Plata.
Parque de la Costa: (Calle Vivanco 1509) Amusement park inaugurated in 1997.
Casino Trilenium: (Calle Perú 1385)
Museo de la Prefectura: (Avenida Liniers 1264)
Museo de la Reconquista:(Calle Padre Castañeda 470)

Buenos Aires takes a Nap while its Plazas Party

2008-04-08T09:16:00.000-03:00

The Capital sleeps while its plazas come to life every weekend.

I visited Parque Centenario for the first time, and even though the park was not the same I frequently visit, the scenario was still the same: girls sunbathing, groups of friends dirking mate, circles of boys playing guitar, and clowns performing in between the people (sometimes entertaining, while others disturbing).

A couple of years ago, the government of Buenos Aires began to renovate the park to transform it into a welcoming place for family recreation.

The first stage of the renovation, already visible, began with the reconstruction and restoration of the lake’s section and its surrounding area. While the second stage, still in process, comprehends the periphery of the park, surrounded by the following avenues: Antártica Argentina, Ángel Gallardo, Díaz Vélez and Leopoldo Marechal, limiting the neighborhoods of Caballito, Almagro and Villa Crespo.

According to the government's webpage, “The job was adjudged to Teximco S.A. for $15.867.770,34 (pesos).” The project was previewed that the restoration would be ready in 2006. However, there are sections of the park that have not been renovated yet, The question is, why is it taking so long?

Around Parque Centenario you can also find many other attractions like the famous fair of used books, and the artisans fair (a bizarre combination of San Telmo, Recoleta and El Rastro of Madrid: you have people selling empty perfume bottles, used toys, used clothing, DVDs, old CDs and cassettes.... A giant garage sale!

Around the plaza, you can also find the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia, the Hospital Oncológico Marie Curie, the Fundación Instituto Leloir (scientific research institute), and the Asociación Argentina Amigos de la Astronomía, among others.

Visit the plaza during the weekend to se how different groups of people go to the park when the city takes a nap.

Europe and America Unite in New Orleans

2008-03-26T20:49:00.000-03:00

Pictures by Laura Vaillard and Lucia Tissone (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

New Orleans is the place where the New World and the Old World meet, in a city that has no resemblance with any other American city: French-style town houses, musicians playing jazz in the city corners, and people drinking coffee at petit coffee bars.

At this city, African slaves, indigenous people and European colonizers shared their cultures and mutually influenced each other, motivated by the French government, until New Orleans became a peculiar city with unique history. From its foundation in 1718 until Napoleon sold it to the US in 1803, New Orleans remained a French-Spanish colony.

Between 1920 and 1870, New Orleans continued to welcome immigrants from Germany, Ireland, Croatia, Italy, Greece, the Phillipes, and Haiti, who continued adding diversity to the city.

During carnival and Mardi Gras, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, each afternoon people in New Orleans demonstrate the city's diversity and strong Creole heritage through the colorful carnival celebrations.

While during the night, Bourbon Street is covered by colorful beads that people throw from the balconies in exchange for a little fun: a dance, a smile, or a daring flash, depending on how adventurous you are that day.

Behind this energetic and crazy New Orleans, there are parts of the city that still display leftover damages from Hurricane Katrina; a sight that saddens the city's festive and jovial ambiance.

Nevertheless, the sounds of jazz that emerge from the city's main arteries are able to give back the happiness to tourists.

In one of the extremes of the French Quarter, at Jackson Plaza, you can find Café du Monde, where you can try the famous vignettes, typical of New Orleans.

Despite its name, the café was originally Spanish, and not French. Regardless of the place's popularity, the cleanliness and tidiness of the place lag behind (especially the kitchen, which you have to walk through on the way to the restroom). Nevertheless, the place is still ideal to rest and recharge batteries to continue to sightsee this beautiful city.

Mexican food is more than tacos and fajitas in Houston, Texas

2008-03-26T20:36:00.000-03:00

Mexican food is more than tacos and fajitas, and Mexican Restaurant Hugo's in Houston, is an excellent place to experiment the diversity of Mexican cuisine.

Mexican chef, Hugo Ortega, is in charge of making sure that every dish at Hugo’s is as authentic in the United States as it would be in Mexico.

To begin the evening, I had spicy peanuts and empanadas made with plantain dough filled with cheese: the sweetness of the plantain invaded my mouth with each bite, and the cheese melted throughout my mouth preparing it for the next dish.

The menu offered a large variety of tempting dishes like: Tampiqueña BBQ meat, huachinango a la Veracruzana, duck with mole poblano, stuffed chilies, shrimps with black sauce, among others. I finally decided upon cochinita pibil, one of Mexico’s most typical pork dishes. The cochinita was so tender that I didn’t even have to bite it, since it melted as it touched my lips.

For dessert, I decided to venture myself with an interesting dish: chocolate cake with chilies. The strong taste of chocolate and the spicy chilies made an explosive combination: curiously, first you tasted the sweetness of the chocolate, while after a couple of minutes, you felt a spicy after-taste that enabled the taste to remain in your mouth for a long time.

After tasting the food at Hugo’s it is no wonder that the restaurant won several awards: Sante Award for the excellent traditional menu, "Houston Branch of The International Wine & Food Society Award", a mention as "Best Mexican Restaurant" according to Best of Houston-Host Press 2005, and an Award to the Restaurant of the Year in 2003 according to Houston Press.

For that reason, if you find yourself in Houston, stop by Hugo’s, it is a good option to escape the typical Tex-Mex food, and enjoy authentic Mexican food in a cozy and familiar atmosphere.

HUGO’S RESTAURANT
1600 Westheimer Houston, TX 77006
Phone: (713) 524-7744
Fax: (713) 521-7719

Working Hours:
Monday to Thursday and Sundays: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

See Map

What better partners to visit NASA?

2008-03-24T11:41:00.000-03:00

Written by Laura Vaillard with Carlos Crespo (Quito, Ecuador / Houston, TX, EEUU)
Pictures by Laura Vaillard and Nuria Minces (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

What better partners to visit NASA in Houston, than a guy who always dreamt to become an astronaut and a young lady who is not afraid to act out the girl she carries within?

Even though NASA was not far from where we were living, rockets and astronauts never interested me enough to motivate me to visit the Space Center.

However, due to my never-ending curiosity and my interest to see new things, these two individuals convinced me to drive up to NASA with them.

I did not expect much from the trip. Yet, I came back fascinated after seeing astronauts live from the Space Center and comparing models of how astronauts lived in space in the 70s versus how they live now in the XXI century.

I returned excited like a little girl, after balancing myself of a string and weighing myself in different scales that showed how much I would weigh if I were to live in Mars or Jupiter, instead of Planet Earth.

I was overwhelmed after looking at the size of Saturn V, and amazed after looking at pictures of the different mission crews, including Apolo XI, Mercury and Gemini.

It was a wonderful experience and I am very glad my friends made sure I did not miss it.
This time, Houston, we had no problem.

Machismo in Argentina: International Woman’s Day

2008-03-24T11:30:00.000-03:00

People say “in ancient Greece, Lisistrata began a sexual strike against men in an attempt to end the war.” This way, she demonstrated the power women are able to acquire in a society.

During the Socialist International Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, 1910, the proposal to celebrate the International Working Woman’s Day was approved unanimously. From then on, different countries started to celebrate that day.

From that moment, the gap between men and women has begun to decrease little by little. According to the investigation about the place that women occupy today in Argentinean society, conducted by MindShare to 300 individuals in Argentina, “more than half of the people interviewed said that machismo is not as dominant as before, since people have been able to free themselves from ‘old prejudices.’”

However, the study also found that “37% of people interviewed said machismo in Argentina continues to be a reality.”

“On top of that, 27% of the 300 people interviewed by MindShare stated that men and women have equal labor rights. But 64% considered that in this field, ‘differences still exist’.”

MindShare also conducted a more detailed study about “how women perform in positions of power.” In this analysis, “52% thought that women are stricter than men, and almost an identical percentage said that both genders are able to perform their tasks with equal efficiency.”

“Regarding decision making, almost half of people interviewed (43%) considered that men show more security (firmness) and speed.” While, “40% considered that women are more competitive than men, and 33% attributed this trait equally to men and women.”

This study shows promising results, since it demonstrates that society’s perception towards women at work has been positively affected, even though women and men still have to be treated equally at work.

Enjoy and celebrate International Woman’s Day!

Dreaming to be a Carnival Dancer in Gualeguaychu

2008-03-08T12:41:00.000-02:00

Pictures by Marina Paron (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and Laura Vaillard

When I was small, I dreamt to become a carnival dancer when I grew older, and last weekend I almost accomplished my dream.

Friday night, after work, we drove my friend’s car through Route 12, also known “Death Route”, towards Gualeguaychú, Entre Ríos, Argentina.

“Take care.” “Drive safely,” people frequently told us before we left. Luckily, despite spending long hours crammed into a car with huge trucks speeding next to us, the drive was very smooth; there were only few cars driving through the emergency lane.

As soon as we arrived, we went to pick up the keys for “our house”, or “piggery”, a small room with two bunk beds, a kitchen set and a bathroom with faulty plumbing: to use the WC we had to open the water valve, but not for too long, because the sink had a leak and the bathroom would overflow; to take a shower, we had to wash our hair in the kitchen sink, because the shower only delivered a few drops which made it impossible to wash ourselves properly.

To take advantage of the night, we decided to go for a walk in search for a place willing to serve us dinner at 1 a.m. Luckily, we found an opened pizza place. We cooled ourselves down with cold beers and tamed our appetite with delicious and crispy clay-oven pizzas. That way, we prepared ourselves to start the night and dance until sunrise to the rhythm of murgas, rock, and Latin music at the birthday party of a local friend.

The next day, we woke up with our swimsuits practically on, ready to continue partying on the beach: we danced on the sand under the sprinklers with Spider Man, a doctor and Wonder Woman, we drank beer and fernet on the beach and swam in the river with “Maradona”.

The good vibe that people irradiated at Solar del Este was unbelievable! Everyone was willing to collaborate to make sure everyone had a good time.

The good vibe was extended throughout the entire night to the Corsodromo, where we danced to the rhythm of O´Bahía, Ara Yeví y Mari Mari, three “comparsa” that spread energy and colorful happiness. It was amazing to observe how the shinning and slender bodies danced with elaborated suits in between colorful feathers and floats with intricate designs.

Even though O´Bahía was the first “comparsa” , which is supposed to be the most memorable, it passed almost unnoticed with less energy than the other “comparsas” under the theme: “From the Initial Chaos to Enegy, I am O’Bahia, Mother Water, Creator of Life.”

On the other hand, Ará Yeví surprised everyone with its cooking theme: its designers were able to harmoniously integrate olives, strawberries with cream, cheeses and other cooking elements to the dancers’ suits. In its “Recipe for a Carnival Celebration”, choreographers and artists were able to dignify culinary elements in a dance filled with colorful elegance.

Finally, Marí Marí demonstrated why it has received so many awards, with suits that made reference to “Alexander the Great.” Even though it was the last “comparsa”, it was the group with more energy and presence in the Corsodromo. Marí Marí’s murga, dressed as warriors, provided the perfect closing to the night showing that this year they had also come to win the battle.

How to get there:

According to turismoentrerios.com, the best way to get there from Buenos Aires:

Take Zárate-Brazo Largo Bridge from Nacional Route N12 until Ceibas, where it connects with Route 14 until you reach Gualeguaychu.
TOTAL: 248 Kms.

Costs:
General: $30
Minors: $10

Dates:
January 2008:
Saturday: 5, 12, 19 & 26

February 2008:
Saturday: 2, 9, 16 & 23

March 2008:
Saturday: 1

Nicolas Cabre y Soledad Fandiño

Why say goodbye, if I am always coming back?

2008-03-06T09:49:00.000-02:00

I have said goodbye so many times that I have lost count of how many there have been. However, there are less and less tears shed every time I leave, because I always end up coming back.

Two year ago, I said goodbye to Spain, a couple of months back, farewell to Argentina, and now, I say good-bye to Houston and “hello” again to Buenos Aires, the city that always awaits me with open arms, this time for longer (I hope).

I still have a couple of pending stories from the US: the trip to NASA, the adventures through the streets of New Orleans, my experience at the ice hockey game…

But I will intermingle these remaining articles with other stories in Argentina and stories from my collaborators, since that is the way our memory works: it continuously mixes the present with past experiences.

This way, with a letter that says “good-bye” and “hello” at the same time, I open a new chapter to this Surrealistic Life, this time, from Argentina.

Hope you continue to enjoy it!
Best wishes,

Laura

Dancing like a Cowboy in Texas

2008-03-04T09:55:00.000-02:00

Yijahhhh. Two. Two. Oooone. Two. Two. Oooone.

We started the night dancing "two-step" in Wild West, a country bar in Houston, Texas.

We danced in circles around the dancing square along with men with boots, checkered shirts, and cowboy hats, and women with tight clothes and exaggerated make-up (a look that enhanced their beauty despite being outrageous).

We observed the cowboys and their peculiar clothing with amazement (we had only seen people dressed like that in cowboy movies). They also looked at us, our sober clothing and our lack of rhythm as we attempted to dance that type of intermittent vallenato called two-step.

With time, we got used to them, and they got used to us. Together, we continued to enjoy $1 drinks and the good vibe of the place as we uncovered a side of Houston we hadn’t explored before.

How to get there:
6101 Richmond Ave.
Houston, TX 77057
Promo: 713-266-3455
Happy Hour: 713-266-2282

Hours of Operation:
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday: 6:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Wed-Thu: 7:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Friday: 5:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Saturday: 7:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sunday: 4:30 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Dance Lessons: 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

San Antonio: Speckled Attractions

2008-03-03T23:38:00.000-02:00

San Antonio is located about 200 miles from Houston, and it is one of the most popular destinations within Texas. It is well known for its various attractions: the attractive River Walk, “El Alamo” (that represents the battle where Texas became independent from Mexico, March 6, 1836), and its cultural and historic museums (El Alamo Museum, Wax Museum, Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum, among others).

Its historic district is very picturesque due to the Spanish architectonic influence. The Alamo Plaza is located in the heart of the historic district, where the Spanish Mission, and the chapel that hosts the Museum of Historic Artifacts are located. At the Plaza, one can also find a gigantic Alamo, whose smell is so pungent that it does not go unnoticed. In fact, one can probably reach the plaza by trying to find the source of that strange aroma.

“A block away from the Alamo Plaza, you can relive the historic Battle of the Alamo in the IMAX Theater of San Antonio’s Rivercenter and in the special effects theaters watching ‘Texas Adventure’,” according to Mile Leco from USA Tourist.

After visiting the museums and the historical part of the city, one should move over to the River Walk to take a break and relax while observing the boats floating down the river (if you happen to visit San Antonio during Christmas, you might be able to hear the chorus signing Christmas carols from the gongolas). If you happen to have time, it is a great idea to have a drink in one of the bars right on the Riverside or to take a boat ride down the river.

It is important to highlight, that San Antonio is not just a touristy destination. It also has a very active night life with various bars and live music.

Even if you travel in July or August (when it is very hot), or December (when it is simple chilly), San Antonio is a great destination with wide-ranging attractions that meet various tastes and all ages; it is almost an obliged destination for anyone visiting Texas.

How to get there:

From Houston, take I-10 West
From Austin or Dallas, take I-35 South

Love me like I want you to Love me: San Valentine's Day

2008-02-21T09:56:00.000-02:00

“If they don’t love you as you want them to love you, it doesn’t mean they do not love you with all they’ve got.” Popular saying.

Sometimes we wish that our partner was more romantic, that he/she would send us flowers, leave us little presents or simply leave us a note wishing us a “Good day!”

And this wish tends to intensify itself during San Valentine’s Day, the day where we are supposed to celebrate love.

But, how do I materialize a feeling? What can I do to astonish the person I love? Do we really need to celebrate it?

Here are some stories of people who have celebrated it, and some experiences of those who decided it was better not to celebrate.

This is how they celebrated:

“The most romantic present is to create time to share together (and if it includes a trip, that’s even better!). My fiancé and I love to go to a place about an hour and a half from Boca Raton, FL called Naples, where we stay at the Ritz Carlton and since the moment we arrive we forget about any type of stress. It is a place where the plan is to lay on the beach all day with excellent attention (there are bungalows at the beach, and you drink mojitos and piña colada all day long), sunset falls on the sea and it is amazing, and the city is very pretty to go out for a walk or go out to eat.” Annabella (Boca Ratón, FL, EEUU / Caracas, Venezuela).

“I remember two years ago, I arrived from work and found Bernie at my place: he had lighted candles all over the house and he was cooking for me! He really showed himself off: spaghetti with prawns and everything! Isabel (Cuidad de Panamá, Panamá).

“When John and I dated in college, we celebrated our first valentine's day very low key because we spent a lot of money on a ski trip in January. I asked John to pick me up at my dorm room and to be hungry. ;) When he picked me up he gave me a rose with a card. Inside the card there was a Starbuck's gift card. He knew how much I loved it. He used to always surprise me at the reading room with a caramel latte. Then he handed me my favorite chocolate in the whole world, Ferro Rocher. So, I got a bag ready and when we got in the car I told him to take me to his place cuz I was going to cook for him an authentic Puerto Rican dinner. I was so nervous. Not only was this the first time I was cooking for my boyfriend, it was the first time I was cooking Puerto Rican food by myself. I made him arroz con habichuelas rojas y bistec encebollado. So I served him a plate and for like the longest five minutes of my life, he didn't say a word. Until finally he said, "wow baby, I'm gonna get seconds" lol It made my night. For dessert I got him his favorite ice cream, mint chocolate chip. That night we stayed up talking and when we looked out the window it began to snow. It was a perfect ending to our date. The TCU campus was gorgeous. I know it’s not a glamorous story but it's my favorite valentine's day ever. Simple but thoughtful.” Karlene (Washington DC, EEUU / San Juan, Puerto Rico).

“I have a friend who once did a treasure hung. In the morning she prepared breakfast for him, and in the afternoon she was not with him, instead, she would leave him clues where he could find the next clue. Each place had a special significance for them (favorite restaurant, place where they met, the house of the friends that introduced them). There was a clue and a present in each place. At the end she was waiting for him at the house as she cooked dinner and a present.” Annabella (Boca Ratón, FL, EEUU/ Caracas, Venezuela).

“If there's one thing I've learned about relationships and being romantic is this: sometimes the simpler the more satisfying. Chris and I have lived so far away from each other most of our relationship that to be honest we never made a big deal about valentines day or anything like that. Last year was our first year together and i think he forgot it was valentines days. I bought him a cheesy heart balloon and he made a nice spaghetti dinner, we drank some wine and we watched a movie. Sometimes simple is better...” Alexa (California, EEUU / Brasil)

And for those who do not really relieve in San Valentine’s Day, I have a store for you:

“Last year, I assumed Chelsea was not going to mind if I did not buy her a Valentine’s present, but of course, it ended up being one of the most stupid decisions and a clear boundary of my understanding of women. I had to go out at 9 p.m. to buy her a pair of earrings that ended up being really expensive. Another bad story, but anyhow, it shows how ridiculous some of us can be if we think San Valentine’s Day is not important enough to celebrate.” Arturo (Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala)

Wish you had a great San Valentine’s day! How did you celebrate it this year?

Salvadorean Pupusas: Strange Name for a Unique Taste

2008-02-08T09:50:00.000-02:00

People from El Salvador have their own typical dish: Pupusas. These round plums are particular because of their name and also because they have their own national celebration: According to Legislative Decree 655 of El Salvador, the second Sunday of November is considered the “National Day of Pupusas”.

Nelson Sosa, from El Salvador, explains that the “National Day of Pupusas is very well known. He says the decree was created because Honduras or Nicaragua were saying that pupusas had originated in those countries and not in El Savador, while the dish, is indisputably, from El Salvador (they took the case to court and used historians, documents, etc to determine they originated in El Salvaor).

The word “pupusa” comes from the combination of the word “púpu” (scramble) and “tsa” (bulge), which would translate to “stuffed bulge”, according to José Manuel Bonilla, specialist in the nahuat language and national director of cultural development of Concultura.

There are two types of pupusas: corn and rice. “Rice pupusas are typical of a town called "Olocuilta", localed near the airport (San Salvador). For that reason, all Salvadorians that travel stop by to buy pupusas on the way to the airport”, says Daniel Rivera from El Salvador.

But, what makes these pupusas so special that Salvadorians have even reserved a day in their honor?

To answer this question I had to try them myself.

When I went to Washington DC, USA, a friend from El Salvador decided to introduce us to this delicious dish. We drove for about an hour to the place where they sold “the best pupusas in DC” to try them.

On a first impression, they reminded me of Colombian arepas: rounded, crispy and fresh corn disks. Only arepas are eaten by themselves, while you place curtido on top of the pupusas. Curtido is a mixture of cabbage, carrots, onions and green chilli soaked in vinegar.

Since we were a large group we ordered pupusas with different suffing so we could try a large variety: cheese, cheese and beans, “revueltas” (fried crackling (chicharrón), beans and cheese), beef and cheese with “loroco”. That time we did not try pupusas filled with “ayote” (a type of cabbage), and fish, among others.

My favorite ones were filled with cheese; they were not as heavy as the other ones, which allowed me to eat more. At the same time “revueltas” have a particularly explosive taste.

Even though it was a fun experience and I enjoyed this centroamerican dish, I doubt my love for food would ever take me to compete in the “pupusas eating” contest, where according to Daniel, “one time a guy ate 42 pupusas (when a regulas woman usually does not eat more than 3, and a average male usually eats 4 or 5!!!”).

If you ever get the chance, I would recommend to try pupusas, it is the entrance to El Salvador.

Welcome!

A Day in a Japanese Diaper

2008-02-06T22:53:00.000-02:00

By Carlo Capua (USA/Toluca, Mexico)

Standing in the midst of 24 sweaty almost-naked men.
Wearing nothing more than a firehose-esque piece of cloth.
Ready to subject myself to full embarrassment.

No, I wasn’t a contestant on a Japanese game show. Last weekend I experienced the glory of Japanese culture to its fullest. Hands-on. Last Sunday I participated in my first sumo tournament (Japanese national sport).

Now this wasn’t the huge, stuffed costume sumo match that you do for laughs at a carnival. This was the real deal - bare butt and all.

Doug, the resident Sado ALT, convinced me to venture up to Sado Island and be a part of the 3-man gaijin team that would take the other Japanese teams by storm. Add Lance, and you’ve got 3 really white, hairy gaijin (word used by Japanese people to refer to foreigners).

Problem: I don’t have a proper Japanese sumo name.

It was fun thinking of a name that would ring fear into the hearts of the other Japanese competitors. My options were:

1) Bakana Amerikajin - “Stupid American”
2) Takahashi - those of you who read my marathon story would understand
3) Tenkomori - literally, “Mountain of Food”
4) Kenshoen – loosely translated, “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome”
5) Sanadamushi – “Tapeworm”

I opted for #3 – Tenkomorikun. Lance chose “Taishokukan” (Massive Appetite Boy) and Canadian-bred Doug was “Momijiyama” (Maple Leaf Mountain.) Together, we would be Team Takokusekikun (Army of Nations.)

The rules of sumo are actually easy. There are two ways to lose a match:
1) Any part of your body touches outside the ring before your opponent, or
2) Any part of your body other than your feet touch the ground.

The hardest part was actually getting (un)dressed. The infamous “diaper”, called a mawashi, is impossible to put on alone. It’s basically a long, thick piece of rough cloth that’s worn like a G-string in the back, and wraps around your waist 4 times. Attractive.

Our first match would be against the defending champion team; actually, it was the first match of the entire tournament. Doug treated his first opponent like a ningyo (doll), and I stepped into the ring to face mystery man #2.

“Do I bow first, or squat? What’s the word for GO? Can I throw salt in the ring, at my opponent, etc?” We had already been explained proper sumo etiquette, but as I stood in the ring I felt all confidence slowly melting away. I looked across the ring and sized up the competition. My opponent wasn’t exactly in world-class shape. He was:

1) Fat. Really fat.
2) Balding.
3) Probably in his forties.
4) Sweaty.

I squatted with both fists firmly planted on the ground. Butterflies were swarming in my stomach. The referee gave me a pitiful look, and gave the Japanese word for “GO!”

I charged directly in to the sweaty mass of flesh in front of me. This guy wasn’t strong – he was just really fat. As I tried to get a firm grip on his mawashi, he backed me to the edge of the ring. “Uh-oh”, I thought. “The fat guy is going to beat me, and it’s going to be broadcast all over the island on Sado TV.”

Fearful of the pending embarrassment, I managed to grab his diaper and spin him out of the ring. To this day I still can’t figure out how I did it. I guess anything can happen when you’re half-naked.

We beat last year’s champion team! With our first victory under our extremely tight belts, Maple Leaf Mountain, Mountain of Food, and Massive Appetite Boy marched their way to a 3rd place finish overall, the best a gaijin team has ever finished in the tournament. And yes, there were more than 3 teams. There were 8 teams, to be exact. Our team and the other gaijin team “dobutsuen” (zoo) all had fun as the day’s “entertainment.”

The most touching part of the day was during the opening ceremony. Since there were Americans in the tournament, they dedicated 1 minute of silence to the nationally tragedy at the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

This culture continues to amaze me.

Happy Birthday! Vida Surrealista Turns Two

2008-01-24T10:46:00.000-02:00

Chestit rojden den! ¡Feliz cumple! Selamat hari jadi! Buon Compleanno! Alles gute zum geburstag! Happy Birthday!

That’s right. Today we are celebrating the second year of Vida Surrealista.

A year filled with surprises and unexpected twists since I was not planning to return to live in the United States for a couple of months.

A year filled with challenges and literary ups and downs since our inspiration is inevitably connected to our feelings.

A year where Vida Surrealista was able to grow with the written contribution from friends around the world.Thank you very much for all your continuous support and especially to all those who collaborated throughout the year:

Susana Massaro (Rio de Janeiro, Brasil) - EDITOR

Giorgina Di Rocco (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Sabrina Lenoir (Argentina)

Carlo Capua (Toluca, México / EEUU)

Lucia Tissone (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Yan Carrière-Swallow (Toronto, Canadá)

Aldana Gómez (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Cecilia Tear (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Leandro Vaillard (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Pietro Toscano (Bari, Italia)

Johnny Ennis (Buenos Aires, Argentina/Caracas, Venezuela)

Joaquin Schvetz (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Federico Appiani (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Carlos Rodríguez (Caracas, Venezuela)

Porter Campbell (St. Louis, Missouri, USA)

María Luisa Villegas (Veracruz, México)

María Eugenia Grimaldo (Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá)

Analía Plamenatz (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Griselda Vaillard (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Jose Medvedovsky (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Pablo Atencio (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Jesica Jimenez Culjak (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

On Top of the Bar of Coyote Ugly in San Anotnio

2008-01-20T16:43:00.000-02:00

Who hasn’t fantasized about dancing on top of the bar after watching Coyote Ugly?

Come on! Be honest! Not even for a second?

And what would you do if you found yourself in that bar?

Surprisingly, I did not live my fantasy of dancing on the bar when I visited Coyote Ugly Saloon in San Antonio, Texas, USA.

The bar was very similar to the one in the movie, only a little bigger. It also had an arsenal of bras hanging from the top of the bar that screamed out: “Unleash yourself!”

Why didn’t I dance?

Maybe, because I am no longer that careless teenager who loved to dance to call attention to herself.

Or, because I was intimidated by the interesting bra-display that made the place look more like a strip bar than a bar of dancing Coyotes like in the movie.

Or maybe, because as soon as we entered the place, one of the girls that was dancing on the bar fell to the floor in the middle of her dance because she was too drunk to keep her balance.

Or simply because our fantasies rarely come true.

As of today, the story ends here. However, I leave you the address in case you want to go and write a different story. If I ever return, I’ll let you know if my story changes.

How to get there:
Coyote Ugly Saloon San Antonio
409 East Commerce Street
San Antonio, TX 78205
Close to Rivercenter Mall and Hemisfair Park

Times:
Monday to Sunday 11 a.m. – 2 a.m.

Other Cities:
New York (original – 1993)

Las Vegas (November 2001)

New Orleans (February 2002)

Chicago (March 2003)

Tampa (April 2003)

Austin (January 2004)

Panama City Beach (April 2004)

San Antonio (July 2004)

Charlotte (August 2004)

Nashville (December 2004)

Denver (Mach 2005)

Ft. Lauderdale (January 2006)

Memphis (May 2006)

Start 2008 with a Noisy Toast

2008-01-20T14:26:00.000-02:00

Cheers! I raise the glass with joy and good company.

Even though books of etiquette indicate that one should look at the other person’s eyes when they toast and tilt the glass towards the other person without touching, I prefer noisy toasts.

While I was doing research to write this blog, I ran across an excellent article written by Yabebiry that talked about the origins of the brindis.

Some people say the word “brindis” came about when Charles V’s troops were celebrating their victory over Rome on May 6, 1527. During that celebration, members of Chales’ V troop raised their glasses saying: “bring dir’s”, which means “I offer thee” in German.

Other versions of the origin of toasting indicate that during banquets, Ancient Greeks used to have the host raise his/her wine glass and take a long sip to demonstrate the drink had not been poisoned. Then, all the invitees would clash their glasses against one another to splash and mix the contents; that way, if one of the glasses had been poisoned, everyone ran the same risk.

Even though hosts seldom try to poison their guests nowadays, I prefer to continue toasting with that noisy tradition despite what books of etiquette say. For me, a noisy toast represents happiness, good fortune and joy.

Cheers! Hope you have a good 2008! Best wishes to all of you!

Christmas Around the World: Macarroni Angels, Olentzeros Instead of Noel and Presents inside Trees

2008-01-07T22:26:00.000-02:00

Naples, Italy
Napolitani say that during harsh times, they traditionally made angels out of different types of pasta found around the house. Then, they offered these pasta angels to their friends during Christmas time.

Those who received the pasta angels wrote a wish in a piece of paper, which they placed inside the body of the angel so it could “fly away” and make the wish come true. Afterwards many people used these cute presents to decorate their Christmas tree.

Vasque Region, Spain

In the Vasque region, Christmas’ symbol is not Santa Claus as in most Christian cities, but the Olentzero, a chimney-sweeper with beret, overalls, crossed sandals and a chequered hankerchief tied in his neck.

Catalunya, Spain

On the other hand, catalans place their Christmas presents inside a tree trunk with a painted face (also known as “tronc”, “soca”, and “tió”).

On Christmas Eve, each child rinses a stick with “magic water” in a room, and after adults give them permission, they enter the room where the tree trunk is placed and hit it as they sing a song in catalan to free the presents hidden inside the tree.

According to Pamela from pandeblog.net the translated version of the song reads something like (the translation puzzles me, so if someone can/may, please verify the translation is correct):

“Tree trunk, Christmas tree trunk

Shit culin

And pee white wine.

Don’t shit zool herring, that is salty

Shit culins that are really good.”

Interestingly, the tree only liberates one present at the time. So the children run back and forth from one room to the other to rinse their stick with “magic water” so they can hit the tree with it until it delivers an onion or a potato as an indication it will not deliver any more presents until the following year.

Eating Under the Sea at Houston’s Acquarium

2007-12-13T23:03:00.000-03:00

Pictures by Giorgina Di Rocco

I loved eating under the sea while fish swam around your table.

Well, I confess I did not have lunch under the sea. However, the gigantic, 150,000 gallon fish tank in the center of Downtown Houston’s Acquarium Resaturant and the store’s decoration made me feel underwater.

The restaurant’s walls resemble coral rocks, the lamps on the roof are little fish that swim between the customers, the seat’s backsides are ondulating sea weeds and waiters are so polite they look like mermaids.

It is incredible to have lunch between sharks, shovel-nosed guitar fish, leopard rays, clown fish, color-changing fish, and flirty fish dressed in blue with large lips, so large they look like models right out of the surgery room.

I hade eaten in places with fish tanks before, but it was the first time I was a guest at a marine feast worthy of Ariel, the Little Mermaid.

I leave you the address in case you even want to enjoy a delicious meal as you explore the sea.

Downtown Aquarium Houston
410 Bagby
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 223-3474 (FISH)

Other cities where you can find Aquarium Restaurants

New York: More Romantic and Less Accelerated

2007-12-13T00:58:00.000-03:00

I remembered New York as a noisy and fast-paced city, but when I arrived, I found a rather romantic city. Yet, since I was traveling by myself, I had to share Big Apple’s romanticism with myself.

In this occasion I chose to leave aside museums and stunning Broadway shows to enjoy New York in open air.

I strolled down Fifth Avenue while I window shopped in some of NY’s most famous shops, I entertained myself observing diverse and unique individuals, and relaxed walking across the SOHO, China Town, Little Italy and The Village.

At the SOHO and Little Italy I got inspired by paying attention to the decoration of all the petit restaurants and small stores that offered varied, fun, different and ordinary artifacts.

I got momentarily accelerated as I went through Wall Street, the world’s financial center, seeing how business people ran across the street to avoid loosing precious seconds of their valuable time.

I freed myself walking along the shore of the Hudson River while I watched how the tourists’ boats set sail towards the Statue of Liberty.

I was left gasping in the middle of Brooklyn Bridge, an architectonic wonder with an unmatchable view of New York City, where I ran into one of my graduate professors from Spain; a wonderful surprise worthy of my surrealistic life.

I enjoyed myself with ChinaTown’s baubles and got transported to some forgotten corner of Paris or Madrid as I walked down The Village; an area of low houses built very close together in an area of NY that was unknown to me until then.

In Central Park I fell in love with life as I admired trees painted with autumn and joyful skirls that jumped from one tree branch to the other.

It was a short, but incredible trip. It lacked museums, culture and extravaganza, but it was filled with the beauty of simplicity.

It was the trip where I discovered it is possible to enjoy romance without company.

Cómo llegar desde DC:
http://www.vamoosebus.com/
Bus diario de NY a DC y viceversa

Gorgeous Arlington Cemetery Cannot Disguise Horrid Effects of War

2007-12-08T00:24:00.000-03:00

I prefer peace over war, and funny movies over scary ones. For that reason I was unsure if I wanted to visit the Arlington Cemetery in Washington DC, USA, where they burry all those who represented the United States in some war, or served the American army, naval, and/or air forces; there are currently 290,000 veterans along with their family members buried along the cemetery’s 107 hectares of land.

Despite my low desire to visit the cemetery, the outing was amazing: from afar, the headstones resembled white flowers over an perfectly trimmed grass carpet, and the Arlington House shone as the sun hid behind the hill where the Kennedy family is buried.

As if this wasn’t enough, we had the opportunity to witness the change of guard in front of The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier; a rigid and meticulous ceremony so structured that it gave goose bumps to its spectators.

While I observed the soldiers’ synchronized movements I imagined the precision needed to undertake military maneuvers and tactics successfully, and I turned uncomfortable watching how these boys slowly became less and less human.

Now I ask myself, do soldiers need to dehumanize themselves to avoid suffering from the psychological effects that war causes people, or are they only acting this way for the ceremony?

I am not sure, but watching this robotic ceremony and the large number of victims buried in this place (approximately 24 people are buried daily), helped accentuate my feeling of rejection towards war.

The cemetery’s park is gorgeous, but it is not beatiful enough to disguise the horrid result of war.

How to get there:
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington VA 22211
Estación de metro: Arlington Cementery
Teléfono: (703) 607-8000http://arlingtoncemetery.org/

Turkey as Sales Icon in the United States

2007-11-29T19:37:00.000-03:00

Run and get in line because it is thanksgiving and sales begin!

Well, to tell you the truth I never heard anything like this on the radio or on TV. However, this seemed to be the message Houstonians had received before Friday November 24, since at 8 p.m. there people lined up in front of stores so they could be the first ones to enjoy the mega sales (some stores opened at midnight, while others opened at 5 a.m.).

In the United States, people annually celebrate Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday of November. The festivity began in the XVII century when a group of American pilgrims organized a big meal to thank the natives for teaching them to harvest the items found in the New World, allowing them to survive through winter.

Since then, for Thanksgiving, Americans get together with their family members for a large meal with stuffed turkey with cranberry sauce, corn bread, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes casserole, and green beans, among other things, and apple pie, pumpkin pie and pecan pie for dessert (they have other pies too).

Thanksgiving is one of the most important festivities in the United States; it breaks though religious and cultural boundaries and all citizens enjoy the celebration with the same enthusiasm.

In 2007, the number of people who traveled to meet their family members broke a record: according to the Associated Press AAA Spokesman Troy Green said “Surveys indicated a record 38.7 million U.S. residents were likely to travel 50 miles or more for the holiday period of Wednesday through Sunday, up about 1.5 percent over last year.”

According to a survey done by Cowen & Co., this year “consumers who plan to shop that day expect to spend 42% of their budgets, compared with 36% last year.”

Even though Thanksgiving got started as an event to give thanks, and many Americans maintain this tradition, the date has also become an icon for sales, which undervalues the celebration and plays against family unity.

Nevertheless, I cannot deny that this year I enthusiastically joined the group of sale-hunting early risers.

Getting to know Washington DC: Natural, Historic, Cultural and Artistic

2007-11-23T22:38:00.000-03:00

Washington DC , the capital of United States, resembles Europe more than other American cities; here, people go to The Mall for a walk, and not to buy, and people ride the metro or take a walk to get to work (something almost unthinkable in other cities in the United States).

In DC, consumerism does not take hold of The Mall because it is not a shopping mall, but rather a beautiful park that hosts the obelisk, the Lincoln Memorial, and other monuments that commemorate the Vietnam Way, Korean Way and World War II.

Throughout the week, visitors and Washingtonians have free access to culture thanks to the Smithsonian Institution, a research organization that owns 9 research centers and the world’s largest museum complex with 19 museums including National Museum of Natural History, National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

The National Museum of Natural History is a recommended stop to learn about the living and inert beings that make up our ecosystem by taking a look at diverse embalmed specimens, fossils, dinosaurs’ bones and precious stones.

The National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum is also worth a visit to observe how painting developed in the United States, beginning with the typical portraits painted during the colonization period and finishing with the contemporary paintings of our time. At the same time, visitors can learn about American history by paying attention to the portraits of American presidents and participants of the abolition of slavery.

Finally, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is another place visitors cannot miss when visiting Washington DC. Upon entering the museum, each person receives a passport with the name of one of the Holocaust victims to help him/her relive the stories exposed throughout the museum from one of the victim’s point of view. The section that displays the stories from the children point of view is particularly shocking and hair-raising.

It is important to point this is simply a bite of all the things visitors can do in Washington DC like visit the White House, go up the obelisk, sneak through the Spy Museum, etc. However, I think these stops provide wholistic picture of the United States from different points of view: cultural, historic, artistic and natural.

How to get there:
Korean War Veterans Memorial
Independence Ave. at the Lincoln MemorialPhone: (202) 426-6841
Metro Stop: Foggy Bottom-GWU
http://www.nps.gov/kwvm/

Lincoln Memorial
Independence Ave. & 23rd St. NW
Phone: (202) 426-6841
Metro Stop: Foggy Bottom-GWU
http://www.nps.gov/linc

National World War II Memorial
17th St. & Independence Ave. NW
Phone: (202) 619-7222
Metro Stop: Smithsonian

http://wwiimemorial.com/

Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Constitution Ave. & Henry Bacon Dr. NW
Phone: (202) 634-1568
Metro Stop: Foggy Bottom-GWU
http://www.nps.gov/vive

Museums:
International Spy Museum
800 F St. NW
Phone: (202) 393-7798
Metro Stop: Gallery Pl-Chinatown
http://www.spymuseum.org/

National Museum of Natural History
10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW
Phone: (202) 633-1000
Metro Stop: Federal Triangle
http://www.mnh.si.edu/

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
100 Raoul Wallenberg Pl. SW
Phone: (202) 488-0400
Metro Stop: Smithsonian
http://www.ushmm.org/

National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum
8th & F Streets N.W

Phone: (202) 633-8300

Estación de Metro: Gallery Pl-Chinatown

http://www.npg.si.edu/

Smithsonian Institution Museums: http://www.si.edu/museums/

Other museums

Iom Kipur in Israel, one of the Holiest Days for Jewish

2007-11-23T00:11:00.000-03:00

By Sabrina Lenoir (Argentina)

Imagine that a bomb drops… and all of a sudden all motor vehicles stop working…cars, buses, motorcycles….all of them remain parked and people start owning the streets, by foot or on bikes…the sound of horns, traffic is transformed into tons of people in the street, avenues and even highways…although stoplights continue to work ignoring that today is a special day, they no longer have any meaning. It does matter what way traffic is supposed to travel, no policeman is going to write a fine for walking on the wrong side of the street; no matter how old you are, everyone is free to walk around and enjoy the show… that was Iom Kipur for me.

Yet, it is clear that not everyone lives the celebration the same way….

Iom Kipur is one of the holiest days for the Jewish religion. It marks the times for penance that begins in Rosh Hashana and continues for ten days until the last day: Iom Kipur.

It is a day to ask for forgiveness and atonement from sins between humans and God, humans and humans. During Rosh Hashana human beings are judged for their acts, and the final verdict is given at Iom Kipur.

The most religious people abstain themselves from basic needs: they cannot eat, or drink, they cannot wash, cannot use leather shoes (that’s why people walk using shoes made of cloth), cannot have sexual relations, and people must remove themselves from their daily routine to have strength to get purified at the end of the day and receive atonement from the sins incurred throughout the year, so they can return to God.

My experience began the previous day, Thursday…

One of my friend’s sisters invited me to Jerusalem, where people go to the Wailing Wall between 11p.m. and 6 a.m. to pray and ask God for forgiveness…

Since traffic is chaotic, we decided to walk for about an hour to reach the Wailing Wall, where half of Israel awaited for us…people, people and more people crammed together as I had never seen before around this place… very intense and very interesting.

The next day, families get together for a big lunch before they begin to fast at around 6 p.m. and those less religious are lucky to be able to go out in the street, ride their bikes and go around the car-less city… fasting lasts until about 6 p.m. of the following day.

All the pictures I took of Iom Kipur were taken at night, consequently, it was hard to capture the atmosphere and avoid the flash. Enjoy!

I lived a Poem as Julio Bocca said Goodbye in Houston, Texas

2007-11-09T15:59:00.000-03:00

Last night I lived a poem, a musical poem, a dancing poem: “Bocca Tango”, stared by Julio Bocca and the Argentinean Ballet at Jones Hall, Houston, Texas, USA.

The dancers swung around the stage with the lightness of spores traveling with the wind as they exposed their tango-ballet fusion. Each movement was a work of art, a brushstroke of skill, harmony and perfection.

At the same time, the musical selection complemented the poem marvelously, helping transmit with word the essence of being Argentinean, and the profound nostalgia and longing felt by the person who leaves their motherland.

The message of the piece was intense and precise, and as an Argentinean away from home, I felt each movement and each word with heightened intensity.

Even though Argentineans tend to complain about their country’s bad economic and political situation continuously, when an Argentinean leaves their home they always leave behind part of their soul, since an Argentinean is not Argentinean without their family and friends, their caravan of memories, and after all Buenos Aires will always be their “Buenos Aires Querido”.

Songs of the Show:
Balada para un Loco – Astor Piazola
Naranjo en Flor – Virgilio Expósito
Mi Buenos Aires Querido – Carlos Gardel

Oil Platforms Unable to Erase Peace from Corpus Christi, Texas

2007-10-28T20:02:00.000-03:00

I am a mountain girl because my body claims the vaiven of Avila´s trails (Caracas, Venezuela) and my retinas miss the mountainous horizons.

However, I haven’t been able to find refuge in the mountains lately, instead, my destiny has frequently placed me in places where I get lost in the serenity of beaches platinated by the falling sun; a novel feeling of tranquility that I am beginning to enjoy more and more every day.

Last weekend I found peace in Corpus Christi, a place in the South of Texas, USA that I had heard about many times but I hadn’t had the time to visit.

We got to Corpus around midday, and we headed straight to the beach to absorb the last summer’s sunrays (a wise decision considering Monday started with 52°F).

Since the season was almost over, the beach was practically deserted; we only shared to beach with about a dozen people, a group of seagulls, and an oil platform that looked strange in the horizon but was unable to remove me from that tranquil scenery.

I was tired and stressed… exhausted… my body was overworked and my mind was on fast-forward. I needed the sea breeze to oxygenate my thoughts and the pacifying and constant sound of sea waves to soothe me down.

Corpus might not be the glorious white-sanded/turquoise water beaches that we see in postcards from the Caribbean, but it is the closest “paradise” to Houston, a fabulous cosmopolitan city where traffic stills your life away.

AIDS Communities in Swaziland, Africa

2007-09-30T20:46:00.000-03:00

Carlo Capua (Toluca, Mexico / USA)
(translated by Laura Vaillard (original version)
Pictures by Carlo Capua

From the day of my arrival, people of Swaziland rolled out the red carpet for me. My schedule was very full, and considering the time and resources, I walked away feeling like I had accomplished everything I could have.

I had my share of eye-opening experiences, starting with my first visit to a real African church. My friend and host Bongani had told me a lot about his church. It was in the middle of a very rural area. There were about 30 members, and the sermon and prayers were all in siSwati. I could sense that he was a little hesitant about inviting me, but I told him that I was excited to go and take some candid pictures of people.

After the half-mile trek through the mountains (he wasn’t kidding!) we arrived at a very modest white tent with a group of about 15 people waiting inside. I asked Bongani why the other half of the parishioners didn’t come. “They don’t have any clothes or food at the moment,” he said.

It is indeed sad that while many people suffer from lack of food, others are dying from overeating. What really kills me is that at the current “growth” rate, in the next five years 4 out of 10 adults in the USA will be obese while 2.6 million people will continue to starve in Africa.

The most memorable experience I had was during a visit to one of Swaziland’s rural communities. The Mbabane GAP Alumni students and I went to learn more about the situations of many “child headed households.” As HIV is sometimes (not always) passed from a mother to her newborn, there are literally entire communities of orphaned children whose parents have died as a result of HIV.

We went to visit a girl named Cassandra. A frail 18 year-old, she had a beautiful smile and warm spirit that I will never forget.

Cassandra was a victim of her own culture. In Swaziland there is a misconception, primarily on some rural areas, that having sex with a virgin can cure your infection of HIV or AIDS. Consequently, one day an older family member raped her with the hopes of curing his illness.

After Cassandra became infected, her health began to deteriorate. When we visited her she was bedridden. And although she didn’t say much, just the fact that she welcomed us for a few moments into her house, her life, was touching. I promised to visit her next year.

Two weeks later, she passed away.

About Carlo Capua and Sister Cities International

I travelled on behalf of Sister Cities, for a program between Fort Worth and our newest partner of Mbabane, Swaziland. I went on a fact finding trip to start a young professionals exchange and visited communities of HIV patients, orphaned children, and brought attention to our new Sister Cities relationship through media events and visits with City Council.

In June 2008 I will lead a group of our young alumni to develop projects to create mutual understanding between students in both countries, increase the partnership between Fort Worth and Mbabane and create opportunities for cultural exchange and friendship between students.

Interesting Facts: Swaziland, Africa

2007-09-30T20:41:00.000-03:00

Carlo Capua (Toluca, Mexico / USA)

(translated by Laura Vaillard (original version)

Pictures by Carlo Capua

The Kingdom of Swaziland, sandwiched between South Africa and Mozambique, is one of the last and longest reigning monarchies in the world. Originally a colony of England, it achieved a peaceful independence in 1968.

Interesting Swazi fact #1
Polygamy is an accepted part of Swazi tradition and is still legal (but very rarely practiced today). Upon stumbling onto this little piece of information, I told my family and co-workers that I would be personally bringing as much Swazi culture back as I could. I think everyone found it funny except for my parents.

Interesting Swazi fact #2
Just about everyone loves King (Inkhosi) Mswati III. He holds absolute power – political parties are banned and he can veto any legislation. People love the king; he is a symbol of what it means to be a Swazi.

Interesting Swazi fact #3
Elephants can run up to 45 kilometers per hour (30 miles per hour). And as one of my Swazi students put it best, “Carlo, I don’t have outrun the elephant. I just have to outrun YOU!”

Interesting Swazi fact #4
The HIV/AIDS infection rate is 26% (highest in the world) and average lifespan is around 33 years (lowest in the world).

About Carlo Capua and Sister Cities International
I travelled on behalf of Sister Cities, for a program between Fort Worth and our newest partner of Mbabane, Swaziland. I went on a fact finding trip to start a young professionals exchange and visited communities of HIV patients, orphaned children, and brought attention to our new Sister Cities relationship through media events and visits with City Council.

In June 2008 I will lead a group of our young alumni to develop projects to create mutual understanding between students in both countries, increase the partnership between Fort Worth and Mbabane and create opportunities for cultural exchange and friendship between students.

Redefining Rich eSwatini (Swaziland) 2007

2007-09-25T17:02:00.000-03:00

Carlo Capua (Toluca, Mexico / USA)
(translated by Laura Vaillard (original version)
Pictures by Carlo Capua

“I wanna be RICH when I grow up.”

Sound familiar? Most of us can remember hearing (or boldly stating) this on playgrounds, in classrooms, or at sleepovers when we were kids.

As a kid, I fondly remember tuning into channel 5 on Saturday mornings to watch my favorite cartoon, Richie Rich. This kid had it all – personal butler, huge mansion, live-in chef….and practically everything he owned was gold.

I envied him.

Most of us tend to think of being rich or poor in terms of money and possessions. Being rich in an 8 year-old’s mind means not having to work and still being able to buy anything you want. Poor means being unable to go out to restaurants with your family, not getting that new Spiderman backpack, or having few presents under the Christmas tree.

These terms are often used loosely in context. For example, “Papua New Guinea is a really poor country.” In fact, New Guinea is the richest country in the world in terms of languages, boasting over 800. Socio-economically, however, it is considered a developing country in terms of GDP when compared to other world superpowers.

During my 12 days in Swaziland I thought a lot about the words “rich” and “poor.” Was it really a poor country? How do we define “rich” and “poor”? Are they really poorer than I am?

Here is my experience.

----------------------------------

First, as I do with my students, let’s address the common stereotypes we have of Africa.

1) Africa is a country
Many of us have heard someone exclaim “What an exotic and dangerous country that Africa is!” This is pitiful. I have noticed this much more since coming back and talking to people about the trip. And yes, I correct them every time. There are 53 countries in the continent Africa, each on being significantly different in terms of language, dress, music, physical features, customs, and religion.

2) Everyone in Africa is black
I didn’t remember this from my World History class, so don’t feel like I am lecturing you here. During the scramble for African land in the late 1800’s, many European countries threw their hats in the ring, including Belgium (Congo), England (Swaziland, South Africa), and Portugal (Mozambique). Although a majority of African people are black, a handful of countries are indeed multiracial.

3) All people in Africa are suffering
Go to any country in the world and you will find people who are suffering. Are there a higher percentage of people without the most basic necessities in Africa? Yes. Is everyone unhappy and dying? No. Is the media responsible for creating this image and furthering the stereotype? You bet.

Watch movies like “Blood Diamond”, “Amistad”, or “Hotel Rwanda” which show the struggle of Africans and how foreign (i.e. United States) people come to their “rescue” at the end. Is it a fair and balanced look at the culture? No. Does it sell movie tickets? You bet.

4) It is always hot in Africa
A good part of Southern Africa is at the same latitude as Australia, which means that the seasons are opposite to those of the USA and most of Europe. I wore a sweater and jacket during most of my July visit to Swaziland.

5) Africa is all jungle
That’s like saying that all of California has beach-friendly weather. Just look at San Francisco.

6) Africans ride lions and elephants
This stereotype is undoubtedly perpetuated by the Tarzan story. And by the way, wasn’t he white? Oh, wait, I forgot. He was the son of a British Lord who was marooned on the west coast of Africa by mutineers. Um,…..yeah. Right.

The Kingdom of Swaziland, sandwiched between South Africa and Mozambique, is one of the last and longest reigning monarchies in the world. Originally a colony of England, it achieved a peaceful independence in 1968.

About Carlo Capua and Sister Cities International
I travelled on behalf of Sister Cities, for program between Fort Worth and our newest partner of Mbabane, Swaziland. I went on a fact finding trip to start a young professionals exchange and visited communities of HIV patients, orphaned children, and brought attention to our new Sister Cities relationship through media events and visits with City Council.

In June 2008 I will lead a group of our young alumni to develop projects to create mutual understanding between students in both countries, increase the partnership between Fort Worth and Mbabane and create opportunities for cultural exchange and friendship between students.

In the United States you can

2007-09-18T20:24:00.000-03:00

1) Cook a burger in the microware in 40 seconds

2) Turn right when the stoplight is red (it is legal)

3) Pay 89 cents coffee with your credit card without problem

4) Wait in a traffic jam in silence because no one uses the horn

5) Place drying sheets in the dryer to soften your clothes instead of using liquid softener with your wash

6) Have dinner at 5:30 p.m. without anyone telling you that the kitchen is closed (although you will have a hard time finding a place to have dinner after 10 p.m.)

7) Buy the newspaper from a box that gives you access to several copies of the paper, yet each person only removed the copy they paid for

8) Buy practically any product and then return it to receive full cash refund (applicable in most stores) if you feel you don’t like it or you won’t need it anymore

9) Activate the fire alarm by burning a piece of toast

10) Spend hours on the phone with your friends since there are many plans that offer free night and weekends calls

Drunkard Dancing on Broken Plates

2007-09-07T19:11:00.000-03:00

We broke plates to relieve ourselves from material belongings and to wish good luck to the “drunkard” as he danced at Mykonos, a Greek restaurant in Las Cañitas de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

At that moment we though we were learning about Greek culture, however, while I was researching to write this article, I discovered that this tradition is no longer practiced in Greece.

In fact, the Greek government considers it dangerous to break plates; the establishments that want to allow its customers to follow this tradition must acquire a special license. For that reason, Greek spectators currently choose to throw flowers instead of plates to greet the dancers.

Nevertheless, the tradition of throwing plates is not a myth, although historians don’t seem to agree on how it came about.

There are those who affirm that the tradition started a few centuries ago when family members were accustomed to break the vessels that were used during funerals(controlled loss), as a way to overcome the death of their loved ones (uncontrollable loss).

While others declare that Greeks used to break plates against the marble floors to frighten away evil spirits with the loud noise of broken dishes.

Regardless of its origins, I admit that it was a great experience to break plates while we ate. Although, before breaking another plate to show my admiration towards a dancer I prefer to throw him a flower and an “Opa!” so he continues dancing.

Welcome to Houston where LARGE is the Standard Size

2007-09-07T17:45:00.000-03:00

Everything in Houston, Texas seems to confirm its State´s slogan: “Everything is big in Texas”.

Compared to Buenos Aires where gourmet meals are in fashion (characterized by adorned reduced portions served in excessively large plates), in Houston, the plates conserve the large size, yet each portion can easily satisfy two hungry customers.

After seeing such succulent portions, it is not surprising to hear that Houston was considered the “fattest city” in the United States from three consecutive years until 2004.

Nevertheless, in this city chefs do not sacrifice quality for quantity, for that reason tourists and locals can easily enjoy varied cuisine in one of the 8,000 food facilities in Houston.

Little by little, I will share with you my experiences in this city. But right now it is dinner time; exploration time.

Bon appetite!

Vida Surrealista’s Picture of the Year: Live Tango - Yan Carrière-Swallow

2007-09-03T13:06:00.000-03:00

Couple dancing at Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires, Argentina by Yan Carrière-Swallow

Tango had fallen asleep for many years in Buenos Aires; Argentineans seemed to have gotten tired of its music, and they had stopped listening and dancing to it.

However, in the last couple of year many young people have become interested in this sensual dance once again; they have begun to take classes, allowing themselves to feel and revive it.

During the weekend, tango couples dance in the most touristy places in town to share the dance with those who come to visit Buenos Aires.

Thanks to these dancers, tango is heard and admired in the streets of Buenos Aires once again, while tourists take pictures to capture a memory, a feeling; although most of the time they are unable to capture the essence of the dance.

Nevertheless, Yan Carrière-Swallow was able to capture the sensuality, erotism, love, rejection, melancholy and longing that is transmitted through the each tango move, each tango song.

Fernet: Ex-Medicine Transformed into a Popular Drink

2007-09-01T19:09:00.000-03:00

Many times it seems like Argentineans enjoy suffering; for that reason “el gaucho” feels good in the loneliness of La Pampa, the tango dancer identifies himself with the melancholic tango lyrics, and most of us choose the bitterness of mate and Fernet to share our time with friends.

I am not surprised Fernet, an alcoholic beverage made of a combination or more than 40 herbs (including rhubarb, chamomile, cardamom, aloe, saffron) based on grape alcohol, was originally a medicine. The herbalist Bernardino Branca, and his sons Luigi, Giuseppe, and Stefano along with his wife María Scala developed this bitter medicine in 1845 in Milan, Italy.

Maria Scala, known as Maria Branca, helped commercialize the drink among women, offering it as a relief for menstrual pain. She also sold it among men as a digestive medicine, also helpful to cure anxiety, back pain, headaches and stomachaches.

Although the drink was created in Italy, it became very popular in the New World. Immigrants used to smuggle it into United States and South America in their suitcases and even inside baby coffins to offset custom officials when alcohol sale was prohibited.

During the alcohol prohibition of 1920 in the United States, the fame of Fernet-Branca as the miracle drink helped it stay alive since doctors kept prescribing it as a medicine, despite its high levels of opium in it.

Nowadays, the drink has become so popular in Argentina that it is almost considered its national drink. Fernet is also gaining popularity in San Francisco, California, but according to Fernet-Branca officials, Argentina is the drink’s number one market.

In Italy, the drink is not as prestigious as in the past. “It’s drinked more in the north than center or south of Italy. This is specially because there are some better home made liquors here, especially in the south where my parents live, that are pretty much tasty and flavoured..” Pietro, economist, Bari, Italy.

What’s the taste like? Why is it so popular?
According to Nate Cavalieri, author of “Myth of Fernet”, San Francisco Weekly December 7 2005, “When you hold a shot glass of Fernet-Branca to your nose, the first thing that strikes you is the physicality of the smell, which, if such a thing existed, is like black licorice-flavored Listerine. Put it to your lips and tip it back, and the assault on the throat and sinuses is aggressively medicinal.”

Fernet has a strange taste, almost indescribable, especially because no one knows what it is made of. "There are only a small amount of people in the world who know the recipe to Fernet-Branca, and they are no telling," says Ricardo Destesano, CEO of Branca Products Argentina and family spokesperson.

"When people asking me what is in the Fernet-Branca," Destesano says, "I tell them life!"

It is possible that there might actually be “life” inside this dark beverage, but the truth is one must train his/her palate to enjoy the taste.

“I confess the first time I tried it I did not like it. In fact, my exxxx boyfriend was addicted to Fernet! Haha…and after we split.. I started to go out more often…I started drinking Fernet-with-Coke.. and I loved it! I even discovered new taste.. a mixture of herbs…and together with Coke, results in a bitter and sweet beverage…yummy, yummy…” Aldana, communicator, Caballito, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“The first time I tried it I found it disgusting…very bitter and it wasn’t something I enjoyed. Little by little I got used to the taste of Fernet and I learned to enjoy it, but only premium brands, the other ones continue to be undrinkable…and now I like it a lot. Its bitter taste reduces the sweetness of Coca-Cola, making it a nice drink. Its menthol flavor is also very good because it is more refreshing. I drink it almost every weekend. I drink it with friends and by myself. My friends don’t like it, but I keep on drinking it…” Leandro, industrial engineering and business student, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

On the other hand, there are people who are not capable of taming their palates to the drink’s bitterness, “The first time I tried it was in 2001. They asked me if I knew what it was, and obviously, having grown up outside of Argentina I had no clue what they were talking about, so they treated me one. We made a toss, and drank the first gulp. The first reaction was of total rejection, the taste was less bitter than what I expected…but I did not like it at all, although I still drank it. It was an unpleasant experience in my case… and since that day I never ordered a Fernet. I have tried it in other occasions, with friends and family, but I have not been able to loose that taste that it left me the first time,” Johnny, international commerce, Venezuela-Argentina, currently in, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“I hate Fernet. Not long ago I drank a glass thinking it was soda and when I tasted it in my mouth I almost felt sick. It is too bitter for me, even when I mix it with soda, it still has that disgusting syrup taste. It displeases me so much that when my husband, fan of Fernet-with-Coke, is drinking it, I avoid him so I don’t have to smell it or taste it. But I would be unfair if I say it does not move the masses,” Cecilia, journalist, Avellaneda, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Despite the love-hate relationship generated by this drink, its popularity continues to expand across the globe. Nowadays its popularity is rapidly spreading in Venezuela, where it is also used as a medicine as in its origins.

A little while back, a Venezuelan friend who lives in Argentina wrote to me about a curious fact I was unaware of: “Early July one of my best friends from Venezuela came to visit me in Argentina. He asked me about Fernet, since apparently, it is gaining adepts in Venezuela. In fact, in my recent visit to Venezuela I confirmed that you can find Fernet-Branca in various liquor stores. I found it curious, and when I asked my friends there, most of them knew the drink…and more than one of them loved it… They even use it to relieve stomachaches…it is incredible since when my dad was small, they used to give you a shot to cure stomach aches… HOLY REMEDY!!!”

Fernet, once a bitter medicine that today generates clashing, but indisputable passions.

What does Fernet mean to you?

Escaping Concrete Monster in San Isidro, Buenos Aires, Argentina

2007-08-03T21:08:00.001-03:00

Concrete Monster named Buenos Aires roars so loudly that it frequently irritates porteños, stealing away hours of sleep, tranquility and patience.

Many times, I travel more than four hours to Pinamar (beach area in thesouthern part of Buenos Aires Province) looking for peace; a way to escape this stressful Concrete Monster that excites and accelerates me at times, and consumes me without previous notice at other times.

This weekend, I discovered I don’t have to travel so far to shelter myself from these deafening sounds; I can simply take a 50 minute train ride, or 30 minute car ride to San Isidro (Buenos Aires) where I can scroll down the artisans’ fair, walk around the quiet cobblestone streets with low houses and admire the sunset from the riverside to harmonize my senses with this soothing silence.

Interesting Info:
Founded in 1784 by Domingo de Acasusso
Population: 45.190 inhabitants Recycling process: "Recycle and Help San Isidro", a campaign used to acquire resources for Hospital Materno Infantil de San Isidro.

For more information visit: http://www.sanisidro.gov.ar/

Tourist Information Office:
Ituzaingo 608 (Esq. Av. del Libertador)
Phone: 4512-3209 / 3262Fax: 4512-3262
turismo@sanisidro.gov.ar

How to get there:

Take bus “152” to Olivos, get down at the station of “Tren de la Costa”. Then take the train to station “San Isidro” (close to the Cathedral).
Take the subway to “Congreso” station, and then take bus “168” to San Isidro’s Cathedral.
Take train “Tigre” for Retiro Station and get down in the center of San Isidro.

Bus ride with Drugs and Phonebooks

2007-07-30T19:01:00.000-03:00

Around 7 p.m. I hopped on bus “29” to go to my friend’s house. I got my ticket, paid, and walked towards to end of the bus, as I always do, hoping to find a free seat. But I had no luck and I had to stand for the rest of the trip.

About 20 minutes later a roving salesman got on the bus to sell magnetic phonebooks, a useful invention about 10 years ago, yet something unnecessary today when most people use their cell phone’s phonebook to keep track of their friends’ numbers.

“No, thank you. No, thank you.” You would hear over and over again as the salesman made his way around the bus offering his merchandise. There was no variance. The same phrase pronounced by him; the same phrase responded by the travelers….until he stood by my side, approached the rockers traveling next to me and asked them: “¿Paco, pasta base?” (drugs that resemble crack, and residues of cocaine preparation).

Astonished, the boys looked at him, and with them, the rest of the people on the bus. The salesman had spoken so loudly that we had all heard his offering.

Following the collective stare, the man calmly responded: “Hey… If I can’t made money with these phonebooks, I have to sell something to earn my bread right?”, and he got off the bus.

Now I wonder, is there so much impunity in this country that drugs are sold as if they were phonebooks? How is it possible that every 9.000 drug’s related arrests only 12 cases result in convictions? (data gathered from Special on drugs. Telefé. 24 July 2007. Argentina)

Italian Wedding in the Capital of Cuarteto

2007-07-30T18:37:00.000-03:00

“Confites” (sugar and chocolate coated almonds) and cakes that last a year; essentials to maintain Italian traditions intact.

The city of Cordoba in Argentina, has a strong and unique identity renown worldwide; fernet with coke, cuarteto, humor and an accent so particular that every cordobes can proudly scream “I need no passport ‘cause I have the accent of Cordoba’s capital”, as cuartetero Rodrigo used to sing.

Despite this unique culture, there are people from Cordoba who still choose to maintain the traditions of their European ancestors, especially during holidays and wedding celebrations.

During this Italian wedding in Cordoba, the newly-weds gave out “confites” as a souvenir at the end of the party, following an Italian tradition known as “bomboniera”, born in the wedding of Vittorio Emanuele, prince of Naples and future King of Italy, and Elena de Montenegro, after they gave our this aristocratic sweet to all their guests.

In traditional weddings, Italians give out “confites” as a symbol of good fortune. Accoring to RZBomboniere “Almonds have a sweet-sour taste that represent life. Its sugar coating symbolizes hope for having a more sweet than sour union.” Tradition indicates that the newly-weds should offer five almonds to each guest for health, richness, happiness, fertility and longevity. However, there are times that they only give out three. They can choose to give as many as they’d like, but the number should be uneven to attract good fortune.

In addition to the “confites”, the bride and the women of both families cooked a rich nut wedding cake following an Italian recipe; following the tradition of their Italian ancestors, they then cut a large piece of cake, and put it away to enjoy it the following year during their first-year anniversary.

Nowadays with the existence of freezers it is possible to conserve the cake for such a long time, but I cannot think how they keep the cake intact for a year around 1800. When we are talking about traditions, Could we put our diet as an excuse for not trying the year-old cake or is there no valid excuse for following traditions?

Have you ever tried a year-old cake? Do Italians still keep maintaining this tradition?

Friendship Day: Another Argentinean Invention; A Perfect Excuse to Celebrate Friendship

2007-07-27T17:43:00.000-03:00

The Argentinean dentist, musician, psychology and philosophy professor, and twice candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize Enrique Ernesto Febbraro, tried to unite the world one letter at a time; after viewing the arrival of the man to the moon July 20, 1969, he wrote more than 1,000 letters to addresses in more than 100 countries to promote the idea of celebrating friendship on this date.

Febbraro, from San Cristobal neighborhood, Argentina, received more than 700 replies to his letters. In 1972, he acquired the patent for the invention of this celebration, and with time people began to celebrate “Friendship Day.”

In Argentina, Friendship Day even has an official date after the Government of Buenos Aires approved an order in council Nº 235/79 that authorizes the celebration of this date giving it legal status.

Even though I might be hard to believe, Febbraro stated to La Voz del Interior that “I spent a lot, a lot of money to establish Friendship Day. The cost was tremendous. I have to deprive myself of various vacations, a car, and many other things, although I never lost any retribution for what I did.

Sometimes, we also sacrifice some things for our friends, but most of the time we gain more than what we loose with such deprivations.

For that reason I want to thank my friends for always being there for me, for celebrating my jokes (even when they are bad), for tolerating my craziness and mood swings, for accepting my unexpected hugs and sudden energy rushes, for having their doors open every time I decide to show up in their little corner of the world, for thinking about me and for showing so much love even though we spend more time away from each other than together.

Los quiero muchísimo and I wish you all the best. ¡Feliz Día del Amigo!

How did y’all celebrate this date?

Christmas All Year Round in Buenos Aires

2007-07-19T17:46:00.000-03:00

Panettone is synonym for Christmas. Well, not always. In Buenos Aires, the bakery Plaza Mayor prepares and sells panettone all year round.

During the holidays, there are people who stand in line for hours to buy one of these and take it to their tables on Christmas Eve, so they can enjoy the nuts, almonds, caju nuts and dry fruits that you can taste in every bite.

Throughout the year the lines are shorter, but there are still people who visit Plaza Mayor at 1:30 a.m. to buy panettone. Are they addicted to this sweet bread of December or to the warm Christmas joy? I am not sure. But there is no doubt that in Buenos Aires, people gladly enjoy panettone every month of the year.

Buenos Aires' Planetarium, A Microphone out of Tune

2007-07-03T18:32:00.000-03:00

Even though it is shaped like a microphone, it has been the Argentinean eye to the universe for the past 40 years (1967-2007).

The "Planetario de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires Galileo Galilei", with it sample and beautiful park, stage to thousand of open-air concerts, it is a nice place to spend weekend afternoons with family and friends.

I emphasize on the park because I found the show inside the Planetariumun unsatisfactory. Even though there has been important scientific and technological changes since I visited the place more than fourteen years ago, I though presentation "Birth and Death of the Sun" lacked depth andinteresting information.

I think, that if we want to continue to stimulate our culture it would be necessary to balance and tune in our microphones a little better.

How to get there:

Planetario de La Ciudad de Buenos Aires Galileo Galilei

Av. Sarmiento and Figueroa Alcorta

4771-9393

Show: Birth and Death of the Sun (Nacimiento y Muerte del Sol)

Tuesday and Friday: 13 y 17 hs.

Weekend: 17, 18 y 19 hs.

My Arak Beras was Mostly Appearance

2007-06-26T18:41:00.000-03:00

I chose appearance over content when I bought my souvenir in Bali, Indonesia. I had no idea what Arak Beras could possibly be, the label only said "distilled from rice and sugar cane." But the bottle's design was so enigmatic and attractive that I could not leave the bottle on the shelf; I had to take it home.

As soon as I opened the container the strong smell of alcohol automatically pushed me about a meter away from the bottle; it was so intense that it made my eyes itchy. The first sip was even worse, and I sustained it while it descended down my throat as a lighted match.

Like many of the souvenirs we buy during our trips, the bottle of "Arak Beras" rested on one of my house's shelves for over a year before I ventured to reopen it.

After such a long time, the artisans' wine had settled and its smell was suave, sweet and liquorish. However, its taste was still strong; perfect to heat yourself up during a cold winter day, but not much else.

After opening it trying it, reopening and retrying it, I still choose the appearance of this souvenir over its content. From now on it will simply sit on my shelf next to other useless acquisitions.

Imagine Buenos Aires Without Buses

2007-06-26T18:36:00.000-03:00

Picture by Carlos Rodríguez: Colectivo en el estado Guarico, Venezuela, Hacienda de las Maravillas

Since I moved to Buenos Aires about nine months ago, I feel that my life takes place on a bus. I spend close to three hours of my daily life on abus going to and coming from work, traveling to visit my friends, go out todinner, go to my tango lessons, etc.

As it is common when you spend tooooooo much time with something, I have developed a love-hate relationship with box on wheels.

On one side it is convenient, I can take it anytime and anywhere to gowhenever I want, and I do not get stressed driving around Buenos Aires crowded streets. Yet, on the other side, I have to condense myself next to hundreds of passengers during rush hour, I have to go around asking for coins to be able to travel, and during winter, my hands freeze as I wait for the bus.

However, I cannot imagine living in Buenos Aires without buses. For that reason I have attached this picture that Carlos Rodriguez sent to me of an abandoned bus in Venezuela. When I first looked at it I felt sad.

How would my life be in this city if it ceases to take place on a bus?

Roses vs. Rosas in Buenos Aires’ Green Lungs

2007-06-09T11:27:00.000-03:00

In 1975, Buenos Aires’ government transplanted Rosas for roses when it inaugurated El Rosedal de Palermo in the land that belonged Juan Manuel de Rosas.

As years passed by, Los Bosques de Parlemo, and specially El Rosedal, became one of porteños favorite place to spend the sunny weekends: walking along the park, running, playing soccer, skating, sitting down reading the paper or a good book, or simply drinking mate with pastries.

This park, also known as Parque 3 de Febrero was designed and inaugurated November 11, 1975 by the architect and landscaper Carlos Thays; the park carries its name in commemoration of Casero’s Battle of 1852, when the Ejercito Grande commanded by Justo Jose de Urquiza overthrowned Juan Manuel de Rosas and took his lands away from him. The government passed a decree that made the lands public domain, and transformed them into the beautiful green areas we can see and enjoy today. (Registro Oficial de la Provincia de Buenos Aires -Años 1831-1859 (Pag. 416). Decreto Nº 1.474/852. ) ”Declarando que todas las propiedades pertenecientes a D. Juan M. Rosas existentes en Buenos Aires son de pertenencia publica.” Buenos Aires, Febrero 16 de 1852.).

Personally, I find it curious that Rosas´ old residency is now well known for its labyrinths of roses that host up to 12.000 blossoming flowers in the Spring. Years ago, these lands were the scenery of heated conflicts, while today they are synonym of harmony, sweet smells and tranquility.

How to get there:

These 300 hectares of green parks are located between Av. Del Libertador, Salguero, Av. Rafael Obligado and Pampa.

Train: Station “3 de febrero”

Buses:

Av. Del Libertador and Dorrego: 10, 34, 36, 160, 166

Plaza Italia: 12, 15, 21, 29, 36, 37, 39, 41, 55, 57, 59, 60, 64, 67, 68, 93, 95, 11, 118, 128, 141, 152, 160, 161, 188, 194

Subway: Line D

Rosedal hours open to public:

Summer: 8.00 to 20.00 hrs.

Winter: 9.00 to 18.00 hrs.

Higuerote: Venezuelan Beaches, Honoring my Adoptive Home

2007-06-03T21:32:00.000-03:00

Pictures by Carlos Rodríguez

Majagua, Higuerote, Estado Miranda, Venezuela

I owe a lot to Venezuela; practically half of my life, half of my friends, half of my party-time, half of my personality and the best memories of what it means to go to the beach.

However, since I haven’t been able to go back in many years, to my adptive home, I have dedicated little time and space to it in my blog. For this reason I have decided to share a little piece of Venezuelan beauty through the pictures of my friend Carlos Rodriguez.

Right now, I settle with the memory of these hidden beaches, although I hope some day I will be able to go back to feel the warm sand under my feet and the temperate marine breeze of beach days that taste like empanada, friend’s laughter, reggae, beer and salt.

Panoramic view, Chirimena, Higuerote, Estado Miranda, Venezuela

“The boat is in a river that flows out of the middle of the beach, fishermen keep their boats there, in the middle of the river, where pelicans are in charge of cleaning up everything that may be left behind after fishermen clean the fishing lines they’ve been collecting since 5 a.m. This beach is located in Estado Aragua, in the North, next to the tall coastal mountain range where you can see Puerto Cabello and Choroni (Estado Carabobo and Aragua, respectively).” – Carlos Rodriguez, Caracas, Venezuela.

Two Romes on the Mirror: Twin Cities

2007-05-31T20:26:00.000-03:00

A couple of years ago I got permission to use my scholarship in a study abroad program in Rome, Italy.

I was excited about the opportunity of visiting my relative's land for the first time, about having the opportunity to come in direct contact with this distant culture that was also my culture, about meeting my far relatives, about traveling, about growing, about everything...

At the same time, I new that since I was only going to be in Rome for a semester, I wanted to internalize and absorb everything as fast as I could: I wanted to learn about the culture, compare “Italian” food in Italy with the one I eat in the new continent, see how Italians lived, how they studied, what it was like to work in Rome…

For that reason, I was eager to find a job in Rome through the Internet. After sending many e-mails, CVs and applications, I got an e-mail from a History Museum that was looking for a communications intern in Rome. It seemed like the perfect opportunity: I was going to be able to practice Italian (very basic at that time), I was going to learn a lot of history about the country, and I was going to gain experience in my field.

A month before flying to Rome, I wrote to the Museum’s managers asking them if they could help me find accommodations in Italy. They cordially responded something like: Unfortunately, we cannot help you find a place in Italy because we are located in Rome, Georgia, United States.

Those few words were enough to kill my perfect plan of having a full immersion into Italian culture. However, they were not enough to attenuate my excitement f traveling to the old continent.

From now on, whenever you are searching for a city in Internet, you should double check to make sure it concerns the desire city, otherwise you might be looking at the unreal reflection of a name that counts twice.

Places on a Mirror (includes cities and states):

Ennis, Irelanda vs. Ennis, Texas, USA
San Francisco, California, USA vs. San Francisco, Cordoba, Argentina
Valparaiso, Zacatecas, Mexico vs. Valparaiso, Chile
Oran, Salta, Argentina vs. Oran, Algeria
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico vs. Guadalajara, Castilla - La Macha, Spain
Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia vs. Medellin, Veracruz, Mexico
Valencia, Spain vs. Valencia, Venezuela
Bolívar, Venezuela vs. Bolívar, Colombia
Ayacucho, Perú vs. Ayacucho, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Armenia, Quindio, Colombia vs. Armenia (country)
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico vs. Monterrey, California, USA
San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina vs. San Rafael, California, USA
Aguas Calientes, Mexico vs. Aguas Calientes, Peru
Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina vs. Santa Rosa, California, USA
San Jose, Costa Rica vs. San Jose, California, USA
Santa Barbara, California, EEUU vs. Santa Barbara, Antioquia, Colombia
Krakow, Poland vs. Krakow, Wisconsin, USA

Trios:

Cordoba, Spain vs. Cordoba, Argentina vs. Cordoba, Mexico
Merida, Spain vs. Merida, Venezuela vs. Merida, Mexico
Paris, France vs. Paris, Texas, USA vs. Paris, Tennessee
Trujillo, Venezuela vs. Trujillo, Spain vs. Trujillo, Peru
Sucre, Perú vs. Sucre, Venezuela vs. Sucre, Bolivia
Athens, Greece vs. Athens, Ohio, EEUU vs. Athens, Texas, USA

Multiple:

Humboldt, Germany vs. Humboldt, Santa Fe, Argentina vs. Humboldt, California, USA vs. Humboldt, Nevada, USA
Providence, Rhode Island, USA vs. Providence, Colombia vs. Providence, Chile vs. Providence, Santa Fe, Argentina
Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina vs. Rosario, Sinaloa, México vs. Rosario , Chihuahua, Mexico vs. Rosario, Filipinas vs. Rosario, Uruguay

CyberShopping in Argentina, Experience Worthy of Surrealistic Life

2007-05-28T19:59:00.000-03:00

Address > Enter > Pop. The website that I was looking for opened up. Click-Click. "Awesome! The exact tennis shows I was looking for!," exclaimed my friend, Would you come get them with me?

Jobless, and with lots of free time at that time, I agreed to go with him. Besides I'd never been to the area of Buenos Aires where the store was located and I wanted to explore that part of the city.

After a 40-minute bus ride we arrived at the given address, although wefelt we were in the wrong place: an area of low houses next to the railways. But the address was correct; so we walked about two blocks to thedoor of the "store", a white house built in the beginning of the XX Century.

A guard received us at the door, he asked a couple of strange questions from the other side of the bars, he asked for our ID, wrote our names downin a book and opened the bars. As we walked in, we passed through a metaldetector and the guard searched our bags; the situation was strange and it reminded me of the pre-departure flight procedures.

After we passed these controls, he opened a second door where we found a third door thatseparated us from the tennis shoes. Behind the last door, the stored resembled any regular shoe store in Av. Santa Fe or Av. Cordoba, with shoes and tennis rackets displayed on thewalls, and various people trying on shoes and clothes. However, the atmosphere was tense, and the salesmen kept looking into the cameras and the safeguarded door the whole time. I felt like the protagonist of one ofthose hidden camera prank shows. Only this time, it was no joke; my friendwas as stunned as I was.

After a little while, the storekeepers brought the shoes he had previouslyreserved through the Internet. He paid for them in a hurry and left theplace as fast as we could. "They were the exact shoes I was looking for!" he told me as we were leaving, "and I had not been able to find them anywhereelse." At that time, he was defeated by desire. In his place, I would havesettled for the desire, and from now on I can assure you I will stick totraditional shopping. As of now, in Argentina, Internet shopping is not made for me.

Poppa's Hat Travels the World

2007-05-19T10:18:00.000-03:00

Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina

Each person chooses different ways of keeping the spirit of their loved ones alive. Some people keep their pictures or some family item, others transmit special recipes, stories or family traditions from one generation to the other, while others create their own rituals.

For that reason I became curious when I found out that after his grandfather died before going to study abroad in Argentina, Porter Campbell travels around the world with his grandpa’s hat to keep his memory alive.

Laura: When did you Stara travelling with the hat?

Porter: Since I came to Argentina August 2006.

LV: How did you come up with this idea?
PC: Poppa was an inspiration for me throughout my life; it was part of the inspiration to do something on his name. He used to that that hat with him everywhere, so it became his “symbol”, we say. And since he died two months before I came here, it was natural. Although I think the idea originally came from one of my aunts, Connie, or his son Robbie.

LV: Do other family members travel with the hat?

PC: No, just me for now.

LV: Where have you traveled with the hat so far?

PC: Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán, Córdoba, Mendoza, Mar Del Plata, Buenos Aires, Bariloche, Chile (Chile, Valdivia, Santiago).

LV: Does the hat have a name?

PC: No, “Poppa’s Hat”....

LV: Did your grandfather like to travel?

PC: I think he did, he always traveled to visit his children and his grandchildren. He also had “timeshares” everywhere…

LV: In one of the pictures you can see a ring along with the hat. What’s the story of the “family ring”?

PC: Poppa liked the ring and he bought one for each family member. It is like our symbol, I guess.

LV: Would you like your grandchildren to follow a similar tradition? If that’s the case, what object would they take around the world?

PC: I’d like to pass on the hat to my entire family (from my cousins to my grandchildren), and if someone is traveling to an interesting site I’d like them to take the hat. Another object… I don’t know. I don’t have anything that I carry with me everywhere I go, maybe some day. I think I am going to make a book with all the pictures, and make copies to pass down to my immediate family.

Now I leave you some of the pictures Porter took while traveling through Argentina. Enjoy:

Poppa in Argentina

Aconcagua, Mendoza, Argentina

Cascadita en Argentina

Mendoza, Argentina

Mar del Plata, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina

Bariloche, Argentina

Puente de Mendoza, Argentina

Cerro de los Siete Colores, Argentina

Buses are Argentinean. Read the History

2007-05-07T22:42:00.000-03:00

“Did you know buses were invented in Argentina?” I would repeat proudly, with a bit of skepticism, while I traveled. Although I had never been able to find facts to back out this statement, I had always repeated it as a fact…until I found “De los colectivos” an article written by Federico Recagno for the 44th volume of December’s edition of Todo Contol, the magazine for Obra Social del Personal de los Organismos de Control, which confirmed that the bus actually IS an Argentinean invention.

According to the article, in 1920, a group of taxi drivers got together in a bar of Rivadavia Avenue to come up with a new system of transportation that enabled them to more a large number of passengers at the same time, to be able to offset the high cost of taxi-meters.

Recagno affirms that the first car-bus, with “capacity for four passengers sitting in the back, three on the sides, and one next to the driver” circulated through Buenos Aires for the first time September 24, 1928. The trip cost between 10 and 20 cents, and route stated in Primera Junta, passed through Plaza Flores and ended in Lacarra y Rivadavia, one way, and the inverse route on the way back.

As time passed by, this medium of transportation became more and more popular, businessmen started adding bigger cars to fit more people and they assigned new routes around the city.

The car-bus continued to evolve until it transformed into the medium of transportation that we use today, where in Buenos Aires it is impossible to travel without coins clinking in your pockets.

Curiosities about buses in Argentina:
Tulio Montaña = first bus passenger.
Corina Milianazzi = received the first printed bus ticket.
Bondi = name used by people from Buenos Aires to refer to the bus; the word comes from the word “bondinho” in Portuguese that means little bus.

San Telmo, An Neighborhood of Antiques that Lost its Kingdom to Modernity in Buenos Aires

2007-05-01T15:02:00.000-03:00

I confess. I am a Fair’s girl. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t juggle and I’m not into acrobatics, I am a Fair’s girl because on the weekends I like to stroll down the different Artisan’s Fairs that are organized across Buenos Aires: at Juramento, Plaza Italia, Placita Cortázar, Plaza Francia or San Telmo.

Each of the fairs has a unique touch to it. For example, at Placita Cortázar you can experience how traditional art fusions with modern art, and decorative art with clothing items; at Plaza Francia you can see how street artist’s presentations wrap around artisan’s crafts; and at San Telmo you can be the protagonist of how history and tradition mingle with modern society and tourists.

It had been a long time since I had last walked around this area of town, and I was surprised to see how much the Fair that grown and evolved. About ten or twelve years ago, San Telmo, one of Buenos Aires’ first neighborhoods, was characterized for being the host of antique stores during the week, and a renown Sunday Antique Fair where businessmen exchanged and their merchandise to curious people passing by.

Even though nowadays Buenos Aires’ most renowned and emblematic antique stores are still located in San Telmo, as I walked down Defensa Street Sunday afternoon, antiques got lost among rustic and modern art crafts that were sold by street artists. Nevertheless, the neighborhood still conserves a gallery where you can find old and strange objects, some almost forgotten that take you back to your childhood days, and other completely unknown for young generations. Antiques continue to play a central role in the neighborhood, even though they no longer rule the place, and now they have to share their kingdom with modern objects.

Although San Telmo has been modernized in the past couple of years, it still conserves its rough spirit: tango groups fill the streets with profound beat of the double bass, harmonious notes of the violin and the agile two by four of the bandoneón; dancers adorn the cobblestones with firuletes and eights, turns and history; and painters portray moments, figures and people attempting to immortalize the moment.

At San Telmo I enjoy being a Fair’s girl because I travel through time, experiment the past and experience the present changes at the same time.

Puerto Madero’s Filthy Containers are Recovered to Make-up Buenos Aires Posh Area

2007-04-19T16:50:00.000-03:00

Since Buenos Aires’s Puerto Madero was built for the first time by Pedro de Mendoza in 1536 and named it Puerto de Nuestra Señora del Buen Ayre,, the port and its area have been remodeled, reconstructed and re-inaugurated more than five times.

The last reconstruction started in 1992, after the Ministry of Public Services and Public Affairs, The Minitry of Interior and The Government of Buenos Aires agreed to stimulate this port’s area urban development November 15, 1989.

To select the model that they would use for the remodeling process, they called for a “National Contest of Ideas for Puerto Madero,” where they established they wanted to: transform the area, reorganize its urban character, promote the installation of commercial outlets and offices, and re-conquer the riverside.

February 1992, the jury chose the three best proposals (out of 96 presented) and selected three people of each group to work jointly in Puerto Madero’s uplifting project. According to Puertomadero.com, this group was made up by: Juan Manuel Borthagaray, Cristian Carnicer, Pablo Doval, Enrique García Espil, Mariana Leidemann, Carlos Marre, Rómulo Pérez, Antonio Tufaro and Eugenio Xaus.

These people were able to transform a place that held huge rusty containers, dirty and neglected buildings infected with rodents and cockroaches, into a beautiful river walk with prestigious bars, restaurants, ice-cream shops and cafes; a very romantic place where you can retreat to take a peaceful walk under the moonlight with your honey.

Timeline

Constructions and Port’s Reconstructions
1536- Pedro de Mendoza
1580- Juan de Garay
1855- Construction of New Customs Building that reactivated the Port’s movement, done by the English engineer Eduardo Taylor
1887-1897- Ing. Eduardo Madero
1911-1925- New Port
1992- Last reconstruction

Presented Projects
Between 1580 and 1887 many projects where presented. However, they were not completed due to Spain’s resistance.
1755- Juan de Echeverría
1761- Francisco de Vianes
1777- Ing. Francisco Rodrígues y Cardoso
1795-1802- Pedro Antonio Cerviño (partially constructed)
1805- Ing. Eustaquio Gianni
1810-1811- Mariano Moreno and its first committee
1823- Ing. Santiago Bevans
1825- Guillermo Micklejon
1853- Ing. Carlos Pellegrini and Manuel Tudury
1859- Ing. Coghlan
1871- Ing. Juan Bateman
1872- Ing. J. Revy
1975- Ing. Guillermo Rigoni

How to get there:
Buses:
Lines: 2, 4, 6 , 20 , 22 , 26 , 33 , 54 , 56 , 61 , 62 , 64 , 74 , 93 , 99 , 105 , 109 , 111 , 126 , 129 , 130 , 140 , 143 , 146 , 152 , 159

Subways:
Line B: Station: L.N. Alem
Line A: Station: Pza. de Mayo

Palermo, the Forever Creative Neighborhood of Buenos Aires

2007-04-14T18:46:00.000-03:00

When I was small I used to walk through Palermo Viejo so I could go play in the park. With my small legs, it was torturous to drag my tricycle through broken sidewalks with old and neglected houses.

Around that time, the architects Jorge Hampton y Emilio Rivoira had already started to remodel the area, although most of the changes were unnoticeable. It wasn’t until the mid-90s that those early XX century houses with ample spaces, high ceilings, picturesque balconies with forged bars, began hosting decoration stores, clothing boutiques, specialized restaurants, and boutique hotels.

Little by little the neighborhood started to change until it transformed itself into the epicenter of Buenos Aires’ bohemian-contemporary movement; an area where artisans, clothing-designers and artists get together at Placita Cortazar to sell their accessories, paintings, bijouterie and other crafts.

Some people believe this artisans and artists are a new addition to the neighborhood. However, Palermo’s neighbors say that since the beginning, this neighborhood was tranquil and creative; a place where people got together to chat and have intellectual talks in plazas, cafes, clubs and neighborhood associations.

At the same time, there are stories that try to explain how the neighborhood got its name, although there is no official story. Some say Palermo carries its name because years ago they used to venerate the Virgin of San Benito de Palermo there.

Others say that the Chief of State Juan Manuel de Rosas gave this name to the first lands he bought in the area because his mistress thought of Sicilia every time she looked at the stream that ran through it.

The most popular story assures that the neighborhood carried this name to honor chacarero (person that dances chacarera) Juan Domigno de Palermo, the first owner of these lands.

I doubt we will be able to ever know the exact precedence of this neighborhood’s name, a neighborhood that has been parted and renamed in the last couple of years into: Palermo Holywood to the North of Av. Juan B. Justo, Palermo SOHO, to the South of this avenue, and the rest, simple Palermo.

Nowadays, it is fun to walk through Palermo during the weekends to live and experience the subculture that has been created in this neighborhood. At the same time, there are good and varied restaurants where you and eat and spend some pleasant time with your friends.

My favorites:
La Baita–Italian Restaurant
Thames 1603 (Thames y Honduras)
Price: Around $25 per person

Gardelito – Argentinean food
Thames 1919
Price: Around $25 per person

How to get there:
Bus
Córdoba and Scalabrini Ortiz / Cabrera and Scalabrini Ortiz:
140, 106

Plaza Italia / Güemes and Borges:
12, 29, 39, 68, 152

Plaza Italia / Charcas and Borges:
111

Placita Cortázar:
34, 36, 55, 93, 161

Metro
Line D to Plaza Italia

More about the neighborhood:

Palermo’s day: June 25. Decree 43.653 (B.M. Nro. 18.587 of 02/08/89).
Story of how Julian Gallo’s house turned into a restaurant.

Jorge Gobbi interviewed me for blog.despegar.com

2007-04-14T17:29:00.000-03:00

This Thursday, Jorge Gobbi from blog.despegar.com Publisher an interview where I talk about my experience as a blogger and express my opinions regarding the blogosphere.

You read it by clicking the following lik: Blogs sobre viajes: Vida Surrealista de un Viajante Sin Guía.
Hope you like it.
Have a nice week.
Suerte!
Laura

Flying Men at Cumple el Tajin, Mexico

2007-04-14T16:19:00.000-03:00

By María Luisa Villegas

The Cumbre Tajín is a cultural event that takes place in Veracruz, Papantla, Mexico. During the celebration a group of men climb to the top of the 30-meter-high “flying stick” for the dance of Los Voladores de Papantla to honor the sun invoking the four cardinal spots: North, South, East and West.

Dance of the San Miguelitos, where good and evil meet for a battle where they try to delimit their kingdoms.

Dance of the Flying Men.

Weaving typical Totonacas’ outfits.

Mud Sculpturing workshop at the Cumbre El Tajín.

Sculptures made with vanilla flower; an old legend says that the flower first emerged from the blood of one of Tonacas’s princesses. Vanilla means “Caxixanath” hidden flower.

Maria Luisa Villegas’ Personal Experience with the Virgen

2007-03-20T17:11:00.000-03:00

Mexican journalist María Luisa Villegas, narrates her personal experience with the Virgen of Guadalupe from Mexico:

From a personal point of view I can say that, taking into consideration that I am not very religious, let’s say: I don’t go to mass son Sunday, I don’t even celebrate the traditional religious holidays. A couple years ago I went to Guadalupe’s Basilica, as a tourist, and as I walked in front of the religious image, and took a close look at her, I experienced a sentiment that I had never felt before, and I doubt I will ever feel again.

I know you probably won’t believe me, and I might even sound like an exaggeration or a resemblance to a cheap soap-opera script from Televisa, but it is true: when you see it, a feeling of peace runs through you, and you feel so small! As she told Juan Diego, “the smallest one of my children.”

It is possible that mixture of feelings in connected to faith, that blind devotion that all Mexicans show the Virgin for a day, when they forget about their differences and they come together to celebrated the day of our “madrecita”, the one that fulfills all of their petitions and takes care of them throughout the year, the one they offer sacrifices to, profess their love for, and thank for their blessings.

Peruvians Prepare “Tanta Wawas” to Celebrate the Day of the Dead

2007-03-20T12:36:00.000-03:00

By Pablo Solorzano

Pictures by Leonor Crespo

After I told you about the celebration for the Day of the Dead that takes place in Mexico, Pablo Solórzano from Torres de Lima, Peru, wrote to describe how they celebrate this date in his country:

Here we have more similarities with our Latin-American neighbor. I see we share similarities in negative aspects, as well as in more elevated levels: our identity.

In my country, Peru we celebrate the Day of the Dead with much happiness. Everyone celebrated it, but those people with Andean ancestry do so in a more special way.

Following traditional thought held by Peruvian ancient cultures (I am not only talking about Inca culture; we had an infinite number of cultures), that believed in life after death, people buried their deceased relatives along with their possessions and specific utensils that could be useful for them in the afterlife.

Even though today we no longer burry people in this way, we still take the things they like the most to their graves. That way, when you walk down the cemetery, it is possible to listen to musical groups playing the dead person’s favorite tune; we take food in casseroles, drink to “toss” with the dead person, we talk to them, we decorate their tombs and we also give them updates about what happened after they died.

In Peru, we don’t have skull-shaped breads like in Mexico, but we do have Tanta Wawas, baby-shaped breads. However, in our case we share it among our living relatives to strengthen our family ties and to communicate reciprocity.

My mother, during her infancy in the beautiful town of Ayacucho used to take these Wawas to her relatives. At that time, they usually gave Wawas to girls, and little horses to boys.

These Wawas are made of flower, and its baby eyes with raisins. At the same time, they also adorn them with sugar-coated candy, and sesame seads. The exact significance of the Wawas is unknown. What’s the purpose to give “babys” as a gift on the Day of the Dead? (which is celebrated November 1).

It is possible that you offer them to commemorate the memory of the dead person with something that represents a new life, a continuation, that is a baby, a a Wawa. Yet, this has not been confirmed.

Nevertheless, I think Peruvians will continue to celebrate the Day of the Dead to remember our loved ones, and to continue with the traditions of our ancestors.

Bellow, you will be able to observe the fabrications process of the Tanta Wawas, through Leonor Crespo’s photographs:

First, you prepare the dough.

Then, you knead it.

You knead it good.

You make the “Tanta Wawa” with the though, and decorate it.

Then you bake it, and once you take it out of the over, you let it cool and it is ready!

Enjoy!

Create Online Photo Albums to Share for Pictures

2007-03-17T16:39:00.000-03:00

Reading Clarin Newspaper’s Technology Supplement “NEXT”, I found an article by Monica Garcia called “Each picture in its place ready for you to enjoy them”, that described different free tools that allow you to organize and improve your digital pictures.

Those who like photography can “fix” their pictures, add effects to the, eliminate “red eyes”, among other things by downloading some of the following free software:

Picasa

XnView

After “fixing” your pictures you are use some of the following sites, to create your own online photo album. These are some Argentinean websites:

Fotoalbum de Ubbi

Imagena

Imprimi tus fotos

Magic-Photo

Revele Ya

Sin Rollos

These are some international sites that allow you to create online photo albums:

Club Photo

Jalbum

Kodak Gallery

My Album Maker

My Photo Album

My Pixmania

Photo Box

Photo Site

Photos Yahoo

Picasa

Pixelin

Web-A-Photo

German Christmas Spirit at Christkindlesmarkt

2007-03-15T17:43:00.000-03:00

Christmas spirit arises in December, and with it I revive my memories from my trips to Germany.

Before I visited Germany for the first time, I thought it was a grey and cold place where people spoke a harsh sounding language. However, these erroneous concepts collapsed once I arrived at Germanic lands.

As I imagined, when I got to Dresden it was raining. But since everything was adorned with Christmas decorations, even Prager Strasse, Dresden’s ugliest area built during Stalin’s rule, look pretty and joyful.

I got to the city center following the Christmas decorations. There, locals had set up the Christkindlesmarkt’s (Christmas market’s) stores. Each person sold different things from: Lebkuchen (ginger cookies), hot dogs with various types of sausages, sauerkraut (fermented cabbage), lamb hamburgers and other non-edible products such as aromatic candles, wooden decorations, and handmade toys, among other things.

Despite the large variety of stores, there is no doubt my favorite was the one that sold Gluhwein (sweet spiced wine) and Feuerzangenbowle (spiced warm rum-based beverage). Mmmm! I can still feel the smell that emerged from the hot pots where the cooks mixed the wines and the spices. A small sip was enough to appease the strong German cold.

Even though this year around this time I will be in Argentina and I won’t need a hot beverage to keep me warn, I hope I will be able to enjoy a similar spirit that exists in German Christkindlesmarkts.

I give Thanks for Thanksgiving in Argentina

2007-03-14T16:34:00.000-03:00

I had always thought Thanksgiving was a celebration that revolved around food. In fact, the last time I celebrated it I drove 13 hours, from Fort Worth, TX to St. Louis, Missouri with a group of college friends, to celebrate it with home cooking.

However, this year I realized that food is only a plus; the celebration is not the same separated from family traditions.

Hoping to relive the experience, November 24 of 2006, I celebrated Thanksgiving with a groups of American friends at “Kansas” in Buenos Aires.

We enjoyed stuffed turkey with cranberry sauce, smashes sweet potatoes with nuts, creamed spinach and mashes potatoes with gravy, and we gave thanks for everything we have.

However, it didn’t really feel like Thanksgiving. Even though our palates had traveled to the US since the restaurant’s cooks had perfectly achieved traditional Thanksgiving recipes, the spirit of camaraderie was missing. You couldn’t sense that fraternal spirit that is born while everyone prepares the food together, pealing potatoes, baking casseroles, beating eggs for the cake, checking the oven, etc.

On top of that, we only had two choices for dessert: either pumpkin pie or pecan pie, while in St. Louis, my friend’s mom had prepared 12 pies, one for eat person.

Even though I am not American, and this celebration does not affect me directly, I think it is nice to reserve a day (in this case the fourth Thursday of November) to give thanks for all the things we have been blessed with.

A Piece of History
Pilgrims from Virginia were the first one to celebrate Thanksgiving to thank Squanto for his collaboration, back on December 4, 1619.

Squanto had learned to speak English on one of his trips to Europe and he helped the pilgrims to interact with the natives. Squanto also thought pilgrims to fish for eels, to harvest corn, which enabled them to survive the adversity of the new land.

Maracuchos Celebrate La Feria de La Chinita in Venezuela

2007-03-14T15:13:00.000-03:00

Picture by Antonio Cuauro

Maracaibo is Venezuela’s second most important city, located in Zulia, a state bordering with Colombia. Even though this city lays within Venezuelan borders, it appears to be a different country, with its own rules, language and culture.

Over there, “la ley Guajira” rules over Venezuelan rules, its inhabitants speak “maracucho”, which hardly classifies as Spanish, and they follow their own regional traditions.

In Novemver, maracuhos honor their city’s patron La Virgen de Chiquinquirá (or Virgen de la Chinita) with a celebration that lasts several weeks. During this time they display all characteristic traditions that make them unique.

Maracuchos begin celebrations of the Feria de la Chinita with the lighting of Christmas decorations that adorn Avenida Bella Vista until January. Then, they continue with novilladas and bull runs at Plaza de Toros Monumental de Maracaibo.

During this time, it is impossible to find a silent place in Maracaibo, since maracuchos proudly play gaitas in every city corner through potent speakers that incite you to dance to the rhythm of traditional gaita instruments like: furro, maracas, cuatro, charrasca and tambora.

The Feria ends with the Amanecer Gaitero, where zulianos dance until sunrise listening to different gaita groups.

Why do we celebrate St. Patricks Day?

2007-03-14T12:57:00.000-03:00

St. Patrick is Ireland’s patrol and national apostle; the man responsible for introducing Christianity to that country.

The Saint is also well known for driving snakes away for the island. However, scientific studies indicate that snakes never lived on the island. An alternative version narrates that serpent symbols were commonly used in pagan religions, so it is possible that “driving away the snakes” symbolized the fact St. Patrick eradicated pagan practices in Ireland.

Irish people celebrate St. Patrick’s Day March 17 in memory of St. Patrick, since historians predict he died that date in Saul, Downpatrick, Irlanda in 460A.C. That day they attend mass, pray and celebrate spiritual revival, befote they start the party.

Even though this celebration has spread throughout the world, few places maintain the spiritual side of the celebration. In fact, the date is more commonly associated with Irish symbols like: color green and gold, little men, and specially, a loooooot of beer.

Do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in your city? How is it celebrated?

Traditional Skirts are the Protagonists of the Carnival of Penonome, Panama

2007-03-08T18:29:00.000-03:00

Around this time, carnival celebrations take place around the world. A couple of weeks ago I uploaded pictures from the carnival at Veracruz, Mexico. This week I show you what carnival is like in Penonome, Panama, where people model their typical costumes.

This is how Maria Eugenia Grimaldo tells her story from Penonomé, Panama:

In the provinces of Panama, people celebrate “el día de las polleras” on Tuesday of Carnival. However, in Penonome, in the province of Cocle, “el día de las polleras” is celebrated on Sunday, the day I was princess.

That way I continued with a three-generation family tradition. My father’s grandmother was Queen of Penonome, my aunt Roxana (my father’s older sister) was also a princess at Domingo de Carnaval in 1982, and my mother was princess in 1994. Fort that reason, when the ladies from Damas Unidas Penonomeñas offered me to continue the tradition, I could not say no.

As you will see in these pictures, after the traditional “mojadera” that takes place in the morning in every town around the country during carnival, at night, in Penonome people parade through town with their traditional skits. From there, the group I took part of as princess organizes a typical dance called “Tambor.”

Mexicans Celebrate Dia de los Muertos with Joy

2007-03-08T17:12:00.000-03:00

We know death is unavoidable. “It is the inescapable destiny of human life,” expressed Mexican writer Laura de la Vega a couple of years ago.

For that reason, Mexicans prefer to celebrate de Day of the Dead with joy instead of crying for them; they organize this celebration to familiarize the younger ones with the idea of death, to help them accept it as the last step in our lives.

Aztecs believed the spirit of the deceased lived in Mictlán, a serene and nice place away from earth until November 2, when it returned to meet its old friends and family members.

For this celebration, Mexicans prepare altars in their houses to honor loved ones who are no longer with them and visit cemeteries to decorate the tombs of friends and family members who have passed away; they also place offerings on the tombs.

María Luisa Villegas from Veracruz, México, shares her pictures and her experience during the festivities:

Something strange happened to me before I staring writing this commentary. I was at home, on October 31, getting ready for the celebration that takes place November 1 and 2 according to the Catholic calendar, when a group of kids knocked on my door saying Happy Halloween.

I could not help but feel surprised by such event; I was seeing the strong influence that our uncomfortable northern neighbor exerts on my people.

However, I strongly believe that this was just an isolated incident if we compare it to everything that goes on around the celebration of Dia de los Muertos, one of the most important festivities for Mexicans.

Although I do not follow all of my country’s traditions, I can comment that the “Halloween” that in Mexico translates to Dia de los Muertos, it is filled with unnumbered details and curious facts. People start with preparations for the event before November 1, All Saints Day, or the day of the “small dead people”, how some people refer to it, where people commemorate the death of young ones in the family. On that day, family members place toys as well as the other elements that are usually places on altars.

Mexicans celebrate “big dead people” day November 2, the death of older people and the loved ones; this is the most important day of the celebration.

On this date, family members decorate the tomb of the deceased, clean up the tomb, and prepare an altar next to it with objects designed to guide their in their journey after death; the decoration of the tombs and the preparation of the altar in the most important ritual of the celebration.

The easier way to design altars is to prepare it using colored papers at home so you can place picture of the dead person and that person’s favorite food underneath it.

According to tradition, the altar must have seven steps, each one with its own significance. The picture of the person who has died should be placed in the topmost and most important step.

The following elements should be placed in the altar:

Confetti paper that serves as decorations

A cross made out of lime

A white piece of cloth

Yellow and purple cempasuchil flowers

Candles

Fruits: normally, oranges, tangerine, jicama, sugar cane and tejicotes

Sugar skulls

Typical “pan de muerto” that is sold in Mexican bakeries

Death person’s favorite dishes

Photograph of the deceased

After everything is set and ready, people wait for the return of their loved ones’ soul to come and enjoy the gift that the family prepared with so much love.

Bees, Birds and Butterflies Inspired Catalano to Create the Giant Flower in Buenos Aires, Argentina

2007-03-07T15:16:00.000-03:00

I am generally not captivated by flowers. However, the architect Eduardo Catalano and his Floralis Generica, a giant stainless steel, 21-meter high and 18-ton flower, programmed to open its petals in the morning with the first rays on sunlight and to close them at night with the arrival of the moon.

The flower “is a synthesis of all flowers and it is also a hope that revives each day as it opens, “ said Catalano once.

Today, those who observe the piece planted in the United Nations's Park next to the Universidad de Buenos Aires, see a generic flower like the one bees, birds and butterflies see when they look for pollen.

Since it is so generic and unique at the same time, Floralis Genérica seduces the spectator with originality.

The “Giant Flower”, as Argentineans have come to call it, is an incredible architectural project; a grand architectonical challenge; a piece of artthat has changed the sight of Figueroa Alcorta Avenue of Buenos Aires for ever.

Carnival at Veracruz

2007-02-23T08:34:00.000-03:00

Contributing journalist - Maria Luisa Villegas (Veracruz, México)

Veracruz’s Carnival lasts four days. The dancing groups and the 107 floats transit through the 7 kilometers long boulevard throughout 6 parades in four days. Incredible!!!

Experiences in only 30 minutes in Buenos Aires

2007-02-20T18:35:00.000-03:00

Sometimes I get surprised about all that can happen to you in only 30 minutes…

Last Thursday I arranged to meet a friend for a drink after work. Since I arrived early, I decided to sit and wait at a bar on Esmeralda Street. I entered the bar, sat down, asked for coffee, took out my Chinese notebook and started reviewing the last lesson.

After a couple of minutes, the waiter approached my table and told me: “Excuse me Miss, I wanted to let you know that the gentleman over at that table just paid for your coffee."

Blushed, I looked over to the given table to thank the men for the treat, only to find an empty table; the men had left without even asking for my name; a gesture that did not prevent me from enjoying the anonymous invitation.

After finishing my coffee, I realized I still had some time, so I continued to study until the owner of the bar started screaming at some customers, and I could not study any longer.“¡Rajá de acá!,” screamed the bar owner, “¡Callate y rajá! I’ve already told you I don’t want to see you around here anymore. ¡Tomatelá! ¡Tomatelá!”

S-I-L-E-N-C-E

After witnessing such a scene, I felt so uncomfortable that I didn’t even want to breathe. I wanted to disappear. But at that point, I did not know what was worse: to move and call people’s attention, or stay put trying to hide behind my books.

I chose the second option. I breathed deeply and kept studying until the bar owner approached me with mediaslunas and said: “I'm sorry miss. Don’t think I am a bad person. I don’t treat all my customers that way. But this guy always comes asking for money and I am tired of it. Please accept these mediaslunas as an apology. They are the best mediaslunas of Buenos Aires!”

“Thank you, Sir, “ I told him, “they will be great for breakfast.” I put them in my bag next to my notebooks, said goodbye and left to look for my friend. It was still early, but I had collected enough anecdotes for one day. I preferred to wait outside.

Extroverted Family Transforms me into a City Tour Guide Around Buenos Aires

2007-02-20T17:42:00.000-03:00

This week, my dad traveled from Malaysia to Argentina so he could be present at my cousin’s wedding. During the flight, he met an Australian tourist that was going to spend just one night in Buenos Aires, on his way to La Paz, Bolivia. During his short stay in Argentina’s capital, he wanted to tour around Buenos Aires, and my dad suggested I would be an excellent tour guide.

After the long, 23 hour trip, when dad arrived home he hugged me and told me: “Lau, get changed, I got you a job for tonight. I need you to organize a tango tour for an Australian friend I met on the plane.”

Although a little surprised by the unexpected comment, I was excited: “It is a great opportunity to tour around my city and teach someone else about its history.” On top of that, I was going to get paid for doing something I enjoyed. It was a round deal for me!

That night I took him to a tango show at El Querandí, a restaurant where service and food are excellent for a lower price than its competitors. Even though the show is not as spectacular and flashy as in other restaurants I attended, the dancers show how the dance has evolved over time, which is very important from a historical point of view.

My guest enjoyed the show and my stories so much that he decided to hire me to give him a morning city tour. So the next day I took him to Plaza Francia, Cementerio de Recoleta, Florales Genérica, Puerto Madero and Caminito. All of Buenos Aires' most typical places; an intense and great way to get a fast glimpse of this beautiful Argentinean city.

Healthy Art at Plaza Francia, Buenos Aires, Argentina: Entertainment and Art in the Open

2007-02-19T18:28:00.000-03:00

Acrobats, magicians, drummers and jugglers transform Plaza Francia of Buenos Aires into a circus in the open every weekend. This way, they add a new entertaining dimension to the well known Artisans’ Fair that started in 1970 at the Plaza.

For years, families with children, tourists and groups of friends have visited this plaza after lunch to curiously zigzag through the different stands of the fair.

After buying a couple of wooden and seed necklaces and incense sticks, discovering wooden planes with unusual mechanisms that turn its propellers when they lay against something, or trying on silver bracelets adorned with Argentina’s national rock (rodocrosita), many choose to stay at the park to enjoy the various shows as they drink mate.

Shows are as varied as people’s tastes:

On top of the hill, very close to Cementerio de Recoleta, you can usually find a guitarist that signs the song you ask for, fo a couple of coins.

A little bit further down, a group of young comics improvise to hip-hop music, while other artists entertain the younger ones with puppet shows, while acrobats leave their audience without words with their mortal jumps.

You can breathe art and happiness in every corner of the plaza, converting the place into a pleasant place where you can retreat to enjoy the warm Spring sun.

The Alternative Luggage - Traveling Tips

2007-02-19T18:06:00.000-03:00

Five things we cannot forget when we travel:

Passport copy: Take a copy of your passport with you. It is a preventive measure that can be very useful in case you loose or someone steals your passport. In some countries, you can even use the photocopy as a form of identification so you don’t need to take your passport around. Ask what’s the case in the country you are visiting. Always keep the copy separate from the passport.
Bank: Make a notice to the bank that you will be traveling to a different country, since sometimes banks block your cards when they notice unusual movements as security measure. Call your bank and ask them to unblock your card in case that happens.
Emergency numbers + Medical Insurance Card: Take with you a list of local emergency phone numbers, along with the phones of friends and relatives back home (so someone can contact them in case of emergency).
Phone card: Buy a phone card that allows you to make local calls, national and international calls from any country. Or make sure your cell phone allows you to make and receive calls in the place you are visiting. In this website you can find different cards; choose the one that offers the best rate in the place you are visiting: http://www.uniontelecard.com/phonecards/.
Emergency Kit: If you are backpacking, or traveling to a distant place it is advisable to take some Tylenol or aspirin (or a substitute if you are allergic), Pepto-Bismol, Mylanta or some other type of digestive or anti-acid, and some band aids. If you are traveling to a place where you don’t have access to drinking water, take some Chlorine pills to make water potable.

Pinamar, Weaves together the Pine Trees’ Aroma with the Sea Breeze

2007-02-19T12:47:00.000-03:00

Very few places have such precise names as Pinamar, a coastal city surrounded by pine trees that weave together the smell of fresh resin and sea breeze, where visitors can enjoy the woods and the sea in the same place.

In the summer, the sun bathes the beaches and the city vibrates with tourists, while in the winter the leaves shiver with the cold wind and the waves enjoy themselves dancing the Waltz with the sand.

Without the summer’s heat and the young tourists, winter in Pinamar is not the typical beach-vocational place. However, Pinamar doesn’t loose its charm during the winter. In fact, it turns into a fabulous place to rest and regainthe energy you need to survive frantic Buenos Aires life.

When it’s time to return home, some people prefer to leave right after lunch to avoid the traffic at the entrance of Buenos Aires. Nevertheless, sometimes it is better to leave later so you can see how the sun blushes between violet clouds before it submerges into Laguna Chis-Chis until the next day.

A perfect closing for a tranquil weekend.

Women in the Blogosphere

2007-02-19T12:00:00.000-03:00

The Dominican journalism, William Vargas describes the influence of women in the blogosphere , by sharing the experience of six Latin-American bloggers in his article “Mujeres de la Blogósfera” published for El Caribe September 1, 2006.

Today, about 27% of bloggers are women according to the Survey of Bloggers and Blog Readers carried out by Fernando Garrido and Gemma Ferreres, person in charge of repsolypf.com’s Style and Usability.

In this article, Laura Vaillard, the author this blog and its Spanish version VidaSurrealista; Giselle Fiallo, a Dominican publicists, photographer and film producer; Carmen María Grullón, another Dominican publicist and audiovisual producer; Indhira Rojas; publicist Ana Díaz; lawyer Enedina Pereyra; and the Argentinean script writer Carolina Aguirre, express what motivates them to write and how they feel as bloggers:

Mujeres de la Blogósfera, William Vargas, El Caribe, 1 de September 2006.

Using Public Transport in Argentina, Spain and Italy

2007-02-16T18:07:00.000-03:00

“Che, ¿tenés monedas? Dale, ¿No me cambiás?” says one Argentinean to the other.
(Reproduction of a common conversation among porteños, on a daily basis)

Every day thousands of porteños (people who live in Buenos Aires) repeat phrases like this to get coins so they can take the bus to go to work, visit a friend, go to the city center to run errands, etc.

In Spanish cities, where monthly passes are available, and people can buy their ticket from the driver, citizens carry the weight of coins in their pockets for no reason. However, in Buenos Aires, it is necessary to feel the metallic wieght. In fact, porteños begin to worry when they can no longer feel the coins clinking in their pockets, wallets or purses. No coins, no ride.

In Buenos Aires, passengers get on the bus through the front door, tell the driver where they want to go or specify the amount of the fare, place their coins in the ticket dispenser, remove the ticket and then fight their way through people until they reach the back of the bus.

In Rome, the situation is completely different, and many times tourists and Romans ride for free due to the transportation system’s ambiguous rules.

Passengers need to buy their ticket at“tabacchi” before they get on the bus, and then can get on the bus using any door.

This system trusts that people are honest citizens who will follow the rules. To enforce the rules, the government hires a group of inspectors to control random buses, to ensure that passengers are buying their tickets

However, not all passengers follow the rules, and many take advantage of the system and ride for free risking to pay a 50 Euro fine if they get caught.

Everywhere, people utilize public transportation to move around the city, but in each country, they have particular rules and ways of traveling. For that reason, when you arrive to a new destination, I recommend you to ask a local how the transportation system works in the place you are visiting.

This reminds me, if you are coming to Buenos Aires, do you have your coins handy?

Laura Vaillard’s article about Malaysia published in Diario Clarín, Argentina

2007-02-16T17:40:00.000-03:00

Sunday, September 17, Dario Clarín, one of Argentina’s most important newspapers published my article about Malaysia.

El viaje del lector: Malasia. The article is in Spanish, but I hope you can enjoy it nevertheless.

Learning to Tango like Tom & Jerry in Fort Worth, TX

2007-02-16T16:22:00.000-03:00

I learned to tango like Tom&Jerry, following dotted lines and shapes of feet that danced on the TV screen following the tango rhythm.

I would have preferred to learn to dance through a different method. But unfortunately, the chubby and badly dressed woman from one of those “teach yourself” videos, was the only one available to teach us in an old house in Fort Worth, Texas, the capital of country music.

Neither the place, nor the teachers were ideal to learn to tango. But I had no way out. My friends wanted me to represent Argentina by dancing tango at the 2005 International Banquet at Texas Christian University.

My Colombian friend Mauricio Oliveros and me, put a lot of effort and dedication, to learn how to do the “ochos” and the turns. We practiced over and over again, playing the videos in slow motion so we could take a good look at each move. After a couple of weeks, we had “learned” to tango, or so we thought, and we presented our show at the Banquet.

Our public, with little knowledge about tango, warmly applauded the show and our effort. Even though at that moment I was satisfied because I had shared a little of my culture with the audience, I also knew I had indebted myself with my roots: at some point I needed to learn how to really tango.

Consequently, when I reached Buenos Aires, I signed up at the first milonga I heard about; it was my opportunity to pay off my debt and corroborate how much I had actually learned from those videos.

With a different partner, but the same enthusiasm and eagerness to learn, I put on my dancing shoes and went to La Viruta at the Club Armenio located in Palermo. When we arrived, the place appeared to be empty, but as soon as we heard the first harmony of a tango, the dancers took hold of the floor.

There were so many people on the dancing floor that it was difficult to dance more than three seconds without bumping into someone. On top of that, as beginners we were too busy looking at our feet to pay attention to the other dancers.

We were like wheel-less bumping cars lost in a fun and chaotic, yet tolerant place.

After dancing for about two hours, I think I made the first payment to settle my debt. Although I will need to take many more classes to be able to settle my debt completely. But at the same time I must admit the “teach yourself” videos gave me a strong base that will enable me to learn quickly.

Additional information: Where to tango in Argentina

It’s time I talk about my city: Buenos Aires, Argentina

2007-02-16T15:22:00.000-03:00

After spending half of my life living outside of Argentina, I decided to return to rediscover Buenos Aires, a complex, dynamic, and energic city that is always undergoing change.

I am excited I will be able to undust some memories while I hear the dry sound of my hills on San Telmos’ cobblestone streets, visit the areas of town that have been redesigned like Palermo SOHO and Palermo Hollywood, and taste the sweetness of dulce de leche.

At the same time, I am also nervous because I am vulnerable to the anguish that overtakes you when you discover places you used to like have deteriorated with time.

Little by little, while I am here, I will talk about different parts of my city, different traditions, ways of transportation or anything I can think about.

I am a citizen of the world. But I am also Argentinean. For that reason I invited you to embark yourself on this trip through my native land.

Undressed by People’s Look in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2007-02-16T12:19:00.000-03:00

As I walked I felt those men undressed me with their looks. I felt exposed, unprotected, observed by their possessive looks.

That night I felt uncomfortable walking down the streets of Kuala Lumpur, an unusual feeling in a city where you don’t have to worry about safety issues.

In occasions, I had felt disgusted walking through the city since the sewages are located on the sidewalks, and when it rains, the smell of wet excrement is unbearable, but I had never felt unsafe before.

Kuala Lumpur is an interesting place because it is the permanent hostess of three different cultures that interact with each other on a daily basis.

According to the Malaysian Constitution, bumiputras, are the real Malays: a bumiputra is a person who “professes the religion of Islam, habitually speaks the Malay language, conforms to Malay customs and is the child of at least one parent who was born within the Federation of Malaysia before independence on the 31st of August 1957".

Even though the constitution does not specify a dress code, bumiputra women cover their bodies with long, long sleeve colorful dressesd, and they hide their hair with handkerchiefs that match the color of their dresses.

On the other hand, people of Chinese descent, a minority omnipresent in the economic, culinary and commercial sectors, communicate with each other using mandarin, they are usually Buddhists, or practice Taoism, and walk around freely wearing the latest style western clothing and extravagant hair styles with excessive hair mousse.

Hindus are the third group that cohabitates in Malaysia, making up about 10 percent of the total population, adding diversity to the country with words in tamil, hindi and malayalam, and decorating the place with the colorful saris that women wear.

The members of each of these groups conserve their traditions, costumes, language and their dress styles. Although there is little interaction between these groups, they all respect each other and speak English to break cultural barriers and ease the communication between them.

During the summer, between June and August, Muslims from Northern Africa and different Middle Eastern countries move to Malaysia to escape the unbearable heat of their home countries, adding more diversity to Kuala Lumpur.

However, this new component alters the local cultural landscape: wherever you look, you find men with rigid features and torrid beards accompanied by numerous family members and women completely covered with black tunics (abaya) and veils (niqab).

When you first take a look at these covered women, they appear to be identical black shadows, but after taking a careful look, you notice many differences that distinct each one of them from the veil’s anonymity: each one has a different cadence when they walk; decorations on their abayas and the veil’s material also help you identify their status and social class.

When I looked at these women through the TV set, I would ask myself why these women wanted and/or accepted to cover themselves. Yet, after feeling explored by these men’s looks, at some point I must admit I wished I was covered so I could walk in peace.

Hostel & Hotel Finders

2007-02-15T18:00:00.000-03:00

Great pages to find information about hotels and hostels before you travel:

WORLD
Booking Buddy: www.bookingbuddy.com

Flights
Hotels
Car renting
Cruises
Vacations
Special offers

BootsnAllTravel: www.bootsnall.com

Expedia: www.expedia.com

Hotels
Flights
Car renting
Vacation packages
Cruises
Activities
Maps
Corporate trips
Special offers

Hostel Bookers: www.hostelbookers.com

Hostel Times: www.hosteltimes.com

Hotels
Tours
Flights

Hostel Traveler: www.hosteltraveler.com

Hostel World: www.hostelworld.com

Hostelling International: http://www.hihostels.com

Hoteles
Apartments
Tours
Traveling guides

Trip Advisor: http://www.tripadvisor.com

Restaurants
Shows & Entertainment
Flights
Hotels
Car rental

Euro Trip: http://www.hostelling.com

Venere: http://www.venere.com/

Students: Cheap Flight Websites

2007-02-15T16:56:00.000-03:00

These pages are fantastic if you are a student searching cheap flights and accommodations...

International Student Travel Confederation: http://www.isic.org

Plane, train, bus and ferry tickets
Travel packages
Travel insurance
Discount cards
Hotel/hostel information

Student Universe: www.studentuniverse.com-

Travel insurance
Hotel/hostel information
Student plans
Internship information
Travel packages