Sorry guys it’s been a while and I’m sure you’re missing out on the thrills and spills of Argey Life. Had another busy week and a half or so, so will tell you about some of the highlights!
So way back last Saturday night, we went to a bar called La Divina Comedia, for their ‘Funky 45’ club night. One Saturday every month, Kristie makes a point of trying to get everyone who works for the Argentimes, as well as contributors and friends of the paper out for, essentially, a piss up! Obviously, being just a usual club, anyone could come along, Matt, Marek and their mate Tony came along. We started off at Marek’s drinking rum and coke to get us suitably pissed for our arrival at the club, which turned out to be at 1am. All were there by this point, and all was good: Free entry and 6 pesos for beer. There was a really good atmosphere - Quite a few of us gringos in there, but without the attitude of 3D and Zens. There’s a shock eh! Oh, and they played Stevie Wonder, Jackson 5 and ‘Last night a DJ saved my life,’ so I was in my element. Only prob is, I’ve volunteered to do a review of the place for edition 28 of the paper, and to be totally honest, my memory of the night is a bit sketchy for one reason or another (well mainly just one really!) so that shall be fun.
Monday a few of us from work decided to try out something completamente diferente. We went the this “Cultural Centre”, to see a show, which consisted of about 13 guys playing a variety of different drums in what was essentially a disused warehouse. Just a big open room with a stage basically. The music reminded of ‘Stomp’ or something like that. People just see it as the ideal time to get stoned and dance around like absolute morons. Great to watch…totally surreal. But I was the typical boring English guy, stood with my litre of beer by the wall, watching people just let go! Ok, the music was good, and there’s no doubt the guys had talent, and what they were producing was indeed an art, but, unlike Stevie Wonder et al on Saturday Night, the rhythm didn’t get me (I always knew Gloria Estefan talked shite).
Wednesday saw me get my first freebie as journalist for the Argentimes. We headed off to trendy neighbouring neighbourhood (realised that doesn’t really make sense but you get my drift) to a traditional English tea house (of all places), for afternoon tea. Yes I’m English, and yes I like tea, but this place was just surreal. The place was kitted out like Hyacith Bouquet’s living room…Royal Doulton to boot! (I would have preferred Elizabeth’s plastic beaker.) The tea was good – Twinings sooo much nicer than the La Virginia shite you get out here (although a bit of head’s up about the strainer would have been nice), but the sandwiches/cakes/scones were munch. Made from traditional English recipes apparently – certainly got my (would-be) 30 pesos worth! Was totally bizarre tho, enjoying tea and scones in the centre of Buenos Aires! Headed straight back to the office to meet up with Nacho, discussing the possibility of having Spanish lessons. It all sounded good, and have my first class tomorrow evening!
Spent Thursday night indoors. Matt had downloaded a film called ‘La dignidad de los nadies’ (‘The dignity of the nobodies’) which we watched. Argentina suffered a huge financial crash at the end of 2001, and the film documented how it affected the lives of everyday people. When anything ever goes wrong here, the Argentines take to the streets – and 2001 was no exception. The crash forced so many people below the poverty line, and saw normal people like you and I starve to death. In one of the few countries which has the resources to completely sustain itself, this simply should not happen. Riled with desperation, marches and protests took place, which soon descended into looting and rioting, counteracted by police brutality. This was all caught on film, the scariest part being that the footage was taken from Av. 9 de Julio, the street adjacent to where I live. To see how bad things were here just 5 years ago totally shocked me. While I’m here, I have to do a 5,000 word investigative project for university, and the film inspired me to do something about the crash – maybe something along the lines of how the country has managed to turn itself around after complete ruin. One of the worrying things is, that nobody would be surprised if a similar thing happens in the next few years. The government here make all of their decisions based on the here and now, simply to gain popularity – and this was one of the contributing factors to the crash. One of many though – Argentina was totally not helped by the International Monetary Fund a) keeping on lending them money without trying to address their mounting debt and b) suddenly taking away financial support. I find this a really interesting subject, especially with the general elections under 3 weeks away (although the current First Lady and Senate, Cristina Kirchner, is an absolute shoe in!) Maybe it’s just being out here which has caught my imagination over this issue, but anyway, that’s the lesson over now…back to beer…
Friday night was cool – went for a few beers on Plaza Dorrego – my neighbourhood’s local square. There’s some decent bars there with a really chilled atomosphere. There were still street vendors gathered in the square at 11am, and some randomers just playing guitars and stuff.
We went round to Adam’s flat bright and early on Saturday morning for bacon, egg and chorizo in front of the rugby! I’m not the greatest rugby fan in he world, but you know me, if there’s a bandwagon to be jumped on, I’m on it! Especially if it involves being patriotic. And don’t judge me…I know you were up late that Sunday night, cheering on the British women’s curling team in the tense final at the Winter Olympics a few years ago! So, I’m happy to see England progress, and following Los Pumas’ win over the auld enemy on Sunday, there’s still hope for an England Argentina final. How great it will be to be English over here if that happens, especially what with the whole Falklands debate rearing it’s ugly head in the news recently! I then watched the repeat of the West Ham Aston Villa match, which depressed me – so much so, I went for a siesta. Saturday night was bizarre! It was La Noche de Los Museos (The Night of the Museums), whereby the Buenos Aires council, for one night only, open up 102 of the city’s museums/cultural centres with free entry between 7pm and 2am. A really nice idea, in theory, but hey – this is Argentina, so it was always gonna go abit Pete Tong for us. Matt, Marek and I decided that we wanted to go to the observatory. After our all you can eat for the equivalent of £2.50 meal, we headed to the observatory at about 10pm. On arrival, we were told that the next tour of the observatory wouldn’t be until midnight – not good when we had a taxi picking us up form ours at 1am to take us to a house party. The observatory happened to be one of the only museums not in close proximity to any of the others, so on the tube to the centre it was where we thought we’d have a drink on our way back to the flat. We stumbled across the National Bank on our way, which was open as part of La Noche de Los Museos. Hmm, coincidence what with my research project on the crash coming up, no? The building was stunning, the contents…not so much. The huge bank was full of loads of desks with computers looking like there are run by hamsters – no wonder the economy went a bit tits up. It was cool though to picture what it would have been like on the day of the crash in that place…nothing short of mayhem I should imagine.
So, back to the flat, on the house party in San Isidro. Ok, until arriving at the neighbourhood, didn’t realise it was one of the most affluent areas of Argentina, so it was more like a mansion party. It had a room which I can only assume was intended for parties/functions, which backed out onto a huge garden. What’s more…free alcohol! We didn’t take full advantage though, as being typical Brits (the only non-Argentines at the party, infact), we brought our own! Was a really good party though, with Latin American pop, cumbia and reggaeton all the way (obviously!) We got the train back and I arrived home at 8am Sunday morning. We left Matt asleep on a green in the centre, getting licked by a stray dog. I threw a thromby on the way home though as the tubes were closed so I had to walk like a mile! Needless to say, my body clock was fooked, and I was hungover until Monday night, but I was impressed by my first experience of an Argentine house party!
Monday was deadline day for about 4 pieces so I spent the day finishing off articles/editing my Che Guevara article. I quite like that on the 40th anniversary of el Che’s death, despite being soooo much media coverage, no one has taken the same angle as me! Che in the Congo – check me right out! Ok, so it’s a bit ropey in places, but Kristie’s happy with it and will be printed in Friday’s edition, with my tea review and Argentina news round up!
Anyways, so it’s Tuesday, sorry is taken so long…hope all is ok in Blighty, and wherever else you may be reading this tripe! Take care!
X
PS. Stan has fleas.
