I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way.: June 2011

I did a little grocery shopping, and some laundry. Then I walked around for a few hours. I found China Town. I like China Town. Then I wandered some more, and found the Buenos Aires Skate Park, sponsored by Converse. It made me miss my skateboard.

One time I brought my skateboard with me to Paris. I spent one night in Paris before taking a train to the Atlantic coast to live in a tent for the summer. I skated around, but the city wasn't great for cruising with cobblestone streets and such. I was wearing a sundress, and got some interesting stares. Anyway, under the Eiffel Tower was pretty smooth so I had a good time there for a little bit.

I got a little lost, walked by a park with a lake and saw a bunch of people on their afternoon jogs. There was an elderly couple taking a walk, arms linked, talking and laughing and looking as though they were 20 years old and in love.

Cities are great when they feel like they are alive on their own. This is one of those places. It has a pulse and a soul.

I didn't bring my camera, because I'm like that.

I haven't written in a while. I feel pretty guilty about that. I knew this would happen from time to time, and that's OK too.

I tried to write a big long blog post earlier about stuff, but I now don't feel like posting it. Here are some of the key points...

I am in Argentina, I have been her for over a month. It is good. I am subconsciously understanding short and sweet Spanish conversation around me. I can go places and ask for things with Spanish words and the results are often as I intended.

I haven't been defying death, so sometimes I feel bored, and then I don't write. I did do a trapeze class which was fun, and instructed in Spanish.

Facu and I have landed ourselves in Buenos Aires for a little over a week to house sit for the honeymooners who have gone to a Miami/Bahamas cruise. Buenos Aires is a lively place, and you get the feeling you are in one of the great cities of the world. The only problem is they cook their sushi rice with sugar in this country. This has got to change.

I mini-roadtripped to Villa General Belgrano for the Argentine Holiday weekend (Flag Day) with some good people. The town had a German, Alpine feel to it, and I believe was settled by Germans a long time ago. We played Spanish pictionary, had a picnic by a creek, and had some beer in the sunshine. It was good.

I am confused by the economic status of Argentina in the world. At first glance it is worlds ahead of other place I have seen, like Nicaragua, Indonesia, and even Costa Rica. The quality of life in Rosario and Buenos Aires seems to be pretty decent, but things are pretty expensive compared to what the average salary and wages seem to be here. Also, there are some pretty serious shanty towns on the side of the highway leading in to Buenos Aires. I haven't seen more, or talked to people of many different socioeconomic statuses, so I can't really say much about it, except it doesn't feel much different than being in the US, or more like Europe, most of the time.

That being said, you will ALWAYS end up spending more money than you think. No matter where you are in the world, spending money is any easy thing to do.

Also, I got scabies, which officially makes me a pirate.

Here are some pictures...