Feliz Fernet...Err Navidad

Christmas eve plans were me, Nells and Derek. Skype dates with our families, and a nice home cooked meal before heading out to enjoy the ruckus of fireworks at midnight. Part of that plan went well. The other part was more improvisation. 

I biked over to their house around 3pm, in 75 degree weather, sun shining, just another normal day in July. Except it's not July. It's December. December 24 to be exact. Christmas Eve in the summer. Don't know how I would ever get used to this. I love the christmas light, snow-on-the-ground, over-produced Christmas in the States. That magical feeling of being in New York City during the holidays. Where you feel that everywhere you go starting at Thanksgiving, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. 

The random sampling of Christmas trees and decorations in stores the past few weeks has been freaking me out. In my mind, like I said, it's July. We should be prepping for a 4th of July cookout, no? But Facebook keeps reminding me that there's snow on the ground and it's time for ice skating and Starbucks hot chocolate fire-side in the States. I loved experiencing it from a totally different angle in the Southern Hemisphere. The holiday season for me didn't feel stressful. I didn't have to think about what to buy who. There's something great about Christmas in the US, but being here made me realize just how over-commercialized it all is. 

Here Christmas Eve is more celebrated than Christmas day. Everyone gathers with their families to eat and be merry, opening their gifts and toasting at midnight. The city shuts down, and there is no one in sight. I love that. 

Anyway, I got off subject. I arrived at Nerek's house, and we toasted Christmas cheer sweating with icy glasses of Fernet and Coca. After a quick discussion, we voted against cooking ourselves, opting to dine out Parilla-style. Nells and I cut up the gay maps I took from work to make "snow flake" decorations for the house. I made everyone newspaper hats, because nothing says Christmas like a newspaper hat, right? We skyped with my family, as well as the families of Nelle and Derek. And the next thing we knew, it was almost midnight. No time to eat. Time to toast the champagne and head outside for the show.

Much like my Christmas in Guatemala, this year's was filled with watching and listening to fireworks go off from every direction. This involves a certain level of awareness, as you never know when a 5-year-old is lighting something on fire at your feet. At 12am sharp, families began to flood into the streets of Abasto. Mothers hugged as their kids ran around with sparklers, and little boys begged their dads to light just one firework. I guess it's somewhat like what 4th of July is in the states. We ran around the streets trying to catch all the action for about an hour and a half, reveling in the merryment. 

Then we realized we were hungry. And that besides a package of crackers, we hadn't eaten anything all day. We went on a hopeful walk to try to find an open restaurant, but the only thing open was us as targets for getting hit by amateur firework lighters. After a tour around the hood, and a failed dinner search, I sang "Oh Christmas Tree" to a Charlie Brown-esque tree in the street before we headed home for huge plates of pasta. 

I wouldn't have spent it any other way.

re-gifted mate thermos

Derek's Christmas jig

we poppin champagne like we won a championship game

christmas hats

see? even my brother was wearing one in indiana

snow flakes

skype dates

clock strikes 12

fireworks on all sides

feliz navidad

oh christmas tree. i'm hungry.

Derek and I watched these kids lighting stuff off the roof for about an hour

they may have started shooting them at each other

and may or may not have hit each other in the process

In The Know

As Yann left town, Alissa arrived. And visitor-filled December continued. 

I have always been amazed at Alissa´s talent for attracting cool. When we were in New York together, she always had the low-down on what was happening. She has a way of talking with people and figuring out the inside scoop on EVERYTHING. I think she made more local friends in 4 days than I have in 9 months! I love her for so many reasons, and being able to tag along on her adventures is one of the perks of being her friend. 

We got to have a few meals together during the week around her work schedule, but the real fun started when she extended her flight an extra day and came to stay with me. After getting in touch with all her new friends to check out the scene for Saturday night, we headed out to Congreso for a late lunch of ceviche and lamb chops at a Peruvian spot. After, we wandered around admiring the street art and stumbled upon a punk concert hidden in the back of a parking lot. We tried to blend in to the crowd and shake a tail feather, but I think we weren´t really blending in. She snapped photos while I danced around, then I played translator while she talked to the band members. The toothless one seemed to want to take me home. I always get all the good ones. Alissa found this amusing. I did not.

We got back to my house where Alissa received a mail from one of her new friends. That night was the opening of her boyfriend´s club, and she invited us to stop by. This is another thing I love about underground bars and spots in Buenos Aires. The email said, go to the corner of Arévalo and Niceto Vega. Look for the garage with the green graffiti. That was it. No number, no indication of which street it was on, nothing. Amazing. 

So we took a cab to the corner of Arévalo and Niceto Vega, and Alissa went one way and I the other, giggling about how ridiculous it seemed. But after five minutes I stumbled upon the garage with the green graffiti. And it was totally worth it. Underground bar/clubs in BA are the best.

ceviche

Alissa waiting for the door to the garage with green graffiti to be opened

becuase of the music inside they couldn't hear the bell, which called for banging on the door instead

success!

came home to find Manu asleep

alissa and i

diego showing us how to close the roof

alissa waiting VERY PATIENTLY for her taxi

Adventures with Yann

Yann Samuels surprised me with a simple email about a week ago simply saying the following:

Guess What.
I will be in Buenos Aires next week.
Yes!

No explanation, no details, just simply that. As I jumped up and down at work, I promptly replied asking for an explanation, arrival details, etc. Yann was my boss at WK, and was, is, and probably always will be the best boss I ever had. We have kept in touch since I've been gone, but I was looking forward to having a couple days to hang with her on a more friend level outside of the boss world. Luckily for me, it was a holiday weekend, and I had 4 days straight to hang with her.

We did it all. Friday morning I picked her up at the hotel. Our first order of business - coffee. She said she could just get something to go, and I explained that wasn't really a possibility in this city. That just like most things, getting a coffee is much more than getting a to-go cup and running to your next destination, but that the coffee situation is set up so that you sit down and really enjoy that coffee. Yann loved the idea as she told me she never feels like she has time to do that.  After an hour of coffee induced catching up, we hit up San Telmo and the older part of town to check out some of the old architecture. After a few hours we stopped into one of the old bars in San Telmo for a glass of wine, which turned into a bottle and a half of wine. Sometimes these things happen when you have nowhere to be and the company of an old friend. As we started the walk back to Retiro, we realized that amid all the beverage sipping of the day we had sort of forgotten to eat. This also happens sometimes.

We decided on...you guessed it...steak and wine for dinner. We hit up a spot called Club Eros, which is a dining room attached to an old soccer cub with mostly local patrons. When you enter the restaurant, it's as if you entered a rec center. We ordered bifes de chorizo, salad and wine. It was delicious. The kind of place where you're not grossed out when your dining partner points out the huge bug crawling up the wall behind you. After that it was rooftop time at Post Bar where we chatted the night away. Yann told me it's rare that someone can keep her out past 2am.

Saturday we hit the museum circuit, starting with the MALBA, followed by the Evita Museum. I felt tempted to rob all her refined hats from the display window. We went to the japanese gardens, then I introduced Yann to BA ice cream before we headed to take photos in front of Borges' old house. We finished the day with some shopping and a great dinner at Sarkis.

Sunday we hit up an old cafe followed  by the nature reserve and bondiola sandwiches at one of the sidewalk parillas. Then we wondered through San Telmo and walked a good 100 blocks back to Palermo. After a little shopping and some more afternoon cocktails, we settled on an amazing dinner at Las Cabras.

Monday, I unfortunately had to return to work, and planned to meet Yann for our last supper in Palermo. But I got a text from AHill that we were invited to an asado with the production company. Not your typical backyard BBQ. I arrived late (and sweating on my bike as usual) to a fancier version of your usual asado, where someone else does all the cooking and makes sure your wine glass is never empty. The production company has a huge backyard complete with a pool and a huge parilla. I sat down at the linen-covered white tables and mingled right in to that advertising dinner. The food was amazing, and we drank all the red wine to be drank in Buenos Aires. And it was wonderful. And when I woke up the next morning I thought my head had been run over by an 18-wheeler driving only 5mph so I could feel all 18 wheels.

I love that Yann Samuels and am so thankful we had 5 blissful days of touring BA together.

booties at the MALBA

i got really excited to see the new recycling bins on the street

nothing like ice cream in BA

cafe con leche

dinner for 2

the only photo of yann and i from 4 days. FAIL on my photo taking.

production co asado right before the switch turned

High Life - La Vida Alta

¡Que semana que tuve! A pesar de que sabía hace unas semanas que un equipo de WKNY iba a venir para filmar una publicidad en Buenos Aires por 3 semanas, y que iban a venir Laura y Marcos, fue una sorpresa descubrir que iban a venir Yann y Alissa también. ¡Que felicidad!

El sábado llegaron AHill, MatZ y Andrew. Es buenísimo ver un grupo de mi gente. Llegué a su hotel, el Four Seasons, el domingo por la tarde para ir con ellos al mercado de San Telmo. Los abracé muy fuerte y empezamos a ponernos al día sobre los ultimos meses. Almorzamos en un restaurante francés donde el mozo tuvo que guardar la cámara de Andrew detrás del bar para que nadie la robara. Brindamos por estar juntos en Buenos Aires. Gracias a N.A. por el almuerzo gratis.

Después de pasear por San Telmo, ellos se fueron al hotel a dormir. Decidimos juntarnos en Plaza Serano antes de cenar. Fuimos a Post Bar para tomar un trago y después a Don Julio para comer carne y tomar vino tinto. Dejamos la mesa, todos llenos después de pedir demasiada comida. Estuve feliz de tener Sugar Daddies en Buenos Aires. 

El lunes, Andrew fue conmigo a una clase de español con Silvina. La clase fue muy buena y Silvina nos dió una sugerencia para comer pizza rica. Le expliqué a Andrew que pasaba mucho de mi tiempo perdida y que el no podía enojarse si no encontrábamos el lugar. Pero por suerte lo encontramos y comimos un pedazo de pizza que era una bomba. Pasamos el resto de la noche tranquilos tomando cerveza. Andrew estaba feliz porque habló con el taxista sobre peliculas y directores todo el camino hasta el hotel. 

El martes nos quedamos tranquilos en un bar tipo mansión. El miércoles me encontré con ellos en otro hotel al final de una reunión con su director. La que me recordaba porque me fui de la publicidad. Cenamos en Bar Rodi donde otra vez pedimos demasiado. Yo tenía el jueves y viernes al pedo por los feriados y tenía ganas de salir. 

Después de joder a todos por tener más que 30 años, Andrew decidió ir conmigo a ver un DJ en Niceto Club. Fuimos a comprar entradas a las 12 pero la boletería no abrió hasta la 1. Fuimos a otro bar para esperar. Finalmente, conseguimos las entradas y fue el momento para bailar. 

Pero realmente, no fue el momento. Primero, tocó el primer DJ que era bastante bueno. Seguimos bailando, esperando el proxímo. El segundo era horible y no terminaba más. Finalmente a las 3.30am, Andrew se fue. No aguantaba. MARICON. Yo estaba muerta de sueño pero decidí quedarme porque pagué AR$100 y quería ver el evento. El DJ empezó a las 3:47am. Solamente en Argentina. Me quedé hasta las 5:15. Y me fui.

Me desperté temprano el jueves para pasar todo el día en la pileta del Four Seasons. ¡Que vida quedarse en un hotel así! Pobre AHill tuvo que sentarse al lado de la pileta todo el día con la computadora, trabajando. Cada 20 minutos un mozo nos traía agua helada, con un pedazo de fruta. Había helado y fruta gratis también. Podría acustombrarme a esa vida. Pasamos todo el día bajo el sol. ¡Una maravilla! Llegaron Yann, Temma y Sarah por la tarde, y eso también me hizo feliz.

Tomé una copa de vino con las chicas en el hotel antes de ir a Recoleta para juntarme con Laura y Marcos. Estaban en Argentina visitando la familia de Marcos. Fuimos a cenar en un restaurante muy bueno pero muy caluroso. Laura y yo estuvimos transpirando durante toda la cena. Cada 3 minutos nos mirabamos y nos preguntabamos si la otra tenía calor también o si lo era solamente ella o yo. Tuve la chance de jugar con Alexios que es un nene divino con mejillas gigantísimas. Los amo a Los Pereras. No puedo creer que Laura y yo tenemos más que 25 años de amistad.

Después de cenar, me fui a mi casa para morir. No. Realmente, para dormir. Porque estaba muerta. Pero muerta por el mejor tipo de cansancio.

This is the Google translation of my post, originally written in Spanish (because I'm too lazy to write it twice)

That week I had! Although I knew a few weeks ago a team of WKNY was coming to film an advertisement in Buenos Aires for 3 weeks and they were coming Laura and Mark, was a surprise to discover that they would come and Alissa Yann too. What happiness!
On Saturday came Ahillos, Matz and Andrew. It's great to see a group of my people. I arrived at his hotel, the Four Seasons, on Sunday afternoon to go with them to market in San Telmo. I embraced strong and started to catch up on recent months. We had lunch at a French restaurant where the waiter had to keep the camera behind the bar Andrew anyone steal it. Toast to being together in Buenos Aires. Thanks to N.A. for free lunch.
After strolling through San Telmo, they went to the hotel to sleep. Decide together at Plaza Serano before dinner. We went to Post Bar for a drink and then to Don Julio for eating meat and drinking wine. We left the table, all filled after asking too much food. I was happy to have Sugar Daddies in Buenos Aires.
On Monday, Andrew went with me to a Spanish class with Silvina. The class was very good and Silvina gave us a suggestion for pizza rich. I explained to Andrew who spent much of my time lost and that he could not get mad if we did not find the place. But luckily we found and ate a piece of pizza that was a bomb. We spent the rest of the evening quietly drinking beer. Andrew was happy because he spoke with the driver on films and directors all the way to the hotel.
On Tuesday we were relaxed in a bar type mansion. On Wednesday I met with them in another hotel at the end of a meeting with your manager. The one I remember because I was advertising. We dined at Rodi Bar where again we ask too much. I had the fart Thursday and Friday for holidays and wanted to leave.
After fucking all for having more than 30 years, Andrew decided to go with me to see a DJ in Niceto Club. We bought tickets at the box office 12 but did not open until 1. We went to another bar to wait. We finally got the tickets and it was time to dance.
But really, was not the time. First, the first DJ played was pretty good. We danced, waiting for the next. The second was horible and did not end more. Finally at 3.30am, Andrew left. I could not stand. Fags. I was dead tired but decided to stay because I paid $ 100 AR and wanted to see the event. The DJ began at 3:47 am. Only in Argentina. I stayed until 5:15. And I left.
I woke up early Thursday to spend all day in the pool at the Four Seasons. What a life and stay in a hotel! Poor Ahillos had to sit next to the pool all day with the computer, working. Every 20 minutes a waiter brought us ice water with a piece of fruit. There was also free ice cream and fruit. Could acustombrarme that life. We spent all day in the sun. Wonderful! Yann came, Temma and Sarah in the afternoon, and it also made me happy.
I took a glass of wine with the girls in the hotel before going to Recoleta to hang out with Laura and Mark. They were in Argentina visiting the family of Marcos. We went to dinner at a restaurant very good but very hot. Laura and I were sweating all through dinner. Every 3 minutes we looked and we wondered if the other was hot too, or if it was just her or me. I had the chance to play with a baby Alexios is divine gigantísimas cheeks. I love you The Perera. I can not believe that Laura and I have more than 25 years of friendship.
After dinner, I went home to die. No. Actually, to sleep. Because he was dead. But the best type dead tired.

Don Julio

Mana

NBD

Mujeres

Esperando

Horible

POSTA

Luz

trabajando duro

tango

La pileta

Calor y mejillas

Un genio

Los Pereras

Polo Dancing (el primer post en español y después en inglés)

Después de festejar el cumple de D. Clark anoche, me desperté temprano para juntarme con Libby y sus amigas y ver mi primer partido de polo. Creo que se llama partido. No estoy segura. Realmente, no sé nada de polo. Después de ir al partido, sigo sin saber. Libby es una profesional en el mundo de polo y por eso, siguí sus movimientos todo el día. 

Anduve en bici así que llegué transpirada. Hacía mucho calor. Compramos las entradas, todas vestidas impecables (Excepto que yo. A veces me falta elegancia. Y como ya te dije, estaba sudando), y entramos. El polo es un deporte muy importante en Argentina. Supuestamente los Argentinos son los mejores jugadores de polo en el mundo. ¿¡Quien sabía?! Fuimos directamente al bar para tomar champán con los ricos. Para mi, el polo siempre fue un deporte para ricos. Ahora todavía estoy de acuerdo. Fiajate.

Tomamos dos botellas de champán para sentirnos más una parte del espectáculo. Aunque las mesas en el resto-bar eran los mejores lugares para estar, decidimos dejarlas para ver el partido. Porque de hecho no gastamos mucha plata por las entradas solamente para tomar champán caro. Lo podríamos haber hecho en una de nuestras casas por mucho menos.

Bueno. Quiero decirte una cosa. A pesar de que disfruté el día en el sol con buena gente, el polo me aburre. Perdón, pero es así. Creo que tenía razón en pensar que los partidos de polo son una chance para los ricos de mostrar uno al otro cuanta plata tienen. Pero fue un buen lugar para mirar a la gente. Me encanta eso. No hay nada mejor.

¿Y los caballos? Divinos. Muy bonitos y musculosos. Pero que fiaca que deben tener. No me gustaría que alguien me montara por horas sin parar. Los jugadores cambian caballos casi cada 5 minutos. Cada jugador tiene alrededor de 12 caballos. Yo no tengo ni uno.

Después del ultimo partido, me duché y fui a encontrarme con Nerek en una parilla en su barrio. En 8 meses de vivir en Buenos Aires, la ciudad del Tango, he fallado en aprovechar la cultura del Tango. ¡Que vergüenza! Había que resolverlo. Fuimos a un lugar tranquilo en Abasto, yo sin saber el nombre. Pagamos la entrada de AR$20 y entramos en uno de los lugares con más onda que he visto en mi vida. Era una sala muy grande, hecha de madera, poco iluminada con techos muy altos y arte en las paredes. Alrededor de la sala había sillas y sofás antiguos y desiguales de todos tamanos, estilos y colores. Era un lugar bohemio, mucho más diferente de lo que tenía en mi cabeza antes. Había una banda bastante joven tocando música mientras un grupo de parejas bailaban un tango muy elegante. Estaba fascinada. No era un lugar fancy. Muchas personas estaban bailando en zapatos de la calle en vez de tacones de baile. Todo era muy bonito.

Cuando estábamos sentadas, le pregunté a Nelle que alguna vez había ido a La Catedral (una milonga muy famosa en Buenos Aires). Me miró con incredulidad y yo no entendía porqué. Me preguntó si yo la estaba jodiendo. En ese momento me sentí estupida. Me respondió que ese lugar era La Catedral. Claro. ¡Que boluda!

After a late night of celebrating D. Clark's birthday last night (of which I took zero photos), I woke up early to join Libby and friends at the Polo match. I don't know anything about Polo, and after today still don't. Libby is a regular in pololand, so I followed her moves all day.

I rode my bike so I arrived sweaty. It was hot. We bought our tickets, everyone dressed to the nines (except me because sometimes I'm a disaster and I was sweating), and went in. Polo is a big sport in Argentine. Supposedly, the Argentines are the best polo players in the world. Who knew? We headed for the bar to enjoy some champagne with the rich and famous. For me, polo always seemed like a sport for the rich. I still believe it.

We drank two bottles of champagne so we felt fancy. And even though we had the best table in the house, we left it to go watch the game. We didn't spend money on tickets to drink expensive champagne. We could have done that in our own houses for much less. 

Even though I enjoyed the day in the sweltering sun with good peeps, polo bores me. It is what it is. I think I might have been right to think that polo games are a chance for Keeping Up with the Jonses', where the rich can flaunt their stuff to each other. But the people watching was amazing. For that I'm always thankful. 

And the horses are amazing. So beautiful and well-groomed. But how tired they must be! I know I wouldn't appreciate if someone rode me around for hours on end without end. The players change horses like every 5 minutes. Each player has about 12 horses. BS. I don't even have one.

After a quick shower, I headed to meet Nells and D and their couchsurfer for some tango. I've really failed at the whole taking advantage of the tango culture in Buenos Aires. Can't win 'em all I suppose. Their couch surfer said the place we were going was a must-see, and that we would love it. So we made our way there, paid the AR$20 entrance fee, and entered into one of the coolest spaces I've ever seen. Dimly lit. Old unmatched couches and chairs lining the wood floors and walls. A huge bar in the back, high ceilings, and a great young tango band. We took a seat and watched in awe as casually dressed and shoed dancers took the floor. Have you ever seen anyone play the Bandoneón? It's an accordian-like instrument, and it's fascinating. 

As we watched in awe as the tangoers swept the floor, and not really having any idea where we were, I turned to Nells and asked, "have you ever been to La Catedral?" (which is supposedly a really good spot to watch Milonga) She seemed confused, and I really didn't understand why, then asked if that was a trick question. Then I got confused. Then she said, "this is La Catedral".

a little bubbly to start the day

the ladies all dressed up for the big day

when i look at this picture i only think of when the horses ran off the carousel in mary poppins

the final game

get em

winners

libbs and i running down the field

me and libs

la catedral

this place is magical

tango is sexy

feets