More Cordoba Pictures

Here are some more pictures from Cordoba and my outings...Buenos Aires
pictures t follow...

http://picasaweb.google.com/argentineyankee/MoreCordobaPictures02#

Tennis Anyone???

I have been in Buenos Aires for 4 nights....here are some of my highlights thus far:

Monday ...had lunch at the corner cafe with my mom, aunt and uncle.
afternoon siesta and dinner delivered to my apartment (a nice juicy steak and flan for dessert)

Tuesday ...Hang out with my new friend Christy...she is also here visiting Buenos Aires on an extended leave. We went out at night to a local watering hole for ex-pat's...called Shoeless Joe.
It just so happened that Tuesday's is free beer for the ladies. I had no problem drinking
Quilmes, an Argentine beer...Christy chose a nice Malbec. It felt good to speak Ingles!

Wednesday...Christy and I walked all over town; I was her official translator. She is trying to sign up for an intensive spanish course...this is when we realized that we were definitely in a Latin American country...couldn't get a definite answer at all...and no..she is still not signed in for a class.

Thursday...had lunch with my mom...walked again...to a Chilean supermarket chain called JUMBO...it's like a mixed between Target and Metropolitan Market. In other words, I could of stayed there for hours...but fortunately we bought a few things and heading out for our afternoon coffee. Tea and scones is what we actually ended up having...very British of us I know! They bring the tea pot to the table, the place is full of people and all the tea cups and saucers are a mismatched...I love it!
I discovered this place on Wednesday with Christy...it's going to be my "regular spot"...3 blocks away from my apartment...and as if that was not good enough...who walks in but no other that the recently 2009 Crowned US OPEN CHAMPION...and latest Argentine Idol...Juan Martin Del Potro!!!!! Really!!! He is as tall in person as in TV....very nice eyes ...very nice, humble and sooooo young ;) I was kicking myself for not having my camera with me...but I couldn't help myself...had to aks for his autograph...I know so uncool of me...but I just had to... :)

Now is Friday morning....7:30am...the city is waking up...I can hear the buses passing by below my window and the upstairs neighbor,,..walking on her heels as she gets ready to go to work.

Me....I am just fixing myself a cup of cafe con leche...

Food Shopping

Venture out alone this morning to the local supermarket, named DISCO.

This is a trip I thought, I would know what to expect and not have any surprises; I was wrong!

Without setting foot inside, I encountered my first surprise :) I stand by the first door I see and wait for it to open...it didn't ...so I thought to myself..."...must be an exit" and proceeded to the other double door, by then realizing that they were NOT automatic :)

Once inside, the lay-out is American style smaller. But, as in everything, there are exception beyond the food which is expected. Loved seeing dulce de leche, fresh pasta, the bakery looks delicious...but then the surprise was that when you buy anything from produce they have to weight the item(s) before you go to the check out. Those that know me well, know how I get lines. Once at the checkout line, I waited, lines are the same as in the USA...long and slow...
as I waited...I kept looking and noticing how short all the cashiers where..how weird I thought!

As I got my items out of the basket, and got closer to the cashier...I noticed that they are ALL sitting down...:)..hence their low height...

Buenos Aires...Here I come...: )

Packed my bags in Cordoba and arrived in the "Paris of South America"...
Left the camera cord behind, so I won't have pictures for a few days.

BUENOS AIRES...(tranlation= Good Air) ...Buenos Aires sounds nicer no?

All week-end there have been celebrating the arrival of Primavera/Spring :)
On Sunday, ALL high school and university students hung out at local park and have a little festival. Today Monday, they celebrated by having NO CLASSES.
I'm finding out there are a lot more Holidays celebrated here. It makes the school year look like
the Month of November in the Nothshore School District :)

Student Day, Teacher Day, Professor's Day, Day of the Child, and the list goes on...!
Btw: because of the reversal of seasons (Argentina is below the equator), school stars in Mid-March thru the end of November.

My studio apartment is on the 9th floor. It's cute and I have a little patio...all the conveniences of home in 600sq ft...the only thing I'm missing is an OVEN! The great news is that in this city ...everything IS DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR...via roller blades, bikes, carts...I can have my groceries, order dinner...and I don't mean just pizza...I mean a full range of restaurant food, a steak, fresh pasta, even ice cream. The ice cream is delivered in scooters with a cooler in the back...and then it is delivered to your apartment in individual mini coolers....gonna have to order some just so I can take a picture for the blog... :)
I can also take my clothes to the laundromat or dry cleaners, and they both home deliver.
Now that's service.

Eating In Argentina

Since yesterday we've had, what I lovingly call "seattle weather". Overcast, gray skies and light rain. People here are ready for Primavera/Spring :) They badly need the rain, we are surrounded by dirt and the songs of birds, it´s time for some green!

I´ve taken advantage of the weather to be lazy...I know, already I'm not working so how can I be any more lazier (sp?is it a word) I think my sister was right, the longer I stay, the more my "ingles" will suffer.

Eating in Argentina is an experience, coffee shops hardly sell you a cup to go. Drinking coffee is a

sit down occassion...even if you don't eat anything else.

For the most part, whether in the city or the country, here is how an Argentine eats:

Breakfast - Coffee black or with milk or MATE, a gaucho typical green tea

8:00-10:00 with FACTURAS /their donut equivalent but more European in style

or toasted/crackers with butter & jam.

Lunch 2 hr/3hrbreak/ If they can, people go home to eat and take a nap.

13.00-17:00 Most stores close during these hours.

If you look at their plates you´ll think it was dinner time.

Today's lunch / as per above picture is called PUCHERO=Beef Stew

PM Snack Called MERIENDA - Whether at home or out and about, you take about 30min.

18:00-20:00 to drink a "Cafe con Leche" and some cookies, or a beer with a mini sandwich.

Dinner Another big meal ..but that I mean... they COOK again...

21:30-23:00 Typical dinner could be a steak and potatoes or a pasta dish

It's very common to linger even longer at the table, especially during the

week-end hours.

The secret to their svelte physiques I think ..is WALKING...lots of walking!

PS: the 24 hr military time is used throughout Argentina...no A.M nor P.M here

A few more food pictures can be found by clicking below..promise to add more soon

These is the... SEE FOOD DIET...Look at the dishes I´ve been exposed to during my visit, but with the benefit of not gaining an ounce. Wish I could say the same :)

http://picasaweb.google.com/argentineyankee/ComidasArgentinasArgentineDishes#

Pictures #3

Ok...last one for the night...

http://picasaweb.google.com/argentineyankee/SalidasEnCordobaOutings#

More Pictures #2

Here´s Another link

http://picasaweb.google.com/argentineyankee/Argentina2009#

So far I have been unsuccessfull at being able to put all pictures in one folder...