A Conversation with my Cousin

Had a fabulous run today right after Cristina came by around 9:30 am. It's funny how the route seems different while the shops are still closed. The air was crisp and cool. I love autumn runs. The air is just chilly enough to keep you cool, and it seems like my legs could go on forever. When I got back, Luis came by to fix our light fixture shortage, and then wouldn't accept the cookies we bought him as a thank you. So I ate a couple before hopping in the shower after Cristina left. Today she wore her pink maid's uniform.

As I headed to Avenida Libertador to meet the girls for lunch at Croque Madame, I get a call from Jenny. She and Andrea are running late from Palermo Soho, and Annemarie cannot make it. She had a "Murphy's Law" day, and she gave up trying to join us for lunch. This bums me out because we had made plans to volunteer with ACORN in La Boca for at least a month now, and lately it seems impossible to tie her down. She does live with a tried-and-true Argentine, so I think the porteña mindset is starting to sink in for her. Well that, and she gets easily frustrated with things like canceled buses and bugs in her lettuce. Anyway, she sent us her sob-story apology for not joining us at lunch as planned, and below is basically my response. I figured I'd just copy-paste it since it was a run-down of my day. And my life:

I decided against going to La Boca, partly because it was so cold and partly because we were with Andrea and I decided to go along with her to see the stuff she wanted to see. I feel like I was a bit standoffish with her earlier, which was unfair because she really is a cool girl. I probably have more in common with her than Jenny. But at the same time I didn't really want to change my routine up just because she was here, and I figured she and Jenny would want to catch up... So I let them do their thing but I am glad we were able to eat at Croque Madame. We only managed to get a seat inside after putting my name on the list and waiting thirty minutes for the girls to get back from Palermo Soho. I just about memorized the menu in Spanish since I brought no other reading material to keep me company, so when they sat us and gave us the English menu, I was a bit confused. But the food was good. Ordered a Croque Monsieur sans jamon (which Jenny also ate and said, "This would be really good with ham." I think the vegetarian is breaking, and I don't blame her. Two years of white food is two years too much for me.) And then I ordered the Petit Gateau (molten chocolate cake with candied oranges that was phenomenal. I have become the ultimate glutton. It needs to stop. Seriously.) Jenny finally had her Torta Bomba, and I think she was a bit disappointed. I didn't taste it since I'm not a big fan of Italian meringue (or any meringue for that matter,) but she said it was talked up too much. But at least now she knows. She debated ordering it, claiming she was "too full," but I told her I didn't want to hear her whine for a month that she never tried it. Well, maybe I didn't say whine... but I convinced her to order it. She and Andrea finished it all though, so it can't be that bad. (Side-note: On the English menu, it's translated as "Bomb Cake." How awesome is that?)

Then we hopped a bus to Plaza San Martin, where I'd never been, because Andrea wanted to go there and then to some department store on Calle Florida. Florida has always been overwhelming to me, but it wasn't that bad and since it was already nearing 5 pm, I figured I was in for the long haul and not going to ACORN. Jenny says she'll go next week on Thursday. I hope you can come then! We could still do tomorrow I suppose (for drama class or just playing with the kids.) I am going to waitress tomorrow night at that bar Sugar. I figure it'll be good experience and if I hate it, it's only one night of my life. I figure I won't even make as much ($10 peso/hr) as I would save on a night on the town, so whatever. They said "drinking on the job is encouraged" and "dress for tips." Cool. I feel slightly degraded. But where else but Argentina would I do this? And honestly, I've always been told a waitress job looks good on a resume for people skills.

So now we are back, and I am still full beyond belief and flopping in bed. I think I need a nap. Andrea and Jenny want to go to some club with transvestite midgets, which could be interesting, but I don't know how much I want to go if it's pricey... And considering I'll be on my feet from 11 pm - 7 am tomorrow night. I could rest up. Andrea just took my keys to go read and get coffee, so I am locked in for a while. Jenny might go to church tonight. I don't know why on a Thursday, but I don't ask anymore. Catholicism is so confusing to me. Especially her Catholicism.

But tomorrow I am planning on doing my thing: running around 10 am, possibly grabbing some coffee, and then going to the Madres Museum around 1 pm. Would that work for you? (Are you still interested?) I think it'd be cool to see, and I'm hoping they could sell me the Che Guevara Motorcycle Diaries book. I'm not sure the area, I think the Guia T has it near Plaza de Mayo (which would make sense) so maybe we could grab some coffee/lunch in the area afterward. Or maybe even trek over to Puerto Madero if it's a nicer day? Let me know.

We ended up seeing the Decorative Arts Museum after lunch. It was really pretty cool. A huge mansion with rooms full of antique furniture and portraits and sculptures and costumes. Very different than most museums. It was one of those things where, maybe I could've appreciated it more if I knew more about the history, but I enjoyed it for what it was. Pretty to look at. And only $2 pesos. So that was our day. It was awesome weather for my morning jog, so that was also a nice plus. As I cleaned both my plates at Croque Madame, I reminded myself that I went jogging and the girls with half their sandwiches on their plates did not. But really I just couldn't stop eating.

But as for your situation, I'm sorry for your bummer of a day. And I don't know what advice to give you regarding staying/leaving. How do you chose between your life and the love of your life? All I can say is that when I start to get homesick, I try to do the most Argentine thing I can imagine. Because I know I'm going to miss this place when I get back.

I think Spanish lessons would definitely help with your adjustment, especially if you plan on staying. It's amazing how much my Spanish has improved just by being here. It's not that I didn't know it before, but it's almost that whole "if you don't use it, you lose it" mentality. And people here really don't speak much English. I mean Damian does (obviously) and a lot of people we would meet (like in our social circles, not to sound hoity-toity but as Americans we do seem to run around in higher echelons of people who are, for the most part, well-versed in the English language) but shopkeepers and cafe workers and daily run-ins don't speak English. I realize why my mom got so frustrated here. It's like being a baby again somehow. You know what you want but if you can't express it... well that is just beyond frustrating. So I think Spanish lessons are a good idea, whenever they start. Regardless of whether you stay. Hay un dicho: Una person que sabe dos lenguas vale por dos. And I think it's true. (Also on that tangent, Croque Madame has rocket salad. Rocket is my favorite vegetable. I sometimes wonder if I could cut it as just a menu translator. I feel like I have enough experience eating here...)

But Spanish lessons - yes. And as for meeting people, I think that's just where you have to get out and do your thing. Inevitably you will meet other people with similar interests. Eventually girls should get less catty. I mean Argentine girls do have friends, right? I don't know what else to tell you except my mom's sage advice, "Just be your sweet self."

But as for a psychologist run-down, there are plenty here, but I don't know how much that would help (or how much English they would speak.) You certainly have had a crazy year, and I think as long as you acknowledge that and don't take it out on the wrong person/thing (including yourself) that's all a psychologist would tell you to do. Well that, listen, ask you about your parents/childhood and then when you have a question they would answer with "Well now what do you think?" which is a pretty frustrating response, but I suppose it gets a dialogue going. Even if that dialogue is really just with yourself.

So in that respect, I am going to take the psychologist role and tell you that you know best for yourself. A yoga instructor once told me, "Listen to your body, you're the only one who knows it like you do." I guess you can bend that to be your heart/mind/soul whatever you're supposed to "listen" to when something weighs on your heart.

And yes, I am going to miss you like crazy when I leave. And yes, we still have plenty of things to do here and almost a full month left to do them all in! So we are going to soak it up, because no matter how long it lasts, we are no doubt going to miss it when it ends.

So that's that. My day and my advice. Pictures to follow.

"When I look down, I just miss all the good stuff; when I look up, I just trip over things." - Ani Difranco

...like dog poop. Which I've gotten remarkably good at avoiding. I think I've only stepped in it once in almost two months. It's like you subconsciously scope out the sidewalk ahead of you, and your feet lift up without thinking.