¿Qué estas haciendo en Buenos Aires?

Some of you might have noticed that this is my current profile picture on Facebook. Ironically, this photo was taken over a year ago and I have not even been to the Boca barrio of Buenos Aires this trip--the jacket might have been a hint :)

In fact, I have not been much of anywhere since I got here. Most people would probably think that it's ridiculous that I am here in this great big city, known for its colorful combination of neo-European cosmopolitanism and working-class grittiness, and not going out to soak it in. The simple fact of the matter, though, is that "lo vi todo" (I've seen it all). Over the course of the two weeks I stayed here last summer, Juli and I really made a significant effort to hit all the tourist spots, and we did. I've probably seen more of downtown Buenos Aires than I have seen of any other city in the U.S., with the exceptions of Washington, D.C. and San Francisco.

And that's the point: those two cities have basically been my home, and Buenos Aires is so familiar to me that it feels a little like that. I don't really feel the need to go out to "see the sights", especially not by myself. But there's a hitch: at home you typically have school or work, neither of which I have had for the last two weeks I have been here. It is a strange limbo, looking forward to something but having literally nothing to do in the meantime.

Still, while most of my days have been filled with a shameful amount of perusing the web, watching movies on TV, and playing Worms, Scrabble, and poker over the internet, I have done some things of interest. For example, I have been able to cheer for my 2nd favorite national soccer team, Argentina, in the early qualification rounds for the 2010 World Cup. Watching soccer in a country where soccer matters is really refreshing, even if you aren't at the game. Argentina has been playing uncharacteristically terrible soccer, so it was exciting to being in room full of people rooting for the "underdog" for two must-win games that took place last week.

The week before last I went to a Sunday market--which are never really my thing--and was pleasantly surprised to find the most interesting variety of artistic jewelry and clothing I have ever seen (I kept thinking my Mom would have enjoyed it a lot!). Afterwards we hung out at a cafe and I had an "Iced Coffee", which actually ended up being an ice cream coffee, another pleasant surprise. A different night I went out to dinner with Juli's cousin and a few of his friends. Although we ordered salad, our main course was quite possibly the most calorific, heart-attack inducing food I have ever consumed, and it was therefore extremely delicious. It was called a Pizzanesa, a pizza where the doughy bread is replaced by a huge milanesa (only click that if you really want to know how unhealthy it was!). I recommend a pairing with Coca-Cola and a dessert of extremely chocolaty crepes.

Another day I went to an uber-modern mall with the husband of one of the cousins to find a present for "Dia de la Madre" (Mother's Day). I basically ended up picking out the present (a shirt and sweater which were a little overpriced--about US$150), which thankfully was very well received when we celebrated the holiday last Sunday. Argentinians really know how to make a great day out of very simple pleasures: food, company, and of course, mate, the oft-imbued national tea drink. It was a beautiful day out and we had "asado" (barbeque) with a dulce de leche ice cream cake for dessert (the most important part, right?). I also tried to set up my slackline, but that failed so we just kicked a soccer ball back-and-forth over it for fun.

Probably the most exciting thing I did, however, was to go to a local church league of 5-on-5 soccer ("futsal"). One of the cousin's friends was on the team, and it was fun to witness the passion of "streetball", even for such an inconsequential league. What was really great about the game, though, was afterwards when we celebrated their loss at the local McDonald's. We got there a little too late, so since we had already gotten out of the car we ordered standing outside the drive-thru window. It was a little cold and windy, but the humor of the situation made it great. At the register one of the team members tried sweet talking the attendant for me, calling me a "Yankee, but a good one"; a glowing compliment, considering that in Argentina "Yankee" still retains its status as a rather derogatory term for U.S. citizens. She wasn't amused, but she wasn't upset either: this is typical behavior for the lamentably large Argentine machismo, which I saw in vivo multiple times that night. Anyways, with the currency conversion (nearly 4 to 1), the not-so-tasty food cost me about the same as it would have in the states, which means for Argentinians McDonald's has gone from being a cheap eat to almost a luxury item (about 25 pesos for a meal). Leave it to the Yankees to bait and switch, right? I mean, the quality of the place was astounding, and people were wearing clothes more appropriate for a night on the town than sitting in Mickey D's. It was almost as if I was at a Taco Bell in Demolition Man.

And certainly, all the other time has not been a waste. For one, I have been reading more. I'm starting Three Cups of Tea, which is okay so far besides the author's insistence on 3rd person narrative, and I finished How Soccer Explains the World, which was, as expected, more interesting for its history than its theory of globalization. Also, I don't think developing relationships is ever a waste of time, and while I'm not chatting with new and old friends on the web, I'm entertaining 4-year-old Emma and learning Spanish and growing closer with the rest of the Gambettas (even though they do talk with incredible rapidity). Luisa even trusted me enough to drive when her daughter's baby didn't seem content to make the trip in my arms. She was amazed to find out that I could drive "cambios" (stickshift), and in such an old car. I tried to explain to her my first car, but it defies description, even in English.

So, that has basically been my two weeks in Buenos Aires, and it has given me a healthy reminder of the fact that a life without work is one that is largely purposeless and vapid. In a couple of weeks, however, I have a feeling I'll be on the opposite end of things, and have to call on one of the many important life lessons I originally learned from the Simpsons: "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy".