Sunday, January 18, 2009

¨Weekend Update¨ with Matthew Golombisky and Cat.

So, I had a social weekend. Let´s see.

Friday night I hung out in Palermo with lots of folks from my Spanish school. Some of them are getting TEFL certified, some are volunteers, some are language students (like me). Well, needless to say, considering most are from the states, it was a night of English, English, English speaking! It was fun. Good people. Late night/morning. When I finally inquired the time (because I still don´t have a watch!!!), I was told, ¨Son las cinco y media.¨ Oh my. I should head home... I guess? I did anyways. I shared a cab with a lady from the US who lived in Australia cause her husband was Australian. (...more on Australia in a few paragraphs...)

Saturday? Jog, exercise, grocery shop. And... ummm, what did I do Saturday night? Ahhh, si! I hung out with my Argentine friends! Julieta #2 y Fiorella y Martin y Isabel (and sister) went out for drinks. Isa is a TV/film producer. Martin is going to France soon. And!!!, Saturday night was the first time I rode in a car that wasn´t a taxi! I know. Isa lives in Boedo (my barrio) too. So she was nice enough to drop me off. Sweet.

(AND, I think it´s time to make a promised ¨shout out¨. To Laurie.) I have, of course, looked and checked out many cars here. I notice cars. I can´t help it, with my childhood and all; being surrounded by cars and the fixing of cars growing up does that to a man (and woman, I´d imagine). And at a later date, I´ll add more and more pictures, along with a full post, of the car attendence and scoping here in BA, but for now, I only want to say one thing: THEY ARE ALL STICK SHIFTs! I have not seen one single automatic transmission! (ok. not true, I have seen three Volvo´s here. They were automatic). BUT!!! All other cars, and I´ve looked and looked, are manual transmissioned (official term there for ya: ¨transmissioned¨) Even the cute little taxis. Eveything. Amazing. I love it!

Tonight? I went to Isa´s house. My newest Argentine friend. She invited me over to her casa (which is 9 blocks from me and really beautiful!) and I learned how to prepare ¨mate¨. The tea-type drink that´s everywhere here. I had it the first time on New Year´s Day on the beach at Villa Gesell with Julieta #1, 2 y Fiorella. Loads and loads of folks drink it. And they drink it everywhere!! I see people preparing mate in the car. On the street. Homeless folks, bums, making mate. All over!!! Well, I learned how to make it tonight. Or at least I learned how to make it, Isa home style. She says all homes/families make it slightly different. But yummy.

Then we strolled the area. Then, in conversation, she told me that the movies, big screen style, here are in English! The movies from the states are still in English here, in the theaters! I got really excited. I expected that they would already be overdubbed in Spanish. BUT NO!

In my excitement, she asked if I wanted to go see a movie? Umm, yea. Even though I haven´t been to a movie, on the big screen, in forever it seems, I certainly wanted it now. Really, when was the last time I´d been to the movies? It may have been when my aunt Alice and I went to ¨Borat¨when it came out. I donna know? I can´t quite remember.

BUT!, now I´m in Argentina. They speak Spanish here. ..a lot, duh. I have an opportunity to hear English on screen? Let´s do it! We saw a sort of independent film called ¨El Rastro¨. I´m not sure what it means, but it was great! (and odd... this is what Wiki says El Rastro is... click here) The movie took place in Australia! Some of you know that I was totally fasinated with Australia as a child. I never knew why. But kids don´t really ¨wonder why¨, do they? The movie was great! Highly recommended.

And now, I do my homework for tomorrow. Later folks.

P.S. Dad, this is where I live:

Ver mapa más grande

1 comment:

  1. I guess I don't win a prize because I never would have guessed that. Although, I wholeheartedly approve! Manual transmissions are LAME.

    ReplyDelete

living in Buenos Aires