U.S. Embassy Warning Today

The U.S. Embassy sticks out like a concrete thumb in a park-like setting in Palermo, an embarrassment to good taste made necessary by the negativity the U.S. provokes in Latin America. . . and today is apparently a red-letter day for that.

Inside the fortress, you find very helpful people when you need them. If you register with them as a U.S. citizen living in Argentina, they will send you reminders about how to replace passports and get visas. . . and the occasional warning, like the one I am pasting below that just arrived.

Past warnings have warned about swine flu, dengue fever or protesters blocking roads. . . and this one gets closer to home--a demonstration in front of the embassy against the U.S. deployment of troops in Haiti. The prediction is a modest turnout "that could turn violent." The warnings always add that just in case. Or is it so no one can complain later (as if we could sue for malpractice?).

Gee, where were the demonstrations THANKING the U.S. for being the first and most generous to offer help? Hmmmm...
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This warden message is being issued to alert U.S. citizens that as reported in the local media, there will be a demonstration directed toward the U.S. Embassy at approximately 6:00 pm on Friday, 5 February 2010. The demonstrators plan to voice their objection with U.S. military forces in Haiti.

The demonstration is estimated to be around 200 individuals. Groups expected to participate include: Partido de los Trabajadores, Partido Obrero, Nuevo MAS, Izquierda Socialista, Movimiento Socialista de los Trabajadores, Convergencia de Izquierda, Partido Comunista de los Trabajadores, and Frente Obrero y Socialista.


The demonstration is expected to be of a peaceful nature. Be advised that demonstrations may turn violent at any given moment for myriad reasons.


U.S. citizens may also call the Office of Overseas Citizens Services in the U.S. for the latest travel information. The Office of Overseas Citizens Services can be reached from 8:00 am – 8:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time, M-F, at 1-888-407-4747, or if calling from outside the U.S., at (202)-501-4444. For any emergencies involving American citizens, please contact the American Citizens Services (ACS) Unit of the U.S. Embassy’s Consular Section, located at 4300 Avenida Colombia, 1425 Buenos Aires; telephone+54-11-5777-4354; after hours emergency telephone +54-11-5777-4873; ACS unit fax +54-11-5777-4293; e-mail BuenosAires-ACS@state.gov; web page http://argentina.usembassy.gov/.



Americans living or traveling in Argentina are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department's travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui so that they can obtain updated information on travel and security within Argentina. Americans without internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

24 Enchanted Hours in Buenos Aires

Travel writers love to tout Buenos Aires as a tourist destination for North Americans, especially in the throes of winter. In fact at the top of this weekend's New York Times "most e-mailed" list this is none other than "Thirty-Six Hours in Buenos Aires."

Sure, read that if you want to overspend and go home with a skewed idea of Buenos Aires as funky, modern, and costly. . . and miss most of what I adore about "the Paris of South America" and will cost you less than a night in the Benjamin Hotel in mid-town Manhattan if you can survive without Frette linens and a pillow menu.

As their readers may expect, the New York Times guide leads readers to the hippest new artists, the oddly futuristic hotels, and the snobbiest restaurants, mirroring experiences you could have in Paris or Milan or even San Francisco and New York, albeit with cheaper steaks and cabernet here.

Now on the other hand, if you are not Big Apple elitist, or if you prize more representative experiences, or if you simply want to enjoy Argentina's capital city for less, consider my enjoyable and less costly itinerary suggestions.

So if you want a fabulous stay in this world-class city with more bang for your buck--and bump into fewer tourists!--read on about our 24 enchanted hours in Buenos Aires with ideas for doing it your own way.

Last September, my husband (and native Argentinian) Roberto and I chose to celebrate our civil wedding anniversary with a short trip to the big city. We spent exactly 24 hours there, arriving on a Saturday early afternoon and leaving the next day after a fabulous time that I cannot imagine having anywhere else. And isn't that the whole idea of travel?


DAY ONE: ARRIVE AND START SAVORING!

1 PM. INSIST ON A FRIENDLY, WELL-PLACED HOTEL. After a comfortable three-hour bus ride from our home city on the northern fringes of the province of Buenos Aires, we landed at the busy Terminal de Omnibuses in the bustling barrio of Retiro. A short taxi ride later, we experienced a check in that was smoother than butter at the Wilton Palace Hotel on Callao, our favorite in Recoleta/Barrio Norte, since I reserved ahead via on-line.

As a four-star hotel, the Wilton Palace lacks the luxurious appointments that I don't need and features the comfortable beds and impeccable bathrooms that I do. Moreover, it boasts a truly privileged location! Just step outside to access the famed Avenida Santa Fe shopping district. I consider the Wilton the best bargain in the area at about US$70 per night. You can rely on a knowledgeable, accommodating staff (who will remember you!) and eat hearty at the cold buffet breakfast, which is the one thing I'd really like to upgrade.

Note: Less than four stars in Argentina and you won't get a bath tub, or if you do, it will lack a stopper! (I travel with an extra one.) Here's a photo of a great designer bathroom from a shop in Buenos Aires design, and you may encounter some top-notch designs in newer five-star hotels, and the ladies' room at Aires of Patagonia restaurant is one of my Puerto Madero favorites. Given the sorry state of the typical Argentine public restroom, it delights me to stumble across some that are real works of art! (I may do a blog just on bathrooms soon!)


1:30 PM. ENJOY WINDOW SHOPPING IN BARRIO NORTE. [Uppermost photo.] Fantasize all the parties you could go to in the colorful array of party dresses! Find designer clothes (for kids too!) and gorgeous distinctive handcrafted handbags and shoes in enough colors and designs to stir your inner Imelda Marcos! I was intrigued to note a much bigger selection of comfortable shoes in the zillions of zapaterias that used to showcase only spiky high heels and fragile lacy sandals. I snatched up a perfect pair for travel--comfy and but not clunky! Not a bargain at US$70, but they were put to immediate use and I danced out the store!


1:40 PM. STOP AND SMELL THE FLOWERS. From one of the kiosks dotting the sidewalk, Roberto bought me a lovely bouquet of freesias (US$2) to perk up our otherwise ho-hum room. Street vendors also offered fragrant jasmine posies for a few pesos each.

For more flowers, check out the grand boulevard 9 de Julio or the parks in Palermo with breathtaking jacarandas in November. Be sure to look UP because the most glorious of all is the palo borracho, a thorn studded tree with a canopy of blooms as big and beautiful as stargazer lilies!


2 PM. ENJOY SLOW FOOD. We decided on a quiet Chinese lunch in an unexpectedly nice place for about (US$20) off the main shopping avenue, Santa Fe, as we can't get Chinese food where we live. For visitors who can, I'd recommend you go for traditional instead of trendy. Try some parrilla (grilled beef & innards), pasta (e.g., handmade squash-filled calamari-tinted raviolis), or pizza (my fave has hearts of palm, pineapple and ham and zero tomato). (If you are a vegetarian, you can still enjoy regional specialties at the Restaurante Bio in Palermo for Andean grains and Indian teas.) Then walk around enjoying the architecture. Isn't the Ministry of Education gorgeous?

Tip: Forget fast food if you want to experience Argentine cuisine (not counting empanadas). As the saying goes, "He who knows how to eat knows how to wait."


3:30 PM. FIND SPECIAL EXHIBITS AND ACTIVITIES. We took a taxi to the Tribunales, the city's historic, elegant racetrack and doubled our fun. Our first stop was the renowned annual spring exhibit known as "Casa FOA"---a huge expo of architecture and design at the racetrack! For about US$15 total, we got to stroll for a couple of hours, totally ga-ga, through full sized designs for bedrooms, living rooms, offices…with touches that remind me why I love being so close to the design capital of Latin America…from the sleek to the vanguard to the rustic…it was all there…and so many pretty young architects! Where are the guys? Here's a photo of the hall of individual bathrooms [between each light frame], each with a distinctive design, enough to bewilder and delight all those who felt nature's call.


Twice I was fortunate to make it to the fantastic South American design fair, the Ferio Puro Diseño, this year May 20 - 25 at the La Rural grounds. I think it is well worth a special trip, as is Casa FOA. These deserve mention in the NY Times for their size and quality. The University of BA is the top design school in Latin America--and these shows are proof! Maybe we should call this place the Milan of South America! Of course if you are not into design, you'll find plenty of other fairs and events--just type in your favorite kind of envent and "Buenos Aires". . . then plan your visit around your pasttimes or conferences or whatever. It's all here, from polo games and gourmet food fairs to tango competitions and film festivals.


After a scrumptious gelato at Volta's (remember that Argentina is nearly half Italian!) in a fabricated garden patio setting set up just for the duration of Casa FOA, we scampered next door and for free watched two races from a great perch in the bar. Who cared if the service was slow and the cheap food mediocre after so many memorable moments? Total cost: about US$10 (If you are a polo fan, come between August and December and goes to the Palermo Hippodrome!)

6 PM. HOTEL: REST & GET READY. The really great thing is that the distances in this whole venture were short enough that we could walk--and enjoy block after block of shops and historic buildings--or take a very quick taxi ride. No time was lost just getting somewhere. That is part of the wonder of Buenos Aires, unlike some place like Los Angeles, where as one of my favorite Occidental College (yes, Obama's alma mater) professors, Dr. Winters, noted, anything interesting always seems to be 17 miles away from anything else of interest. (I love LA--for other reasons!)

If your hotel is convenient, you can take a siesta like the natives do so that you will be all set for a night on the town as restaurants open at 9 pm. We had time for a 20-minute rest before getting dolled up to go out.

7 PM. JIVE WITH BUENOS AIRES LIVE. By reserving ahead just one day ahead, I managed to snag center front-row seats for the most acclaimed show in town, El Regreso del Tigre, which featured great actors in a family drama with an upbeat ending. Total for two tickets ran about $60. (What would that get you on Broadway?)

By the way, that was the early show; there were more folks for the 9 PM show--the ones who like to dine at 11 or midnight! Find dozens of theater and hundreds of live music show listings on line in La Nation, Clarín, the Buenos Aires Herald, and other sites. Prices are variable, but cheapter than you might expect. For tango shows, consult the hotel concierge or internet booking agents; do this in advance if you want the most popular ones on a weekend night.)

10 PM ROMANTIC DINNER. The Peruvian chefs on Canal Gourmet fascinate me and yet we just never seem to make it up to Peru. Next best thing we figured was dinner at the new Pozo Santo in Palermo, which is gaining a reputation for its Peruvian-Mediterranean dishes. We were inspired by the magical lighting and ambience, the peppery pisco sours, the freshest seafood. . . and too much chocolate! Bill was about US$70. And folks kept arriving after us! I wanted to check out the impressive patio but I didn't want to interrupt two lovebirds (and the guy very well might have been proposing--it looked good!). Here's a photo of a detail from the door to one of the restrooms--can you guess if it was the "little boy's" or "little girl's" room?

MIDNIGHT. Back to the Wilton to enjoy that verrry comfortable beds with lots of pillows. A party was just revving up, as midnight on Saturday is early in Argentina, but we fell asleep any way after a day of shopping, fairs, theater, and dining!

DAY TWO: LIGHT AND EASY ON US--AND OUR WALLETS

9 AM. BROWSE THE BOOKS. After the standard boring cold breakfast of ham, bland cheese, boring pastries, fruit, and yogurt (that always makes me long for a good old American breakfast of scrambled eggs, blueberry muffins, and crispy bacon), we checked out and left our bags at the hotel desk. We also asked them to reserve a car and driver for us for 1 p.m., our departure time. Then we sauntered half a block to the world's most beautiful bookstore, The Ateneo (photo, right).

A restored theater, The Ateneo's gilded balconies beckon you to sink into a club chair and peruse at leisure. If you prefer to linger with coffee, head for the cafe located where the stage was--its entrance still bracketed by heavy velvet stage curtains. We dithered around for a while and somehow escaped with just one book this time. To save time for more sightseeing, we hailed one of those ubiquitous yellow and black radio taxis instead of walking to the Plaza Francia.

NOTE: "Books are Us" could be a Buenos Aires motto, because you will find small bookstores tucked all over the city! You may have a hard time choosing which of the many great coffee table books (in English too) to take home with you! If you come in April, don't miss the annual family-friendly book fair, the Feria del Libro, with hundreds of displays and free lectures. . . and a million visitors!

10:30 AM. THE RECOLETA CEMETERY AND CULTURAL CENTER. As we did not have visitors with us, we skipped Evita’s black marble tomb this time and instead of entering the famous cemetery, we slipped inside the Cultural Center Gallery next door to the chapel (photo left). For free we enjoyed a great photo exhibit and some really crazy guy’s paintings & sculptures. (Just like you could find in NY!) I did find one detail that I thought worth sharing with you (see below right).

The Museum of Latin American Art of Buenos Aires, the MALBA, is one of my favorite museums of all time (with a pleasant cafe too). There are others still on my "be sure to visit someday list," from tango to decorative arts that might interest you more if you want to see things you won't find at MOMA or the Met (but maybe at the Smithsonian or British Museum as they seem to have "everything").

11:30. SIGHT-SEEING ON FOOT. We simply meandered the ritzy neighborhood of Recoleta, including both the exclusive shops and a gallery in the underground "Buenos Aires Design" and the park above it, just enjoying views. For budget purposes and for enjoyment of the plaza panorama, we opted for a simple, inexpensive, healthy and tasty lunch at Aroma followed by delicious Freddo ice cream (below). Total: about US$17.

1PM. We picked up our bags at the Wilton and got in the "remis"--the hired car with driver--who drove us to visit friends near San Isidro for the rest of the day. Our 24 hours in Buenos Aires was officially over.

It was the most fun-packed 24 hours I spent in a long, long time! Not including my shoes or taxis (negligible), the total price including four-star hotel, three restaurants (including one gourmet), theater (front row seats), design fair tickets, and flowers for the two of us came to US$260. (What would that get you in San Francisco or Milan?)

To be honest, we don't usually spend that much in BA, but as it was our anniversary, we treated ourselves a bit. When pinching centavos, we head for parks and museums instead of the theater and eat more humbly (which is still good in Argentina!). Instead of a sit-down lunch, we might grab some salami, cheese, and a bottle of water at one of the local delis and find a bench under one of the rubber trees in the Recoleta plaza, watching people gawk at their 100-foot spread. You can nearly always count on pleasant weather! Later we might go to the cinema instead of the theater. We go home happy either way!

One thing is for sure: you can do Buenos Aires your way. . . and be as chic and sleek or laid-back and budget-minded as you like. When you do, I hope you'll have a ton of fun, take lots of photos and great memories of this enchanting city home with you, and send the travel writers at the NY Times your opinion!

A Really Bad Day in Argentina

Tuesday was a really bad day in Argentina. At least for me. I mean REALLY bad.

The sad, the absurd, and the scary between breakfast and dinner.

It really made me want to get on a plane and go home. Here's how the day unfolded.

9 A.M. The Sad Part: A Dead Dog in My Garden

Shortly after breakfast, Roberto came in from the garden: "Honey, I have some bad news. Tonto died. I don't know when, maybe a day ago. He's behind the trees in the back of the garden."

Tonto is our neighbor's really dumb mutt. Roberto noticed last week that Tonto's leg had a terrible injury, that he had perhaps even been run over by a car. He called the owners, who live next door, and at receiving no answer, left a dire note, "Your dog needs urgent medical attention; we are concerned he may die." A couple days went by, and no action. I left an urgent call for advice on a veterinarian's phone, but no one called back. Severe thunderstorms kept us inside most days until Tuesday. I felt terrible that this poor animal died alone, in pain, and possibly with no more refuge than a bush during pelting rain. Poor Tonto! May he rest in peace in Canine Heaven, with all the big beef bones he ever wished for!

11 A.M.: The Absurd Scenario. A Customs Official, My Books, and the Iraqis

There is a dark secret in Argentina to which few are privy. It is the Borgian Institute for Petty Officials, where lowly government staffers learn surprising techniques to wrest any vestige of personal control we may have. I think of it as a kind of Zero Tolerance for Uppity Citizens who go so far as to think that government should be of the people, for the people, and by the people.

First the usual stupid delay at the Post Office: My daughter kindly sent me three small books before Christmas, and so with great anticipation, I kept a daily vigil for the letter carrier (who comes about once a month). Last Wednesday, I found a small note in my mailbox saying he came by during the one day I was not home all week! So I hurried into town, expecting to pick up my books. Nope, I was handed a larger note saying to come back on a Tuesday or Thursday morning when the customs office would be open. "Why not leave this second note instead of the first one to keep folks from making two trips?" I asked. I got a scowl and a repetition of the instruction to come back Tuesday or Thursday.

Tuesday morning I handed the slip to the agent at the customs window. The 60ish burly guy fumbled around in the office the size of a typical US bathroom, finally locating the standard Amazon box. He quizzed me and upon verifying that the books were in English, he said they would only be permitted if they had been printed in a Spanish-speaking country. Of course they were not (how many are?!!), and I protested that this was unbelievable. "Your country does incredible things too--just ask those poor Iraqis," he replied smilessly. Suddenly my Argentine husband showed up, and when I explained what was happening, he duly expressed outrage and demanded to know what law prohibited free entry of books. "One from the Ministry of Culture. Look it up on the Internet," said our petty official, seemingly perturbed, avoiding Roberto's gaze. He then handed the books over, slowly, adding that another agent might not have been so generous. We stalked out.

Later my friends and readers of the BA Expat Forum clued me in: The guy was clearly asking for a bribe as I was a US American! Their tips for future incidents: take a cattle prod, record the conversation, get the refusal in writing, hint that I am connected to very powerful people and his job could now be in jeopardy, or send an Argentinan to pick up the package (and I admit that something shifted when Roberto appeared). Ya gotta laugh here. . . or you'll hurt yourself banging your head against the wall. Then again, you could just pay the bribe and be done with it. . . you know, "when in Rome. . . "

5 pm: The Really Scary Part: Armed and Dangerous, and Dead?

After collecting my books and my wits, Roberto and I sought a little sanity and a cup of coffee at the nearby Cafe Augustus, where I bumped into Marisa, Tonto's owner. She was meeting someone, so she later stopped by my house. Over another cup of coffee, she dropped the bombshell--they had not been home for a month. Her son had been surprised by intruder at their home in early December and barely escaped as the burglar shot twice at him as he fled. Her husband had been similarly accosted two weeks before. So they are selling the house, having left a housesitter in charge (and said housesitter paid scant attention to poor Tonto, alas). Marisa assumed that I knew all this via the small-town grapevine, forgetting that as a foreigner, I am scarcely acquainted with it. She was smiling the whole time she related the dreadful account--because all's well that ends well. She is delighted that the family will soon be living in a well-guarded development in a nearby big city, which is what she has yearned for years.

I am NOT smiling. Each night I now close the shutters and bar my bedroom window and lie awake wondering who might be out there. (I mentioned this to a young woman today, who sighed and she said she has been mugged FOUR times in this town; one mugger stole her motorcycle, and when she spotted him later on the street, the police were not at all interested). That Police Station photo you see at the top? After standing empty for months, the structure was vandalized. Eventually it was demolished. Why pretend?

Meanwhile, it seems that the perpetrator that shot at my neighbor might have been the notorious NM. . . and if so, he is no longer a threat. He was killed when his companion in a later heist accidently shot him. Is that poetic justice? If so, it is sure swifter than any justice in Argentina.

Final Note: I am not making this up. I swear on a stack of the Complete Works of Sarmiento! In fact, I left out more sad, absurd, and scary details so you and I both can enjoy a little peace of mind.

Living Gratefully in Argentina: Three More Good Things

No, the title is not an oxymoron. When I find myself feeling swamped by bad economic and political news (so common here!), bad weather (been raining since November!), and expat nostalgia (during holidays), I get out a pen and paper and write out at least 3 things I love about my life here. It is a good way for an expat to surf instead of sink when the waves get bigger! These lists change with the seasons, external and internal, so here's today's list:

1) The avian chorus.

I wish you could hear them right now! It's kinda like being in the San Diego Zoo aviary! This is the kind of tweeting and twittering that lifts me! I love the lilting song of the calandria and zorzal, the cooing of the mourning doves, and the energetic cittering, cheeping, and peeping of a zillion birds who have not yet introduced themselves to me. I like to imagine that the swallows have come from San Juan Capistrano! We don't have flashy tropical birds on the Pampa, but we do have geese, ducks, ibises, and even pink flamingoes in the wetlands. Once a pair of egrets took an hour break in our pool! A friend in NH once told me that she figured that if she awoke from a coma she could tell the season just by looking at a few leaves. Here I think a really mindful person could tell the hour of the day as well by listening to the birds. I have the authoritative field guide and binoculars, plus an Argentine husand who is a walking encyclopedia, but please don't ask me to list them all. . . yet.

2) The perfumed air.

Just breathing is a sweet marvel here in summer! I meditate, and that deep breathing pulls in air that has been perfumed with jasmines, lavender, magnolias, lilies, roses, and even the grasss. It gives a new meaning to "inspiration"! I'm aware of it when hanging clothes on the line or swimming in the pool. I lost my sense of smell for a whole year in 2008 (and could only smell burned onions!), so I consider this a blessing, as good as savoring a dark fudgy brownie or a well aged cab. Just looking is a joy too, with abundant hydrangeas, and lilac-hued agapanthus that contrast with the vibrant red of the lilies...a designer's dream, with a thick green mats of dichondra and Brazil grass framing it all!

3) Homemade boysenberry jam.

As a Knotts' Berry Farm fan (and hailing from very near there), I was thrilled when Roberto planted some boysenberry vines on our farm. Here folks rarely see a fresh common raspberry, much less a boysenberry (which is a raspberry x loganberry x blackberry cross). Given a preference for the traditional here, locals have zilch interest in buying or even trying them, and they are too fragile to travel well. Thus we make tons of beautiful jam for ourselves and to give to special friends. This morning, despite my diet, I spooned three heaping ruby-red spoons fulls on the whole-wheat toast. . . edible jewels! The blueberries, our bigger crop, are great too--but the boysenberry always makes me feel like I am in California again! I love savoring this taste of my homeland all year long.

Well those are three things and it isn't even noon! How about you?

As Elizabeth Barret Browning advised, "Light tomorrow with today!"

The President Should Resign!

I never thought I would have high praise for bankers. But today, at least at mid-afternoo Wednesday, January 7, I would like to honor two who just stood up to the incredibly inept and unpopular President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner in her unconstitutional attempt to raid the Central Bank.

The nefarious manipulations of Cristina Kirchner are being covered as I blog... if interested, just go directly to a major Argentine newspaper, e.g., Clarin or La Nacion, whose freedom she tried to curtail recently and thus are likely to print all the dirty details.

Here is the bare minimum: Ten days ago Cristina sent an order to the Central Bank requesting US$ 6,000,000,000 to repay international debts. (And you thought YOU had debts!!) Of course I think paying that back is honorable--and she should use the funds already appropriated by the Congress instead of raiding federal reserves. Can you imagine a US President at WHIM taking money out of the Federal Reserve instead of following the budget AUTHORIZED by Congresss? That is what is happening here. This would enable Cristina to use the originally authorized funds HOWEVER SHE PLEASES, including pork barrel projects to buy legislative votes.

Martin Redrado, President of the Central Bank refused to release the funds, rightly claiming the independence of the Central Bank and reminding all of its purpose, which is to maintain sufficient reserves to guarantee the stability of the Argentine peso.

This morning Cristina demanded his resignation for defying her order. HE REFUSED TO RESIGN, noting his mandate runs through September and that she has not right to ask him to resign.

MARTIN REDRADO, I would like to offer you The Medal of Honor for showing courage and integrity in the face of threats . I hope you don't have young children or other family and friends who might be menaced by the Mafia K, as it is known. Being honest in Argentina has carried a heavy price tag in some eras.

The news continues to emerge from Capital Federal as I write.

Cristina's right-hand hatchet man, Anibal Fernandez, announced this morning that Redrado had indeed resigned, as he had allegedly told the President some time ago that he served at her pleasure, and as she is no longer pleased, he is out.

Redrado says he never offered such a resignation nor would the President have any right to request it as the Central Bank is not under her control.(The President has the right to nominate, the Senate to approve nominations according to the Constitution, which is not much read by Peronists.)

At noon, the Minister of Economy called a press conference to say that the President had appointed a new Central Bank President, without naming him. And things really got crazy!!

Almost immediately, the proposed replacement, Mario Blejer, who is skiing in the French Alps, was contacted and he emphatically rejected the offer. He said he must refuse the offer first because he agrees with Redrado, that the Bank is independent, and second, he consideres Redrado is still Central Bank President, and thus the position is not vacant. [Will Cristina offer the post to her husband Nestor, the recent ex-President?] So another medal please, this time for the skiier!

Meanwhile LaNacion just published a survey showing 95% of those polled side with Redrado. [People are sick of how the K's and kronies have multiplied their riches exponentially while trashing constitutional niceties.]

Cristina shows a real aptitude for shooting herself in the foot, for digging in over unpopular and suspect causes time after time as she runs this country into the ground. What a pity the Executive Branch did not close for January vacations as do the Legislative and Judicial branches.

When her husband was President of Republica Argentina, the federal motto was "Argentina, un pais en serio" ["Argentina, a serious country."] A bit laughable, I thought, for a country that shuts down in January and takes years to process simple documents. Now it has become a mockery with a band of fools at the top (and I'll soon blog about a really nutty letter that compares it to Obamacare and Democratic rule).

This is second time a woman has led Argentina, and I really was rooting for her to bring dialogue and transparency to this beleaguered nation. . . and now she is an embarrassment to her party, to the nation, and to her sex. What can I say?

Yep, the President should indeed resign--the President of the Nation, not the President of the Central Bank.

So any of you in the US think that politics are dirty or that the President is doing a bad job, just remember us. . . and go ahead and cry for Argentina. Or laugh. Given the absurdity, I do both.

Felices Fiestas & Adios 2009 !

In San Nicolas, province of Buenos Aires, it is beginning to look a little like Christmas. Given this small city’s name, you might expect more evidence the citizenry to deck the halls more, as it was actually named for the saint who inspired the Santa Claus legend.* But they don't.

Frankly, I miss the holiday glitz and cheer of December in the USA. . . from Christmas carols and the Messiah community sings to fabulous light displays and fragrant balsam trees, from gingerbread houses to Christmas cookies and fudge, from hand blown glass ornaments and snow globes to Christmas stockings and candy canes. You won’t find those here!

Sure, as of December 8, the official start of the season, some shop windows sparkle with holiday adornment and perhaps one house in 5,000 has holiday lights. The small artificial trees in public and private, with their shiny plastic globes, fail to stir nostalgia or awe. But where is the holiday music? The Salvation Army kettles?

The only Christmas cards I get are from US friends and family (thank you, one and all!!!). Boxed cards cannot be found here. . . but no one trusts the Argentine Post Office to deliver them. I tried it once, and it took three weeks for my card to travel the 6 blocks from the PO to my friend’s downtown apartment.

To avoid holiday melancholy, I am going to approach the holiday with “the beginner’s mind,” as the Zen Buddhists put it. As positive psychologist Todd Kashdan (author of the wonderful book Curious) would encourage me, instead of going through the door marked “Nostalgia,” I’m going through the one marked “Curious” in order to see and appreciate what is.

In this season of “Christmas Lite,” far from big cities, commercialism is not yet rampant. I have saved days, perhaps weeks, by not being able to browse Xmas tree lots, holiday cards, wrapping paper, ornaments, not to mention gifts. My credit card bill in January will not stun me.

I’m delighted to report that the politically correct phrase “Felices Fiestas,” or “Happy Holidays,” is the custom here. Conservative Christian groups in the USA have no counterparts here to foment boycotts and alienate the few Jews, Muslims, and Buddhists. (Argentina has the second largest Jewish community in the world outside Israel, and religious tolerance is the norm, despite a 92% Catholic majority. Who needs to prove anything?)

Thankfully, Argentinians call their December parties “fiestas para despedir el año”—farewell-to-the-old-year parties. I just love that, the phrase and the concept. (Ages ago, I boycotted the Skaneateles AAUW “Christmas party” after the board refused my suggestion to use a more inclusive term; I hear they have since changed.) Across Argentina at these parties, organizations and groups of friends get together to share a good meal. More formal groups may take the time to list and celebrate the achievements of the past year.

Already the restaurants and cafes are brimming with jovial diners at large tables. For the brindis, or toast, everyone must “clink” everyone else’s glass, so with great cheer and commotion in a large group, everyone gets up and squeezes and shuffles until they have bid everyone salud and felices fiestas. I like the way everyone makes verbal and eye contact with each other person in this process! I am really looking forward to getting together with other coaches in Buenos Aires on the 23rd for our own despedida del año.

The other important get-together will fall on Christmas Eve, La Noche Buena, when families convene for a cold repast (and housewives cook and refrigerate it earlier so they are free to enjoy it) and another champagne toast at midnight. Somehow in all that commotion, Papa Noel sneaks in and leaves gifts for the children, which are opened at midnight (and then the Three Kings reprise this on January 6). No early to bed for these kiddies! I haven’t had the chance to spend Christmas here with a family with small children, alas, but I have been struck by how the evening is about family sharing.

Ditto for New Year’s Eve, which is another family celebration with midnight toast, and I've been honored to be invited to others' family celebrations. Us fuddy-duddy can feel relieved at the low expectations and demands, and party animals will have to create their own excitement by setting off their own fireworks in the streets at midnight both Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve (as is done when one's soccer team wins as well...why leave fireworks to professionals?).

One thing I don't miss--a White Christmas. After over a quarter century in upstate NY, I am just fine with a dip in the pool on Christmas Day, surrounded by lilies, jasmine, magnolias, and hosts of choiring larks, doves, and more. Nor will the highways and byways be crowded. That starts in the New Year, when the summer holidays begin (and hotel prices skyrocket at the beaches).

Only Christmas Day and New Years Day are bank holidays, though schools start their vacations sometime around mid-December. The country semi-shuts down, even the courts, and the real partying begins! What a country, eh?

Okay, my "curious" beginner's mind plan: Enjoy open-mindedly the local customs while still preserving some of my own. I am going to bake those holiday cookies and fudge with my young German friend Britta, craft some presents, string lights outdoors, roast a turkey, and. . . ? We’ll see.

In the meanwhile, Felices Fiestas!

La Californiana in the Pampa

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*Nicholas of Bari , born in what is now Turkey, was a Bishop at the time of the Emperor Constantine (and took the side of the Trinitarians in the Council of Nicea). His remains rest in Bari, Italy. He is known as the saint who will help single girls catch a man and live happily ever after. Legend says he aided three poor sisters in finding husbands by dropping gold coins down the chimney on to woolen socks that were drying below. But the city of San Nicolas promotes itself as “the city of Maria,” as the Virgin Mary’s appearances to poor illiterate Gladys were confirmed by the Vatican and are commemorated in a huge domed basilica that draws over 1,000,000 devotees per year.

Michelangelo of the Pampa

Michelangelo, meet Miguel Angel, kindred spirit!

Though he works in recycled iron, not Carrara marble, you will recognize him as a kindred spirit.

He does larger-than-life statues, just like you did. One of them sits atop the Cathedral right here in the middle of San Nicolas. In fact, he's done all the important sculptures in this town, including the Malvinas War Memorial and a gigantic statue of the revered educator Don Bosco.

All the same, he is underappreciated. Despite his prodigious ability to fashion iron scraps into art, he makes his living trning out wrought iron gates.

Roberto and I pass by his workshop on our trips from our barrio into town, and I've especially admired the horse. Today I noticed the above singer sculpture perched over his entrance, and within one I'll call Death Calls. Roberto acceded to my entreaties to stop--and then took me inside to introduce me, as he and Miguel Angel have known each other for years. (Why didn't my husband tell me this years ago?)

After tying up his ferocious dog, Miguel Angel, with reticent pride, showed us his work in progress--a huge iron gate for the entrance to his own home. Imagine a huge wrought iron gate whose central vertical bars have been replaced by a sculpture of Earth within an oval,much like a map of the world's continents, flanked by two very pregnant women. When you visit San Nicolas, you will want to drive by his house! And if you know any one looking for great recycled iron sculptures, drop in his studio as well. You could end up shipping home a sculpture of a tennis or basketball player, a pair of eagles, or whatever this genuis creates in the meanwhile.