BA Update - Getting here

Hola Amigos, from Buenos Aires!

So we got after an interesting stop in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It's fun to hear the brazillians speak, Marcela could understand much of it, but she was laughing that she ordered a sandwich she used a mix of Portuguese, Spanish and English with the clerk... and she got it. 8-) Here's a toast to multi-lingual people!

Marcela's mom Noemi, and her sister Agustina picked us up from the airport, frantically waving outside of customs for us... it was so fun to see them there!

We had a fun time at the airport pick up spot, when Agustina's car alarm went off and wouldn't stop. It was sorta funny/annoying... but the amusing part was that at least 5 Argentine guys gathered around and started discussing ways to stop/fix it... of course I couldn't participate in their chatting about the best course of action to take, so I just popped the hood, found the alarm horn and ripped out the ground wire. Presto! Sweet silence... at least no car alarm.

When we were discussing it later at a cafe, Marcela was laughing that so many Argentine men are that way...Chat, discuss, argue, but take forever to act. I did think it was a little funny. But I really don't want to start disparaging/insulting half of the country that I just came to... 8-)

Anyway, the next big adventure is a delay in cable/broadband for about a week and a half after it was scheduled. Luckily, some neighbors have an open linksys wifi, so I can leech access when I go into the laundry room... 8-) Argentine schedules are like a 12 year old chinese national gymnast... quite flexible. A refrigerator service tech was supposed to come today at 10:30, then 3:30, then 5:30, then monday, then tomorrow (after some cajoling I hear). I just find it amusing.

Living in a big city is pretty interesting too, everyone walks so much. It must be one of the big reasons that few people are overweight here. Lots of walking. I enjoy seeing the school age kids walk around... they all wear little white lab coats over their clothes. I guess it's 1. a class equalizer, and 2. a lot cheaper when kids get their clothes dirty. Marcela said that schools here don't have lockers either, so they carry their books all day in little wheeled "luggage". Many have the bright colors of super-hero themes too. Generally, they look like little traveling scientists walking the streets in groups. Heh. I'll share some pix later.

Agustina is making us dinner tonite, we'll get to see Martin for the first time since we got here. When Marcela and I came down last year in March, it was for their wedding, so it'll be good to see them again. I guess Martin's father owns a small company that makes those internally-lit, translucent plastic beer/soda/etc signs for shops, and he works there. Sounds interesting... I wonder how much knowledge they have on demographics of the city and the visual elements of the signs and how they effect sales. (crikey, i'm a geek)

Anyway, more soon my friends, I'll take some photos of the apartment, off the balcony and around the neighborhood.

Have a great day, and be safe!
Charlie y Marcela