11/22/07
Our apologies to those who were worried we had dropped off the face of the earth. Our first week here was a real shock to the system, but now we are recovered and settling into the city nicely. It hasn’t quite been a month since we left Port Townsend, but it seems like much longer. We miss you all, and hope that this email finds you well, especially on this Thanksgiving Day.
Buenos Aires is a city of gigantic proportions; three million people in the immediate area and another nine million in the surrounding suburbs. It is hard to comprehend until you are in the middle of it. The name itself means “fresh air” or "fair winds" which I immediately found contradictory. The people here find it perfectly acceptable to drop trash wherever they may be standing, and the streets are packed with taxis and buses that seem to burn oil rather than gas or diesel. As if the air wasn’t dirty enough, smoking is considered high fashion h
ere and we consistently find ourselves walking extra fast to pass a smoker on the sidewalk, only to find ourselves behind yet another. However, after a week, my mucus membranes have adjusted and now we have moved into an apartment on the 16th floor of a building with an expansive view of BA (although it is probably only a small portion of the total city). From here, I can clearly see why the city has its given name. There is no smog layer, despite the constant stream of pollutants; the fresh air from the Atlantic Ocean must help to cleanse the air each day. It is amazing to say the least.
Our apologies to those who were worried we had dropped off the face of the earth. Our first week here was a real shock to the system, but now we are recovered and settling into the city nicely. It hasn’t quite been a month since we left Port Townsend, but it seems like much longer. We miss you all, and hope that this email finds you well, especially on this Thanksgiving Day.
Buenos Aires is a city of gigantic proportions; three million people in the immediate area and another nine million in the surrounding suburbs. It is hard to comprehend until you are in the middle of it. The name itself means “fresh air” or "fair winds" which I immediately found contradictory. The people here find it perfectly acceptable to drop trash wherever they may be standing, and the streets are packed with taxis and buses that seem to burn oil rather than gas or diesel. As if the air wasn’t dirty enough, smoking is considered high fashion h
ere and we consistently find ourselves walking extra fast to pass a smoker on the sidewalk, only to find ourselves behind yet another. However, after a week, my mucus membranes have adjusted and now we have moved into an apartment on the 16th floor of a building with an expansive view of BA (although it is probably only a small portion of the total city). From here, I can clearly see why the city has its given name. There is no smog layer, despite the constant stream of pollutants; the fresh air from the Atlantic Ocean must help to cleanse the air each day. It is amazing to say the least. The food in BA is fantastic! You may have heard people speak of Argentinean beef with a look of longing in their eyes, and now we see why. It is the most tender, juicy, and tasty beef we have ever had, far surpassing even the delicious options in the local Washington grass-fed community. For a white tablecloth dinner service for two including bottled water,
the best beef tenderloin steaks we have ever had, salad with delicious fresh veggies, and desserts will typically cost only $15-20 USD total. The timing for meals has been a strange adjustment for us. The locals eat lunch each day between 1:30 and 3:30 and then have dinner sometime after 8:00 with the prime restaurant time being 9:30 to 10:30 on weeknights and later on weekends. When we went out last night at 9:30, we were faced with a 40 minute wait for a table! And, it should be noted that a meal is no quick event - a couple hours is standard. Needless to say, with these late nights, we haven't really experienced the breakfast scene.Forrest’s Spanish is improving each day and he is intent to learn as fast as he can, and even master the Argentinean dialect that was a surprising change from the Spanish he had learned previously. The people here are very kind, but it was surprising to find that English is not commonly spoken – this has been unfortunate for me!
The weather here was cool and even a little rainy when we first arrived, but within a few days it changed to what we had expected; highs in the 80’s, lows in the 60’s and only a couple of days so far with much humidity. It is really pleasant, but the sun is very intense and we easily burned after a few minutes of watching a professional tennis match on clay courts last Sunday.
Tuesday yielded a trip to the National Museum of Fine Arts, where we viewed an impressive collection of both European and South American artists. The well known included Picasso, Rodin, Gaughin, Cezanne, Degas, Diego Rivera, Jackson Pollock, Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, Renoir, and Kandinsky. Surprisingly, entrance to such a museum was by donation.
We walk a lot! Transportation options include subway and taxi, but we are in a great location to be within walking distance of many places, especially when you don’t have to be there in a hurry. The subways are very clean, the taxis are for thrill-seekers, and we have used both to some degree. The most expensive taxi ride we have had so far was about $7 USD and the subway only costs $.30 per ride.The other main news to report on of course is the pregnancy. All continues to go well. I am feeling fantastic and the additional walking is nice. There are days where I am more tired, but nothing unusual. Due date is April 30th and I am a little over 4 months along. I look forward to feeling movement any day now....and in the meantime, we are searching for a doctor here in BA to do a check-up and ultrasound in December. For all you curious folks, we are still determined to have the gender be a surprise at the birth.
Check back in a couple of weeks for an update and more photos!
Peace and Love,
Nicole and Forrest
