strange encounters of the buenos aires kind

Yesterday evening, after a very long day, Paul and I were strolling in front of the Abasto Mall (a giant shopping and cinema Mecca housed in the old Mercado Central). An Asian woman, well-dressed, heels blazing, slightly frenzied ran up to us shouting in broken English. Paul and I stop dead in our tracks. I think we were startled by the appearance of such fashion choices outside of Palermo Viejo and also someone of such elegance deigning to speak to us, schlepping around the city like two idling backpackers. The encounter unfolds, in English, making the whole the even stranger:

Woman: (shouting) Excuse me, excuse me! Where can I find more shopping. (Holds up shopping bags to emphasize meaning of the word shopping)

Paul: (Looks at Clare as if to say, 'Is she kidding?' then points at giant, unmissable landmark of Abasto Shopping Mall) Um, that's the biggest mall in town.

Woman: (frantically checking watch) It open until 10? 10?!

Clare: It's open late for the movies.

Woman: (Sound muffled by frantic heel clicking in direction of Abasto) Thank you!!

We walked away towards Carlitos totally baffled and still in search of Peruvian hot sauce. Very, very strange. Was the woman on an urban scavenger hunt? Did she have a 12 hour layover in Buenos Aires to max out her credit card? Had the throwers at Ezeiza carefully misplaced her baggage? What was the big consumerist emergency? We may never know. But I suppose when you need to shop, you really need to shop.

ya estuvo

Time for a new post, and not just to save my little sister (our very own Network TV Slut) from further bouts of acid reflux from my Mother's Day post but because my finals are over at the UBA and I feel like blogging, chilling, eating oranges, and resting for a couple of days before classes start again (on Monday - shoot me now). This is the first time in a Spanish Exam that I felt I really kicked the ass of the oral exam and choked on the written test. Usually, it's the other way around and now I wonder what it all means.

In the meantime it's election hour here in Buenos Aires and the subte is filled with interesting, funny, and sometimes scary propaganda giving me a little more to look at during my daily commute to and from the UBA. Voting is obligatory here in BA and it always gives you pause as an American to wonder why shouldn't the most basic right of a citizen be a patriotic obligation? How different would the world be if the underrepresented minorities in the US including retirees and minorities were required to make their voice heard? How many lives could have been saved if our popular vote was inarguable? I hope more of us visit the polls next year - with the same passion and vigor that we use while frantically dialing to vote for our next American Idol.

Plus it's wintertime so I busted out my warm coat and have taken to making soup and drinking Emergen-C to stave off la gripa. Although these photos were taken in color, everything feels these days to be in black and white.

feliz día, mamá

Today is Mother's Day in the USA so I wanted to give a shout out to the greatest mom in the world, Mary Nisbet. I know most people think their mom is pretty great but mine really, really is. For real. Today my mom, dad, and sister are going to climb a hill in Ojai, California and have dinner together to celebrate my mom's birthday and mother's day in one and it's only on rare days like these that I wish I was home. Without the support of both my parents, their voices at the end of the telephone, their kind and encouraging words, and their sense of adventure, I would not be able to continue running around whatever corners of the world tickle my fancy. On June 18th, my parents are coming to visit me for the second time in Buenos Aires and I just can't wait. Their last visit was busted up by a burst eardrum, canceled trip to Iguazu Falls, and domestic issues between Paul and I. So this year's trip will be different, filled with fun and healthy people, and the domestic bliss that Paul and I are enjoying.

In the meantime my blog has been lacking due to finals coming up this week. If anyone has insight into the uses of the presente subjuntivo, pretérito perfecto subjuntivo, imperfecto subjuntivo, pretérito pluscuamperfecto subjuntivo, and the like, I have until Tuesday to get it down. Today I am making cookies, empanadas, and things to make my mother proud to entertain asado guests - a beautiful Sunday tradition.

If you talk to your mom today - tell her you love her and Happy Mother's Day. If you're anything like me, her job ain't that easy.