Thursday 19 October 2006
There is a lot of political graffitti in BsAs, here is one particularly creative example. The bottom basically says "We don't want Bush stepping on Argentina."
Monday, October 23, 2006
Fuera Bush
Thursday 19 October 2006
There is a lot of political graffitti in BsAs, here is one particularly creative example. The bottom basically says "We don't want Bush stepping on Argentina."
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Fileteado
Tuesday 17 October 2006
This is a rather nice example of fileteado, a painting style unique to Argentina, on Defensa St. It can be seen on all kinds of storefronts and signs and advertisments. I think it was started by bus drivers early in the century, who would paint designs and witty (sometimes dirty) sayings on the backs of their buses, for decoration. And from that, we have the now quintessential Argentine style.
Parque Lemaza
Monday 16 October 2006
Some kids in Lemaza Park, in the neighborhood of San Telmo, Buenos Aires.
Oh yes, and today is a holiday here, everyone is off for Columbus Day. Argentines are still very very proud of their European roots, and often celebrate their founding fathers and explorers. (Including the ones who went galavanting all over the country for the sole purpose of killing the natives. There is almost no native population left in this country, because they did such a good job with their genocides.) In fact, in this very park is a statue of Pedro de Mendoza, who landed here in 1536 and was promtly eaten by the locals.
Oh yes, and today is a holiday here, everyone is off for Columbus Day. Argentines are still very very proud of their European roots, and often celebrate their founding fathers and explorers. (Including the ones who went galavanting all over the country for the sole purpose of killing the natives. There is almost no native population left in this country, because they did such a good job with their genocides.) In fact, in this very park is a statue of Pedro de Mendoza, who landed here in 1536 and was promtly eaten by the locals.
To Mom
Sunday 15 October 2006
Today is Mother's Day here in Buenos Aires, so I decided to do something for my mom, and put up a picture of myself, so that she can see that I am indeed alive. (Despite the lateness of this post.) It's not the best shot, but it was taken from the top of the Palacio Barolo, a building that used to be the tallest in Buenos Aires. Behind me is the capital building of Argentina (look familiar? It was modeled after the US capital building) and Congreso Square, near which I attend Spanish classes.
Hi Mom, I love you!
Hi Mom, I love you!
Friday, October 13, 2006
Scarf
Friday 13 October 2006
Another knitting project done, albeit a very small and easy one: Ryan's scarf. (Just in time for summer . . .) Now to work on the much much bigger one I have going.
Tigre
Thursday 12 October 2006
It was a gorgeous day today, so Ryan and I decided to take advantage of our unemployed status and go to Tigre, a popular weekend getaway spot for porteños. It is a green little town on the delta of the Rio Paraná. We hear it's insane on Saturdays, but was quiet during the week, just a sleepy little town full of short houses with colorful gardens.
Teatro Colon
Wednesday 11 October 2006
Pink Portugeus marble banister, Main Hall, Teatro Colon. (I wish I had a better picture to show you, but we were only allowed to take photos in this one hall.)
Ryan and I took a tour of this historic opera house today. It is considered one of the top auditoriums in the world, acoustically, and also one of the most beautiful on the continent. We got a glimpse of a rehearsal of the upcoming opera, saw their shoe and costume workshops, and I got into trouble for wandering off to say hello to a friend of mine who works in set construction! It was quite the tour, and reminded of how much I miss the theater.
Ryan and I took a tour of this historic opera house today. It is considered one of the top auditoriums in the world, acoustically, and also one of the most beautiful on the continent. We got a glimpse of a rehearsal of the upcoming opera, saw their shoe and costume workshops, and I got into trouble for wandering off to say hello to a friend of mine who works in set construction! It was quite the tour, and reminded of how much I miss the theater.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Barfy
Tuesday 10 October 2006
I don't know why this is sideways. I've tried fixing it, it keeps coming up sideways. Oh well.
But we found this in our supermarket today.
I don't know why this is sideways. I've tried fixing it, it keeps coming up sideways. Oh well.
But we found this in our supermarket today.
Monday, October 09, 2006
No Smoking
Monday 9 October 2006
About a week ago Buenos Aires passed a law prohibiting smoking in public buildings. Signs like this have been popping up since then, to the dismay of porteños everywhere. If you thought laws like this were difficult to enforce in North America, imagine them in a country where nearly every young person smokes, and there are very few social taboos against cigarettes. Needless to say, this law has not been well recieved.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Feria de San Telmo
Noche de los Museos
Saturday 7 October 2006
Tonight was Museum Night, when almost all of the museums in the city are open and free between seven at night and 2 in the morning. There are concerts and performances and activities all night long. Here are some traditional dancers on the main street.
Friday, October 06, 2006
Elevator
Friday 6 October 2006
All of the elevators here are old-fashioned, with two sets of doors you have to pull open and closed yourself. Very romantic. This particular one is even more bueatiful than normal.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
God's eye
Thursday 5 October 2006
Ryan and I toured the Palacio Barolo today, a very famous old building here in Buenos Aires. Quite a quirky one, too, as the Italian architect designed the entire building to represent Dante's Divine Comedy. The three basements and ground floor are hell, complete with bronze fire-flowers and dragons snarling at you from above. The next fourteen floors are purgatory, and the eight floors after that, heaven. The entire building is 100 meters tall, for the 100 songs of the book, with 22 offices for the 22 verses in each. Every color used, every measurement, even the shapes of the tiles are all symbolic in some way. And Latin inscriptions from the text are engraved on the walls and ceilings.
The real kicker, though, is that in a little glass box above all of this, sits God, in the form of a giant lighthouse lamp. They've only lit it a few times, and never do so anymore, but it sits up there, looking over the city.
They wanted to bury Dante's ashes here, under a large statue of him that went missing and turned up in various unexpected places. I guess that the building was not impressive enough, however, and the ashes remain in Italy.
The real kicker, though, is that in a little glass box above all of this, sits God, in the form of a giant lighthouse lamp. They've only lit it a few times, and never do so anymore, but it sits up there, looking over the city.
They wanted to bury Dante's ashes here, under a large statue of him that went missing and turned up in various unexpected places. I guess that the building was not impressive enough, however, and the ashes remain in Italy.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
La Boca
Wednesday 3 October 2006
I visited the neighborhood called La Boca today, a shady part of town out of the reach of the subway system. Most of it is working-class and residential, inhabited by crazed fans of the Boca Juniors, the local futbol team, and disected by the repulsive and stinking Riachuelo river. But there is one small area of it called "Caminito," which is safe and, well, touristy. The single most visited street in Bs As, in fact.
I visited the neighborhood called La Boca today, a shady part of town out of the reach of the subway system. Most of it is working-class and residential, inhabited by crazed fans of the Boca Juniors, the local futbol team, and disected by the repulsive and stinking Riachuelo river. But there is one small area of it called "Caminito," which is safe and, well, touristy. The single most visited street in Bs As, in fact.
This neighborhood was originally settled by poor Italian immigrants who worked at the local shipyards. They took home leftover boat paint, and did up their houses in outrageous colors. I think most of the walls painted this way now are redone for the tourists, though.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Yea Ryan!!
Tuesday 2 October 2006
So, today's picture is really a picture of a picture, but I wanted to show off my boyfriend a little. This is the notice that Ryan won first prize in the photo contest of a Buenos Aires English newspaper, judged by professional photographers! I'm so proud of him.
So, today's picture is really a picture of a picture, but I wanted to show off my boyfriend a little. This is the notice that Ryan won first prize in the photo contest of a Buenos Aires English newspaper, judged by professional photographers! I'm so proud of him.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Spring is sprung
Monday 2 October 2006
It is a wonderful balmy rainy day here in Buenos Aires today. Spring has indeed sprung.
It is a wonderful balmy rainy day here in Buenos Aires today. Spring has indeed sprung.
Mataderos
Sunday 1 October 2006
Today Ryan and I went to the Feria de Mataderos, a very large fair outside the city. There are thousands of stalls selling all kinds of handmade crafts: lots of leather products, knitted and woven clothing, silver, mates, and carved wooden things. Lots of art and lots of local food. There are also gauchos (Argentine cowboys) on horses performing tricks and showing off, people singing and playing instruments, both on and off the stage, tango and traditional dance classes, and you can even ride a llama. I've heard that there is a livestock market around somwhere, too, but we didn't see it.
Big tree
Saturday 30 September 2006
In one of my Spanish textbooks I read an article about a Ukranian refugee living in Buenos Aires. She had been living here for twenty years or so, and mostly felt like a part of the community. One thing she mentioned, however, as a constant reminder that she was a foreigner, was the fact that she didn't know the names of the trees, or the birds.
And it's true - this is something I found while I was living in Taiwan, and, to a lesser extent, here as well. I would love to know what kind of tree this is, what to call it. There are trees this big, of various species, in many of the major plazas. They are like magical trees, giant fairy-tale trees. Look closely at the people sitting below it to get a better idea of just how big this tree really is.
In one of my Spanish textbooks I read an article about a Ukranian refugee living in Buenos Aires. She had been living here for twenty years or so, and mostly felt like a part of the community. One thing she mentioned, however, as a constant reminder that she was a foreigner, was the fact that she didn't know the names of the trees, or the birds.
And it's true - this is something I found while I was living in Taiwan, and, to a lesser extent, here as well. I would love to know what kind of tree this is, what to call it. There are trees this big, of various species, in many of the major plazas. They are like magical trees, giant fairy-tale trees. Look closely at the people sitting below it to get a better idea of just how big this tree really is.
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