It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new.
But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful.
There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.
Alan Cohen
"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend.
Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx
The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

The Pleasure of Reading a Magazine

I want to thank the lovely lady who reads my blog and upon visiting Buenos Aires, was so amazingly thoughtful as to leave magazines and a book at the hotel for me.
Last night I sat on the sofa, comfy in my nightgown, lots of pillows and a sleeping Pup close-by and slowly ( in order to soak in as much as I could) leafed through the pages of about 3 of them. I exclaimed often, What a Treat! to look at a magazine in English ! What a pleasure to look at photos then be able to read the story ! At last ! I can get the recipe from the magazine without using a Translator !
Although I have magazine websites in my Favorites on the computer, it is so not the same when you want to cuddle in on the sofa and slowly leaf through the pages and look at each photo, read the captions, grab a recipe and extra points for tearing the Perfume ads out and sniffing the scents.
This is considered my First Christmas present and I thank you very much, D, for being so thoughtful.
You mean You don't wear pearls when you sit down to read a magazine ??

images Getty Images & 123. com

Monday, November 29, 2010

Todays Guest Poster- Pup


Mom said I could blog again.
I like blogging.
I also like sniffing things and laying in the dirt in the park. Mom hates that.
Today Mom and Dad went shopping. They made me stay home.
Mom said that the people in the stores don't understand what a Good Boy I am .
That is OK.. I took a nap on Moms side of the bed.
Tonight Dad says we will go buy ice cream and I can come too.
I won't sleep on his side of the bed.
It is getting hot and Mom and Dad are talking about renting a car and driving somewhere.
I will get to stick my head out the window. I don't care where we go.
I wonder if there is anyone there who will know me. I miss my Boy.
Mom is calling. Bye.


Monday - Look At This Blog !


I am enjoying this blogger so much! She is charming, she is in a lovely part of the world and doing a couple of things that I also enjoy doing ... living outside of ones home country, she is going to have a baby and she is in France !
Go look, tell her I said Bonjour and see if you can decide on which house/farmhouse/chateau you would rather buy ... I am voting for the first one so far ... Just so you know.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Time Flies..

The BA Love Bug

It was Four years ago this month, that my husband and I came to Buenos Aires on a vacation trip, to celebrate our anniversary.
Well, we are still in Buenos Aires, still married and still love the city and the people.
We miss some things less and some things more. We have no idea what people are talking about when they discuss US Television shows or HBO specials. We get them, but apparently years later. I have been watching House Hunters International, from 2006.
Pup is still happy here, we still speak Español muy mal but at least we try .. or so I say.
Sometimes, I give up trying, I will be doing my best and the sweet person waiting for me to get it all out, will ask me, if I need help, In English !!
The Parks are still our "back yards" and the place I go to soothe my ragged nerves when another siren or another car alarm might send me over the edge.
Today in the park, the birds were so noisy, we couldn't hear the traffic ... how is that for a switch !??
Back at home, I opened the bedroom window and a bird was singing so loudly, I wanted to record it .. to prove it was that loud and really a bird .. it was amazing.
Sometimes we wake around dawn and you can hear the doves cooing on the window ledges, puts me right back to sleep.
Other times I wake to cars and horns and people talking too loudly and that makes me want to run away to the Country . Any country as long as it is quiet.
I thought we were going to do more this weekend than we did ... this is a common theme around here.
But I am still getting over the longest sore throat in (my) history and a cough that makes people shy away, so we took it easy again. Pup loves it when we take it easy. Just his speed.
This week I have plans and thoughts about Chinatown, Palermo Soho, and Puerto Madero.
We will see if we manage any of them.

My LoveBug

Friday, November 26, 2010

A Vision Of Things To Come

Pup knew better than to even try ....

It is the day after Thanksgiving for those of us who come from or are in the United States.
It is Friday, and here in Buenos Aires, it is summer and it is the day that .... people head out of town if possible, making lots of traffic with lots of honking.
Of course, what fun is sitting in traffic if you can't honk mindlessly for hours?
Except some of us just want to get to the mall, in the taxi, with the least amount of walking in the heat, so they get to sit and listen to the honking up close and personal ... like we are in the Front Row Center at the Concert ... Surround Sound honking .
The mall is over air-conditioned in some spots and not air-conditioned in others.
Causing one person to decide that there was nothing that she needed to wear that was THAT important and we can Find It in Another Store so they left.
Arriving home to an overjoyed Pup, who for some reason, after all these years, still seems to think We are Never Coming Back, when we leave without him.
So taking Happy Pup to the park , in the heat, was next.
The birds were hot. They were !! They pecked and squabbled with little energy and mostly just waddled around in the shade. One didn't have the energy to even fly away when Pup walked over, it just sidled away, Pup could have cared less, he was headed for the bench where we would sit and hope for a breeze.
The bench sitting didn't last long, everyone voted to head back home to the air conditioning.
This is a Vision Of Things To Come. Summer in BA.
I have no earthly idea what we are doing this weekend.
I might melt into a puddle somewhere and confound scientists everywhere or we might find something fun and not too hot to do.
To Be Continued ...

Tired Pup

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Giving Thanks

Wishing all my friends and family in the United States and beyond, a Happy Thanksgiving.
If we were there, where it is cool and winter is knocking at the door, we would be right there with you, roasting a turkey, mashing potatoes and watching the piles of dishes grow in the sink.
But we would also be laughing and enjoying the people we have not seen in years and being able to catch up on lives that mean so much to us .. seeing how this one has grown, hearing how this one has such a wonderful job, this one just came back from another fantastic trip and this one is exactly as we remember and we are relieved and happy to know that.
We consider the idea that we might want to live closer to these people some day, that too much is happening that we are only hearing about from afar and when you think about it ... adventure and excitement are one thing but your family is another.
But for now, we will send loving thoughts and enjoy memories of past Thanksgivings where a young bride decided her first turkey would be 25 lbs and it barely fit in the oven in the tiny kitchen in the tiny apartment in New York City. Reviews on that turkey were overwhelmingly good!
Where on Thanksgiving you could depend on familiar dishes, because it was Thanksgiving ! we always eat this on Thanksgiving ! any veering away from that meant mutiny among the troops !
So today , for Thanksgiving, I will enjoy my memories, make plans for the future and stay close to the air conditioner, it being early Summer and all where I live now.
Happy Holidays ~

Pup remembers that time when he ate too much and couldn't move for hours!


Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Condolences

Our hearts go out to the families of the miners lost and to the people of New Zealand.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Following the Rules

So of course, with my faulty Español, I thought they didn't want you doing something else on the grass.

It goes without saying, Do not try to jump over his head,
Or Ring the Bell.

Monday, November 22, 2010

A Day in the Park with Pup

We had a warm humid day, overcast and threatening the rain that finally came late this afternoon. The three of us went to the park where Pup sniffed, we sat and talked and took photos and listened to birds singing.
This might sound boring and provincial, but today was a holiday, many people were out of town and those that were in town, were being lazy too. There were hardly any cars on the streets and you could actually hear the birds sing.
The rain held off until we came home, very considerate .. and now we make plans for tomorrow and the rest of the week.. refreshed with a little spell of quiet time, bird song and relaxing in the park with Pup.


I will be sorry to see the Jacarandas lose their flowers, it has been amazing this year !







Monday - Look At This Blog !


Joy the Baker

What a perfect name ! Her name is Joy and she seems to blog her recipes and chat about food with joy, there is such warmth and friendliness in everything she writes.
I enjoy her sense of humor and sometimes goofiness when she tells stories along with fantastic recipes.
Her Bloody Mary recipe is Not Bad ..
I find myself gravitating to the sweet things, breads and chocolates .. go take a look, see what you end up having to bake or cook and definitely gobble up !


Sunday, November 21, 2010

I Love A Parade

I am not sure what the event was, but the parade was nice. The music and chanting were nice. And it was pretty.



Summer ... she is here


In all her hot , slightly humid and glaring sunniness.
I squint even with black sunglasses. Pup squints .. and you know a Poodle with a squint is not that attractive.. they don't have big eyes, like say, a German Shepherd .. they have little squinty intelligent eyes, like , oh ... Einstein.
Yeah. Pup without glasses looks like Einstein.
And I am sure , if I could read his thoughts ( I can, some) he would be thinking very heavy and intelligent thoughts.. maybe not about E's and MC squares but about olfactory goings on and how fast can Mom move on a hot day when I see that morsel lying on the ground, between us.

I woke with thoughts of dragging my slower than usual, energy-less body to Palermo and then I saw how hot it was. Do I want to sit in an outdoor cafe with the sun beating down on my head and drink a Margarita ? My head would explode.
Do I want to go in and out of shops and boutiques with a zillion tourists and Sunday shoppers? My whole body would explode.
So we walked to the park, took photos for a friend, came home.
Pup is now napping and I am going to finish a Dean Koontz book and just maybe ... I will make dinner.

It is going to be a long summer... I just know it.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Riding my Bike

We are considering going Bicycle riding, here in Buenos Aires.
Consideration takes a while on this subject.
I think I am brave enough to be walking the sidewalks, crossing the streets and taking a taxi.
But I see tourists (who may not be aware of the dangers of BA streets/sidewalks) riding bikes , looking like it is a Fun Thing to do !
And now as I pay more attention, I see a girl , who wears a skirt each day, pedaling along on a solid black bike with a nice black mesh basket, she looks great, she could be in Paris !
She shows no fear , if she can do it, why can't I?
I can look good ... I can hide my fear ... I've been to Paris !
I want a black bike with the same basket though .. it was so cool looking !
Just think, we can take a picnic and books and a blanket and go to the farthest park and loll around all summer.

Today we took Pup to the park.
It is hot and humid out. No one was having an especially good time.
He was just standing there panting and looking at us, saying very clearly ... When can we go home? pant pant pant, It is hot .... pant pant pant.... There are flies here .... pant pant pant...
So we walked him home and he is now stretched out in the hall, outside the door, None Shall Pass.
So he can stay home sometimes and we can go bike riding.
And when I am good enough, we will go riding in Scotland.
Somehow though, I think I will never, ever, even in my dreams, ride a bike this well.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Monday is a Holiday


I remember ( in the past) when hearing that, I would get so excited, start planning outings, meals, buy tickets , make plans!
Now , first thing I do is go to Google and see, what Holiday?
Then I try to figure out how it will impact my nice quiet life where I can depend on week days to be My days and weekends we will be happy to share with everyone else.
I live close to huge parks and in one of them is a "hippie feria" .. this is where artisans make things during the week and sell them in the parks on weekends. There are musicians and people making food and selling fresh squeezed orange juice and choripan .. pork sausages roasted on a grill then served in a big hot dog bun. I am saved from possible food poisoning/gastric distress by not eating red meat, but they do smell good.
I also stay away from the orange juice, after seeing a program on cable about food poisoning and how you should wash the skins of melons and oranges etc .. I had to stop reading and watching these things after a while, I worried there would be no food safe to eat ! ( according to the 'experts')
So here we are, Thanksgiving week where there is no Thanksgiving. Monday is a holiday of unknown origins. It is hot, summer has arrived, sometime around 10 am, I believe.
The weekend should be fun. If I can think of what to do .. something fun ..
I , personally would like to go shopping for Christmas presents but we always seem to leave that til last minute, or the holiday might be too peaceful.. we need that little bit of anxiety to truly appreciate our peaceful Christmas ..
Maybe we will go to Palermo and eat .. Mexican, with margaritas that numb your entire face . Somewhere cool and trendy that serves interesting dishes that I have loved in the past but I forget as soon as I walk out the door.
I can't even buy and send out Christmas cards. They don't sell them here in English and I am afraid that none will arrive at their intended destination .. at least I can depend on online greeting cards. And I don't have to send them weeks ahead of time ! I can leave it til the very last minute !
There will be no turkey roasting here on Thursday, I don't even know if they sell turkeys here. But I won't be roasting anything in the oven on a hot summer day, so unless they move Thanksgiving to July down here, we are probably going to a restaurant for dinner.. air conditioned.


So Monday is a holiday , I wonder if there will be parades or just some demonstrations and flags waved, slogans shouted, some new graffiti on the wall somewhere .. I can't keep up.
Now back to what do we want to do tomorrow ?


Another Reason to Love Buenos Aires

This is one of the many reasons why Buenos Aires is so fabulous !
They love Music here. They appreciate it, they encourage it and it is Everywhere !
We walk all the time here, all over all the neighborhoods.
A mother will come out of a building with a baby in a stroller, singing a song to the baby.
Singing well and loud enough for us to appreciate it too.
A young man is on the bench in the park, with his guitar, ignoring everyone, plucking strings, suddenly he starts to play and sing, still ignoring everyone.
There are small bands , maybe 3 people, who will be playing instruments, you can drop money in the case, you can buy a CD, you can just keep walking and find yourself humming the tune for the rest of the day.
Most of the shops that you walk past, will have some sort of music playing, some loud enough that some people have been known to stop and just pretend to look in the window, until the song ends.
I don't know how many CD's I have bought because I heard the song in a store first.
There are often events in the city where the public is welcome to come and listen to music and watch dance for free. This is wonderful. Thanks to my friend Sandra at BATravelGuide I have marked the next big musical event in my calendar and definitely plan to be on 9 de Julio at the Obelisk Monday night!
Carmina Burana ! if the music weren't wonderful enough, there will be ballet to watch too !

And then the following Saturday, La Traviata with ballet.
La Traviata

There will be a stage built for the occasion and 8,000 seats for the audience..with giant screens to watch.
We saw Zubin Mehta conducting the Colon Orchestra a couple of months ago, wonderful .. and as far as you can see, people are quietly sitting, listening, enjoying. They love and appreciate music here ..
Another reason to love Buenos Aires.


Thursday, November 18, 2010

The Bus, the Car and the Taxi

A Bus

A Car and A Taxi

What happens when a bus changes lanes without warning ? pushing a car into a taxi and the car continues up the sidewalk and stops at the stairs to the front door of an apartment building.
Nothing too terrible.
Good news: No one was hurt, no ambulance was called..although I have a feeling the driver of that car is going to be feeling a bit stiff tonight and tomorrow.
Weird news : No police were called either. Everyone stopped, other buses came by, other taxi drivers came and everyone exchanged something that I am guessing was insurance information and whatever else they need here.
Not really news: I am never going to try to drive here. Ever.

Parks, Pups, Books

Monday we took Pup to the park, then left him home napping and took off for a walk to the English bookstore.. Kels.
There were actually very few books that we had not read or wanted to read but at least it was not crowded and we could enjoy just browsing through the racks of books , that we could actually read . You don't realize , when living in a land where English is not the first language, how much you miss it, until you are in a bookstore.
I really love the bookstores here.. grand spaces with beautiful wood paneling and shelf after shelf of books, tables with fabulous art books and photography books and music sections.
El Ateneo, a home turned book store/concert space with cafe .. absolutely fabulous!
There are always childrens book sections where the shelves are low, carpeted floors welcome little bodies to sit and look at the pictures, but they are in Spanish. I am worse off than the children , I can't sit on the floor and expect someone to read to me, I just walk around admiring the covers ! I can read Spanish, but it is too exhausting to try to read an entire novel ! Magazines tire me out.
So Kels is a treat.
We are considering the Kindle. We both have plenty of reasons why we don't want one but the one reason to get one is because we are both voracious readers. So that is being give some thought at this time.
Pup was happy to see us come home, back to the park we went.
The sky got dark and threatening, a chilly wind came along, we three scurried home.
Hot tea, a nap for Pup and .. Home Sweet Home ...

Park Art


Tuesday, November 16, 2010

More of the Japanese Gardens






In the Japanese Gardens, there is a Cultural Center, a restaurant , a greenhouse with a nice collection of Bonsai trees and a gift shop.

You can cross the lake by the Divine Bridge, leading to the island where medicinal herbs are grown. The lake is surrounded by traditional plantings and there are carp ( very large Koi) in the lake. There is a Japanese Peace Bell and traditional stone lanterns. A Buddhist Temple is on the grounds and they often host traditional Japanese holidays and events. Kodo drummers and traditional dance are two things that are big favorites.



Japanese Gardens and the Purple Tee Shirt

Let's go to the Japanese Gardens!
I love the Japanese Gardens, a gift from the Emperor of Japan to the city of Buenos Aires when he and his wife came to visit in 1967 .. It is a nice walk from our house, we get to go past all my favorite parks ..


Everything is blooming .. it is quite beautiful. There is a greenhouse and there were many flowers for sales, plants and Bonsai trees. I always think I would like a Bonsai ..

If not a Bonsai, then perhaps an orchid ? or just a box of beautiful flowers .. choices ! so many choices !


More later .. about the Gardens. Someone wants dinner. Someone has an itch. Therefore Someone has to wear a Purple tee shirt

Monday, November 15, 2010

Monday - Look At This Blog !


Madonna del Piatto

She knows how to make pasta, believe me ! We eat plenty of pasta in this house and she has taught me things I never thought of trying .. I just wish I had better ingredients sometimes.
Somehow I bet if I were in Italy, I would make better pasta than I do now. But that might just be my imagination ..
So go look and see if you find something that you need to taste ... right away.
Tell me how you liked the blog and please tell me if you try a recipe !
Mangiare !!
Living in Argentina

Living in Argentina

Blog Archive

Pages

And Don't Forget To Visit Me Here Too !

See more photos here

sunset in Buenos Aires

Powered By Blogger