Reflections on Buenos Aires

In the last two weeks I really learned to appreciate Buenos Aires and Argentina. The people are very friendly, the accent is fun, the nightlife is vibrant, and the food is of high quality for a low price. The following are some of the more notable memories and observations from this great city.

The Subte
In a desperate attempt to avoid street-level pollution, my co-worker and I inquired about the local Subte (Subway). We liked what we heard and for the entire second week we took the Subte to and from work for only 0.70 Argentine Pesos (about a quarter per ride). Besides representing a savings of approximately US$5 per ride as compared to the cost of our 8 mile taxi ride, the Subte provided much fresher air, the ability to stick your whole torso outside of the windows (if you were so inclined), opportunities to jump off the train while it is moving, and last but not least, the satisfaction of knowing that we were not responsible for any of the cars that were at that very moment emitting visible and toxic particles into the dirty Buenos Aires air.

Kisses
I´ve known for a long time that most women who speak Spanish as their first language customarily greet both women and men with at least one kiss on the cheek. However, in Buenos Aires it is also common for a man to greet a man with a similar kiss. Each morning at the office I observed most of the guys in the office kissing each other hello. Also, last Saturday night Devlin and I went to visit a friend´s house in the suburbs, and upon saying goodbye we kissed all the family members, male and female on the cheek. While I must admit that it is very hard for me to imagine doing the same with my male friends and family up north, this act of affection felt very natural down here.

La Lengua Argentina
I´ve made a decision that if I become a high school Spanish language teacher, I will teach the `vos` form as it is used in Argentina. I´ve been using it in the office and with our Argentine friend and I´ve had a lot of fun. Che, capáz que vos no podés entender si no hablás castellano, pero vos debés darte cuenta que es muy divertido hablar como argentino, entendés?

Apart from the vos form, I´ve also really enjoyed the so-called `lleismo`, or when they pronounce the `y` as a sound that is somewhere between an English `sh` or `j` sound. Whether in English or Castellano, accents are just plain fun.

Garbage Picking
One of the difficult parts of visiting any country where poverty is pervasive is when those people who are in dire circumstances approach me for money or help. Perhaps I´m wrong for thinking this, but in the United States I can easily decline to help panhandlers because I assume that those in need have easy access to charities run by professionals (governmental and non-governmental) who can help them more effectively and with more accountability. Also, a dollar given to a person on the street might just as often go toward a bottle of whiskey rather than toward food. With that said, when an adolescent tried to sell me pens while I was in a taxi and I declined each of his various combinations of quantities and prices, his sarcastic farewell in which he hoped for me to enjoy the bread on my plate that night made me stop to think. In a similar vein, it is with difficulty that I decline to give money to younger children who are sent by their parents to ask for money from wealthy patrons of outdoor restaurants or any passersby on the main shopping street (Avenida Florida).

These pleas for help would be a lot easier to ignore if I didn´t also see various families picking through garbage bags on the streets for food, recyclables or anything else of value. I certainly don´t have the answer or cure for this problem, but I´ll carry these observations and thoughts with me as I return to the wealthy world. And I´ll pray for compassion to give what I´m able to give in wisdom and discretion.

This Moment in Ezeiza Airport
I should rise up from deep and dark thoughts, and describe my current situation. My flight from Buenos Aires to Lima is delayed approximately three hours and I will miss my connecting flight to Cusco. There are many flights to Cusco, so that won´t be a problem, the only problem is that Devlin is flying on a different flight Lima, although we fly together from Lima to Cusco. Anyway, the seat next to him on the flight to Cusco will likely be empty or else filled by someone other than me... No fear, though, our plan B is to meet at our hostal in downtown Cusco.

We will be at approximately 11,000 feet above sea level, an altitude that is bound to lighten my head and complicate my digestion and respiration for the first few days; a small price to pay to visit the ancient Inca capital, and to be closer to one of the destinations I´ve been dreaming of going to for a while, Machu Picchu. With that said, I´ve got to read up a little more about El Perú...