Argentina: they got it goin' on....

With T-2 weeks left in Argentina (tear, gulp, welp) I am going to attempt to highlight a few of my FAVORITE things along with some of my NOTSOFAVORITE things here in BA. Upon successful completion of the aforementioned, I will be satisfied and perhaps done with my blogging days. On that note, read on my friends, read on :)

FAVORITE THINGS:
1) The weather-To live in a place where you wake up to a brilliant bright blue sky on a daily basis is glorious. Sun shining, clouds practically non-existent and a quaint little apt that lacks a roof leaves me little need for a weather man or daily forecast prediction. The only thing lacking are little song birds chirping at my window...

2) Sweets and Treats: Dulce de leche, alfajores, helado and medialunas - This country loves sugar....let me repeat. THIS COUNTRY LOVES SUGAR. Here is a short and sweet (no pun intended) description of some favorites.
Dulce de leche: An incredibly rich and creamy caramel type of sauce that makes anything taste amazing. With few ingredients, it consists mainly of thick cream that is mixed/boiled with an ample or shall I say excessive amount of sugar and then boiled until it reaches perfection... a smooth and creamy spread. I enjoy eating it plain on a spoon (locals would probably frown upon this), or you can spread it on pastries, fill crepes with it, drizzle it on ice-cream, dip fruit into it and the list goes on...and on....and on. Oh the possibilities! We actually had the opportunity to go to a dulce de leche factory in Uruguay which was an awesome experience and cool to see the massive machines producing it....Similar to the Ghiradelli chocolate factory in San Fran. If I bring nothing else back with me to the states, I will bring jars of DDL :)

Alfajores: Well my friends, these are rich and buttery cookies, dipped in chocolate and then glued together with an inch or so of dulce de leche and often sprinkled in coconut. Heaven in your hand. I love and and often blame them for the reason my jeans have been "shrinking" since my arrival here. A love/hate relationship, if you will.

Helado: aka ICE-CREAM. The consistency is different from that of the states in that it is similar to gelato and the flavors are more to my liking. I prefer fruit flavored over chocolate types and the mascarpone with berries, dulce de leche with choc chips and tramontena are all high on the list of DELISH flavors. I wish I could bring each one of you a mile high cone of as the locals boast, "the best ice cream in the world."

Medialunas: These warm, flaky, sweet treats are what make up a typical morning breakfast. Simply a warm buttery croissant that is glazed with a sugary topping and is a perfect pairing with a bitter shot of espresso. Pastry paradise...

And this is why the dentist and gym will be top priorities upon my arrival home :)

3) Buenas Vibras aka Good Vibes. Seeing as this city has over 14 million people, 40,000 taxi cabs and a subte system that loads and unloads over 970,000 people a day, la gente are super chill. Police cars are sparse, traffic infractions don't exist and everyone appears to get along for the most part (minus at soccer games). You rarely see people yelling on a cell phone while walking down the streets and stopping to peek in each storefronts windows is common. The overall lifestyle here does not seem nearly as rushed as in the states and the general work day is 11am to 7pm. The 5am commute is unheard of and the stress levels are less obvious. Cool and calm, the US could stand to learn a thing or two from the people here. TRANQUILO.

4) The fashion- Not to exhaust the subject, but I am in a constant state of awe as I stroll down the streets and check out each and every person. Mullets (every man who is anyone has one including business men who have more detail and shape, to rockers with unkempt shags), rattails (which consist of a single dread or beaded piece of hair often extending to mid-back) and anything else which one chooses to sport...it all goes here and the funny thing is, they rock it well. Frumpy people in sweats are 1 in a million and everyone is always so put together. Of course there is the rasta/bohemian/hippy scene but even they don't come across as smelly and unkempt. Everyone is conscious of their appearance and dressed to impress. People watching has become an addiction and I could do it for hours...it's great.

NOTSOFAVORITE THINGS:

1) MOSQUITOES...I HATE MOSQUITOES. They never get sick of feasting on my ankles, elbows, wrists or really any exposed piece of skin. 3 months here and it might as well be my first week here as far as mosquitoes are concerned. I wake up on a daily basis with a new batch. Gross fact/T.M.I. but they actually attacked my ARMPIT the other night and I woke up with a trail of 8 going from my wrist to my armpit and was ready to cut my arm off. Awaking to an obnoxious buzzing in my ear is a nightly occurrence. On the upside, I have gained muscle in my arms as the continuous swatting has proved to be a nice workout.

2) Restaurant Service-It is HORRIBLE. As servers don't work for tips here and tipping is not expected (if the service is extraordinary, you can leave 10% or so), you basically have to wave down the waiters in order to even get a menu. The food is pretty basic everywhere you go. Either pasta, pizza, sandwiches or meat. Huge Italian influence here in the way of food. I'm THRILLED to return to the states for some Mexican food, a hearty salad, Thai food (I've been having intense peanut sauce cravings!) and anything else that is impossible to find. Actually, I'm going to stop writing about this subject right about now as it's almost like a tease just thinking about it :D However, one more little fun fact...they HATE any type of spice. Not only do locals think hot sauce ruins a dish and is the equivalent to torching your mouth, they don't even put pepper on ANYTHING. Every restaurant you go to, there is one lonely little bottle of salt...minus what I always thought was its partner, pepper. Que triste.

And yes...that just about sums up my thumbs up and thumbs down opinions de este pais (what an odd sounding sentence, but I'm going to leave it that way).

CHAU