jenga… the greatest game on earth?
we have a new obsession, which could possibly sink to new lows if we decide to rent a certain apartment in Palermo– a resto-bar just around the corner that provides patrons with jenga blocks. Last week, we spent at least three hours at this local joint (we were the last people to leave). The game- combined with two bottles of wine the our Australian friend took particular amusement in- “wanka” and “wayna” wines- made for the most intense game of jenga ever played (well, at least by us). This local bar definitely is a “pro” for this apartment.
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| bowling and jenga |
PS- at the bar we had ossobuco- meat that has been slowly stewed for 5+ hours and a rocket-parm salad. Que delicioso!
agua con gas… mi amor
Emma has discovered the world of agua con gas… maybe she just likes the name… or possibly it goes a little deeper. now that we are informed that tap water (agua de la canilla) is no good for the body, we have turned to bottled water. And with this transformation agua con gas is winning in the competition between flat boring water and fun bubbly water.
this is my ode to agua con gas… everyone should indulge
the apartment search continues…
the past few days have been pretty intense with apartment searching and viewing. We have looked at all price ranges, in many different areas of the city, and sent off dozens of emails. We are narrowing in on a couple of apartments, but the search overall has been pretty discouraging– prices have risen so much, and hidden fees, such as realtor commissions push the monthly rents up even higher (ie, one apartment, listed at $700/month, was actually $850 due to a monthly $150 realtor commission).
We hope to know by the end of the weekend which place we will take…
“I hate tourists”
These were some of the introductory words muttered by a 57-year-old Australian woman we encountered at a recent “young” expat function at a bar in Las Canitas. We should have realized that she was a little smothering when the man we had been talking to immediately turned around and left when she joined our conversation. Some of the highlights of the conversation (all on her end) included:
- “I hate tourists. I hate them so much. The other day, I was standing on a bridge looking at the lakes of Palermo and a whole group of them came over and tried to invade my space. So I didn’t move. I had my back to them and they were surrounding me and I still held my ground. After five minutes I realized that they were trying to take a group photo and I was in the middle of it with my back to the camera, so I finally left.”
- “This wine is terrible. It’s so overpriced, and I only ever have one glass.” we were later enlightened to the fact that she shows up to every event, says she is going to only have one glass and negotiates to pay only 5 pesos- 15 pesos is unlimited- and then proceeds to consume multiple glasses. She also said it was only her second time at the expat function, however, we were later informed that she comes to every event.
- “The food is so expensive at this restaurant. It is so overpriced because of all these tourists. I am going to go home and make a salad. It is much cheaper.”Five seconds later, the waitress comes up and informs her of a 20 peso special on gnocchi- although she can’t understand a word of what the waitress is saying- Cam translates, and she orders the most expensive item on the menu.
Later…
- “You can either live cheaply or live well.”
- “My spanish school here is ripping me off. They only gave me a 50% tuition scholarship, while the others that teach english have a full scholarship. They may be full-time English teachers there, but I am a substitute, and I am going to stay here forever. Well, at least that’s what I’m going to tell them, they don’t know the difference. They’re getting the better treatment and I deserve the better treatment.”
At this point, Cam excuses herself from the conversation and Emma remains stuck with her in the corner.
- “Back in Australia, I was a nurse. I hate the medical profession and everyone in it. I have been a nurse for 40 years, but I’m just not the nursing type.”
- “One reason I left Australia is that my son is marrying a bitch. The other is that all my married friends are boring me and they keep going on about their husbands. you can only be friends with someone for so long without getting bored.”
At this point, Cam sends someone over to rescue Emma from the situation. The next time we see her, she is enjoying her gnocci and staring at Emma outside.
