Today's interesting word...

Peregrinate - To journey or travel from place to place, especially on foot. To travel through or over; traverse.

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Baires, 290307

Yesterday afternoon I went to El Ateneo bookstore on Av. Santa Fe, looking for some books on Koreans in Argentina. To my surprise, when I arrived to the store I found HUGE number of ladies from all age spectrum surrounding the bookstore. And proportionally small number of police and giant security guys (I felt VERY small). Obviously they were not there because of my arrival (as my ego wanted to believe), but my innate curiosity gave up to the humidity of the day pushing me straight into very well air-conditioned bookstore. And the security guys (ultra men in black) inside too. Yet the bookstore was so nice I did not bother investigating what was going on.

At the end of my expedition I realised the crowd was still there, growing and growing in number. Total mitosis. So I went to ask to the policeman "Señor, señor, what is going on here? " His facial expression clearly said 'she is obviously not from this planet' and told me that Chayanne (a singer from Puerto Rico) was there to launch his new album and to meet his fan. "Ah," I thought. "It is only Chayanne. Never liked his songs and gosh, look at these girls! A collective hystheria!" (look who's talking, I am the person who had a massive two-metres long New Kids On The Block poster glued to my door back in... the 80s!!!)

Then this morning... I learnt that VIGGO MORTENSEN is also in Buenos Aires!!! Last night was the premier of his new movie "Alatriste (the entire movie is spoken in Spanish. He has a perfect porteño accent, btw)" at a cinema in Puerto Madero, AND I DIDN'T KNOW THAT!!! HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE, HOW, HOW, HOW! And then this evening, when I switched the TV to my usual Telefe, who was there? VIGGO! Talking about his team, San Lorenzo de Almagro!!! You want to know what my basal reaction was? I grabbed one of the chairs and I sat very very close to the TV screen, as if that would transform my physical body into binary codes and ZAS! Matrix and Viggo Mortensen. I only got the final end of the interview (why why why!!!) so when I thought I needed something to wipe the excess of hypersalivation HE was gone again. No more Viggo. Gone. Se fueeeeeeeeeeeeㅠ.ㅠ!

Regards from Baires.

ps 1) I am a San Lorenzo supporter from today on:-).
ps 2) You know which movie is on my MUST SEE movie list.
ps 3) Zinho, do you want me to get a black suit, black silk shirt and red necktie for you (that is how Viggo was dressed today)?
ps 4) Buenos Aires is such a cool city... everyone comes here:-)!

Good morning links

Autumn has arrived in Canberra! As I cycled in I noticed that the clock/thermometer in front of the ABC said it was 11 degrees. No wonder my hands were feeling so cold.



To kick the day off here are a number of quirky links for you...

• Modern Mechanix show an old newspaper clipping that solves a dilemma all nudists face - just where do you put you cigarettes when you have no pockets!
• Paleo-future, a blog that looks into the future that never was, shows that way back in 1900 someone had already thought of the Segway!
• Over on American Inventors Spot they "list ten weird handbags for the manly man". I like no. 9, decapitated head in a bag purse. Guaranteed to put off any bag snatchers.
• An article in the Metro reports that an American school student has been suspended from school because he is a Pastafarian. People of this faith must wear full pirate regalia and they are followers of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Hmmmm, so much for freedom of religion!

That's enough for the moment...

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Today's intersting word of the day...

Imbricate - Having regularly arranged, overlapping edges, as roof tiles or fish scales. As a verb, to overlap in a regular pattern or to be arranged with overlapping edges.

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Ciao Jose!

Our fellow Coombs-ite, Jose has just submitted his PhD and today is heading back the Philippines start teaching. Jose has been an irrepressible source of inspiration, energy and enthusiasm and we will surely miss not having him around. We wish him all the best for the future!

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Today's intersting word of the day...

Acromegaly - A chronic disease of adults marked by enlargement of the bones of the
extremities, face, and jaw that is caused by overactivity of the
pituitary gland.

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Now ain't that nifty!

Who would have thought of making thongs with an inbuilt flask! I bet they will be all the rage at the beach, if not the cricket! Check it out here.

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Baires, 270307

Well, I am going to use the blog as a sort of "Dear Diary" thing. I should have started this earlier, but I have been busy being a good tourist:-). Whilst I promise I will post sometime later the what'bouts of previous 26 days, I decided to start this today because I am all cranky. I shouldn't have left the apartment today as I walked four straight hours just because I can't read map. Or, because I read map upside-down and inside-out. I am a gifted child (this surely will make my parents proud... things I do to be a good daughter) who was born without any sense of direction. I surely got this part of my DNA all wrong from some strange mutation I suffered while I was in mum's tummy. And the shock was when I finally found the place (Centre for Latin American Migration Studies), I discovered that the library was closed! And what about all that info I found on web, ah? They should be working everyday, from 9.30 to 16.30 except for Wednesdays that goes to 12.30!!! I checked it last night, bummer!

And how I battled that mood? With a couple of supa-yummy alfajores de maizena with thick layer of dulce de leche (photos will come soon) and a nice cup of mate cocido. I am very easy to please:-). Now, whilst my flat feet were (they still are) killing me as you wouldn't believe, I switched to Telefe (Argentinean TV station) that was broadcasting Brazilian soap called "Bellisima". I have to say, I still love Brazilian dramas:-). When I thought that I was in a qualitatively improved mood, what happens? Suddenly Telefe is all in talking about this huge blond Brazilian beauty who came to Gran Hermano (Big Brother) as "cultural exchange" from Brazilian Big Brother... (visualise me shaking the head and heaving sigh after sigh) ... I discovered the fact that I am actually from the good ol' school and I am not interested watching a bloke soaping his armpits, thank you very much. And then I thought... what about my tired feet, ah? They could be news too...

Regards from Baires.

ps.: My brand new Oceano Langenscheidt Summa Diccionario Ingles rocks:-).

Yerba Mate mates!

Hola!

After a long flight from Argentina and a bus trip from Syd to the 'berra I am finally back home! Mentally and physically I am still a bit tired but I am back at uni and getting back to work.

To kick off this post-holiday post I have to make reference to my new Yerba Mate mate, Michael. Michael and I share an office at uni. I brought him back a Guampa (Paraguayan tea cup), Bombilla (steel straw) and a big packet of Yerba Mate tea so now as we each delve into our research we do so sipping exquisite herbal tea! Oh the joys of pre modern research! Also Michael has just made himself a blog, Churchmainia, so keep an eye on it as he will no doubt be putting up lots of stuff on his research, his cartoons and his fondness for native NZ giraffes in their natural habitats, see here.

Will upload some pictures from Sth America along with some thoughts and impressions over the next few days.

Ciao,

D.

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