"I really do not need to know...."

Cellphone. The very word can conjure up all sorts of anecdotes and facts. The portable/mobile phone AKA cellphone has been a great resource. I just wonder how we ever functioned without them. I guess we did but isn't it cool to be carry one and just flip that cover and dial and in 2 seconds or less you can be calling someone in anothe continent. Cool - is a word that best describes this gadget. Love it!

The down side of course is you get to be a slave with such a gizmo. The thing rings when you are having a meal - gotta grab it - someone could be on fire and instead of dialling 911 they call you - YUP - that kinda emergency is what I am talkin' about.

I mean - for real! It is a convenience for me, I am not enslaven by it. I mean we are not brain surgeons nor are we really holding lives in our hands that a simple ring of the cellphone warrants us to drop everything and anything we are doing. No matter who it is, there is voicemail feature on such a thing. Give it a break already.

And for business, what possess you that you have to get this call just in case it is someone whom you have been trying to get a hold of for days now and yet this person whose call you are going to take this very instant - has not bothered to call you or returned your calls even just to tell you what the delay is. And for those who talk endlessly about business this and business that - you make yourself seem important, I hope it works well for you! C'mon!

And I am sure those who have never heard of cellphone etiquette ( let alone know what etiquette is) are those walking around the streets of Buenos Aires, talking oh sooooo loudly on their cell phone. Given I have the bad habit of talking louder than really necessary AT TIMES, but I am conscious that I should lower my voice down, for as "M" had told me, these gadgets are microphone sensitive and there is really no need to shout at it.

My beef ( funny choice of word really considering I am in Argentina) is with those who talk about their medical test results, what specimen they had to give, and all that very personal - yucky stuff..I do not need to know about them - really. Keep it to yourself..puleeez!

And then there are those who say they are at a doctor's office over the cellphone and obviously they are freakin' lying coz they are standing in line in COTO! Hellooo!

Then there is that lady whom I can hear her voice all the way up here in the nth floor of my building's balcony. ..what you had for lunch...I do not need to know really - nor do I want to know - REALLY!

And then there is this other cad, who has obviously just slapped that fake (cheap and hideous) toupee (men's wig) on and says what a good looking guy he is - half laughing ( I am 100% puking). I do not want to know - really!

And the cellphone makes you accessible every second of the day - who wants to be chained to something or anyone like that?

I can understand an EMERGENCY - life, flood and fire urgencies but otherwise, it is just a bother. People use the phone for all sorts of crazy things. They check up on their kids this way. They check on their spouses this way. They want to know what you are doing this very instant. HELLOOO?!?!

And I see people standing in line in COTO talking on the phone holding up the line as he has to take this call, BEFORE he takes his money out his freakin' pocket to pay the cashier. No wonder the cashiers in there are cold and indifferent to the REST of us, non cellphone answering while in COTO line public!!

Use a cellphone to call a RADIOTAXI, a fire truck, an ambulance, your mother's doctor to ask for restaurant directions, to tell someone you will be running late - shoe strap broke! Some thing same like these but just to blah blah blah....I really do not need to know.

And for christ sakes - why do people who drive - answer the phone - WHY IS THAT? Do they want to kill themselves or want to kill someone -we are talking driving and holding the cellphone driving in Buenos Aires - how freakin' scary is that. I know you were a juggler in you previous life but please be responsible and not talk on the cellphone as you drive. It just gets crazy. Let alone people who drive and text - PLS have mercy on the rest of us. The look at me I look important while I speak on my cell phone announcement to the rest of the world is no longer COOL - it was uncool the moment you had to let go of the steering wheel to change gear. Coz if someone gets killed by a cellphone talking, BsAs driving motorist...and it is someone I know..I really do not want to know.

Be responsible and not answer the cellphone when you are in BsAs and driving.

I promise I will not drink and drive!

flowers from my balcony

These are the very pretty flowers from my balcony. Buenos Aires has a lot of very lovely and affordable flowers. I like the variety that the vivero's offer and I like growing them. Such lovely colors. Ilike sitting outside on my balcony set and read the paper as I enjoy these. "R" helped me lot in getting these flowers - he drove. Ja -ja-ja. Thank you "R". Stay safe. I hope you enjoy these.

"Everything happens in front of Circle K"

So today, I felt a whole lot better. I started early. By 10am I already had my coffee I was set to go to the grocery to get my shopping for the day, get my Buenos Aires Herald newspaper (tabloid format). So I was pretty much set.

I started working on taking measurements of the bags I will be showcasing in the store. And the spreadsheet for my inventory was coming along fine.

"R" paid me a quick visit and he left. (More about this on tomorrow's post.)

So I decided to have lunch with a glass of grape juice. I was reading another newspaper on line when the batter icon showed up on the lower left hand corner on my computer - I thought - now what?! I tried to log back on and now an "X" showed up on the wireless connection . Does not sound or looked good, I thought. And then I checked the lights - NONE!. I tried the bathroom light (different cicuit route) NONE as well. Then I headed to the hallway - tried the elevator light - NONE! Oh uh! Then I heard voices going up the steps - no one ever takes the steps - well except this exceptionally fit 60 year old lady who lives 2 flights up my floor.

So 4 second after I closed my front door, the firetruck siren comes blaring down my street. Wooh ! 8 firemen comes out donned in their Policia Federal Argentina firemen's outfit and does 2 doors up from my building. By this time the people across the street have all gone to their respective balconies to look at what is happening on my side of the street. I cannot see anything of course - and then the fire truck parks right smack on the middle of the street that no buses can pass nor cars. With an emergency like this -car drivers - you guessed it - HONKED!

It was funny in a "HA HA" kind of way. SO typical of the argentinian drivers to be concerned onoly of themselves during such a distressing moment.

Oh well...it apparently went well (whatever the calamity was) for after I took some pictures of the firetruck and firemen, and the congested intersection one block away, the firemen came out took off their outfits and had a quick huddle. In the midst of all this a supervisor looking guy comes up and gives the guys a pack of Marlboro - and he had the audacity to LITTER on the street. It was a bad ending to an otherwise very nice story of rescue and time response and outcome. Oh well...like I said.

Oh and BTW, I saw my "Capuano" guy come out of his house for the first time. It was a thrilling moment for me. I was pretty sure he saw me. He knows I know, that he knows I live across the street. It is a voyuerestic love affair, I think. I am sure "R" will not mind my saying this. He know about my "Capuano" and he is fine with it. As long as he looks and I look and that is all that there is to it, I am sure I am fine. You want to know how I know he knows, he was standing behind a sign to obscure his face so as I was 5 stories high in all black outfit with a large blue earring on can obviously see him if he stepped away from that sign - but he did not. And when he thought I was not looking he walked back to his building - and I saw him - shoes and hair. It was was a rare opportunity. Almost liken to a "Yeti" sighting. I know he is there, I have seen him, but have not actually seen all of him - UNTIL TODAY.

Thanks to the PFA of Argentina!

Ciao for now. Another day...The flowers in my balcony are spectacular I will take pictures tomorrow and post them here.

See you then.

Bijoux...

It is Wednesday and I have been busy all morning. No, I am not talking about my cold, sneezing and blowing of nose and all that...but I am trying to get a store to be ready to open ASAP. In my two moments of lucidity, I am trying to label and mark merchandise. I also have to create a spreadsheet for my inventory. Try doing that after 2 doses of antihistamines. I dare you!

Well, this morning, a bowl of big red strawberries helped alot. My nice large mug of coffee really did perk me up. I hate having the cold. I cough - that is for sure and since I cough ALOT - I tend to loose my voice and then I am miserable. An opinionated women without a voice - I was just like _ SHOOT ME.

But after a couple more cocktail of medications and a tranquilizer that knocked this horse down, I slept very well, thank you very much and this morning felt like a nice makeup and jeans can take me to the laundry place to pick up my clothes. And a few cositas for sandwich along the way, huh?

Ok, so I get back to my place and made lunch and then started out on the spreadsheet. The wonders and magic a good lunch can give you. I finished and started tagging the rest of my merchandise and then measured them for my website purposes...I think if "M" can just take the pictures for the website, I can launch this business in less than a week. I am hoping that the first group of buyers are those ladies looking for presents for Buenos Aires (Argentina) Mother's Day gifts. I will be happy to help in your choices of gifts, I have a varied selections of earrings, bracelets and necklaces and pendants; but most of all the colorful and natural material bags are just exquisite, and since I only have one or two of each kind especially made for the store opening you can be sure, there is no one else in Argentina walking around with the same handbag as you do, that is promise.

I am in the bijoux business, I am going to be selling hand made purses and accessories made out of 85% natural materials, shells, wood, stones etc. In a week or so, I will post the actual website address for the bijoux store so you can visit me.

After a horrendous 5 weeks of struggle with the Argentinian customs, the items are finally at the store. The agony we had to go through to get to this point is worthy of a Broadway drama. It was just unbelievable - one day the story will be told but I do not want bad vibes before the store opens - I just want to think positive.

Visit me again next week and I am sure I will have the website going , up and running by then.

I am excited and the thought that one day you will get to visit me at my store - it can only be a good thing.

Ciao for now.

What is abloom...

As I sit inside the house, nursing a bad case of allergy sinus, I look at my sunny balcony and AHHHH...what a very pretty sight.

I have a narrow balcony over looking one of the busy streets in Palermo area. I have the airconditioner unit (with fan) on one end of this narrow balcony and a couple of feet away from that is my balcony set with two chairs and a round table. behind it is a sink/ tub that accommodates an area to put brooms and a trash can in one corner.

But what is so pretty right now in my balcony are things "R" and I got to day from Escobar. I have some margaritas ( daisies) and lavenders and 2 liliums. I also have the winter flower that "R" gave me on Mother's Day ( May for the USA people) and then I have this blue flower - very nice and deep shade of blue, and then a pinkish with a matching lilac colored flowers. A larger pot of lavender plant anchors the series of plants to the right. All the first group of 8 plants mentioned are inside a rectangular shaped planter with dish ( terra cotta in color) and they are all so beautiful with just the amount of sunlight hitting them at 3:30pm. But most of all I have an aerial plant that puts a nice touch to the top portion of the balcony. Green leaves with shade of burgundy in the underside of the leaves and small bell like flowers sprinkled on top of the planter - just the right amount here and there.

What a lovely spring day. Tomorrow when I have a better handle on this allergy of mine, I promise to sit out there and read The Buenos Aires Herald with my cup of coffee.

I also have to work on my business of course. I think I will work on the tags and pricing as I enjoy the sun and beauty of what is serene and beautiful in this urban jungle.

Oh I so love it.
I wish I have someone here with me to enjoy such a lovely sight.
Well I hope "R" passes by tonight to look at my progress on the store at least, for he will have missed the sun in my balcony by then.

Ciao. I think I can even smell the lavender right now....

You can join me me again...in another day... perhaps.

Feliz Primavera!

It is officially here, SPRING IS IN THE AIR!

With the endless array of colorful flowers that are flooding the streets of Buenos Aires, you come upon a verdulero who sells - red, sweet tasting, luscious looking, lip smacking delicious strawberries!! HELLLOOOO!!

I have several ways to enjoy strawberries, some elaborate than others, but the best way is just to enjoy them sweet fruit of the earth. I am not partial to strawberries here or in any other parts of the world, to me strawberries as long as they are sweet and good - I AM HAPPY.

Just now before I posted my end of the week topic, I had a nice glass full of quartered stawberries, hulled and with a dab of cream and sprinkling of sugar to kick it up a knotch - wonderful!!

Well, whatever you are doing before the weekend is over - enjoy some of these red, very red and very sweet fruit.

HAPPY STRAWBERRY EATING. Ciao for now.

It was at six freakin' o'clock in the morning...

So there I was sleeping away, in a deep slumber when _ a wailing, high pitch distinctively and alarm of some kind started blaring at, you guessed it, six freakin' o'clock in the morning.

Let me tell you, there is nothing more irrititating than being roused from sleep other than a noise so loud that makes a loud alarm clock, sound like Bach!

OK so I had said I lived in a hip and happen' place, yeah, yeah, yeah. But for crissakes! Give me a break with this noise so freakin' early in the morning. I have not slept off the cold medicine I took a few hours before, now I am sore as a bear! ARGHH!!!

Well, just to make all these more interesting, there was no one to call. It was not a car that was sounding off, it was a store - we all (residents on this side of the street) thought that it was a stall at the lower level of the building. From 6am until 9:30am it went on, and on, and on....

I usually am tolerant of noise but noise of this kind is not only unkind but undue punishment for the rest of us who try to live peacefully and quietly in this area. I have a splitting headache right now and I am thinking if I do something so drastic because of the ill effects of my lack of 8 hrs of sleep - let there be mercy for I am going to bite someone heads off should someone cross me today!

There you go, now I have gotten it, why such sourpusses and crabby people walk the streets of Buenos Aires, either due to lack of good night's sleep or the level of noise just drives everyone nuts!

I think this is an "AHA" moment for me, I never really thought of it that way before, but now that I was subjected to the same - I think I can relate to such sour attitudes abound in BsAs. Noise is terrible in the city. Do not tell me that you have a spledid apartment and you hardly hear the noise. There is noise, period.

Oh, well, I think I will take a pill tonight that will knock me off my feet and that not even a jackhammer two inches away from me can rouse me to sleep. Medication is so underrated.

Ciao for now.And goodnight.

Mexican Food best eaten only in Mexico...or somewhere in California

I am sure to those of you who know that I am in Buenos Aires would wonder why I would eat anything else but Argentinian food when I am here, right?

Well, the truth of the matter is, when one is used to variety, you will constantly look and long for it and the diversity and surprise it can bring you when you have it again, is beckoning you at all times - same goes with food. Just because I am in Buenos Aires does not mean I should and could have Argentinian food every single day - how boring is that?! I am one who hates to be limited to do anything - let alone food.

Well, this topic bring us to a family dinner we went to ( all eight of us) last Sunday evening. In the midst of the whole day of drizzle and a sudden change in venue of where we were to gather and eat, we were told of a Mexican food a few blocks from the original sight of rendevous.

I am not one to drop names (especially oif bad restuarants, but if you much know send me an email, I will tell you!!) so let us just say this restaurant was supposed to serve Mexican food. Boy, oh, boy! You know when you had your first kiss and the boy said this will be good...and three seconds into the kiss you are waiting for the "this is the good part?" , well this restaurant was more like that.

Oh, given the menu was Mexican sounding and all with all what appears to to be "Mexican like" in the preparation , what we actually would end up having was all the surprise element, so to speak.

In our party of eigh, there was the guy's table and then the gal's table. The boys had enchilada, for appetizer, the girls had a salad (moi) and 3 appetizers of chicken and then both tables had fajitas (combo of beef and pollo) - the tortillas were very disappointing - thin and made of flour, we did not even have the choice of corn tortilla. And most hideously, I got a Nacho Salad that was a total disappointment. For the first time in my entire experience of Mexican food and I have lived close to Mexico and have been eating Mexican food longer than anyone else on either table - that was nothing at all close to what I had expected. Nacho Salad does not include, every, red beans! The cheese was cold and stiff and they were generous with the four pieces of triangle nachos they gave me. OH MY GOD! The tres leche pastel was so sweet and the meringue that topped it was egg white with sugar syrup beaten to stiffen it and served as topping to the cake. NOT! Mexico never used sugar syrup to make meringue.

I am sure the fajitas were good the boys ordered 2 orders and flautas - what a joke!! - a cylindrical flour tortilla - empty and devoid of stuffing with bitter lettuce topped with crema acido ( cream cheese with added vinegar to simulate sour cream - NOT!!). I guess, Mexican food is never authentic unless you get close to Mexico.

California is as close to Mexico as one can get to getting good Mexican food without stepping into the Mexican soil. I pity those who live here in Buenos Aires and Argentina who never had the chance to travel to a place that serves Mexican food - REAL Mexican food - because where I was at last Sunday - was nothing at all like Mexican food I have known about. It is sad that those that are here and frequent that place will never know the real flavors and taste of Mexican food.

The best thing about Sunday was nothing about the food ( though I came home hungry) was the great company and fun we had with the family we were surrounded with. I had so much fun talking to the girls at my table that bad food did not count enough to devoid me of the great gathering. I came home with a happy heart and I made myself a sandwich and coffee and went to bad. It was a great evening.

I am sure "R" is reading this, and to him I say, remember I had a nice time with the group. And that was what mattered.

The food was something that really did not work for me. Of course, I can always have Mexican food when I get to Lourdes' place - thank you for the dinner and introducing "M" to the girls and I had a great time with the girls as well. Do not worry about it. I am sure we will find other good places to eat in the future. We move on. OK?

Ciao for now.

Sunday...

Sunday is a nice day to meet with family and share a meal, no? That is exactly what we are doing tonight. I hope the weather would be cooperative and not get me wet, since I love to wear heels for these kinds of occasions.

I like the place we are going to. It is on Santa Fe. Jewish food and for the last couple of times I have been there, I enjoyed a nice dinner there, oh no, I went there for lunch too one time - all good.

Well, I will write about it tomorrow. Especially what I had and who came all that jazz.

OK, see you all tomorrow.

Thanks for visiting.

Ciao for now.

Let's go shopping

A couple of days ago, I went and took "M" shopping. Nothing major just basic shirts and a pair of jeans - harmless enough, no?

Well, let us start with the closest mall that is to us, Solar de Abadia; a very nice swanky shopping area, lots of stores of various kinds and taste and then it has a food court and a movie theater. First I am looking for a teenager's pair of pants, do you know how tought it is to find a good pair of pants in here? Soo..anyhoo...we go into this store (that shall remind nameless - email me if you really must know!) and there were 2 sales people in there - jabbering away - the "guy" was the one mostly doing the talking to the girl ( he, must be the manager and her, the sales girl right?) then she walks up to us and was very helpful. In my meager spanish I was able to tell her that we are looking for a pair of pants for "M". Simple enough, she points us to the jeans and then to the corduroys. Very good so far. So "M" tries on the corduroy and then decides he wants not the brown ones but more on the "oscuro" side - dark blue - BAM! we have a sale.

She was nice to point out the shirts - none of which "M" liked - OK so we move one....then there was a moment or two of looking into jackets - but since it was starting to get warmer , weather wise , I said maybe we should look at Tshirts - ...then "M" looked at a couple of Tshirts and decides there is nothing else in this store that interests him. So we head to the counter - I take our my credit card and ID, and hands it to the girl, who hands it to the "guy", remember him? He was the one jabbering away as we walked in, well he was busy punching some keys behind the counter that he does not run my credit card into the machine until 3 or 4 minutes later after we started standing there - then he rips the printed receipt, hands me both copies, throws a pen at me and without smiling - hurries me to sign this and he pushes the receipt back (my copy) to me with the printed sales slip ( 2 pieces of paper). Transaction was cold and done with so we grabbed out bag with the corduroy pants and heads out of there. That store's redeeming quality was that young woman who helped us - the bitchy, "guy", I am sure he is a hell of a co-worker to work with I do not care for so much. I would have walked out the store if it was not for "M"'s need for an alternative pair of pants. That store leaves a really bad taste in my mouth. I hope the owner of that store knows what kind of worker they have over there - except for the girl - I am sure that bitch of a "guy" gives those who know customer service a bad name.

In contrast, still looking for that shirt, we went to KEVINGSTON - now I choose to name this store that is located in Solar de Abadia - because just like there is light to that pant store's darkness, the people in this store KEVINGSTON were short of spectacular!

There I am fair and not biased towards Argentina and the kind of service they can give to customers. In the very same mall, 2 totally different kinds of service, to the extremes, and guess what, though I paid a tad bit more at KEVINGSTON for the 2 shirts that "M" totally loved, I would gladly do so because the first store upstairs that sold jeans my experience was HORRIBLE, and why in god's good earth will I subject myself to that kind of horrendous service when I have a choice.

The gentleman at KEVINGSTON was sincerely helpful and attempted to speak english with "M" and "M" reciprocated by trying his 2 pieces of spanish knowledge, a more pleasant experience altogether. The shirts chosen were from a varied selection both in color and style, and we were showed an array of logos that we were leaning towards purchasing. And it was unfurled in from of us and shown how the merchandise they carry are of quality , I liked the complete all around quality that the store presented to us. Good energy was all around the very second we walked in. So now with the 2 shirts picked out and the prices made known to us early on we head to pay for our purchases. Now we get to the cashier - WONDERFUL lady - asked us if this was "para regalo" which we kindly responded - "no"; then she wanted to know if we wanted to avail of the DUTY FREE receipt - which we again declined, for we did not want her to go thru the hassle of preparing. Very, very pleasant. Now no one in Argentina can tell me that GOOD customer service cannot be found because by golly I experienced it. So there is no excuse for sad sacks and sour pusses to work in the customer service line of work if they are nothing short of the staff that one can find at KEVINGSTON in Solar.

Sorry to say this, but sometimes people who are in sales in Buenos Aires and claim to work to help you in stores - really do not keep that promise and they give you deplorable and hideous customer service. ARGH!!! Coming from the US and customer service is a priority and of utmost concern to store owners - here ..no one seems to really care...except...a very few.

Let us just say - KEVINGSTON has earned a place in my vocabulary of places to go when I need to reaffirm my faith in good people in Buenos Aires.

For those who think I am writing something negative about BsAs, I do not care what you think, but one thing is sure - if you walked away thinking the negative, then you are probably one of those who would work at the first store and if you thought the opposite then you are most likely to be rooting for the KEVINGSTON store. You picked which category you are and now - we know.

Ciao for now.

Ok...so I spoke too soon about those jackets...

Today was another one of those - "It is cloudy and gloomy, it looks like rain day".

In the morning, it was OK. The sun was out and then as it approached noontime, the heavy and dark clouds moved in and BAM! the rain starting pouring. And so, yet again, "M" and my idea of going to the Botanical Garden was cancelled. It was actually just a nice day to stay indoors ( I have been doing a lot of that lately!) and pounding on the keyboard.

The weather have been sucky lately, a little teaser of sunshine and WHAM, rain! ARGH!!!

Oh well, I have to drink more coffee I guess. Oh an maybe cook pasta and watch some DVDs, as I work on my website.

Oh yeah, I will be launching a website soon so not to jinx it I will hold off telling you what it is - seems like there have been hurdles upon hurdles put in our way in trying to get this venture off the ground - but I am patiently being patient.

OK, so regarding those jackets...maybe I spoke too soon, well you can put the heavy, real heavy ones away but a nice rain jacket will still come in handy during this sucky -oops - rainy days.

Ciao for now and sorry about the language there.

See you tomorrow.

Time to put those heavy jackets away...

Well, it is official for me at least. Springtime is here in Buenos Aires. I have taken the first step to make that official - I had stored all my "bufandas" and jackets away.

I am looking forward to wearing airy clothes and lighter colors and fabrics for spring. What the heck, I am looking forward to wearing my skirts this spring.

It rained today in Buenos Aires and it was a heavy rain - and I stayed indoors most of the morning and then after some housechores were completed I am thinking of venturing to the grocery and see what I can fix for dinner tonight.

I hope the weekends can be spent looking at the city and taking "M" around. He is a city dweller and likes some action rather than serenity of the country. That would be on our to-do list this weekend.

Ciao for now. Enjoy the spring like weather. It is nice.

Spring in Buenos Aires - it is here.

Today a Sunday, I experienced something I had never experienced before - my first Spring-like weather in Buenos Aires.

It is a pleasant change from the freezin' cold everyone has been experiencing lately. It is a very pleasant change, if I might say so myself. The little buds of green are appearing on the various trees that line my street, the birds are out more ( doing their spring procreating activities - yes - I do watch!) people have been wearing short sleeve tops. And another first for me, I actually said " IT IS HOT today".

I have nice flowers on my balcony, they seem to like the weather being on the warmer side. The Sun is more intense during the daytime and it stays out longer. I like the very thought of seeing more flowers sold and fruits will be abundant.

I would be able to wear more colorful outfits and not wear dark clothing as typical of me during winter and cold season. I have actually been contemplating on bucking the trend and start wearing spring clothing before everyone does. Should make plans on doing that tomorrow - ASAP!

My allergies are still here (WELCOME SPRING TIME!) and the antihistamine and antibiotics are really sedating me big time. If I feel anymore relaxed than I do this very second, I think I would be dead. But I am light headed and euphoric almost - I tend to sleep alot when I take my allergy medicine but it beats the constant sneezing and watery eyes and worst - runny nose.

Well, Spring is nice and I look forward to going out more this time of the year. Winter was too cold, Summer last year was too hot - so Spring should be nice.

Oh BTW my neighbors across the street also do have nice flowers, sporadic colors here and there, but I like it.

Sunday is turning out to be a very nice day.

Ciao for now - see you tomorrow.

Allow me to introduce you to Samy...

I think I have pretty much established that I am in Buenos Aires for the next few months or so and there is one person that I think as THE ULTIMATE DIVA, I am happy to be able to avail of his services.

Let me start this post by saying that I am a shoe person. I love shoes and at my age, since I tend to look for my accessories first before choosing my wardrobe for the day I tend to take care of my shoes with utmost care. Looks are details, and details are everything!

I have mostly high heeled boots and shoes; flat shoes or ballet slippers and I do not go along very well. So when I find a pair of shoes that fit me so well, I hardly say NO to it. And most of the time I get them in all available colors. So it pisses me off when I hear women's shoes go " tok, tok, clack, clack, pac, pac, pac and tucudok, tucudok....

I am one of those people who can tell if the sound the shoes are making is due to stubby heels, or no heels left, or the nails are now exposed and worst is if the heel is uneven - ARGH!!!

Sometimes, I think every woman should know a SAMY - my cobbler. He not only fixes my boots BEFORE the heels are stubby, or glues the soles when it starts to detach a bit and others, he also takes very good care of them. I am drawn to shoes that require extra brushing and shine - or other times nubucks require the spraying to bring it back to its lustre life. Samy - does that for me.

I want women to find themselves a SAMY. Shoes are not inexpensive, sometimes they cost as much as a genuine designer purse - even more.

Today, I woke up to the tok, tock, tok sound of a woman coming home from a night of partying and her shoes has announced here arrival 2 blocks before she hit my street below. And the sight of shoes that are just about to fall apart, speaks volume about the wearer. Shoes are so reflective of the person wearing them. Sometimes, I see a woman who wears very tight shoes - that says something about her. I also see women wearing shoes inappropriate to the rest of her dress ensemble - that too says a lot about her. I see shoes unmatching purse, I see shoes that are so dirty I feel like handing the lady a piece of tissue just to brush some of the dirt off her shoes. And yes, women who wear shoes so pointy ( there are pointy shoes and there are POINTY shoes!) that I tend to think about them as elves shoes.

Oh yeah and an abused pair of shoes can be dangerous. One can slip off the sidewalk should the exposed nail in the heel area hit a wet slab - BOOM - wham, your cabooze on the side walk.!

I do not get it that women buy cheap shoes - you have such lovely pair of feet and you squish them into cheapo shoes. I think women around here with all the luxurious leather floating around - shoes can be accessible and more comfortable - but why they punish their feet, I am always in wonder of a plausible explanation for this kind of buying habits.

Shoes, just the thought of them make me want to take my knee high boots and wear them with a nice long skirt.

Gotta go, need to look for that ankle length boots that I think I left boxed at the back of the closet - need to wear that before the weather really starts to get warm..

Til another day...

Ciao for now.

Shortage in coins...

After a couple of days of enjoying my hearing- is- finally- back days, I am posting something that for the first time has finally affected me directly - SHORTAGE en "monedas" or coins a notoriously known phenomenon in Buenos Aires. I for one not sure if this affects ALL of Argentina but it is rampant here in the city.

Today, I got up early to go to COTO to buy "stuff". I was going early to beat the Friday crowd. Well lo and behold, it was fairly empty alright, have not long lines to pay the cashier - but when I got there to pay, I paid and the girls asks me for 25 cents. I told her I did not have any - and guess what - SHE SHORT CHANGED me 25 cents!!!

I was not in the mood to fight because it was early in the morning - but could you imagine if I got on the bus and told the driver I was 25 cents short. Do you think he will kick my ass for that?

COTO is a big business and they do not have coins? Impossible- you would think but that is a fact.

There are several theories going around about this "shortage in coins". It is a staged and calculated manipulation of shortage. I am not here to give suggestions but I felt jipped about that whole thing.

I will still go to COTO, it is the only store around here and I will still end up at the cashier that short changed me - but next time I will come in 25 cents ready- or she will see a glimpse of HELL when I give it to her - thick and heavy she tries to short change me.

I always am a forgiving person, I did not say anything this time - DID I? So next time she would know not to mess with this person right here. Even if my spanish is not that good, I am sure she can see hell and fury when she looks at my face, if she ever considers shorting my change next time.

There are thousands of people out there with the same problem as had today and COTO just chose to short me as it benefits them. ( I shake my head here!).

But you know, the world would not be better with just the 25 cents that I was short changed on but her efforts to pay me with at least an attempt to find coins would have made a better impact on me and the trickle effect it would have had on all the people around me - what she did to me affects the rest of the people I meet and interact with today, I truly believe that. So far she batted ZERO.

I am sure I van give here the25 cents I just choose not to be a good willing person for the rest of the week, my exact change to her action to me. Blame me - think again - I after all did not start this. I could not change her attitude and indifference but I sure can control how I act - and I choose this way - it is a choice and I have chosen . Like it or not.

Ciao. Must be an interesting weekend.

Keeping it REAL in Buenos Aires

I am a city girl. I love the amenities, the vitality, the speed, the glitz that city life brings. I just feed on the "rat race". I do not work that hard - which is probably why I like the City so much.

I live in a place that is hip and happening. I see a lot of things and I love it. I am after all a certified people watcher. There is something to be said about voyuerism - that is good. I call it neighborhood watch - it is perfectly legal.

Well, after saying that about me, I find ( and "R" agrees with me on this) that people in the country - anywhere past the City Limits and on the other side of Gen. Paz, people are REAL.

People in the country - smile more, happier and more into authentic service. They really do want to help you, make your stay more positively memorable. And in the process, you do not care much for the experience per se but the wonderful people that you meet. The bread girl in the panaderia, the gentleman who sold me my 2 pots of flowers, the pasta ladies - all these wonderful, sweet people - this is what Argentina is all about. It makes me happy to think that I have found the REAL people of Argentina, not in the city but outside of it. People who come to Argentina flock to the proverbial tourist traps and miss the real deal - the PEOPLE.

I know great people in the city, that is true "R" and "T" are from the city - true portenos ; their family and friends are in the the city of Buenos Aires, but for an outsider like me - the REAL people of Argentina - the one with no biases, no prejudice, with purity in their hearts and they wear their smiles so readily for you are outside of the city. It makes my spirit dance to know that in the "rat race" that I like so much - I can find refuge when we go out of the city to interact with the real Argentina - wonderful for the soul. A very good experience indeed.

I think I am learning to love this country everyday. And for a DIVA that can only be a very good thing.

I do not know about you, but REAL is better than pretend anyday of the week. In a life time we try to be REAL and keeping it REAL is what true meaning of joy is and I like the sound of joy in my life.

Ciao for now.

Medicus

My ear infection finally was addressed today - "R" insisted that we take care of the my "hearing loss" problem and see an ear specialist in downtown Buenos Aires. He got me early and he drove to downtown (Azcuenega). The parking he found was ideal (except the drilling that was happening there!). We crossed on corner and there we were at MEDICUS downtown. It was so easy. Since we knew we needed to see an ear specialist, we were informed by a very nice security guard - nothing says " YOHOOO we are lost"...like sticking your head into areas of the lobby like we really did not know where we were. So off we went to INFORMES on the 3rd floor to make our payment for the ear doctor specialist consultation.

I paid 120 Argentinian pesos. And for this we were given a piece of paper to identify us to the doctor and PAGADO stamped on the said paper. So down we went and we waited in the lobby, on the 1st floor to see the specialist. He is a doctor - not a medical practitioner or anything like that. For that I was glad to know. I speak no castellano and "R" as always spoke for me translated what I do not understand - but I think all doctors here in Buenos Aires speak some level of English and I felt a tad bit embarrassed coz I knew he knew English and I of course am yellow to speak Spanish.

After the check up and clarification why I will no longer stick Qtips inside my ear and why I have some build up there after my fever/ infection, I will now take antibiotics for a few days and armed with an ear drop prescription, we thanked the nice Doc and headed to the nurse's station to give a prescription for a shot/injection - fast acting antibiotics I presume. So we waited and after a few minutes wait while chewing gum, my name was called. We went into a room and "R" and I sat down and the nurse that called out name - checked the paper we gave her for the shot left the room. When she came back, she said they were out of medicine - BUT - she will check at the pharmacy if they had any, and do we want to wait, she asked. We told her we wanted to wait, yes. So she left once again and we waited once again. "R" is very good at keeping me company.

So when the nurse came back she said - we were in luck and I can have my shot. GREAT!!!

But..she told "R" he has to step out for I will need to drop my pants for this shot - "R" meekly left and waited in the hallway. This is one thing I really need to say on this post - MY NURSE WAS GREAT - she told me not to cry - in ENGLISH. She was surprised I knew a little Spanish my self. I was proud to tell her, I am not very good at it yet. She smiled and after a few swabs on my upper left butt area, I did not feel a thing. Then she even helped me lift my pants up (since I was lying down, face down, butt up ).
I bid her good bye and thanked he in Spanish. SHE WAS VERY NICE.

Kudos to Medicus really. This is the 2nd time I had gone to their office and 2 different locations and both "R" and I are happy with the service.

I would recommend it and will go back there again in 3 days to have my follow up visit.

The medicine and ear drop prescription we went and got and so far very good. I am following what the doctor ordered. I can sleep soundly and enjoy my Sunday tomorrow knowing I did not loose my hearing permanently - (sigh). What a relief.

Ciao for now.