the good

Drinking mate in the park on a saturday.  While most people are at the beach in january, the ones who are left are hanging out in parks on the weekends either sunbathing or relaxing in the shade of a big tree.  And of course everyone is drinking mate despite the hot weather, which is made bearable in the park with the lovely cooling breeze.

the good

Armenian restaurant Sarkis in Palermo/Villa Crespo (Sorry Murph, we went without you!).  The food is spectacular, and it´s no secret, as arriving anytime after 8pm will see you waiting in a long line of people for a table.  I cannot belive I have been here 2 and a half years and have only just discovered it.  There are not a lot of options for international cuisine in BA that won´t cost you a fortune and is as authentic as it should be, and Sarkis is spot on.  I plan on going back next week for more! The icing on the cake was the Copa Sarkis, a HUGE icecream sundae consisting of vanilla and  chocolate icecream, chocolate syrup, some sort of liquor and walnuts, delicious!  Muy bien BA for keeping this restaurant affordable and not just for the people with dollars.

the good

Weekends, public holidays, being at home with my cats, my boyfriend playing the guitar, reading, watching Kustarica movies, drinking tea and seeing the shadows on the buildings from the afternoon sun.  The good.

the good

The passion that Argentines have for their team in the World Cup is good.  The city is on crack at the moment in the excitement of everything, and with a win in the first game they are feeling festive and confident.  I don´t have a television in my apartment, but I don´t really need one because when Argentina score the whole building errupts with cheers and all the cars toot their horns.  We can even take time off at work to watch the games!  Let´s hope they keep doing well to keep the festivites going...

the good

This coming Tuesday the 25th of May, marks the 200 year Bicentenary of Argentina.  The government is putting on a manic array of activites to celebrate, and the icing on the cake will be the re-opening of one of the most beautiful theatres in the world - The Teatro Colón.  I have not had the chance to visit this theatre yet, as it has been closed for restaurations since I moved here two years ago.  I am super excited that it is re-opening, and I think it´s a great way to culminate the celebrations of 200 years of independence for Argentina.  Vamos!

Photo: www.buenos-aires.ws

The Good - Shots Come in 3 Varieties

If you haven't had a shot yet, you haven't lived. And, in case you were confused, I don't mean tequila or any other type of alcohol. I am referring to a small bar of chocolate with almounds.

One might wonder, why is a bar of chocolate something so "good" about Buenos Aires? Well, you should taste the chocolate around here. It kinda sucks. There is, however, a rather cheap Kraft product called Shot that is great. Selling for around 3 pesos, it makes a crappy moment into a blissful, orgasmic gorgefest.

But Wait, There's More!

Shot comes in three forms!

1. A small bar of chocolate with almounds
2. Bite size chocolate-covered almounds
3. Shot Alfajor - a new product

I recently had the third option and was pleasantly surprised. It maintains its ties to the other two products, yet rebels against conformity and has an original texture and taste. My mission in the near future - buy all three and eat them all at the same time and then die of happiness.

the good

Tom Ford´s first feature film A Single Man is good.  The cinematography, sets and 60´s style are a visual treat.  Colin Firth and Julianne Moore are great, and the narrative is moving.  It was a little surprising that the cinema was full of older people, especially since it was about a gay man (this subject is still quite taboo with many older Argentines).  I wonder how many of them actually knew what the film was about before it began, as the old man near us remarked to his wife after the first 5 minutes "I think he (Colin Firth) is gay".

the good

Today, Emiliano rescued a kitten that has been living under a car infront of our apartment for the last two days.  It has been crying the last two nights, and we tried to catch it before, but it was too scared to come near us.  Somehow, he was able to catch it today, and it is currently sleeping inside the case of his guitar.  Our cats are not happy about it at all, they are making hissing noises but I think they will come round, after all, they are usually pretty relaxed and well-loved.  Tomorrow we will take the kitten to the vet for a check up and a clean (it´s a he), and see if we can find a new home for him.  For now we call him "the tiny one" as I fear that naming him will only make it harder to distance ourselves when the time comes for him to leave us.

the good

The international independent film festival BAFICI is good.  Well actually, more than good.  There are over 400 films to choose from, in just under two weeks of cinema madness.  My favourite part is that the director is often there to talk about the film and answer questions afterwards, brilliant!  The other day I saw a film called Cooking History in which the cooks who fed the soldiers during many European wars as far back as World War 2, talked about their experiences whilst recreating the meals they used to cook, where they used to cook them.  These people were full of personality, amazing characters in a story that was very real.  The film ended with a man who used to cook on a military submarine that sank, cooking on the edge of the water.  As he cooked and told his story, the tide came in and rose so high that eventually, it swept away the food, the table, everything, and the man was left standing in the water alone.  He survived 14 hours in the water after the sub sank, and was the only one to make it.  A very moving and at times funny; visually and culturally rich film that takes a completely different perspective of war.