One week and I haven’t written. Scandalous.

Well it was a busy week and nothing really merited a blog post. The only thing that got my heart racing was on Friday when I almost got flattened by on-coming traffic again! I haven’t mentioned it yet, but the roads here are all mostly one ways. I have got very used to looking in one direction and then crossing the road. Not the wisest thing to do when there are two lanes of cars heading straight toward you from the otherside. Yes Mom, zebra crossings from now on, I promise. Ok, enough about pancakes.

I mentioned in my last post, the SA girl I was going to meet up with. I was also going to meet a guy from SA who she knows. Well, in the end I never made it because something else happened…work got in the way of my social life again. She and I rescheduled for Saturday (yesterday). Over several Skype conversations during the week, she mentioned it was not entirely necessary to include the guy from SA. She only knew him because she was interviewing him for a job on the cruise ships, but it seems he has a sketchy past which includes sleeping on the streets… I was okay with not meeting him.

So our planned meeting point was something a little off course. The Jardín Japonés (Japanese Gardens). The expensive sushi went down a treat and the gardens were really pretty to look at. In general this was not the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen, but it’s another thing to cross off the ‘Tourist attraction’ list. After the Japanese Gardens we walked up Av. Sarmiento to La Rural – the largest agricultural and industrial expo in the country (read more about it here). This really was going from one extreme to the other. Leaving 5 acres of Bonsais and Koi fish we embroiled ourselves amidst throngs of people and champion livestock. The overwhelming farmyard pong was the first thing to hit us. Then the crowds. Then the animals. Then the exit. My favourite bit was observing the Gauchos in their traditional kit. Agriculture forms a big chunk of the economic sector in Argentina, so it’s a big affair. I saw the queues there today and they were literally snaking down several blocks.

Gauchos in front of La Rural

Otherwise, my Spanish is coming along nicely. I have been really busy with 2 hour classes 3 times a week. It’s getting tricky now, but at least I can start practising more because I am able to (vaguely) construct sentences. I still sound a bit like Tarzan – Un Peso. Gracias. Mas. Yo abaja. Cinco.

My linguistic accomplishments for the week:

1. Having a conversation with the concierge at an apartment I went to look at
2. Ordering pizza delivery on the phone

P.S. I’ve helped some of those clothing stores I’ve mentioned before get rid of some of their sale items. It was Tarzan who did most of the shopping: Size 6? No? Small. Ok, black. How much? Thank you. Chau.

More photos of La Rural here.