A Departure into the Unknown: Buenos Aires and Beyond

First of all, to those that have been following my blog, I sincerely apologize for the lack of updating recently.  No excuse really, just sheer laziness on my part.  So to make up for it, I have decided to give you all a nice little update about all the happenings that have been goin’ on down here in the South of the Mundo.  It’s been nearly three months since I first touched down in this crazy city, wide-eyed, alone, and timid amidst the sheer size of such an place.  I have fortunately come a long way since that moment, and things have been slowly falling into place as I’ve been settling in.  My network of friends continues to grow (a healthy mix of Americans, English, Australian, and Argentine), I found an affordable place to live in Almagro (one of the dozens of neighborhoods within the city), and the city is beginning to feel more and more like home with each passing day.  My Spanish is improving (albeit slowly, damn learning a language is frustrating), I know my way around the city, and I already have a number of favorite restaurants and late night watering holes.  The only element that still happens to be eluding my grasp is the ever elusive J.O.B. However, I am remaining optimistic and know that in time something will fatefully stumble my way.  I also know that I can always fall back on teaching English, but the pay is incredibly poor and will probably only extend my stay for a few extra months, but, such is the adventure I got myself into, and whatever happens, I can’t complain, as simply being here I have come to realize is an experience I am most fortunate to have.  Everyday (well, almost everyday) has brought new surprises, adventures, and memories. For your enjoyment, here is a bullet-pointed list of some interesting things that have happened since my arrival..

• I’ve lived with an elderly Argentine couple.
• I hated it, subsequently leading to my homelessness for nearly 3 weeks.
• However, an English friend of mine learned of my homelessness and invited me to squat at his place until my homelessness was no longer.
• I’m a founding member of the BABC (Buenos Aires Broncos Club). We now have nearly 50 members and meet weekly to watch them play at an Expat bar called “Shoeless Joe’s El Alamo.”
• I’ve given a speech at an Argentine girl’s birthday party, in front of her entire family and friends, only a few days after meeting her.
• I’ve ridden motorbikes along the coast of Uruguay.
• I’ve survived a World Cup qualifying match between Argentina and Uruguay.
• I’ve learned that if you arrive at a bar any time before midnight that you’ll most likely be the only one there, besides maybe the other group of tourists in the corner.
• I’ve dated an Argentine woman nearly 10 years my senior, who didn’t speak a word of English. Didn’t last though, I think age might have had something to do with it.
• I’ve danced salsa and tango (or at least have tried to dance salsa and tango).
• I’ve eaten the best steak I’ve ever eaten in my life and only payed about 8 bucks for it.
• I’ve learned that if you invite an Argentine girl to meet you somewhere, and she tells you she will be there, it is completely normal for her not to show up (learned that one the hard way).
• I’ve sipped some of the worlds best wine.
• Topless hookers have attempted to rob me on the street (gender still yet to be identified).
• I’ve been up partying past sunrise more than my entire college career combined.
• I’ve played in a cage with seven adult tigers.
• I’ve fallen in love with a girl from Spain. Well, so I thought, and she was in my life about as fast as she was out of it. So life goes…

These are just of few of the interesting things that have happened to me over the past few months. I could probably go on for a good while longer, but we’ll end it here for now.  And if I do end up having to come home earlier than planned, at least I can take home some memories like these.

A few weeks ago I went to check out an apartment that I was considering moving into in Palermo Soho. I answered an add on Craigslist from a young Argentine guy who was looking to rent his extra room. Before I got a tour of the place however, he offered me some mate, which is somewhat of a national drink here in Argentina. It’s similar to tea and has an energizing effect that stimulates conversation. So, much in Argentine fashion we sat around for a few hours drinking mate and talking about music before getting to the business regarding the apartment.  Eventually he invited me to stay over for an asado (BBQ) with some friends of his.  The only catch was that his parilla (grill) happened to be a shopping cart.  Regardless, it worked just fine and we spent the night eating and drinking copious amounts of wine..

It turns out that Bauer (my surname) is actually a fairly common surname in Argentina. Here's the proof!

...some interesting things have happened to me.  There is no doubt about that.  The first few days at the hostel were a bit slow and I wasn't really meeting anyone. It seemed as if only 4 or 5 other people ... [Continue reading this entry]