Yet another cold wave has hit Argentina and now I've seen everything... it's actually SNOWING in Buenos Aires today! Not just little itty bitty nothing fleks and flakes, but big swirling large puffy flurries. 
And all day long, not just for 10 minutes! The newspapers say that the last time this happened was back in June, 1918. How did the USA and capitalism in general (which are normally the root cause of every other ill around here) cause the snow back then? Would it have helped if Lawrence Welk, Duke Ellington, and Mozart had some sort of Live Earth event back then?! Anyway, if you can read Spanish, check out http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/07/09/um/m-01453873.htm
There were also some classics like this one. Notice the classic Vette in the background. I also saw some Mustangs but no Shelbys in the mix. A lot of old European cars were featured, like Fiat. I could think of absolutely no reason to take a picture of them, though.
Which is funny because the car is definitely nothing to right home about. From my snooty-elitist-American-car-snob opinion, anyway. The French can tell me which wine to pair with the cheese and I'll tell them which of their cars they shouldn't bother manufacturing. Although THIS was a really cool car... it's the new Peugeot 907 V12 concept car. More of this and less of the C4!
OK, enough car show talk... I already know certain people (hola chicas!) that are probably bored with this entire line of discussion. Besides, I need to leave this internet cafe and go find a place to make me some custom / tailor made gloves. It is SERIOUSLY cold in Buenos Aires right now!!! Ojalá que funcione mi estufa esta noche...
And all day long, not just for 10 minutes! The newspapers say that the last time this happened was back in June, 1918. How did the USA and capitalism in general (which are normally the root cause of every other ill around here) cause the snow back then? Would it have helped if Lawrence Welk, Duke Ellington, and Mozart had some sort of Live Earth event back then?! Anyway, if you can read Spanish, check out http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/07/09/um/m-01453873.htmFortunately today is also Argentina's independence day (just 5 days after the USA), so it's a long holiday weekend down here. I say "fortunately" because this VERY cold Monday didn't happen on a standard work day here in Buenos Aires... the Argentine energy sources are already maxed out as it is. This is now the era of the "crisis energética". In fact, it's been getting down to the upper 20s at night here in town (or 12 degrees F if you're "lucky" enough to be down in the Patagonian ski resort of Bariloche). Tomorrow will be realllllllllly interesting when the work week starts back up and the energy sources are pummeled. Stay tuned.
Anyhoo, apparently the energy shortage has been anticipated for quite a while but, because it's an election year, the official line has been complete denial of any probem. With this cold weather, the Monty-Python-Holy-Grail sketch is officially over ("just a flesh wound...", "but you've got no arms left!", "I've had worse!") and el gobierno was forced to confess the problem. Least of all because the downtown office towers are turned off at night, there are no functioning escalators after 4pm, 50% of the elevators are turned off, no heating the offices between 4p - midnight, and who knows what all else. But like I said, it's an election year so the LAST thing that the gov't wants to do is start impacting individual/family homes with reduced electricity, reduced natural gas for heating, etc. I, for one, am personally very glad about that... even if I can't vote in October.
Anyhoo, apparently the energy shortage has been anticipated for quite a while but, because it's an election year, the official line has been complete denial of any probem. With this cold weather, the Monty-Python-Holy-Grail sketch is officially over ("just a flesh wound...", "but you've got no arms left!", "I've had worse!") and el gobierno was forced to confess the problem. Least of all because the downtown office towers are turned off at night, there are no functioning escalators after 4pm, 50% of the elevators are turned off, no heating the offices between 4p - midnight, and who knows what all else. But like I said, it's an election year so the LAST thing that the gov't wants to do is start impacting individual/family homes with reduced electricity, reduced natural gas for heating, etc. I, for one, am personally very glad about that... even if I can't vote in October.
In other news, we endured the "Brazilian Invasion of 2007" at the school last week. July is the big vacation month in Brazil so a lot of Brazilians come to BsAs for a month of "language vacation" which appears to mean a 60/40 ratio of school attendance and partying for most of them... according to my very unscientific research. It all depends on how long they stay out at the clubs (and considering that a lot of the clubs don't OPEN until 2am, it can end up being pretty late). Anyway, I'm supplementing my Spanish with a lot of Portuñol at the moment (like Spanglish, but with Portugese instead). At first it sounds like they know what they're talking about... til you analyze it and realize it's mostly el gibberish-o.
OK, let's wrap this up talking about the recent car show here in Buenos Aires. I had a little time to download some photos so I'll tack them on here. Last time I was here they had just started up the car show (this was the 4th annual show). The exhibit ran for 10 days at the downtown convention center, took up three large buildings, and cost $15 pesos for admittance. Peugot probably had the most exciting new models this year... here's one standing by a car. Ha! I kill me.
OK, let's wrap this up talking about the recent car show here in Buenos Aires. I had a little time to download some photos so I'll tack them on here. Last time I was here they had just started up the car show (this was the 4th annual show). The exhibit ran for 10 days at the downtown convention center, took up three large buildings, and cost $15 pesos for admittance. Peugot probably had the most exciting new models this year... here's one standing by a car. Ha! I kill me. 
There were also some classics like this one. Notice the classic Vette in the background. I also saw some Mustangs but no Shelbys in the mix. A lot of old European cars were featured, like Fiat. I could think of absolutely no reason to take a picture of them, though.
The laws in this country are a little different than in the USA and you are not paid/win the lottery/rewarded by a jury for being stupid... if you injure yourself, it's your problem. For instance, we got to see someone trying to do their "Dukes of Hazzard" impression while almost rolling the test truck. Still... it was funny to watch (from a distance), though.
There were also some new American cars that I'd never seen before, like the new Chevy Camaro and some sort of futuristic looking Ford that I'm not sure they'll market / release in the USA. Another really funny thing is that Keifer Sutherland, aka, Jack Bauer, was up in Rio de Janeiro (or "down in Rio", depending on your perspective I guess) or maybe Sao Paolo. I forget which... anyhow he's filming car commercials for the new Citroën C4 with a famous Argentine actress!
There were also some new American cars that I'd never seen before, like the new Chevy Camaro and some sort of futuristic looking Ford that I'm not sure they'll market / release in the USA. Another really funny thing is that Keifer Sutherland, aka, Jack Bauer, was up in Rio de Janeiro (or "down in Rio", depending on your perspective I guess) or maybe Sao Paolo. I forget which... anyhow he's filming car commercials for the new Citroën C4 with a famous Argentine actress!
Which is funny because the car is definitely nothing to right home about. From my snooty-elitist-American-car-snob opinion, anyway. The French can tell me which wine to pair with the cheese and I'll tell them which of their cars they shouldn't bother manufacturing. Although THIS was a really cool car... it's the new Peugeot 907 V12 concept car. More of this and less of the C4! OK, enough car show talk... I already know certain people (hola chicas!) that are probably bored with this entire line of discussion. Besides, I need to leave this internet cafe and go find a place to make me some custom / tailor made gloves. It is SERIOUSLY cold in Buenos Aires right now!!! Ojalá que funcione mi estufa esta noche...
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