La Nochebuena

So its Christmas Eve and Im back in California for two weeks -- the 16th to the 29th. Things are pretty much unchanged in Sacramento. Christmas Eve with the whole family will be largely unchanged, still having strawberry daiquiris and shrimp dip, a bible story and christmas presents, followed by all the standard eats.

Suburbia has only gotten bigger. more cookie cutter housing complexes and more cookie cutter shopping centers. And so many cars. I miss the city, I miss walking. But its okay for a few weeks I guess. Thankfully I flew into San Francisco before returning to suburbia, and had to take the BART halfway home, and was then reminded that there are cities where I could still live in this country without going slowly stir-crazy.

But this is the first time I have been back that Ive not wanted to stratch away at the inside of my skull, so thats a good sign..the convenience and lack of tramites here is well, nice and refreshing.

After Christmas its back to BsAs and then a month of vacation which will hopefully be spent in BRASIL. If I get my act and visa together..

ok, besotes and Happy Holidays

Big City Life and Life Notes

-- Artesanal fair in San Telmo. 6'3'' nordic looking guy of no more than 23, wavy blonde hair to his ears. definitely a tourist. wandering the streets with friends wearing Hilton hotel slippers, so worn out almost hard to tell, with holes in the toes. and far from pearl white.

-- Flight from Dallas to Buenos Aires. Group of orthodox jews traveling to Argentina on vacations (not uncommon as BsAs as second highest jewish population in the Americas outside of NYC). While waiting at the gate one was playing his guitar and singing a song about how the gin flowed and the women were fineee. The mother of one was not orthodox in looking from her dress, she wore a San Francisco T-Shirt and a name tag that said "Napa Valley Tea Party". Another guy in the group, with the threads hanging from his belt, watched Social Network, the movie about Facebook, on the flight, a movie full of sex and drugs.

-- Flight from Dallas to Buenos Aires. I sat next to an Iranian woman, who was traveling to Argentina for the first time and spoke no Spanish. She moved to the States a few years before the Iranian Revolution. But the flight attendant thought from her complexion that she was Hispanic, so every time she passed by she said "Señora, Señora, enchiladas o pollo" or other such things, and I kept having to translate.

-- Walking down 9 de julio avenue, sunday 2pm. Man peeing from his balcony, trying to hit the passer-byers and relieve his hungover bladder. thankfully he missed me.

-- Homeless man spat in my face 10am on a monday as I walked with my laundry to the laundry mat.

-- Man of African descent, in a Spurs basketball jersey, drinking mate in San Telmo. What a mix of worlds. He was probably from Uruguay where there is a larger black population and you see more people walking around with mates and thermoses than people in the U.S. with Starbucks.

-- Disabled man with walking brace and plastic support around his waist. Walking through the subway asking for coins. High school age girl in catholic school uniform miniskirt, rolled up real short. The man purposefully places his walking brace between her legs and leans down to brush his finger against her inner thigh. She, looking out the window, has no idea its not an accident. He then passes by me and asks for coins. I gave death stare.

-- One of my students had her iPod stolen while she was listening to it. And I thought that was the golden rule!

-- There are fireworks going off right now, there are fireworks that go off in puerto madero near my house at least once a week. I havent figured out why, but I enjoy the constant fireworks display.

-- in Argentina New Years is much more important than Christmas, and nobody can understand why I am going the 16th and coming back the 29th.

all for now