Comida Casera

Ah the joys of cooking at home. I have been busy lately creating wonderful empanadas ( ok mine are the ones that look the most disfigured and pathetic ), homemade pizza dough ( it took a couple of tries but I must admit they came out great ) and the next mission in the kitchen will be a joint attempt to make some delicious bread. From scratch. That should be the most interesting, and annoying, endeavour as of yet.

I have been happily readjusting to live in Buenos Aires, although there have been some small if significant changes that have occurred in less than a year. Inflation is rampant; prices are skyrocketing and that means my wardrobe will remain more or less the same until I either a) win the lottery, b) get a lovely thing called a job, or c) a miracle occurs and inflation goes away. Empanadas used to cost 1,90 each, now they're about 2,40. That might not seem like much, but it adds up, especially given the fact that Argies love their little meat pockets.

Now that I am in Argentina on "official business" rather than a jolly jaunt for 6 months, I have had to give serious thought to the kind of job I want to get, or at least will be able to obtain. It took me 30 seconds to realize if you majored in Philosophy and History, you are screwed. That basically doesn't exist here, unless you are 100% sure you want to be a professor or something along those lines. That's why everyone studies Accounting, Marketing, Business Administration. Great. Thanks for that. So I have devised an incomplete list of the possible employment opportunities that await me:

• Owner of a kiosko. This could actually be pretty lucrative, especially if I had a choice spot on a big intersection. I would clearly stock it with the best alfajores and the widest selection in phone cards and cigarettes. Hidden in the back would be the locutorio so my patrons could make phone calls in peace and privacy. Maybe if I've had a good year, I would even add some computers, for easy Messenger access.
  
• Owner of a telo. Don't know what that is ? Ok, well, since most Argies live at home until they get married ( mostly for financial reasons ) & more often than not the Argies seem to like infidelity, all over the city are scattered "hotels" that offer rooms for 2-3 hours or even overnight for a nominal fee. Some of them are over the top and funny, with grandiose themes and B-Movie worthy cheesiness, but most just look like normal apartment buildings ( distinguished only by a purple or green light that must act as some kind of beacon to those in need ). Anyway, telos to me are hilarious because the idea of them in the US just seems ridiculous but also very practical. So I think I would be a great telo owner, and could jazz it up and make it a lovely place of business, and would never be short of customers.
• Paco dealer. Paco is basically the Argentine version of crack, so newsworthy lately that even the New York Times wrote an article about its devastating effects ( complete with photo slide show, I must say it was pretty frightening ). Alright so I would have to travel deep into the villas to get my job done, but once again I would never have a shortage of customers, and since I am not a user, I figure I would run a pretty good business. Although I probably would get killed within the first month of work. So maybe I won't do that.
• Finally. My favorite job, because seriously IT ISN'T EVEN A JOB. All over the popular neighborhoods, especially on weekends, in Las Cañitas, Palermo, etc, parking becomes quite difficult on the streets. This annoyance is compounded by the presence of "parking attendants" - complete with rag for spectacular waving-on ability - who surround you once you finally find a parking spot. They then "direct" you into the spot ( as if you didn't already know how to do that ) and then charge you for the "care and watch of" your vehicle. Last year they usually asked for a moneda, maybe 50 centavos, and even if you didn't give them anything you could get away with it. Now, apparenly these dudes charge upwards of 20 pesos A CAR on a busy Saturday night. Do you realize that this is completely illegitamate but still somehow accepted as a part of life ?? If I could charge 20 pesos a car, in a busy neighborhood all month long, I would end up with very full pockets.

Anyway. I digress. I thought I would use this time to criticize Kirchner, because I hate her. I saw her on TV the other day, proclaiming that the Argentine people are modest and humble. First of all ... I don't think owning a $30,000 Birkin bag makes you modest or humble. Also. The reason an Argentine is an Argentine is because they are NOT humble. They are the most proud people I know, and that is why I love them. Yes maybe they live modestly because they buy everything in "cuotas" and cannot always afford to have the newest and most expensive things, but each Argentine carries himself with such ego and pride that it's almost too much to handle. When you add a mullet to the mix, it's even better.

I should probably stop for now. Otherwise I will keep typing rando things all day. But. Keep up the hopes for me, a poor Philosophy major who just needs gainful employment and eventually an apartment of her own. All I want is to finally get settled and feel like I am ready to make my own way here in Buenos Aires. It's a shame I have to accept that my 6 months of pure fun and silliness are truly over ( in all ways ) and that the real world is closing in. I know things will be fine but for now, I cannot help but crave a little more certainty and normalcy.

I miss you guys and I hope some of you get off your bums and come visit. Remember, Christmas here is SUMMER and Punta del Este is truly heaven on earth. So, I will be welcoming visitors, especially if you want to find me a job beforehand and maybe find a way to bring me Bella from Arlington.

More to come ... probably musings about the joys of renting movies that have just premiered in theaters, continued strikes by the Campo, what it means to go to an Argentine wedding ( going to one in a few weeks ), and employment updates.