Weekend/Life Wrap-Up

It's a mild Monday here in Buenos Aires, and while the cold snap that had me shaking in my boots (and wool coat, and blanket-poncho) has passed us by, I still can't believe we're already halfway to Christmas! I'm wondering if it will snow here in BA like it did in 2007 ... I can't believe that was four years ago! Wowzers. Kinda cool though, I guess.

La dee da. Been working hard on a job search, although the more serious I get about it, the more I start to realize how much I love working on my own (own hours/from home/in charge of what I do). It would be ideal if I had my little dachshund puppy to keep me company and we could spend the day being productive + taking strolls through Plaza San Martín when we need to clear our heads. Sometimes I wonder if I'm in this position because I feel that I should have studied a more "vocational" major in college, or if this is who I am and what I was meant to want to do all along. Does that make sense? I think I took a less traditional (but by no means something that had never been done before) academic path because that's the kind of person I am. Maybe I'd be great at a serious, 9-5 kind of job ... but it doesn't really jive with what feels right to me. I've been spoiled by my work experience in Argentina - start-ups run by young people, more laid-back but with a definite strong work ethic. I'm pretty sure the ship has sailed on black suits and pantyhose in an office with unattractive fluorescent lighting.

Anyway. We received Mark Bittman's (aka God of all things Culinary) "How to Cook Everything" as a wedding gift and it's been one of my favorite things so far! It's an epic tome, with the most basic recipes to more complex and involved dishes. I love that he offers millions of variations, add-ons, substitutes and the like to several of the recipes; it feels that much more accessible, especially since I live in a land where I can't always get these ingredients that seem so "easy to find" in places like New York or Washington. I plan to really put the kitchen to use this year, if only I could overcome my fear of my oven/death trap ... (Seriously, you need to stick the entire upper half of your body in it to light it. It doesn't light on its own. TIA - This is Argentina)

So that's been my life lately - José's been traveling a ton for work, and I spend my lonely (but happy) little days making up lentil and butternut squash soups, homemade veg stock and other little tidbits. Nothing gourmet, nothing out of the ordinary, but it feels good after a reliance on delivery that can't be explained. We have two markets nearby - one is a small, local place and the other is a bigger chain that is all over the city. The smaller market doesn't always have the variety in pre-packaged goods but their fruit/veg is always well-stocked and I never have to wait more than 10 minutes in line. At the other grocery store, however, I go with high hopes that I'll be able to stock up on "hard to find" or "unique" items (aka, tortilla chips and avocados. I am not kidding) but end up empty handed and bitter because the line couldn't move any slower. Several times I have walked by the Disco and kept going because the lines were all backed up into the aisles. It's ridiculous. Hence why I'm so happy going to my other little market, where the veg man fills my cart with squash and sprouts, and they always have cilantro.

I am 99.5% done with our wedding thank-you notes. Since we had to wait for our stationery to be mailed to Argentina I couldn't really get a head-start on them, but it's been fun to get them done and ready to be mailed.

Yikes - Haven't even gotten to this past weekend, which was unreal in terms of fun. Luckily we are blessed with some incredibly hilarious and really wonderful friends in BA - plenty of Argentines but also a great bunch of Americans here for various reasons. In the past I've usually avoided ex-pat groups because so many of them are in a different mindset given their temporary status here. Happily our amigos are all here for at least a year and happen to be some of the most fun people I've ever met. We had a huge 4th of July party on Saturday (fittingly the 9th of July, Argentina's independence day) ... Basically a throwback to college in that we made ridiculous outfits/color coordination necessary and ended the night with a huge patriotic dance party. I was hoarse the next day from singing too much "I'm Proud to be an American" and "God Bless the USA." We even recited the Pledge of Allegiance. This sounds ridiculous, but when you miss your country and have been drinking sangria for 4 hours, this is what you do.

Soo that's been my life for a while. I re-discovered the amazingness of San Telmo the other day with a friend so will be dedicating a separate post to that fun adventure. Life is good!