Long Weekend

Happy President's Day/Mardi Gras/Carnaval to everyone! Today and Tuesday are holidays (still have to work tomorrow though,  the news doesn't get a vacation) but it's been nice to take it easy and enjoy this cloudy weekend. Threats of storms and rain have hovered since Thursday but we've yet to have a downpour. I would love it - a perfect excuse to head to the movies and eat some ice cream.

Things are crazy as usual here. The school year is set to start this week but - surprise, surprise - the teachers' unions haven't been able to come to agreements with the government on their salaries. You think schoolteachers earn peanuts in the US? Here on average their salaries are AR$1,300 a month. Yep, that is about US$300. They are fighting for a base salary of AR$3,100 which is much more fair, though still frightfully low, given inflation and the crazy cost of living these days. It comes in a striking contrast to the news that legislators and Senators received a 100% RAISE on their salaries - from AR$15,000 to more than AR$30,000. Add up the extras they get (travel vouchers that, if not used, are given to them for cash value) and some of them could make up to AR$50,000 in a month.

Imported products are harder and harder to get .... Although we were surprised to see our grocery store's shelves stocked with Milky Ways, Snickers, and Starburst last night. A lot of merchants have been hoarding/stockpiling certain items - like blenders, irons, etc - and are now selling them at exorbitant prices because demand is high and supply is pathetically low. There is a shortage of cancer and AIDS drugs, repair parts for factory machinery, and many other items you encounter in daily life. Steps closer to Venezuela and Cuba ...

Yesterday was a double birthday - Deb & Redmere. I would have loved for all of us to be together celebrating, but alas .. Hopefully next year. I miss them.

I've been cooking up a storm lately and was so happy that my mom sent me a new cookbook to try out! I will keep you posted on my progress. Lately I've just been on a creative empanada kick, nothing too crazy. Given that we don't have a/c in the kitchen and standing over a hot stove in those conditions makes me less likely to take on a hardcore culinary project. Soon! Once things cool off...

I have an ant infestation in our garden/terraces. I have no idea where they're coming from but I'm about to launch a full-out attack on them. They're farming aphids and other weird bugs that are destroying our plants - this lovely tree we have, my hibiscus, the jasmine... even my succulent! I've been spraying the crap out of them with an insecticide but it's not working. I think I will just dump cornmeal or baby powder all over the place where I see them trekking along. Since we don't have a real yard, I can't really locate the actual nest. This is war.

That is all. Happy day off to everyone!