Live From the Red Carpet...

The expat community came through... 10 minutes ago the phone rang...turn to channel 49 was the message. I was just in time to hear Forrest Whitaker. Now Eddie Murphy is on...followed by Kate Winslet. Oh, there is Meryl Streep in the background... I love her! And now Queen Latif who is presenting with John Travolta. I am so looking forward to hearing Ellen as host for the evening. On TNT (the dubbed spanish version) the carpet walk was in Spanish but at that point it was making sense since the interviewees were Jenifer Lopez, Penelope Cruz, etc. And when sipping Malbec anything (or just about anything) makes sense. I have to say though that I am wondering about this Litle Miss Sunshine for best picture!?!

This is the culmination of a great day of culture. Walking this morning in Parque 3 de Febrero, the home of the yoga and salsa classes, I heard the Buenos Aires Symphony. That was a treat! Then this afternoon it was a visit to Museo de Bellas Artes... The exhibit on the first floor was fabulous...Chagall, Miro, Kandinsky, Rivera, Rodin, Monet, Cezanne, Renoir....Must I really leave?

Did they really just say two hours to showtime... that must be a mistake. It is 10:00PM here. Hope you are enjoying the red carpet walk and chatter about the gorgeous gowns with me!!!

Los Oscars..

The message signal was blinking..."Hi this is Stan. Gabriel asked me to check on the Oscars for you. He said you wanted to watch them in English. I saw a promo on Corrientes that said they would be aired on TNT. I don't know if that is in English. I posted a message on Craigs List to see if someone knows more. There has to be an Expats bar around that is showing them. Call me."

So you wonder, if she watched the Super Bowl in Spanish why can't she watch the Oscars in Spanish. I mean WHAT is with her, she is so into this immersion thing. Well let me tell you, it is a totally different experience. Been there, done that!

Last year I made a big deal out of it....had some people at my place...served Malbec. (Yes, I can get TNT on my cable.) We were ready. The read carpet appears and seconds into the dialog in English it is dubbed. That's right...no subtitles...The Oscars were dubbed in Spanish. This was impossible...neither the English nor the Spanish were clear. Even the Argentine in the group had trouble. Can you imagine Jon Stewart speaking Spanish?

Ok, Craigs List...show me what you got. My mission this weekend ... a location to view Los Oscars in English.

El Consulado de Bolivia en La Republica Argentina...

"Yes, you can travel to Potosi. When you reach La Quiaca in Argentina just walk across the border to Villazon. Catch a bus there."

"Ok," I say. "And how much time in transit from Villazon to Potosi?"

"Oh, about twelve hours. But sometimes the busses are late. Or sometimes they break down. And in the rainy season, which is now, sometimes the roads are impassable. Most are not paved. But it is a twelve hour trip according to the schedule. "

"Yes", I say. "And I will be traveling from Salta, in the north, to the border. I believe that trip is five hours."

"The Argentine roads are paved. You should have no trouble."

And then I ask..."So once I arrive. Can I fly home (back to Buenos Aires)?"

El Consulado says..."Sure, You can fly from Santa Cruz."

"Oh", I say. "And how far is Santa Cruz from Potosi?"

He says, "That is about 12 hours. But sometimes the busses are late. Or sometimes they break down. Or sometimes during the rainy season the roads are impassable. Most are not paved. But it is a twelve hour trip according to the schedule."

I ask..."There is no closer airport?"

"You may be able to fly from Sucre which is just two or three hours from Potosi...depending on the busses and the roads. You will have to check the internet."

So back at the ranch I check. Yes, one can fly from Sucre to Buenos Aires. The route is Sucre to Cochabamba, Cochabamba to LaPaz, La Paz to Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz to Buenos Aires. Approximately 22 hours after boarding the plane in Sucre one lands at Ezeiza airport Buenos Aires. Of course, that is the trip according to the schedule. But sometimes the planes are late or they break down. Or sometimes during the rainy season....

This is the saga of potential travels to Bolivia.

La Telenovela...

It was my body that spoke loudest of his absence. Could I wait any longer for his touch? I ached and longed for that familiar strength. It won't be the same but I must seek comfort elsewhere....

I know, it sounds like I have changed careers and am now writing script for telenovelas (soap opras) in Buenos Aires or that I have truly surrendered to the sensuality of this land. The truth be known, the ache is in my hamstrings, and the reality is the hands I miss are those of my massage therapist, (you know who you are). So tomorrow night I will be in the hands of another. At least I showed some restraint. I waited for the master to return from vacation. His expertise is deep tissue...Bio-Energetico...the promo reads "Aplica principios derivados de la kinesiologia con el proposito de reestablecer un balance a nivel corporal, mental, energetico y espiritual." Bottom line is I hope to float home tomorrow night after an hour in his presence.

Paseaperros, Piropos, Pregnancy...

What do these have in common you may ask? Aside from the fact that they all begin with a P, though I did have to be bilingual to make that happen, the connection is largely in my mind. This is just a bit of my free-associating as I walked the streets alone this morning and took in the view. I am often amazed by number of dogs but even more amazing is the paseaperro (professional dog walker). It is not uncommon to see him, and for the most part they are male, leading 10-12 dogs on their daily walk. They are all sizes. The big ones are tripping over the little ones. But they are all on the same mission; exercise & relief. They all have a similiar destination; open space. It is truly a sight to see, especially when several paseaperros pass each other on the crowded streets.

Walking behind a paseaperro leading many exceptionally large dogs I am contemplating the best way to pass when I hear a piropo from a man standing to my right. A piropo is an appreciative comment by a man ranging from poetic to vulgar. The benefit of the language challenge for me is that I am not always sure what has been said which makes it all the easier to ignore. Then I make the leap in my mind to pregnancy, perhaps because that is where I am thinking that some piropos lead. But probably it is more because one of those beautiful pregnant women has just crossed my path. Clearly in the last term of her pregnancy she wears a tight fitting top, flowing skirt, and midriff exposed. They really know how to strutt their stuff!!

Uno, Dos, Tres...Cinco, Seis, Siete....

What? What happened to cuatro???? Oh cuatro is when you turn. Now I get it! Seven northamerican sweethearts learning salsa in the southern hemisphere. What beter way to celebrate the eve of el dia de los enamorados, Valentines Day. The very large dance floor at Azucar, the hottest place to salsa in Buenos Aires, was packed. And we were in the thick of it. Did I tell you I am leading a retreat here this year? Yes, I believe I did. Six women with me discovering the energy of this city. So we often move in a pack and create quite a stir as we go. Last night was no exception!

I remembered going to this club once a couple years ago but didn't get into it then. I was still carrying this fantasy of mastering tango. This year is different. There are some new moves I am going to have to pick up while here. I think I will forget about tango for awhile and head to Azucar regulary. For five pesos a class I may be able to loosen these hips for real. That's the plan...Yoga by day...Salsa by night!

Six degrees of separation...

They wrote..."travel tales are best when the human psyche interfaces with the immensity of the world's physicality." What poetic words to read in reponse to the blog entry on Iguazu. The authors, Tim and Dixie, traveled in memory to their own breathtaking view of Foz do Iguacu. What? Did they say March 4, of 05? Could it be? I must go back to my travel log. It is possible that we were standing together in awe at the same hour. Yes, it was March of 05 that I traveled across the border into Brazil to experience these incredible falls. Once more I am made aware of our proximity to one another. Tim and Dixie, activists in the Benton Harbor arts community, neighbors, friends, share my passion for wandering in the world. And it is quite possible that we were wandering together thousands of miles from our home at the same point in time...six degrees of separation.