Differentiating between Liberty and Freedom: Intellectual and Classy Pursuits in Buenos Aires

I had a wonderful weekend! Pretty busy, too. On Friday, Nestor had his last concert in the series that the Sarmiento Museum presented. It was his trio with him on the drums, of course, a man with the last name of Baraj on saxaphone, and Remus on bass. Baraj played tenor saxaphone, soprano saxaphone, and flute all at different points during the trio's hour and forty-five minute performance. And yes, I did get to play one song with them! Although he managed to surprise me with it.

Natalie and I arrived at the Museum and we saw Nestor on our way to the bathroom. One of the other audience member who had been there last week also passed, recognized me, and said hi. Then asked Nestor if he was going to let me play again this week. He shook his head and said that unfortuantely this week was much more of a definitive program (whereas last week was specifically called "Jam Session"-> Love the Spanglish- don't you?) and that he would unfortunately not be able to let me play. Oh well. So Natalie and I made our way to the bathroom, then back to our seats, figuring at least we'd come to see a great night of jazz. We were talking with some of the audience members, who of course loved that I came back. Such a welcoming reception as an American, I have never received. When I mentioned that I would be traveling to Mar del Plata with my soccer team, one of the women even inquired if I had a place to stay, as she had an apartment in Mar del Plata. Can you believe that?? Such hospitality.

Anyway, so the concert. In his introduction when he was recognizing people, and thanking everyone for coming out, he said, "And there's a drummer in the audience, here with us all the way from the United States. We had hoped to fit her in tonight, so we'll see what we can do." And of course, he asked me to stand up.

Then, during the intermission, someone reminded him that he always forgets to do the raffles he likes doing at each one of his concerts where he raffles off one of his CDs. So he picked up the microphone, looked straight at me, and said, "Is there a particular young American in the audience who would like to pick this raffle ticket for me?" So I came up and drew it. Then he said, "Jill, why don't you go accomodate yourself behind the set. Make yourself comfortable." At this point Baraj and Remus were still back stage, so he said, "Hey boys! Come on out here I've got a surprise for you. We're going to let this fine young lady sit in and play a song with us." So we played a blues! They let me solo, and Remus' mouth almost dropped to the floor. Hahaha. Although, I didn't think I played that well. The adrenaline kind of got to me. So that was Friday night.

Saturday started early. I got up at 6:15AM and was out of the house by 7:15. The Law School Admission Test started at 8:30 at the Instituto Cultural Argentino Norte Americano (ICANA) building in the center of town. It was my second time taking the LSAT, because the first I didn't do wondefully well. The test was four hours, starting from around 9:00, so I got out around 1:00PM. I left feeling much better about the test than the last time, and I get my score by e-mail in three or four weeks so we'll see what happens.

I went home and took a nap. At 6:00PM I went with Natalie to the house of Mario Trejo and his wife Maria Fernanda. Mario Trejo is 83 years old, he's an EXTREEEEMELY (all those e's are worth it) accomplished poet, journalist, playwrite and literary critic. He's interviewed some of the TOP figures in Latin American and world history (think: Che Guevara, Jorge Luis Borges, Salvador Allende, and Yassar Arafat), he's published mountains of works, and taught and lived all over the world. He's completely fluent in all 5 (yes, that's FIVE) romance languages, and is close friends with many of the huge names in jazz all over the world today. We met him last week at Nestor's concert, and he invited us over for coffee.

Mario is quite the character. He's half blind, but his hearing is exceptionally sharp. He's got a mind that is so many levels above my comprehension that it's almost comical. He started telling us about how important knowing one's ancestry was. He asked Natalie her ancenstry, and then that got him started talking about England and how much he loved it there. Then he was suddenly talking about the Romans, then quite suddenly about the Greeks, the Greeks some how brought him to democracy, which somehow led him to the Jews. Then, as if out of nowhere, he informed us that Trejo meant "to flee" in Greek (or Hebrew), and that he had strong Jewish ancestry. He asked us what we thought the difference between Liberty and Democracy was, which produced absolute crickets because I have never thought about something that profound in my life. Which led him to Latin American systems today and Chavez, and how the Kirchners were getting ever more similar to Chavez, and that somehow brought him to Colombia which led us right back to my ancestry. The man thought so fast I could hardly keep track.

Then his neighbors came for a visit. A 25 and 24 year old Dominican couple who is here in Buenos Aires to study. The guy is studying literature and the girl is studying cinema. The guy is evidently studying privately with Mario, and he brought over his newest collection of books, which Mario had read them all of course. I hadn't heard of any of the authors, of course. And of course I felt super ignorant when apparently some of them were American. They were really nice, but Mario kind of imposed on them to come over and it was a wee bit awkward.

So yes, that was coffee with Mario Trejo and Maria Fernanda. We were there for four hours. Mostly basking in complete awe of his genious but near the end he did open himself up to questions, if you will. Ha. So we got to ask him about some of his experiences. Mario is one of those people who, when they talk, they just emit this sense that you should not interrupt them. So yes, he talked for quite a while. He was so nice though. And when we excused ourselves (we tried to catch the subway home but were unsuccessful as the last ride is at 10:15 and we didn't get out til 10:25), he said he really hoped we had found this chat with him worthwhile and said that we shouldn't be strangers and come back.

This picture of him is from a loooong while ago. His wikipedia entry (that he wrote himself, typical Mario) has more on him for those who are interested. So that was my weekend. I'm doing work now. What a life I live here in Buenos Aires!

Globalization

In the effort to procrastinate the mountain of homework that is slowly burying me, I have decided to write another blog entry.

Last Sunday, I had a very interesting morning. My friend Natalie and I went to the only Walmart in Buenos Aires, and then we went to Burger King. I had a strange sense of deja vu while eating my Double Whopper and fries. It felt like I was still in the United States. Then I came back to my apartment and my host mother Ines told me that she had finally watched the TV show I had been telling her all about; NCIS. And in addition to Gilmore Girls, which she also likes, she thought I had a very good taste in TV shows. And I still felt like I was in the United States.

Of the things "Made in America" that have made it down to Buenos Aires, I can count: Wonka Candy Company (and all its delicious creations including Nerds), McDonalds, Burger King, Walmart, Jeep, Gilmore Girls, Law and Order, NCIS, Criminal Minds, iPods, Staples (which my host brother runs in Latin America, !?!?!, just learned that), every kind of American music imaginable (let's get real, I was in the club last night and they played entirely English 70s - 90s music for like an hour and a half with no Spanish songs in between!), Skittles, Myspace, Facebook, Starbucks, Walmart, Singerland drums (although I imagine most musical instruments are sold internationally), blackberry phones, American football (one of my host brothers watches the Giants), Northface, Columbia Sportswear, and tennis racket companies.

It's enough to make this American feel like she's never left home at times! Of course all these things are definitely on the expensive side in pesos. Some people I've met will have pretty much heard of everything in the last paragraphy I mentioned. And then of course there are the families of homeless people I pass everyday on the streets, the man that walked past me yesterday (when it was like 30 degrees out), in nothing but tattered rags with no shoes. Buenos Aires is a place of striking opposities. The rich live right beside the poor. And that's just this city. I"m told out in the country it's like going back in time: that it's a whole other world.

And You All Thought I Was Joking When I Said I'd Conquer The World

Ladies and Gentlemen, my life is now complete. I can die a happy woman. :) As of now, I am on a first name basis with one of the most famous drummers in Argentine jazz who has played international festivals that I could name til I'm blue in the face. And a famous Argentine poet's taken an interest in me and wants to have coffee next week. So, yes, Argentina is going pretty well for me! How did all happen?

Well my friend Natalie and I saw a flier on the stop for one of the colectivos on her street. "Nestor Astarita and Friends" and it said he was playing the 5, the 18, and the 25 of December at the Museum right down the street from Natalie's house! So I said of course we'll go see him the 18th! Now I had no idea what kind of concert this was going to be, if tickets were going to be sold out, or what. So Natalie and I went a half hour early, and sure enough, Nestor was out in the front setting up his CDs for sale. I didn't recognize him at first. But when I did I said, "Wait, are you Nestor Astarita?" Dumb introduction, I know. But what can I say? The guy's a genious I was star struck.

He said, "Yeah." I said, "Wow. It's a real pleasure, sir. I've heard excellent things about you." He said "Where are you from?" (everyone asks me that because of my accent), and I said, "My friend and I are from the United States. I'm a drummer so I thought we'd come and hear you play." He said, "You play jazz?" and I said, "for 13 years." He said, "Well then of course you''ll play tonight."

So I played two songs with Hector Vaso, the bassist who played for a time with Georgian Jazz and has a voice almost exactly like Louis Armstrong, and Ricardo Pelican who founded Swing 39 and is a genious guitar player, and two other guitarists who were not named anywhere in the program (welcome to Argentina, hahaha) and I fascinated the audience. Girl drummers are enough of a rarity in the US, I can't imagine Argentine's have ever heard one. And you know what Vaso told me? He said I have excellent tempo and he felt very comfortable with my time!! So yeah, I was on cloud 9 for the night. And of course, I was invited back next Friday.

And behind me sat the very interesting character that is Mario Trejo. I believe he's 83 now. In is early 80s, at the very least. He was fascinated with two things; that I played the drums so well, and that I was Colombian. He's a poet, and he composed the words to some of the songs that Astarita played with this group of tangueros (Tango musicians) that were like from 19-22 years old. When I was leaving, he asked me "You live around here?" And I said, "Yeah". His daughter took down my contact information. He said, "We'll have coffee this week. I'd be very interested to hear about your stay in this great country."

So that's that. I'm slowly taking this country by storm. Hope you like the picture!

The Bilingual Phenomenon

It has been my experience as a native English speaker coming to a non-English speaking country with other native English speakers, that we tend to not want to fulfill the sterotype of the typical American- the loud and obnoxious tourist who doesn't speak a word of the language of whatever country they're in, and then gets louder and more obnoxious and angry when noone in that country speaks English! Well it's quite eerie to be in a city where one out of every three or four people you meet speaks basic conversational to advanced English.

For example. My host mother Ines had her three children and their four second cousins over last night. I walked in and they were discussing something. Ines told me that her oldest son, Santiago had planted a logic riddle. They continued discussing it and I was confused because no one actually said what the problem was. So I asked Ines. She said, "Santiago tell Jill the riddle." He got beet red and said, "No, mama, deciselo vos. No tengo confianza con ella todavia." Meaning, "Mom, you tell her. I'm not that comfortable with her yet." Of course I looked around extremely confused. Without missing a beat, he said, "No, es que, es un poco R- Rated" Just like that. Span-glish in its purest form!

Later, they were talking about the filters that Santiago put on the internet and television for his three children. One of the cousins, Fede, asked Santiago, "But is pornography all it filters?" And he began, "No, tambien violencia, drogas, gore. Como se lo dice en Castellano?" He didn't even know the word for "gore" in Spanish! It was sooo weird to be sitting in a room of people who were talking in one language, and knowing that if they wanted to, they could carry on the exact same conversation in a different language! Santiago speaks perfect English, Ines' other two children speak medium to perfect as well. One of the cousins was just in Princeton NJ working for Bristol Meyer Squibb, and the other works in international advertising.

Outside of the family? I play soccer at University Torquato di Tella with a team of about 13 or 14 girls, half of whom are lawyers, and most of whom speak perfect English! They understand me when I talk, and if I don't know a word in Spanish I can just say it in English and most everyone knows just what I mean.

I don't know why this interest me so much. I guess it's because it's something that would never EVER happen in the United States. I mean, with places like Ginos in Philly that have signs specifically saying you must speak in English to be served, Americans are so centered on themselves such widespread multi-lingual-ness (?) would never ever be found.

Well it's Friday and I'm doing what? No surprise, I'm about to go play soccer. I got a call from one of the girls on my team who started playing for another league, but the team does not have a goalie. It means I'll get a chance to practice in a setting that's not as highly competitive as the other league I play in.

Classes are insanely difficult. But, I guess its nothing different from the US. Just scares me because its in a different language. Well that's all for now, folks!

Of honorable losses, train rides, and unpublished books

Ladies and gentlemen! What a weekend I had, and it's only Saturday! Yesterday afternoon I went back to the Polideportivo of Argentinos Juniors and took a look through their unpublished centenial chronicle. The book goes from the beginnings of the team until 2004. It was so interesting! It's definitely going to help me with my paper! I just really hope that there's a photocopier in the library at the club, because if not, I'm going to have to take all the notes on my laptop or by hand! Because the book is not published, I'm not allowed to take it out of the complex. But the complex, wooow! It's enormous! A smaller stadium, pool, three or four gymnasiums, the housing complexes for the younger divisions that come from the provinces, a library, hockey rinks, basketball courts, tennis courts, it has EVERYTHING! The people there were very nice!

A couple of hours after I got back, the shenanigans began! Jess, another girl from the IFSA Butler exchange program, and I went on a train to San Isidro. We slept at the house of a girl on the team, so we didn't have to get up incredibly early this morning, and also because it wasn't definite that we'd have enough cars to transport everyone. Now, my host mother Ines had told me something before, when having a conversation with me about the racial dynamics of this country. She said that if I didn't dress as nice as I did and carry myself like I do, because of my skin color I'd be subject to what I would phrase as Argentina's version of "racial profiling", that is to say, being the first one in a particular situation to be stopped by the police and asked for documentation. Now, on the train, there were these group of boys with darker skin dressed like they were from the slums (no political incorrectness intended) who looked to be no more than 14 at the oldest. Some of them looked as young as 10. So, about two stations after we boarded, I see a man dressed very officially (that is to say, in clothes indicating he was a conductor or in some manner worked on the train) walking very fast from car to car. Next station, the train stops completely. The police board our car, and one of them asks the man I saw, "Which ones?" and then man points to this group of boys. The police man (with another who came after) start questioning the boys. One of the officers hurried one boy off the train, and frisked him right then and there! It ended up that the group was allowed to stay because someone spoke up and said the troublemakers the conductor was looking for had moved to a different car, but when they started mouthing off to the police officers after the train left that station, they were kicked off at the next stop. The police man left with them so I have no idea what happened after that.

And why am I telling you all this? It just interested me immensly because (granted, I don't know if they somehow got on without paying), they were not doing anything, and practically everyone on the train told the conductor and the police officers that the group of boys had caused the trouble. Sure, maybe one was playing the music on his phone loudly, but nothing more. All because of how they were dressed and how they carried themselves. The rest of the train ride was fine, and I guess it makes me feel more secure in a manner of speaking, because police can board the trains, but I was still very surprised that this group of boys was pointed out so rapidly!

We got to Victoria, one town over from San Isidro, to the house of my friend Paula. It's just her and her mother, and the house would definitely fit America's qualifications of a mansion. She has 6 dogs, and some fish. They were very hospitable, and I felt completely at home! I had a lot of fun playing pool, playing cards, and watching movies, and this morning... our soccer team (Universidad Torquato di Tella) played against the University of Buenos Aires. We ended up losing 6-3, but WOW did we put up a good fight. It was a game I could be proud of, as opposed to last weeks. I'm still learning my new position of goalie, and maybe after a couple more games I won't make so many mistakes! The girls were very nice and respectful. Apparently, they had a good reason to be. They are first place in the league, and they've played 8 games so far with only one goal against them in the entire 8 games. Today we scored 3 against them! UBA trains a lot more intensly than we do, but I kind of would prefer it that way!

Well, that's all the updates for now.