more BsAs

I've been an irresponsible tourist here in BsAs, but there is still so much to account for from what I see every day. I see after going through some of my old entries that there lacks quite a bit of description of BsAs. I could send a postcard, but a) what a hassle and b) this is free!

I live on the corner of two of some of the busiest streets in the city, which is awesomely chalk-full of people no matter what time of day or night, and the noise... I would normally complain about all the noise, but I've been here so long now I hardly notice it, though I'm sure it will cause problems in my old age. There are articles in the newspaper and commentary on the "tele" about how much noise there is in the streets here. Normal people step outside of restaurants or clubs to hear on their cell phones better, but here it would be similar to stepping from a noisy boliche to right next to a racing freight train.

The shopping is addictive too. There is no way to avoid shopping on my way to school, on my way home, on my way to a movie, to a friend's house, or even on my way to the pharmacy for some toothpaste. There are a total (I counted) of 10 shoe stores within a 4 block radius of my appartment building, 3 pharmacies, at least 15 "tiendas de moda," 2 hardware stores, a furniture store, 3 cafes, and right accross the street is the equivalent of a $1 store.... I could go on! And this is just the few blocks around where I live. Further down the street there is a huge shopping center, a movie theater, ritzy shops (furs and skins) for the sopihsticated ladies of my neighborhood, an organic pasta shop, pastry shops, restaurants of all calibers and sizes, wine and cheese specialty shops, cyber cafes, convenience kiosks... and the people! So many people.

The one thing that has been almost unbearable is the weather and that which comes along with it. It is insufferably hot when the sun is out, and humid. It builds and builds until it doesn't matter how many times you take a cold shower, you still can't avoid the sweat- or the mosquitos. It's become somewhat of a plague here and there are excerpts on the news about spraying down the plazas to rid the city of the unbearable invasion. I'm a little leary of the plazas now though, wondering how much and what kinds of pesticides are floating around there these days. Although walking down the street wet with sweat and being occasionally eaten alive is still better than just about every other day where it is inevitable that the building moisture falls unheaded and mercilessly on top of us and in a city full of taxis and "collectivos" it is still next to impossible to find a comfortable mode of transportation if any at all - either full sweaty buses or 20 minutes of standing in the rain anyway waiting for a freed-up taxi.

I wish I could recount more of the things I should be doing, like going to see the oldest opera house in the city, going to plays and productions, exhibitions and museums. I've taken quickly to doing the things the normal people do: rock concerts, boliches, the annual book fair, movies, taking mate in the park, among others.

I promised myself I would see at least a few famous things in the city, like the Evita Peron museum and that opera house, and that I would save every penny possible to be able to go to Bariloche for a ski trip before I come home in July. I'm also determined to go all by my lonesome this time. Enjoy some of my trip without the distraction of socializing, which is highly diverting and amazing to do in the city, but out on the trail and on a mountain in winter, I want that selfishly all to myself.