Friday, we went to a resto-bar (restaurant/bar) called Living. It was one of the best places we have been so far, not to mention it was within walking distance from our house. We had a quiet, intimate three-course meal and wine for 53-58 pesos and didn't even have to pay a cover to get in. The food was phenomenal, but I wasn't feeling well and couldn't make the most of it. We'll definitely have to return and share plates!! Giant projector screens along with retro tube tvs played videos of throwback 80s and 90s music which later turned mostly to British rock bands. The music was strange to listen to but highly entertaining to watch. After 2 a.m. the place starts to look more like a bar and fill up with people mingling and dancing. There is a second room that plays popular music and club songs making it the perfect place to go for a night of dinner and dancing without getting too crazy. The best part of the night was that we actually had friends there. It felt so validating to not be the only people we knew in the whole place. That's right, I'm not a tourist AND I speak castellano. Boom! Our friends, "the Juanes" (2 guys named Juan and their friends) from the pool were there, as well as one of Kylie's coworkers, Yani (Zshaw-nee). It was a blast to not be an outsider. Yani speaks English, so what has come to be a fun game for Kylie at work (and later sharing with us at home) is to teach each other slang in their perspective languages. It's more difficult that you would think to be aware of which words and phrases you use that aren't literal. To us, they just seem normal; to a foreign speaker, it makes no sense at all! Finally, we learned the word for "cool" among many others.
In the taxi on the way home, we realized we were about to pass the street we take every day to get to Anna's house, our destination at that moment. Everyone in the car began yelling, "A la derecha! A la derecha! (To the right.! Go right!)" He stopped in the middle of the road not knowing what to do before kindly explaining to us that it was a one-way street. Huh. I guess you don't realize these things when you walk everywhere. Taxi drivers here are infamous for being swindlers. Never dangerous crimes, just petty scams like taking the wrong routes or giving you wrong change. The one night we thought we were knowledgeable porteñas who couldn't be fooled, we still managed to embarrass ourselves.
Unfortunately, Saturday we slept most of the day away. We woke up in time to cook breakfast where I almost caught the kitchen on fire (oops!), pack a picnic, and head to Anna's first ultimate frisbee game. I had heard of it before but had absolutely no idea how it's played. We accompanied her to be fans, and what else were we going to do all day? There were way more people than I had expected. We even met a girl who attend Missouri State! What a small world it truly is. It was astonishing how many people spoke English there. I even took a shot a learning to throwing a frisbee. Okay, okay...I know what you're thinking. Duh, everyone knows how to throw a frisbee. WRONG! I can throw a baseball all day long, but give me a frisbee? You better plan on running. A lot. I can't throw those things straight to save me life. So while most people would spend the day learning other moves such as the backhand or hammer, I spent it learning to throw a plain jane, normal, right-where-I-want-it-to-go frisbee toss. By the way, I still stink.
That night we went to a parilla (a grill) Max picked out in Palermo, called Juanitos. It was also the first time we have ever successfully fit five people into one taxi. It's quite a bit different than good ole Rick's Taxi in Columbia where you can ride with as many people as humanly possible to shove in the van. Here, there are only taxi cars, and they have a very strict 4 person limit. However, we ran for it and hoped he wouldn't say anything. ÉXITO!! (SUCCESS!!) It was so nice to all ride together plus split the cost, instead of taking two. While we thought, "What a nice guy!" and made pleasant conversation, he proceeded to drive us in circles before finally stopping at our destination. I guess it was our tax for having five people.
Dinner at Juanitos was phenomenal and very reasonable for a parilla. We shared a bottle of nice Malbec from Mendoza, a wine city in the Andes. Alyssa and Anna were brave enough to try an actual parilla, an assortment of grilled meats, most of which they did not know the name of. Kylie and I stayed on the safe side and ordered a steak. Actually, even a steak for me is living pretty dangerously. I'm not a huge fan of meat, and when I eat it, I like to stick with poultry. Kylie on the other hand, loves rare steak. I think steak might be a primary food group in Colorado, and she likes it nice and bloody. "Hmm, it's worth a shot," I thought. That's how high quality steak is meant to be eaten for the best taste and texture, but I'm just accustomed to my mom's well done steaks on the few and far between occasions that I have even eaten them. In Buenos Aires, we've been told to emphasize for several minutes just how rare you would like your steak. "No seriously, I mean really rare. Bloody, pink, and juicy." The mozo (waiter) seemed to understand as he confirmed, "Vuelta y vuelta." Flip and flip, loosely translated. Perfect. We still got it back medium-medium well with hardly any pink. Either our waiter was a mind-reader or Kylie's face read disappointment because he came over to ask if it wasn't rare enough. Kylie and I aren't really the ones to send food back, but it's a steak! When it came back, it was the pinkest steak I have ever seen in my life. And by pink, I mean raw, even by Kylie's standards. After she reassured me several times that it was safe to eat, I put on my big girl pants and decided to try a bite. It was served with over easy eggs and smoked pancetta (thick-sliced Italian bacon). It was fantastic. I would still prefer "actual" rare or medium rare for more juiciness, but the texture was like velvet.
After dinner, we tried to walk to one of the Carnival parties we had seen on the way, but after walking aimlessly for 20 minutes or so, we decided to take a cab home.
Today, while the others went shopping in San Telmo, I decided to stay home and complete my application for the AAUW Voices Project. It is an opportunity to write op-eds and other articles for newspapers to publicize Equal Pay Day and the Paycheck Fairness Act, which strive to end the gender wage gap. I'm hoping it's not too ambitious to pursue on top of my internships and classes in Buenos Aires because it would not only be a way to be involved in a cause I'm passionate about, but improve my resumé. Working in public relations and writing press releases, especially for organizations focused on activism, are exactly what I would like to do as a career.
With the application off my shoulders, I met the team in La Boca, a very famous tourist spot by day and dangerous local neighborhood by night. It is most famous for El Caminito (the little walk) through the brilliantly colored neighborhoods. Outdoor restaurants all had tango shows, and like most other neighborhoods, there were shops galore. The houses were beautiful! It appeared to me to be a sign of a neighborhood with the courage to persevere through trying times by making the most of what they had. Instead of being a run-down slum, La Boca is a beautiful embrace of Argentine culture. True, it's quite touristy now, but for some reason I imagined the families that lived in the small, colorful quarters turning their misfortune into a booming business place that was aesthetically incredible and fun to walk through. There was added excitement today, as Boca Jr., the local fútbol team, had an in-town game. 
Tonight was pretty lazy, with lots of Skype dates. I talked with Anna, my Columbia roommate who is coming to visit, and realized I have a LOT of work to do before she gets here. I need to pick the best-of-the-best of Buenos Aires before she gets here. I want to give her the trip of a lifetime AND give her an extraordinary 21st birthday celebration like she gave me. Good thing I've been keep a review of places we've been!
Hasta luego,
Amelia
"It's better to appear stupid than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
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