28 Jan 2013 Dancing with the Stars

Alerta Amarilla por el Calor - Orange alert for the heat! Prediction up to 38 degrees.

Alerta Rojo por la polucion - High alert for pollution - in China! Fourth time this month.

I rather suffer the heat, than be poisoned by a level of pollution, that is so impenetrable, that the smoke and flames from a factory that caught fire in Shanghai, were not noticed by any passers by - thicker than London fog at its worst.

La Presidenta Cristina raised the minimum taxable income level by 20%.  Great rejoicing is encouraged. Last years inflation (the real one, not the government issued one) reached 28%.

But, Argentina has a new political friend: Iran.



Great News all over Argentina: the Argentinian girl Maxima is going to be Queen of the Neatherlands, now that Beatrix, the present Queen, will abdicate as of the 30 April. She apparently is married to the guy on the right (not mentioned in the News), who happens to be Beatrix son.



The Sunderland Club, temple of Serious Tango Competitors. I participated in an exercise class in said venerated venue, and found myself in the company of the great and famous of World Class competition: World Champions and Runners Up, all going through the same repetitive process of learning HOW TO WALK with true tango technique and style.
Here are Ines & Sebastian practising their dancing - they were World Champion Salon tango dancers a couple of years ago.
Dancing with the Stars - what happens behind the scene....



And here Carlos and Alyson, a multicultural couple - she is Canadian, he is Argentino.
They reached the finals in the Campeonate de Ciudad de Buenos Aires.
All mingling together..
I have to admit, that I probably was the most 'mature' of the pupils, nobody here had seen their fortieth birthday yet I suppose.

27 Jan 2013 La Boca, Shrine to Tango, Futbol and Tourists

Instead of photographing hordes of tourists, forests of street vendors, yet another curbside tango, and garishly over painted old conventillos (housing complexes made from corrugated iron sheets) - I wandered a couple of blocks away, direction La Bonbonniera, the sacred altar of Boca Soccer.

Houses are not 'renovated', but rust quietly into ever increasing decay, boliches (little bars) do not have tango shows, mattresses of homeless people wait for their nightly occupants, and apartment block  walls are covered with paintings - in the name of beautifying the neighbourhood.

Here a lively scene of a girl riding a horse through a fiesta crowd

Paintings re-invent themselves every few years, when suddenly a new work appears, the old wall art forming a base layer for the new painting...



Quite a few 'tricky' ones as well...at first sight, this one appears to be a shuttered window looking out upon a cruise ship. But it is nothing, but a flat wall, skillfully painted.



 

La Bonbonera, soccer stadium, where the 'two faces everyone in the world knows' (according to the Argentinean Presidenta) have battled it out in the beautiful game: Maradona and Messi. Now it is more often the locale where hinchas leprosas (ugly fans) battle it out in the stands or quite often on the turf.
Here, a couple of steps from the hustle and bustle of Caminito, the tourist trap par excellence, side walk bars are less flashy. This one is behind a hole in a corrugated iron fence, with a couple of tables - with tablecloth - and a few chairs: perfect meeting place for the hinchas after a game.



Praying for victory maybe?
A couple of Praying Mantis clutching their rosaries.



Another skillfully executed trompe-d'oeille on a perfectly straight wall. Years ago a railway line ran along here, the rails and signal towers covered with weeds are still there, all else is in disuse.



Gauchito Gil, a martyr of the paysanos, truck drivers and general public looking for miraculous cures to every imaginable ill.
Beside the rusting rails, another shrine to the pagan saint, with offerings of cigarette stubs, empty pop bottles, and paper cups filled with unidentifiable gifts



And beside the REAL shrine, an idealized wall painting of Gauchito Gil

Corrugated iron has survived in many of the local houses. Almost all are painted in bright colours to lessen the depressive impact of the materials, albeit not as 'photogenic' as the ones converted into tourist shops in the next block.
With Buenos Aires summer temperatures, these homes must be veritable ovens. But, one can always enjoy oneself in the postage stamp sized street side cafe.

A whole wall is dedicated to the Desapericidos of Boca, victims of a dictatorship not that long ago.

Usina del Arte, a theatre that used an old factory building in the poorer area of Boca, and converted it into a modern art complex, with auditorium, exhibition venues, dance floors and reams of comfortable upholstered settees inside and chaise lounges in the open courtyard.
I had the rare pleasure of attending a concert: Raul Lavie, one of the tango greats, who at 75 years of age still has a powerful baritone voice, which would be the pride of an opera singer. His sensitive, passionate and moving interpretations of old tango songs enthused a packed house. Part of Verano en La Ciudad, a series of performances which happen in all parts of the city, and  offer the public free access.

At first glimpse one is shocked, seeing this young family with their babe in arms, performing daring circus feats on a building wall - until one realizes, that it is a reflection from a gigantic mirror. It hangs at 45 degree above a piece of floor art, in the shape of a building front, balconies, windows, doors, even lighted rooms behind the windows. People crawl all over it and watch themselves in the mirror above their heads.

27 January 2013 - Disco El Kiss, Santa Maria, Brazil
A tragedy....238 young people aged between 18 and 30 years succumbed to to toxic smoke during a disco fire, more than a hundred others are in critical condition in burn units in Porto Allegre. A member of the rock band - some say a guest -had lit a 'bengala' firework on stage during the performance, it set the ceiling material on fire.
Two thousand young students from a nearby Agricultural University were having a privately organized party in this small town. The one emergency exit door inside the disco was poorly marked, and closed.
Neighbours and firemen attacked the outside walls with sledge hammers to get the youngsters out - too late for too many.
Brazil is in mourning....
And Argentina is mourning with them, eight years ago a horrific similar fire in the local disco Cromagnon claimed the life of 192 young people. Almost eerily similar circumstances - the emergency exits were chained shut.

Un calor insoportable....touching 40 degrees in Buenos Aires

Well, if one flees northern winters to enjoy southern summers, one has

to put up with the odd hot day. Yesterday is rained - heavily - for a
few minutes, and the permanently plugged up drainage pipes of Buenos
Aires caused the city to be flooded again, floating garbage and all.
Today, different day, different problem: with every air conditioner on
full blast, power outages hit Buenos Aires, Internet and television
fade to black, and ice cream sales are brisk.
40 degrees at noon today, a furnace.

The Good News: La Presidenta is back, and the country is back to normal, which is - for anyone else - the same as 'incomprehensible'.

Here she is, on one of her last photo ops in Asia.
Efforts are underway by the party in power, to change the constitution, to allow her to run for a third (presently illegal) term of office.

In the meantime, La Santissima Trinidad, a warship that participated in the Falkland War, sank - tied to the dock. The government calls it sabotage, some others call is a hole in the hull due to lack of maintenance. Once she hits bottom, the hull is said to be sealed.

Local daily papers mentioned, that the United Kingdom has asked France for help, in case the Falkland Islands (under British protection) would be attacked by Argentina in the continuing drama of the Malvinas and the Falklands.
Some on line commentators questioned, whether Argentina would inspire these nations to rise to battle, considering that between the sunken Santissima Trinidad, and the frigate Libertador, there is really not much else calling itself Naval Forces.

If it would be allowed, the whole city would be dressed like this today - a furnace again. One would love to join the lotus flowers emerging from this lovely pond.

No tango today - need a certain 'dedication' to dance, bear the heat and keep breathing at the same time...the HEAT! So one heads for the zoo, lots of shade there.
Price for a single ticket to enter rose five fold from last year, 60 pesos for a single visit now. But - now it includes a visit to the aquarium, the 'reptilium', the tropical forest. Not that many of the families, who used to fill the picnic areas during cheaper times, will be taking advantage of the new bonus.
They headed here on weekends, via crowded subway 'destination zoo', with a small army of family members of all ages, and enjoyed feeding the animals and sitting under the tree canopies and unpacking and digging into their home cooked food. The Zoo may be pretty empty on weekends now.

Without the crowds, the unusual architecture of the zoo buildings is more noticeable.

One of the African Elephants...a little older now, and still playing with small sticks.

Even the statues adorning the many animal houses seem to flake out from the HEAT.

Un 'felino', a beautiful huge leopard, enjoys the quiet afternoon.

And the 'whatever-it-is called' observes the visitors from his brownish pond.

And Llamas as big as horses beg for food.


Forecast for tomorrow calls for a few 'tormencitos', in other words 'little thunderstorms', which is a nice way of saying that we may be flooded out again. But, the temperatures are supposed to drop down a few soothing degrees.

20 January 2013 - Tango, Telmo and the Tortilla keeps Turning....

Now there are three of us Duncan Tangoistas here in Buenos Aires. We are revisiting some of the more common attractions of the city: Plaza de Mayo, Casa Rosada, La Cathedral, Abasto Gardel Quarter, Cafe Ideal and Cafe Federal and so on and so forth.

Inside the Cathedral, the mausoleum of General Martin, the hero who carried the Argentinean Flag over the Andes.
Once past the formally attired honour guard, one comes on a large copper plaque showing the General, hidden behind a gigantic mausoleum topped by an impressively carved sarcophagus.

In a large window recess of the elaborate building of the Banque Frances adjoining the magnificent Plaza de Mayo, a somewhat more modest dwelling. At least this inhabitant has an unobstructed view of Casa Rosada, the seat of government.

A bow to US merchandise....Barbie dolls in hand crocheted (local artisans) outfits.

At a street corner of Calle Defensa and Avenida Belgrano, tango dancers and two piece band earning their well deserved pesos

A resident of San Telmo, enjoying the throng of people, profusion of street vendors, music and tango from his elegant first floor balcony

The swearing in ceremony of Obama was shown in full on local television, with a running translation of his inauguration speech.

Argentinean President Cristina Kirchner, on her Asian Tour, receiving an Argentinean cherry with gold setting.

The Argentinean President in Vietnam, celebrating the Viet Kong and Ho Chi Min during a visit to the Chu Chi tunnels, where Vietnamese peope protected themselves from French and US bombings.

The Argentinean President, entering one of the tunnels (the lid was subsequently put on, and she disappeared for a few seconds underground).
In her good bye speech, taking leave from Vietnam, she spoke of Argentina as a highly advanced country, which proudly has two Argentinean faces which almost everybody in the world knows: Madrona and Messi, the soccer greats.

One dreams of an excursion to the loveliest province of Argentina: Salta...way up north.

And the news....
Two more locomotives derailed/jumped the tracks in Buenos Aires - no injuries. The morning train to Mar del Plata has been taken out of circulation (the last of 165 train lines discontinued since a couple of years), it happened without warning overnight...wagons were in too decrepit a condition to run. Passengers with train tickets were rerouted to buses.
Two more subway robberies, Stn Flores and Stn Medrona. Same system, same band of 'ladrones': one guy pulls a gun on the ticket office attendant, whilst the rest 'clean out house'. One grows eyes in the back of ones head.
Well, some thieves are different: two broke into a house, whilst owners were home, wielded a gun, and robbed two purebred puppies, French Bulldog and Mastiff. They did not want any money or jewels...just the dogs.
Similar robbery on a pet store, same system, maybe same band...no money but an armful of Labrador pups were the coveted booty.
Apparently 'quema coches' are on the rise, people burn cars 'just for something to do'.
Soccer game in Rosario was cancelled, the 'hinchas leprosas' - badly behaved fans - started shooting at police, robbing the belongings of the visiting team from their team bus, and generally cause serious mayhem. People complained about the 'irresponsibility of stadium management towards fans' when it cancelled the game.
US dollars are impossible to get for love, money, threat, whatever - AGAINST THE LAW for banks or any other institution to sell them. Black exchange market for 'blue' dollar is going nuts.

The good news...a Canadian friend came back from a visit to an Argentinean dentist. The patient came armed with US dollars.
Three fillings and one root canal later, the patient handed over 200 of these hard to come by green backs to pay for the whole lot - no waiting, one session. One almost wishes for a root canal treatment with these prices!!
Cosquin Folkloric Festival is underway...and Argentineans are happily enjoying their wonderful music: chamame, chacarena, samba....great singers, great dancers, great musicians.

As the Argentinean President mentioned in Vietnam: An Advanced Country!
One of the on-line comments to this speech completed the above sentence this way:
Yes, an advanced country, advanced right to the edge of the abyss.

Resting my fatigued tango feet today....

And the Beat goes On

All of the following photos have been published by various Argentinean magazines and newspapers...credit goes to their reporters and photographers.

The Argentinean Presidenta is continuing her state visits, flying in a chartered British jet ( her own could possibly be confiscated offshore because of outstanding Argentinean debts), despite disputes re Malvinas/Falkland Islands between the Brits and the Argies.

She has reached Indonesia...and the news are brimming with pictures of her meetings. Not so much about trade, commerce, and all that boring economic stuff, but...good photo ops, nevertheless.

Here, the Argentinean colours prevail, when a Argentinean national soccer shirt is presented by Cristina to the Indonesian head of government.

Back at the home front....inflation may reach galloping speed, but people still line up for the GREAT MATCH of River and Boca soccer teams in Mar del Plata....8 blocks long, just as long as the line up to get a car inspection done.
Tickets between 280 and 550 pesos a seat.
Last year the Government had a thing called 'Futbol para todos' - Soccer for everybody, it succeeded. Even if nobody has any money.  The government say one can feed one person on 6 pesos a day.
That is almost bread and water....one day one buys an empanada (bread) for 6 pesos, and the next a bottle of water for 6 pesos...well, with a bit of imagination one could live like that?

So far, no incidents in the futbol ticket line ups, police en masse, and all the fans seem to be in a good mood.

Not much in the news about any political or economic agreements during the state visits of the Presidenta, however, a Presidenta doll has been manufactured in the Asian countries, and presented to the visiting dignitary. Here she is with her replica en miniature.

In the meantime, not much news about Hugo Chavez (Commandante of all Venezuelans, and presently in emergency care in Cuba), but as a close friend and ally, the local news follow his fate closely. Apparently popular support for Chavez is taking new and interesting forms, albeit nobody knows for sure, if he is on life support or not.



Whatever happens, the Argentineans have endless patience...they wait forever to have their monthly salaries paid.

It rained in the eastern part of Buenos Aires last night, heavily, for about fifteen minutes. Streets were flooded to waist level. Apparently the state of disrepair of drainage and sewage is such, that pipes are plugged, and manholes stuffed with accumulated garbage, that no rainwater leaves the surface of the streets. One could observe some footage of plastic bags filled with garbage floating down the streets...at least if they were whole. If they were punctured they just descended to the bottom of the flood.
A hospital with two ambulances to their name had to transport emergency cases on the back of pick up trucks, as both ambulances were hors de combat.
Crime is getting 'closer'. On the weekend armed robbers assaulted the local Subway Station (Plaza Italia) - mine - at midday and made of with 13.000 pesos. Forth time in four months....getting too close for comfort.
And our dear parallel 'blue' dollar...since last night it went up another few centimos. Now goes for 7.55 pesos to the US dollar.
But, miraculously, the city still maintains its magic...I don't know why that is, but it is a fact. The population is aware of the problems, but seems to live with them as best as they can, day to day, with a resigned attitude that defies understanding. But what is the alternative?
Tango? It is a case of 'Forever Tango'...the world is left behind, and in the tango locales, classes, milongas, Buenos Aires carries on, oblivious to anything else but the music, the magic, the embrace and the dance.

The Battle of Chefs in the political kitchen....

The Circus Animals, which were left by the circus owner...they are now apparently in the process of becoming naturalized US citizens. Arrangements to transport them from the Paraguayan border are apparently underway.

In the meantime, the President of all Argentineans is continuing her state visits. She has completed her stay in Abu Dhabi. There is no news coverage about the accomplishments with the United Arab Emirate's rulers, but, all the news showed extensive coverage of her meeting with Diego Maradona, Argentinean soccer idol, and presently coaching in the UAE.

He presented her with a grandiose flower arrangement, replete with flowery soccer balls

Cristina's state visit in UAE, here with Diego Maradona.

Diego has been converted to a Cristinista, and proclaims on this photo:
'Those who criticize Cristina are the same as ever: the ones who are born in a golden cradle and don't even know how to cook a stew.'

Here the TWITTER response of the official Opposition, represented by Fernando de de Navaez shown in his home kitchen armed with a cookbook:
'Diego, I am better at eating stew, than cooking it....I like it even better the following day, reheated. Yours....'

In the meantime, the official inflation rate for 2012 was released by the government, and is claimed to be ca. 12% for 2012. The private business sector, and financial gurus composed it at 26%.
Since the first 1 January 2013, inflation has already reached another 11 %.
The government says that a person can live of 7 pesos a day; the other side says, that the cost of living has doubled. I have tried the 7 peso budget...feel like a starvation diet ?
The 'blue' exchange has risen another 35 centavos overnight, and 7.30 pesos today buy one US dollar.The official exchange rate still sits at 5 pesos for a US Dollar.
Any tourist bringing large nominations of US cash can have a heyday. The ones going to ATMs (sigh!!!) pay 48 % more for their local cash.
Go figure, one has to be a creative mathematician to understand these surprising discrepancies. Maybe it's the new Einstein's Theory of Relativity.

14 January 2013 - Oddities galore...

And the lovely Country of Argentina keeps grinding on...

Cross Country buses lose their luggage when passing through slums...slum dwellers just break into luggage compartments when a bus slows down due to traffic, take the first piece they can grab, then wander off with the odd suitcase. None of the onlookers takes notice.

Lights out, power outages are common...during the latest one at a hospital, surgery on a kid was completed under the illumination of various cell phone flash-lights.

Hospitals - employees of one Sanatorio haven't been paid since 8 months, now they want their money and protest in front of the hospital.

Government 'tries' to keep salary increases for government officials to below 30%. I wonder if they get paid on time.

An Argentinean circus tried to cross into Paraguay for a performance. Customs did not let them import the circus animals. The circus owner abandoned them in their travelling cages at the border crossing way up in the desert, now lions and tigers are baking in the tropical heat.

And the 'blue dollar' must be so popular, that only 4% of all exchange transactions are made through official channels.

An old graffiti was sacrificed to celebrate the return of the captured frigate Libertador.
'Welcome Home Frigate Eva Peron'
Hey, why not rename the ship...luckily the government refrained...

The crew of the Libertad celebrates something else
"Libertador arrived without K"
meaning Kristina the President

The very same President is now in the United Arab Emirates, where she met up with Argentinean soccer hero Maradona who coaches the Arabian soccer team.
He announces 'I am Kristinista'
His major strength appears to reside in his feet.

But, the circle of Allies of Argentina is widening.
Venezuela now is very friendly with Iran, and that makes it friends once removed with Argentina.

Commander Chavez is allegedly 'conscious' in his hospital bed in Cuba, which must make him fit to govern, as he continues to be shown in this role, despite not making it to the swearing in session for another term of his rule.

But then, we should count our blessings... If this represents a picture of a future well dressed MAN, I feel quite happy to be over the hill.