KEEPING UP WITH ANN – EPISODE VI
BUENOS AIRES, QUE BONITO VOS SOS!
March 26, 2003

Before I begin, I want to tell you all my contact information:
ANN-MARIE D. NGUYEN
AGUIRRE 107 5˚ No. 16
1414 BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
CELL: (+011) 15-5122-1682
HOME: (+011) 54.11-4855-0217

After a truly long ado, I have finally arrived and started my Rotary Ambassadorial scholarship year in Buenos Aires! And I am truly happy to be here, and as always, grateful to Rotary International for this opportunity. When I woke up Saturday morning after being here a few days, I felt alive and happy. Buenos Aires is a vibrant city - from what I can tell after being here a week - despite its very well-known economic crisis, filled with the music of tango and the swoosh of tango shoes on parquet floors, la gente (the people) filling their stomachs from the corner / the backyard / the corner parrillada (bbq) with lots of fantastic and greatly inexpensive bif! The night is alive like any other Latin American city, but different here as the backdrop is a graceful metropolis, resembling a mixture of so many places that are in my memory… the majesty of the grand boulevards of Madrid and lined with the plantane trees of France; the buildings are graced with the las fachadas of French arquitecture; there are barrios resembling those of Coyoacán in Mexico City, and many trendy stores like those of Elizabeth street in New York’s Nolita and SoHo …. and of course the cobblestones and the mine field of the presence of dogs running around the streets… and I must mention of course… the ubiquitous empanadería like those of Venezuela and other Latin countries – empanaderías are shops that sell these flaky pastries filled with meat, chicken, vegetables, ham and cheese for $1.10 pesos (1:3 peso to dolár exchange rate… more on the complete financial ecstasy that I feel being here!)
I live in la Capital Federal (Federal Capital) which is the center of Gran Buenos Aires (Greater Buenos Aires), a total population almost 14 million. Though moving to such a big, geographically large city can be challenging, the anxiety is greatly lessened by the presence of a good subway system, friendly citizens and the knowledge that there is so much to know and see. The subte as it’s known forks out from the center of town (mostly east-west) and is greatly supplemented by the colectivo-autobus system (literally zig-zagging in all directions). The people freely help you with information at any moment you want it, and there are a number of distinct neighborhoods filled with restaurants, international cuisines, and clubs… many playing tango – now de moda (in fashion) even with the country’s youth.
The economic situation does not seem – still to be determined - exaggerated as it seems when you’re reading about it in the American press, but that is not to say it’s in good shape – the unemployment rate is near 24%. There are daily protests in the streets by los desocupados (the unemployed) and the devaluation and privatization of many of their public utilities were a great shock to the people, their faith in the system, and the county’s economic viability! Even former President Menem is back on the presidential ballot after running the gauntlet of corruption charges and will probably be re-elected!
In total, life is Buenos Aires promises to be a fantastic experience, with all there is to learn! Without a doubt! I am excited by the imminent commencement of a Masters Program in International Studies at the Universidad del Salvador at one of Rotary’s Centers of International Studies on the 7th of April with 12 Rotary Ambassadorial World Peace Scholars and other argentinos. (Of special note of being an American abroad at this moment, there is high level of anti-americanism present. There is no better time for all of us to stand up for peace.)
As always, the highlights including many of my first week’s foibles of living in a big city of the capital of approximately 3 million inhabitants:
Attempting to attend my first tango class at La Escuela de Tango, the school recommended by my language institute and taking all modes of transportation possible – first in subte, then taking a series of taxis (first inadvertently telling the taxi driver San Juan, but then realized it was San Jose after walking 10 cuadras (blocks) on my own), then trying to take a colectivo home but it kept racing past me… en fin (finally) I started classes in another place, and will soon be attending las milongas (the clubs that have tango) across the city!
Having the opportunity of celebrating the birthday of Sylvia, my señora de casa (host mother), in the area of Las Cañitas at a restaurant called La Fonda de Polo, enjoying a wonderful meal of grilled pork, the largest brochette mixto (shish-kabob) of chicken, beef, onions, green peppers that I have ever seen, and a full bottle of wine and a flan (custard) dessert for about $19US… for the both of us!
Being invited to a party in the affluent area of Belgrano from a friend (Sebastian, from San Francisco) of a friend (Diego), two Argentines of which met one another in India. The party was filled with musicians and took place in a building greatly reminiscent of a grand French villa, owned by some of the musicians who had converted their own home into a espacio cultural (cultural space) – complete with a performance area, dance floor (on Saturdays when the house becomes a disco), terraza, mini-bar, and even boxes and boxes of the ubiquitous empanada! Carne, verduras o jamon y queso! (Meat, vegetables and jam and cheese!)
Meeting up with an Argentina friend named Ale, who a group of us met in Machu Picchu in April of 2001, while climbing Wayna Picchu. She invited me to her birthday party in Pilar last Sunday, one of the cities a little bit outside the capital and we had wonderful conversations with all her friends (a few of which I had met in Peru), as we bathed in the sunlight and ate BBQ and birthday cake of merangue, dulce de leche (carmel), with a brownie base. I was even allowed to hitch a ride from her sister to get there!
Spending hours during each meal talking to Sylvia (and my language instructors) about Argentina politics and culture – the reemergence of Menem as a strong presidential candidate in this next election after falling from grace - the Mothers of the Dirty War and the 27th anniversary of their protests against the government for the disappearances of their sons and husbands - of Carlos Gardel who was the most famous of Tango musicians – a true eye into a culture through a very sweet, amiable host mother that is easy to laugh and that gives me a kiss on the cheek every night before I go to sleep….
And finally… always one of my greatest joys in traveling… wine you think? All the big steaks?? The possible best restaurant find??? Maybe!? No…! Claro (of course) – ZARA! I finally found one of the ZARAs in the Shopping (mall) Abasto (there are 3), a beautiful commercial center that is housed in a building equally beautiful to that of the Museé D’Orsay in Paris, which used to be a wholesale market. (It even has an amazing food court, where I have already had two sushi meals!) This winter season I should be looking guapísima (gorgeous) thanks to ZARA! Additionally, I arrived during a time of liquidación (sales) in Buenos Aires and walked home today with 5 pairs of nice shoes! (Note, I was charged twice the price for black shoes, while shoes of the colors red, beige, brown, etc. were half the price!)
I invite everyone to come visit me! There is much to do, see, and much bif to eat! A whole steak for $3US! Please do come, and I will be well prepared soon to host you in my departamento (apartment) – una promesa (a promise)!
Espero todo les vaya bien y estén muy seguros en donde estés por todas partes del mundo! (I hope you are all well and safe, wherever you are everywhere in the world!) Also, to all my SWY brothers and sisters, I will be having lunch with Masami this Saturday from SWY8! The SWY family grows bigger each day!
Un abrazo fuerte (a big hug),
Ana María
P.D. (pos data) I have included a special language section that follows for all Spanish-speakers to see how my accent is being transformed each day! Lots of "shushing" with the sounds!

SPECIAL PORTEÑO LANGUAGE APPENDIX
The use of vos instead of the second person informal tú, and additionally the unique conjugation solely of this tú form that does not yield to irregular conjugations, to include especially SER (vos sos), TENER (vos tenés), VENIR (vos venís), DECIR (decís), PEDIR (pedís), etc.
The aspiration (lack of pronunciation) of the "s" if it leads a consonant like in the following examples of "E(s)paña" or the phrase "E(s) linda la flor, no?"
The pronunciation of "yo" like "jo" and calle/valle like "caje/vaje", utilizing the "j-sound"
The lack of the use of the preterito perfecto of he / has / ha / hemos / han