Ahh, a visitor.

My friend Adam got here last Saturday, and it's been such a joy -- and not only because he brought us cinnamon and York Peppermint Patties from home. Having him around has been so easy, like he has lived here all along, and it's been a great reminder of what is fun and awesome about this crazy city.

I've had to work the entire time, but we've managed to fit in some fun stuff.  The day he arrived, we took him to a puerta cerrada -- a closed door restaurant. These are a growing trend in Buenos Aires: not an official restaurant, a chef simply cooks an outstanding meal in his apartment. Most of them have seating for maybe 10-30 people, making it necessary to reserve in advance. Casa Mun serves Asian fusion dishes: five courses, each with a class of wine. The food was sooo good, but what really made the evening was the cozy, intimate atmosphere. The chef spoke with us about the food he was making, we met new people, and the meal lasted for three hours. I can't wait for another special occasion so we can do this again.

Sunday was the San Telmo market, Monday was dinner at a parilla, and on Tuesday he left us to visit Iguazú, which made me super jealous, as we haven't been there yet.  He returned on Thursday, did the Pub Crawl that night, and we've had a very chill few days.  He came with me to yoga on Friday, he didn't feel that great on Saturday (unrelated to yoga, though he is a bit sore), and today he has to go home. He and Brent were planning on taking a bike tour this morning (I had excused myself since I work late and was not interested in getting up at 8 to bike, not an activity I especially enjoy), but I woke up and Brent is still here.  I haven't heard anything from Adam's room, so I'm not sure if he's still sleeping or if he went without us. 

My grandma always said that company makes you happy twice: once when they get here, and once when they leave. In that case, that feels very untrue. I'm really going to miss having him, and I really hope he goes home feeling like he had a fantastic Argentine experience.

I shake my fist at you, Argentina.

We went to Uruguay over the weekend, which was great timing after the super-Argentiny week we had last week.

Monday and Tuesday were holidays, again, so Brent missed a day of work -- though we put that day to good use by moving to our new apartment.

On Brent's first day in his new office, the phone didn't work. He hadn't received a bill yet, so he hadn't paid yet. He went in to see what happened, and he was told his service was discontinued because he didn't pay. He said he hadn't received a bill. They said they didn't send it because it was a holiday. He asked why they turned off his service. They said it's because he didn't pay. So while they couldn't get it together enough to send a bill out, they re-organized in time to shut his phone off.

He went to the new office to get a copy of the old bill, so he could pay for the bill that never was. He shares the office with the yoga teachers and massage therapists, and it happened that someone was mid-massage when he got there, making it impossible to get into the room for the old bill.  He sat for an hour and half waiting for her to finish -- and then his clients started arriving!

I took the bill to the pay-place and waited in line for my turn.  The bill had 20 centavos on the end, and I didn't have any coins -- but he didn't have any change for me.  So we got a 20-cent discount, and I got reprimanded in Spanish for not having exact change.

One of Brent's clients later said that he keeps four different phones from four different companies in his office, since it seems that at any point at least one of them is not working for some reason.

Meanwhile, I had been up for four hours after about three hours of sleep.  I got home from work very late as usual, and woke up insanely early to prepare for my new yoga clients, a group of four that my other yoga students sent to me. It was to be my first class in my apartment, and I had to clear space and clean up a bit from the move. We had only confirmed the time and location the night before as I was on my way to work.

8:00am came and went, and the guys didn't come.  I called at 8:20, and received a text back that they weren't coming because they didn't get my address in time.  And oh, sorry, should have told you that. 

I got an email later that day saying that our ride home from Uruguay, leaving mid-day, had been canceled, and we were free to choose one of the other two options: 7am, or 5:30pm. I opted for 7:00. So there was THAT early wake-up to look forward to.

But all went well with our little trip, and we were able to re-set our tolerance for Buenos Aires. Luckily, this week is off to a much better start.

Senior city-zens.

This city has a variety of challenges: stepping outside is committing to one big obstacle course. On a daily basis, I stop suddenly or rush across a street to avoid a speeding taxi or bus. I've turned my ankle more than once on a broken or uneven sidewalk tile. It requires four keys to get into our apartment, and the building doors are very heavy. I clutch my purse close to me to avoid becoming a target for thieves.

I can't imagine having to do all that in old age.

There are plenty of elderly making their way down the streets, some with walkers, even. Vehicles don't have a lot of patience for a pedestrian, no matter what the age: the seniors get honked at mercilessly along with the rest of us. Not every curb is made with the disabled in mind, and restaurant bathrooms are sometimes upstairs or downstairs -- usually there are no elevators in those cases. And while a broken sidewalk tile sets me off balance, the same incident for one of them could be dibilitating or even fatal. 

I suppose living here for your whole life gives you a certain level of toughness. I can't help but admire them.  However, while I do hope to be an old woman some day, I don't want to do it here.

Casa Bar VIP Asado

Last Sunday, the Casa Bar held a private party fun time for the employees and the most loyal customers. We ate and drank and danced until about 4:00am, and I have to say I am blessed to know such fantastic people as these: