Warts and all

Back in my days working in electoral politics, a familiar part of our job was to seek products and services that fulfilled the Party’s official mandate to prefer Canadian, Union-made products. A number of other organizations have similar purchasing policies, such as unions, governments and schools. Locating promotional products that fit the bill can be tricky, so it’s a good thing that companies like Union Pride exist.

A new place to find Green, Union made, and Canadian made promotional products continued »

In my experience, in any language, fluency – or at least the illusion of it – leans on knowing how to wield some basic low-significance words. And sounding like a local means knowing the local slang. Argentines have a litany of their own. Overhearing others’ phone conversations, I’ve gleaned that I can fill awkward phone moments and the stereotypical gringo serial “si”-speak by adding in:

• Bárbaro
• Buenisimo
• Dale
• Perfecto
• Claro
• Che

Personally, I’ve become fond of using buenissimo – it fills more time and I can drag it out to emphasize my imitation of the Argentine accent. But nothing tickles me like bárbaro. I haven’t looked it up yet, but it sounds so different from anything else I might expect to hear that I can’t help but smirk to myself when I hear it.

Back in Buenos Aires today – it’s a national holiday, the Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice. In 1976 on this day, a military coup overthrew Isabel Perón’s government and began an 8-year period of repression that involved torture and disappearances.

The city’s quiet (though some are still working, more than on a typical Sunday) – I think I’ll go out for a bike ride and see if any photos are to be taken.

Well, another week’s flown by as I’ve explored and photographed San Juan. It’s a very different place from Buenos Aires, for a number of reasons. Firstly, it’s smaller, with a population of 600,000: there’s far less bustle. Secondly, the climate and geography and their consequences. It’s on the opposite side of the country from Buenos Aires, on the east side of the Andes and bordering Chile. It’s amidst a desert. It’s hot – frequently above 40C in the summer. That means that the midday siesta is a part of the daily routine. Thirdly, the buildings are all quite modern; unlike much of Buenos Aires where much ancient architecture has survived a few centuries, most of San Juan was built in the 1940s and 50s, after a devastating earthquake levelled the entire city. As a result, many of the buildings are less than three storeys tall, as well.

Greetings from (and farewell to) San Juan continued »

Wow, has it been over two weeks since I last posted? This must be rectified. With the move to the new neighbourhood, I suppose, I’ve been spending more time exploring in the evenings. I’ve also been doing more capoeira – and, in the last week, cycling!

Bikes, business, and more continued »