Some facts about argentina:
1) the country is beautiful. There are mountains, and lakes with green islands in them, and crazy gnarly red-smooth-barked trees.
2) the people are beautiful. By which I mean hot. Women and men alike, this is a very very attractive country.
3) the food is amazing. And I'm not even eating the meat, which all the meatheads are drooling and moaning about. Apparently the meat is very good here, but so is the fish, and the cheese, and the veg.
4) amazing, delicious, cheap wine. Apparently Argentina is less famous for its wine than Chile, but that's just because historically Chileans exported a whole lot, while Argentians just drank everything they produced. While here, I am helping them out whenever I can. Malbec, yos.
5) things in argentina are made of wool and leather, and everybody drinks mate all the time, and wears crazy asymmetrical clothing and sports rockin dreadlock-mullets, all while managing to look ridiculously hott (see comment #2). I can imagine Ms. Ramirez thriving here.
In other news, I am getting a bit sick of several of my fellow student travellers, especially the ones who talk a lot. This is not surprising, as generally I don't like to spend 24-7 kind of time with groups of people, let alone outgoing and chatty ones. Two more days, and then I will probably avoid the majority of them for at least two weeks, to restore the balance of actually liking them.
We are, however, turning on the movie-recording function of my computer at regular intervals, most particularly after the consumption of the above-mentioned wine. The results are incredible, and hilarious, and I can't actually believe I have some of these things on tape. Like a very serious roundtable discussion from last night about the dangers of invasive big boobs in Argentina, in which whoever was speaking would put on Carolina's glasses and use the corkscrew/bottle-opener thing as a microphone. Fabulous.
I also have a crush on the minister of sustainable development for Argentinian patagonia - Maria, she's super cute - which I share with two other people on the trip, Laura and Luke. She managed to flirt with all three of us, and even though it was really mostly with Luke, us lesbotrons will never give up hope when it comes to dark-eyed environmentalist beauties. Omigod, she just walked by again and said "hola"... <
Also, I am starting to freak out about not having done any work while here, especially work on the NSF application essays, which need to be beyond-perfect in less than a month. Not yet freaking out enough to actually start working, of course, but what are ya gonna do? Drink more malbec, that's what.
Oh, and also, as if it weren't good enough, Bariloche is the chocolate capital of South America, with both a chocolate museum and a serious abundance of fine artisinal chocolate shops that make me want to give up now and get fat.
New plan: move to argentina, date hot development minister, gain weight. Go!
5 comments:
forgive me. i keep hearing about this argentina business, and now you actually seem to be there, but i somehow missed the why-micha-is-going-to/is-in argentina business?
day-um.
is there surfing?
also, shameless plug...
I think someone has a birthday coming up.
I think.
Someone.
It was for the congreso latinoamericano de parques nacionales (y otras areas protegidas). Yale paid for a group of 11 (!) of us to go down there and shmooze, and talk conservation.
Oh god. I was also confused about how Micha (you) ended up actually in Argentina so suddenly (in terms of Portland time), but now I'm so glad she's (you're) there. This is a very adorable post. "She just walked by and said 'hola,'" Cute. And chocolate and hotness and video tape (computer tapes)? Wow.
Hmm. I wonder if you can ask your development minister friend some questions... I'd be interested to know how she views the IMF in Argentina (does she think their anti-inflationary policies caused the Argentinian financial crisis and does she see the IMF as being a deeply flawed institution?). I'd also like to know how she views recent bilateral "regional" trade agreements with the U.S. (like the in-the-works Peru and Panama Free Trade Agreements). Also, does she feel that having an FTAA with agriculture off the table be okay? I guess these are sort of finance and trade minister questions, but if she's cool and in the know, I'd be interested to find out what she thinks. Especially as these finance and trade issues relate to development (are any of these measures needed for strong development)? Is there anything that she wishes people in the U.S. were doing or thinking about in regards to these or other issues--and not people just those in positions of influence or ones who are already doing awesome grad school work?
Maybe she's already talked about all that with you guys. Um, it's cool if you don't get a chance to get her thoughts on finance and trade issues. But if you think it might make you seem hot, please pick her brain and then report back to the people.
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