Lazy Weekend

After a first week of thrilling adventures, meeting new people, doing and seeing something new each and every day, my body told me to take a break. I spent the rest of Saturday afternoon in my apartment, ordered pizza delivery and watched movies. Sunday, I did the same and only went out in the evening because Larry found someone who gave massages that were very reasonable (80 pesos, about 27 dollars).

So, I spent Sunday lounging around, took a nice nap and eventually showered and went out for my massage around 5 p.m. As I got closer to the guy's address, I had time to kill, so I sat down at an outdoor cafe and ordered a salad and bottle of water with gas (what is that in English? Carbonated water just doesn't have the same feeling to me).

As I was sitting there watching the folks stroll by, a younger guy walked by and made intense eye contact with me. This has happened before, sitting with Larry at that exact same spot. Turned out the guys were "working". So, I didn't think much of it and went on eating my salad. But I noticed this guy had walked up to the corner and was looking back at me. Next thing I knew, he was standing directly in my line of vision, talking on his cell phone. And next thing I knew he was walking up to me.

In Spanish, he said to me, "Where do I know you from? You look very familiar". To which I replied, "I don't think you know me, I'm not from here." We chatted a bit and he asked if he could join me for coffee, I said sure.

I was thinking earlier of how much fun I've been having with Larry, Anna and Mike, but that I haven't really met any Argentines yet. There is nothing like seeing a country through the eyes of locals, even though Larry is almost a local (he probably knows more fun places than a lot of people who live here).

So anyway, this guy Hernan, told me he was trying to overcome his shyness. I told him I thought that was great, since I was not (trying to overcome my shyness and would therefore never approach a stranger). He was a very nice guy, but I still was not sure if he was working, so I asked him what he does. I think he told me he writes plays. Now I don't remember how I got that. I know he told me "writer" in Spanish, but I am not sure how I got that he writes plays because I am not sure if I know how to say that in English. But anyway, that is what I think he does, and I hope that isn't some code for "hustler". We exchanged phone numbers and I hope to be able to meet up with him and have coffee and learn more about his plays.

After my massage, which was great, by the way, I hooked up with the gang. Anna went home to make some phone calls and Larry, Mike and I went to the Cine Cafe, which has nothing to do with movies, except that the names of their dishes are named after movies or movie stars - for example, Basic Instinct, or Chicken Breast Pamela Anderson. We all had Larry's favorite, "Hamburguesa Sola", which is just a hamburger on a bun with fries for under $3.00.

I'm feeling a little worn out from my adventures with my thumb and meniere's, but I think I'll be ok going to school, and maybe being out will energize me.