A Nice Custom

I settled in on my sofa to watch one of my favorite programs - it is called Policias en Accion. It's kind of like Cops except they don't play "bad boy bad boy watcha gonna do, watcha gonna do when they come for you???" and it's a little less exploitive, though it does still kind of exploit people, especially the poor. What I like about it though is that they have subtitles in Spanish (I guess they are captions). I'm not sure why, but my guess is that a lot of the places they film are outside of Buenos Aires and the portenos (BsAS residents) "can't understand" the way other people speak, but who knows the real reason for the subtitles, fact is, they work for me. Tonight they had an interesting segment on a parrilla (place where they grill meat) out on some highway or something. Lots of truckers stop there. There were some interesting characters, including one very fat guy who took off his shirt and did a little song and dance. Then they had this police call where an old woman called the police because her son locked her in the house. He claimed she had alzheimers. She claimed he was crazy. While she was talking to the police, the son pulled down the shutters (all windows here have metal shutters, most which come down from a rope inside the window) and locked the window. It was insane. There were lots of other crazy people but I get to hear Spanish and see interesting situations, and I learn a little bit about life beyond my safe, cheto little neighborhood.

Anyway Hernan called and asked if I had mate. He then said he would come over for mate. I straightened up, boiled the water and put it in the thermos and got the mate ready. We drank a few rounds of mate, talked a little, watched a little tango video, listened to music, watched the beginning of Austin Powers and then he left. I'd say it was about a 2 hour visit. It was perfect, and a really nice custom.

I know that the time he came over was the coffee hour, kind of after work but well before dinner. Now I know why people stay up so late. Mario told me if you go to bed before midnight, people think there is something wrong.

After Hernan left I listened to a little of a new (but old) Gotan Project CD I bought. I really like the Gotan Project. It is electronic tango, but it is very beautiful. I love this CD. Here is a video I found on You Tube of one of their songs that I really like. I didn't realize until I watched the video, that the song, called Queremos Paz (we want peace) is about the riots and protests that happened after the devaluation of the peso in December 2001. People's life savings disappeared and suddenly they found that the money they had was not worth anything. The video is incredible.