This and That

I don't think I posted a blog entry yesterday. I'm fighting a cold with this strange weather we're having. I guess a wave of polar air has come up from the south after the mini heat wave we had on Tuesday. It feels like winter again.

After my Spanish lesson yesterday, Hernan came by for coffee and stayed for dinner. I had picked up some paella on the way home from Palermo along with some mussels and octopus Provenzal (in oil with herbs). It was a nice dinner. We drank a bottle of rose. He left and I went to bed early.

Some interesting things are happening here politically. Buenos Aires, being the largest city in Argentina, and also the capital, seems to experience daily protests. On Wednesday there was a protest related to Aerolineas Argentinas which was privatized in the 90's by Carlos Menem (who privatized just about everything). But the company that was running the airlines drove it deeply into debt (so much for the success of privatization) and the government just approved a deal to buy it back. I'm not sure what the protests were about. I guess some people are opposed to the idea of publicization (the opposite of privitization?) - it has taken me a while to get a handle on the story - I've seen lots of discussions on the news but didn't really understand until recently what it was all about. I still don't understand it completely, but at least I know that the airline has been nationalized.

Yesterday was a big protest because the mayor of Buenos Aires, Macri,(actually, they might call him a governor) cancelled 40,000 scholarships. Students throughout the city are up in arms (literally). I could hear drums beating and chanting as I walked up my street towards my apartment. My neighborhood is far from the Congress, the Obelisk or the Casa Rosada (presidential palace) - three places where protests usually take place, so these kids seemed to be making the rounds of the entire city.

On Tuesday, subway workers on the D line went on strike and closed down the subte.

I told Hernan I liked that there was always something happening, but he said for him it is very stressful. I guess in a way having so much to protest could be a pain, but I like the fact that people get out in the streets and try to effect change.

On the news we saw some protests against a train company because the workers went on strike for more pay. The passengers, angry because they needed the train to get to work, started throwing rocks at the train and eventually set the whole thing on fire. I guess that train won't be taking them anywhere.

It's still very cold and I plan on taking it easy today. I just finished watching the latest episodes of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, and I guess I will get back into bed with a book and stay warm and rest. I could take a tango class this afternoon, but I think it is better if I get rid of this cold before I start holding other people's hands.