Home

I'm back in Buenos Aires, and it does feel a bit like home. I came home to a clean apartment, went to my neighborhood Disco, answered two questions (consumidor final and Disco Club) and made a salt-free, healthy dinner of stuffed zucchini. I watched Patito Feo, got caught up on the Daily Show episodes I missed, uploaded some photos to my photo blog and am now writing this entry before I go to bed.

It was a good little trip for me if only to realize two things. 1) I can lead a fairly normal life if I take meclizine regularly. 2) Buenos Aires has become my comfort zone.

I would like to go back to Montevideo some day but before I go, I would do some homework - finding out a little bit more about what to see and do and trying to line up some human contacts so that I can get beyond a surface view of the city. I actually think it would be a nice place to get to know. Having spent 10 years in a smaller city that lives in the shadow of a giant (Philadelphia), I know the charms of a small city versus the glitz and glamor (and the hustle and bustle) of a major metropolis. Montevideo reminded me a little of Philadelphia in its smaller size, living in the shadow of Buenos Aires, and even with the chivito, which reminded me of a Philly cheesesteak in a ramped up kind of way. Next year I am thinking I might go to a different part of Uruguay for my visa reneweal visit, or else I will just do a day trip to Colonia and have that be it. A lot depends on how all of the world's economies are doing by then.

The crisis on Wall Street is affecting everyone. I don't know if Americans at home get the global nature of this crisis. Brazilians have seen a sharp devaluation of their currency in the past month and a half, and in Argentina, the dollar rose sharply, making the Argentine peso worth even less. On my way home from the Buquebus terminal, I asked my taxi driver how this would affect Argentines, and he told me it already is. Prices are rising and people are having a hard time getting credit. They are unable to travel and it is becoming more difficult for people to afford daily living expenses. This is a global crisis that was brought on by a bunch of irresponsible crooks. Everyone is going to suffer, except perhaps, those who created the crisis in the first place.

And then Sarah Palin and John McCain got mean. Wow, I can't believe how desperate they have become. Sarah Palin accuses Obama of hiding something when she herself won't speak to the press and McCain won't release his medical records. Who is Sarah Palin anyway?

So, now I am all caught up with all of the bs of the presidential race and things seem to be more or less normal in Buenos Aires. There was another strike by agricultural workers this week that ended yesterday. Today there were some major protests, but they had all calmed down by the time I got back. The sidewalks are still torn up and they have wooden crates covering the parts that are exposed dirt.

Yep, it's good to be back home!