Wow! It is 2013!!

I can't believe it has been MONTHS since our last update! I think I have been avoiding the update due to the fact that there is just TOO MUCH to update about!
So I have wacked together a video to sum up our 2012 travels. Please keep in mind that it is full of our random memories and I really hope you enjoy!

Well I hope this is the start to being a frequent updater of our blog! Because life here in Argentina is still happening!
We frolicked across the globe for 2 months in Dec to Feb and have so much to catch up about!!
So stay tuned people!
Hope you enjoy our crazy video with some fun footage of the places we travelled and explored last year!
Big hugs,
~ Miki
xo

Video Episode No. 1- Our travels living in Argentina!

So over the last two years living and travelling in South America, we have taken 1000's of photos and a couple of random videos along the way on our cameras and mobile phone.

Here is our very first 'Travel Diary- Part 1- Travels in 2011'

I thought over each year I could edit up the footage and put it together so we have a visual and fun memory of where we adventured too!

My aim is to include our own music (quite random and made spontaneously...) and all photos and video is our own.

Be warned- This first video is really quite random- but every time we watch it, it makes us laugh and has a lot of funny meaning!

(You can click on it will take you to youtube.com to view it if that is better?)

Hope you enjoy- and in the next couple of weeks, Part 2 for 2012 travels will come out soon!

Big hugs,
~ Miki

Autumn has officially arrived

Sunset from our balcony here in Quilmes

So it is that time of year when a routine of work, exercise and play has begun to flow and you really start hanging out for your weekends to sleep in and enjoy the crisp coolness and warm sunshine that autumn brings.  Well this is us right now.

In the past couple of weeks we have had many long weekends here in Argentina. Our aussie friends and family can't quite comprehend how come we have so many long weekends- Argentina likes to respect and celebrate their special days of memorials, liberty and reconciliation and Easter... so the government and lady president 'Cristina' gives everyone an extra 1 or 2 days off so they can go away on a mini break. We ain't complaining here!

So what have we been up to? Well over March it was getting back into a flow of working. Chris has started his new position in the school as the prep school music teacher (primary school) and is truly loving it! It's awesome to see Chris in a roll of leadership and creativity again.
And I am spending lots of extra hours rehearsing with students for mamma mia, running choir ensembles, trying to squeeze in lesson planning, preparing kids or exams- busy busy busy little bees we are!
I have my days where it all gets a bit much and feeling out of balance (don't we all have those days?!) but when I have had time to rest like this Easter long weekend and I can catch up on much needed sleep and have some head space to think of other things rather than school and hang out with people I love and  just relax, I get to separate myself and I just feel so blessed in the opportunity we have here in Argentina! I really love my work- stressful most often yes- but character shaping and I love working with the kids and music and creating and taking responsibility for a department! It is fantastic.. and I have to hang onto how I feeling right now so I don't go completely nutters in the chaos that May is going to bring!! We have a big month ahead of us of musicals, exams, reports, rehearsals and on top of that preparing a Music Tour that I proposed last year and got accepted and now is officially happening in September.. phheewwww lots on my plate! hahaha

So there is the work download- sounding busy but positive I hope! haha

Chris and Mim!
Chilling out on our balcony drinking Mate and eating Alfajores

Some highlights over the last month- We had Chris' cousin Miriam come and stay with us for 2 nights here in Buenos Aires! She is such a gorgeous woman and a beautiful friend to us!! She had booked a tour for a month starting in BA and going over to Uruguay, up to Iguazu, along the south coast of Brazil to Rio de Janeiro and then flying over to finish up in Peru for Machu Picchu Inca Trek! She just landed back in Sydney today and can't wait to hear her adventures!! Especially because we will be doing the Inca Trek in 3 WEEKS!! WOOHOOOO

At La Bombanera

A very full and exciting stadium- La Boca!

We took Mim to local food markets here in Quilmes- some good asado feasting- markets in Capital and the highlight was La Bombanera. We saw a futbol game in THE stadium at Boca! Watching Boca vs Independiente! We were in the visitors seats (Independiente) right up the top and was right in there with the away fans! and the away team won and I can't even describe how amazing the whole night was!!!!! It was one of the craziest and coolest experiences ever!!! being squashed and hug by crazy happy fans and the colourful language that was being used to put down the opposite team and the huge flag coming over us and the game was one of the best most intense futbol games ever!!! it was fantastic and the photos just don't do it justice!! It was amazing Mim got that experience!! and it was my first time seeing a game in La Bombanera!! EPIC is the word to use for this experience!

EPIC!

So Mim left us on a huge high note and started her adventure, and we continued as normal, working and weekending.
We also booked flights for Brazil! We will be spending 3 weeks in July this year starting up North in Natal and cruising down the coast to Salvador and then flying to Rio de Janeiro where we will meet up with Chris' parents!! (sooooo excited!!)
So now we are saving our pennies so we can book our huge summer vacation to NYC, New Orleans, Orlando (disney land and universal studios), Miami and 3 weeks in Mexico! this is the idea, but saving saving saving!!!

Easter Chicken?! No I think it is a Guinea Fowl? 

So Easter, today is Easter Monday- we had 5 days off over the weekend and we didn't go anywhere, we haven't even been into Capital (saving pennies)... we slept in, watched movies, cooked good food, hung out with friends, had picnics, relaxed and feeling really good!! was such a recharging weekend!! pumped to knock over the next 3 weeks and then head to Peru!

At Zoo Lujan- Very beautiful tigers!

I was very close to this tiger!

 On Saturday we went to a zoo about an hour North of Capital- 'Zoo Lujan' I took some awesome photos  of some of these animals- It was sad, these lions looks sedated so tourists could stand with them and have their photo taken, the beautiful tigers we in cages way to small... but they are hand raised and amongst domestic dogs from birth...

But we went with our friends and had an awesome picnic with their family and just walked around all afternoon in the perfect weather experiencing a different kind of zoo... the animals weren't mistreated.. but they weren't respected or looked after well either... It was sad to see, but we just enjoyed the company of our friends and I went a bit snap happy with the camera.

Old farmyard car

Just want to send a big Happy Easter love to my family and friends and will be updating soon with news after Machu Picchu!!!!


All my love xoxox
~ Miki

email to the bro's, dad and mum

This is an email that I sent today to my three brothers: Tim, Pete and Eric, and my Mum and Dad. I think the email says all the needs to be said about yesterdays' experience:


Well boys (and Mum), I just thought I'd report on my experience at La
Bombanera last night, before facebooking it etc.

Oh MY FRIGGEN GOODNESS it was insane! Boca vs. Independiente, 50,000
in the stadium (packed) and I sat on the FIELD behind the goal next to
the photographers pretending to be keeping an eye on the speakers set
up for the crowd behind the goals! I went with a new friend of mine and he is a really awesome guy who speaks about as much English as I speak Spanish. But we've really
clicked and he's an absolute legend. He runs the sound set-up at La
Bombanera (and the Quilmes, Estudiantes and All Boys stadiums as well)
and invited me to come with his sound crew to see the game in a
special way. It was such an honour to be invited. I had to lay low and
pretend that I was a new member of the crew learning the ropes of the
sound system. We got there at 3pm for a 8pm kick off and hung out
drinking Mate (pronounced Ma-tay) and learning 'malo palabras' (dirty
language) with his crew. It was so cool to walk on the immaculate
grass of La Bombanera when it was totally empty.

5 hours later and I was right in the middle of it all...it was nuts.
The Boca fans were psycho, yelling so much abuse and hanging off the
rafters and singing so loud with a full band accompaniment "Dale,
dale, dale BOOOOCCCAA" (Dale is pronounced da-ly).

When Martin Palermo (veteran Boca player...has scored 232 goals for
them, and also starred for Villareal in early 2000's) scored his crazy
goal....see tvgolo.com clip:
http://www.tvgolo.com/football.php?subaction=showfull&id=1304395614&archive=&start_from=&ucat=51&
the crowd went nuts and was one of the loudest things I've heard.

Another cool thing was that the Independiente fans are given this
small section up high behind the goals and they brought in those red
bang-together balloon thingys. However, a lot of them just peed in the
balloons and use them like wee bombs which they threw onto the Boca
supporters below. It was crazy to watch.

Anyway, I didn't bring a camera, however, one of the crew took some
pictures of me and a video, which I will post online. The video is of
me in the stadium looking around while my amigo played St Leonards
'Opened Up My Eyes' during the half time interval and at the end of
the game. The song was absolutely cranking around La Bombanera and it sounded killer!

So, that is a quick description of the experience. I got to bed at
2:30am and had to wake up at 6:30am, so I'm a bit of a zombie at
school right now, but it was totally worth it.
Sorry to rabbit on about it all, but I'm just so excited to tell you
guys!

Love,
Chrissy


Since the email, some photos came through:
Here is one of me at the end of the game, hanging out on La Bombanera campo.

La Sofa de Cama Actualización- The Sofa Bed Update

It arrives on Saturday! Our Sofa bed will be delivered- we invested in this instead of travelling. A comfy comfy couch with a comfy double bed for guests.

Right now, I am awake at some ridiculous hour in the morning because I can't sleep with an aching shoulder.. winge winge winge.. there I'm done.

We have had an excellent last couple of days! It was a great idea staying at home for the Easter week vacation rather than trot off travelling somewhere- better to save a little and get some much needed rest.
So we have put the day trips to good use.

Lunes- Monday
Sleep in (everyday has started like this for me.. and it isn't just an extra hour more than usual...it is like I have been dead to the world for 12 hours zonked..much needed for my body I say)

By the afternoon, Chris and I were up to venturing outside and catching a bus into Palermo (a suburb/area in Capital-The city). We caught the Subte (subway) to 'Plaza de Italia' which came out right near the BA Zoo- Jardin Zoológico. We wandered around there for 2 hours with all the birds and ducks and geese wondering around- also in the free to wander animals were two that Chris and I had never seen before- there were these small dog sized 'Deer/guinea pig' looking animals. They were very shy and grazing on grass everywhere. There were also giant water rats that looked half otter and half rat... cute but we kept our distance.. there were some of these that were triple the size of the one in the photograph below.. like giant whiskered mamas!! and they swam!
Anyway, A real real highlight was jumping the knee high railing and patting the tusk of a massive rhino! He didn't even know we were there, he was chomping on his hay while we googled close up in disbelief. just breathtaking- I don't think I will get to do that again wooooo hehe!
Overall- it was sad to see these amazing animals not free where they should be. To see only 1 elephant or 1 zebra when they live in heards... or the panthers who were in the tiniest damp looking pen, when they should be in the jungle climbing trees and living as panthers do. I know we wouldn't see them otherwise- but if only the animal had a voice.

Just absolutely took my breath away! Beautiful

The deer/guinea pig thing

The water Rodent- they come in extra large sizes too..

The Llamas.. I look very excited by these creatures...

We finished the evening by walking to Palermo Soho, which is the uptown beautiful shops and fashion and cafes and restaurant part of Palermo. It is such a magic place to go at night- and on weekends, the market stalls spring to life. There is this affluent and warm hum in Palermo Soho that has me all excited every time we go. It is the feeling I get when I see Christmas lights at night everywhere in December.. like a small child, nose pressed to the window of a gorgeous ice cream shop... or a 24 year old girl- I still do that.. hah
We discovered a tiny restaurant called 'The Little Rose' which has great Japanese food. Simple and a selection of great sashimi and sushi/nigiri. I was hoping for noodles- but miso was their only soup option. The ceviche was awesome and the salmon sashimi melted in your mouth- so food report is very very good! But the atmosphere spun me out a little at first... It was dark lighting and romantic and not at all themed around Japan or Asia.. it was more pretty English- dark wood and candles and roses and small paintings of pretty young English girls (old fashioned).. and then Bob Dylan was playing in the background... As I sat eating ceviche all zingy and fresh... I felt I was in the wrong place.. haha. The service was fantastic and Chris and I loved the whole thing in the end!! Only in Argentina- We will be back to Little Rose!


Martes- Tuesday
Chris has been finishing another Essay for his Masters degree with Newcastle Uni. He is going so good! One night after a massive day of teaching (he finished at 7pm this day from school), he jumped on skype at 8pm to have a conference class at the Uni with the lecturer and other students- was very cool... but went to after 12am... It was one of those long distance 1 day a year type things where all the students come for full day lectures.. it was a full night lecture for Chris. Anyways, that was a month or so ago and from that he has his essays and reading and reading and more readings to do for his master's degree. Totally proud of him- my legend
So after he was finished we simply continued to vege- watching a tv series and riding our bikes around Quilmes.  
I also hung out with my new friend Christina for brunch which was special. 
Simple rest day


Miercoles- Wednesday
This day we rode to one of the plazas (parks) in town and had a picnic- it was such a beautiful day. There are these take-away food stores that have all homemade ready to go meals. meat and vegetable dishes and breads and salads... sooo fantastic!! so we ordered ours hot and ready to go and sat in the sun warming ourselves eating some hearty this and that. healing and delicious.
The afternoon was resting and the evening was one of the best things we have done yet in Argentina.
We made new friends with some beautiful people who invited us over to their house for dinner. It was super special and real and Chris and I feel very humbled and blessed to have met such lovely genuine people. So to this couple, thank you for your new friendship and welcoming us into your home. It was profound!
They were so so patient with us. Our Spanish is very on the minimal side- and their English was similar. What may have taken half an hour conversation with normal language conversation took hours- which was absolutely awesome!! We learnt so much Spanish just listening and practicing and listening. Everything was just the best! A very authentic time with these excellent people!


Jueves- Thursday
This was an interesting. After going to bed at 3:30am (after a cool night with our friends)- It was difficult to be woken up at 11:30am having to be at the house of the Headmaster of St George's in half an hour.. HALF AN HOUR... Today we were heading to the Polo- and Mr Pringle was driving. okay, so I woke up quickly (you can imagine- this is my boss). Apart from both of us hopping around madly, we arrived easy and headed with his family into Palermo where the Polo and horse racing stadiums were. Fancy.
This was Argentina vs Ingleterra (England)- an International match between two very elite Polo playing countries. It was spectacular to watch!! The horses are amazing and the control that the men show, the precision with hitting this 'soft ball' sized hard ball on the ground with these skinny sticks was amazing. The culture wasn't elite or club like with what I have heard England is. But people came our smartly (and warmly) dressed for the crisp weathered match. Argentina won 13-7 and it was a very relaxed and engaging atmosphere. Very interesting to see this.
The afternoon was visiting the Malba- BA's contemporary art musem- which was great!
Home to cheese and biscuits and a film and a sore shoulder..
Skyping with both Koelma and Prout parents... skype is amazing!!


oooo and I am going to be a Aunty any day now!! Kate and Jarrod Prout, my brother and his wife are going to be a mummy and daddy very soon- Kate is due like right now, so it could happen any time!! The first new little Prouty to be born into the family! I am so so excited for them!!! Goodluck Kate, prayers and love and thoughts to all three of you! skype and photos soon please.


Now- Viernes- Thursday- 5am
My dreams continue to be in Espanol.. I can't say much in Castellano, but whatever I can comes firing into my sleep... I think it is because we are hearing it so much. It is amazing! I was speaking or more babbling and I wake myself up. 
I LOVE learning this language. I LOVE LOVE Argentina. I honestly feel very alive, very content. It is where we are meant to be. This new change, this job, being in this place together with Chris just resonates so well for both of us. I encourage everyone to go out and follow your dream- make it happen- I am not saying it is always easy and perfect and my life is now a floating angel cake. But the restlessness has gone- a new tune is humming in my heart and it feels, or I know it is just good.

Love to you all- off to start sleeping my morning away- The voltaren has kicked in.
Besitos,
Miki
xo

the two benchmarks: the lift guy and football manager

Well, it's been a while since my last post, so I thought I'd add some info about the last couple of weeks from my perspective...

All is going great here in Arg. We have been exploring the city plenty and really enjoying the adventures!

As Mik posted last week, a real highlight for me was going to see Quilmes play River Plate. Watching a live game of football here is on a totally different level! The crowds are nuts. A particular image that's stuck in my mind is when River scored their goal I looked over at the 'inchas' (die-hard fans) behind the goal and they literally streamed forward from halfway up the terraced stands and smashed into the fence at the front! It looked like a river of people falling down one part of the stadium! It was bizarre. That section of fans scrambled back up and after about a minute they all seemed to be on their feet and singing and clapping like maniacs again. I seriously thought there would have been injuries...but it appears that it is all in a hard days work being an incha for River!

The music department at St George's is cranking along nicely...Mik is working like crazy, but some great results and fulfilling things happening already. We have to keep reminding ourselves that it's only been two months! So much still to do, but plenty of time to do it. It's great to have goals and vision for this place. I'm really enjoying working with the kids and getting them playing in bands etc. Great fun and kind of like the old days when I was music director at TUC. Loving it!
We are really content living here and excited for Mik and my parents to visit! (Vicki and Jim come in 3 weeks!) We are going to Iguazu falls with them in May, so that will be rad.


On the weekend we went to La Boca, which was a real cool (but quite touristy) area, which is home to Argentina's most historical football club: Boca Juniors.
We went on Sunday and it just so happened that they were playing a home game against Tigre. The place was buzzing and we walked some back streets to try and get close to La Bombanera, but there was quite an unsafe vibe. People we bustling and looking suss and heaps of police and just all round a bit unsettling. We tried to look for tickets, but it just wasn't happening so we scrapped the idea and headed for touristy Caminito!

Caminito is where the dock workers used to take the paint that they would use for their boats and splash it on their houses too. It resulted in a colourful, vibrant bunch of streets, which are now a touristy hotspot with heaps of shops, a million Argentina 'Messi' shirts and even more Boca 'Roman' (Juan Roman Riquelme) shirts. Some fun tango shows and restaurants and a real wack modern art gallery featuring some confronting works based around the human anatomy...you get my drift? Caminito was a cool place...probably not a place to go and hang on the weekend (unlike Palermo for e.g.), but was definitely worth a visit!


We tried to catch the bus home 3 times from Caminito too! But our in-decision proved to be almost lethal because as while Mik was checking whether one of the buses was in fact the right bus, the driver decided it was time to take off, leaving Mik hanging out the bus door for a couple of seconds, staring wide-eyed back at me in shock!! I freaked and starting calculating how I was going to steal the ext passing car, hi-jack the bus like Keanu Reeves and save everyone! Fortunately, the bus stopped and let her off, but it was all too late, the bus was gone. Man, these buses are in a hurry I tell ya! As soon as the driver sees both your feet in the door-well, he's off! 2 missed buses later and we counted our losses and headed for San Telmo with the rest of the departing Boca fans, to enjoy night markets and pizza. Then a remis (taxi) ride home with an awesome driver called Marcelo and the night was done. We were knackered and happy to be home in our rad apartment.

Now, learning Spanish is really starting to come along. We are learning quickly and getting by understanding quite a bit of what people are saying to us! It is a little harder conversing back to them, however, but bit by bit we are starting to become slightly coherent. We are all over it in the restaurant/food ordering department and we even helped a 'tourist' (yes, you may have noticed I'm trying to differentiate myself from being a tourist...it is amazing how quickly you feel like a place is 'home' - however, the lack of language definitely makes us feel touristy none-the-less) yesterday to order food!

I have developed two benchmarks for my Spanish learning:
1) I have changed the language setting on Football Manager 2011 to Spanish. I tried playing it when we first arrived but pretty much got sacked straight away because I couldn't understanding a thing! Once I can manage a team to world domination in Spanish, I will be able to say that I have succeeded in my language acquisition!

2) Today in the lift I got in on the same lift with a guy a little older than me. His little boy was saying goodbye to him in a really funny way..."Daddy, ciao, ciao, ciao, ciao, ciao etc. He didn't stop until the door of the lift was shut and we had descended about 6 floors. It was super funny and the guy was making a gag of it with me, but I just stood there frozen, kind of half laughing and half looking confused! Man, I wish I could have told him how funny it was and that his kid was real cute etc. but I just froze. I know some words to make the appropriate sentences, but I wanted to be cool with this guy...you know like blokey and stuff. He probably just thought I was a grumpy, mute wierdo who was having a bad night. When I can talk to the cool guy in the lift, I will also know that I've learned Spanish.

So here's to those two benchmarks!

We have a week off for Easter now. Going to muck around and explore locally some more. I met the sound guy for La Bombanera stadium and he invited me to join him in the booth for their next home game! Will keep you posted.
Hope all is well for everyone.

Lots of Love,

Chris K

Palermo y Recoleta y Quilmes- Adventures beginning

Hello to Everyone!
It's been a couple of weeks since I have blogged. To be honest, I have such a great full day seeing new things that I get overwhelmed and don't actually know where to start..so I just don't blog..
I have been putting photos up on facebook and feel that pictures speak for what we have been getting up to.
I just thought I would outline some of my impressions on some of our most recent adventures. And I will try really hard to not write too much about all the AMAZING empanadas and helados (gelato), meat, ensalada (salad), fresh fruit and vege etc... that I have been inhaling.. oh alright then..
I did have the best Argentinean Parilla on Friday night!! It was the best melt in my mouth cut of meat I have had yet!! It was like a big beautiful medallion of lomo- or eye fillet I supose we would call it in Australia.. but not like the all pretty little round eye fillets us Aussie's are use to... This was like a nice solid ball of tender amazing meat!! oh man, mum and dad Prout and Koelma- be prepared from some good meat eating..some indigestion..and wind.. but oh it's worth it! hahaha
Okay shall we move on... I think so.

Palermo-

I LOVED this day trip. Cristina is a new friend here in Quilmes. A beautiful teacher at St George's, someone full of energy and enthusiasm for life. I love her! And she was so lovely to take Chris, Thomas and I out for the day shopping in Palermo, scouting markets in Recoleta and dining in Puerto Madero. Palermo rubbed on me the most. Really viby place with lots of boutiques of clothes and jazz and art and contemporary furniture.. and I have now found the BEST chocolate icecream I have ever had! I have no idea what it is called.. but when we go back to Palermo, I am pretty sure Chris and I will be able to scout it out!! gosh it was good!

Puerto Madero is a beautiful place at night. All the lights from the restaurants sparkle on the water. The Bridge with is called The bridge of the Woman (in English) is a very nice sight to see. The dining is a bit more pricey that what we are use to in Quilmes, but of a more yuppy market. It was an excellent day with good friends and such a cool way to scout out Capital! Thanks Cristina, you are lovely!


Recoleta-
Recoleta is indeed growing on me. Chris and I ventured there this weekend and really had a great time. It rained a bit but it didn't stop us from exploring! We walked down 'Florida' street which is kind of touristy.. did not interest us very much.. we caught a taxi over to Recoleta's famous book shop called 'El Ateneo Grand Splendid.' It was indeed a highlight of the day!! A really old theatre was turned into a bookshop and it is just gorgeous! we had yummy hot chocolates on the stage as we flicked through books off the shelves. We bought a English-Spanish Dictionary and I could have bought loads of cook books! All the books were pretty much in Espanol.. but it was awesome!! magical magical place for a bookshop and a rad thing to do on a rainy day!

<<< Those hot chocolates there are called 'Submarinos' which is very hot steamed milk and then you stir in a stick of real chocolate and it tastes fantastic!!
You could just wander all the floors of the theatre and choose books and read and eat food and desserts and drinks!! very cool

Now Recoleta is most famous for its amazing cemetery. It is not just any ordinary graveyard.. it is sooooo out of a spooky movie!! it is streets literally of building sized tombs.. Similar to that from the computer games sims... haha.. regal and amazing!! Chris and I went to go in a view it all.. but we arrived just as it closed its gates... so will report on this with pictures soon!!!

Quilmes- 
I really like our home town! Like Chris said in the last blog, it is a lot bigger for us now having bicicletas! I LOVE riding my bike everywhere.. it is sooo cool and the houses are beautiful around Quilmes!! The past week or two I have had a flat tire.. but got a new inner tube put in and it's sweet!! back on and riding!!
I am on a high with all the amazing restaurants around in Quilmes.. I have eaten amazing Atlantic salmon and pastas etc.. okay okay.. i said I wouldn't go overboard and talk too much about it..

I miss home too. We have booked flights already to come back to Australia.. had to do it before flight prices soared.. so it's nice to feel like we are coming back to Aus soon. I know this is my new home.. I miss my family & friends and my bellbirds in our rainforest home.. and the beach- oh for the smell of some aussie salt air! But home is in the heart! and Chris is with me and I feel very connected to everyone even though being so far away! When I am at school and stressed out a little and then I get down cause I can't see my mum and dad or whatever it is..I have to push out those thoughts and keep chuggin! haha.. anyways.. It is really great here!! we are so blessed with the situation we have! it is awesome!

and I just want to pass on to Gidhi, my grandfather who has always asked if I have grown my nails yet (because I have always been an avid nail biter)... my nails are so so long and I even put nail polish on them all by myself!! I don't think I have ever done that!! and I have to say, I am really crap at it! haha.. the paint job looks terrible! but my nails are long and I have to file and cut them.. and this all sounds so superficial that I am going to leave this alone now.. so there you go Gidhi! haha I love and miss you guys a lot!!



So here is signing off from me. (can't believe I am finishing on a rant about my fingernails.. how sad)
Here is a pic of Chris and I out to dinner late- which is so weird for us, because we are known for eating at 5pm regularly in Australia... It is 8:52pm now and we still haven't eaten dinner yet.. which is now kinda normal... (keep exercising miki).

LOVE YOU ALL!!! and missing you truly
Love Miki
besos
xo

futbol in Argentina

Hola amigos,

Well, it's been about 5 days here in BA and it has been full on to say the least! We have learnt so much about this place, the language and its' vibe, that it already feels like we've been here for weeks. But, as promised my entry today will focus on the futbol in Argentina.

I have just got back via taxi from Palermo, a suburb in the North of BA capital, where I played in an indoor football torneo (tournament) with a bunch of ex-pats and Argentines. I have been researching to find out about the local leagues etc. over the last couple of days and I found the BAFA group (Buenos Aires Futbol Amigos). They are a cool bunch of guys and it just so happens that there was a spare spot in a team for the tournament! I was stoked and started to make plans to see how the hell I was going to get to Palermo.

Mik and I decided to make a day of it and tied in a trip to San Telmo markets as well as some exploration of the city centre, which is absolutely massive. This was real cool. Lots of art, music on the streets and handicrafts + heaps of dodgy Argentina national team shirts with 'Messi' printed on the back. Today was hot (about 35C). Whilst the markets were great, next to nothing was open elsewhere in the city as it was a Sunday. It was like a ghost city. Not many cars, shops locked up and just these massive Victorian-style buildings everywhere. We caught the local train and then the 'subte' (metro underground) to get into the city, so it was probably a good day to get a feel for the public transport system without getting nailed by a million pedestrians and cars.

With our entry into the 'ciudad' (google-translate-it, I dare ya) smoothly completed and the market street walked and viewed, it was time to head to Palermo. After a rather un-eventful lunch at a somewhat snooty little cafe, we headed to the subte and shot off for our station, which was named none-other than 'Aguero' station. Which brings me nicely back to the football:

The level at the torneo was good, but actually not as high as I expected to be honest - probably cause a bunch of the ex-pats were over-the-top Americanos, who were so serious about every pass they played I could've sworn we were playing professionally at times. But there were a few guns in some of the teams and they were cool to watch! My toe was giving me some grief, but I had a good few games and banged in a couple of goals whilst wearing my Aussie 'Cahill' number 4 shirt to represent. I met some nice chicos (guys) and sweated most of my body weight in the heat. I also met an American ex-pat (one of the guns) who plays in a local league and he's going to put me in touch with some guys...so we'll see how that goes! Not sure how I'll go with the 1 hour journey to Palermo on a Wednesday night to play with the guys again, but it's a nice start to my footballing experience in Argentina!

Mik left to make her way home by herself before I started the tournament (her journey back to Quilmes is another story in itself!). After the tournament, I caught a taxi back to Quilmes (about a 40 min drive without traffic - and being a Sunday, there wasn't any traffic). It was killer! The entire taxi ride, the driver and I talked. Well, let's say that he talked and I 'worded'. He was asking me all sorts of questions and I was doing my best to answer in probably the most broken Spanish he's ever heard. But it's amazing how in the 5 days that we've been here we have been able to pick up so much of the language. Talk about the benefits of cultural immersion for language development all you teachers!!

So, I'm sitting here in Torres 1 (remember?) fairly knackered, having eaten a solid dinner and reflecting on a cool day.

Wow...a car just beeped a song the whole way down the street as it drove passed! Oh...by the way, Quilmes lost their opening game of the season in the Clausura Futbol Championship. The town was eerily quiet last night :(

Tomorrow, Mik and I start at the school. It's been a great few days of settling in and exploring some of our surroundings. There's lots more to see...but we've made a start and we like what we're seeing so far. Next on the list of explorative experiences is la musica (MUSIC!).

Ciao ciao amigos y amigas, buenos noches.

Chris.