Stepping forward
March 14, 2006

By stepping back from my life in Canada and taking some time to aquaint myself with a new region of the world, it´s people, customs and circumstances, I find myself slowly stepping forward in new and exciting directions. Argentina is a fascinating country, geographically rich like Canada, with a cosmopolitan capital similar to Paris and New York. At a distance, it is hard to believe that this country is very much a developing country.

As a tourist, your currency stretches a long way and for the minority of it´s citizens, Argentina offers a decadent lifestyle. I have personally been enjoying simple and decadent pleasures alike, while attempting to find that perfect middle-ground where I can live as a local yet treat myself and others when the occasion calls for it.

Although Sterling and I have been living in the wealthier neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires, homelessness and begging is not a common site in this culture despite the fact that somewhere between 30-50% of Argentines live below the poverty line at all times and there are many ¨barrios¨ and ¨villas¨ within short distances of the city centre where poverty is most certainly a reality.

I´m proud to share that Sterling has teamed up with a Argentine-Canadian Director to assist him in developing a documentary which looks at the political atmosphere of South America along with related socio-economic problems. For Sterling and his partner it has been an eye-opening, thought-provoking experience to say the least and I have been fortunate to benefit from his ever evolving outlook. For those that are interested in a brief insight into the harsh reality of the less fortunate in Buenos Aires, Sterling has generously shared some of his filming experience in a recent blog entry.

I on the other hand am teaming up with an organization known as Idealist (Action without Borders) to bring about positive change in the Palermo community of Buenos Aires. We have our first brainstorming session this Friday and I´m thrilled to be connecting with like-minded individuals (in spanish!) and giving something back to this incredible city that has welcomed Sterling and I these past four months. Idealist is a relatively new organization that is leveraging modern technology to connect people all over the world looking to exchange ideas and work together to create positive change. Please take a minute to check it out because there are a lot of exciting initiatives underway all around the globe.

I have also been volunteering with a group of talented individuals at the oldest and largest children´s hospital in Buenos Aires. We provide an alternative form of therapy for the kids and their families through drama, music, and other artforms along with welcomed emotional support and prayer. It has been a thoroughly rewarding experience for me even though I admit I sometimes feel outside of my comfort zone. I suppose the key is just finding a way to use your strengths to contribute in some way, no matter how small.

Wishing you all good health, necessary wealth and genuine happiness.

Living in Soho, B.s A.s!
Feb. 18, 2007

Well, Sterling and I recently moved to a very cool neighbourhood called Palermo Soho. It´s named after it´s resemblance to the Soho district of New York and rightfully so. The streets are cobblestone, the architecture´s gorgeous and it´s filled with totally unique shops and hangouts. Needless to say, we´ve been keeping busy exploring all sorts of cutting-edge restaurants and clothing stores and trying not to go broke in the process. The good news is you can also hang out without spending a penny because Palermo is just littered with green spaces. Some of the largest parks in the city are right around the corner from us including the lucious Botanical Gardens and Japanese Gardens.

Below are just a few pics of our new neighbourhood.



























New Pad

We absolutely love our new apartment. It´s spacious and has a real funky Buenos Aires quality to it. The ceilings have got to be 15 ft tall and we have an indoor patio with a retractable roof at the centre of the apartment from which every other room extends off of. There are two small offices in the loft and a large kitchen, dining room and bedroom. The only trade-off to living in a beautiful building from the 30´s is that we sometimes have visitors from the neighbourhood ie.little beetle-like creatures also referred to as ¨coocas¨ in spanish. Considering they only tend to drop by to get out from the rain, I´ve got to admit, it´s really not that bad.

Check out our new pad!

Tango: A subculture of Buenos Aires
January 28, 2007

Buenos Aires is renowned for it´s tango scene. Unanimously promoted among the top 3 must see, must do activities when visiting Buenos Aires, one is presented with many opportunities to experience this unique subculture. When Sterling and I first arrived, we were introduced to tango via a large-scale dinnershow, complete with dozens of professional dancers, singers, and musicians. It was a highly entertaining way to learn a bit about the history and art of tango. From this first experience, I was hooked. Check out the videoclip from the show below…amazing!




After this initial taste, I decided to give it a go and was invited to join a group class with some friends. I quickly realized that this was no easy collection of steps, but an intense, intricate non-verbal communication between two individuals. Tango works both mind and body and is a guarenteed way to work up a sweat. I admit, after my first lesson I was a bit discouraged and mildly overwhelmed. Having practiced with a fellow beginner, my feet were also a bit tender. Regardless, a hint of optimism remained and I persisted. I have since taken one or two lessons per week and have frequented many events, known as milongas. I have a long way to go but I think I can safely say that I´m getting pretty good at this and having an incredible time in the process!

Milongas are events that happen every night of the week, all over the city. They start at 11 p.m. and finish anytime between 4 a.m. – 8 a.m. The venues vary a great deal, but generally speaking, there is a large dance floor lined with tables along the perimeter going a few rows deep. Milongas attract people of all ages. In fact, it isn´t uncommon for the largest demographic to be men and women over the age of 65, although there are plenty of clubs for young people to explore new age tango music called electro tango.

People sit in groups or as couples, but one usually attends milongas with the intention of dancing with other regulars and select strangers. Unlike conventional dance clubs, there is a great deal of respect between dancers and an extensive array of traditions and rules. When it comes to these rules, I find myself in the dark more so than not, but I do know that the key is eye contact. No matter how far away, if you want to dance with someone, you must establish eye contact for a few seconds, then the man looks away and the test is when he looks back. If the woman is still looking, this is an invitation for him to get up from his seat and invite her to dance. One usually dances four consecutive songs and then both return to their respective seats. Technically, one is not supposed to dance with the same individual for the rest of the night. Also, if someone arrives to the milonga arm in arm with someone else, this is a signal that they are off limits for proposals, etc. Etc. It´s actually quite fascinating to watch the games being played, but I have to remind myself to be careful sometimes or I could accidentally break a few hearts. (Ref: Rule #1)

Last night I went to my first outdoor milonga. Wish I had pictures! It was such a beautiful venue and unique experience - to dance under the open sky, on a circular dance floor with a fountain in the middle, soft, colourful lighting and enchanting music. I went with about ten people from my tango class and we all sat together, had a few drinks, and danced till five in the morning.

Below is a small collection of tango pictures I´ve taken in Buenos Aires. Enjoy!

The Beaches of Uruguay

January 12, 2007

Just got back from a short vacation to Punta del Este. This is a beautiful and unique peninsula just a short ferry ride and 4 hour bus ride from Buenos Aires. On the one side, you have beaches along the Rio del Plata (the widest river in the world, bordering both Uruguay and Argentina) and along the other side, just a 4 block walk, you have beaches along the Atlantic Ocean. The water was warm, the sand soft, and the sky a mixture of sun, fog, and clouds. An absolute pleasure really - to spend hours on the beach, body surfing, reading and relaxing. That is, until 5 hours later you realize that the UV rays were magnified by the fog and clouds which kept your body cool while frying your skin. That´s right, the three of us (Sterling, Sabrena and I) experienced the worst buns of our lives, and of course, the very first day which made for a challenging, creative beach vacation. We shifted our schedule, dogged the peak hours and jumped from shady patch to shady patch, but still managed to enjoy ourselves thoroughly. I won´t get into the details of our burn treatment, including our first trip to a hospital in BA, but we certainly learned our lesson.

Bringing in the New Year like a true Porteño!

January 1, 2007

Well, well, what can I say....when in Rome I guess... What a night. New Years Eve was incredible. Started off with an outdoor symphony and tango show on Avenida de Julio (widest avenue in the world) It was in fact a free concert hosted by the famous conductor Daniel Barenboim, hosted in the name of Peace and Unity and attended by Israeli and Palestinian Ambassadors, who enjoyed the show side by side. Ten thousand people gathered on the street, shoulder to shoulder to enjoy the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra as well as a famous Argentine tango orchestra. The two groups actually merged at some points and created the most incredible, unique sound. Never have I heard four accordians join a 100+ classical orchestra. This unforgettable experience was followed by a 12 o´clock celebratory toast and 360 degree fireworks show put on by local residents in a funky little plaza in the district of Palermo. I was joined by Sterling and his sister Sabrena, as well as a small collection of internationals and locals gathered in the square. So many laughs, and fun encounters with strangers. I swear we were hanging out with a few of the characters from Happy Feet (the animated film) for a while. From here, we met up with some of our friends who had been dining in a restaurant nearby and together we hit a local dance floor. Had so much fun that I couldn´t believe my eyes when we left the club at 8 a.m, but the festivities did not end there. No, this was followed by a quick drop in to a tango club around the corner and a little breakfast before jumping in a cab towards home at 10 a.m. Not something I would do very often, that´s for sure, but what a night to remember! I am confident that this year is lining up to be a monumental year in my life and I am very excited about working towards my resolutions. Wishing you all the very best for a rewarding 2007.

Feliz Navidad!

What an incredible day! Not only was I in beautiful Buenos Aires, but it was the first Christmas Sterling and I had ever spent together alone. Well, that being the case, we were keen on doing things a little differently. Let´s face it, egg nog by the fire just wasn´t going to work here.

To start things off, we had a leisurly morning in bed, amused by spanish christmas cartoons before heading to our balcony for a cup of dark roast coffee and a whole lot of sunshine. Today was a particularly beautiful summer day, so after a cold shower we decided to grab a little brunch on a patio just down the street. Considering how quiet the streets were, this place was packed. We sipped on freshly squeezed lemonade with soda and munched on a couple of omelettes. This was followed by a scoop of gelato at one of the many gourmet parlours in town as well a stroll through our neighbourhood to pick up some flowers as well as a few last ingredients for our Christmas dinner.

The afternoon was spent listening to music of all varieties and connecting with family and friends by phone and email. We also enjoyed a brief gift exchange around our 2 foot tall semi-tropical Christmas tree. (that´s right, plastic bananas. Tried to find red chilies too!) Around four o´clock we started to prepare a delicious roast from a recipe in our new cook book! (thanks Dad...it was delicious!) A pretty simple day I suppose, but highly highly enjoyable.

In order to properly recap Christmas though, I really ought to include a few other details...

When my father was here a few days prior, he and I had our own celebration of Christmas together by attending Bach´s Christmas Oratorio at the beautiful San Benito Abado Cathedral in Belgrano. It was performed by the Buenos Aires Filharmonic and included an eighty person choir as well as four soloists. All I can say is wow! Check out the photo below.

Also....

Argentines traditionally host Christmas dinner on the 24th and Sterling and I had heard that fireworks were a great tradition on Christmas eve. So wouldn´t you know it, at 12 o´clock sharp, the whole city came alive. From our balcony, we could see all sorts of colours in the sky as families convened on the rooftops of apartment buildings to light them afire. Meanwhile people rejoiced at the top of their lungs with the words Felices Fiestas and Feliz Navidad. We decided to go for a stroll in the hopes that we would experience some of this energy first hand. We were delighted to find all varieties of extended families gathered on the streets, celebrating with sparklers and noisemakers while children danced around, grinning from ear to ear.

All in all, an incredible Christmas.

Wishing you all the very same back home. Happy holidays!