No Mullets, Please

From Lingus.tv, the blog that goes with the Spanish video learning program:

How do I say, “Please Don’t Give Me a Mullet” in Spanish?

If you’re like me, you are already panicked before you even walk
in to the front door of a salon.  On that dreadful day, I have
visions of walking out of the hairdresser in Spain looking as if
I’ve played on a Canadian hockey team for years. Yeah, the mullet after four years is still going strong, and is still unattractive as ever!

Chavez Watch: More Nationalization

With all the election coverage, this is getting lost:

Chavez takes over biggest gold mine in Venezuela: minister


Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's
government will take over and nationalize La Cristinas, the biggest
gold mine in the country owned by Canada's Crystallex, Mining Minister
Rodolfo Sanz said Wednesday.

The move is part of leftist Chavez's
socialist agenda that calls for nationalizing Venezuela's natural
resources. Over the past year, he has taken over the electricity, oil,
steelmaking, cement and telephone enterprises

"This mine will be seized and managed by a state administration," Sanz said in a statement.

Castellano

So I've been living here a year now, and my Spanish is coming along so-so. I can have a general conversation, which is good, but I must say I am learning slower than I should because I am not immersed in it all day. that said, I've found some online resources to help me out:

LoMasTV:

It has some great features, like a "slow" button an a built in dictionary. You can click on any word and the definition appears n the right. What's more, it has videos specifically with an Argentine accent. $10 a month subscription.

SpanishDict:

The lessons look like they are pretty new, and for beginner beginners. But they are free. There is also a forum, grammar reference, and chat.

October 2, 2008: Shakespearean Candidates - Stephen Greenblatt

Clip from the Colbert Report comparing the presidential candidates to Shakespearean characters.

Link

(I tried to embed the clip, but it doesn't seem to be working. Click on the link above.)

Odd disco craze: Free boob jobs

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina --
Argentine discotheques are trying a novel approach to attract more
clients -- young women in particular -- to their dance floors: a door
prize with the winner getting free breast-enhancement surgery.

Link

Argentine farmers resume protests

Here we go again....

Farmers in Argentina are resuming nationwide protests against the
government over what they say is its inadequate support for them.

They want economic concessions for smaller farms, and say they will
suspend grain exports and limit the export of beef for the next six
days.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7650222.stm

Spring has Arrived

Gallery Here

Mom's Spanglish Lesson

My mother just got a Spanish dictionary, and has been practicing her Spanish. She called and left this voicemail tonight. You might want to listen to it first and try to figure out what she is saying, and then scroll down:



Translation:

...

....

....

....

.....

....

The towels are in the dryer. (The toallas are in the secadora.)

That is all. Lesson over.

Chavez-Watch: Armed and Dangerous

I know everybody's attention is on the U.S. election and debates, but let's not lose sight of this little tidbit:



Russia offers Chavez $1 billion for weapons

MOSCOW:
The Kremlin has decided to offer a $1 billion loan for arms purchases
to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who is currently on a two-day
swing through Russia aimed at bolstering an already solid relationship
that has caused increasing discomfort in the West.

Link to Article

Parenting

I'm reviewing tons of parenting sites for a research project (I know, it's ironic that my work always revolves around children when I'm not going to have any).

Anyway, I found a great Dad Blog: MetroDad:

MY DAUGHTER THROWS LIKE A GIRL

I recently realized that while the Peanut and I have been spending our afternoons farting on the dog, drawing funny pictures of the neighbors, and pretending to shop at Whole Foods so we can sample the free food, a lot of the other kids in the neighborhood are immersed in after-school activities like gymnastics, swim lessons, tae kwon do, or Super Soccer Stars. Really, I had no idea.

Fitness Check-in

The first week of the push-up challenge is done. I can now do over 10 push-ups in a row. Next week will be a little harder.

I've been consistently losing weight, although I don't have a scale to measure. My clothes are getting looser and looser, though. The Evo-fitness seems to be working. I have been lifting weights a couple of times a week (I wish I could do crossfit, but it doesn't exist here!), and eating a paleo-ish diet. No grains, no beans, little dairy. Just lean meat, fruits, vegetables, nuts, oils. I also have a mini-fast every few days- just eat dinner early and then not eat until about 2:00 the next day. Then I eat a little more later to make up for it.

It's pretty easy to eat this way here in Argentina, if you don't give in to the pizza and empanadas. The meat here is lean (beef is grass-fed), and it's easy to shop every couple of days for fresh fruits and vegetables. I eat very little processed or canned food.

Of course I'm not too strict about the diet- but I try to hit the 80% ratio. Things I've noticed;

• I no longer have low blood sugar crashes. I get hungry if I don't eat, but it's a hunger that can be tolerated. No lightheadedness, or shakiness.
  
• My energy level is generally higher, except the day after workouts, when I need extra sleep.
• I have trouble digesting big starchy meals now. I no longer want to binge on bread or potatoes, because it just makes me feel bad.
• Fasting (from 8:00PM to 2:00 Pm the next day) is no big deal- it seems to happen naturally anyway. When I'm not hungry, I don't eat much. When I'm hungry, I eat as much as it takes to satisfy me.
• My alcohol tolerance is much lower (learned this the hard way)- two glasses of wine MAX. If it's a very long evening, maybe one more. That's it. Otherwise, I'm sick the next day. (This is probably a good thing.)
• I've been losing fat without a lot of time spent exercising- I workout hard and fast. I walk through the city maybe once or twice a week to do errands, since I have no car.

So far so good.

The Challenge

Having a hard time getting motivated to get in shape. Haven't been doing too bad, but because I'm so busy lately, I haven't been very consistent. Saw someone tweet this, and thought it is just the right trick: The 100 push-up challenge. A six week program to build yourself up to do 100 push-ups in a row. Let you know how it goes. Day 1 tomorrow. I know I can do about 8 push-ups in a row right now.

What is feminine?

The last time my hair cut, two porteñas came in when I was just about done, and complimented my haircut (a short bob with bangs.) They said how courageous I was for cutting it short. (And it's a bob- it's not that short.) Why not do the same? I asked. They were afraid it would look unfeminine.

This made me reflect on any differences the perception of femininity between Argentina and the United States. Here are some generalities:

Things considered feminine:

• Long hair. Below the shoulders. Even the president has long hair.
  
• Lots of make-up. Generally, a lot of made up faces here would be considered tacky in the U.S. (At least in the nature-loving areas of California I am used to. Maybe Argentines would fit right in in Dallas...)
• Revealing shoulders. I see a lot of strapless tops, even on television hosts.
• Big lips. This is usually considered feminine universally, but here, the plastic surgery is generally unnatural.

Things NOT considered feminine:

• Sweating at the gym. Seriously, women chat and read magaznes while they are on the eliptical machines, and they lift weights less than five pounds.
  
• Drinking. Women don't drink much- and if they do, it has to be a glass of wine or a fruity cocktail- no martinis or whiskey sours. Some of the younger ones drink beer.

Of course there are a myriad number of other differences about being a woman here: despite the fact that there is a woman in the presidential office, the roles women have in society are about thirty years behind the United States. But that is another post.

Think I'll go to the gym with my short haircut, no makeup, sweat a lot, and prove that it doesn't make me manly.

In Memoriam

Can Kids do Boolean?

I think so. As long as the concepts are added one at a time, simply. Here is a five-minute tutorial I created about the difference between AND and OR in searching:

http://gallery.me.com/jwevans01#100000

At the comisería....

Rob and I have started the process of getting our residency. Need a lot of paperwork gathered together. Apostilled birth certificates, yada yada. We have to get a letter of "good conduct" from the FBI, which requires sending in our fingerprints.

Fingerprints need to be taken by the local police station. So.....

We go to our comisería (the police "headquarters" for our barrio), and have to wait about an hour for the fingerprint person, because he is with smeone who has been detained (or so we are told).

Finally, we are taken through the parking lot, into a tiny back room, where four or five policemen are drinking mate and watching the Simpsons.

The officer takes some equipment out of an old cupboard, rolls ink onto a flat thingy, and has me ink my fingers up. He takes my fingerprints while glancing at the Simpsons to see what's going on and joking with the other officers. Same thing with Rob. Then I have to spend several minutes washing all the ink off my hands in a sink older than Moses.

Talk about OLD SCHOOL!

The last time I had a fingerprint done in the states (passport? driver's license?) I think it was digital. Definitely not int he digital age here. It's ink, paper, and who-do-you-know.

Taxi Ride

I've Got Music, I've Got (Spanish) Rhythm....

Had a thoroughly good time at Tiempo Gitanos last night. Dinner and a Flamenco show. A little pricey ($65 pesos per person- it's $85 on the weekends), but we learned that we can go and just have tapas instead of dinner in the future.

I love Flamenco. The guitar, singing, and dancing. It's so passionate. The singing has that haunting Arabic influence, the dancing has a gypsy-like influence, and the guitar, is intricate and dramatic at the same time.

It also has a complicated rhythm. Has anyone else noticed that Argentines are not very rhythmic? Tango does have rhythm, but I've noticed that nobody taps their foot, claps their hands, or otherwise visibly marks rhythm to the live music I've seen here. Even in clubs with a pounding beat, young Argentines don't dance much.

Last night, in contrast, the waiters were always clapping or tapping on something. Made me feel less of an outcast as I tapped and clapped along.

Evolutionary Fitness Argentine Style

Somehow, being gone has given me a motivation to get back in shape and get healthy. I've essentially been ignoring my body for the last six months, and I've put on a little padding around my waist. I'm also sluggish a lot.

I've been following Art Devany for quite a while, since I did Crossfit before I left CA. I'm going to start following his suggestions and see what happens. After reading his blog awhile, I think they make a lot of sense.

Eating a paleo-style diet here is easy and difficult at the same time. Easy because there are a lot of fresh ingredients, and a steak/salad combo here is a no-brainer. But it's also hard (at least for now) to ignore the pizzas, empanadas, pastas, etc.

Of course, I'm not completely anal about any diet- I figure I will try for 80% and go from there.

Back Home

I haven't blogged for a while because I have been on a three-week trip to California. What did I notice the most about CA after being gone for six months?

• Wide open space. LA and San Diego are so spread out, compared to the density of BsAs.
• People walking around with coffee cups. (Of course, this might change now that Starbucks is here.)
• More strikingly obese people in CA than BsAs.
• Efficiency at checkout lines.
• The beauty of the rolling hills. I took it for granted when I lived there, but after being gone for a while, I realize how beautiful the rolling hills and orange groves are.
• It's true nobody walks in LA. I went to a restaurant with friends, less than a mile from my friend's house, and we drove. (Of course, my friend was pregnant, so we probably would have driven anyway.) I'll walk a mile in BsAs with no problem, unless the weather is inclement.
• By the way, I saw two celebrities that night in half an hour- Carson from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and the lady who is in all sorts of stuff, but I remember her as the tall, blond, lesbian companion in Best in Show-- Hollywood is so funny.
  

All in all, I'm glad to be back. I love the density of the city, the fact that it is getting cold enough to freeze the cockroaches and other bugs into hibernation, and of course, my hubby. :)