Lost in Translation

As Jessica and I prepare for the expat bar-b-que we are attending this afternoon, I figured it was about time we updated you on what we have been up to since our last blog entry! I last left you with the fact that I was going on an interview for a job... After an offer to work for the companies sales force I have decided to turn it down because it just wasn't what I was looking for- therefore, my job hunt continues! Last monday Jessica and I traveled to the Pepperdine Campus located here in BA to meet with Rafael, the president of the University. It was a rather chilly and rainy day and it was more than reassuring when we arrived at this amazingly adorable Argentine style house that has been converted into a cozy home away from home for the Pepperdine students. Here, the abroad students have classrooms for their studies, a kitchen and dining area where they enjoy local meals, and cute rooms where some of the teachers reside. After a tour of the property Jessica and I were fed the authentic Argentine "beef stew" that had been home cooked by one of the men at the University. Our lunch with Rafael was more than informational, and in a way we feel like we made a life-long connection and friend.

Thursday day Jessica attended her first day of work so roomie Ferdinand and I roamed around Palermo Viejo/SoHo and I have officially discovered my favorite lunch spot. Kudos to Mike Lewis who recommended it to me! Mark's Deli is a modern NY style lunch spot and is perfect to get either a delicious (and FRESH) caesar salad, a ham and cheese sandwich, a cold iced tea, or to indulge in their delectable dessert selection! The American in me was also ecstatic to find a Starbuck's located right around the corner, and yes, it is walking distance from our apartment (Needless to say I think I've been there every day since this discovery)!

As you can see, the theme of this blog is 'Lost of Translation' not only because Jessica and I found ourselves at a German speaking get together in the middle of Argentina last Thursday, but because my inability to speak/understand spanish really does make for some entertaining experiences. One of the photo's featured in this blog shows you the name tags we received at the German/Argentine bar. My name reads CAROLINA (which is how my it is repeatedly pronounced here) and Jessica's reads JESSICKA, and sounds a bit more like HESSICKA when spoken aloud here.

While Jessica spent her second day at work on Friday I headed out for a day on the town ALL ALONE! I will say that it was a rather intimidating experience because I am usually comforted by Jessica's spanish abilities when traveling around. Not only did I know that I would have to buy a new subway pass, but I knew that if I were to get lost I wouldn't know how to ask for the way home. However, despite the fact that I tried using 'fake' money (which I guess can be rather common and you really have to look out for it) my daily adventure went great! I walked around for a bit, traveled to the Patagonia store for a new raincoat (their winter really does bring on the rain!), and even ventured downtown. That night Jessica and I met my family friend Sheldon for an amazing dinner in Recoleta. Sheldon is a worldly man full of amazing insight and guidance. Jessica and I were lucky enough to be given a first hand depiction on what life and business is all about; as the saying goes, "Under promise & over produce!" After dinner Jessica and I spent night #2 at Asia de Cuba for a farewell party to two Venezuelan brothers whom we met through our Italian friend Leonardo. Needless to say we ended up shutting down the place (at 7:00am that is....)

Saturday was another rainy winter day so I decided to take Jessica to Mark's Deli, my new jam! Needless to say she also fell in love with the place and I think we will be frequenting this particular spot. After lunch we wandered the area before meeting some friends at a nearby Hookah Pub to watch the Argentina vs. Brazil futbal match. Unfortunately, Argentina was beat 3 to 1, but Jessica and I vowed that we will definitely work up the guts to go to a futbal game one of these days!! After the match we went to a place called Fetish which was conveniently located three blocks from our a house. Fetish is a lounge/bar which was opened by a couple of Israeli guys, one of whom is a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend... Just kidding.... But we did go to meet this guy named Zohar whom I was introduced to through a friend in the states. Day after day we are making connections all around town and despite the melting pot of different origins, we sure have been able to meet an amazing group of friends here in Argentina! Tonight after the bbq we are actually going to watch another friend we made play at a local jazz bar.