Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

Hola!

Well we have officially been here three weeks which is so hard to believe! How time flies. We had yet another wonderful weekend full of food and fun that we would like to update you all on! On Saturday we actually accompanied our friends Ivan and JD for a lovely dinner at a usually frequented club here, Asia de Cuba. Between the live belly dancer, strawberry daiquiris, champagne, and raviolis, the dinner was very entertaining on top of being delicious. After a couple of dances on the dance floor Jessica and I headed back to our part of town and met a couple of friends at a place called 'TIKI' for a more bar-like experience. The next day we woke up with a craving for a big american breakfast so thought we'd try out a place called Oui Oui that is located only a few blocks away. I will have to say that Oui Oui may have the best breakfast to offer here in BA. It was pure bliss. For 8 dollars you are given a plate full of tasty eggs, a bagel, some (undercooked- unless otherwise mentioned) bacon, and a delicious pot of homemade lemonade that is just indescribable. (Our experience here was so good that we managed to make it back the next day for the exact same meal... plus a homemade banana muffin that was incredible). Sunday night Jessica and I decided to lay low as both of us had to be on our A-game for work the next day, and entertained ourselves with some good ol' movie watching on our laptop.

Today also officially marks my third day of work! I have yet to write about my new job so I'll give everyone a brief synopsis. I am now working for a company here in Buenos Aires called RentInBA, and basically they manage a lot of properties here in the area and rent them out both long and short term to mostly foreign travelers. It really is a great company and I adore the people I get to work with- they couldn't be nicer ( / more accepting of the fact that I don't know Spanish well at all!) Anyway the office is located very close and in the mornings I usually take a 12 peso cab ride there and enjoy a 40 minute walk home in the afternoon. My boss is an Israel native who spent some time growing up here as both of his parents are Argentinean and is a pleasure to work with.

Tomorrow Jessica and I leave for IGUAZU! Woop Woop! We are so excited yet a bit apprehensive about our 14 hour bus ride there (should be interesting!). Rumor has it that the buses here really are rather comfortable so we can only hope for the best... Here is the link to where we will be staying so check it out. We will be sure to take plenty of photos to entertain you with upon our return.

I am also happy to announce that our first traveler has officially booked her flight: GO GRETA!! Greta is planning on coming in the end of October so we are already planning the fun week she is going to be spending with us.

Today after work Jessica and I went to Puerto Madero to check out a rather highly spoken of hotel here called Faena. Here we enjoyed a delicious glass of wine with a rather large cheese & cold cuts plate. The hotel is absolutely incredible and is a must see (at least for a glass of wine) if you are ever here! The design is like nothing else and once we become workin' (money making) women we are going back to treat ourselves to some massages in their extensive spa... ahhhhh.... Tonight we may make the return to the bar around the corner, Fetish, which adds a bit of a different feel to the bars here in BA. Located here in Palermo Hollywood Fetish has a huge square bar inside (the biggest in the city I believe) that seats 50 people if not more! It's a really neat ambiance and the owner is actually a friend of my boss's (who is the person who first introduced us to the place!)

Wish us the best of luck while we're up in Iguazu- we are going to try and avoid the mosquitos as much as possible... we are a bit unprepared in the malaria meds area... and we look forward to filling you all in when we return.... BESOS!

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.