Freeeeeee (dom)

I went to a free screening of Adventureland tonight. Ehhhhhhh. Enjoyed it for the most part, but glad I didn't pay for it. The plot is pretty much Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist with the cast aged four years, and I didn't enjoy that movie enough, either. Maybe I'm just being harsh because I Love You Man was so good and I saw this too soon (seriously, go see I Love You Man! On my list of Apatow-esque comedies, it falls lower than Sex Drive but higher than Role Models. On my list of Paul Rudd films, where perfection = still not as good as Clueless, it's above Role Models and lower than Anchorman. I plan to create an entire movie rating system based these models).

Anyway, the highlight of my evening was the curly fries.

New Slogan!

Washington, DC: The Recession Vacation Capital of the USA! Or at least the parts of the USA within a reasonable driving distance. I admit that I've never been to the Tidal Basin during the festival, because I'm of the belief that if you've seen one cherry blossom, you've seen them all, and the trees further up the Mall work just as well, are less crowded, and can be seen easily during my lunch break.

Come on, now!

OH Good God. If you want to watch The English Patient, dude, watch the damn movie! Can your wife not go do something else for an evening? Do you live in a studio apartment with no entertainment outside? Was she never away for a night? Did you ask if she'd mind if you went ahead and watched it without her? Do you have a life of your own?

Ah, history

In today's Express, there was an article about Manischewitz that included this quote:

"Dov Behr did for matzo what Henry Ford did for automobiles."

Heh. I'm sure Mr. Ford would be THRILLED with that comparison.

Huh

Something I'm wondering after tonight's Lost:

If the bounty hunter had been tracking Sayid, and, presumably, knew he was a member of the Oceanic 6, wouldn't she also make it a point to know who the other 4 adults of the group were? If not for job purposes, than just out of curiosity when she took on the assignment? If so, then wouldn't she have noticed these people were on the same flight to Guam that she was about to board, and then understood and granted Sayid's wish to take the next plane?

Not a good showing

After the movie on Friday, some of us went to Atomic and played scattergories. With the letter J having been rolled, we proceeded down our lists. One prompt this round happened to be "people in the Bible." Joseph was the first to pop into my head, and other responses were Joshua and the popular "blank." We remarked on how difficult this round had been, why there weren't more Biblical names that started with J, until I suddenly exclaimed, "Oh my God...JESUS!"

The movie was good, btw

Friends, Jessica and I witnessed two very sad events on Friday at the theater in Silver Spring. We were standing in front of the concession stand, waiting for our friends to arrive, watching others go through the first ticket check.*

The first drama involved a group of girls, perhaps around 15. One of them, in either a show of stupidity or teenage arrogance, was holding a brown bag that I, some 25 feet away, could tell was from Chipotle. The ticket-taker, a young black man,** in his role as guardian of the sanctity of $4 hot dogs, referred her to the customer service stand on his right. The poor lass argued and argued, but to no avail. The saddest part of this tale? Her friend was carrying a purse big enough to carry a family-sized box of cereal, in the original packaging. I felt sorry for the girl, as, clearly, no one ever told her the secret to sneaking in food to the movies. Rule 1 being, of course, the "sneaking" aspect.

Shortly after the girl's failed attempt to salvage her dinner, we spotted our friend. She was second in line, behind a young African-American gentleman. The man in front of her had a backpack on, and this aroused the suspicion of the ticket-taker. Jess and I watched as the customer held his bag out to be searched for any contraband snacks. At this point, we were fearful. Why? Because our friend (let's call her "Bailey") also had a backpack with her. In contrast to that of the person in front of her, hers was filled with...well, let's say with drinks that you can't buy at this particular theater. Jess, always an empathizer, turned around saying she couldn't watch this. I, intrigued with the process, continued snacking on pretzal bites and taking in the scene.

What happened? I think you know, readers. Bailey was let through without a glance at her bag. We had witnessed racial profiling. Not only regular racial profiling, but black-on-black racial profiling! Performed by someone in the same age group as the victim! I was appalled.

*Why do they have two? Why must you show your ticket before the concession stand and then again to enter the movie area?

**This is an important detail.

Why

Is Disney selling eggs?

Question

I'm running late, but I want to ask what the big deal is about Obama appearing on the Tonight Show and filling out a March Madness bracket. I don't think it diminishes the office in any way (any more than W did, at least), and I'd rather a president act appropriately in various settings, be they formal or purely for entertainment, than be inappropriate in a more Presidential setting with, say, the Pope.



Honestly, though, I wouldn't have cared if W had gone on say, Letterman, and I don't care now. It's not like he's hosting SNL, here.

Oh no!

See, I've just been choosing cheaper beers during dinner, rather than a $90 bottle of wine instead of a $120 bottle. I think that's the best way, honestly.

Actually, I rarely drink while eating. I sometimes eat while drinking, but there's a difference.

Yawwwn

I got home at 1 this afternoon, after leaving the hostel at 5 PM EDT yesterday. I took the subte to the shuttle office, took their bus to the airport, stood in line after line at Ezeiza, got into Atlanta at 6:30, went through customs, landed at BWI at 11, took the shuttle to the train station, got on the MARC at 12, switched to the metro at Union Station, and then walked to my apartment. Then I slept.

I forgot how much Ezeiza sucks. I stood in line to check in, then moved to another line to pay the departure tax, then went on to passport control, then through security, then lined up to go through a more invasive security to enter the gate, and then finally lined up to board.

Luckily, I had an entire middle aisle to myself to stretch out. I managed a couple of hours of sleep, which is amazing for me on a plane. I had enough energy to go through the customs process, which: what is the point of being a US citizen if I can't breeze through passport control? That line was ridiculous.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

When I was here last (five years ago), St. Patrick's Day was only celebrated by a few locals who were eager to embrace a chance to drink all day and wear fun outfits. Suddenly, in the past few years, the day has grown exponentially. The Irish bars around the city are having day-long specials (although they haven't gotten into the habit of opening at 8-when I went to lunch at a bar called Clover at 1, it was empty and the decorations looked out-of-place), and there's a parade tonight downtown. Argentina is apparently home to the 5th largest Irish community in the world, with 500,000 people claiming Irish heritage (including the family of Che Guevara, one of whose ancestors was from Galway). They haven't quite mastered the celebration, yet, though, as the beers on special are Isenbeck (Argentine) and Warsteiner.

I'm not that into celebrating like crazy, anyway, so I'm not too sad to be missing the parade to go to the airport. I'm wearing green; I'm emphasizing my very Irish first name; and I'll have a drink on the plane.

Damn height-related discrimination!

Proof that St. Patrick's Day is getting more popular in Buenos Aires...bar owners and party organizers are getting more serious about their plans:

Need a midget and/or dwarf type person for acting role. Role is to be a Leprechaun for St. Patricks Day party. Future work possible during Christmas.

Location: Palermo
Compensation: 1 peso per cm
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

And I got an hour back!

I walked down to Palermo viejo yesterday to do some shopping. It was another day of God-awful humidity, when it can't decide if it is humid enough to rain or not. I walked down calle Armenia, where the trendy shops suddenly stop and a huge Armenian church appears. Across the street from the church is a cultural center that houses a restaurant and tango classes for the public. Looking in a guidebook here in the hostel, it says the neighborhood is populated with "Buenos Aires' large Armenian Jewish community." I had to read that sentence a few times to make sure I hadn't missed a key word between "Armenian" and "Jewish", since, well, I don't think all of the Armenian Jews in the world would be enough to be considered a "large" community. (Wikipedia tells me there are 750 Jewish people in Armenia. Frankly, that's more than I would have thought). Anyway, I suppose the author of that section missed the huge church that takes up one side of the block.

For dinner, I went to a cheap parrilla in San Telmo, and then walked back to the hostel with a few people. We stopped to listen to some live music at a bar on 9 de Julio, and had a few beers while there. Eventually, I, as is customary on this trip, ended up back in Palermo Viejo where people were lining up down the block for some bars. Absolutely ridiculous.

Anyway, a good night, and now I'm off to walk around some more.

Sabor clasico!

I was a typical American today. Faced with a need for coffee and lunch, I happened upon a Starbucks and went in. I wanted something fast and cheap, and this had the additional benefit of providing strong coffee to go. I bought a sandwich of chicken salad made with hearts of palm and salsa golf.

Later, I was in the mood for ice cream, since it was about 88 degrees and humid out. I went into Galerias Pacifico to see if my favorite heladeria was still there. It was not. In its place, horrifyingly, was a Freddo, the Ben and Jerry's of Argentina. Figuring I may as well go to McDonalds, I walked down Florida and bought a dulce de leche McFlurry with Cadbury milk chocolate pieces. Amazing. I chatted with an older gentleman who appeared to have come to the McDonalds to watch the news, and listened as he ranted against the president and her husband. I am not a fan of either, so that was cool.

We just had a BBQ on the upstairs patio, so I had lots of meat :) AMAZING!

Ojo de bife!

Just got back from a night out, at the early hour of 4:30 (yes, that is early). Had a good steak with fries for dinner, and then some beer and a drink called crisis de identidad, with Gancia, Cachaça, orange juice, and sugar. Good stuff.

I learned some things about my companions tonight. One of them, a gentleman on spring break from college, took an extra-long break by taking his exams early. How did he manage that? He told his professors that he was coming down here to do volunteer work. Since he gave two pesos to a kid today, he thinks that fulfills his obligations.

I also learned, from someone who works for the company, that no alcohol is permitted on Exxon ships, as a result of the Exxon Valdez. When asked if drinking was a factor in that incident, he said, "it was part of it." From now on, whenever I do something sort of dumb while under the influence, I plan on yelling, WELL, AT LEAST I HAVEN´T CAUSED A HUGE ECOLOGICAL DISASTER TONIGHT. I advise you all to do the same. Unless, of course, your evenings often end with you dumping oil on baby seals, in which case, search for another man-made disaster that was probably caused by drunken folk. I´m sure there are many.

Ahhhh

I arrived safe and sound this morning, and, after a nap, went out to enjoy the city. I'd forgotten that I ate more salad when living here than I have at any other point. My study abroad semester was when I learned to love beets and hearts of palm, and both are more often included in salads here than at home. I also had an empanada, which, I must say, puts Julia´s to shame (and I like Julia's). I don't pretend to be able to only eat from local restaurants, as the Starbucks has already gotten my attention (five years ago, the only way to get a coffee to go was from one of those machines like they have in offices) and McDonald's is advertising what appears to be a McFlurry with Cadbury. I'll be trying that.

SDST?

As I'm heading off to the Southern Hemisphere, I'm going to have the opportunity to go through four time changes in two weeks, while only being in two time zones! Of course, we switched to DST on Sunday, and then I switch to Argentine time (currently 2 hours ahead of EDT), THEN, I go BACK to standard time in Buenos Aires THIS Sunday, and, finally, back to EDT when I return to DC.

Daylight Saving Time has a spotty history in Argentina. The country didn't observe it the last time I was there, and, in fact, hasn't on a regular basis since 1972. The last time the clocks were turned forward in that era, they were never turned back, so the nation was on DST from then on, with occasional periods observing Super DST (+2 hours ahead of standard time). On Sunday, they'll be moving from SDST back to DST.

Stamps, anyone?

As I've heard back from schools, I find it interesting to compare the acceptance letters, particularly how they choose to treat the economic aspect of graduate school; always a concern, but especially so now. American and NYU sent huge packets of material, with annual reviews, course lists, syllabi, and invitations to visit. American made no mention of finances, except for the usual aid letter. NYU turned its actual acceptance letter into a three page missive that said, "We can't give you funding, but please come anyway! Other places will help you! Promise! Read about them!" and then sent another packet two days later with more the same information in greater detail. It was just short of writing, "We know the economy sucks, and there's almost no way you'll come to a notoriously expensive city with no help, BUT WE NEED STUDENTS! We'll let you in and show you how to get money from other departments! It'll add to your education!"

As for Georgetown? They notified me the same way they did when I applied for undergrad. A thin envelope with two pieces of paper: an acceptance letter and a form to send back with my decision (and check). And no return envelope. They don't like to be too "enthusiastic," preferring to keep us guessing if they really want us or not, just like those women who swear by The Rules.

Yeesh

I'm headed to Argentina on Wednesday, and so was doing some preparatory reading today. I think this guide may be a little out of date:

Currency
"The official Argentine currency is the Peso which is on a par with the US dollar and fluctuates with it. There are notes of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pesos and coins of 1, 2 and 5 pesos, and 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 centavos.

$1US = 1.00 PESO"

Please note:

"After much deliberation, Duhalde abandoned in January 2002 the fixed 1-to-1 peso-dollar parity that had been in place for ten years. In a matter of days, the peso lost a large part of its value in the unregulated market. A provisional "official" exchange rate was set at 1.4 pesos per dollar."

I cannot wait to see how President de la Rua is doing.

Pats self on back

I have finished the grad school application process 4 for 4! Due to an unofficial offer of a fellowship that I'm waiting to hear more about, my plans may change. Regardless, I'm thrilled with the outcome.

AHHHHHHHHH

I was going to try to go to bed early tonight, but now I can't because I looked at a screenshot of the creepy statue on LOST. I don't know why this freaks me the hell out, but GOOD GOD.

Please?

I don't want to get my hopes up, but since it's now March 4th, and this is what the forecast looks like, I think we're at the end of the bitter cold, right? Right? This is it? No more highs in the 20s with wind chills in the single digits? I can stop putting on two coats to go outside? My heaviest jacket can stay in the closet until after Thanksgiving?

Suspicion

My place of employment has an emergency system that automatically phones and emails employees when something is amiss. A few weeks ago, we received alerts on consecutive days, the first because the water had been shut off in the building, and the second because the cafeteria would be closed for breakfast. With this precedent, you'd think that they'd contact us when the company was going to be opening on a two-hour delay due to snow. You would, of course, be mistaken. I suspect they didn't want to spread the word too much, and instead hope that some employees would arrive on their normal schedule. Luckily, I knew to call the secret number on the back of our ID badges, and so didn't give them any of my time for free (we got paid for those two hours). Of course, if I had been one of those poor souls who showed up on time, I would have just found a nice place to nap.