Feliz Navidad 2010

BA's obelisk as Christmas tree

All is calm, all is quiet . . . finally! Last week was hectic in Buenos Aires, as inhabitants wrapped up business and school activities and prepared to head to the beach or the mountains for summer vacations. Traffic is now down to a minimum; the constant horn-honking piles of cars, trucks, and motorcycles backed up for blocks is gone and in its place is heavenly peace and quiet. "Muy tranqui," as the porteños say.

Much of the activity in the streets seems to have revolved around the wine business. Wine deliveries to the wine stores, wine purchases at the wine stores, wine deliveries from the wine stores. We experienced this first hand at our favorite wine store right around the corner from our apartment: la Cava de Vittorio Enoteca, where Kurt had been helping our friend Eduardo Molteno cope with the holiday rush. Lots of physical as well as mental exercise: running up and down the stairs to fill orders, packing up gift boxes and bags, making deliveries both in our neighborhood and further afield (in rush hour traffic and worse), and assisting English-speaking tourists with their wine selections. And all this in record heat of 33 to 34 degrees celsius. 

On the terrace for the fireworks:
Stella, Curt, Linda, Kurt, Caron
(photo by Eduardo!)

Eduardo and his wife Stella joined us for Christmas Eve dinner at the rental apartment, along with our good-natured guests Curtis and Caron Seebaldt, the latter a classmate of Kurt's from Balboa High in the Panama Canal Zone back in the days.

We grilled a few kilos of great steaks and sausages and Eduardo served up some of his excellent wares, including one of our favorites, the delicious tannat-malbec spumante from Familia Perulan, a small bodega from Mendoza. Feliz fiesta indeed!

Linda's Medical Emergency

Nur für Krankenwagen

One of the things we really like about where we live is the proximity of just about everything we need. We walk to our grocery stores, fruit and vegetable stands, subway station, gym, shoe repair and pedicure shops, barber, bank. Early on the morning of Thursday, November 4, we even walked - albeit slowly and with several pauses - to the nearest emergency room, located about 4 blocks away at Hospital Alemán.

Linda had awakened hours before with what she thought was stomach pain that grew steadily more severe. Finally we agreed that the situation required medical attention and headed to the emergency room, where Linda was whisked right away into an exam room. There blood samples were drawn, an IV with pain killer hooked up, and an exam conducted by the very capable and personable physican on duty - Dr. Alejandro Fabian Irastorza - assisted by two eager young residents. Something was wrong with her liver. A consult with a team of surgeons was ordered, as were an ultrasound and a CT scan, all conducted promptly and efficiently. Meanwhile, with each order, Kurt was given a receipt and directed to the cashier's office. A real pay-as-you-go system for those without applicable insurance.

Eight hours later, with pain and nausea conquered, Linda was allowed to leave, but with a strict diet of no medications and only crackers, white rice and pasta, the latter of which, Dr. Irastorza said, could be flavored with a little olive oil. (Surprising how good that is!) Follow-up blood samples were conducted the next day and again three days later. Levels of bilirubin and other indicators of liver functions that had been off the chart were falling dramatically to normal levels. In the meantime, it became clear that the probable culprit was a medication that Linda had been taking for several years and that evidently had accumulated to toxic levels in her liver. That element was dispensed with and she's now long since back to a regular diet. Subsequent tests have confirmed the source and - more importantly - the resolution of the problem.

some of our "facturas"

We have no idea of what all the diagnostic procedures and professional consultations and analyses would have cost in the States. One friend has suggested at least $15,000 for the emergency room alone. Our total bill worked out to just about $1,500 USD, under the threshold for filing an out-of-network claim with our US insurer.

Feriado

Entrance to Barrio Chino

 December 8 in Argentina - as in most if not all of Latin America plus Spain - is a holiday. The Immaculate Conception of Mary. Occurring as it did on a Wednesday this year, the feriado makes for interesting vacation plans. Some folks connected to the past weekend, others to the next weekend, using the "puente" (bridge) concept we learned about decades ago in Mexico City. We applaud those who do both.

In any event,  the occasion is an opportunity to anticipate the "real" summer and holiday vacation times of late December, January, and half of February that are looming. For us, these times are the absolute best to be in the city: warm weather, blue skies, and much fewer people with whom to share the streets and the subway. And the jacarandas, of course, though past their November prime, still are gloriously lavender.

Jacarandas 2010

So this afternoon we decided to head to China Town, the very small barrio of about 4 square blocks located in the Belgrano area of town. The grocery stores there carry a good assortment of items hard to find in regular Argentine stores. We got wild rice, dried mushrooms of various types, American style freshly made oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip cookies (go figure), and 4 cans of frijoles negros enteros imported from Mexico.

El Jefe

On the way back to the subway, we stopped at Big Mamma, a cafe attached to the Sarmiento Museum, for some liquid refreshments in the outdoor section. Next time we'll also get some food: Kurt is dying to try the Rueben that marched past our table to another guest. Linda's interested in the Salad Nicoise. Something for everyone.