Fire

On another adventure, a friend and I were driving down a major road when we were cutoff by a fire truck, who proceeded to pull in front of us and stop. I happened to have my camera to capture what we saw.

Antiques

Last week, my friend took me downtown to an area of Buenos Aires filled with antiques. She found a shop that sold hundreds of antique chandeliers and was headed to pick up her newly refurbished gem. It was an wonderful area and a place that I will definitely go back to. There was an area filled with the works of local artists and many shops with perfectly aged furniture. There were plenty of deals to be had if I really had an idea of their value.

This is just one aisle of the store. This woman was selling some of the most beautiful chandeliers, but I am afraid that she really needs a display manager and a marketing specialist. It really was hard to decipher one from another. With a good eye, you really can find a steal. Her prices were a little more than half of the neighboring shops, but they only displayed a few at a time, already rewired with the lights on.


I found these paintings and have been thinking about them since we left. I prefer the 19th century tango men to the right.



This is a quick picture of the cafe we stopped in for a "must have food" pregnancy stop, where I found a fantastic pastry-like pie filled with mozzarella, tomato and basil.

We are patiently awaiting...

... another girl!

Our Own American Gladiator

Japanese Train Loaders

Although it is not quite this rough and formalized, sometimes the trains here in Buenos Aires feel pretty close to this.

Dia del Trabajador

May 1st is Dia del Trabajador in Latin America. The US Embassy was closed, so we took advantage of the day and headed to San Antonio de Areco which is about a hour and a half north of where we live. Many of the shops and restaurants were closed, but we enjoyed the park, ate at an authentic Argentine restaurant and convinced Steve to ride a horse for the very first time!

Our Bikes

We have had quite a few "colder-than-you'd-expect" kind of days, but all in all it has been really nice.

Steve bought this bike from a friend who recently moved back to the States for $50 pesos. It was originally owned by someone who was tall and came with a bike seat for the kids. I then took my bike into a local shop and had a seat installed, as well as a basket on the front for carrying a few extra things. I couldn't look more like a mom on my comfort Schwinn, adored with "Mom Gear", but I LOVE it. Steve and I have been able to take the kids out on quite a few weekend rides around the neighborhood. It is also easier to run an errand or two in the area on a bike rather than navigate the one-way roads. As I continue to get more and more pregnant, I am grateful that the weather will also be less permitting of this fun outdoor family activity, however I have a feeling that the boys will be out riding well into the mild winter.

Kraft Mac and Cheese

Having lived in Argentina just slightly shy of 6 months, we have finally run out of the Costco 12 pack of Mac and Cheese that we had packed with our household goods. Now, I know that this does not sound like such a travesty to the majority of you, however this was the final source of cheddar (or the flavor that is) cheese. I have often said that of all of the foods that I miss, Cheddar Cheese ranks #1. I love cheddar alone, but I really love Mexican food. Good 'ole Tex Mex just isn't the same topped with a mozzarella-like variation. This however brings up a very controversial question in the Foreign Service circles. It could probably be debated for hours...

Should you hold on to American customs or embrace the country that you live in? Or can you have a little bit of both?

This is fun...

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and Steve...

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