This is only for my benefit!

I'm glad that I went to Argentina. It has ended up giving me plenty of new shit to talk about. Thank God. I get sick of telling the same stories over and over. And I tend to do that most of the time. I decided to summarize my experience...for my own benefit...so work with me here.

Well, my first month here was very different. I lived in Palermo Hollywood, which is kinda fancy. There isn't much to do, but shop and eat and shop and drink. We got really bored of it. On the plus side, we volunteered for a nonprofit group. We managed to take a trip with them to Uruguay and got to work with many interesting companeros. Nevertheless, at one point, we realized that the companeros were anarchists. There was a moment when Sherry and I were confused about how we got involved with anarchy...even as we tried to embrace it.

What I have learned is that anarchy sucks. The other day there was a quote in my gmail account that said "the only thing worse than anarchy is government" or something like that. We realized that the group we worked with and many groups we met with lacked true leadership. There was always some charismatic father or mother figure who started the group and then other people who worked (equally) to obtain some objective, but if the "leader" were to leave there would be no group. This, I find, is a common problem even in San Francisco nonprofits...at least the newer ones.

So after a really intense and productive first month, our friends descended upon us. First was Sach and Set, then Fay, and then Colin and Selenne. I am happy that they came to visit us, and happy that I got to travel and see a little of Argentina. It is strange to think that this is the second time I have lived in South America and the second time that Fay has come to visit. She's crazy-- lucky that is!!

My third month was really strange. I met a few Americans who frequented the bar downstairs. Clayton and Toby. Clayton is a writer, and Toby...dunno...he plays online poker. They threw us a party with the assistance of the bar downstairs. Sherry and I became friends with the bar staff. We hung out with Alejandra...a friend that I credit Sach for finding us. We learned about how seedy our neighborhood was. On two corners are men trying to get other men to pay for prostitutes. On the other two corners are men selling drugs. One sells cocaine, the other pot. There are plenty of cops roaming around and yet none of them seem to care about the very obvious criminal activity in the area. Down the street, two blocks away, is a cafe. It is called Cafe Orleans. Inside are many tables with women, one per table sitting there drinking coffee and smoking cigs. There are all prostitutes. You only need to go inside, sit at the table and I guess offer them money. There is a hotel that charges by the hour around the corner from the cafe....it is all very convenient. Oh yeah...and I tangoed.

Well....Sherry is still there...still watching the activity and enjoying it. I envy her only because I really don't like having to find a place to stay and a job. I'm too old for this shit.