The End

Do you remember this time seven years ago? Yep 1999. Do you remember the big Y2K panic. All the computers were going to crash, electricity and gas supplies would be cut off and, worst of all, traffic lights would stop functioning. Well, as we know, it didn't happen (unless, of course, it did and we're all dead but working under the illusion that we're all still alive, in which case how do you define life? eh, eh? come on all you scientists, answer that one!).

Ummm, where was I? Oh yes, the end of the world. So here we all are seven years later about to go into another new year and I thought this might amuse you.

Well it makes me smile.

Feeling Groovy

I seem to be getting into a groove. Finally, being on holiday has kicked in.

I think I've got the gym routine worked out, I'm going to be doing some more cooking on Sunday (my day of rest) and next week I'm going to start work for my training course. I only have four books to work through and most of January to do it. Luckily I've read most of them before but this time I have to do the tasks rather than just read! Still it'll get my brain moving and that has to be a good thing.

I hope you all had a good Christmas (those I've spoken to definitely seem to have had) and that you're geared up for the New Year. I'm anticipating more fireworks - the testing committees have been out in force today - and a late night followed by a lie in. Now remember, I'm three/four hours behind you so when you're raising your glasses and toasting in the New Year, I'll be sitting here wondering what all the fuss is about (although I might try to listen to BBC Radio Four).

Muscles

From one extreme to another! After hitting the gym regularly before Christmas I was feeling good (and losing weight btw). Then there was Christmas itself. Just two days of sitting around doing nothing but eating, drinking and watching DVDs on my laptop (thanks Mauro, Space 1999 is good fun) but, oh what I price I have paid.

Ok, I expected to put a little weight (two kilos which will go as quickly as they arrived) but did I really deserve a bout of sciatica? I managed to go the gym on Wednesday and do my class but in the afternoon I was confined to bed, in so much pain I was unable to sit, stand or lie comfortably.

It has eased overnight, but you should have seen me rolling on and off the bed to go to the loo and walking up and down my living room at 2am trying to find some pain relief. I went to the gym today and walked on the treadmill - I find exercise does help - and I feel much better. I still have to get up and walk around every fifteen minutes but the actual pain has (more or less) disappeared.

Oh, and my wrist is much better.

Early start

I was woken up this morning at 6am by an enormous boom - so loud it shook the bed. Nope it wasn't an earthquake just a rogue firework.

BsAs is pretty silent, so quiet I can hear the occasional individual car. We have blue but cloudy skies and the birds are singing. It's cool and fresh and I wish my beloved parents would come on line so that I can wish them happy christmas and go back to bed!

Silent Night

Remember the Christmas carol "Silent night, holy night, all is clear, all is quiet"? Well not in Buenos Aires it isn't.

It seems that here (as in many European countries) they give and receive presents on Christmas Eve and to mark the onset of Christmas, they have fireworks. So bang (no pun intended) goes my early night. I have children playing some sort of xylophone, a tinkly piano and lots of happy screaming, all accompanied by fireworks.

Let me tell you about the fireworks. It seeems it's not enough that they be brightly coloured (and beautiful they are too) but they must also be loud, very loud! In fact, so loud that I actually wondered if there was a gunfight going on earlier and quite a few car alarms have been set off. One of the neighbouring blocks had a banger party in their courtyard (and I don't mean sausages) which was so loud (and I can't think of another word for loud) and echoey, I couldn't hear the film I was watching on my laptop (and I was only about a foot away from the speakers).

However, this is not the closest I've ever been to fireworks. I remember being on holiday in Malta, standing on the ramparts of Mdina while fireworks were set off in the fields below - fireworks which exploded at my eyelevel. The dazzle lasted a good few hours and the smell of sulphur and saltpeter was incredible.

Here, they've been going on for about an hour but I think they're tailing off, so I might try to get some sleep.

Happy Chrimbo to you all and may you unwrap what you were hoping for.

PS, check out the post below

Happy Christmas

Being the other side of the world from the people I love does make it difficult to give Christmas gifts (not having much money doesn't help either). So I decided to create an internet gift for each of you (and when I say create I mean google).

Mum - you shall go to the ball

Dad - I just wish I could get you a season ticket

Sean - although you probably already know about this

Colleen - It's news Jim, but not as we know it

Olivia - because I know just how important they are to you

Rosie - who knows, you could become their greatest fan

Hughie - hope this is still of interest to you

Philip - because I think you should

Emily - because sometimes we need guidance

Assorted animals - awesome!

Jayne - look at the logo!

David - should keep you amused for hours (although you probably know all about it already)

Robyn - in the hope that you'll have as much fun annoying your parents as this song probably does

Den - as if you need any help

Gerard - just because

Mauro - should help with communication

Chiara - to keep you going on your travels

the man (yes, I know! but it's complicated, ok?) - you know you want to

OK that's me done. If you're not on the list, don't take it personally - you probably haven't bought me a suitable present either!

Christmas Eve Odds and Ends

So my lovelies, what have I been up to since we last spoke? Well, a little more food shopping - I've decided to treat myself to a big bottle of diet coke, not really as a mixer for the Baileys but as an alternative: I think the caffeine in the coke will counteract the alcohol in the Baileys (either that or I'll be very sick - watch this space). Also a bag of chocolates (everything comes in a bag here - more on that in a later post) and a bag of peanuts. Now aren't I the devil.

Also I've bought myself a bottle of champagne for New Year's Day. It's proper champagne but really cheap as it's made here. A contradiction I hear you say, "Surely only wine made in the Champagne region of France can be called Champagne, what you've got yourself there is a cheap imitation." Well, you are right, they don't call it champagne rather sparkling wine made using the methode champanoise by Chandon, in other words it's champagne in all but name. Having said that I haven't tried it yet so it could be horrible, it is extra brut so I'm not having anything sweet beforehand.

Finally a little shock and a big relief today. I went to get some stuff out of the freezer compartment of my fridge and the food in there wasn't frozen. Hmmm thinks I this fridge is suspiciously quiet (you know what I mean, mum) quickly followed by OH MY GOD the fridge has broken down, I've put too much into the freezer compartment and it's given up the ghost, oh hell what am I going to do?!?!? (think of this said in one sentence with no pause for breath). Being of the philosophical school I shut the fridge door and decided to ignore it (ostriches have nothing on me). The big relief? twenty minutes later it sprung back into life. Now I just have to buy a new lightbulb (I got the wrong size earlier) and wait for my right wrist to stop hurting. Oh, haven't I told you about my right wrist?

Ok, so you may remember from here that I've moved my laptop from the desktop to two inches above the desktop (and it seems to have worked a treat). Downside is that I was typing in a really unnatural position and my right wrist (the one that sees all the action) started playing up. I compounded this by doing a body balance class which includes a lot of down dog. Now when I type I have a tupperware box under my right forearm to ensure my wrist is in the correct position and that it doesn't get any worse. If I could show a picture I would but hey...

Cookathon

I've been cooking. I love cooking but only when I have the time and I'm cooking large amounts - cooking quickly for one just doesn't cut it.

Now I know (in my head) that Christmas is nearly here but I can't get into it. It's too hot, the sun is shining too much and there isn't the shopping frenzy that I'm used to in the UK. So my cooking hasn't exactly reflected the festive season. Over the last couple of days I've cooked bolognese sauce (but don't tell my Italian friends, they'd be horrified at what I've done with the recipe), spinach and pumpkin frittata (like quiche but without the pastry base), pumpkin and tomato soup (pumpkin is my new thing) and lentil stew (not so stew-y more tomato-y). My freezer compartment is stuffed and I'm a little worried because I've got no room to make ice to go with my Christmas Bailey's. I may have to wait until everything is frozen and then juggle a little.

What will I be eating on Christmas day? Oh probably pumpkin and tomato soup followed by steak and rounded off by ice-cream. All washed down by Bailey's. Of course, if I get going on the Bailey's too early, it might just be the ice-cream - still it's only one day a year.

Kitten

It started out as a lecture on toilets. How the type of toilet changes with increased status or money until one actually reaches 'the throne'. We (who?) were in a showroom and there was a baby to be cared for. We decided not to put it in nappies but to swaddle it and allow it to wee as it wished. At some point I was told about making dresses using linen and given an old-fashioned paper pattern with no size markings for which I was very grateful. Then we decided to go for a walk (why?) and the baby turned into a kitten, a very pale ginger kitten that I could communicate with. We set off on our walk, looking for another blanket for the baby/kitten. We walked through a fayre with big old farming machines, all painted turquoise, until we came to a house. In the house I found a bed but no baby blanket - I wanted a yellow baby blanket. The kitten wanted to get down because it had wee-ed so much the swaddling smelt awful so I let him down and he ran off. I managed to catch him and had to explain why it was so dangerous for him to be out on his own. In the end I open a big deep drawer and put the kitten in there to play.

I'm not a neurotic mess, am I?

Siesta

There is something quite wonderful about being on holiday - my afternoon siesta. I've just woken up from today's and I feel goooood. I have odd dreams when I sleep in the afternoon.

On Monday I dreamt about the man: no, I'm not going into details.

On Tuesday I dreamt about school: I had a class of teenage boys who had to give me their homework. For some obscure reason they had rolled it up and put it inside some plastic bangles and I couldn't let them go home until I'd pulled apart each and every bangle and looked at each piece of homework. In the meantime, two male colleagues were waiting to use the room for another class.

Today I dreamt I was in a restaurant with a group of people who I knew well (we were friends) but who I can't identify now. One of them was a famous actor/comedian and he was telling a story. We were all in hysterics but at the same time I knew the story was originally concocted by Eddie Izzard - the actor was even using the same phrases - but it wasn't being told by Eddie Izzard. Either way I woke up with a smile on my face.

Wonder what tomorrow holds in store?

New things

Today has been a day of adventures. First I went to the body balance class - oy vey! - the bits that were aching before are aching double now and the rest of my body has joined in in sympathy. The worst part? The muscles at the front of my thighs. I had difficulty walking in a straight line on the way home from the gym (not helped by the cracked and dirty pavements).

After the gym (ignoring the home, shower, eat part) I went to the supermarket. Such a giddy round eh? BUT and it is a big BUT, I not only did my shopping but I also had it delivered! (picture of Shiralee dancing in her chair) I am sooo pleased with myself. Given that my Spanish is (still) minimal and his English is non-existent, armed only with the verb ENTREGAR written on a piece of paper and having no idea if there was a minimum spend, I fronted up to the cashier, smiled, said and showed my word and Voila! (ok two hours later) my shopping was delivered. And it was only two hours later. I used to get my shopping delivered in Cairo but they spoke English in the supermarket and everyone had everything delivered there (actually, everyone has everything delivered here, I'm just a bit slow to catch on).

Finally today I went to the dentist. Again he spoke no English and I spoke no Spanish (and I'm not 100% happy with the work but we'll see) to have my front tooth filled. It's not a cavity as such, just where the enamel has cracked and left a gap. Anyway, I have a biting surface again.

The rest of today? Maybe some cooking, maybe some sewing, maybe some reading. Choices, choices.

Achey bits

Oh I ache and how I do ache. I went to the gym this morning to do a class called bodymix. It's half an hour of body pump and half an hour of body combat (check out the mini-videos and, no, I don't move around like that - yet). Now when I was back in the UK, I used to do these classes regularly (5-6 times a week at two hours a time). However I haven't done a class since February - and am I glad it's only one hour in total. As usual I was the oldest and least fit one in the room (and there were only about eight of us). Several were obvious gym addicts (I still don't think women should have six packs) and one was about sixteen. Of course, it was the sixteen year old who gave up first, leaving half way through the class because she couldn't do any more.

I came home and had to have a siesta - well, I am on holiday.

Tomorrow it's body balance - peace, here I come.

The holiday is here

Today is the first day of my holiday. Ok, it's Saturday and I don't work on Saturdays anyway but YEA I'm on holiday. I have seven weeks of holiday, punctuated by Christmas, New Year and a visit from my beloved parents.

Today has been good: breakfast with M (a colleague who's off to New Zealand) followed by a visit to the supermarket to buy a fan (upright and oscillating). Then a trip to the gym, a long cool shower and a nap. Finishing off with another trip to the supermarket and a thunderstorm.

So, in detail... breakfast was at the new bar right next to the school. First time I've been there since it opened. M and I spent a good couple of hours chewing the fat and it was good. I like the fact that you don't get hassled here even when you've finished your food and drink.

The trip to the supermarket was a mixed bag, the fan is great although I had to assemble it myself and I'm left with a couple of bits left over (I know I should be worried but the fan works, so what the heck!) but the bread I bought was mouldy when I took it out of the wrapper. That's the problem with the heat here and their fondness for polythene wrapping.

With the heat I find my feet are swelling up so I'm trying to make sure I go to the gym regularly. Problem is, the heat is just as bad in the gym as outside. There are big fans (and I mean big) and I was lucky enough to get a treadmill right in front of one which meant I could actually do some work albeit for only 45mins. However, once I'd finished I had to walk home and let me tell you it was unbearable (although obviously I have borne it) - it was so hot that my sweat was sweating. In fact it was so hot I actually had a cold shower and I didn't bother to try to dry off, just laid down in front of the fan and fell asleep.

Another quick trip to the supermarket this evening to buy some fruit and a pizza and home just in time for the thunderstorm to start. There has been lightning pretty much all evening, but in the distance, until suddenly the wind rose, the thunder roared and the rain came down. The storm is directly overhead and, like so many storms here, it is spectacular. Sheet lightning giving us purple skies, crashing thunder vibrating through the building and steady, persistent rain - I wish I had the words to bring it all to life. And a blessed side-effect? The temperature has dropped.

Thing is I've just noticed it's 2am but it doesn't feel like it and I don't feel like sleeping - I find the energy of the storm to be very invigorating and the cold air blowing in through the windows to be refreshing. Still I should go to bed, I want to go out tomorrow.

Alright

I had a choice tonight, go to the works Christmas party and talk to (or be ignored by) the people I work with or go to see Casino Royale alone...









That Daniel Craig's a bit of alright.

Little things

It's funny how the smallest of things can trip you up. I was going along quite happily (well maybe 'not unhappy' is a better description), I'd taught my last class, marked my last composition, given my last feedback. I'd been to the gym and tomorrow I'll deal with anxious students for the last time this year.

Everything was on track, I was in the supermarket getting something for supper when I had a flashback. November last year, being in the supermarket with him, I'd forgotten to get the fresh fruit and veg weighed - he remembered; I'd bought a bottle of port for nightcaps - he opened it for me. Little things.

I had to bite the inside of my cheek very hard to stop myself from bursting into tears.

No matter how big a bastard he's been (and it was big) I still miss him.

Hot, hotter, hottest

Dear god, can it get any hotter?

I've just been to the gym (which isn't air-conditioned but has enormous fans everywhere) and I'm melting. I expect to sweat at the gym, that's part of the fun, but after just twenty minutes I wasn't sweating... I was Big Chief Running Water. I had to take my glasses off before they were washed away (good point, I couldn't see any crazy arm waving; bad point, I couldn't see any crazy arm waving) and my towel became completely drenched. I had to stop after only thirty minutes for fear of causing a flood.

I came home, had a (cold) shower and I'm sitting here in my underwear... and the sweat is still popping out of my forehead. I have a towel on my lap to catch/wipe away drops and an empty water bottle beside me (note to self, must refill [but not with bodily fluids]). So, not only am I on three showers a day but I'm changing my clothes at least twice a day, I have no idea what I'd do without Colin, he's a lifesaver.

We had another almighty thunder and lightening storm last night so, by rights, it should be cool today - not a chance. In fact it's so hot and humid that my laptop keeps turning itself off because it's overheating. It's now sitting on top of an upside down wire basket (in-tray type not shopping type) so that enough air can get to the vents.

I remember it being hot in Egypt but it was dry there. Here the temperature isn't as high but the humidity....

Round up

Hey ho, it's 8:45 on Sunday evening and I'm back to work tomorrow.

I've just been to the cinema to see The Prestige and a fine film it is. Not perfect, being a bit overlong, but a good balance of plot, character and scenery. Five main characters and a bit of a twist at the end which, if you haven't seen it, I won't spoil for you. It had Michael Caine in it, actually playing a character rather than some variation of Michael Caine. I tend to forget what a good actor he is even though he's in one of my favourite films (Sleuth 1972). The other surprise for me was Christian Bale. I didn't recognise him, didn't know him from any other film but he was impressive. He had a London-ish accent throughout the film which only seemed to slip once (but even that may have been deliberate). Hugh Jackman made up the the male cast and he has a very mobile face which he uses to good effect to show his feelings (not something you see often nowadays). The other two members of the cast were Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall, each playing to their strengths and very convincing.

And here's a surprise, I've just looked up the credits on the internet (wonderful invention) and realised that David Bowie had a minor part (Tesla). When I was watching I kept looking and thinking 'who the hell is that' but Bowie? never in a million years.

Of the three films I've watched this weekend The Prestige was definitely the best, scoring high marks for depth of acting, plot credibility and attention-keeping ability. I'd recommend it.

Long Weekend

As I think I've mentioned before this is a long weekend and rather than waste it indoors I thought I'd have myself a mini film festival. Now when I say mini film festival, I do mean mini - the days of watching three films on the trot have long gone.

So yesterday I went to see The Illusionist - interesting but not original. I liked the acting, the dialogue, the scenery but the story... ohmigod how old hat. I've been trying to think where I've seen it before and I can't place it but it must one of those sci-fi/fantasy/crime things that I so enjoy.

Today I went to see The Devil Wears Prada - again an old story but Meryl Streep is magnificant. Very much rainy Sunday afternoon, nothing better to do and don't we all love a happy ending (let's ignore the infidelity) film.

Tomorrow I plan to see The Prestige (yes, another magician film but my choices are limited, people). However, the upcoming films look sooo good. We have Borat (yea Kazakhstan), Casino Royale (I hope to be shaken and stirred), Prairie Home Companion (I've been listening to that on BBC7 for years), Stranger Than Fiction (Emma Thompson playing herself again) and one about a future where women and men are suddenly no longer able to have children until one young girl becomes pregnant - the race is on to get her to a place of safety (unfortunately I don't remember the Spanish title so I have no idea what it was called originally).

I think I'm going to be well entertained over the next couple of weeks - oh and BTW we've been having earth tremors this evening, must be a quake happening.

Update: Sunday 10th December 2006; 13:34... the name of the film is Children of Men and it stars Clive Owen.

Music

Thank god for music, nothing helps me change my mood more.

I have an external hard drive with about 40Gb of music on it, an embarrassment of riches to chose from. I have old favourites (CDs I own and love), stuff sent to me by friends and lovers, and odd & ends I've downloaded after reading about it on-line.

Choosing what to listen to is difficult when there is so much. A lot of it is love songs, the most common type of song written - such a rich vein of loss and despair - beautiful to wallow in but not appropriate to now. Now I'm feeling.. not exactly angry, more a little disappointed and cynical at how easily he gave up.

So a trawl through my music was in order to create the right kind of playlist to support this feeling, and, my, there's some really nasty stuff on that hard drive. I've rediscovered Soft Cell (remember Tainted Love? Damn! but it's good), Billy Idol (best sneer in the business) mixed in with a little Fine Young Cannibals, Cake and Linkin Park. I've added a pinch of Fats Domino and Labi Siffre and a sprinkling of other performers and I have nearly three hours of fighting music.

Bliss.

Thinking

There's a real downside to working split shifts.

No, it's not being at school at 9 o'clock morning and evening.

The problem is the time between the shifts. There's a fair amount of it (5 - 6 hours), time enough to do my washing, cook a curry, check my emails, read a book etc. Doesn't sound bad, does it?

The problem is it gives me too much time to think. I can't go to the gym because all I do there is think. And I don't want to think at the moment. Thinking leads to crying - not a good thing to do on a treadmill.

So I sit at home and try not to think.

Saturday Walk

Yesterday I thought I'd take a walk. Buenos Aires is mainly built on a grid system and many road go from one side of the city to the other. On looking at the map I realised that one of the roads perpendicular to mine goes all the way to the water front and there was green stuff near the end.

Ripe for exploration, I thought. There isn't a lot of green stuff in BsAs although there are several parks (unfortunately generally surrounded and bisected by roads - the car is king here) so any small amount is worth finding. Also I needed to get out of the flat and get to know the area a little better.

Off I went, camera in hand, past the railway tracks, through a posh area then through a less posh area. Despite the walk there was very little to photograph, BsAs is very urban and the pavements tend to be broken up and covered with dog debris. After about half an hour I reached the green stuff. Hmmmm not so much a park as a strip of grass and some trees between two roads. However, it was shady (lovely trees) and relatively quiet.


As you can see from the photo, the ground was a mixture of green and yellow - blossom from the trees which, funnily enough, you can't see from under the trees but here's a close up. While walking I saw a lot of birds including several of the local pigeons. These are a dun brown colour and apart half the size of the the usual city pigeon. I tried to take some photos of them but they blend into the background much too well for my camera.

I also saw a red crested cardinal - very vivid. Go to Alex Earnshaw's Website for a picture, it's a fair way down the page but the whole site is worth looking at.

At the end of my walk I found a children's playground with all the usual things (slide, swings etc.) a little merry-go-round and three ponies. I couldn't go as far as the water as it's part of the docks and closed to the public. However there are some interesting fountains and several posh looking restaurants.

By then, I was hot, sweaty and hungry but I didn't want a sit-down meal, I wanted tea and medialunas. Going across one block and starting the walk home, looking for a cafe I was amazed at the difference. The road I had walked down was lined with expensive, sometimes gated, tower block communities while the road I walked up was lined with older properties, some of which were actually houses. The pavements were, at times, in even worse condition and there were several cars 'in need of attention' along the way. Yet, somehow, it seemed much friendlier. People were talking on street corners, leaning out of windows and gathered at the local parrilla for lunch. On the way, I saw several cats (unusual here in the city of dogs) including these three sunning themselves.

Finally I found a cafe and buzzed for entry - that's another aspect of life here, often you have to be buzzed into cafes and shops, due to the fear of crime. When I went in I was hit immediately by the ice-cold air-conditioning which was a little frightening but at the same time a bit of a relief after the heat outside. Half an hour and a pot of tea later I was ready to go back out there.

The walk home was uneventful and I was glad to be back indoors. I realised I'd been out in the sun for too long - a buzzy headache and feeling of weakness - so an early night followed. Today I've stayed indoors listening to the radio.

It was interesting to see how much the quality of the city changed over a few blocks, from wealthy to average - none of the areas I walked through were particularly poor but there are few original buildings left. Whenever one comes up for sale it's snapped up by a property developer, torn down and a block of flats built on the land. Maybe in a few decades time Portenos will look back with regret but, for now, this is the way of things.

Next weekend - another road, another direction. BTW more photos on Flickr.

Christmas Things

Well Christmas is making a showing here.

The supermarket has Christmas decorations, Christmas food and Christmas sweets (but thankfully no Christmas presents). The hall are decked with boughs of (paper) holly and the Christmas trees are up.


In fact the corner of the next block has gone so far as to put down a red carpet and erect a twenty foot Christmas tree. And the thing is, because it's summer, the carpet won't be completely ruined by rain and snow and it'll retain its essential redness well into January.




Here's a close up of the Christmas tree - I don't know where it came from or how real it is but it does look pretty. If you look carefully, you can just see some other decorations including small Christmas trees.

It is a bit weird though, looking at Christmas trees while wandering around in t-shirts. I'm finding it difficult to come to terms with the idea and I haven't done anything about it (ie, no pressie buying)

What happened?!?

Hey, it's Friday night - where did the week go?

I've been working hard, split shifts (morning and evening) but with the afternoons off - I quite like it. Trouble is, all I've done is come home, listen to the radio and flake out... it is sooo hot here. The temperature is probably in the mid thirties but the humidity is very high so I'm sweaty all the time. I'm sleeping naked and uncovered so I'm vulnerable to the mozzies - who are having a feast.

Anyway - good news and bad news this week. Good news is that the sinusitis has almost gone (just a little blocked every now and then) and the crack in my foot has almost healed. Bad news is the filling in my front tooth has fallen out and I can't get a dentists appointment until 19th December (unless I go as an emergency - paranoia rating high, how can they fit in an emergency but not a regular visit?). We'll see how it goes.

I had an email from the man this week. I had invited him to spend New Year's Eve and Day with me and he said he couldn't. I asked why not? Sixty days later he replied. It seems he has a more exciting holiday planned.

I cried for about 20 minutes after I read the email. Thank god for work - it's taken my mind off the email completely and I've been able to process the pain. Every communication from him hurts me in some way - it's probably for the best, a little bit of the love dies each time, I become more accepting of the things that will never be and the regrets become more distant.

Anyway, to end on a positive note - I hope to visit a wildlife/nature reserve this weekend, soak up some sunshine and take some photos. Watch this space.