¡Domingo fantástico!

Hola gente linda,

I had a fantastic Sunday! =) 

 (I thought this picture was funny, because I have no idea what it's advertising or why "try me," which seems like a threat, would be appropriate! lol)

I hadn't made any plans for the day, and in the morning I spent a long time debating whether I should just stay home and do the montón (tons) of reading I have to do for class or go somewhere in the city. Going somewhere would require finding something cheap or free and then figuring out the transportation (which can be complicated). I thought about going to la MALBA, a famous art museum, but it's free for students on Wednesdays, and I have Wednesdays off! So I'm definitely going to save it for then. After the frustration of not finding anything for a while, I was on the verge of staying home. I forced myself to keep looking, though, because I know it will be a hard week in school, so I should do everything I can to take full advantage of my Sunday. It occurred to me, finally, to go to Chinatown! =)

Getting there and back was simpler than I'd thought it would be. And near the bus stop was a nice feria (craft fair/flea market)! I'd forgotten until running into them, but there are ferias throughout the whole city on Sundays!

I love Chinatown!!! I ate spicy chicken on a stick (one of my favorite foods of this trip!), explored the stores, and went to an art gallery. The place was very crowded, and there were a lot of Argentine, Chinese and American people there (I know they were American because I heard a lot of them speaking American-style English!). There were delicious foods and cheap trinkets all around! And instead of security cameras, most stores had a man sitting up high on a display case to watch the customers. Besides the chicken, I bought some dumplings for lunches during the week, a headband with a flower on it, and a pretty scarf, all for very cheap! =)

The art gallery in Chinatown was great. There were lots of photos themed around migration and immigration. My favorite piece was a bluish lava-lamp with little people in it. The people move, as if walking, in different directions depending on your gaze. The piece is called "Migración," Migration. It made me think about how the process of migration/immigration is continuous, because you keep returning to old places and cultures in your mind, or keep gradually moving towards new ones. Surrounding "Micración" were black-and-white photos reflecting blue light and white origami boats. It was pretty!

Another piece I really liked was a photo of a ship with an axe in it. On the wall there was a translation of a Chinese proverb that goes something like: "When you move to a new country, you should destroy the ship that carried you." That was a scary thought! I don't like the thought of staying anywhere forever. I guess the impact it had on me was in the shock... I also wondered about the rationale: "be completely present?" At any rate, I won't be destroying any ship!

After exploring Chinatown for a few hours, I started heading back. Through the window on the bus, though, I saw a Spanish art museum, and decided to check it out. It was only 1 peso to get in, and the museum was so amazing! Most of the art was from the 1500's. There were lots of beautiful, religious-themed wooden sculptures — my favorites were of Jesus's corpse and his mourners (there were a lot with that theme). In one room there was a wall-sized painting of different scenes in Jesus's life, and some of the robes, halos, and backgrounds were plated with gold. There was also a great portrait of a nobleman sitting on a hill with his umbrella, and a colorful, windy city in the background. It was the most beautiful commissioned portrait I've ever seen!

The museum had a beautiful garden, too! That I did take pictures of. I will have to go back sometime and spend a day there.

Yesterday I hung out with my friend Raluca. We went to a book fair, the Biblioteca Nacional (the National Library), and a huge supermarket called Jumbo. They were all slight disappointments! It was a good time, though, because we walked for miles together and talked the whole time. We also got some delicious pastries to eat at a shop. I bought a tart with fruit on it and she a piece of bread. We also got some chocolate cakes with cherries on top as muestras (samples). I could hardly believe they were samples. I would value each one at $5! lol. Anyway, it was great! =) At the library we looked at newspapers from the 1930's. I love seeing how everyone's styles and concerns have changed. I'll be going back to the library later because September is its centenario (hundredth anniversary), and there will be lots of cool events there.

Now I'm going to get to my homework!

Chao chao!
Kaeli