Chance encounters and interesting finds...

Like I said below, Buenos Aires is an amazing city, full of surprises. So much happened yesterday that I would need 3 or 4 blogs to tell it all, but I’m going to try and squeeze it into one, otherwise I might bore you all with details relevant only to myself.

I’ve been serenaded a few times in my life, and "La vie en rose" will always bring a specific memory about a rainy night in France to my mind, but yesterday was completely unexpected.

I was walking around as usual, going to the Japanese Gardens to meet some friends, it was a lovely day, and I stopped at a bench to appreciate the day (and write an sms!) when this old man stopped and started to talk to me. Porteno born and bread, he must’ve been at least 70, and he told me that people should do what they like best: “if they like to write, they should write. If they like to dance, they should dance. If they like to paint, they should paint. I like to sing…" and he left the phrase for me to complete, which I obediently did. "...then you should sing." So he said if I'd let him, he'd sing me a song, to which I gladly acquiesced. So right there and then he broke into song, with a full voice, singing a bolero dedicated to me on the spot. He wasn’t a dirty old man at all, he just wanted to share his gift of song, and he said he couldn't stop himself for singing to a "beautiful young lady like you." (His words, not mine...)

Before we parted, he sang me another one, this time by an Uruguayan composer, and had I not been going to meet my friends, I’m sure he would have sang me many more. He walked away happy for having someone to sing to. I walked away happy for having been sang to. It may be that we never meet again, but it was worth it and will be a moment I will always remember.

The day continued with a couple of other chance encounters that put even more smiles upon my face, but I will spare you those and fast forward to the evening…

I went to my friend’s place because we were going to walk to this live tango music place… and a block away from her house, somebody had put a really good (almost new!) bamboo framed couch on the street. There were 3 of us, all girls, all nicely dressed (one even in heels!) and we were 14 blocks away from my house. But we all looked at each other and just knew what we had to do. So I spent the next half hour carrying a couch through the streets of Buenos Aires, having people (even a policeman!) smile and offer to help. I now have a comfy couch in my living room (I’m debating taking it up to my room… we’ll see…)

It's been a while...

...since I wrote here. And as it usually happens in my life, it has turned upside down and inside out in a matter of days. And once again, new beginnings, new terms, new life!

I must admit I was a bit scared about this one. It happened so unexpectedly! But somehow it ended up happening naturally, can't even explain how.

The point is, the last 3 months have been amazing, challenging, hard, wonderful, exciting, and a whole lot of other things. In a sense, I have been pushed to the max, and I'm proud to say I didn't break. I picked myself up, shook the dust, stood on my own two feet and managed to build a pretty good life!

So now that a new adventure has started, and I'm back under the southern skies, with the beautiful south cross to lead the way, I feel like I should start writing here again. :)

For those of you who don't know this yet, I am living in Buenos Aires, Argentina.



This city is so amazing, it's almost impossible to describe how I feel about it. There is SO much to discover, so many things that bring a feeling of awe and excitement, so much life, so much... joy. Yes, I think that's the word. We don't use that word nearly enough, but joy is a wonderful feeling that just invades you and brings a smile to your lips that you just can't control. I have discovered myself smiling happily on the streets while just walking, for no other reason than the fact I'm walking down a street in Buenos Aires, or that I see a building that makes me think of Paris, or that I'm going to my favorite coffee place, or that I'm meeting a friend... And invariably, I take different routes to go places, and discover a new little gem of a place, a little hidden piece of heaven with a delicious ginger lemonade, or a mouth-watering factura de dulce de leche (hmmm... hard to explain... something sweet and delicious!)

I don't know how long I will be here for. I'm planning on staying until December, but the wind might pick up again and take me on a different adventure before then... or I might fall in love even more with this city and decide I can't leave just yet.

To all my dear and old friends... I miss you as always. To all my new friends, I'm thankful you're in my life. You have truly made a difference in these last 3 months, and I can't imagine life here without you. So thank you.