Babes, knockers and yarn in Colonia
I realize that probably every expat in Argentina has written about going to Colonia, so this post might be a bit boring for people who read those blogs. So I’ll write about it, but talk about random things that I enjoyed.
So, what is there in Colonia: knitted sweater sales on every corner, a hot man, and ballin’ architecture.
I don’t know if knitting has a bigger presence in Colonia or the Seven Sister schools, but I bet it’s close. I found at least 3 shops and one stand selling hand made knitted sweaters. Why is this at all exciting or interesting? It isn’t really, but I bought a sweater and a scarf from the most adorable little old lady.
I also saw the hottest man on the planet. He was and here’s proof:
We had about 3 hours to kill before heading off to the ferry (we had been at the project director’s hostel) so we hung out by the water. And then we saw HotMan fishing. First, we noticed his lovely green swim trunks. Then we began discussing whether he was attractive or not (we couldn’t tell, he was too far away) until one of my friends took a picture and we zoomed in. All in all, I spent about 2 hours of my life straight out staring at the hottest man on the planet. I guess that makes me a creepster, but it doesn’t bother me.
The architecture is pretty awesome, too. A gate and a door knocker really grabbed my attention:
So that’s my Colonia experience. I didn’t really do much more than buy sweaters, oogle men and take artsy photos, but I had a fantastic time.
Lists inspired by Sei Shonagon I
So I feel a bit like bootlegging Sei Shonagon today by creating lists. Enjoy!
Things that make me feel relaxed and satisfied:
-The way people say “dale” with a long “a”
-Free ginger lemonade from Natural Deli
Things that make me feel nervously excited:
-Finding kittens in unusual places
-Waiting for a friend to arrive and he or she is a few minutes late
-Movie previews
Things that make me feel mildly regretful:
-The thought of sleeping in my bed as I’m heading out to a club
-Not getting a MovieStar card on the Dia de la Recarga
Mild annoyances that ruin certain moments:
-Getting on a packed bus when there’s another, nearly empty one behind, then watching as that bus passes mine
-Waiting in line at the bank to break $100 while everyone ahead of me is performing long, complicated transactions
- Trying to catch the 130 bus- running and just missing it
Things that cause a brief moment of panic:
-When I hide credit cards/money, can’t find them, and think they’ve been stolen
-Hearing a noise that could be my host mom while washing my clothes in the sink (something I’m not supposed to do)
-Someone walking behind me on a nearly empty street, but it turns out to be a woman
Palermo Tuesday
So now that USAL classes are over, my Tuesdays are as open as my relationship with my wife (Arrested Development, I miss you!). So I’ve decided to spend them in a new and exciting neighborhood. This week, I chose Palermo, basically because my host mom laughed at me when I said I didn’t know where Plaza Serrano was and because I wanted to shop.
Destination: Plaza Serrano (Serrano and Honduras)
Mode of Transportation: 110 Bus
I walked down Honduras towards Serrano. Basically the starting price for any item of clothing at any of the stores is $300 pesos. I stopped in La Merceria (Armenia and Honduras) because I had only ever seen it at night, when it was closed. It. Was. Amazing. The clothes are cute, the bags are gaudy and expensive, but the accessories are incredible. Anyone remember the movie Brick? A film noir set in a high school? In the last scene, Laura is wearing this feather hair clip:
And I bought one exactly like it. Now, I realize a hair clip is not worth talking about for 1/3 of my post, but I have been looking for one for a very long time. I ended up buying that and a headband for 88 pesos. And that was on a 20% off sale! You all should go there anyway, because it is really beautiful.
I headed down Honduras until I reached Plaza Serrano, then walked up Borges where I found another amazing store: Palito Bombon Vestite (Borges 1710). Like many of the stores in Palermo, it seemed to be a sort of cooperative, with clothing from many different designers. A lot of the clothing looks very retro or has interesting prints (starfish, koi).
It was broiling outside, so I decided to find a cafe. Finis Terra Bar de Arte (Honduras 5200) mysteriously dragged me in. I ordered a peach shake and a medialuna, neither of which was very good. However, the atmosphere is gorgeous. The walls of one room are painted with a jungle scene. Sunlight filters through from all the open windows. It is very relaxed, but still beautiful.
I walked around for a bit more and then went home.
Next week’s adventure: Caballito?
The Best Bank Ad EVER
This is a real ad for a bank- the Banco Hipotecario. Good thing I don’t live here, because if I did, I would give them all my money.
