Word of the Day: Quilombo

"Quilombo," n, African origin, def. :bordello, used vulgarly in Argentina and other South American countries to describe a big, fat mess. Also the word my housemate Vicky uttered about 15 times this morning as she sat glued to the tv screen, smoking a cigarette in her bathrobe.
Our house is a block away from the municipality and the provincial courts, so at least once a week you´re bound to see groups of people protesting with drums, banners, explosions that sound like shotguns in your ear, and, on one occasion (an ambulance driver's strike) the wafting melodies of a dozen dischordant sirens going off at the same time. So, when I came back from an early English class this morning around 9:30, I didn´t think much about the group of about 100 people gathered in front of my door, this time protesting today's legislative vote to drastically cut retirement benefits throughout the province of Córdoba (I briefly considered going out to the balcony and pulling an Evita. Then I reconsidered.) However, as Vicky and I watched the news throughout the morning, I realized this protest was much bigger than average... the little group on our street met up with tons of other little groups to form (according to the news) 4 "fronts" of 10,000 protesters, all moving towards the legislative building where the vote was taking place. By around 12:30, things were really messy. The tv showed police in guard uniforms with the big shields and everything, detaining and shooting rubber bullets at groups of mainly young men throwing stones, smoke bombs, even burning a tree in the main plaza of Córdoba. According to Vicky, these "quilomberos" most likely don´t even care about the cause, but are hired by the union leaders to cause trouble... they even cover their faces so that anybody watching tv won't realize that it's the same guys that two weeks ago, for example, were protesting something completely different.
Around 1:30 I headed to the terminal to try to find a bus to Hogwarts, and it was crazy!! GHOST TOWN! So many streets blocked off, those dramatic-looking squadrons of police officers standing with their shields all around. As I got on the bus, I felt guilty for this vague sensation of, "Aw man, I´m going to miss all the fun." But at least I´m not the only one: I overheard a guy describing the action on his cellphone with a huge grin on his face, and Vicky gleefully confessed, "I love quilombo." After all, what is a protest if not a spectacle? I guess the question is if all the lights and explosions will actually make a difference. Stay tuned.

Hot dogs, etc.

Whoops! Haven't written in a while! So, here's the newest dish in the life of the Abmeister....
1. Still teachin English. All you patriots out there will be glad to know that we had not one, not two, but THREE 4th of July celebrations here at Hogwarts, complete with my off-key, eleven-year-old-boy-giggle-inducing rendition of America the Beautiful and hot dogs, of course (on the left are some photos).
2. I just can´t get enough of Chile! Early June I went to visit my Zapallar Chicagoan pal Bekah (here pictured eating a papapleto, a delicious french fry guacamole hot dog creation) in Viña del Mar. We went into Valparaiso, the Coolest City on the Planet... but we also spent a LOT of time in Bekah's wonderful cloudlike bed watching CABLE! It was awesome.
3. The biggest news is that, for almost two wonderful weeks, I got to see my MOM AND SISTER! Yep, Debby and Lize spent the second half of their independence day on a plane to Buenos Aires, where I met them early the morning of the 5th. We did it up, a little Buenos Aires sightseeing , lots of beauty treatments, , a visit to the north to see the puny Iguazú Falls, and wonderful visits to Mendoza and Córdoba where mom and lize got to meet a few of the characters I have come into contact with in my time here in Argentina. It was all I could have hoped for: hugs, chatting, early morning bickering, and the chance to show my family my life down here.
4. Speaking of that, things are going well in my new house (knock on wood). Right before Mom and Lize arrived we had a "Fiesta Dark" to bid farewell to very slightly goth German housemate Yvonne. (Here's the girls preparing SANGRE-IA... get it? totally my idea!)
CHAU!