Unza Unza Time!

It is 6:35 (PM!) and I have just eaten a bowl of porridge, as my breakfast, it was the only food I had that didn't involve me leaving the house. Sundays in Buenos Aires are tranquilo, when you get to actually see them...they are also quite tranquilo spent asleep or in comparison to Saturday nights spent at a fiesta balcánica.

I had never realised before I went couchsurfing in Portugal that Balkan music is a worldwide "alternative" phenomenon and that it is mainly due to a certain Emir Kusturica and the scores from his films, arranged by Goran Bregović. I was aware of the name but am still yet to watch any of his films, guess I found another route into Balkan music....Yet, here, as in Portugal when I went to see the Boban Marković Orchestra or when I spent time on Joanna's floor in Braga, when discussing Balkan music, Kusturica just can't keep himself quiet! (I used to imagine it would be spelt Costa Rica and still would quite like it to be but alas...) Last night was testament to the mans influence on Balkan music around the world. We are 7255.70 Miles from Sarajevo (http://www.mapcrow.info/) but every month a group of enthusiasts throw a wild party, here in Buenos Aires, to celebrate the equally wild music from the Balkans. It goes a little something like this: un-za, un-za, un-za, un-za, yabilldabillydobblydab. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpO93jR4kL4

We experienced our first Fiesta Bubamara last night. Though it included an unprecedented trip to the city of La Plata (capital of provincial Buenos Aires and 40 minutes in combi), leaving at 11pm and not returning till 9am, valío la pena! (well worth it!) Thus today has been a write off. It was fantastic and I had a ball! The atmosphere was incredible, for nigh on 6 hours the crowd raced, bumped, crashed, spilt and pogoed to equally racey, bumpy, crashing music from Kusturica, Boban Marcovic, Balkan Beat Box and co. Have to admit I feel a little bruised and battered after getting rather involved in the swirling mess of people. Lots of big circles and swinging legs, smiling faces and just a healthy atmousphere to lose yourself in! I have no photos and if I did I think they would mainly involve shapes and colours. Instead here is a photo of a cool machine which drags rubbish out of lakes. Enjoy.

Machine dragging rubbish from the lake in the Bosque de Palermo.

Away from the Buenos Aires branch of the Serbian cultural appreciation group, they tell me Spring is around the corner. About five people this past week informed me that there is some kind of weather phenomenon that comes from the north before the 30th of August, bringing a few days of humidity and rain signaling the end of winter. I can deal with that. So September has crept up, the month I would normally associate with the beginning of the end of summer and with going back to school/college/uni. Instead it signals brighter times ahead! Opposite to those poor Northern Hemispherians (sorry :( )
To celebrate this newly arrived Spring I have spent a few days in the Bosques de Palermo (a big, French inspired, complex of parks, lakes and pathways) They are rammed on the weekends with people on various wheel supported devices and with groups of Maté sipping young-uns, families, couples and the occasional collection of multi-national inter-cambiones such as ourselves. (for example, last night we had representatives from the UK, France, Finland, Poland, Mexico and Columbia.) You cannot go to the park without maté, I have a maté and am a converted matéista. but more on that later.Unfortunately I foolishly smashed my thermo and need to buy another. :( I just got back from watching The Royal Tenenbaums directed by Wes Anderson, really excellent, funny and very odd (in a really delightful way), I enjoyed it a lot.Oh and I just read about Kusturica's latest film, it is about Maradona, an Argentine national hero!

Maté, Thermo and Yerba!