Leisurely pursuits

I decided to try medialunas saltadas today.  These are unsweetened medialunas-- they're a little less doughy and a little smaller.  I still prefer the sweet ones, but a girl has to try every baked good under the sun, right? 

After medialunas saltadas and cafe con leche at breakfast spot #3, A Gato (don't ask me what it means), I wandered my neighborhood in search of international calling cards.  Every block has one or two sidewalk kioscos and several storefront kioscos.  You can buy candy, cold drinks, cigarettes and magazines from these kind of places.  You are also supposed to be able to buy international calling cards and cell phone minutes.  I think with the advent of Skype and cell phone services that let you recharge on-line, the cards are less popular and not easily purchased.  In the past, I've had to go to 5 or 6 kioscos before finding either item.  Today I lucked out and found an international calling card on my second try.  The lady behind the counter was eager to practice English with me.  For the first time, I was kind of flummoxed-- I struggled to converse in my native language.  This is NOT because my Castellano is so good.  It's not.  I think it's because my ear isn't tuned into English anymore.  I don't expect to hear it, so I somehow can't understand it without rubbing my eyes, blinking rapidly and explaining that my confusion is not because I'm Brazilian but rather because I'm kind of in between worlds right now.

Today was made for wandering.  The temperature must be in the low to mid 70s without a hint of humidity.  The morning was cloudy but the sun came out this afternoon.  I couldn't justify sitting inside, so I wandered around my neighborhood.  I checked out the Disco supermarket for the first time-- VERY fancy.  I didn't really need any groceries, but I picked up a few things and oogled the neat, clean aisles of food.  I window shopped which is something Kate taught me to do.  I even sat in the sun on the stoops of a couple of fancy buildings until security guards gave me the evil eye and I ambled off to the next distraction.

I sat in a cafe and on my balcony reading a book on my e-reader.  (I am not about to make this an advertisement for my particular brand of electronic book device thingy, so I won't mention it by name.)  I panicked a little when I decided to travel in Argentina because the thought of packing enough reading for even two weeks seemed too daunting.  I checked on a couple of websites-- the availability of English-language books is limited in Buenos Aires and almost non-existent outside the city.  So, I asked Santa Claus for an e-reader with wi-fi capability.  Friends and family and co-workers flooded me with gift certificates to download books.  It took a while to get used to.  Some of the delights of reading a paper book are missing.  The slightly guilty pleasure of dog-earing a page to mark a spot is gone.  There isn't an easy way to refer back and forth between the current page and a favorite passage.  The tactile sensations are completely different.  And I honestly believe my memory of reading is different with an e-reader than with a paper book.

Having said all of this, I would be miserable without my slim little piece of electronic literary heaven.  It took me a while before I felt comfortable taking it out in a public place.  First of all, it almost immediately identifies me as foreign.  Argentines don't seem to have taken to e-readers like Americans have.  There's also the security issue which is ever-present in Buenos Aires.  I heard a foreigner complain that he had his cell phone stolen through a bus window while he was sitting on a moving bus and talking on it!!!  A kid on a bike rode up and just snatched it out of his hands.  Pick pocketing and petty theft are pressing issues in all neighborhoods during all hours of the day and night.  I thought this e-reader would make me a target, so I avoided using it at first.  After a few trials, I've managed to both feel less self conscious about it and be less obvious about reading it.  I can hold it in my lap or on my bag and it is not visible to a passerby.  Or I can read completely unselfconsciously on my balcony, chasing the sun from one end to the next.

[No.  I don't have leprosy.... yet.  Those are tan lines from my sandals.]

[The last half hour-- 5:30 pm]

So, what have I been reading?
The Madonnas of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse
The Surrendered by Chang Rae Lee
At Home by Bill Bryson
The Lovers by Vendela Vida
By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham (in progress)

Any suggestions or recommendations?

[What a beautiful evening....]