Winter and company

I stayed home from work today and am now feeling much better (this also after Power Jump), but will share some thoughts from yesterday afternoon when I returned home:

It’s very strange having winter in June. I made a comment the other day about how it’s just the beginning of winter and it felt like fall temperature (in New Haven. Austin fall is 85 degrees), and someone responded that June 21st, which is just around the corner, is actually the winter solstice here. I couldn’t believe it. Now that I think about it, the coldest months for us are after the winter solstice in December so I guess we haven’t reached the peak of the cold yet. It usually gets up to 62 degrees during the daytime and down to 45 at night.

Parque Tres de Febrero, Monday

A few observations about this: it actually makes me sad to have winter coming without Christmas. Now I realize how everyone in Narnia must have felt. This also means that the holidays that do occur around this time are huge deals and explains the apparent fanaticism—beyond just retail—about Dia Del Padre coming up, also on June 21st. Thinking of you, Dad. Argentine independence day is July 9th, and the tradition is for vendors in the Centro to sell hot chocolate and churros while everyone comes out and celebrates and the president is forced to attend a mass in which the Father lambasts her administration in the sermon. I am very excited about this and plan to attend.

I also realized that I’m spoiled by New England fall because I’m sad that the leaves here are falling without turning orange and red.

Elena and Nico in the park

Everyone is feeling a little engripeado. I’m referring to the people on our trip and the city in general, who is rushing the emergency rooms in fear of Gripe A because they have free healthcare (of which they are very proud, but also which Elena explains is very misleading because many people don't realize that they don't qualify for goverment health coverage).

I went to the pharmacy for the first time today to get Vitamin C and in hopes of Vick’s Vapo-Rub. They actually have Vick’s (or “Vick,” as the pharmacist called it) here in Buenos Aires, but the pharmacy was sold out, and they were selling Vitamin C supplements for $25 USD. I thought this was a little much so I went to the pharmacy next door and bought Vitamin C for 25 pesos. Sometimes Buenos Aires is strangely predictable. I realized after I had popped the first pill that they were not chewable as I had assumed, but rather “efervescente” or intended for combination with water a la Alka-Seltzer. I chugged water as Vitamin C and baking soda exploded in my mouth. I am now burping a lot and listening to the “December” George Winston album that we always play in the house at Christmastime to get me a little more in the winter mood.