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15 August 2010

Buenos Aires

As I approach my one year anniversary here in Argentina, I have entered a moment of reflection.  How much longer will I stay?  I don't anticipate staying indefinitely.  So what do I want the rest of my time here to be about?  My dream was to live in another country for a couple of years or so, to have some time to really start to know another city, country, culture, language.  To have a season in another place and know a life there!  I want to be sure that I'm making the most out of this opportunity that I have given myself, and so I've been examining lately what it would take for me to feel satisfied after my time here.

So I have decided to embark on a project that was presented to me when I first arrived.  I wasn't ready to take it one then, for a number of reasons, but I believe that I am now. 

  Portrait of Aida in her workshop in the back of Casa Chorizo, where we are living, on Venezuela Street

A bit of background first.  The house I'm living in with Ezequiel was given to his father by three sisters after they passed away.  Ezequiel's father developed a relationship with these women over 30 years, much as if he were a son, and after all this time, they left their house to him.  One of the sisters was an artist named Aida Carballo. 

Aida also left Ezequiel's father all of her art works.  This included around 300 drawings, engravings and paintings.  It turns out that Aida was a very accomplished and talented artist who had received recognition at various points in her career, even receiving prestigious prizes for her engravings here in Argentina.  Ezequiel's father has since found an entity to spearhead efforts to organize an exhibit of Aida's work around Argentina.  The exhibit has show in various locations already with great success.  Her full collection is managed her in Buenos Aires by a Brasilian woman.

     Self Portrait with Text, by Aida Carballo

However, Aida died forgotten and in poverty.  She was interned in mental institutions several times throughout her life and her story is one of both beauty and great struggle.  In many ways, her story represents very vividly the culture of Buenos Aires and represents a metaphor for the story of the city's people. It's a fascinating story that I want to study because I feel that it will help me to understand this place and its people.  Also, there is very little information available about Aida in english.  So I've decided I would like to begin a project about her life and her art.  I have no idea what will come out of it! 

   Piece from the series "Las Munecas" (Dolls), by Aida Carballo

I would like to know her story so that I can somehow share it with a wider audience.  To share her beautiful art with the world, and also to build cultural bridges between Buenos Aires, which is becoming a very popular destination, and the world.  The more interconnected the world becomes, the more essential it becomes for us to understand something about one another from a cultural perspective and not just a market or even turistic perspective.  And for me, I always understand cultural and historical aspects of a country better when I'm learning them through someone's personal story.

So I've decided to become a student again!  If I want to do a project about Aida, I first need to renew my studies of art history, and especially the history of art in Argentina and South America, as well as the history in general of Argentina.

Argentina is an excellent place in general to take classes, because education here is so available financially.  I began a class last week with a woman who is extremely well educated and accomplished.  During the class I I met a woman who's been taking different classes under this woman's tuteledge for 20 years!  And another guy told me he's been studying with her for 5 years.  I will take a class of hers once a week.  For this I paid $160 pesos to enroll and will pay $100 per month.  Right now this is roughly $40 USD to enroll, plus $25 USD per month! 

I am also hoping to take an Argentine history class at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) beginning this week.  This will either be free, or perhaps about the same as the other.  If I were to enroll in the UBA full time as a student, it is a public university and would cost a small initial fee and nothing else for a full course of studies for a 4 year undergraduate degree.  (Post graduate degrees are not free but cost a fraction of what is standard in the US).  It is this way with all public universities here in Argentina!  Coming from the States, this just blows my mind.  Free education for everyone, even including foreigners!

So, it begins.

Argentine Pet Peevs Vol I

1 August, 2010
Buenos Aires, Argentina

After just about a year living in the city, and even travelling around the country a bit, I can say with confidence that I do like it here, and that I'm glad I came.  At this point too, it has started to become more clear to me the things that I can learn from the Argentines and their culture.  I'm really happy to be in a place that I feel is acting as a catalyst for growth, and that has so much to offer in terms of providing a context and tools for personal development; both creatively and in general.

However.  There are some things that really irk me about this place as well!   

Every morning I ride the bus to work.  The buses here are called "colectivos" and are a fascinating part of Argentine culture.  They deserve their own entry, and I will surely get to that at some point soon!

So I ride the bus, either the 128 or the 160, to work every morning.  It takes me between 30 and 45 minutes.  During this ride I have started to notice with increasing disdain, a practice that I do not agree with.

A lot of Argentines like to wash their sidewalks. 

Every morning you can see the sections of sidewalk being washed with copious amounts of water by the cleaning people who service private residences, those that serve apartment buildings, and also shop owners cleaning in front of their shops.

On the one hand, I understand this desire, as many Argentines do not clean up after their dogs and what conscientious shop owner would want their clients risking some "good luck" under their step when they're just trying to come into the shop for a coffee from a cafe, or some vegetables from a supermercado?

On the other hand, I've seen many a sidewalk washed every single morning, for no other purpose that I can see, than to stand there with hose in hand, sending the tiniest leaves imaginable into the gutter.  Those leaves represent no potential to harm to anyone.  This bothers me almost as much as the use of leaf blowers in the states!  (damnit, get that nature off of my concrete sidewalks!).

Listen, sidewalks are sidewalks.  I understand the desire to keep up appearances, I really do.  But pick up a broom or try some spot cleaning when necessary!  There is absolutely no need for anyone to clean their sidewalk everyday, wasting gallons of water in the act.  This is a developing country that is fortunate enough to have access to clean, drinkable water.  This privilege should not be taken lightly!  There are so many countries with millions of people who are suffering and whose lives hang in the balance because of lack of access to drinkable water, and every single morning I see it being wasted here, thoughtlessly.  It's starting to make me a little crazy.