Belgrano

Yesterday morning, though it felt more like midday for my CET-routines, I arrived in Buenos Aires Zeizera.

Leaving the international airport for the city centre was more difficult than expected, as I was reluctant to spend more money than necessary, and so I ended up asking people to share a cab. Also more difficult than expected, since the arrivals and departures share a waiting hall. I ended up talking for ages with an Argentinian musician who was going to travel to Italy, where he would join a Crouse Ship as a musician within its entertainment programme. Another acquaintance, a young German doctor who had just finished med school, reminded me of my brother - happy to treat oneself to a trip after years of structured studying, while also eager to start getting his hands on... people? sounds wrong, but well, the professional medical way XD
I ended up asking two girls who looked comparably lost to how I felt, and implicitly invited myself to join their cab, since they had a free spot and were curious to connect. We talked during the trip, in a weird mixture of English, Spanish, and Italian (they were from Bologna), though as we all were tired, our conversation might not have been the most inspiring - a weird pressure to be under, wanting to have a meaningful conversation while also adjusting to the energy in the room/car, and just sharing a nice car ride can also be fine..

We crawled out from the tiny car stuffed with stuff and people (making seatbelts not unnecessary but impossible) at the girls' address. With just a kind question to prolong the ride (though ofc with payment in cash/"efecto"), the driver then stored my suitcase again, and we left for my quarter - he refused payment though, saying I should take it as a warm welcome to Buenos Aires. We continued talking, and the driver, Pablo, shared some thoughts with me, on Milei, who to him seemed more like a ridicule, and the failure of socialist politics. He warned me to never enter two quarters - whose names I unfortunately forgot in the instance, and I sincerely hope the will be written in a sign to remind me when I enter accidentally.

After Pablo had dropped me and my luggage off, I went to search for my AirBnb in "Barrio Chino", the Chinese quarter of Buenos Aires. Early as it was, few people were out and I would be surprised later to realise how touristy this quarter could actually become. None of this was to be perceived in the calm enclave I entered in Paula's flat. My host is a lady of maybe 30 years, and a truly kind soul. The first thing she did was to introduce me to her "mascotas", the cat Tango and her dog Oliver. She's got her priorities right I'd say!
My priority: cats above all, except for checking for bed bugs - which luckily, do not seem to bully us here... *Knocking on wood it stays that way* Do cats eat bed bugs?

Afterwards as I entered the room that I share with two girls, I was introduced to who would be the comfort of my day. Mafer from Venezuela, most extravert and with such a clear Spanish that even my unpracticed and little-rested ear will find it smooth to listen to her. With another Venezuelan guest, Marguerito, we spend the midday talking, about whatever ranging from Buenos Aires to movies to their families in Venezuela who struggle under the current political and economic insecurity. My political science soul started reflecting on their stories, thinking back to my conflicts course at uni, where we discussed the distinctions between and discourses on migrants, refugees, working migrants, expats. But most importantly, they were the kindest people and the best first amd friendly encounter with roomies. Marguerito prepared Venezuelan food for me (picture attached, it was such a warm comfort food!) and it was lovely to enter this friendly mood so comfortably as if I had not just arrived on the other side of the globe.

After cuddling the cat, who turned out to be a (not surprisingly, but typically) arrogant being with the most fluffy hair and a high pitch of meowing, I waited for quite some while as Marguerito slept for a solid siesta - no, not a lunch break, a siesta! I can't sleep during the day and I'm trying to be culturally sensitive but it still does not make sense to me... He had kindly offered to accompany me to my first money exchange trip. It felt sketchy, walking with euros in my pocket to go exchange them in a semi-legal loophole office for Pesos. Thousand of pesos. Such an imbalance of value, how one Euro can buy more than a thousand Pesos.

Discussing this, we entered an intriguing terrain of topics, as Marguerito explained how the recent policy of economic stabilisation made him approve of Milei. In the afternoon, when we went for another long walk to explore the quarter, I also raised topics of Milei's pushback against gender equality within the context of feminist emancipation. I understood that given the failure of more socialist policies, any strong economic hand that is not (or does not seem!) top-down in allocating wealth, but rather re-introduces meritocracy, seems more reliable than the hundreds of percent inflation Argentina has seen previously. A deep frustration shone through towards Politicians in Latin America as a whole. I am curious to learn more, to understand how the perception of a political class may be, similar to my studies on Western countries, filled with frustration though for different reasons. Or, if we think of how various political forced have mobilised in Germany, too, around rising costs of living, maybe the point of inflation and economic motives are actually not that different?

The day ended with some dog-cuddling, an appropriate kick of oxytocin to let me fall asleep in the upper half of the bunk bed - best choices were left over voluntarily, unbelievably :)Weiterlesen