More kindness, sweet relief, treasures from home

I don’t know why I continue to be surprised at the kindness Argentines show each other in daily life. I should really just get over it, but every time I see one of these acts of generosity or even just common courtesy, I fall in love with this country all over again. I think part of my fascination with this kind behavior has to do with coming from the States, where life is lived at a much faster and impersonal pace and it seems that kindness is often sacrificed to the greater gods of haste and efficiency. Also, I think that the juxtaposition of kindness with the sheer amount of people that live in Buenos Aires is impressive; you’d think that with so many people living so close together in such awful humidity, things would be tenser. I’m not naïve—clearly everything isn’t love and puppies and rainbows—but the little things I catch every so often really make an impression.

For example, yesterday I went to pay a late bill (I hear you gasping, Mom) all the way up in Belgrano. Sticky hot day, long sweaty bus ride, get to the office, take a number. Long line, per the usual. But as I’m standing in line, I see things happening. An older woman approaches the tiny seating area, and a young man gets up and offers his seat. A man trades numbers with a woman carrying a baby, so she can get her bill paid faster. And someone in the front of the line decides he’s had enough of waiting and gives up, passing his lower number to another person on his way out. This happens three times, and each time someone is the recipient of a lower number, they pass their number to someone behind them. Little things, people. I’m telling you. It makes my day!

In other news, I followed the advice of fellow blogger Elizabeth over at La Vida Desconocida (how awesome is that blog name?! I thought for hoooouuuursss trying to come up with one, and hers is just brilliant!) But anyway. Meet the newest member of my household:

 

Pesticide, beautiful pesticide. I don’t know how it does it, but this little thing kept the mosquitoes off me last night, and for that, I owe it my sanity. No more MMM, no more sleeping on the futon because the evil ‘quitos have taken over my room, no more sweating to death under my comforter because any exposed skin will be immediately devoured. SWEET RELIEF!

And in other little updates, I spoke to my aunt and uncle in Horsham, England today via the magic of Skype, which was lovely. It makes me happy when people I care about talk to me! If only I could get my Grandma online…unfortunately I think she’s well and truly stuck in the Stone Age. Oh well. Incentive for me to actually send out those postcards I’ve been promising people for four months now.  I also made a batch of ranch dressing using the dry mix Steph brought down for me among this mighty arsenal of fattening American food products:

It doesn’t quite taste the same as the stuff in the bottle, but it’s damn close and I can only imagine how good it’s going to taste on leftover fugazetta pizza crusts…droooool.

This little box of lovely I am saving for Thanksgiving day, or rather Thanksgiving night, because there’s no chance I’m risking anyone asking for a bite, which means I’ll have to make it under the cover of darkness then eat it all in one go so as to remove all evidence (also, please ignore the Chivas Regal, it’s not mine I swear...)

And the Nutella? Well, let’s just say the pictures were too obscene to post. I mean, I’ve had the jar a week, and I’m already hitting bottom. I have yet to spread any on a piece of toast either. It’s all about the spoon, baby. Don’t judge me too harshly. :-)