There Are Still 90 Minutes Left But it Could Be the End of the World If It All Goes Wrong

Chicas with hope and tickets for Sunday 

By the time you read this it may already be over. This is a country that is high on emotion – look at an interview of Evita Peron and the people listening to her or watch Maradona in one of his TV shows. For sure you will see lots of tears. Its part of the culture they like to shed a few tears.  To be fair the country has had a lot to cry about with over throws of governments by the military, hyperinflation and currency devaluations. You name it Argentina has suffered it at one time or another. But there is one thing that it has never suffered that is on the brink of becoming a reality on Sunday. It is an event that has already caused a riot and it dominates the news. It is on everyone’s lips and everyone knows about it. If it happens (and it is very likely to ) the rivers will over flow with tears for sure, there may be fighting the streets and even the La President will have something to say about it. What is this monumental event that is about to happen here in Buenos Aires. The clue is in

the word monumental.

The Monumental is where it may happen. The Monumental is the home ground of River Plate, a giant of a football team here in Argentina. Now before you switch of cos you don’t like football read a bit more especially if you are thinking of coming to Argentina. Now everyone here, no matter who they are be it Presidents, famous actors, doctors have one thing in common they all follow a football team here. Many of them have never even been to a match but that doesn’t matter they still have their team to follow. If you come here you will be asked who is your team – choose one - doesn’t matter if you don’t like football because you will immediately start to bond with Argentine   culture. Talk about your chosen team and expect a long conversation to take place about them – bonding will start. Now if you had chosen River Plate like myself when I came here (the first day I arrived with my mate Brian in 2003 we went to a River Plate game and  it was love at first game) Sunday will be a day you may never forget. You see River Plate founded  by the Brits  after over 100 hundred years in the premier division are on the brink of going down to the second division – it’s an event that even the Guardian newspaper in the UK talked about a few days ago. River are about to be demoted. It has never happened in their history and if you were here it would be hard to avoid the topic. They are in a two match playoff against a team called Belgrano from Cordoba (who are they!!!!) . Belgrano ( boo boo) won the first match in their  attempt to  be promoted and in doing put  River on the brink of the abyss. What followed was a riot. That was last Sunday. Tomorrow 26^th June at 3 o clock in the afternoon they play again  - if River don’t win by at least two goals its over for them and down they go for the first time ever - yes the first time ever . That may not mean much to you if you have never been here Mel but here in Argentina  its unthinkable and everyone, doesn’t matter who they are has an opinion. If the unthinkable happens the  mighty River Plate will be overflow with tears and for a while the  country will be in chaos, grown men and women will be reduced to physical wrecks make no mistake  about it what I write is true - this is Argentina where nothing is more important than  football - nothing. If you read this blog I am asking you to pray a little for River - just a minute will be enough  - it all helps. As I said it is unthinkable that the team who have won more titles than any other here will be within 48 hours of me  writing this blog will be in the 2^nd division but but but but  there is still 90 minutes left so there is still hope . Please please give your support  - believe me it’s needed and if you don’t have a team now is the time to choose River Plate and we still have 90 minutes - its not over its not over its not over pleaaaaaaseeeee

This is David Cummings alias the English Gaucho trying to stay positive but with bitten down nails and a worried look

Hasta Pronto

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The Story of The Ride Out to the Little House on The Prairie – in Photos

A few blogs ago I talked about the great day out we had on La Margarita riding out to the little house on the prairie and enjoying a tasty asado . It was a fun day for sure and some of the readers of this blog asked if I had any more photos so here they are. I put together a slide show and introduced some the people on the ride - have a look. This weekend we are doing it again with some guests who are on La Margarita and I am really looking forward to it

This is David Cummings alias The English Gaucho polishing my boots ready for the ride

Hasta La Vista

Coincidence or Destiny Revisited Once Again

Its been a good while since I last blogged about coincidence or destiny - its  an interesting subject and something happened in the last few weeks that I wanted to blog about on here on La Margarita blog – its for you to decide if it was coincidence or destiny - ok so here goes…………………………

 

Guests on La Margarita - The whole family out  for a ride! 

Last week in my blog I talked about Toastmaster in BA, an organization worldwide that helps those who want to learn more about public speaking do just that but its all in English you don’t learn to speak Spanish at Toastmasters. The organization is worldwide and a meeting can probably found in city near you.   However, here in BA there are a number of organizations that can help you improve your Spanish and meet people at the same time. One such organization is Spanglish. Started by Maya a few years ago it has had huge success. Events are held in different places in the city   and people meet up to enjoy the events and practice speaking different languages not only Spanish. Have a look on her webpage if you are interested http://www.spanglishexchange.com it will give you loads if info about what it does however, sorry for digressing.

Running La Margarita we are always adding or improving things and needing more furniture or bits and pieces to help us do that.   Plus I also have a loft apartment in Palermo, which I rent out to temporary visitors to the city for which I often have need to replace broken furniture, plates or even fridges etc so I am always looking out for things we need. A few weeks ago I was looking on Craigslist for a fridge for a small house I have just done up on La Margarita and hey presto I found one. It was a good price so I sent an email to the owner and tried to arrange to see it. Problem was I was on La Margarita and by the time I got back in the city I was sure it had gone so didn’t bother to follow it up.  A week later I get an e-mail from Brenda the seller who said that the fridge was still for sale. I was delighted for sure and arranged to see it. A time was set to view it and the next day I set of to see it. It was located in groovy San Telmo, a distance for me since my city pad is in very cool Palermo. On arriving at the house I was greeted by Brenda and we started to chat. A few minute later I heard a voice say, “I know that voice that’s David from La Margarita”. Down the stairs came Maya the owner of Spanglish who I knew and had worked with re- La Margarita.  That in itself was a great coincidence to me – I mean of all the fridges in the world I had to bump into Mayas mums’ fridge -but that was just the start. The day before I went to look at the fridge Adriana who works in our BA office rang me crying saying that the microwave in the office had broken and she would surely starve. Ok only joking about the crying and staving but for sure the microwave had broken and we needed a new one. I asked Maya if she was selling anything else – she pointed to the microwave in the corner   “ I ‘m selling that” “ok sold,” I said. “Anything else” “well” she said, “do you fancy buying five tables and 18 chairs”. Now you would think that would be a long shot eh I mean how many people turning up at her door to buy a fridge would have need for 5 tables and 18 chairs – not many is my guess– apart from moi that is! Nils, one of the room renters in my cool rental   apto in Palermo had mentioned to me a number of times that it would be great if I could put little tables and chairs in the four bedrooms to use as desks.  Umm with this in mind I asked Maya what size the tables were and she said they were small. I had a look and they were perfect for the bedrooms  – sold. At the same time Nils has asked me if I could replace the plastic chairs they were using in the living room for wooden ones. As it turned out the ones that Maya was selling were pine and perfect! –  another sold sign  went up – finally she said she  also had  a couple of blue chairs and a blue table for sale –any use she asked? – as it happened  we had  just done up on La Margarita a small room with bathroom which  we give to the volunteer who we have working on the estancia   from time to time  and we had to buy a table and chair for it . The amazing thing is that the bed in the room is yep you guessed it blue- sold!

Ok is everything planned or do we live from moment to moment with nothing destined or planned out for us  – I still don’t know but when this sort of thing happens I am pretty sure that it is all planned and that one day no matter what I did in my life I was destined    to buy those 18 chairs etc from Maya. What do think Gary coincidence or destiny - I mean you must have a view after what happened?

This David Cummings alias the English Gaucho hasta pronto

Ever heard of a being Flexitarian? - no nor me but hey sounds good to be one if you come to Argentina…..

No chicken in sight! 

When I am in the city (Buenos Aires that is).  I try and go to Toastmaster ( www.toastmasters.com). I really like it. It’s a worldwide organization that helps those who want to improve their confidence in public speaking - which as we all know can be pretty nerve wracking. Not that I am training to be the next Tony Blair (umm why would I) but its great to hear public speakers and watch how confident they can be and I would love to have that skill so Toastmasters it is for me at times to try to learn it. Last night I was in town and there was a meeting of Toastmaster and off I went. One guy did a speech, which was in itself very interesting  – it was about how the way we act and think can affect our health – true indeed and it was an excellent speech – you should have been there Mel you would have loved it and him too probably!!

But what really got my attention was that he introduced himself as ‘flexitarian’. Now I had never heard of a flexitarian and I am not even sure that is how it is spelt to be honest but when he explained what it was it made me think how useful it could for those who come to Argentina who are vegetarians. It seems that flexitarians are a group of people who on weekdays don’t eat meat but at weekends they can eat what they want. Now I know that for vegetarians’ coming to Argentina it can be a little difficult. Lets face it one of the most famous things about Argentina is of course the meat. Argentina is in the top thee of meat eaters in the world – they eat it for breakfast – ok only joking but nearly. To give you a clue on how serious   they are about meat the Spanish word for meat is carne but carne does not mean chicken or pork it is only used for beef. I remember once letting Rachel our chef on La Margarita know that we had some guests coming to La Margarita who didn’t eat meat. She said fine no problem I will prepare something for them without meat – great I thought look forward to it. That evening she served up a delicious meal of chicken cooked over an open fire  – opps. I was new to Argentina at the time and I didn’t realize that meat meant beef and nothing else  and in Argentina chicken is not meat. Poor guests they nearly passed out. Still Raquel quickly made a delicious pasta meal and all was saved and I was forgiven. Now flexitarainism could be the answer. Eat as a vegetarian on weekdays and eat what you like at the weekend or when you are on La Margarita. Umm maybe it will catch on – probably not but who knows it just might.

This is David Cummings alias the English Gaucho of to help Lalo with the asado!