Robert and Freddie...

Since our last post, a couple of interesting things have happened.

I have invited a group of really talented organisms into my intestines. They're really nice. I'm trying to teach them English, and they're trying to teach me a different kind of language that uses smells and textures instead of sounds to communicate! They have to go soon, though. But it's been really fun having them, and I hope that they learned a lot about me, because I sure learned a lot about them! The little fuckers... god bless 'em.

So that has but a bit of a damper on things. I actually had a touch of what must have been the 'flu before that! So it's been a very low-impact stay-at-home week. Well, mostly. There were actually two times that I didn't feel bad, and lo and behold, during those two times, there were two amazingly great things happening.

Thing No. 1: We met Juan and his friend Maria José at a Jazz bar around the corner from us called "Thelonious", a hole-in-the-wall named for the great one-legged Leafs defenceman of the '40s. Just kidding! ... the '60s.

Anyway, Maria José's cousin, Pepi Taveira, was the front-man/drummer for the group, and they were fantastic; this was the peak of jazz in Buenos Aires, where, according to Juan and M-J, there are very few Jazz fans, but both Jen and I thought that their show was extremely good stuff.

Thing No. 2: The other high-point of the week was a party hosted by my Spanish school buddy Jim. He's an American from the outskirts of Philly here to have fun and learn the language while working limited hours for German bankers. He's a mere 21 years old. How did he do in ... zero years what it took me 10 years to accomplish, I ask you?

Jim and his two lovely roommates live together in a 10-storey apartment in San Telmo, and they decided to host a "ROCK STARS, AND THEIR SONGS" party. Well, needless to say Jen became quite excited at the thought of a costume party invite: "Our second week, and already a costume party!" were her exact elated words.

So to make a long story short, I had a Freddie Mercury costume painstakingly hand-made for me by a custom costume artist; the whole ensemble cost me $827US. Jen made a Robert Plant costume out of her own body parts. Total cost: $0.07, for the flour to stick her own hair to a piece of cardboard.

I will let the pictures do the talking. It was a very fun time. There were people from Belgium, Sweden, Columbia, Argentina (of course), Britain, US, Lebanon, Mexico, etc. in attendance, so there was plenty to learn about whackos from around the world. Mexican No. 2 is the brave man dressed as Flea, with the blue sequines taped to his junk.

The guy waving his arms around and yelling is the neighbour across the way. He was saying: "Thank you for your tremendous rock party! I'm having fun here too with my ornery wife and two screaming children! I hope the noise of my children is not disturbing your very powerful rock marathon!".

Week two of Spanish lessons began today. They are going very well, for both of us! Soon you will no longer have abled to for be understanding it English for my...