It was two weeks ago me and Gunes had a nice morning walk in the Eco Reserva, and later when we were almost starving went to Sr. Telmo, a famous pizza place in San Telmo. He told me about the famous porteño saying "Hope that we can go back to those pizza and champagne days!" I was like that is disgusting who would want such a nauseating combination, and denied ordering champagne (it is by the way cheap and almost every restaurant offers it in Buenos Aires) and stick to wine.
Curious as I am, I started to ask around where this insolite tradition came from. I found out that it is nothing more than a "trend" which started with Menem, their famously corrupt President, also known as El Turco, annonced that he ate pizza with Champagne! So all the nouveau riche tag along, as they did with Wisky and kibbe in Turkey around the same time. As neoliberalist and corrupt government started to rule our third world countries, they also created a class of people that I personally cannot stand, and these abnoxious and disgusting fusions into our daily lives.
The champagne is still on the menu of most pizzarias in Buenos Aires, but less people order it, seems to me! Thank god for that!
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Buenos Aires Again
It has been a week. I am in Buenos Aires and I realized that have not written a word about it. I have been so un-inspired, it is not even funny.
Let's see what happened since then:
April 4th, 12 pm: Corina's massagist Susana gave me an hour and a half long massage, an ayurvedic one:unfuckingbeleievable. She cured me from tip to toe, literally. I recommend it to all of you, it not only relaxes your muscles, it relaxes your (my) thought-infected mind as well.
10 pm: Dinner with friends at Rodney Bar. Rodney is a hole in the wall bar in a neighborhood called Chacaritas, famous for its huge cemetary as far as I know. I discovered this place back in march, the photographer Javier introduced us to this weird place one night. It is in front of the cemetary--you don't see the tumbs, there is a huge wall that seperates us from the dead people. It was a fun dinner.
I worked on discovering Buenos Aires pretty much the whole day on wednesday and that night, Orhan Abi, Pablo (a friend we met in Pedrera, who owns a cool bar in Las Canitas) and I went to a speak easy in Palermo. Speak easy s are big in Baires, as was this one, nominated as the "Best Bar" by their version of New York Magazine that week. We took a cab and got out in front of a house, number 878 on Thames street. It is a colonial house from the outside, we rang the bell and someone opened it, and voila! An incredibly cool bar! We sat at the bar, and ordered drinks, I asked for the Black Saketini (made with sake, black vodka, cucumber juice and tabasco sauce), it was somehing. Then we ordered food, but I was not impressed with anything. It was the best bar afterwards, not the best restaurant. It reminded me of Casa Antonio, though it lacked the coolness and the delicious food of their cozy restaurant. The backdrop of the 878, which made all three of us very curious was: where were the cool people who should have crowded this place? I quote Pablo on why there were so many ugly people at the bar that night: "I think they come to hide here!" he said, we almost fell off our chairs and left 878 soon after that comment.
Thursday we rested.
Friday was the last part of my birthday celebrations, a party was organized by Pablo, Anita and Orhan for both me and Orhan. Needless to say we had an amazing time, many people came, some old friends and many new ones were made. We partied until 6 am, I slept on Orhan's couch, so saturday started late for both of us.
We made brunch with bacon and fried eggs, later in the afternoon and went to see Spike Lee's latest movie, the Inside Man. It was really good. We thought of eating turkish food at the Armenian restauran Sarkis later that night, but there was a huge line outside, we left that for another night, went to our homes and slept.
I met with Gunes, my other turkish friend who lives here on Sunday, and had a wonderful Sunday walk in the Ecoreserva park in front of Puerto Madero, the Battery Park of Buenos Aires. We walked under the warm sun for hours, then walk to San Telmo, and luckily found a place to eat there--the best pizza I had so far-- among all the tourist who crowded this cozy neighborhood as they do every Sunday.
I have been working on discovering the city again since Monday, in a more local way, starting from going to a gym, then taking the city buses (the public transportation system is ample but confusing if you don't have a Guia T and know how to read it), a lot of walking. Titi's arrival made Tuesday a blast, as we walked for 8 hours, window shopping in Palermo SoHo!
Let's see what happened since then:
April 4th, 12 pm: Corina's massagist Susana gave me an hour and a half long massage, an ayurvedic one:unfuckingbeleievable. She cured me from tip to toe, literally. I recommend it to all of you, it not only relaxes your muscles, it relaxes your (my) thought-infected mind as well.
10 pm: Dinner with friends at Rodney Bar. Rodney is a hole in the wall bar in a neighborhood called Chacaritas, famous for its huge cemetary as far as I know. I discovered this place back in march, the photographer Javier introduced us to this weird place one night. It is in front of the cemetary--you don't see the tumbs, there is a huge wall that seperates us from the dead people. It was a fun dinner.
I worked on discovering Buenos Aires pretty much the whole day on wednesday and that night, Orhan Abi, Pablo (a friend we met in Pedrera, who owns a cool bar in Las Canitas) and I went to a speak easy in Palermo. Speak easy s are big in Baires, as was this one, nominated as the "Best Bar" by their version of New York Magazine that week. We took a cab and got out in front of a house, number 878 on Thames street. It is a colonial house from the outside, we rang the bell and someone opened it, and voila! An incredibly cool bar! We sat at the bar, and ordered drinks, I asked for the Black Saketini (made with sake, black vodka, cucumber juice and tabasco sauce), it was somehing. Then we ordered food, but I was not impressed with anything. It was the best bar afterwards, not the best restaurant. It reminded me of Casa Antonio, though it lacked the coolness and the delicious food of their cozy restaurant. The backdrop of the 878, which made all three of us very curious was: where were the cool people who should have crowded this place? I quote Pablo on why there were so many ugly people at the bar that night: "I think they come to hide here!" he said, we almost fell off our chairs and left 878 soon after that comment.
Thursday we rested.
Friday was the last part of my birthday celebrations, a party was organized by Pablo, Anita and Orhan for both me and Orhan. Needless to say we had an amazing time, many people came, some old friends and many new ones were made. We partied until 6 am, I slept on Orhan's couch, so saturday started late for both of us.
We made brunch with bacon and fried eggs, later in the afternoon and went to see Spike Lee's latest movie, the Inside Man. It was really good. We thought of eating turkish food at the Armenian restauran Sarkis later that night, but there was a huge line outside, we left that for another night, went to our homes and slept.
I met with Gunes, my other turkish friend who lives here on Sunday, and had a wonderful Sunday walk in the Ecoreserva park in front of Puerto Madero, the Battery Park of Buenos Aires. We walked under the warm sun for hours, then walk to San Telmo, and luckily found a place to eat there--the best pizza I had so far-- among all the tourist who crowded this cozy neighborhood as they do every Sunday.
I have been working on discovering the city again since Monday, in a more local way, starting from going to a gym, then taking the city buses (the public transportation system is ample but confusing if you don't have a Guia T and know how to read it), a lot of walking. Titi's arrival made Tuesday a blast, as we walked for 8 hours, window shopping in Palermo SoHo!
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Leaving is not easy
After missing all possible cheap options that could take me to Buenos Aires—it was my actual birthday and I had a perfect day—I am in the direct boat, comfy, not miserable and sleepy, and hoping that the massage therapist Cori suggested is available this afternoon (supposedly she massages you according to your meridians and fixing your inner problems as well as tight muscles) !
After Juan left (I invited him to have tea and bizcochos at my place and we had a nice and long conversation, I really enjoy his company and I hope he reciprocates) and I finished absolutely everything I needed to do before leaving Montevideo, except buying a ticket, Mauro came to visit me and brought me a super nice mate, with a quote from Benedetti on it, then Titi came, with a bottle of French wine, I made Peter Gordon style dolmas with ricotta filling (not because I am oh-so-sophisticated, that was the only thing I had home!, and I served those with the chutney I bought in San Francisco last time I was there. Result was a total success) and she started singing Happy Birthday to me exactly at 12! I love her, she is so cute and really knows how to make others happy.
Back in Cupula, after way too much wine and chats, I went to bed at 2 , and put the alarm for 4:45 to take the semi-miserable ride to Baires with a bus that leaves Montevideo at 6 am, then transfer to a boat in Colonia around 8 am; I barely opened my eyes and said: “it is your birthday, you deserve the most civilized ride today!” went back to sleep, hours later woke up, had coffee with one of my neighbors, Justine, Guate’s girlfriend, before saying goodbye to my house and cabbed my fabulous self to Buquebus station down at the port.
It is a grey morning in Montevideo, my grey city, and as its “ciudadana ilustre” I feel saudade leaving her, especially now, I was just starting to have fun here.
After Juan left (I invited him to have tea and bizcochos at my place and we had a nice and long conversation, I really enjoy his company and I hope he reciprocates) and I finished absolutely everything I needed to do before leaving Montevideo, except buying a ticket, Mauro came to visit me and brought me a super nice mate, with a quote from Benedetti on it, then Titi came, with a bottle of French wine, I made Peter Gordon style dolmas with ricotta filling (not because I am oh-so-sophisticated, that was the only thing I had home!, and I served those with the chutney I bought in San Francisco last time I was there. Result was a total success) and she started singing Happy Birthday to me exactly at 12! I love her, she is so cute and really knows how to make others happy.
Back in Cupula, after way too much wine and chats, I went to bed at 2 , and put the alarm for 4:45 to take the semi-miserable ride to Baires with a bus that leaves Montevideo at 6 am, then transfer to a boat in Colonia around 8 am; I barely opened my eyes and said: “it is your birthday, you deserve the most civilized ride today!” went back to sleep, hours later woke up, had coffee with one of my neighbors, Justine, Guate’s girlfriend, before saying goodbye to my house and cabbed my fabulous self to Buquebus station down at the port.
It is a grey morning in Montevideo, my grey city, and as its “ciudadana ilustre” I feel saudade leaving her, especially now, I was just starting to have fun here.
Monday, April 03, 2006
Dear Mom;
we are approaching the very hours you haven given birth to me, and your little Aslancik is going to turn 29. Only a year to the big-3 ! I hope you are happy with how i lived it so far if I deserved being given light to, I sure try to use my time here as well as I can do.
I am also about to take a trip, a short one this time at least distance wise, to Buenos Aires and as Juan put it today, I will also enter the "5th stage" of my life. The last four, in retrospective have been great. This time I am a bit scared tough, this is the first time I am entering alone--and without any concreted projects, without even being sure I want to do it.
Anyways, let me tell you how the festivities are going so far!
I had a very cool saturday: which started with coffee at the cupula with cori, getting our nails done, a long and happy lunch at the mercado de puerto--ali abi filmed it we will edit a bit then show you! we came back to cupula took a short nap, say good-bye to ali abi, drank mate, woke up and left for Herb´s house, to prepare the super party (we: cori, javier´s friend surfer lorena who came from punta del este, alicia my friend who works at a publishing house). While me and cori re-decorated-shopped-and I even baked a cake which is a story to tell you in person for you to ask me how come i did not have a nervous breakdown-, lore and alicia left with alicia´s beagle for pinar to bring me juana and javi´s music equipment for the party.
I had planed on going shopping and buying me this awesome dress by an argentinean designer but with all the corre-corre I ran out of time, but thank god it was hot enough to ware my furstenberg dress--over my jeans, yes, just like "a doorman´s wife--with snake skin stillettoes, no time for make up, ding dong, first guests arrive!
I had invited all my friends in this town: titi of course and her brother and her best friend who lives in paris, alicia and the chicks from the gym, Juana and her father, mauro-mechi-mauricio-Mattiolis and the DJ Irish from the radio team, Eldin the carpinter, Alex and George, my neighbors from the cupula, friends from Pedrera. Plus other good friends and everybody´s significant others.
Slowly but surely around 23:30 almost everyone was there. We had made sangria and ice tea, pizzas that my neighbor guate did, some dips and chips, and the cake! DJs irish and davich were in charge of the music and we were dancing, chatting, and opening the door mostly. I was nervous, all night long I thought something was going to go wrong ---and it did, my phone got stolen--and as I decided I was not going to be drunk in my birthday party, I did not even had a glass of sangria, I was totally aware of everything (mid-day drunkeness was way gone by that time)
It was great untill later, people had a good time I think, my invitee´s arrival made me super happy, I got great presents, and most of all I realized that they all liked me and are going to miss me when I am not around, as much as I am going to miss them and that is a great feeling.
The deal with the phone is very weird and I still cannot imagine who is "low enough to rob the birthday girl?" I have sime ideas but no proof, and 48 hours later I dont care. I already cursed the individual in all the languages I can speak!
Sunday we walked in the antique fair and found a great tile for my collection! Then had lunch with corina at some sort of yacht club. I left corina with mauro and cabbed javier´s equipment to his house in pinar, got there, said hi, and thought would offer me to have mate with him or something, instead, he told me that he was with someone! I was like, I quote "even that dork is able to find someone to be with, and it is my birthday and after cleaning and all, losing my phone, being sad for leaving, etc i dont have anyone even to take me back home!" I was mad/sad, I am not sure. I took my last trip in a bus from pinar crying, which up until that point, I was being so good, I held my tears when I blow the candles at my party, when i could not find my phone, when you called me sunday morning, but that goodbye was too cold to bare. (ok fine, you were right, he does not have any common courtesy or education)
I love crying though, makes me feel so much better, and I used the opportunity and cried for everything that made me sad...for 56 minutes exactly! When I got out of the bus, I felt better, but in the cab when I saw my cupula I shed a couple more for her. Mauro and Cori came quickly and I was much better, chatting with them, cooking whatever I had home, listening to bossanova. Cori left with the buque of 1 am, I slept.
I woke up to a great first unemployed day! It is a new feeling, it does not feel like you are vacationing because you know you are not, but you dont really have to do anything either and feels empty, yet attractive. I thought of catching some sun and reading, but I felt guilty for being abnoxioustly bon-vivant and prepared my suitcase, cleaned up a bit and left to say goodbye to last group, buying something for orhan, etc. I did all that, and called Juan as he told me while leaving my party that we should see each other before I go.
We met later when I finished all my arrands, and ready to relax. I walked to his house, picked him up (literally ;) ) and we went to cupula so that he would see a great sunset from there. I like talking to him, because he is very wise and i really want to know him better (which I hope to get to soon)because he also has a very interesting life. Over greentea we talked for, I dont know how much time, looked at pictures, listen to music, talked more, then his alarm sounded--I felt as I was in therapy, "time is up lady, gotta go!"-- and he left. He had to go and babysit. The sunset was horrible too, non existant.
I did not check email all day and had to write to you so here I am, in my ´hoods ciber cafe. Before I started my letter, I was not sure, I was considering whether or not I want to leave tonight or tomorrow. I decided. I am leaving tonight, it is stupid to pull the bandaid slowly!
The festivities will continue in Buenos Aires as planned. Tomorrow night dinner with Orhan abi, and coricim. Wedneday: a short rest, maybe! Thursday work work work. Friday is the big party he is planing already for both of us! Will write you more on friday!
All i wanted to tell you really was to thank you for this great first 4 stages of my life. I hope you enjoyed the show as much as I did, and are ready for a fantastic fifth one! Seni cok cok cok seviyorum.
opucuks,
asli
PS: Surprise: Jenry wrote me for my birthday?
PS 2: That chocolate cake on the picture was made by me with cacoa from your favorite store--Ghirardelli's--, all from scratch, against all the odds--making it was a mess and my friend Fernanda sat on it minutes before we served it to everybody! it was so funny!
I am also about to take a trip, a short one this time at least distance wise, to Buenos Aires and as Juan put it today, I will also enter the "5th stage" of my life. The last four, in retrospective have been great. This time I am a bit scared tough, this is the first time I am entering alone--and without any concreted projects, without even being sure I want to do it.
Anyways, let me tell you how the festivities are going so far!
I had a very cool saturday: which started with coffee at the cupula with cori, getting our nails done, a long and happy lunch at the mercado de puerto--ali abi filmed it we will edit a bit then show you! we came back to cupula took a short nap, say good-bye to ali abi, drank mate, woke up and left for Herb´s house, to prepare the super party (we: cori, javier´s friend surfer lorena who came from punta del este, alicia my friend who works at a publishing house). While me and cori re-decorated-shopped-and I even baked a cake which is a story to tell you in person for you to ask me how come i did not have a nervous breakdown-, lore and alicia left with alicia´s beagle for pinar to bring me juana and javi´s music equipment for the party.
I had planed on going shopping and buying me this awesome dress by an argentinean designer but with all the corre-corre I ran out of time, but thank god it was hot enough to ware my furstenberg dress--over my jeans, yes, just like "a doorman´s wife--with snake skin stillettoes, no time for make up, ding dong, first guests arrive!
I had invited all my friends in this town: titi of course and her brother and her best friend who lives in paris, alicia and the chicks from the gym, Juana and her father, mauro-mechi-mauricio-Mattiolis and the DJ Irish from the radio team, Eldin the carpinter, Alex and George, my neighbors from the cupula, friends from Pedrera. Plus other good friends and everybody´s significant others.
Slowly but surely around 23:30 almost everyone was there. We had made sangria and ice tea, pizzas that my neighbor guate did, some dips and chips, and the cake! DJs irish and davich were in charge of the music and we were dancing, chatting, and opening the door mostly. I was nervous, all night long I thought something was going to go wrong ---and it did, my phone got stolen--and as I decided I was not going to be drunk in my birthday party, I did not even had a glass of sangria, I was totally aware of everything (mid-day drunkeness was way gone by that time)
It was great untill later, people had a good time I think, my invitee´s arrival made me super happy, I got great presents, and most of all I realized that they all liked me and are going to miss me when I am not around, as much as I am going to miss them and that is a great feeling.
The deal with the phone is very weird and I still cannot imagine who is "low enough to rob the birthday girl?" I have sime ideas but no proof, and 48 hours later I dont care. I already cursed the individual in all the languages I can speak!
Sunday we walked in the antique fair and found a great tile for my collection! Then had lunch with corina at some sort of yacht club. I left corina with mauro and cabbed javier´s equipment to his house in pinar, got there, said hi, and thought would offer me to have mate with him or something, instead, he told me that he was with someone! I was like, I quote "even that dork is able to find someone to be with, and it is my birthday and after cleaning and all, losing my phone, being sad for leaving, etc i dont have anyone even to take me back home!" I was mad/sad, I am not sure. I took my last trip in a bus from pinar crying, which up until that point, I was being so good, I held my tears when I blow the candles at my party, when i could not find my phone, when you called me sunday morning, but that goodbye was too cold to bare. (ok fine, you were right, he does not have any common courtesy or education)
I love crying though, makes me feel so much better, and I used the opportunity and cried for everything that made me sad...for 56 minutes exactly! When I got out of the bus, I felt better, but in the cab when I saw my cupula I shed a couple more for her. Mauro and Cori came quickly and I was much better, chatting with them, cooking whatever I had home, listening to bossanova. Cori left with the buque of 1 am, I slept.
I woke up to a great first unemployed day! It is a new feeling, it does not feel like you are vacationing because you know you are not, but you dont really have to do anything either and feels empty, yet attractive. I thought of catching some sun and reading, but I felt guilty for being abnoxioustly bon-vivant and prepared my suitcase, cleaned up a bit and left to say goodbye to last group, buying something for orhan, etc. I did all that, and called Juan as he told me while leaving my party that we should see each other before I go.
We met later when I finished all my arrands, and ready to relax. I walked to his house, picked him up (literally ;) ) and we went to cupula so that he would see a great sunset from there. I like talking to him, because he is very wise and i really want to know him better (which I hope to get to soon)because he also has a very interesting life. Over greentea we talked for, I dont know how much time, looked at pictures, listen to music, talked more, then his alarm sounded--I felt as I was in therapy, "time is up lady, gotta go!"-- and he left. He had to go and babysit. The sunset was horrible too, non existant.
I did not check email all day and had to write to you so here I am, in my ´hoods ciber cafe. Before I started my letter, I was not sure, I was considering whether or not I want to leave tonight or tomorrow. I decided. I am leaving tonight, it is stupid to pull the bandaid slowly!
The festivities will continue in Buenos Aires as planned. Tomorrow night dinner with Orhan abi, and coricim. Wedneday: a short rest, maybe! Thursday work work work. Friday is the big party he is planing already for both of us! Will write you more on friday!
All i wanted to tell you really was to thank you for this great first 4 stages of my life. I hope you enjoyed the show as much as I did, and are ready for a fantastic fifth one! Seni cok cok cok seviyorum.
opucuks,
asli
PS: Surprise: Jenry wrote me for my birthday?
PS 2: That chocolate cake on the picture was made by me with cacoa from your favorite store--Ghirardelli's--, all from scratch, against all the odds--making it was a mess and my friend Fernanda sat on it minutes before we served it to everybody! it was so funny!
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