Party Time

We've been attending and throwing a good number of parties already here in Cordoba.   We are trying to keep up with a slightly younger and much more energetic set, and so far failing miserably.  Last night's party was held in honor of the 40th birthday of a new friend Fernando Muro thrown by his wife Miki.  The party started at 11 pm, and we arrived fashionably late at  midnight.  Needless to say, Robert's head is aching this afternoon and he is in need of a nap.  You can get a taste of things here.

Herb Needs

Robert has learned, much to his dismay, that there exists no cilantro in the whole of Argentina.  They just don't eat it here.  So, he's going to import some seeds and become the cilantro king.  Once they're hooked, he'll be the only supplier  . . .  (insert ominous laugh).

New House

We finally moved into a house that we like and where we hope to stay for a while.  A two bedroom job with a nice patio and a swimming pool.  Even a view!

You can see some more photos here: 

News of the Week

We are settling down into the trenches here in Cordoba.  This is Robert's second week of work and Mira is doing a great job nailing down all the lifestyle necessities.  Here's a summary of what has been going on.

1.  Victory.  The victory of the week came early when Mira was able to return a pack-and-play to Walmart from whence it came.  This would be a non-issue in the US, but apparently getting your money back from any store in Argentina is like retrieving radio waves from the center of a black hole.  But, she did it.  After much examination by the WalMart staff to ensure that the pack and play "didn't work" she walked out of the store with cash.  According to our baby sitter, it was a miracle.

2.  Lunch. Bob had sweetbreads one day for lunch.  Which, his Argentine colleagues are convinced, remain undigested in the body for 8 months.  It smells a little bit like the ol' "don't swallow your gum because it will sit in your stomach" myth popular until about the 5th grade.  Bob told his colleagues that he would keep them updated.

3.  School.  It looks like Rory will start at pre-school early next week. Mira has been busy collecting uniforms, art supplies and other assorted things needed before he starts.

4.  Fencing.  The controversy of the week is the fence that needs to go around the swimming pool of the house we will rent.  Every day we get a different story about how much it will cost.  A fence is important, but we are hesitant to pay a lot of money for something that will be torn out when we leave the house.

5.  Car.  After we move into a house, a car will come soon.  Latest thought is a double cab pick up so we can explore the wilderness with children and bicycles securely in place.  But Robert wants a jalopy.

6.  Weather.  The first part of the week started off nice and cool given the weekend thunderstorms.  But today it was incredibly humid and we are waiting for another storm.  According to the locals, this month will go back and forth between cool and hot, eventually the tempertures will fall of in early April.  Not soon enough for Robert.

7.  Cell Phones.  We got cell phones, so send us an email and we'll give you the numbers which you can call with Skype at low cost.  We'd love to hear from you.

8.  Parties.  We think that we've been invited to two parties.  The first is a birthday party of the wife of Matias.  It starts at 10:30 tomorrow night!  Matias was kind enough to say that if we can't find a babysitter, we can just bring the kids!

9.  Wine.  Every night Mira and Bob enjoy a bottle of wine before going to bed.  Separately.

10.  It just started raining.

Weekend Getaway

Finally we got a chance to escape the limited parts of Cordoba we've been in during the last week. We borrowed a car and drove to the nearby Sierras Chicas mountains where there are a bunch of vacation towns. We drove all around the region on Saturday, stopping for lunch and at various playgrounds where Rory made friends with kids. We stayed in a very cool small town named La Cumbre. Sort of a Healdsburg set in the foothills. The weather out there was a little more pleasant than Cordoba proper because the humidity drops off. Crystal blue skies, mountain scenery, etc.  Today there was a big mountain bike race.  We sat at a cafe this morning, drinking coffee and eating croissants in sun.  Very nice.  We even met a couple from Pennsylvania who spend 6 months a year in La Cumbre.  He spends his time flying glider airplanes and she, apparently, spends her time getting dental work done.  I stopped listening after I heard "nine implants and three root canals."  Ouch.

On the way home from the mountains we did what any god-loving family would do, we stopped at the WalMart and bought $250 worth of stuff.  We got a new pack and play, a potty seat, diapers, and lots of pasta and toothpaste.  Very soothing.

You can see some photos here.

New Digs

View Larger Map




Last night the Pierce family put a deposit down on the rental of a house in Cordoba.  The house looks great and is in a pretty ritzy area.  It is only two bedrooms, but it includes a back yard, swimming pool, view, and importantly it is fully furnished.  Including fine art created by the owner, an artist of some repute here in Cordoba.  There is also a small guest house on the property for various mothers-in-law that come for long visits.  Robert negotiated the rental terms last night over gin and tonics with the owner.  We move in next week.

New Gig

Robert has been at his new job in Argentina for two days now.  It's about time that he tell you about the two differences between the US and Argentine workplaces.  The first difference is that in Argentina every office worker regularly has morning coffee delivered to his/her desk by a man in a waistcoat who walks the coffee over from a nearby cafe.  Today Robert even placed the call for his coffee into the cafe himself.  Wouldn't you know it?  About six minutes later a man showed up at his office door with a little silver tray and a cup of coffee.  The little china cup and silver spoon are left for the man to come back and pick up.  A pretty good system that keeps workers at their desks. 

But the second, and far more incredible difference, is that in the late afternoon the coffee delivery process is replaced with . . . are you ready for this?? . . . the milkshake delivery system.  Every afternoon a woman in a soda fountain uniform appears at Robert's office door with A VANILLA MILKSHAKE IN A TALL FROSTY GLASS!!!!  This, he is told, is A MEAL!!.  The Argentines have four, instead of three, meals a day.  The third, ostensibly a "tea time," has seemingly devolved into a time to enjoy a tasty treat.

There you have it.  These are the two differences between the US and Argentine workplaces.

Our Whereabouts

This is a satellite view of our current home in Argentina.  The long rectangular building near the top is our hotel.  The larger black building above that is a very large shopping mall.  The towers at bottom are the apartment towers into which we will move on Monday.


View Larger Map

Today we had a barbeque lunch with the Acuna family, who have been great hosts thus far.  After lunch we toured some neighborhoods in order to get a better feeling for possible  neighborhoods.  Basically, the choices seem to include luxury homes in country club settings, apartments, and non-country club homes in upscale residential neighborhoods.  We have not yet figured out the tradeoffs involved with each choice, but Mira will be spending time with a real estate agent next week.


Also next week, Rory starts pre-school  . . .

Day at the Park

Today we got out of our hotel for a drive through town to Sarmiento Park where Rory quickly found the ducks and pigeons. He held out his hand with some rice and had his finger nibbled by a rather big and scary goose. He didn´t know what to make of that for a few minutes, but after regaining his composure he chased them all around for a good while.

The weather here is warm with a touch of humidity. Robert was not expecting any moisture and he´ll need to get used to it.

After naps Mira took a tour with Joaquin of one of the neighborhoods where we are scouting for a house. She saw only one available house and thought the layout of the rooms was unusual. The backyard and surrounding neighborhood was good. We´ll be doing some more looking in order to find a place we are very happy with.

Robert and Rory stayed behind and had an all-man dinner together. Mom was not around to sing bedtime songs, so Robert needed to do his best for a very critical audience.

Tomorrow we are invited to our first real Argentine barbeque. Robert needs to find some leisure clothes, but is otherwise looking forward to that affair. He´s also looking forward to cracking open his first bottle of wine since arrival.

Arrival

The Pierce family arrived in Cordoba, Argentina early this morning. We were met by Matias and Joaquin, Robert´s new business colleagues, and taken to the Orfeo Suites Hotel somewhere in the city. Not like it is in the batcave or anything, it´s just that we have no idea where in the city we are. Anyway, there is a mall complex attached and there is nothing like international sportshoe branding to make one feel at home. We will probably stay here a few nights and then check in to an apartment run by the same outfit. Mira has a date with Joaquin´s wife tonight and Robert will stay with the kids. Anyway, all is well and we are excited to be here.

Oaxaca, Final Days

The last few days in Oaxaca have been sorta hectic. Cady is shifting her sleeping schedule and Rory has been missing naps and getting to bed late. Not some mention the bit of diaper rash that makes things a little miserable for him. Yesderday was pretty much a wash as we did little more than take a short walk in the morning and then spend the afternoon on the roof getting some fresh air and a view. For all the talk of food in Oaxaca, the best meals we've had were of tacos, beer and fried pork skin. With a palleta for dessert. Feeding a family of four for about $10 a meal. Robert likes that.

Today we Robert and Rory went and watched the construction "guys" for a long time. We saw a big roller move on down the street. Then, after naps, we went to the antigua aeropuerto area and met Mira's friend Serena at their totally awesome modern house. Getting there was a bit of a challenge as there was apparently some sort of large protest causing some roads to be blockaded. That, combined with all the construction of the roads lead to some delay. We had pasta for dinner, which Rory really liked. Desert of chocolate cookies and coffee. Very civilized. The view of the mountains from their rooftop is spectacular, and the cool breeze up there was too.

We have tickets for the bus back to Mexico City leaving tomorrow at 11 am.