I am certain that one of life's great satisfactions is in licking an ice cream cone while walking in the sunlight on a hot summer day.

An afternoon ritual:

Mia goes to Barrio Chino

First it was Korean barbecue, and then came Chinatown. We had a late brunch of sesame noodles and wonton soup- two things I rarely even eat at home in Seattle- followed by a bubble tea. I certainly did not expect to be sucking down noodles and tapioca balls on this trip. And who knew that both the Koreans and Chinese had ventured so far and brought so much with them?*

The Korean barbecue house was packed with people, Argentine and Korean, and the food was both legit and delicious (legilicious?). Don't even get me started on Chinatown. We ate at a grocery store food counter that was two people deep with waiting diners. The store itself was insane; there was barely room to move between the aisles, the displays of imported food, and the many carts (often two to a person) piled high, and it was hard to tell between shoppers still browsing the aisles and those waiting in long lines to check out. Apparently there are many things like rice noodles, fresh seafood, and Jiffy peanut butter that can only be found in the few blocks that constitute Barrio Chino, and it's a popular place for restaurateurs to stock up.

Again, who knew?**

It's so lovely to be traveling and trying all sorts of delicious things like steak and empanadas, and since it's only been a week and a half so far I can't say that I've had much time to be too homesick. But it's been surprisingly comforting to find tastes of my regular life so far away in the southern hemisphere, before I've even had a chance to miss them. It's reassuring to hold chopsticks in my hand and see that I can still use them to move food from the plate to my mouth without spilling any sauce on myself. Even more reassuring to make that food really spicy and still be able to eat it without breaking a sweat.

Despite having the words "globalization" and "possibly" and "evil" floating around in my head as I write these next ones: I really liked having reminders of home while here in BA, and I'm kind of hoping I find more along the rest of this trip.***

*There are probably many statistics documenting the presence of both Korean and Chinese immigrants in BA and other large cities worldwide, but I don't read things like statistics.

**See above.

***Besides, the world started shrinking long before I was born, and me eating sesame noodles in Buenos Aires or hoping to find Sriracha in Lima is probably not going to bring about the end of local culture in either city.

That's right...

Korean barbecue + Argentine beef = wonder and joy. 

BA Street Art

Arte a la Malba

The Malba is a modern art museum that features works by Latin American artists. It's small enough to see in just a couple of hours, which is always nice, and it's housed in a lovely building with lots of light and a couple of outdoor spaces.

At the moment, their featured artist is Marta Minujin, an Argentine who has been working prolifically since the 1960's. A lot of her work has involved audience participation and been done on a grand scale, like a replica of the famous Obelisco of Buenos Aires covered in loaves of sweet bread which was unveiled and then dismantled, with all the loaves of bread given away to the viewers.

I first saw her on an episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations (The Argentina episode). She talked about using food in her art because then people can participate in the piece by eating it and then shitting it out (her words), and so the art itself is just a moment in time that goes the same way everything else does. It was a very comprehensive exhibit with pieces from different periods in her life, including a replica of a bedroom with a live couple laying in bed and a room built of mattresses, plus many of the sketches and models she made for her larger structures.

Sadly I have no photos, but there is plenty of information to be had on the internet, including her own website, and of course Wikipedia.

Seeing this exhibit was really exciting and inspiring in many ways. Though I'm not (yet) a world-renowned artist creating massive public works, I feel encouraged to look for my own ways of playing with the world around me. And when I feel sad that life is so inconstant and that the world is always changing, I hope I'll remember that eventually everything gets eaten and shit out, but there is always more beauty to be found and created. Who's to say that cooking and sharing a meal with a few friends isn't just as monumental as a Statue of Liberty covered in strawberries? After all, they both end the same way.

Rainy Day in BA

I love seeing what rainy days are like in other countries, and it's a good excuse to be lazy! The sun is back out though and I'm off to see some South American art at the Malba.