The fight for homosexual rights

Another victory of a minority group to be recognised the rights of the majority. After sharing their lives for 34 years, Ernesto Larresse and Alejandro Vanelli are now legally married. They are the first homosexual couple to be married in Buenos Aires after the law of Matrimonio Igualitario was passed last July. Larresse said: "Don't be afraid. This change means more love and more freedom".

Walrus books

In the heart of San Telmo there's this cozy little bookstore which sells used books in English. It offers excellent titles, incredible music and a warm atmosphere. Geoffrey (an American who came for fun and stayed for love) and Josefina, his Argentine wife, are there to help you.

Estados Unidos 617
4300-7153
Open every day except mondays, from 12.00 to 20.00

Dulce de leche

For those of you who have fallen in love with dulce de leche, here's an easy way to keep indulging in your sweet tooth without almost any effort.

Get a can of condensed milk and put it in a pot of boiling water, without opening it (believe me, it doesn't explode). Let it boil for about two hours and then open it and find the glossy surface of the dulce de leche, full of promising delights

Táctica y estrategia

Mi táctica es
mirarte
aprender como sos
quererte como sos

mi táctica es
hablarte
y escucharte
construir con palabras
un puente indestructible

mi táctica es
quedarme en tu recuerdo
no sé cómo ni sé
con qué pretexto
pero quedarme en vos

mi táctica es
ser franco
y saber que sos franca
y que no nos vendamos
simulacros
para que entre los dos
no haya telón
ni abismos

mi estrategia es
en cambio
más profunda y más
simple

mi estrategia es
que un día cualquiera
no sé cómo ni sé
con qué pretexto
por fin me necesites.

Mario Benedetti (Uruguayan poet, 1920 - 2009)

Below is a scene from the Argentine movie El lado oscuro del corázon (the dark side of the heart) where you can listen to Benedetti's poem.

Literal translation

My tactics is
looking at you
learning how you are
loving you as you are

my tactics is
talking to you
and listening to you
building with words
an indestructible bridge

my tactics is
staying in your memory
I don't know how nor
with what pretext
but staying in you

my tactics is
being frank
and knowing that you're frank
and that we won't sell
each other lies
so that between the two

there will be no curtain
no abysses

my strategy
on the other hand
is deeper and
simpler
my strategy is
that some day
I don't know how nor
with what pretext
you will finally need me.

Mario Benedetti "Tactica y estrategia"

Onda coloquial

The waves of the sea are called olas; the other waves, those which vibrate in and around us, are known as ondas. Some popular expressions with ondas are:

De onda (out of good will)
Buena / mala onda. (good / bad vibes)
¿Qué onda? (what's up? what about ...?)
Onda intelectual. (intellectual style)

How to use them:

Lo hago de onda.
Me gusta la gente con buena onda.
¡Qué mala onda!
a. Encontré un trabajo.
b.¿Sí? ¿Qué onda?

How about the train?

Retiro Station

A trip is made up of planned situations, inevitable surprises and pleasant discoveries. This is a section to share those little or big secrets that only the real experience of travelling allows you to unveil.To start, here's a bit of information that, though accessible to everyone, nobody seems to be aware of. In Argentina you can also travel by train and, despite what many locals will tell you, not only survive but actually enjoy it.
Travelling by train may take a little longer than going by bus but it's also much more comfortable and even cheaper. You can sit in the dining car, stretch your legs and sip your favourite drink while talking to a friend, to the author of the book you're reading or to yourself or just look out of the window and see the world pass by: a tree, a cow, your thoughts. A kind of meditation accessible to all.

See Fares and Timetable

Mar del Plata can be a good destination for your first trip (provided you avoid the summer crowds). It's a lovely city, only six hours away from BA. The best place to try a delicious chupín (fish stew) and watch the happiness of the fur seals as they sight the first fishing boats coming into port.