2 Days in One

Started off my morning by rinsing off the previous evenings festivities. Couldn’t go to church looking and smelling like a bum. That’s right, Beto was going to church. Somewhere I haven’t been in… I can’t remember that last time I attended church. I was going to a family baptism. Young Ignacio (Tato’s cousin), born just a couple months ago, proclaimed his faith through several hand gestures and crying techniques that he would like the become part of the Catholic Church’s family.
If I could communicate with him, I would advice him to hold off for a while and think about what he was getting himself into, there are many sacrifices he was going to make. It’s a large commitment; getting up early on Sundays, singing, sitting, standing, then sitting, standing, more sitting, oh then kneeling, and then more standing. With more singing sprinkling on top, with a couple readings and prayers mixed in, as well as my favorite part, wine and a cookie! But it doesn’t end there. There are the holiday masses, which can last hours. Classes, meetings, bible study, volunteer work, and worst of all, confessing your sins! But of course, I cannot relay this to young Ignacio, seeing as how the only thing he is capable of doing at this point in his life, is sleeping, shitting, and crying.
So I get up early, to support Ignacio, only to arrive late, and miss the Baptism ceremony. I guess I have become truly Argentinean, showing up so late, I miss practically everything! What we didn’t miss (mom your going to love this) is the ride back to Ignacio’s house for a Saturday afternoon asado! There was delicious meat, bread and wine. After we had our fill, and being the last to arrive at the church, we thought it only appropriate to be the first to leave. I didn’t mind, we had a train and bus ride awaiting us to get home before the start of the BULLS game.
Of course, Nocioni gets no love here, seems like Ginobli is the only Argentine in the NBA, because they did not televise the game…again. I had to go (I enjoy watching games there) to The Alamo, the only American bar that I have found in the whole city. I found 2 other bulls fans, and one Miami, we sat at the bar and enjoyed the whole game. It’s always fun to have at least one opposing fan, because u can heckle him and be heckled. It provides for a healthy atmosphere and makes the game that much more exciting and nerve wrecking. Of course, it’s always better to come out victorious, which the Bulls did in the first game of the opening round verse our rival, the Miami “cry baby” heat.
After an exciting and emotional game, I was drained. I was overcome with such joy from our huge victory that I wondered home in the rain, completely unaware that I was getting soaked. I cooked myself some delicious spaghetti, and passed out. I slept thru my alarm, phone calls, and people rushing in and out of the apartment. I didn’t get up till 1 in the morning. I debated if I should just remain in bed and get up early, and of course I choose not too. I put on my dusty dancing shoes and headed out to my first birthday party at night. (Tato’s b-day party started at noon).
I had no idea who the girl was; I was going with some Argentines who knew her. I have to admit. It was very interesting, not what I was expecting at all. There was a live band (prolly just some friends who offered to play for free because they were pretty bad), they played a rendition of Bob Marley, I Shot the Sheriff, but played the cords of a hard punk rock bad, kids were moshing! Haha. There was also food, drinks, and for the first time, ugly girls. But we didn’t let the bad music, ok food, and ugly girls let us down. We soon sifted through the thru the ugly ones and find the pretty ones hiding off to the side. We attached the bait to our poles, cast, and only waited for a couple of minutes before we felt some nibbling. Then a bite and a pull. We had nabbed it. We reeled her in, and her friends followed. For the next four hours we chatted and danced with girls who I thought were younger than me. Only to realize at four in the morning when they wheeled out the cake, which had a huge bright flaming candle read 28. I couldn’t believe it. We were talking to the birthday girl’s best friends, so I put two and two together and realized there couldn’t be that much disparity in age. And I was right, I asked how old, and was shocked to find they were all either 28 or 29. And as usual, I lied about my age, but only to the max. I had already let it slip that I was a studying abroad, so I can’t go over 22. Maybe I should come up with a new lie. Because when I asked how old they thought I was, (I almost peed myself, because no one has ever thought this) they said no fewer than 25.
Last night taught me a couple of things; I'm no longer a student, I am a recruiter for an American Marketing company looking for young, single, good looking Argentinean women who want to make good money. I am thinking of creating and buying fake business cards. Sounds like a good idea!!! Last night also taught me that techno is probably the most popular music down here, which sucks, because I felt like I was back at U of I with all the frat boys fist pumping and chewing on toxic glow sticks. The last thing last night taught me was that nothing starts till about 2 in the morning on weekends, and goes till the sun comes up. I was exhausted by the time we left. We had inadvertently waited out the storm.
When getting ready for bed, earlier events in the day, such as the baptism and Bulls game felt like a distant memory. Something that had happened weeks ago, but when recapping and reflecting on the good and bad decisions I made throughout, I realized I had lived them no more than 14 hours ago. And so 2 days in one concluded.
(the description of offering Ignacio advice is totally false, I know this is blasphemy, but it adds a different element to the story which I liked… so deal!!)