Free Things to Do This Weekend

Ruben and I are packing for tango in Brazil tomorrow, but if you're in town this weekend there are a couple of free fun family-friendly things to do here in Buenos Aires.

For culture vultures and music lovers, this is the final weekend for the Corsos that take place in various neighborhoods around the city. More info on previous posts.

And for all you expat sports fans out there, Yanqui Mike has alerted me to the baseball game tomorrow, Saturday, February 27. There is free transportation on the Shankee Shuttle leaving at noon from Plaza Italia. You can read more about it on his blog.

Meanwhile, Ruben and I will be checking out the batucada in Brazil, as well as the samba, lambada, and the milongas!

How do you say Hasta luego in Portuguese? Oh yeah, vejo você depois!

Happy Tangocherie...

After a night at the milonga...and a half a bottle of champagne!

British Tango Cherry

Some years ago I discovered two Bhutan monasteries named Tango and Cheri. A Bhutan monastery tour usually includes them both, a total Tango Cheri experience!

We all know that the word tango is used to sell many products, most that have nothing to do with music, dance or Argentina. It's just a sexy marketing ploy. Now I discovered there is a British soda pop with the name Tango Cherry. For expat Brits who miss their Vegemite and other delicacies, they can order from obliging websites like this one.

While I love the idea and name of Tango Cherry soda, I'm not inclined to order any. But I'd love to know if it's delicious as it should be with that name, right?

More Murga in Boedo

Recuerdos of last weekend's murga: a little video and some pics I snapped on Avenida Boedo and Carlos Calvo, a block from my house and a block from the famous intersection of San Juan y Boedo. Generally
there are 3 murga groups per night, we stayed for only this one, Los Mucosos de Liniers (The Snots of Liniers).

As you can see, it's nothing like Carnaval, but with its own very special charm. Carnaval is about fun fun fun, while the murga has its roots in social protest.
















There are many murgas in various barrios throughout the city of Buenos Aires. Try to catch one on Saturday and Sunday during February. But watch out for kids wielding spray cans of foam!!

Fileatado -- Pure Porteño

Nothing says Buenos Aires more than the decorative art of fileatado. This century-old design style is even more porteño than tango, with a similarly vague history including laws against it in the '70s. I love it because it's original, happy, elegant, colorful and fun.

Purely decorative, it used to be seen on signs, buildings, and especially, vehicles. Nowadays it's mainly found where tourists go. Fileatado serves as a neon arrow pointing to local tourist sights, particularly in San Telmo, La Boca, tango shows. Tourism can be thanked for reviving this unique art form. (And some say that tourism is saving the tango as well.)

The sign above I purchased in San Telmo in 1997 and took back with me to Los Angeles, carrying it to Mexico where I lived for several years, and then here to Buenos Aires. I just bought this one as is, but you can special order signs or plaques to say anything you want. They are perfect souvenirs because you won't find fileatado anyplace else.

You can read more on fileatado in The Argentimes, and find some history here, and if you're really into it, you can read Alfredo Genevose's definitive book pictured and linked below.

It's Carnaval Time in Boedo!

Every Saturday and Sunday night in February the corsos of Boedo will be participating in Carnaval.

It's great fun, free, and a true time of dancing in the streets.
(Parking is difficult, BTW.) It's not like Rio, or Gualeguachu with naked ladies in feathers, but it has a wonderful vibe and rhythm of its own.

So starting this weekend, I hope to see you there. Just wear old clothes and maybe glasses or sunglasses in case you get squirted with soap suds (the tradition.)

Read more here.

Previous tangocherie posts on Carnaval here and here.

And here's my 2007 post on the Murgas of Buenos Aires.

Gaucho Gourmet

Francis Mallmann is Argentina's star chef. I accidentally caught his TV show as he was cooking amazing hot salads in the middle of a field of snow. Alone. With his famous accoutrements of an upholstered love seat, DVD player, artistic fire rings, and his sports vehicle which hauls everything around (along with his cameraman, I assume.)

First of all, he has great charisma, a part of being a "star" anything. But it was so dramatic, romantic, and sexy to see him prepare the gourmet food--that wasn't a side of beef-- in the middle of nowhere. He kept me glued to the screen. You can read more about his gaucho grilling here.

But what you really want to do is catch his show on the Gourmet channel (elgourmet.com), and be inspired. It was a bit of a shock to me, but there is more than meat to eat in Argentina!