Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Chinatown
So, Andre, our new friend Jennie and I went to Buenos Aires' Chinatown this weekend. It is pint sized in comparison to the NYC Chinatown. It's puny even next to the one back in DR. But, what I will give it is that it's very clean, well lit, touristy and welcoming. We had a fabulous lunch, yes! Chinese food, did a little shopping and experienced some wonderful Engrish.
They have the very basic chatchka stores:
Your staple Chinese supermarket where you can find sun dried mountain cat, pickled canary sphincters and other wonderfully Asian ingredients:
Fun fact: Chinatown is the only place in Buenos Aires where you can get authentic Peanut Butter. And just when you thought it couldn't get more indulgent; they give you options! Creamy or Crunchy?
They also have adapted temples of worship.
"Sin Heng Presbiterian Church: Cult in Spanish."
Quality shopping:
Isn't the advertising brilliant?
And the fashion? Oh my!
And, of course, what would a Monkey Paw post be without a little Street Art - Chinatown Edition.
Listen, I know this stuff is Japanese. I don't do the spraying, I just do the reporting.
They have the very basic chatchka stores:
Your staple Chinese supermarket where you can find sun dried mountain cat, pickled canary sphincters and other wonderfully Asian ingredients:
Fun fact: Chinatown is the only place in Buenos Aires where you can get authentic Peanut Butter. And just when you thought it couldn't get more indulgent; they give you options! Creamy or Crunchy?
They also have adapted temples of worship.
"Sin Heng Presbiterian Church: Cult in Spanish."
Quality shopping:
Isn't the advertising brilliant?
And the fashion? Oh my!
And, of course, what would a Monkey Paw post be without a little Street Art - Chinatown Edition.
Listen, I know this stuff is Japanese. I don't do the spraying, I just do the reporting.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
So last season.
I've heard of Christmas in July, but Halloween in March is just flat out ridiculous.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Won't touch this.
OK, so I have a confession to make. As most of you who already know me are aware, I'm very much into fashion. I'm not necessarily interested in being a part of the scene, but I do like to stay informed and I consider the way I and others dress to be very important. So a fashion piece for Buenos Aires has been looming in my head since I arrived. There is one particular trend that i want to touch on, the immensely popular Genie Pant. So, after all this preamble, my confession is that I, like many news shows before me, have gone around taking pictures of people when they weren't looking as to capture this phenomenon in the wild.
I see what they're going for. Casual wear / nice and loose = comfortable.
Unfortunately, what they're getting is an "I shat my pants and I'm proud" look.
I guess, though I'm not endorsing or advising it, if you ever find yourself with the desire or need to wear these MC-Hammer-poo-traps, make sure that when playing with the proportion and fit of the garment the focus is on the legs, not the ass.
You want to look like this:
Not this:
I see what they're going for. Casual wear / nice and loose = comfortable.
Unfortunately, what they're getting is an "I shat my pants and I'm proud" look.
I guess, though I'm not endorsing or advising it, if you ever find yourself with the desire or need to wear these MC-Hammer-poo-traps, make sure that when playing with the proportion and fit of the garment the focus is on the legs, not the ass.
You want to look like this:
Not this:
Odd Argentine Obsessions
1. Pet Shop Boys: The British dance-music duo is remarkably popular in Buenos Aires. This comes as a surprise if analyzing the phenomenon by looking for an individual musical source, when, in the grand scheme of things, the general "muzak" in Argentina seems to be very straight-forward electronic music. The other important thing to note about their taste for Pet Shop Boys is that context is completely irrelevant. Time, location; meh, who cares? You can groove to "New York City Boy" while having new keys made at a hardware store at 8 in the evening, just as easily as finding yourself doing an early morning strut through the isles of your local supermarket to the beat of "West End Girls" . I have.
2. Ham and Cheese: They put it in/on/with everything! Bread, salad, steak, chicken, crepes, beer, fruit. I don't mind it. I love Ham and Cheese, my favorite sandwich ingredients. But damn, on everything? My problem is not with the taste or look of the meals, on the contrary, often times the Ham and Cheese complement the dish very well. It's just a little disappointing to see such a lack of variety or imagination. The quality of Argentine produce is the highest I've ever seen; there's no good reason to keep pulling the same stale culinary trick over and over again.
3. Mullets: Though curious, I don't know how this came to be. What I do know is that this horrible fad affects the majority of the male population and an unfortunately high percentage of the female population. They've made the mullet into a science. There's the Mohawk mullet, where the sides are shaven off. For the girls, there's the Joan Jett mullet; kinda square, kinda cool, kinda "yeah, I need a shower, so what?". The standard, though, is the "Camionero" or trucker. The most similar of all to the U.S. mullet, this one applies to the common folk. It's mostly worn by the youth, highschoolers and such. Often children and or grown ups who refuse to age in a dignified manner will wear it as well. Regardless of nation, mullets still seem to give off that tragic and trashy vibe we've grown to expect and raise an eyebrow at.
4. Sexy Security Guards: Only pretty boys seem to score this job. I think it would be a pretty profitable venture to start civil suits in which you claim sexual discrimination for men who don't get hired because they aren't muscly enough. Personally, I don't think it's a good policy to have attractive law enforcement because, honestly, it makes me wanna shoplift some lipstick just so I can get man handled and frisked. Who watches the Watchmen? I do!
5. Protesting: This is a country filled with people that will throw themselves to the streets at any chance they get. I gotta say, the hippy / agent of chaos in me loves that, but at the same time, the rational survivalist in me is terrified of getting caught in some kind of coup-d'etat / Detroit riots nonsense. With the politically unstable history of Argentina, it makes me quite nervous to see public demonstrations as often as I do. This week alone there was a national "get to the streets" event in which different groups demanded more security for their communities, a teachers strike in Buenos Aires, a national farmers strike against high trade tariffs and a national holiday conmemorating the fall of the military dictatorship. How did they celebrate the holiday? You guessed it, by taking it to the streets.
2. Ham and Cheese: They put it in/on/with everything! Bread, salad, steak, chicken, crepes, beer, fruit. I don't mind it. I love Ham and Cheese, my favorite sandwich ingredients. But damn, on everything? My problem is not with the taste or look of the meals, on the contrary, often times the Ham and Cheese complement the dish very well. It's just a little disappointing to see such a lack of variety or imagination. The quality of Argentine produce is the highest I've ever seen; there's no good reason to keep pulling the same stale culinary trick over and over again.
3. Mullets: Though curious, I don't know how this came to be. What I do know is that this horrible fad affects the majority of the male population and an unfortunately high percentage of the female population. They've made the mullet into a science. There's the Mohawk mullet, where the sides are shaven off. For the girls, there's the Joan Jett mullet; kinda square, kinda cool, kinda "yeah, I need a shower, so what?". The standard, though, is the "Camionero" or trucker. The most similar of all to the U.S. mullet, this one applies to the common folk. It's mostly worn by the youth, highschoolers and such. Often children and or grown ups who refuse to age in a dignified manner will wear it as well. Regardless of nation, mullets still seem to give off that tragic and trashy vibe we've grown to expect and raise an eyebrow at.
4. Sexy Security Guards: Only pretty boys seem to score this job. I think it would be a pretty profitable venture to start civil suits in which you claim sexual discrimination for men who don't get hired because they aren't muscly enough. Personally, I don't think it's a good policy to have attractive law enforcement because, honestly, it makes me wanna shoplift some lipstick just so I can get man handled and frisked. Who watches the Watchmen? I do!
5. Protesting: This is a country filled with people that will throw themselves to the streets at any chance they get. I gotta say, the hippy / agent of chaos in me loves that, but at the same time, the rational survivalist in me is terrified of getting caught in some kind of coup-d'etat / Detroit riots nonsense. With the politically unstable history of Argentina, it makes me quite nervous to see public demonstrations as often as I do. This week alone there was a national "get to the streets" event in which different groups demanded more security for their communities, a teachers strike in Buenos Aires, a national farmers strike against high trade tariffs and a national holiday conmemorating the fall of the military dictatorship. How did they celebrate the holiday? You guessed it, by taking it to the streets.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
A Star is Born!
This is the new record from the newest, I'm assuming, Argentine musical sensation.
I gotta hand it to the promotional campaign, though. Their goal was to market Hip-Hop, and that they did.
Hmmm, perhaps a little too literally....
I gotta hand it to the promotional campaign, though. Their goal was to market Hip-Hop, and that they did.
Hmmm, perhaps a little too literally....
Thursday, March 19, 2009
PSA
"It's not a crime, it's a shame. Don't throw garbage. Thanks for helping."
"If Prostitution were a job, would you recommend it to your daughter?"
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Endorsement Galore
You know, times are a bit rough. World economy is in the shitter, world politics are in the crapper and the world climate is just flat out in the pooper. I understand that people need to make a buck any way they can. So, this post features a series of endorsement pics I've snapped around Buenos Aires.
John F. Kennedy Argentine University.
David Bowie has become an arms and munitions dealer....
As well as Fishing, Camping and Out Doors supplies.
Shitty presidents give their name to restaurants as to not be forgotten or be forced to tour the VH1 reality show circuit.
Liza Minelli is brought to you by Nike.
Basque terrorist group ETA has decided to diversify and go into the electronics business.
And, finally, Homer Simpson has become the official Argentine spokesman for weed.
John F. Kennedy Argentine University.
David Bowie has become an arms and munitions dealer....
As well as Fishing, Camping and Out Doors supplies.
Shitty presidents give their name to restaurants as to not be forgotten or be forced to tour the VH1 reality show circuit.
Liza Minelli is brought to you by Nike.
Basque terrorist group ETA has decided to diversify and go into the electronics business.
And, finally, Homer Simpson has become the official Argentine spokesman for weed.
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