Polo, Spanish class, other things

So what have I been up to. . . . It is polo season in Argentina and on Sunday I was invited by my Argentine family to see my first polo match. It was a hot sunny day but we only attended one match that was in the late afternoon, so we managed to not get completely fried. I guess the best polo players in the world are from Argentina and the sport is a pretty big deal here. It was fun to watch, rather exciting to see the horses almost run-hopping along. At one point, a horse fell and did a few somersaults while the polo player was still in his saddle. The crowd shouted and shuddered. An ambulance came out to revive the man, but within minutes, he was back on his feet and in the saddle, ready to keep playing (who knows how he was feeling the next day).

After the match, dolled up spectators lingered around the concession area - a concession area like I've never seen before. Lots of booths/bars sponsored by Mercedes (there were a few of the brand's cars parked on the lawn) and other high-end goods producers. It was all in all quite a glamorous scene.

The history of polo (quite interesting, actually):

http://www.argentinapolo.com/polohistory.html

I also started Spanish class this week and my first impression: boring!!!! I'd forgotten what old school class can feel like, it's like an insult to one's intelligence - I wish they had Montessori Spanish classes for adults! And the fact that there are only two other people in my class also keeps the energy buzz at nil. But I'll keep going back, it's only four doors down from my apartment, an extension program through the University of Buenos Aires. Class is everyday for three hours - but I can tell this time will get shaved off quite a bit because everyone is late, even on breaks (at least from what I can gather from the first two days). The professor is nice and extremely patient. When I speak, I feel like I have a mouth full of marbles.

Yesterday there was a student from Kenya, in our class temporarily for he was really supposed to be in Level 2. He told me and the other student, a recent graduate from Maine, that times were tough when he left Kenya, with all the killing going on, and since he's been in Argentina his grandmother, who raised him, has died as well as his girlfriend. But he says he wants to be out having fun, learning Spanish, dancing tango, rather than be in bed sad. Geez!

Today we had a new student from Norway, a fisherman in his mid-20s. He knows no Spanish, like me, and was quite flustered when the teacher spoke to him. It'll be fine. I think we'll all learn quite a bit, even if I totally disagree with the method in which it's taught! It's interesting for me, after all of the teaching I've done and school that I have behind me, to be this sort of student again - it reminds me of elementary school, talking about what profession people are in our workbook, how old are they, learning the alphabet...I guess it's a bit humbling. Maybe it's been a long time since I've tried to learn a new skill.

Some brain gymnastics never hurt anyone. The other day, the college grad asked me if I brought any good books with me (after telling her I'd just finished a MA in literature), and I said no and that I haven't read anything in a while. She then pulled out a book she had picked up, one I hadn't heard of, and explained it's not that great, that she feels like it's making her dumb. Perhaps my blank stare caused her to put the book away and our conversation ended. When I graduated college I was the same way about books, I wanted to get going on all the classics I hadn't read yet, books are so amazing, I'm an English major, I need to be well-read, etc. So I spent a lot of time reading some really great books, classics, that I could talk about and sound 'smart.' (And I LOVE books, don't get me wrong, and feel incredibly blessed that I've been able to read as many books as I have and have had extraordinarily stimulating conversations talking about them - books build civilizations, so read!) But I don't look to books anymore to make me 'smarter.' I'd rather follow my interests and if that leads me to a great classic, then wonderful, but that book's value might not be any higher than a low-brow book that gave me a great experience or awakened certain insights in me. (I guess I'm going against the idea that certain books are elitist and that those who read them are elite.) Bottom line, however, you've never read enough, and I realized in this moment with the recent college grad, that I wanted to be reading and wasn't.

My interests currently lie in getting to know Argentina, so I decided it's about time to read some of her authors. I'm bypassing Jose Luis Borges for now, even if he is the most celebrated author (I fear I may find him a bit boring) and opting for Julio Cortazar, or at least the one book of his I found at the English bookstore, his short stories. I also recently learned about another author, Roberto Arlt, an Argentine that wrote about the seedy side of life, broke literary rules, was really rather edgy and ahead of his time. I had to order his book 'Mad Toy' online for it's impossible to get any of his work here in English from what I've found.

I'm also continuing to let go of my organic produce fanaticism, I have no choice, it's just not possible here...it's amazing how ingrained that is in me, to buy organic, but I have to shut it off for now, and enjoy inferior-tasting conventional, chock-full of pesticides. Today I was purchasing some nuts and tofu at a nearby health-food store (the standard size for these health-shops are pretty small, about the size of a large closet, just to give a visual) and a sweaty (it's approaching 90*F) Englishman dressed in business attire came in asking the young man at the counter for diet pills to lose weight. He explained how the diet here is making him gain weight, it is horrible. He said he saw an ad for something on TV that's supposed to make you lose weight (if you pay attention to any of the adverts on TV you become inundated with weight-loss hoodoo). He was a little bit manic. But I could totally relate to that one-too-many-empanadas-and-steak feeling that leaves you feeling bloated and disgusting. The man had grocery bags of fruit and vegetables with him. He said he was going to check the name he had written down and come back to see if they had the tablets he saw on TV. After he dashed out, I asked the clerk if many foreigners come in saying the same thing, asking for help. He said, oh, yes, all the time. I asked if he had any tips regarding the Argentinian diet. He said he doesn't eat it, he's a vegetarian.