Por Memorias y Jucticia

When I was in Buenos Aires last year, I became a bit obsessed with 'Los Desaparecidos' (the disappeared). These are people who,during the dictatorship in Argentina,were taken away. Most were children and in some cases,their parents were killed. Every Thursday, a large group of women known as Asociación Madres de Plaza de Mayo, fight for justice and to find the children that were taken away from them.

The marker in the footpath below, are located all around San Telmo. Each one represent one of 'The disappeared' and is put there 'for memory and justice'. Thank God the man responsible for this horror has been found guilty and will spend the rest of his short,hideous life behind bars.

Former Argentine dictator jailed for life


Former Argentine dictator General Jorge Videla has been sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity.
A court in the central city of Cordoba found Videla criminally responsible for the torture and killing of at least 31 political prisoners during his rule.

The Supreme Court judgment was met with cheers by activists and relatives of victims, many of whom brandished photographs of their murdered loved ones.


This is the second time he has been sentenced for human rights abuses, having been pardoned from his first sentence 20 years ago.

That amnesty was overturned in 2007 and there are dozens of cases pending against the 85-year-old and other military leaders.

I Miss.....

Tango. I miss it a lot. I've had a break from it because it was making me sick. I hate how some people take it so freakin' seriously to the point of becoming elitist.

I need to discover a way where it's special for me. Where it's a quiet fire within me. Without listening to the negativity and the grief of other. Without absorbing the politics. After being on that side of things for so long, I feel I can finally turn my back on the crap and walk in the light and beauty of tango.

Seeing how tango truly is whilst in Buenos Aires was a revelation. It was wonderful to understand and feel it's simple truth. Tango is a man and the rest of us are women- getting frustrated about why he doesn't do what we want. Always wondering what he's thinking and why he's oh so complicated. The reality is-men and tango are not so complicated and mystical. If we take a deep breath and ask them, they will tell us to relax and not take it so seriously.

We get caught in the cogs of ganchos,voleos,volcadas,colgadas,paradas etc and do our heads in counting and obsessing about steps. We need to close our eyes and remember this;

Listen to the music,embrace,lead and follow. Connection.  This is the eye contact and the perfect dialogue of the tango.

Everything else is just a shouting match.

The Beautiful Song At The End

Jorge Drexler - Al Otro Lado Del Rio
(From the movie "The Motorcycle Diaries")


Clavo mi remo en el agua
llevo tu remo en el mío.
Creo que he visto una luz
al otro lado del río.

El día le irá pudiendo
poco a poco al frío.
Creo que he visto una luz
al otro lado del río.


Sobre todo, creo que no todo está perdido.
Tanta lágrima, tanta lágrima,
y yo soy un vaso vasio

Oigo una voz que me llama,
casi un suspiro:
¡Rema, rema, rema!
¡Rema, rema, rema!


En esta orilla del mundo
lo que nos es presa es baldío.
Creo que he visto una luz
al otro lado del río.

Yo, muy serio, voy remando,
muy adentro y sonrío.
Creo que he visto una luz
al otro lado del río.

Sobre todo, creo que
no todo está perdido.
Tanta lágrima, tanta lágrima, y yo
soy un vaso vacío...

Oigo una voz que me llama,
casi un suspiro:
¡Rema, rema, rema!
¡Rema, rema, rema!


Clavo mi remo en el agua
llevo tu remo en el mío.
Creo que he visto una luz
al otro lado del río.

(English Translation)

I nail (or plunge) my oar in the water
I carry your oar in mine
I believe I have seen a light
On the other side of the river

The day will come when we will be able to conquer
Little by little, the cold
I believe I have seen a light
On the other side of the river

Above all, I believe that all is not lost
So many tears, So many tears
And I am an empty glass (or - vessel)
I hear a voice that calls to me,

almost as a sigh :
"Row, Row, Row!
Row, Row, Row!"

In this border of the world
Where we are imprisoned, are uncultivated,
I believe that I have seen a light
On the other side of the river

I, very serious, go rowing
Very deeply inside and I smile
I believe that I have seen a light
On the other side of the river

Above all, I believe that
all is not lost
So many tears, So many tears.. and I
am an empty glass (or vessel)

I hear a voice that calls to me,
almost as a sigh :
"Row, Row, Row!
Row, Row, Row!

I nail (plunge) my oar in the water
I carry your oar in mine
I believe I have seen a light
On the other side of the river

Al Otro Lado Del Río

I miss Buenos Aires. I woke up this morning thinking of waking up and going to La Poesia in San Telmo for my tres media lunas y cafe con leche. Of milonga nights and creeping in at the wee small hours. The architecture, los piropos and everything else. Instead of rushing to work, I watched a bit of The Motorcycle Diaries to glimpse that wonderful city at the beginning and hear the beautiful song at the end.


I know it's a city with many problems and worries.I harbour no illusions that things are better there- just different.

 I just love it and want to be there.


I'm sad and lost. I wish - like the Piazzolla song- I could return South. Te quiero al Sur....

Vuelvo Al Sur

I was listening to this beautiful song on my iPod this morning. Written by Astor Piazzolla, it is a love song to Buenos Aires. It is covered by Gotan Project on their first album and they do indeed do justice to it.

Vuelvo al Sur,

como se vuelve siempre al amor,
vuelvo a vos,
con mi deseo, con mi temor.

Llevo el Sur,
como un destino del corazon,
soy del Sur,
como los aires del bandoneon.
Sueño el Sur,
inmensa luna, cielo al reves,
busco el Sur,
el tiempo abierto, y su despues.
Quiero al Sur,
su buena gente, su dignidad,
siento el Sur,
como tu cuerpo en la intimidad.
Te quiero Sur,
Sur, te quiero.
Vuelvo al Sur,
como se vuelve siempre al amor,
vuelvo a vos,
con mi deseo, con mi temor.
Quiero al Sur,
su buena gente, su dignidad,
siento el Sur,
como tu cuerpo en la intimidad.
Vuelvo al Sur,
llevo el Sur,
te quiero Sur,
te quiero Sur...
ENGLISH TRANSLATION

I return to the South

like one always returns to the love,
I return to you ,
with my longing, with my anxiety.
I carry the South
like a destiny of my heart,
I am from the South
like the melodies of the bandoneon.
I dream of the South,
a huge moon, the sky reversed,
I am looking for the South
the open time, and its thereafter.
I love the South,
its good people, its dignity,
I feel the South,
like I feel your body in intimacy.
I love you South,
South, I love you.
I return to the South
like one always returns to the love,
I return to you
with my longing, my anxiety.
I love the South,
its good people, its dignity,
I feel the South
Like I feel your body in intimacy.
I return to the South,
I carry the South,
I love you South,
I love you South...

A Little Buenos Aires On A Saturday Night

"Buy me what I want or you lose an eye!" Eugenio y Fernando with la torta de cumpleanos Cake and sparklers La Milonguita con un copa de vino Malbec.. muy bien!

Sarah y Eugenio

My housemate, Sarah has just begun dating a man from Uruguay. It was his birthday on Saturday and he kindly invited us both to his birthday shindig which was held at El Gaucho Argentinean grill on Nicholson St, Nth Carlton. It was nice to be surrounded by Argentinos and South Americans in general again.

Sooo good to eat parrilla again! My bife de chorizo wasn't as good as I hoped it would be as it wasn't cooked 'a punto' (medium rare). I did try something that I didn't when I was in B's A's and that was the offal platter. It wasn't too bad but I found I couldn't eat that much of it and also tried the famous morcilla (blood sausage) which is actually quite tasty!

I was meant to meet up with other people at Yah Yah's in Collingwood to see The Shimmys final gig but I was having such a good time at El Gaucho, I sent a text and cancelled. The group of people were all so friendly and I was enjoying the conversation and natural warmth of the people there. I'll definatly go back there to try other cuts of meat and throw back a few more glasses of that fabulous Malbec...

My Last Day & Night in Buenos Aires

A stunning day here in Buenos Aires. Sun shining and Jose singing in the hallway. How quickly time passes yet, I feel like I've been here for ages. I can't believe I'm leaving tomorrow. Can't someone just stuff wads of cash into my account for the rest of my life so I can stay here? I almost didn't get out of bed this morning. My head feels like it's going to explode. I took a couple of paraceutemol, took a long,hot shower and lay down for a bit. I realised yesterday that I hadn't been to La Boca and despite it's reputation and being overly touristy, I felt my pilgrimage wouldn't be complete without going. So I hopped into a cab and went there. Yes, touristy and tacky. I was able to do some last minute shopping and after being pimped and prodded I cabbed it back here to San Telmo. Just making a bit of pasta as a hole filler before I have my last beef supper downstairs with the beautiful people of Gran Parrilla Del Plata. They have been so good to me-then again I give them pretty good tips! It's nice that I have been treated kindly by the fabulous people of Buenos Aires despite the language barrier. I can't express how much I will miss this place. I was going through the things I bought as souvineers for everyone and realised I hadn't bought anything for myself in the way of snow cones, statues, etc etc. Then I thought about it and came to the conclusion that Buenos Aires can't be summed up for me that way. I've taken many photos of different things to try and capture a feeling. This is what I will take back to Australia with me- the magic and warmth of the portenos and the spirit of BA. Plus 6 pairs of tango shoes. Off to my last milonga tonight. I'm tossing up between Bohemia and Tango Queer- only because the latter is a 2 minute walk from where I'm staying. I'll see if I have the strength to fit both in! This is my last post in this magical city. Next time I write, I guess I'll be at my computer at work dreaming my way back to Argentina.

Ultimo Sabado en Buenos Aires

Another glorious day in this fabulous city. I'm sitting on my bed with the balcony door open and listening to the sounds rising up from the street. All the cafes are chockers with people dining and enjoying being away from work. I'm fighting the urge to sleep as there's a milonga I want to go to and this is my last opportunity. I can sleep later. Saturday night is date night in Buenos Aires so chances of getting a dance tonight are buckleys and none. All the men dance with only their wives or girlfriends and that's just the way it is. The milonga I'm going to is a bit different and seems to be the only one on a Saturday where a single person be it man or woman can get a dance. I'm trying to get as much tango in before I have to come home as I know I won't have it again- at least until I return which I very much plan to. Dancing tango back in Australia will be even more disappointing and frustrating that ever now. I will miss the way the men hold you and glide you effortlessly around the floor. I think I'll need a break from it when I return but for now, I'm going hard core! I had my class with Graciela Gonzales the other night and it was fabulous. It was amazing to see two women teach a class on technique for couples rather than the usual dictorial male with female accompanyment. It was easy to understand (despite the whole lesson being in Spanish) and they teach very well. This morning I had another class with Aurora who teaches technique for women and she is just the best. I'm looking forward to my private class with her on Monday. Hopefully she can iron out my mistakes and I can keep practicing to perfect the art of balance and posture. My Americano friend, Joey left today to move to Maderos, which is another part of Buenos Aires. He's been great to chat to while I've been here. We've exchanged email addresses and will keep in contact. This hostel has been amazing. I've got a huge room with a double bed and a balcony that lets me people watch to my heart's content. The domestic staff come in everyday to change and make my bed and clean the room. All this for only 80 pesos a night. There is hardly anyone here due to it being low season so it's really quiet. Everyone that works here is fantastic. I think I'm going to have a little siesta and then get ready to check out this milonga in Congreso for a short while. I hope to get a couple of dances and then meet up with Sabrina y Ralph for a nice dinner somewhere and then onto another milonga to watch the couples dance the night away. I guess observation can be a good teacher as well. I have to enjoy each moment while I have the opportunity as this time next week I'll be waking up in Melbourne and not Buenos Aires.

Carlos Gardel y Margarita

I fully intended to keep this blog up by uploading pics and writing a little blurb each day on my time here in Buenos Aires but I guess I've busier than anticipated. I've also used the time that I thought I would write on siestas and usually when I awake, I get out and find dinner. Not quite dinner time here so I thought I'd catch up on some details. Since I last wrote, I've done 3 amazing classes. First with the incredibly talented (and muy guapo) Hugo Daniel on basic tango technique then with a woman named Gabriella who is a specialist in a technique called milonga con traispie (milonga rhythm with 'tripping'-). A bit hard to explain this one but it's not easy but amazing to learn and do. The following night, Di organised a class for all the Australian women to have a class with Aurora who is great at correcting posture and showing you the basics in tango which are a lot harder than one would imagine. I was all over the shop but towards the end started getting a bit better. I've booked a one on one class with her this coming Monday and I know it will be worth every peso. Also on Tuesday in the afternoon, I was in Centro wandering around and there were buskers doing street tango. I had my shoes with me as I was going to a class and they asked if I did tango. I said 'si' and he got me up for a spin. It was hard to swivel in my street shoes (should have put my jazz sneakers on at least) but it was a lot of fun and a good laugh. I have photos to remind me. Yesterday, I taxied it over to Chacarita Cemetary to see the final resting places of some of my favourite tango muscians; Carlos Gardel, Osvaldo Pugliese, Carlos Di Sarli and Anibal Troilo. Lots of great and cheesy pics especially with Gardel who always had a cigarette between his fingers. I bought a packet of ciggies and a lighter just so I could do this as well! My bus/tour guide chico took me around specially and took all my photos. I wasn't going to stand up on the tomb but he was pointing and saying 'arriba!' (up) so up I got. Glad I did because it made for better pics. We went to a gay milonga after dinner last night and the dancing between the men was sensational. I had one horrible dance with a tourist who was in one of my classes the other day. Shocking- felt like I was back in Melbourne being shoved around. What is it with guys who don't understand the simplicity of the social dance? Why must they try every single step and manouvre they've learned in one dance? Mucho frustrado. I had a quiet-ish one today and caught up with Ralph and Sabrina in the afternoon. We went to La Poesia for coffee and media lunas first and then we walked to Centro to check out the free tango stuff at Harrods. Gretaflora shoes had a stall there and I bought a beautiful green pair for 250 pesos which is nothing- Gretaflora can be a bit expensive normally and their shoes are gorgeous. I have now purchased 5 pairs of shoes! That's actually modest compared to Sabrina who is up to 12 and still going! Tonight I am having a class with Graciella Gonzalez which will be a dream come true. Dianne has told me about her for ages and how amazing her technique is, especially with women. What hooked me was an ad I saw in one of the free tango magazines someone brought home with them. Most tango teachers do standard tango poses in full dress. Her ad was a picture of her sitting on a bench with her cat. She was wearing fluffy slippers and smoking a ciggie. I saw that and said 'she's for me!'. That unpretentious picture spoke volumes to me. Let's hope I do okay and benefit from her knowledge. I will find it hard to leave this little pocket of Buenos Aires that I've come to know and love in such a short time. I've been to the restaurant downstairs so often they greet me at the door with kisses and joy. They call me part of their family. I will miss them all so much. I'm still here and will be for another five days so I'll enjoy every moment and just go hard core with everything I love about this place.

Lazy Sunday In San Telmo

One week on in Buenos Aires... I may never leave! After a mad week of milongas,classes,touristy bits and shoe shopping, I woke up this morning and decided to have a quiet one today. We went to a milonga last night that took us half an hour in a cab to get there and it wasn't very good. Very cliquey and snooty and we were wondering who you had to fuck to get a dance. We went there because David and Di were asked to perform there and we were told it was quite an honour as some of the best dancers and teachers go there. The women on the door were bitches and the milonga is held in a decrepit basketball hall. There was a storm last night (wicked!) and the rain was coming in through the roof! Anyway, we did it for David and Di and they were grateful to us for the support. I got back to my room at 5 am and was shattered. I was meant to go on a boat ride to Tigre but it was raining and windy. Luisa said it was a bad day for it so I rang the gang and let them know that I would be a no show for the day excursion. I really needed a day to myself. After breakfast and only 4 hours sleep, I decided to come back to bed and have a few more hours! I woke up and went for a walk a couple of streets from here to Defensa, where they have a street market. It was packed with people and the usual handicrafts that I've seen everywhere. I bought a couple of things and then sat at a corner cafe to have a cafe con leche and an empanada. There was a Mapuche couple playing indiginous instruments on the other corner and it was lovely. They played to a backing track and one of the tunes is a song from 'Y Tu Mama Tambien'. I sat there thinking what a perfect moment it was- listening to this music and enjoying my coffee from a corner in Buenos Aires. After my coffee, I wandered back the other way and noticed a batucada group about to start on a corner so I stayed to listen to them and they were amazing! I love batacada (Brazilian drums) and after donating 5 pesos to them, I stayed to have a little boogie! Too bad I forgot to take my camera as it would have made a great photo. Markets are a prime target for tourists to be pick pocketed so I took minimal cash with me and left my camera back here. So, back in my room, being lazy again and wondering where I'll go for dinner. I've had dinner downstairs most night because it's fantastic and also very convenient but I need a break from parilla and might try another place I discovered around the corner called La Poesma. I'm off to Torquato Tasso tonight which is the first milonga I went to- it was a good one and you seem to get dances there. Let's hope the strike rate is good again! I went to 2 milongas on Friday- one at Confiteria Ideal and another one that was just out past the one we went to last night and I had dances at both. At the second one, I only danced with this guy named Victor who my amigos were convinced wanted to come home with me! He danced with me a lot even though our first dance was clunky and he kept putting his arm around me. He was quite attractive-he looked Mapuche- but the language barrier makes things a bit difficult! He was a beautiful dancer but most Argentino men are. I wonder how I'll ever go to a milonga or practica in Melbourne again. I've been so spoiled here and loathe the thought of going back to Australian men who rush you around the floor and push your arm like you're a poker machine! The weather up until now has been warm and almost Summer-like but we had a massive storm last night and today has been very chilly. It's the first time I've had to wear my coat which I think I'll be taking tonight as well. I think I may also make it an alcohol free night as it's been constant with drinking every night although I haven't really been drunk. It's not the done thing here and you wouldn't risk it as a tourist. You can get a drink anywhere- I bought a beer from the milk bar across the road! You can get wine and spirits as well. A bottle of water and a bottle of beer cost the same price. Okay, off to shower and get ready. I'm getting hungry and need food. Pictures soon- I promise!

Cementerio de la Recoleta and Furry Friends

Spent the afternoon at this amazing place. Here's me at the front of Eva Peron's tomb at Recoleta Cemetary. Surprisingly modest compared to other people's crypts. This place is like a suburb and the some of the tombs are bigger than peoples houses! I guess there's still money in this town despite the crash of 2002 and the devalued peso. I've been having trouble uploading my pics to my blog for some reason. I'll hopefully get some up soon using another computer. Began the day at Comme il Fait, which are the Manolo Blahnik's of tango shoes. Quite the experience going there but a good one. You climb a flight of stairs, ring a door bell, they let you in,sit you down and bring boxes of shoes out to you. The first pair they brought out were the one's I bought- black classic style with red polka dots and red heel cap. I just love them. They're the most expensive shoes I've bought in a long time but I figure, hey, when will I get out here again and how long can I wear these kinds of shoes for? I'd never get that kind of experience in Melbourne. I love this city and I'm so glad I'm here.

San Telmo´s Fire

¡Hola para Buenos Aires! I can´t believe I´m finally here. Despite the fact that I am jetlagged to the max and feel like I´m coming down from an acid trip, I am totally loving it here. I left Melbourne for Sydney on a 7am flight Saturday morning and boarded a plane for B´s A´s at 10.30. Flight was pretty cruisy except for the usual uncomfortableness of economy seats but even they aren´t really anything to complain about. I spent the majority of the flight watching movies and documentaries and caught a bit of sleep in between. We landed in Buenos Aires, were waved through customs and through to our waiting mini bus. I tried my mobile to find that I don´t have international roaming on it so no phone for me whilst here.. I gave the tour guide the address of Ayres Porteños and away we went. Driving out from the airport didn´t seem too dissimilar to Melbourne so there wasn´t any ooohhing or ahhhing . Eventually the driver pulled over and said we were at my hostel so David helped me with my suitcase and they were gone. The guy at the front desk knew who I was immediatly which was nice. Poor guy was nursing a pretty severe hangover and was consuming mate like there was no tomorrow! He completed all my details and then helped me with my suitcase up two flights of stairs. My room, which I envisioned to be akin to a broom closet is actually large with a double bed, side tables, a table with chairs to sit at and a large wardrobe. The shared bathroom is right across the hall. The place is old and I found out at breakfast from Luisa, the breakfast lady that it was built in 1920 as a rooming house for small families. It had been vacant and run down for a while until someone bought it and decided to open it as a backpackers to take advantage of the tourist trade- good move as it´s a pretty cool place. Nothing like Casa Bolivar where the others are staying but okay if like me, you just want a crash pad. The showers leave a lot to be desired but hey, you can get one and that´s all that matters! Once I´d unpacked, showered and changed, I went out in search of coffee. A fellow blogger mentioned that if I want to get to know this city well, walk as much as possible so I´m taking her advice. I found a place a couple of blocks from here and braved my bad Spanish by asking for a cafe con leche (coffee with milk) which arrived quickly with a little biscuit and a small glass of soda water- nice touch. I´ve since discovered that this is de riguer. I ask how much and she replies ¨"ocho". I walk out thinking eight bucks for a coffee is pretty steep until I remember it´s in pesos, not dollars. I do the math and realise it´s pretty cheap. I´ve been told many times and read about piropos which is just the word here for the attention and compliments men give you as you walk down the street. I received some by a group of men on my way to find coffee and a couple on the way back. Muy buena para mi alma! I come back to my hostel and do some map reading which I find difficult as I´m exhausted from the flight. I give in to a cat nap and then get on the internet to try and remember where Dave,Di etc are staying as I completely forget where they tell me as I´m retarded with jetlag. A local who I think might work here starts speaking to me in Spanish. I tell him ´´no hablar Española- soy Australiana¨. He persists in trying to converse with me in Spanish and I get up to get a pen. He follows me to my room, peers inside the door and asks ´tu sola?¨ "Si" I reply. He laughs and asks why I have such a big bed for one person then suggests that maybe he could get in with me... ha ha- nice try, pal! More map reading and still having difficulty. I´m going cross-eyed and feel ill from lack of sleep. Then before I know it, I wake up and it´s 8pm! I get up and ring the tour guide and ask here the name of the hotel where she dropped my friends´ off and she gives me the details. I ring to speak to them but the front desk closes at 8. I decide to get ready and take a taxi down there to see if I can find them. The cabbie doesn´t speak English and I try to communicate with my broken Spanish. We get there and there´s no sign of life. I get him to bring me back here and I go to dinner at the restaurant downstairs. One of the waiters there speaks good English and he takes care of me. When Argentine´s tell you they have the best beef in the world, believe them. I ate the most divine piece of steak ever that night, not to mention some of the nicest red wine. It´s 11pm and the restaurant is jammed with locals. Dinner at 11pm but when in Buenos Aires, do as the porteños do. My waiter then says he wants to give me a free shot of Limoncello and I accept. I pay the bill- Steak, papas fritas and 3 glasses of vinto tinto come to 60 pesos. What a bargain! My waiter tells me that he hopes I come back and he´ll see me again. I shuffle upstairs to my room feeling like a well fed princess and go to bed.

Last Post Till Argentina

It's here.. finally! My last day at work for just over 3 weeks. I'm getting through my work, tidying my very messy desk and setting up my 'out of office' message to let the world know I'll be in Buenos Aires. So, for my grand audience of 1 or 2, this will be my last post until I reach my destination, settle in and explore the city a bit. I've decided to take my lap top with me as hand luggage, as my hostel has wi fi throughout and I can upload my pics to co-incide with my bloggage. Still much to do, last minute run arounds tomorrow and then packing. Better make sure I'm under as bloody Qantas charge you $50 for EVERY kilo you're over. Bastards. I'm both excited and nervous at the same time. I also have a hangover. I guess it should make for an interesting day.... So until then, hasta luego and I'll see you on the other side...

The Countdown Begins

I can't believe it's only 5 more days till I leave for Buenos Aires! Despite the fact that I still have much to do before I go, I am sooooo excited! A few things I'll do when I'm there..

We are DEFINATLY going here! Appointment made for 10.30am, August 13! Bring it on!

SHOES SHOES SHOES!!!! Recoleta Cemetary after shoe shopping to see Evita's tomb

Street tango ahoy

Mucho cafe at the famous Cafe Tortoni

Museo de Carlos Gardel- The Elvis of Tango