Saturday, December 8, 2007

Classical musical festival outdoors

It is the summer music concert season here in Buenos Aires, and the local classical music radio station AMADEUS is hosting their outdoor concert for the next 18 hours in the park by my house across from the US embassador's palace and the amazingly beautiful Spanish fountain. The weather is threatening to not cooperate, as we just had a little bit of a shower that cooled things off a bit. Crowds overall have been undeterred though. TheOne of my favorite things about Buenos Aires is the large selection of free cultural events sponsored by the city. This allows all porteños (citizens of Buenos Aires) access to culture irrespective of their socio-economic background. Here is a link to the festival for more information: http://www.amadeus103.com/programacion.asp?menu=1&prog_ext=true
I plan to go have dinner at an Italian restaurant in Las Canitas, and then venture over afterwards to see what wonderful music I can experience in my cultural bastion of Buenos Aires.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Loves me some waiting in doctor offices

I spent the better part of yesterday afternoon sitting in Sanitorio de la Trinidad yesterday. I had awoken to find one side of my face swollen to the size of small lemon, so I went straight away there. While I waited to see the resident doctor on duty, I studied the other patients waiting there as well. I played a little game to entertain myself called "Guess the Infirmity". I determined after some study that some had general aches & pains, one muscular guy was probably there for a torn ligament, a rather mousy woman was there for an allergic reaction to her 42 cats, another with bone cancer making it difficult to move, and me with my small new tumor. He he. It kept me entertained, along with cruising the 20 something hottie across from me. Finally, I saw the doctor and she ordered a sonogram (ecografía) of the area and determined that is was my thyroid gland was swollen and infected. She prescribed what I later found out was a potentially lethal dose of penicillin, until I later confronted her after realizing it. I was indignant that she had not asked me if I was allergic to penicillin. Anyway, the swelling is subsiding and me and my tumor face are hiding out at home in the meanwhile.