Items of desire..

or ?

Stumbling into a bookstore along Av. Corrientes

At night, with the bright lights shining from the famous theatres, Corrientes is a galore of sightseeing, its wide avenue giving you ample space to mull and get lost in your own thoughts.

Yet the one thing that I love most about Corrientes other than the perfectly symmetrical view of the obelisk you get when crossing the road, is that littered along the street are its famous old and dusty bookstores. Walking to meet my friend and a friend of hers for our vegetarian dinner last night, I found myself unwittingly drawn to these numerous old bookstores along the avenue, all oozing with the musty yet alluring smell of good second-hand books waiting for an owner to claim them.

The bookstores make you feel like you’re in a completely different world, and with the towering bookshelves full of treasure and knowledge, it’s hard not to feel like a child in a large candy kingdom. There usually aren’t many English books, but there are plenty of old Glamour or design magazines from the 1990s, and it is common to find yellowed Mafalda comic books or a collection of newspaper articles from a particularly weird year, like 1978 for example.

I wanted to encounter a book in Spanish that was relatively easy to read yet interesting enough, not some 5-year old kid storybook talking about birds and trees. Guess what I found for a ridiculously cheap pricetag of 20 pesos? I found a book about beauty queens and make-up tips, all in good quality, full-colour pages! It was the perfect thing to read and learn Spanish! Without any hesitation of course, and at the risk of looking like a empty-headed bimbo, I bought it.

Now time to enjoy some bimbo-ness this upcoming long weekend!

: )

Snail mail is the sweetest

Yesterday I arrived home, exhausted after a long day of work, and to my absolute surprised, realised I had post from Jinhua! Yes, it was her familiar writing and London address scribbled at the back of the envelope, and immediately I found myself grinning for the first time yesterday. The inside of white envelope was a square card with a sandy heart on the cover, such a sweet gesture, just like her!

Thank you sweetie for ALWAYS remembering my birthday, for never failing to surprise me no matter which country I am in the world, and for always being such a giving person. Thank you my sleepover partner (and fellow midnight-feast khaki) and oldest (in terms of how long we’ve known each other) friend!!

I love the snail mails you send (and I may rightly say I have accumulated quite a pile of them over the years). You’re the best!!

The smell of leather..

I had been meaning to get a leather jacket for quite a while already, influenced by the trendy yet timeless leather overcoats being cat-walked all around the streets with winter in all its freezing glory. Yet I wasn’t willing to spend more than 600-700 pesos buying something that I might not use all the time. I just wanted to complete the Argentine look that I sometimes accomplish with my dark orangey-brown leather boots. Well, I guess like most girls, I get influenced by the fashion of the cities I live in and soon the obsession with getting something leather was too much to bear.

Finally, I decided that I would ask my Spanish professor Debora for some advice on cheap leather shopping. She knows quite alot about getting clothes at cheaper prices (of course you might have to go a little out of the way for them, but it’s usually worth the effort). So, last Saturday we went to Scalabrini Ortiz and somewhere near Avenida Cordoba, in Morillo, we found a whole treasure cove of leather shops selling products at awesome outlet prices! Entering Morillo 666 (one of the most famous shops there) – we breathed in the heavenly smell of leather – which was initially overpowering for me, but eventually deliciously tempting – and I saw so many different versions of leather jackets it was so hard to choose. Obviously, like all clothes, you have to check for size, cut, and colour of your choice. There were some pretty biker-chick jackets, but way out of my budget. The only one that I relatively liked and was at a reasonably cheap price of 440 pesos (cash only, not credit card) was a rather classic black cut, slightly longer at the torso which I liked – since it gave the illusion that my torso was longer than it really is.

However, being me, I wasn’t content at settling at just one option. So, we heading down and across the street to check out some other shops. In the drizzle, we finally arrived at a shop called “Donna” – slightly smaller than Morillo 666, but with a shop attendant that was slightly older and seemed to have more years of experience. The service was especially personalized – she brought many different types of jackets for my trying, and finally, after half an hour of complete indecision, I found one in the colour of hershey’s dark chocolate that fit my body shape and skin- at a great price of 550 pesos after a heft 100 pesos discount since I was paying in cash.

So. I left Morillo a happy girl, despite the gloomy day and non-stop rain. Hopefully I’ll put it to great use! I have quite enough jackets now; will stop shopping and start saving. In the meanwhile, let me ravel in the authentically rich smell of leather lingering in my cupboard! Ahhhhh….

The arrival of Winter

Temperatures these days hover between 11-13 degrees, and with sun they make nice days if you’re covered well and feeling snug and warm under your jacket and pullovers. But without the sun and adding the chilly wind in your face, it makes it a tad difficult to enjoy the last weeks of autumn.

Winter starts on the 21st of June, and already the girls have begun to strut their stuff in Argentine high fashion – leather boots, well-cut trenchcoats, lovely scarves and fur coats. Stockings, leggings, tight sequined jeans, whatever, you name it, it’s out there on the streets. As shops here in Argentina are mainly by the roads, (shopping centres are the exception, rather than the norm), it makes it quite a delight to walk in the streets and window shop. At the same time, clothes and bags and shoes here aren’t exactly cheap – especially if you want to get something of a reasonable quality that will last.

Bought a pair of orange-brown leather boots two weeks ago, my first pair of leather boots that I fell in love with the very moment i tried them on. They go great with a short dress and stockings, or just wear them over a pair of fitting jeans. The only problem is that because it is a rather bright colour, it is slightly difficult to match everything, so I’ve only used them 2 times so far, for special occasions. I’m currently looking for a winter coat/jacket to last me the next 3 months – something that is nice yet versatile so I can flexibly mix and match my accessories and other pieces with. Have been looking around for quite a while but till now have yet to find one that makes me fall in love immediately.

I have to admit that Argentine fashion is beautiful, especially on the girls here – but you have to search around for something that fits both your taste and budget. Argentines pay special attention to the way you dress – your shoes, your nails, the quality of your clothes, the colour combination especially. It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t put in any effort at all in their dressing – it’s sort of ingrained in their DNA.

Winter season is when all the winter clothes and shoes come out, and my oh my, despite the pain in the ass temperatures, it is a pleasure to dress up and observe the people here! Wish all of you were here.

Depto searching

Last weekend and this week so far has been spent mainly on searching for an apartment (or “departamentos” in Spanish, and “depto” for short). House shopping as you may call it; a place to live, something between 40-50 square metres of space, preferably in a new tower (or condominium if you like) with ammenities and something within the budget.

Now that I’ve seen a couple of places, I’m starting to have an idea of what specific things to look out for and how not to be just simply impressed by the fact that an apartment has a nice big balcony – since perhaps a 12 square metres balcony would take up alot of precious space in a 53 sqaure metres apartment. There are many factors involved in searching for an apartment; first of all, the location, somewhere accessible near the Subte station and with buses that take you downtown, not just around the neighbourhood. It must also be located in a relatively safe neighbourhood, not one which is well-known for gangsters, robberies and other crimes. Then, whether you like it old or new – some prefer the older buildings because the apartments come with alot more space for a lot less money. Others would rather live in a smaller one-room apartment but have the convenience of a common room, a gym, and a swimming pool right at your doorstep.

Next, you have to pay attention to the structure of the house – Yes, square metres count but do is the space utilized efficiently? Is the overall shape of the apartment a square, a rectangle, or U-shaped? Where is the kitchen located? Is it situated near a door or window that will allow easy ventilation? Is the kitchen long or compressed in one corder? How many places are there for you to cook? Is there a door or wall separating the kitchen from the living room and most importantly from the bedroom? Remember that in a small apartment, the smells from your tiny kitchen can well up in the whole house and make it quite unpleasant especially if your bedroom has no division. What about the essential electrical appliances – is the refridgerator and the over provided? Is there a space for the washing machine in the house? Or do you have to replace the bidet for the washing machine?

How about the living room? Where is the window at, if there is any at all? How do the windows work – can they be opened sideways as well as at the top to allow ventilation during winter? Where the blank wall where a television can be mounted? How should the sofa be put? What about the dining table as well? Is there a balcony for you to sit at and sip some wine, or just to sit outside and get some fresh air and sun, and a place to hang your clothes? What material is the floor made of – is it wood or just plastic made to resemble wood? Is the price of the floor already included in the total price of the apartment?

What about security – if it’s an older building, does it have a porter for security? Whether it is old or new, how is the maintenance of the place upkept? How much are the monthly expenses to maintain the building? Is it calculated by a certain amount per square metre? What about the money you need to pay for a parking lot? Also, how does the apartment make you feel? Do you feel a sense of peace and quietness when you enter the building? Is it on a relatively safe and calm street, not right next to a neighbourhood secondary school where you have to hear kids screaming and shouting the whole day? Does it feel open and free, or small and cosy but a little suffocating? Is the hallway brightly lit? Is the corridor narrow with all the neighbours having to squeeze together while waiting at the lift lobby?

So many things to take into consideration – but also quite fun, because ultimately the apartment has to be a place you want to come home to – as with any home. Gonna be on the hunt for quite a while! Updates to come when there are any!

Missing home.

One of those days where I wish I was with my family; with my parents who nag at me about almost everyday, to whose loud voices I wake up to especially during the weekends; with my brother who bugs me about reading his blog, about looking at his later computer graphics and hand-drawn graffiti; with my sister who doesn’t really say much to me but I know feels so much, especially now that I am so far from home.

I miss the large empty space in my room that is mines and only mine; the high wooden roof that is so magically calming whenever I stare at it just before I close my eyes to sleep; the large swaying palm trees outside my house that wake me up with their mystical side-to-side dance; the knowledge that I will be able to get my point across because I am speaking in my beloved English, and not a foreign language whose formats and structures I am only beginning to grasp. I miss the smell of my house, which now I have forgotten, and I miss it not because it smells of perfume or some nice scent, but because it is familiar and reminds me I am home. The mixture of garlic in simmering hot oil, the fragrant aroma of Shah busy cooking dinner in the kitchen, the three storeys of stairs I have to climb up and down everyday to get to and from my room. I miss the freedom of space I have in my house, where the large patio lures you attractively to sit on the outdoor sofa by the fountain with Japanese Koi merrily swimming in their water world, to breath in the freshness of a garden next to you, to enjoy the wind caressing your face as you lay legs outstretched and deeply engrossed in a good old-fashioned remedy of great literature.

I miss returning home and seeing Aunty Catherine and my mum perched on the edged of my mum’s bed, lost in an excruciatingly long and seemingly never-ending Korea drama all about mother-in-laws and how they ill-treat their daughter-in-laws. I miss seeing my mum working hard at her sudoku challenge book #3 and ticking the exercises she got right. I miss waking up and realizing my father has been at his computer for the last few minutes checking his capital gains from the stock market’s movements. I miss Aunty Catherine and her thousand and one comments about everything under the sun, and her showing off a new top or skirt that she had bought at an indecent discount. I even miss Shah, and her funny questions like “Felicia, how come today so early?”

I have gotten used to another routine, living with another family I have to be accustomed to the differences in culture and traditions, which is perfectly fine for me. I have always been one to adjust pretty easily to new situations, maybe not totally integrating into everything immediately, but at least to be able to settle in without much difficulty; just a bit more effort on my side to be neater, help out more with household chores, to be quicker when taking a shower, to wash my clothes every few days instead of everyday as I was used to at home. Thankfully the weather here permits not washing the clothes everytime you use them; but still it is small things like these that require getting used it; they make up everything that defines your daily routine; like what you eat for breakfast, where you sit at the dinner table, if there is even a habit of eating dinner together; tiny details like how the bed is made; how the toilet smells different because of special toilet scents sprayed every 15 minutes, they all make up such a large difference.

Especially missing my friends, and relatives, with whom I used to spend so much time with; Aunty Adeline, Shawn and their family, my grandparents who always ask me if I miss them and to come and spend sometime together, either shopping or having dinner at their house. I miss being sure enough of the environment and language to be able to move around the city freely on my own; to have the security that I can bring my credit cards and a ton of cash around and feel safe knowing there is low probability that I will be robbed or pickpocketed. I miss the efficient public transport that is almost always working and definitely always clean. I miss the shopping centres which are enormously huge and have everything you could possibly need in them. I like the luxury of choosing which area I want to go to shop in, where I want to walk, how I’d like to dress without having weird men on the streets calling me “Chinita” because they are bored, although now that doesn’t bother me at all.

I miss speaking in Singlish! Can’t believe it but it’s true. l hear so much Spanish everyday, and yes I still speak in English sometimes, but I love it when I call home and Ronald picks up the phone and I lapse into great lengths of battered Singlish, my mind trying to reconnect the dots and remind me where to tag the “la”s and the “lor”s. I love calling my grandparents and hear the light in my granny’s voice when she recognizes my voice. I love her silly questions such as whether I am getting fat here from eating meat all the time. And I miss my grandfather giving me advice over how to keep warm and prepare for winter. I miss them. I miss my family and my friends. But I am happy here. But i still miss home!!

Excursion to the Asian Supermarket in Barrio Chino!

Today I did a couple of things, spending most of the day with Susana.

In the morning, we went to get my insurance settled; in less than 15 minutes the process was completed and we were out of OSDE. We hit Manchini in Alto Palermo to source for a birthday present for Juan carlos.

The highlight was in the afternoon however – we went to Chinatown to buy a couple of chinese ingredients, and walking around those 3 blocks with Chinese lettering on the shopfront windows, and seeing Asian faces, I felt half at home and half foreignor. Yet what a delight it was to walk into an Asian supermarket teeming with sacks of rice, noodles, soya sauces, chilli pastes, Lee Kum Kee condiments, and instant noodles! You can’t imagine the delight that blanketed me as my eyes opened in excitement upon taking in the wonder of realizing that yes, at least these items were still available, though I was thousands of miles and seven seas away from home. Yet, I was lost. Having not been domesticated while living in Singapore – I can only cook to survive, not to please tastebuds – I was at a lost of what to buy for whipping up some Chinese dishes to impress Juan’s family.

Susana and I ended up getting rice, oyster sauce, chilli paste, kai lan, mushrooms that was about it. It’s incredible how ingredients confound me more than a store full of clothes. I saw vegetables and foodstuffs like Want Want biscuits which I grew up eating; but looking at them now, I wouldn’t die if I didnt get to eat them. It was quite embarrasing to admit that I didnt really know how to cook and hence couldn’t really offer advice regarding which was Thai Basil or how best to cook a particular vegetable.

I was however quite surprised at the number of Argentines who were shopping at the Asian supermarket! I certainly didnt expect to see quite so many there, nor did I realize the huge interest they had in Asian cuisine. It was quite a pleasure to witness it.

Now that I’m living away from my family and will have to cook for myself soon, I better go research on Asian recipes. It’s really quite embarrassing that I can’t cook, and worse of all, have to admit it. at least with western food I can say that I am Chinese and can’t cook western. But what excuse do I have for Chinese cuisine!

Oh dear oh dear!

Purchase delivered: Experience

There are conversations that linger in your mind for a while after the speakers have returned to their daily lives, and recently these conversations have been resonating with the same frequency and heartbeat of my questions to life.

In the last month or so, I have been either the initiator or participator of engaging discussions whose individual impacts on me have transformed into compounding and increasingly urgent needs for me to know why I am where and what I am. I used to think when reminiscing on old times and looking at time-stained photographs, that we tend to believe that each instance in our lives are the best that our lives are, up till then. But frequent and subsequent contemplations of this theory convinced me that is not true. Many encounters with peers and elders alike have showed me that many are not happy where they are; perhaps they had made a wrong choice some point in time and unwittingly suffered the consequences of their actions. Or perhaps they simply chose not to reach for what they wanted, and as a result paid for it with an unsatisfactory existence.

Jonny Jr mentioned the fact that humans are intrinsically beings who need freedom of choice (amongst others in the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs); and it is often the limitations that are already in place that constrain our spectrum of choices, frustrating those whose lot in life determines they be the unfortunate few with restricted choice.

Another friend commented, on a totally separate occasion, that given limited resources, particularly resources called time and money; we should use them to attain things with the most lasting utility. Material possessions have the ability to make us incredibly happy and proud; for just one moment, before shoving us into the spiral of unending covetousness. I understood this the moment I started working and earning my own keep; suddenly every bag looks like it needs to be adopted by you; each watch seems to tick and coax you hypnotically to pick it up, and once you do so, you find something else that calls out to you. There’s an unending stream of utility in buying material goods; with the fine print that you also need an unending stream of finances. It seems that given the limited time and health that we have, a generally agreed purchase which would provide energizer-battery-style long-lasting utility is, and always will be, experience.

If at any point in life, you are the sum of all your past experiences, then shouldn’t we make a conscious effort to increase the experiences that we have all the time? The lasting impact every scenario life places us with usually makes up a piece of the puzzle we are trying to fix. But at the same time, we do not buy our paths in life off the shelves as we would a jigsaw puzzle in Toys ‘R Us. Our puzzle in life is akin to a painting yet unfinished; and each decision we make results in the coloring of that little piece of the ultimate picture that is unraveled to us in tantalizing candy bits and pieces. And the more we choose to value experience over the mere attaining of a goal while dreading the journey, the more texture, vibrancy and hues our paintings will exude.

And so, let me finish my sales pitch. Buy experience; but never, never at a discount.

House Shopping

Buying a house, or even just choosing one that might be remotely suitable for sale, may be more than just a headache! its like a pregnancy without the knowledge of what sort of baby you’re going to get, or even if it s going to be a boy or a girl.

But it sure is fun to go look. I guess my dad’s entusiasm and hype for houses is kinda rubbing off on me. Although as youyi says, REITS are still always a better option for those who have neither the cash nor time.