Wednesday, December 08, 2010

 

Another Glorious Day in Buenos Aires.!

Yesterday was another glorious day in B.A.! Sabrina, a woman I met in my sculpture class, picked me up at the condo around 10:00 A.M. We went to the military hospital here in town where William, her husband, was talking with the head administrator about playing Santa Claus for the children on Christmas Eve.

The three of us then drove to the company where Sabrina teaches English language classes to the employees. She had arranged for me to talk to a dozen engineers for about an hour. Her plan was for me to introduce myself and then permit the "students" to ask me questions about myself or "whatever...."

What a nice group! Obviously quite bright! One woman and eleven men, most of them in their mid-to-late twenties. They were very attentive while I was speaking and so engaging when they asked questions. Here are a few of them: What were your impressions of Argentina before coming? What do you think of U.S. foreign policy? How did you explain the assassination of John F. Kennedy to your students? Have you seen any Argentine movies? Do you like the movies of Michael Moore? What impresses you most about Buenos Aires?

The session lasted nearly two hours. I couldn't have enjoyed myself more. Sabrina was so delighted that she has asked me to return. She wants me to teach economics. (She told the engineers I was "an expert." And I quickly told them I was certainly NOT an expert.) Can you believe it? I'm pinching myself!

In the afternoon William took me to see the largest military base in Argentina, which is were he served for much of his 20-year career as a helicopter pilot in the army. What an impressive place. A United Nations force is stationed there. And there is a significant cavalry presence. Plenty of horses! William actually had seven there at one time.

We had lunch out on the patio of an upscale public golf club, where we talked for over three hours. I learned he was shot down and captured by the British in 1982 during the Falklands War. His experiences and attitudes regarding the military and war in general are quite fascinating.

Then he used his credentials as a retired military officer to get the two of us into the main polo complex in Buenos Aires. There are two large stadiums there. We sat in the front row to watch a polo match for over an hour. Coincidentally, sitting next to us was a gorgeous blond woman who, shall we say, attracted my attention. I struck up a conversation with her, most naturally, only to discover that she was a polo player herself. She explained that she had fallen off her horse and broken her wrist earlier this season and only a few days ago was able to compete again. I learned a lot about polo and the status of women in sports here from her.

William dropped me back at the condo close to 8:00 P.M. Better believe I was exhausted after nearly 10 hours "out and about!" How fortunate can one guy be?





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