Don't Cry For Me Argentina....

As some of you know, I had an interesting day yesterday…. I walked into the men’s restroom at Wal-Mart.  The man inside yelled "LADY, WHAT R U DOING IN HERE" ...  omg, the sign with the "woman with a skirt" was hidden behind a wall divider. Haha ugh, only me :/  The worse thing about it was, when I ran out, looking for support from my husband, there he was laughing his head off! Lol I will most def make him pay for that one.  I’ll have to think of something….

Ahhhhh sigh..... Argentina :) I got off the plane not knowing what to expect, I’d never dreamed of visiting Argentina.  It’s funny how by the end of my trip, it became one of the countries I must return to on my bucket list. It was so beautiful, a perfect combination of nature and architecture.  They have 9 de Julio avenue: the widest st in the world.  Nine lanes wide, 110 meters wide; impressive indeed.

I was housed by locals.  A middle aged couple; husband was a police man and his wife was a teacher.  When we arrived at their house, it literally looked like a doll house.  Everything looked small. All the furniture was made of real wood.  The guest room had been prepared beautifully for us.  The bed was dressed with pastel colored linen, fresh flowers on the night stand and a sweet smell of lavender filled the air.  I’ll never forget the feel of that home; peaceful, warm and cozy.

Every morning when we woke up, the table was set with Argentinian coffee. They blend sugar, instant coffee granules with a few drops of water until it becomes a creamy paste.  The way to prepare the coffee for drinking is to add hot milk to the paste.  On a basket covered with white cotton cloth were rolls of warm, fresh bread. OMG I want that right now!!! Lol  

Their national dish is the "Asado a la Parrilla". Pretty much translated as a BBQ gathering. They use a specific method to cook their meats. Almost every house owns an outdoor grilling oven to prepare these. They consist of Chorizos and costillas(or ribs),  morcillas (or blood sausages), riñones (or kidneys), mollejas (or glands), and chinchulines (or intestines). Of course, steak and chicken is also included. They also make a dipping sauce called "chimichurri". 

But perhaps the most cultural event I took part in was the sharing of the “mate” It is an herbal tea prepared from steeping dried leaves of yerba mate (llex paraguariensis, known in Portuguese as erva-mate) in hot water. This as I learned is a very traditional custom for the Argentinians.  It is done daily usually in the evening. The family and friends gather in a circle and as they talk they pass the “mate” tea from one person to the next.  Each person sips from the same straw and the host continues to refill the kettle until everyone has had their fill.  Well, as much as I’m into learning about different cultures, I could not get passed the sharing of the straw bit.  So I was the first to drink and didn’t drink again. LOL

Last but not least were their empanadas, meat filled patties.  They are like nothing I can describe. The dough used must come from heaven itself.  Light, flaky and a distinct creamy buttery taste that I have not experience in a empanada since. Mmmmmm omg this post is torture!!!

Then of course came the tango.   We were walking around the town square and just like in the movies there were dancing rooms all around.  All with their doors open, music playing and beautiful people dancing tango.  I was in amazement, it felt like a dream. Of course I begged my hubby to dance with me…. Nope, didn’t work. lol  Argentina opened my eyes to the beauty of art, culture, music and dance.   Every country I have visited has influenced me in some way or another.  I'm grateful for that.  

   Once again, I want to thank you for reading. This week we reached 6000 hits on FGAL blog in six weeks time. It’s exciting to know that this blog is inspiring and helping you to live intentionally. I’m grateful for all your inbox messages, as you share your struggles and joys with me. “There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us that it hardly becomes any of us to talk about the rest of us.~Edward Wallis Hoch lol We are more alike than we are different.