Post For Alex

Alex, today I bought a vivid to get Mahe Drysdale and Juliet Haig to sign your rowing shirt. Can you imagine asking for a vivid pen in a foreign country, by acting out what you need and doing a mime of fat pen to write on clothing- and adding sound effects........ they have no English and I have no Spanish!!!  I got the pen.  Such is my power.   Last night Mahe and Juliet were one table over from us, so my stalking is improving!

Watch this space, signed shirt is coming....








                                                                                            See Alex!  See all the things I do for you!!!!
                                                                                            Only took a little stalking...

Tango Show

Last night we went to a dinner where there was a show. It was mostly dedicated toTango dancing and although long, they were incredibly skilled and needed to have exception timing for fear of being kicked in the neither regions!

They also had this guy who used  those round balls they use to trip animals when hunting and he was amazing, kind of like poi but wooden and used for a practical application.

They have made a big deal of tango as there is disagreement whether it started here or in Bolivia.  Apparently it started around 1870s as (get this?.) a dance men did to simulate fight moves,THEN the prostitutes got involved and it became more sexy (sound like a Tui ad to me) The big Catholic population shunned it until it caught on in France, then it was all go here.  It is pretty 'close' dancing, for want of a better term!

The City of Buenos Aires

Today we have walked the city from where we are staying down to Recolita and Palermo where there are markets and the zoo. One thing I have discovered is that markets, the world over are the same and zoos very definitely are not!  This zoo was built late 19 th century and must have once been amazing, with buildings so opulent and ornate and also a wide variety of styles but mostly influenced by French styles.  The zoo and botanic gardens were built right out of the original city and then Yellow fever hit and people with money moved out of the city to those areas.  They built houses that are now for example embassies etc.

These mansions are now either well kept or ramshackle depending on who owns them.  The law in Argentina says you have to leave property to each child equally, so once split they are not maintained.

Yesterday we went to the graveyard where Eva Peron is buried and that was very interesting because they are buried in alley ways of crypts.  Again either beutifully maintained or abandoned.  Loads of photos but I am just making the most of Internet while I have it!

Dodgy internet

All Black Ghosting- the new art

DAY ONE- The All Blacks on tour with me""

We have arrived in Buenos Aires
After a really long flight and we made up time with winds of up to 275kms!,,

I am in full stalking mode and am yet to be arrested, pretty lucky really!,

Ghosted Ma'a Nonu and also Beaudine Barrett,  have photos!  Just have to figure out how to put the on the blog with the iPad!!!!  My secret strategy is that I look like someone's Mum!!!!  Brilliant!!!

Also got in on coaching chat with Steve.  He probably didn't notice.  I just used my subliminal messaging skills to share my advise.  I'll have to build up to moving into the coaching box, don't want to undermine him this close to the test.
!

I am hoping it will be a funny, funny world as tomorrow I am getting on the big black plane and travelling WITH THE ALL BLACKS to Argentina for the test.  If you are  not a rugby fan, then 'the investec rugby championship' might sound as foreign as 'non tengo dollero' but I am pretty excited!!!

In the last week the clever kids at our school have been working on a video to replace me (if that were possible.....) at assembly on Monday.  The web address is

http://www.thegardens.school.nz/argentina

and that is funny!

So Beautiful......... So Brief......

I made it out alive!  In fact I have to take back my biohazard comment from the previous blog.  It was not so much a health issue as it was a jumble sale.  All I really had to do was get control of the drawers, wardrobe and the clothing covering every square inch of the rest of the room and it was all good. 

I managed to find my missing laundry (in the bottom of the cupboard, still in the laundry hamper!!! Covered by jumble sale) It was mostly underwear and I just kept thinking I know I have more 'dainty items' (if size 16 has ever been called dainty??) they must be somewhere?  Perhaps the washing machine is eating them again?  Damn washing machines with their eating disorders!!!  But no!  There they were.

I also found my Kathmandu toilet bag, loaned once, not seen since.  I found my black slip dress that she swore had been returned to me.  It must have been that time I was hiding out in her bottom drawer, when she gave it back to me???! 

Anyway, the room is pristine!  It even smells different.  I can enjoy it....... until Sunday.