So, I've been told by some (and by some I mean Talia, who claims she doesn't read blogs anyway) that they don't want to hear about politics, but rather about "Spain, or wherever you are!"
Fine. So let's summarize my opinions on last night with this: liberal mandate, anyone? Anyone?
Ok, now to talk about the unique experience of being an American in BA during the most important election in the last century.
One popular aspect of life here for Americans abroad are the super-involved ex-pat groups. Argentina has a huge number of America-abandoning liberals just waiting to throw a party celebrating the last moments of Sarah Palin and her Axis of Idiocy. Democrats abroad in Argentina, an offshoot of the international group Democrats Abroad, rented out a bar called Sacramento. (For those with good memories, it's the same bar that hosted parties for all 3 presidential debates and the Biden-Palin debate.) Ex-pat Connections, another group, rented out a largely ex-pat bar called Sugar, which had much better food but a much worse view of the television screen.
Both bars were filled with Americans drinking, laughing, dancing around, clapping on tables, and yelling out for their favorite moments or screen shots. The hologram on CNN was a big hit.
That sounds great, right?
Well, in concept it was. Until you take into account that there were several hundred people in each bar, little to no air conditioning, too much alcohol, and a heat wave hit Buenos Aires this week. Hanging out in Sacramento reminded me a lot of Pike parties freshman year: there are so many people packed in you can't move, you're covered in sweat, and the last thing you want to do is make out with anyone.
Also, my dress (my new, pretty, dress!) broke, leaving my chest kind of pouring out for the rest of the night. Which is fun...in a room full of hot, sweaty, drunk Americans. Right.
In a little bit of foreshadowing, at one point my friend Andrew and I (Andrew is super pale and red haired/freckled) and two African American friends were photographed by some girl with an expensive looking camera. Keep this in mind.
So after around 2 and a half hours of watching the bar get fuller and fuller and sweatier and sweatier, Charlotte and I left for a minute to go get some air. At which point we start planning our escape. We find this bar 5to, which is literally completely empty. There's a flat screen tv, some leather couches, a ton of tables, and a bored looking bartender. After flirting our way into getting him to turn on CNN in English (which I'm sure bored the shit out of him for the next 6 hours or so, since he didn't speak a word) we went back to the bar and liberated our purses and the friends who had been watching them.
By the time we got back to the bar another group of Americans had already sniffed out the presence of the liberally biased liberal elitism of CNN, and we made quite the party of it in the MUCH better smelling (though slightly more expensive) bar. As the night played out the bartender got about as excited about the whole thing as we did, and when CNN called the election he opened a super expensive bottle of champagne which we then symbolically passed around, each of us sipping in turn as everyone else group hugged and screamed.
We then spent the next hour or so wandering drunkenly (drunk on Obama, not alcohol) around Buenos Aires, turning to one another every once in a while and saying "President Barrack Obama. President Obama." I got in about 5 30 and was up till after 6 reading the New York Times article on the election.
So, skip to this deliriously happy morning when I walk into my internship. Another American, who works full time for Idealistas, pulls down this newspaper tacked to a bulletin board. And there I am! For serious, this is why you look cute when you go to elect the new president. Me, in my brand new dress, with Andrew in his Obama shirt, and two African American friends, all of us holding up the two Obama/Biden signs the reporter gave us. Awesome, right?
The caption reads: En el Bar Sugar, en Palermo Soho, negros, morochos, y colorados unidos, una muestra de la Obamamanía.
For those who can't read Argentine Spanish, this means: Sugar Bar, in Palermo Soho, blacks, dark skinned people, and colored people all unite, a demonstration of Obamamania.
...
Welcome to Argentina.
I think it's funny that at this point I'm so pale it's actually being used by newspapers to demonstrate racial lines. I think I need a beach day or 459338.
Yay President-elect Barrack Hussein Obama!!!!
Fine. So let's summarize my opinions on last night with this: liberal mandate, anyone? Anyone?
Ok, now to talk about the unique experience of being an American in BA during the most important election in the last century.
One popular aspect of life here for Americans abroad are the super-involved ex-pat groups. Argentina has a huge number of America-abandoning liberals just waiting to throw a party celebrating the last moments of Sarah Palin and her Axis of Idiocy. Democrats abroad in Argentina, an offshoot of the international group Democrats Abroad, rented out a bar called Sacramento. (For those with good memories, it's the same bar that hosted parties for all 3 presidential debates and the Biden-Palin debate.) Ex-pat Connections, another group, rented out a largely ex-pat bar called Sugar, which had much better food but a much worse view of the television screen.
Both bars were filled with Americans drinking, laughing, dancing around, clapping on tables, and yelling out for their favorite moments or screen shots. The hologram on CNN was a big hit.
That sounds great, right?
Well, in concept it was. Until you take into account that there were several hundred people in each bar, little to no air conditioning, too much alcohol, and a heat wave hit Buenos Aires this week. Hanging out in Sacramento reminded me a lot of Pike parties freshman year: there are so many people packed in you can't move, you're covered in sweat, and the last thing you want to do is make out with anyone.
Also, my dress (my new, pretty, dress!) broke, leaving my chest kind of pouring out for the rest of the night. Which is fun...in a room full of hot, sweaty, drunk Americans. Right.
In a little bit of foreshadowing, at one point my friend Andrew and I (Andrew is super pale and red haired/freckled) and two African American friends were photographed by some girl with an expensive looking camera. Keep this in mind.
So after around 2 and a half hours of watching the bar get fuller and fuller and sweatier and sweatier, Charlotte and I left for a minute to go get some air. At which point we start planning our escape. We find this bar 5to, which is literally completely empty. There's a flat screen tv, some leather couches, a ton of tables, and a bored looking bartender. After flirting our way into getting him to turn on CNN in English (which I'm sure bored the shit out of him for the next 6 hours or so, since he didn't speak a word) we went back to the bar and liberated our purses and the friends who had been watching them.
By the time we got back to the bar another group of Americans had already sniffed out the presence of the liberally biased liberal elitism of CNN, and we made quite the party of it in the MUCH better smelling (though slightly more expensive) bar. As the night played out the bartender got about as excited about the whole thing as we did, and when CNN called the election he opened a super expensive bottle of champagne which we then symbolically passed around, each of us sipping in turn as everyone else group hugged and screamed.
We then spent the next hour or so wandering drunkenly (drunk on Obama, not alcohol) around Buenos Aires, turning to one another every once in a while and saying "President Barrack Obama. President Obama." I got in about 5 30 and was up till after 6 reading the New York Times article on the election.
So, skip to this deliriously happy morning when I walk into my internship. Another American, who works full time for Idealistas, pulls down this newspaper tacked to a bulletin board. And there I am! For serious, this is why you look cute when you go to elect the new president. Me, in my brand new dress, with Andrew in his Obama shirt, and two African American friends, all of us holding up the two Obama/Biden signs the reporter gave us. Awesome, right?
The caption reads: En el Bar Sugar, en Palermo Soho, negros, morochos, y colorados unidos, una muestra de la Obamamanía.
For those who can't read Argentine Spanish, this means: Sugar Bar, in Palermo Soho, blacks, dark skinned people, and colored people all unite, a demonstration of Obamamania.
...
Welcome to Argentina.
I think it's funny that at this point I'm so pale it's actually being used by newspapers to demonstrate racial lines. I think I need a beach day or 459338.
Yay President-elect Barrack Hussein Obama!!!!
1 comment:
Did you save the clipping? I would love to see the picture! So sad I wasn't there, so I'll have to live vicariously (retroactively?) through you :P
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