panicked arrivals & roja evenings...

Because our Saturday flight was canceled, and I made it to BA a day late, we’re behind schedule. Got to the hotel after an uneventful and largely uninspiring hour long drive through indistinct urban wasteland. Some cities look glorious from the outset, and in others, you are confronted with inequality and impoverishment almost immediately. There are 'villas meserias,' or slums (aka favelas aka hoods of misery) all along the drive from the airport to el rio de la plata, and the ride was rather forgettable until we arrived at the understated but immensely appealing Hotel Faena Universe… I’ll leave my impressions on the hotel for later, as I was forced by time constraints to drop my bags, seek out the sizable contingent of packages we’d shipped, and start setting up for this meeting right away. Barely got a shower in...

Spent a crowded afternoon amongst hungover and sleepless travelers who were trying admirably to speak coherently to the circumstances my company is operating in. It was a lost afternoon of sorts, and the period after work was a bit odd as well, as my body hasn't adjusted to this clock or set of circumstances yet. I had the pleasure of eating lunch with the creative board, dining on a glorious steak, as well as a few glasses of Malbec over the course of a very early day… I don't usually drink at lunch, even if "it's just win," so by the time dinner rolled around I was already a bit catatonic. My supper was Risotto con Albodingas de Conejo. In English, that's a fantastic risotto accompanied by…wait for it…Rabbit meatballs… I realize that may sound terrible to you folks out there, but I couldn’t resist. I once had a Wallaby steak in a open air restaurant on a 72nd floor terrace overlooking Bangkok, and ever since then, I’ve been taking to strange dishes in when i travel. Call it a culinary curiosity of sorts, or perhaps a fetish for obscure animals. Thing is, I don’t seek it out, I just end up in classy restaurants where it’s on the menu, and if it’s sitting in front of you on a page and they say it’s spiced delicately and accompanied by a cheesy risotto, that doesn’t sound half bad… all of which is a poorly argued case for eating Rabbit Meatballs, but I will testify to that fact that they were delectable, a masterpiece of subtle flavors and a testament to a refine culinary aesthetic...

All this Malbec I've been drinking is divine…
I know nothing of wine and won’t pretend to aspire to the fruity, hammed-up descriptions of "fruity overtones with hints of nuts" etc you normally find scrawled in elegant type on wine bottle labels. propaganda aside, I do like this Malbec wine… I couldn’t tell you what distinguishes the taste, the nuances of it, or why it’s rated well… I could tell you it’s a mountain grape imported from France that took to Argentina better than in it’s native soil, but that doesn’t convey anything about the flavor of the drink… I dunno, I think my palate might be primitive when it comes to wine... something that ought to be remedied? or an ignorance worth preserving? Sometimes when you learn to have refined tastes you lose your appreciation for the less classy things in life... i know i don't like Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, or Milwaukee's Best, or Old Style Beer, because i'm well aware of the existence of vastly superior beers and lagers... what if i learn to like quality wine & suddenly am no longer inclined to chug jugs Carlo Rossi with my old college buddies? that might be a tragedy of sorts... or maybe i'm just being a dramatic spoilt primadonna, and should appreciate the blessings staring me in the face... ;-) it's just fermented grapes, fool... drink it!