My Life in Argentina and Beyond

Wednesday, October 24, 2007: Late yesterday afternoon, The Pumas, the Argentine Wonder Rugby team was taken from their hotel on Calle Carlos Pellegrini in downtown Buenos Aires to the Casa Rosada. There was a crowd outside Hotel Panamericano and TV cameras as well as lots of security. The President of Argentina personally congratulated the guys on being chosen the third best Rugby team in the world. The players wore grey suits and shiny pink ties. They signed autographs for their fans before boarding the huge bus taking them to the President. People took pictures of them with their cell phone cameras.

Monday, August 13, 2007: I appreciate your reading the blog and saying it is interesting. No, I am not angry. In fact, I am going back to my country soon. There are good things about Argentina, but there are also plenty of bad things. Read the papers and you will see. I am pointing out what needs fixing so we can all enjoy the good ones.

Sunday, August 12, 2007: Because several club authorities have received death threats, the game between River Plate and Newell´s that was to be played this afternoon has been suspended. Authorities fear that after Gonzalo Acro´s murder eatlier this week, the violence between the rival club gangs will escalate. It is also said that the River Plate gang is no friend of the Newell´s barra brava.
In the meantime, Jose Maria Aguilar, River Plate´s president, has decided that the best place for him to be is Europe.

Friday, August 10, 2007: Earlier this week Gonzalo Arco, the 29 year old member of a barra brava, a Hooligan gang, was gunned down as he was walking down the street with friends. He was the right hand man of a River Plate Stadium gang boss. His death is a vendetta and today, at his wake in the traditional barrio of Villa Urguiza, reporters and photographers were beaten and injured by gang members. His friends have vowed that Arco´s death will be avenged and they are saying so all over the Internet. In the meantime, Jose Maria Aguilar, the President of River Plate stadium, denies any knowledge of anything having to do with the gangs. Funny because if he doesn´t know, who does?

Thursday, March 29, 2007: Yesterday Argentine football icon Diego Armando Maradona was taken to a private clinic located in the always trendy barrio of Palermo. He had to be medicated because he simply did not want to be hospitalized. Maradona has been gaining weight lately and his alcohol intake worried his friends and family. Apparently, he had been at the airport of Eizeza waiting to board a plain for Switzerland on his way to drug rehabilation clinic when he began to feel ill. It is also rumored that his 2 daughters had not been in favor of his new romantic relationship and that made him want to drink more.

Saturday, February 17, 2007: River Plate Stadium authorities are playing down, way down, last weekend´s shooting incident. It was no big deal, they say, and boys will be boys. To celebrate the wisdom of this statement, they´re making preparations for the Carnaval Festivities, which will be held this weekend.

Monday, February 12, 2007: Things got hot yesterday afternoon when two rival hooligan leaders started shooting at each other while people were reclining in their beach -like chairs by the pool. Everybody, of course, ran for cover. Nobody knows (or will say) who let these two guys enter the prestigious River Plate Club with guns in their pockets. There is talk that activities in the club will be suspended while an investigation is going on. Some are comparing this new football-related incident to Chicago style shootouts.

Sunday, November 19, 2006: Two football teams were recently involved in something called corruption or game fixing. One team was paid to lose a game. There was talk that finally somebody would have the courage to say who paid them. But, when the time came to name names, nothing was actually said. Same old story.

August 15, 2006: In a remake of the 2006 World Cup, some prison inmates played football pretending they were, for instance, Sweden against Australia. This is a new activity for people who have to spend a lot of time in jail. They get to feel useful and they get to be outdoors for a change. Even the governor of the provincia of Buenos Aires, Felipe Sola, attended the game.

June 30, 2006: Argentina´s loss today in the game played in Berlin against Germany has saddened the entire country. All hopes were pinned on this World Cup and now they are gone. The streets and the busses were practically empty while the game last for over 2 hours. Afterwards, there were no big cheers, no big celebrations, like the ones last Saturday when Argentina defeated Mexico.