Silent Night

Thursday, 12/24/2009

It rained all night, and we took advantage of the situation by sleeping late. When we went to breakfast, we noticed that there was a15-person queue in front of the delicatessen in the mall. We had planned to get something to take to our hosts, who had invited us for this evening – and for tomorrow as well.

While we ate, we judged how long the wait might be in the line, which got no shorter as new customers added themselves to the line. Since porteños are so good about standing in line, this seemed like a logical way to keep the shop from getting unmanageably crowded. We bought some very nice prepared items that we thought our hosts might like. Since the family goes to the beach next week, we bought things that they could take with them and things that would not spoil.

A couple in the store recommended another store in the neighborhood, where dried fruits and similar items are sold. In addition they said that they carry sugar-free items and health foods. We walked around the barrio and dropped in on the store, They had some nice things, but curiously, many of the products labeled as sugar-free had “J.M. alto fructoso.” Sounded suspicious. Finally found a jar that spelled it out: jarabe de maiz. In other words, it was sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. In a store that features wheat germ and bran crackers.

All the stores were packed with customers buying last minute presents as well as food and drink. We looked for a papeleria (paper store) to buy a gift bags for the things we had bought. In the store we bought a couple of bags. Do they have tissue? “Would you like 1 sheet or 2?” asked the clerk.

For the rest of the mid-day period we went back to the apartment to bring the blog up to date and to rest up. All that sleeping late has tired me out.

This evening, Gabi and Sylvia have invited us for dinner. Despite our protests, Gabriel picks us up at 8:15 to take us to his home. Traffic is already thinning out on the streets.

Dinner is, of course, delicious, with roast beef of two types – meat that practically melts in your mouth. And the salad was amazing. Having a world-class wine with almost every meal other than breakfast is a genuine pleasure.

They insisted on driving us back to our place after dinner. The streets were empty of pedestrians and cars. It was eerie. Going to sleep was not easy. Fireworks – all amateur – are apparently a favorite pastime on Christmas Eve. By about 1:30, the activity had diminished to one or two every 10 minutes or so.