last weekend in the ba

"Weren't you the one who tried to break me with goodbye?

Did you think I'd crumble?

Did you think I'd lay down and die?"

-Gloria Gaynor, "I Will Survive"

So. My last two days in Buenos Aires. The long-awaited photo shoot with Miss Kaela. It was set for Saturday afternoon at four, to try and avoid the midday heat. However, pretty much as soon as we walked out the door of my apartment, we were met with a grey sky and the sort of clinging humidity that indicated it might rain soon. Still, we started walking, because if it didn't rain, a little cloudiness

can be ideal for taking portraits, and if it did rain, maybe it would stop by the time we got to the gardens. I chose the route to the Subte so that we would pass as many graffiti-covered walls as possible (like this one).

It was a twenty minute walk from my apartment to the green line, and during that time it started to sprinkle. Then it started to rain. And then it started to pour. We took shelter under the overhanging of an apartment building's parking garage, and waited for maybe 45 minutes while the rain came down in sheets. It started to flood the streets, to the point that passing buses sent waves of murky, swirling water sweeping across the sidewalks. One of those double-decker buses with the top open drove by, and the brave tourists who had chosen to remain up top were completely soaked, holding their maps and information sheets like oars as they pretended to row.

Needless to say, Kaela and I had a good talk. When the sprinkles had subsided, we got on that green line and headed to Plaza Italia, where we were once again delayed by a hunt for shoes, which would have been no problem if only we'd been able to find a working ATM in the vicinity.

Basically, by the time we got to the Rosedal, the cloudiness combined with the late hour meant that we'd pretty much lost our light, plus it was closed. We couldn't figure out if that was because they're still on their winter schedule, since it's not technically sum

mer yet here, or because of the rain. Probably the rain. Anyway, we didn't let this stop us, and we frolicked around in the puddles for a little bit.

After that, I figured I should deliver Christmas gifts to the family I'd been babysitting for, since I wouldn't see them again. Surprise, they were at their house when they told me they wouldn't be. So I said my goodbyes to the parents, since the kids were asleep, and that was that.

Then, Kaela pulled out her handy dandy Guia-T city transportation guidebook to figure out the quickest route from here to there. She and I parted ways when I got off the bus near a friend's house for dinner.

Yep, I went to chill with Dave and Henrique and the girls from the various embassies one last time. We ordered sushi, then went out to a gay club, where we had a very memorable night. They had a drag queen there dressed as Lady Gaga, who I thought was just incredible (and I told her so). The highlight of my night was probably debuting my choreographed dance to TiK ToK, which I'd come up with during recess at English camp this summer.

Basically, I just act out the words to the song. When Ke$ha sings, "I'ma fight til we see the sunlight," I pretend to punch an invisible foe before pointing towards a distant sunrise. When she says, "Tick tock on the clock," I make my arms the arms of a clock. By the end of the song, I had people around me copying my moves. I have no idea why, but it was fun.

And then Sunday was spent packing and flying. More on that later though.