good air thoughts and observations

Buenos Aires has the one of the highest rates of plastic surgery in the world. They also have the highest concentration of psychologists in the world, too.
High plastic surgery...
Lots of therapy...
I wonder if these 2 are related.

On another note (or not so different) is the absolute prevalence of beauty here. I was walking to meet April for coffee (cortado con tres media lunas) and happened to pass by a high school that was letting out for siesta. It looked just like any other high school letting out for afternoon siesta, except the students were impeccably dressed and walking arm in arm and kissing each other hello and goodbye, guys and girls. Women and women, men and men, walking down the street arm in arm, deep in conversation. Everyone is always dressed well. Another anomaly given the country's economic situation and that 50% of the population of the country is now considered to be living in poverty. So many men in suits, everywhere you look. Women all dressed smartly in the hip fashions of the day. I tried to talk April into wearing her new fashionable jeans tucked into her boots like all the women were wearing today, but I think we both were reminded a little too much of Pat Benetar. And all the women are wearing heels! I shouldn't be surprised; I DID come here to dance tango, afterall. But they wear them ALL the time on the STREET! I've been mistaken for a British person 3 times already. I'm hoping it is because of my sensible walking shoes and not for my teeth or something even more insidious. (BTW, apparently, it's my accent. I guess that's better than reading annoying American from 50' away!)

Everyone is oh so very friendly here. When meeting strangers, if introduced by mutual friends or in a closed social setting you are expected to kiss on the cheek as part of your introduction. Or, if say, you are walking down the street with your friend and 2 porteno guys come up and start walking and flirting with you so much that you acquiesce and take their number and say you'll text them for coffee tomorrow, you are expected to kiss on the cheek as you part ways. Chau! (don't ask me how I know this last part, I think I read it in a book somewhere.)

That's enough for now. I'm home nursing a cold (must be all that cheek kissing) so no tango for me tonight. My feet are thankful, too. My apologies for the lack of photographic support... I forgot my camera's cable at home.
Stay tuned for my next installments when I can tell you about the 3 pair of shoes I bought in 2 days and the hundreds of men's arms I've been throwing myself into....