As a newly married couple Monica and I are starting to feel the vibe that all young newly weds feel. A vibe or expectation everyone else feels on behalf of newly weds is also felt. Kids... As Monica and I do not have kids of our own we get to play the role of the cool uncle and aunt. Monica's sister Andrea had a baby almost two years ago and he is a cute little kid, easy for an uncle to say, as I don't have to deal with changing diapers, tantrums, or other baby related problems. My only job with little Simon is to make him like me.

Therefore my only job with Simon is to play on the floor with him, help him race his little cars, and trucks, pick him up, and give him books to tear up. He loves trains, and to come and visit his cool uncle John he gets to ride in the train. Fortunately for Simon not only does he get to ride in the train but he also gets to see trains as they pass by the apartment window. It is easy to know when a train passes because Simon flutters his little hands, and makes a panting noise. He loves watching the trains and I imagine would look out the window for hours.

Recently Simon has grown in confidence and now likes to climb on me and give me kisses. He also likes to push me over when I'm sitting on the floor and climb on my back. Unbeknown to his parents and his aunt Monica he is also learning English with me. He is going to be a smart kid. It is fun and interesting to watch him grow up and develop his motor skills. Perhaps some people might say this is good training for a future son of our own. Who knows?

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After lots of paperwork, photocopies and train trips to San Miguel, we were finally ready and able to get married in San Miguel, Buenos Aires. On May 30th we tied the knot in a little registro civil in San Miguel. To me San Miguel feels like real Argentina, dirt and grime, the real nitty gritty, real Argentina. Dusty, dirty, smelly, full of characters, buses, old rusty cars, stray dogs, trash, puddles, dirt and concrete.

Mom and dad arrived from the airport the day of the wedding and were able to take a taxi straight from the airport to San Miguel and the wedding. They were waiting in the taxi when I showed up after taking the train and a Remis. It was weird to see them in such a place and moms English hello rang out like a screeching eagle in the desert. It was nice and amazing to have them in Argentina for such a special and important day.

It was fun showing them parts of Argentina that most tourist would never see. The chaotic, dirty streets of San Miguel.

The wedding was nice and quick, exactly how we had planned it. After the wedding in the civil registry we took two remises to the temple. Dad was hurting but he never complained, which is amazing after surgery and kidney stones and kidney infections. We made it to the temple and things were great. The wedding was very nice and romantic.

A day never to forget.

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We took the bus to the temple, a fun 2 hour bus ride. I didn't know where the stop was but on the map it looked close to the temple and fairly easy, I was wrong. We turned before the temple and by the time we stopped we were far away. We had to walk along a busy, dusty, freeway to get to the temple but we finally got there and it was a good preview for our wedding.

Posted with Blogsy

Argentines are obsessed with pop/soda. They never have a meal without pop and will always look at me funny if I ask for water. In several of my classes the secretaries always ask me if I would like a cappuccino or coffee and I always ask for water so I have become the weird water boy foreigner. Anyways, here is the list of our favorite gaseosas/pop. Our favorite brand is h20h! Branded as the drink with just the right amount of gas h2oh! Is a nice soft drink. Although I don't think it is very healthy it still taste healthier than coke, plus it has no sugar or caffeine so it is almost like drinking sparkling cider. It is also cheap, 16 pesos ($1.50) will get you a two liter bottle. We never miss a meal without our h2oh!

4. Pomelo-grapefruit

3. Blanco- limoneto- lime

2. Citrus

1. Naranchuelo- orange

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Buenos Aires has some really nice parks. Considering it is such a large and crowded city it is pretty impressive the amount of park space the city has. The Palermo parks are a great place to walk and somewhat "escape" from the city.

Tourist advice

During the weekends the parks can get crowded, so it is best to go during the week, unless you like to share the park with thousands of other argentine families trying to escape the crowded city.

Posted with Blogsy