Argentina Sept 25

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Some color!  These are some of the murals you will see scattered throughout the city.. A little m0re aesthetic than the usual graffiti you see..  These are just the murals around my apartment..

I spent the week looking for apartments to live in for the year.. I am staying in a temporary studio apartment for now until I find something more permanent.  The cost for a1 bedroom goes for around 1200 bucks a month..  I narrowed it down to three..  I want to stay in Palermo where ther are a lot of restaurants and shops.. Small boutique shops and little "supermercados"

there is one high rise apartment building that I may live in that has a gym on the top floor.  You can see all of Buenos Aires.. I didnt know the city was this huge..

Some more views from some of the apartments I was looking at:

Its a little scary going out on the balcony.. I get that queezy feelings in my legs.. If I lived there I doubt Ill be going out on the balcony much... !!

There are so many buses during rush hour!!  The drivers think that they are in the movie Death Race 2000 or Fast and Furious..  It feels like they are in competition with each other  passing another bus with inches to spare.. I heard that there are more accidents in Buenos Aires than in many other cities.. Dont quote me on that.. its just a rumor.    but I believe it!

This guy is a dog walker..  And these dogs all behave themselves!!  The people love their dogs  as evidence in the streets where the dogs leave their mark.. 

Maxi recommended this butcher shop to get a sandwich.. Thats Miguel and Maxi in the back..  Here I am horsing around with one of the Pig loins.. The city does have a European flair to it..  Butcher shops and small cafes sprinkled around the streets everywhere..  The Buenos Aireans seem to take pride in their shops and how they dress..  But seem not to care how the streets look.. But I think that is changing..  At least I hope so.. the city has so much potential..  three things - get rid of the graffiti, clean up the dog droppings and find a better way to collect trash.. Bingo  you got a great city.. 

Aaaahh  cappacino and a croissant..  Delish..  Out with Miguel and Maxi looking for apartments..  stopping for a little r and r..

Catmandu Studios

 Thats Maxi and the accountant..  in their office.  Maxi takes care of the errands and takes care of the employees' needs .  He is in the back.  Apparently he is very good at tennis..

This is where I work.. The animators are behind all these monitors..  Maybe we have 9 to 12 animators here?   We sit on long tables nest to each other..  Working with one monitor  .. except me  I bought a small 15 inch monitor that cost me 200 bucks US..  I need the screen real estate. I brought my Contour mouse (http://ergo.contourdesign.com/products/product-detail.aspx?id=36) with me so that I dont have to mess with that stupid scroll button that acts as a middle mouse button - so imprtant when animatiing in Maya software..

The COUCH..  thats one of our places to sit and relax..  But if we grow some more I am sure they will be gone.. 

The Patio in the back where we park our bicycles. 

Not quite Dreamworks but hey its  home..   More pictures in later posts.

 typical street view

Aaahh  McDonalds.. I feel at home.

The SuperMercado

More Graffiti pictures

Look Closely..  the Kardashians are alive and well in Argentina!!

 Boys playing Soccer on pavement

When Miguel and I got lost after getting off the Subway  (Subte)  we found this charming street..  Looked like the Beverly Hills of Belgrano neighborhood..  Beautiful homes lined with awesome looking trees..  We totally walked 12 blocks in the opposite direction after lunch and it took us over an hour to find our way back with no map and no gps ..  Thank God Miguel speaks Spanish  we kept asking for directions every two blocks..Thats Miguel with the Captains hat.. 

Argentina First Impressions con't

 

Typical looking street in downtown areas.. This is in Belgrano neighborhood.. 

This is also typical..  Sidewalks in disrepair and trash like this waiting to be picked up from the trash collector..  The sign says please take care of the streets and don't just dump the trash.. or something like that. Then there is the graffiti..  Ill post more pics on that.. Some of it is kind a cool  most of it is an eyesore and the city would be so much more beautiful if it weren't for the graffiti.

My bathroom...  Take a close look.. yes!  that is a bidet  !!  No excuse to have a dirty vapoopoo..  

More Pics n stuff

ggg

This China town in Buenos Aires..   Not as big as Los ANgeles .  ONly take up a few streets.. FUnny to hear Spanish with a Chinese accent..

So I needed a cell phone.. ANd we met this guy.....

I bought a blackberry battery for my old World Phone from him..  Watch out Javier Bardem...  I think this guy is the original No Country for Old Men character..!

Not soon after the Federal Government raided his store and others like it for carrying merchandise that was "not paid with the tariffs"  ( black market).. they nearly cleaned him out..   IT too bad that a government squashes business like this for their own greed.. SOon they will find that there is no businesses left to raid..   Eventually the Federals filled up sacks like this and they end up selling it themselves.. 

This is the Getaway Truck...

Needless to say that I was disapointed to see Government interfereing with Peopels rights to make a living by heavily taxing them and preventing them to make a good living..  Electronics in Argentina cost 3 times what it costs in the US..  due to tariffs and taxes..

ARGENTINA September

Pictures of the temporary apartment that I am staying in Palermo which is about a half hour bus ride from the the Studio Catmandu..  The barrio in which I am living is called Palermo.. Apparantly this is where the people mostly go for the restaurants and night life.. .  I keep hearing about the most beautiful people here but so far its been just normal.. Yes there are afew handsome ladies and men but so far it seems like an average city.. Ill let you know if I have discovered this species of Buenos Aires homo sapien. 

I arrived to Buenos Aries airport safely..  However I DID miss my first flight as my kids will attest.. The first plane out of LA was delayed and that meant that I would miss the Dallas connection.  So the American Airlines lady searched what seemed like an hour for a flight that would get me there..  They found one at 9 15pm which meant that I had to wait 7 hours in the airport.. Jordan and Savannah stayed with me for a bit then went off their way back home in MY CAR which I am entrusting Jordan with it as he is going to drive MY CAR to get to and fro from his school..   I am watching you Jordan!!  

THe flight...  boring  tyopical stuff watched all the movies they had and fell asleep  Landed in Lima Peru and then almost missed the connecting flight to Buenos Aires..

When I got there Maxi picked me up in his diesel truck..  

Maxi is on the right with the red hat..  Maxi speaksin the Buenos Aires italian like spanish..  It has that lyrical rthym you hear from Itlaians.. QUite pleasant to hear.. Maxi so far has been very accomodating and attending to my every need..

That is Miguel Fuegos (sp?) on the left..  Accomplished animator from ILM who is also down here to help animate and take a lead position..  we are about the same age..    I call Miguel the "Most Interesting Man" as he is from Spain and has that accent from the dos eqquis commercials .. He knows english very well and has been tranlating for me.. He also sits next to me in the studio.  Miguel is a true believer in the artistic nature of animation and has a history films and shorts and snippets  of animation on his I.Pod.Miguel arrived the next day and he lives in the same building and we often go out to dinner and drinks by Palermo. 

My first days were spent trying to get acclimated..  time, money language, who speaks English Who doesnt.  ( most everyone in the city does NOT speak English)  but the studio is filled with people who are bi lingual..  I met Gaston and dDiego for the first time since our skyping days..  And I also met the director  JJ Campenella  .. Very sweet man..  He is know for his live action movies.. 

So far I do not have a cell phone yet.. I found out that my bank card doest work in ATMS.. that the exchange rate changes every day.. that electronics are 3,4 time what it costs in the states. They have no Super markets like ALbertsons or Safeway or Vons.. Its a small store around the corner like a smaller 7 eleven with But they sell everything I need.  

WHO WANTS A TOOTSIE ROLL!

This is very typical in the big city.. WATCHOUT!!  Keep your head low  watch your step!!  Its every where  although I did SEE one lady pick up after her dog so I think the social consciouness is changing..