Travel: Buenos Aires day 2

I woke up after a wonderful 8 hrs sleep with only 1 pee-trip at night! 🙂 I made myself a quick breakfast: 2 toasted with cream cheese and a yogurt calcium fortified.

Then Mara, Gunther and her mom arrived! We catch up for hours before we decided to go our for lunch to a cafe close by

they brought us some bread. One kind is completely black… we didn’t know if it’s whole wheat or what, maybe black sesame seed paste or something. It was quite tasty.

both Mara and I had a smoked salmon salad with fresh mozzarella. We both enjoyed it.

We hang out at home and then went to a shopping mall. It was very clouded so we left.

Jeanette was preparing dinner. And Gunther introduced me to the world of balsamic vinegar. I didn’t know that there’s a large variety of the vinegar and that they could be so different. They brought this one from Germany

I tasted it straight from the bottle and woooo!!!!!! I’ve never tasted anything like that! Sour, very sweet and tasty! I was in love!!!!!

a big salad using olive oil and balsamic. Absolutely amazing!!!

as main dish, Jeanette prepared chicken with marmalade and assorted vegetables

I had two plates of the salad

and chicken with rice

both were delicious!!! We all enjoyed it a lot. In addition to the food, I think what we enjoyed even more was the conversation. Dinner lasted for like 2+ hours and we talked and laughed so much. For me, they’re my second family and I love being with him, listening to him and watching them laugh! What a satisfaction!!!

Finally, the dessert: homemade flan

Delicious. I asked Jeanette how she made it. For my surprise, it’s not made with egg, sugar and milk. She used only 4 eggs, 1 can of condensed milk and water. Brilliant! 🙂

We ended up going to sleep around mid-night! That’s vacation!!! 🙂

Travel: Buenos Aires day 1

I arrived Buenos Aires at 10:20 AM! It was a 10 hrs and 20 min flight. I was lucky to have the next seat empty (Star had it originally) so I could lie down and sleep for almost 7 hours! Love sleep during flights! It makes it so much faster! Other than sleeping, I began to read this book:

and let me tell you… I’m hooked. It’s soooooo eye-opening!!! It’s definitely not the conventional american way to take care a baby, but it’s much in line with my thoughts about how I want to raise my child. 🙂

Once I arrived Buenos Aires, someone (arranged by Star) was waiting for me at the airport to take me to my BFF Mara’s apartment. Since Star is not coming with me, I’m staying at hers to spend more time with her and her family, and let them take care of me ;). Mara, Gunther and her mom is not in Buenos Aires today, they’ll come back tomorrow by noon, so her brother Adrian was waiting for me at the apartment. I know him for 15 years… he’s like my own little brother. Although he’s an grown up piano teacher now… I still look at him as when he was a 13 years old boy! 🙂

Once unpacked and settled, I went to one of my favorite lunch spot in Buenos Aires, Lotus. It is a vegan restaurant, I used to go there for lunch every single day during the week, sometime even on Saturday for years! I just love everything there, specially this macrobiotic balanced plate.

It comes with a cup of brown rice at the center and five types of veggies: green bean with mushroom, butternut squash, zucchini, beet and broccoli; topped with tofu, miso, seaweed flakes and a squash sauce.

served with 2 sliced of WW bread.

I don’t know why I love it so much, the veggies are simply boiled or steamed, but they taste so much better there than when I make it at home. Some secret ingredient? I duuno. Maybe I should give it another try once I go back.

After lunch, I went to the personal registry to get a new passport. Mine is out of paper and about to expire. It was faster than I thought, in and out in less than 20 min! 🙂

I walked to and back. This is something that I miss living in the US: being able to walk to everywhere. In China and in Buenos Aires, if I have time, I’d rather walk to everywhere. In total it was 5.5 miles. I’d call a good workout! 🙂 The only problem of walking in the city is the noise! I’ve never realized how noisy is Buenos Aires, the cars, the people, the buses…. just too much action everywhere! But I guess that’s something typical in any big city.

I rested for few hours at the apartment and met with an old friend Neil for dinner. Needless to say my first dinner in Buenos Aires must involve meat! So we went to a Parrilla.

They brought us some bread with butter

I had one… not so good.

I ordered asado de tira. It was way too much meat for a non-meat eater! But it’s one of the most famous cut of meat in Argentina.

my friend ordered matambrito de cerdo (pork). He said both Star and him love this. I don’t like pork at all, so I didn’t try it.

my portion: 1/2 of the meat with ensalada mixta (lettuce, tomato and onion, olive and balsamic)

We talked a lot during the meal. It was nice catching up with him. Our lives since I left Argentina almost 6 years ago changed quite a bit, specially me. He’s still single, looking for his other half. I hope he can find her soon.

we ended our meal with a fruit plate with ice cream.

It was a nice and productive day in Buenos Aires. I can’t wait to receive Mara’s family tomorrow!!! 😆

On flight recap

As I write this post, I’m flying back to US. Five weeks on semi-vacation seemed long ex-ante, but was short ex-post. I’m glad that I write a blog to record all what I’ve done and felt during this time, and to have a group of great and supportive “friends” who I can share almost everything. A short recap of what I’ve done during these 5 weeks:

• Teach a mini-course
• Tried several new workouts
• Massage and manicure every friday
• First two theater experiences in my life, which I didn’t like them at all, I’d rather watch a movie
• Day SPA at hotel four seasons
• Tango show
• Foodie adventures: Bengal x 3, Agraz (Hotel Cesar Park) x 2, Hotel Four Seasons x2, Hotel Faena+Universe x 3, Rodizio, La Morena, Bice, Nucha x N.
• Shopping: 2.5 workout clothes, 9 tees, 1 coffee set, 1 bowl/plate set, 8 mini glasses, 2 books, tons of chocolates, 3 shirts, jewelries (you’ll see them soon)
• FABULOUS time with Star!!! This is by far the best part of this trip! 😛

I am a little sad, but not too much this time, because my parents are coming very soon and I have BIG plans for them! 🙂

Before I take the pill to try to sleep a little bit, I’ll post the last foodie adventure (today’s lunch) at BICE, one of the finest italian restaurant in Buenos Aires. It is also in New York and Milan. Their have great pasta and seafood.

Star captured my little sadness moment

But when I realized, I immediately changed to naughty face

We had as appetizer: grilled veggies

I had grilled fish with salad as entree

Star had a fish stew with seafood which was amazing!!! I had to steal several bites from his plate

For dessert we share the classic tiramisu

Tea with petit fours at the end

And the happy couple! 😀

Okay. 7 hours more! Wish me good luck to sleep a little. 🙂

Question: What do you feel when you travel back home from vacation?

Sleep attempt failed (edited at 2 am) 😦