Pirottes del sur

It was 9:15 and I got up.

There was a terrible noise coming from the living room. I recognized it as an alarm from an iPhone. But was it coming from mine? NOPE.

It just so happens that Maria got an iPhone 4 for Christmas. Now the entire family has an iPhone. Sorry if you ever get in the midst of us talking about our "FaceTime" conversations, or about how much easier life is now that we all have such an innovative cell phone. We drink the Apple Kool-Aid, if you get my drift.

But like I was saying, this horrible noise was coming from the living room. I think it was an attempt to get Maria and I to wake...but was shut down as I entered the living room with a prompt, "I'm...not getting up now," and Maria continuing to hit "snooze" until finally shutting it off altogether. We then slept til 12:30.

But Buenos Aires was waiting for us just the same, so we decided to go for some groceries.

We ended up walking right around the corner, to Avenida Medrano. We found a little supermercado that had all we wanted. Unfortunately, when we were checking out, we found out they do not accept tarjetas de credito, and we were in the embarrassing position of not having enough cash to pay for the groceries. I then had to make a quick trip to an ATM. Woops.

After a meal of leftover Paella from last night, oranges and some questionable "cheddar" cheese, we decided to contact Susanna Pirotte, a long-lost relative who lives here in Buenos Aires. Our apartment has a phone.

We ended up meeting at Alto Palermo, a really nice mall, after taking the Subte for the first time. We decided to meet at the McDonald's "of course not to eat, just as a meeting place!" ...There are two McDonald's at Alto Palermo. After just a few minutes of waiting, we met Susanna and her husband Roberto, and set off on a quick tour of downtown and a fantastic meal.

Bistec y 'bife de chorizo.' Not the same as just chorizo back home. Much more delicious.

Susanna y Maria

Yo, Susanna y su esposo Roberto

We walked down Avenida 9 de Julio, the más ancha del mundo. It is so weird to be wearing shorts and seeing Christmas decorations everywhere. And by so weird, I mean awesome. 

We walked by an incredible restaurant in Puerto Madero. In Argentina, their form of asado, or BBQ, is to use the embers, or "brazas," instead of direct fire.  

We stopped for some helados in Puerto Madero. 

Great conversation is not just an art mastered by Pirottes in North America. This might top our long Thanksgiving rants, though, as this one drifted between English AND Spanish. 

Waiting for a taxi ride home. Great end to a great beginning here in Buenos Aires.

MUCHISSIMAS gracias a los Pirottes de Argentina. It was great to meet you. Espero que no sea tanto tiempo hasta la proxima visita.