On Friday, my film class had the opportunity to visit Buenos Aires’ film archive and museum.  In reality, only 3 of the 10 or so people in my class managed to not forget and actually make it there.  It ended up being nice though because instead of taking the subway and an extra bus to get there, we could just pile into my professor’s car and drive.  Once we arrived to archives/his office, I got a distinct take-your-daughter-to-work-day feeling.  My two friends and I tottered after him and asked all the appropriate questions.  We met his awkward, yet likable office friends.  (Similar to some nerdy friends of my father).  

All in all, it was awesome because we got the opportunity to handle and preserve genuine Argentine films from the 20’s.  The reel we worked with was made from Kodak film that boasted only one color at a time.  As we spun the film through the homemade viewing machine, it displayed a rainbow of images.  We stopped and peered through a small looking glass to examine the images more closely.  It was awesome!  I felt so important and so nervous that I was going to sneeze all over the one and only copy of an impeccable historical film.  I wasn’t even feeling sneezy, but I was sure I was going to mess things up somehow.  

Everything made its way safely back into its case, though.  =]

Using a different (and automatic) machine, we got to view the original film of the initial Star Wars movie from the 70’s.  It was incredible to have witnessed something so raw.  I’m sure many a Star Wars fans would have killed for the opportunity.  

After finishing up at workshop and archives, we visited the what is completed of the new museum.  It cost one peso to enter (about 25�USD).  The single floor, 3 room museum was disappointing in my opinion not in content, but in the quantity of displays.  I think this is partly because I’m used to huge and well-organized museums, but also because I had just come from the overstocked archives.  There is plenty of material that would make fascinating displays, but is not visible to the public.  

And, of course, by that time we were starving, so we went out for a pizza before our professor dropped us off near our houses.  Wow, it really was take-your-daughter-to-work-day.  

At volleyball, my coach has decided to run practices in English when there are only a few people there.  Una problema, she can’t really speak English.  I actually put us on similar levels in our corresponding languages.  As much as she can’t speak English, I can’t speak Spanish.  

One time after I hit a ball in practice, she gasped and exclaimed, “I love your… style!”  It was a pretty decent hit, but I wouldn’t have declared love for it.  

In fact, she was talking about my “fancy braid” hairstyle that I had sported that evening.  She immediately stopped practice, came over, and touched my hair gently.  She was in awe of one of the most common hairstyles on college campuses across the US.  Go, team.  

At our next game, she asked to my friend and I to put one in her hair and secure it tightly, just in case she had a “hot night”.  In this instance, I did not ask her to elaborate.  She did, however, beam when she checked herself out in a compact.  

Volei is now over because we lost in the playoffs (though it was a super close match!).  I hadn’t known that it was the playoffs until after the fact.  Maybe I should learn that word in Spanish.  Anyway, we still have practice.  I’m not sure why, but maybe I missed that, too.  

My friend, who knew little more than “hola” before coming to Argentina was responding to a waiter the other day when she said, “entiendo m�s o manos”.  I cracked up immediately because without knowing it, she had just coined one of my new favorite phrases.  What she was trying to say was “m�s o menos” which means, I understand more or less.  By mistaking one letter in the entire phrase, she changed the meaning to “more or hands”.  

This phrase is so wonderfully meaningless and funny that I’ve been trying to work it into everyday speech.  

Best.  

Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina