Va Argentina, va!

So woke up this morning around 11 a.m. yummmmmmmmmmmmm. Made some toast with hunnnnnnnnnnny and jammmmmmmmmmmmm. Then helped Maria Laura straighten Lulu's hair. They really like mi plancha. Then proceeded to agonize over what to wear the futbol game, which involved looking up both teams colors. If I couldn't wear Argentina's colors, I certainly wasn't going to wear colombia's colors. So I was talking to Maria Laura about the game, and she was like, do you want to dress up? And she found me a flag, two joker hats, and a BEAUTIFUL tiny scarf that I wore like a hippy ;)

So I compiled my outfit, with my sneakers with the bit of light blue on the side, jeans with tights to fight the cold, a blue tank top with a white shirt over it. Then another whiteish jacket, then my green jacket. I kept all my stuff in my jacket (zippy pockets) b/c the game area isn't very safe. I wore blue eyeshadow, and then my little hippy tie in my hair!
Oh, but before I got dressed, I had to let Stacy into my house. So I met her at the corner street, which is seriously 10 steps from my house. But I went out in my athletic shorts and flipflops b/c I was debating clothing. SOOOOO many people stared at me. I mean, it was a little cold, and I'm pale, but I was outside for like 5 minutes! But Argentines are freaking out about the cold, especially about swine flu, and they are all in their ski-wear all the time basically. So in my shorts and flip flops, I looked like I had escaped from the insane asylum.

Stacy and I ate at this place called Duero, and it was ok. I ordered Milanesa, con papas fritas y una ensalada de cesar. The salad was amazing. Milanesa, bleeh. Fries, bueno con sal. The desserts looked SOOOOOOOO good at this place, but I was stuffed. The food was a bit pricier, but it was huge portions. For 8 bucks I got what
would've easily cost me 15 in the US.

Then we headed to the house, where I thought I was going to be super cool with my head gear. Then everyone had jerseys! So I felt really unspirited. We made our way to the game, took the subte, and everyone was in great spirits. We made a stop at a store along the way, and I had my first pregame fun! Also, along the way, we ran into this little kid who had a head band like me. Everyone was getting a real quick out of finding my "soul mate", so Constantin asked the kid's dad if I could get a pic with him. Srsly. But I did, and it's now a great story. haha.



We made it to the game, and I was just in love with taking in our surroundings. I was reminded of the taxi driver's comment when I arrived here, about the "piel de gallinas". yay spirit! Think walking to an A&M game, but bigger, lighter bluer, and rowdier. Everyone was selling stuff, and we found jerseys for 35 pesos! .....I got one :) (the other guys had paid 100 pesos). It's my first jersey! And it's pretty :)



We passed a few camera crews, which we yelled and tried to get in front of. We then proceeded halfway around the stadium until we realized we were going the wrong way. We finally made it in....I got frisked b/c my jacket was so bulky with everything in it...but by now I'm used to being checked, apparently I look sketchy. We make it in, and although we left the house about 2 hours before the game, we made it in like 10 minutes before the game. Now here's the cool part. We were going to buy our tickets online for 100-something pesos. But then we found out if you go to the stadium you can get tickets for 80 pesos....in a better section. Stupid internet scammers. So some of the boys bought us all tickets. So we're looking for our section, because like true Aggies (and others) we're expecting to sit in our seats. NO ONE is being helpful, and we are just SO sticking out and looking lost and dumb.

Finally, we find our section. Then, we find our row. Then, we find there are no seats. So we just start inching through to our seats. And stacy and I end up in front of this couple. And I show them my ticket and am like, this is my seat. And then things got....well, the word I am thinking might not be appropriate. I was already frustrated with our futile, inefficient search for our seats, you bet your buttons I'm going to get my seat. They feign dumb for a minute, until they realize that I can indeed speak Spanish. And I basically get sharp with them in Spanish, saying that this is our seat. And they were like, there are no seat numbers. And I was like, yes there are, and you're in ours. [aka i'm not a dumb american] And at this point, the guy is like, yea, but no one sits in them. And I was like, i don't care about everyone else, we paid to sit. And another girl with us, says in English "they're saying no one sits...", and at this point, being totally frustrated, I reply in Spanish that I completely understand what they're saying, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm going to get my seat.

So, I kind of got really mad. And in retrospect, it wouldn't have done any good if I had just kept hounding the couple. And at this point, Hasil is like, well, we'll just stand in front of them. But then we found a pocket a few seats over with enough seats for everyone over a span of 4 rows. Once we're all sitting, I'm cool. And even though we didn't get our seats, it was pretty awesome to know that I could get some attitude in Spanish. Even Stacy was like, dang girl. So that was fun.

We were behind the goal, well, to the left of it, on the first level. Then, behind us and up a bit, were ALL the Colombians. And then there were two more tiers of Argentine fans. I mean, I had better seats than I do at A&M games! So we're standing, and the taxi driver was right, the spirit is contagious. I mean, really, spirit is the reason why i go to any sporting events. And we're surrounded by light blue, and a mixture of people from 80's to little 4 year olds. One odd thing is that the Colombians were stinkin' spirited, and the Argentines not so much. Unlike at home, when the Colombian's sang their "song" we didn't try to drown them out.

Awesome thing: Once the game started, our section sat down. We were the ONLY section on that part of the stadium that sat. No idea how we lucked out in that respect, but it was wonderful. Soccer game began, and I paid attention for a while, but the beginning half was mediocre. And again, it was weird b/c the Colombians were just cheering, yelling, singing, someone had percussion instruments, and then we were basically sitting there. Haha, although this one guy two rows in front of us would just periodically turn around with obscene gestures for the Colombian fans. Oh, and so the Colombian fans were higher right, and there were cops on the stairs. They were basically looked there until the end of the game. And there was this little 5yrold (maybe even 4) who would repeat those same gestures/phrases, and Stacy and I were just like, OMG he's like 4 and he has a dirtier mouth than most 10 yr olds we know!

Halftime came earlier than expected, and to my surprise I was still into the game! It was alittle colder, but I was still enjoying myself. Oh, and we stood during halftime. So opposite my Aggie instruction. Oh, then the peanut man came around. The first time he came around, I passed, but then they just looked so good, and I was kind of hungry, and it was only 5 pesos (so less than 2 dollars....when was the last time something was less than 2 dollars at a sporting event??). So I got one, and gave him a ten. Well the bugger tried to walk off without giving me back my five! I don't know whether he thought I was just stupid and wouldn't realize that EVERYONE ELSE was paying five dollars or what. So I'm standing there, with my hand extended, and he's just looking away. And even this guy taps me and is like, "ehh, he owes you 5" and I'm like, yea, i know. So other people recognized what this guy was trying to do. So finally, I just lean up, catch eye contact, and am like "5 pesos". And he flashes a faulty apologetic expression and hands me a 5. Those peanuts were muyyyyy yummy.

Then, we finally SCORED! And everyone stands up and freaks out, and I'm like, oh high five? b/c that's what we do at A&M to avoid any weirdness about the kissing tradition, but really we just yelled and there was no latent worry that anyone would try to kiss you. yay score! And then we yelled some stuff at Colombia, which I took a video of. The phrase of the night was "hijo de ...." you fill it in. People would basically chant that. Oh, and so for the second half we were aiming for our goal, and this is the part you may not believe. So when they're coming our way, people would stand up more when we came close to scoring. And normally, if everyone stands up, I will too just b/c I'm at a game, so follow the crowd.

Well, this guy does this cool spinning thing, and is about to score, and everyone jumps up, and I DO TOO B?C I DONT WANT TO MISS THE SCORE. pues, we didn't score, but that's the first time I can really remember being into a game enough to where I jump up b/c I actually want to see the play.

Ohhhh, haha, ok, two more funny things. So the Colombians start chanting "si se puede" and I'm like, seriously? Disney channel anyone? And then some of the Argentines chant it back, I'm guessing sarcastically like, yea, we can (score on you). And there's this lady in our section, and she's gorgeous and looking classy, and she is the only one standing in our section. And she's yelling back at the Colombians. And finally, the stands start chanting.......think female dog.......specifically at her. And she's taking in all in stride, yelling back, etc. And then she basically shoves her butt to the crowd, and I got a little confused about what was being yelled at that point. but apparently they started saying yea, good butt, but no chest. ummm yea, the stands are yelling this at this ONE lady. And then this OTHER lady stands up, and she has a rather, well super, large chest. And all the people in our section stand up and are like, yeaaaaaaaa Argentina!! And I got this picture of ALLLLLLLL of the camera men on the field (about 10) with their backs to the game and their cameras pointed at these ladies. Yea. So that occupied everyone's attention for a good 5 minutes. And then it was like, oh yea, we're here for a soccer game, no?

Then all of a sudden, everyone stands up yelling, and since the ball was in the middle of the field, I take that as the game is over. We yell, yay, yea, and then we head out. And we have to walk past all of the Colombians. And I think maybe the Colombians were quiet for 5 minutes after we scored our point, but they were back in full force with their taunts now. And some people just walk by, but most are yelling back, throwing obscene gestures, and just overall having a good time. We made it out without incident, walked FOREVER to get home, and then I made it back home.

And now I have a jersey, which looks REALLY GOOD, albeit fake. I like to wear Argentine colors. I would even venture to say I would totally be up for going to another game.

It was by far my favorite Argentine experience so far, as crazy as that may sound to anyone who knows me. Besos!!