Urbanity

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Blog Action Day 2009: Ostriches on the terrace/avestruces en la terraza

I love to watch ostriches on the skyscrapers of Buenos Aires. Some years ago during springtime a female ostrich layed a couple of eggs on a notebook that a writer forgot on a building terrace and a male ostrich decided to nest them right there.

Nobody knows exactly how the birds reached the eleven floor´s terrace of that first building.
My husband says that the bats must have lifted them all the way up. He´s usually right when it comes to immigrants and cooperation.
My mother thinks that they passed by the neighborhood following some gypsies and stayed because they were tired of all the walking.
My brother feels that they came because they wanted to teach their kids to see the world from the urban perspective.
I think it has to be the changes in the Pampa´s lands that brought them here. They´re constantly pushed out of the fertile grasslands that once seemed endless and now they live on most of our buildings.

I love to watch the ones on the terrace across the street from my window...

When the weather is nice some tenants wash their clothes on the terraces. Sometimes one of them forgets a bar of soap and the ostriches come and eat it so that they can talk in bubbles language.

Sometimes the ostriches dance frantically tapping on the roofing tiles jumping and opening their wings. The neighbors don´t like that because think that they´re having tantrums but it´s just their way to call the butterflies.
Ostriches know that butterflies always bring stories and fruits from other lands.

I have to say that these birds are very respectful audiences. When the butterflies come they sit in circles and listen (or eat) without interrupting or making noises.
Some tales are so delicious and some fruits are so funny that the ostriches laugh in bubbles, clap with their toes and take the butterflies for rides on their backs through the roof gardens.

But sometimes the stories and the fruits are scary. Then the ostriches teach their charitos the correct way to hide their heads inside a bucket or a flowerpot.
I saw them many times telling their offspring in bubbles language that it works, that they learned this ancient technique of avoiding problems from us.
The charitos always look at their parents suspiciously. The rule never makes any sense to them but they generally obey like good kids.

Yesterday it was unusually hot for Spring and I saw something different.
A rebel charito was asking the butterflies if it was true that all humans worldwide hide like that to solve the mess they bring to the weather.
The butterflies must have been angry or something because they turned in spirals up and down moving the air so strongly that the explanation uncombed the charito and... judging by the expression on his face the answer must have been very very complicated.

The insects bubbling was too small to read from the distance and they seem to know a lot.
Next time I´ll use my dad´s binoculars.
I bet that the little rebel is going to demand more answers...




Me encanta observar a los avestruces en las azoteas de Buenos Aires.
Una primavera hace algunos años una avestruz puso un par de huevos sobre un anotador que un escritor dejó olvidado en una terraza y un macho decidió anidarlos ahí mismo.
Nadie sabe exactamente cómo pudieron subir los pájaros esos once pisos hasta la terraza de aquel primer edificio.
Mi marido dice que seguramente debieron ser los muciélagos que los ayudaron a subir. Generalmente él sabe bien de lo que habla en cuanto a inmigrantes y a cooperación.
Mi madre piensa que pasaban por el barrio siguiendo a unos gitanos y que se quedaron porque estaban cansados de tanto andar.
Mi hermano siente que vinieron porque querían enseñarle a sus hijos a ver el mundo desde una perspectiva urbana.
Yo creo que los trajeron los cambios en la Pampa. Están siempre corridos fuera de los fértiles campos naturales que alguna vez parecían interminables y ahora viven en la mayoría de nuestros edificios.

Me encanta observar a los que viven en la terraza de enfrente de mi ventana...
Cuando el tiempo está lindo algunos inquilinos lavan su ropa en la terraza. A veces algunos se olvidan algún jabón y los avestruces vienen y se lo comen para poder hablar en idioma de burbujas.
A veces los avestruces bailan frenéticamente pateando las tejas saltando y batiendo sus alas.
A los vecinos no les gusta porque piensan que los avestruces tienen rabietas pero es solamente porque están llamando a las mariposas.
Los avestruces saben que las mariposas siempre traen historias y frutas de otras partes.
Debo decir que estas aves forman audiencias muy respetuosas. Cuando las mariposas vienen se sientan en círculos a escuchar (o a comer) sin interrumpir ni hacer ruidos molestos.
Algunos cuentos son tan deliciosos y algunas frutas son tan graciosas que los aveztruces se ríen en burbujas, aplauden con sus patas y llevan a las mariposas a dar paseos por los jardines de las terrazas.
Pero a veces las historias y las frutas dan miedo. Entonces los avestruces les enseñan a sus charitos la manera correcta de esconder la cabeza en un balde o una maceta.
Los he visto muchas veces diciéndoles a sus crias en lenguaje de burbujas que eso funciona, que han aprendido de nosotros esa antigua técnica de cómo evitar problemas.
Pero los charitos siempre los miran con cierta sospecha. La regla nunca tiene mucho sentido para ellos pero generalmente la obedecen porque son buenos chicos.

Ayer estuvo increíblemente caluroso para ser primavera y observé algo diferente.
Un charito medio rebelde estaba preguntándole a las mariposas si era cierto que todos los humanos del mundo se escondían así para resolver los líos que ellos mismos hacían con el clima.
Las mariposas debieron estar enojadas o algo así porque se retorcían en espirales subiendo y bajando, moviendo el aire con tanta fuerza para explicarle, que despeinaron al charito y... por la cara que puso, la respuesta debe haber sido muy pero muy complicada.

Las burbujas de los insectos eran demasiado chiquitas para leerlas de lejos y parece que saben un montón.
La próxima vez voy a usar los binoculares de mi viejo.
Apuesto a que el rebeldito va a exigir más respuestas...

Join us

Blog Action Day is an annual nonprofit event that aims to unite the world’s bloggers, podcasters and videocasters, to post about the same issue on the same day to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion.
This year´s theme: Climate Change.
Join us on Oct 15, 2009 at:

Blog Action Day es un evento sin fines de lucro que une a blogers, podcasters y videocasters del mundo en un mismo tema, apuntando a llamar la atención en el mismo y disparar una discusión global.
El tema este año: Cambio Climático
Unite a nosotros el 15 de Oct de 2009

The woman who thinks like a cow

You´re beautiful

IMAS - Immigrant Mutual Aid Society

IMAS GETTING-YOUR-DNI SEMINAR

Tuesday, September 22, 7pm

areatres, Malabia 1720, Palermo Soho, Buenos Aires

Collaboration on living-skills for immigrants in Argentina

The Immigrant Mutual Aid Society will hold its first seminar on September 22, 2009 at areatres, Malabia 1720 (behind Starbucks), Palermo Soho, Buenos Aires.

This first seminar, conducted by Argentine immigration lawyer, Solange Verón, will begin at 7:00pm and will deal with DNI and legal residency with an emphasis on citizens of countries outside Argentina's Patria Grande.

Ms. Verón is a graduate of the University of Law at UBA and currently performs politics and government studies in a joint degree program with UN de San Martín and Georgetown University of Washington, DC. She has worked with city and national government for 10 years.

The presentation will focus on obtaining legal residency in the most general terms and will be conducted in English. After the presentation the audience will be encouraged to participate in a question and answer session regarding their legal residency experiences and plans. No questions regarding DNI will be considered too general.

Future seminars concerning DNI and legal residency are planned with specific emphasis on the various stages of the process. All instruction will be directed toward both do-it-yourself efforts and those represented by legal counsel.

IMAS is grateful for the generous support of areatres in providing its flexible workplace solutions and work environments for this seminar. (www.areatresworkplace.com)

IMAS is a non-profit, self-help immigrant mutual aid net in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Providing open-source collaboration on living-skills, personal help, and instruction to those making Argentina their home; IMAS seeks to fill an English language void among similar societies in Argentina's great history as a magnet for those seeking a better life. (www.immigrantmutualaid.com.ar)

Contact IMAS at:

info@immigrantmutualaid.com.ar

IMAS is a non-profit, self-help immigrant mutual aid net in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Providing open-source collaboration on living-skills, personal help, and instruction to those making Argentina their home; IMAS seeks to fill an English language void among similar societies in Argentina's great history as a magnet for those seeking a better life. (www.immigrantmutualaid.com.ar)

SEMINARIO IMAS: COMO OBTENER SU DNI

Martes, Septiembre 22, 19 hs
areatres, Malabia 1720, Palermo Soho, Buenos Aires

Colaboración para inmigrantes en Argentina

La red Immigrant Mutual Aid Society llevará a cabo su primer seminario el día 22 de Septiembre del corriente en areatres, Malabia 1720, en el barrio de Palermo de la ciudad de Buenos Aires.

Este primer seminario será conducido por la abogada argentina especialista en inmigración, Dra. Solange Verón, comenzará a las 19 hs y tratará acerca de cómo obtener DNI y residencia legal, en esta ocasión, con énfasis en la situación de ciudadanos de países más allá de Sudamérica.

La Dra. Verón es graduada de la Facultad de Derecho de la UBA, actualmente especializándose en política y gobierno en el programa conjunto de la Universidad de San Martín y Georgetown University of Washington, DC; habiendo a su vez trabajado por más de 10 años en posiciones a nivel gubernamental tanto en la ciudad como a nivel nacional.

Esta presentación se enfocará en la obtención de residencia legal en general y se llevará a cabo en inglés. Luego de la misma, la audiencia podrá participar en una sesión de preguntas y respuestas en lo referente a sus experiencias y planes en cuanto a su residencia legal. Serán consideradas todas las preguntas relacionadas con la obtención de documento nacional de identidad.

Asimismo se han previsto futuros seminarios para cada etapa del proceso de obtención de residencia legal. Las sugerencias estarán orientadas tanto en el sentido del hágalo-usted-mismo como para aquellos casos que requieran representación legal.

IMAS agradece profundamente el generoso aporte de areatres al proveer su espacio de trabajo flexible, así como sus soluciones y ambiente de trabajo totalmente novedosos para este seminario. (www.areatresworkplace.com)

IMAS es una red de mutua ayuda y sin fines de lucro para la comunidad de inmigrantes angloparlantes en Argentina, que provee colaboraciones abiertas en experiencias y conocimientos cotidianos, ayuda personal y guía para aquellos que eligieron Argentina como su nuevo hogar. IMAS busca crear un espacio para la comunidad angloparlante en el ámbito de las organizaciones de ayuda mutua, dentro de las ya establecidas históricamente por otras comunidades en Argentina. (www.immigrantmutualaid.com.ar)

Contacto IMAS:
info@immigrantmutualaid.com.ar

IMAS es una red de ayuda mutua, sin fines de lucro en Buenos Aires, Argentina. Provee colaboraciones abiertas en experiencias y conocimientos cotidianos, ayuda personal y guía para aquellos que eligieron Argentina como su nuevo hogar. IMAS busca crear un espacio para la comunidad angloparlante en el ámbito de las organizaciones de ayuda mutua, dentro de las ya establecidas históricamente por otras comunidades en Argentina. (www.immigrantmutualaid.com.ar)

Margot and the posts

- Are you concerned Negrita?
- Hi 99, a little... remember my friend Margarita?
- I have the feeling I´ve met her once. Isn´t she 2008 milk cow National prize winner?
- Right. Margarita was able to give 28 liters of milk per day when milked with tango music.

- What a cow!
- Yeah... and all the bulls in the ranch were dying for her. When she was present the rest of us were invisible to our males...
- I didn´t know cows could be jealous.
- Oh no! Of course we can be jealous but none of us were jealous of Margarita. We were proud of her and everybody wanted to be her friend and give milk with her charm.
- Why do you speak in past tense?
- Way too much applause and posts finally got into her soul. After so much of those posts watching she became obsessed with both applause and posts.
- So?
- After a while the posts around the tambo became boring for her. She was also aware that Argentina´s dairy industry is sinking and she decided that since a champion like her was so badly paid here she should take off to conquer other pastures.

- What did she do?
- She traveled the world and tried everything that had to do with posts. Everything that had to do with applause. Everything that had to do with tango music.

- So she must be happy, I told the cow that was still looking concerned
- I´m not so sure... I have just received a postcard form her. She´s in Paris. She´s working with children and she´s listening to tango music 24 hours a day but she says that she´ll come back because she doesn´t like the weather. I don´t believe it.
- Why not?
- For one, milk cows don´t like children because children don´t like milk.

- I liked milk when I was a kid.

- That was chocolate milk, 99, sighed the cow, also I noticed in the photo that she looks dry and sad. She bleached some spots of her hair and she´s not attracting bulls any more.
- Maybe the music still makes her happy and she really doesn´t like the weather...
- I don´t think so. Tango 24 hours a day? Come on, gimme a break! said Negrita a little pissed. Be serious 99, who cares about the weather in Paris? They don´t have palm trees like in Buenos Aires but it´s still a great place to live in. We´re talking Paris!
- And you´re concern about her coming back because tambos are closing and she might end in a slaughter house?

- No!

- Sorry, I don´t get it Negrita
- Look at this, said the cow unrolling the postcard and showing it to me, You know nothing about tango, do you 99?

- Not much...

- She changed her name to Margot for Christ sake!, she added, “Ya no sos mi Margarita, ahora te dicen Margot” Does it ring any bells? It´s about her soul. You´ve learned nothing today, and she left really pissed at me.

I don´t understand cows at all and I still don´t have a clue of what she was saying. I´ll ask her again next time when she´s in a better mood.

Or maybe I better check some tango lyrics before doing so.

Argentina: no milk today, no dairy tomorrow

Breaking News -ENG
Industria Láctea -- Protestas -SP

The bottle stands for lorn, a symbol of the dawn
No milk today, it seems a common sight
But people passing by don't know the reason why
...
How could they know just what this message means
The end of my hopes, the end of all my dreams
...
No milk today, it wasn't always so
The company was gay, we'd turn night into day
But all that's left is a place dark and lonely
...
No milk today, it wasn't always so
The company was gay, we'd turn night into day
...
How could they know just what this message means
The end of my hopes, the end of all my dreams
...

The cat in the hat

"kids can see a moral coming a mile off" Dr. Seuss