A special kind of paradise

Being in BsAs is like dying and going to shoe and purse heaven. The goods are produced locally and even the cheap ones, have relatively great quality. Even the expensive ones are affordable given the quality and fashion. If I lived here, I could easily imagine myself developing a shoe problem. I have already caved in and procured an awesome pair of boots. Problem is that those affordable shoes may not be so affordable once I start shipping them across continents...sigh.

Some other reflections on BsAs:
-The fruit/veggies taste so much better. The power of that which is grown locally. Imagine, all the produce we consume with an Argentina/Chile sticker on it, before it gets on the truck...
- Cars have the right of way. Major intersections have traffic lights. Smaller streets throughout lack any sort of official stopping pattern. It's basically road-anarchy. The cars don't stop (and often don't slow down) at all when going through intersections. When crossing the street, you pray that the cars going in your direction are the strongest in the bunch. Otherwise you wait. Either way, it's best to be hyper-alert when crossing the street
- People here like to talk. They also like to ask a lot of questions. Regardless your command of the language, people everywhere are ready to engage you in conversation at any given time. They are very helpful. This is good. Less good is why people want to know where you're staying.
- Men kiss men. Actually, everybody kisses everybody. When greeting friends, or meeting new people, one single kiss is the norm. Men do not hesitate in the least to embrace their friends and plant a sloppy one on the cheek. They also don't hesitate to ask chickas for kisses (why the man in the shoe store thought it reasonable to ask me for a kiss, i still don't know).
- 2L Bottle of Coke: $2; Bottle of wine: $3. Good bottle of wine: $4-5.

Besos,
Amy