tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-516332010-09-02T19:00:32.795-07:00... consistently inconsistent ...TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.comBlogger1389125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-22889378658242076592010-08-03T15:00:00.001-07:002010-08-03T15:00:19.971-07:00

Skyline from Dolores ParkOriginally uploaded by tjdeeTraveling is fantastic, but coming home to this is pretty rad too. San Francisco FTW!

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-9317301241276713172010-07-27T14:40:00.000-07:002010-07-27T14:46:27.923-07:00

I regularly listen to the language-focused podcast produced as an offshoot of PRI's The World. I find linguistics and language-learning generally fascinating, but I'm obviously even more interested when the show features Spanish-related content.  This week's show led with a story on the Spanish spoken in Bogotá (qué casualidad) and its status, in the eyes of many, as the clearest/most crisp

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-86928740220544784342010-07-24T16:27:00.000-07:002010-07-25T08:53:56.755-07:00

Faced with the task of crafting a short bio to run at the end of an article, I came up with the following: T.J. is a San Francisco-based freelance writer who recently logged multi-month stays in Buenos Aires and Mexico City. The ultimate goal is to make it to every capital city, del taco al tango. That last bit was taken from a Spanishpod podcast I listen to occasionally. I wasn't even sure it

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-56130097142521847662010-06-06T16:56:00.000-07:002010-06-06T16:56:11.911-07:00

Me: They say these things happen in threes. Who do you think will be the third celebrity death? J: I don't know. Betty White? Me: HOW DARE YOU!? *** Me: Kelly Clarkson's performing for the president tonight! At the Ford Theater! J: Ha. Maybe she'll get shot like Lincoln. ME: HOW DARE YOU!?

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-80916890050335369542010-05-08T15:45:00.000-07:002010-05-08T15:45:00.958-07:00

I'm not much of a solo diner (although I have learned to suck it up for lunch every once in a while), so while J was here I made sure to hit a variety of recommended restaurants in Buenos Aires. Hidden away in one of the less popular of the central neighborhoods, Villa Crespo, Almacén Secreto is a "closed-door" restaurant that offers traditional food from all over Argentina. With tamales,

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-60800702305231767642010-05-05T10:44:00.001-07:002010-05-05T10:44:40.326-07:00

Peru BeachOriginally uploaded by tjdeeSo, I spend more than an hour retracing my steps because of a train mix-up (which came after major ticket-purchasing confusion), finally get myself to this stretch of riverfront in the BA suburb of San Isidro, relax with my delicious choripan and licuado de frutilla, only to be stung by a bee for the first time since I was, like, 6. Very nice, Argentina.

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-32468994667640051612010-04-29T12:55:00.001-07:002010-04-29T12:55:46.686-07:00

Tigre RiverwalkOriginally uploaded by tjdeeI made my way to Tigre on the commuter train to check out what the Buenos Aires suburbs have to offer. Tigre is a popular day trip because it's reachable quickly (about 50 minutes on the direct train) and cheaply (about 35 cents for my one-way ticket) and because it's a jumping-off point to explore the river delta by boat. The town itself also offers a

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-30179458279269975992010-04-27T16:40:00.001-07:002010-04-27T16:40:57.940-07:00

La BocaOriginally uploaded by tjdeeGoing to La Boca is one of those things you have to do when in Buenos Aires. But it's not super convenient via public transportation. Fortunately, Boca along with a couple of other areas (Puerto Madero's Ecological Reserve, for example) is reachable via the Buenos Aires Bus, similar to the Mexico City Turibus I enjoyed last year. Yes, it's touristy and kinda

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-76425428914683440682010-04-21T13:10:00.001-07:002010-04-21T13:10:24.414-07:00

NerdOriginally uploaded by tjdeeThere are some things you have to do while traveling, no matter how much you don't want to look like a typical tourist (aside: I saw a great saying here that read "no seas un turista, sino un viajero" or "don't be a tourist but rather a traveler"). But when you're in Buenos Aires you have to go to Recoleta Cemetery to see Evita's tomb. That said, you don't have to

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-25657755593019908142010-04-20T14:42:00.001-07:002010-04-20T14:42:40.877-07:00

Show at La Peña del ColoradoOriginally uploaded by tjdeeWe were not sure whether to hit up this peña, which required an entrada fee plus dinner, but both the food and the show wound up being quite good. And it's just a quick walk from the apartment. I'll definitely be back, hopefully after midnight, when people just hang out playing guitar and drinking mate. Viva la Argentina.

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-40744150159740482522010-04-10T12:04:00.001-07:002010-04-10T12:04:46.522-07:00

HolaOriginally uploaded by tjdeeWorking from Urban Station for the second time this afternoon. It's nice to get out of the b&b and get work done in a rad space with a killer view of all the chic folks walking around the Palermo Soho neighborhood. This concept, a hybrid between the traditional internet cafe (locutorio) and the longer-term co-working spaces (check out areatres, also in this hood),

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-18355617633645876072010-04-06T10:39:00.001-07:002010-04-06T10:39:10.869-07:00

Ya LleguéOriginally uploaded by tjdeeTen hours on a plane is a long time, ya'll. Después de 10 horas en la (segunda) avión y un total de 18 hours de viajar, estaba hecho polvo (una expresión que al propietaro del b&b le encantó cuando se lo dije) ayer cuando llegué en esta ciudad tan preciosa. But I only grabbed a quick siesta at Mansilla 3935 before checking out the neighborhood, including Las

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-12073882921100407232010-03-28T13:55:00.000-07:002010-03-28T13:55:51.134-07:00

One week until I leave for Buenos Aires (for a 5-week stay), so I'm making sure I hit all of my favorite Argentina-focused websites for last-minute revelations/tips/etc. Not surprisingly, Trip Advisor has been an invaluable resource, from its reviews of lodgings to its forum full of BsAs experts. Without those travelers' and residents' posts, I would have had no idea about porteños'

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-43174943008500657102010-03-25T12:51:00.000-07:002010-03-25T12:51:52.217-07:00

Qué emocionante: Canal Encuentro, the best of Argentina's online-programming offerings, is better now that there's a live stream. There's a still a wide range of programs available for later viewing via stream or download (just create a free account to take advantage of higher-quality downloads). Overall, the site can be very slow, but all things considered it's a fantastic tool for language

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-42360358340144110652010-03-23T12:24:00.000-07:002010-03-23T12:24:48.156-07:00

So, I hit "publish" on Blogger for the first time 10 years ago today. What! Here's the gripping first post. (Of course, this domain has been around longer -- since April of '99 -- and an online wordspewspace of some sort has been running semi-continuously since the summer of '98).

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-56585747754990993662010-03-21T11:45:00.000-07:002010-03-21T11:45:00.327-07:00

Lo mejor de la peli Los Paranoicos, sin duda, es cómo baila el guapísimo (aunque no tanto en este filme) Daniel Hendler. Este video incluye algunos de los mejores momentos. The best part of the film Los Paranoicos is definitely Daniel Hendler's dancing. This video features some highlights.

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-78652004833051863452010-03-19T12:58:00.000-07:002010-03-19T16:43:11.775-07:00

It's been a kick-ass few weeks for new music. Among the iberoamericano artists I dig, I'm liking new stuff from Mexico's Julieta Venegas, Spain's English-singing Marlango, Uruguay's Jorge Drexler and Argentina's Diego Torres. Julieta Venegas - Bien o Mal As the sassy gay friend would say, Julieta is one crazy bitch. She is by far my favorite of the Spanish-language pop stars and this video

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-16321974632579776532010-03-15T13:00:00.000-07:002010-03-15T13:01:47.975-07:00

This weekend I experienced a taste of what's to come in Argentina when I checked out Juan Cuba of Los Nadies performing tangos, boleros and other non-roquero songs. It was his first time belting this style of music in public, apparently. I went to check out the space, Red Poppy Art House, more than to see the specific musician, but this was a great show.

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-73459050240497659322010-03-12T14:43:00.001-08:002010-03-12T14:43:49.082-08:00

TwiteandoOriginally uploaded by tjdeeSoy famoso entre las DOCENAS de personas que estaban mirando CNN en espanol durante la verdaderamente interesante conversacion que CNN Mexico manejo sobre el Mexico actual y el pais que los ciudadanos quieren que sea en 2020.La persona que escogio mi tweet tuvo que editarlo para que quedara en la pantalla. Y le agradezco porque Jesus me noto que habia hecho un

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-75510148728028541582010-03-09T13:42:00.000-08:002010-03-09T14:02:14.409-08:00

Toward the end of 2008 my temporary lack of television coupled with my intensified focus on consuming as much Spanish-language media as possible turned me onto Spain's above-average archived TV programming. I quickly found Andaluces por el mundo, a pretty low-budget show on Television de Andalucía, that profiled a handful of andaluces currently living outside Spain. The national (and more

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-15589659264974263252010-03-05T15:10:00.000-08:002010-03-05T15:18:15.194-08:00

Julieta Venegas led me to Bajofondo through a collaboration she did with the Gustavo Santaolalla-led rioplatense group. Bajofondo, via Pandora, led me to Electro Dub Tango, Otros Aires and (somewhat-forgotten) Gotan Project. Those four groups make of the base of my new go-to Pandora station. It's an especially good one for working or for just getting in an Argentine mood (I like this much more

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-25387195246487714132010-02-26T15:17:00.000-08:002010-02-26T15:19:44.600-08:00

Que te cuento cuando no tengo nada que decir? Bueno, te digo que no se como hacer tildes en esta puta computadora de mierda. Por eso, me voy a parar. Pues, algo es algo, verdad?

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-82116437979128314622010-02-22T09:38:00.000-08:002010-02-22T12:45:00.634-08:00

I think I'm in the midst of my first approaching-30 mini-crisis: I'm feeling pushed to solidify my San Francisco roots even further and continue doing all that grown-up stuff I've been slowly doing the past few years (buying fancier, investment furniture, building community, etc.). For lack of a better word, I have an urge to settle. Yet, at the same time, I'm feeling just as strongly as ever a

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-68545208450933911062010-02-06T14:12:00.000-08:002010-02-06T14:48:03.584-08:00

From the website's a la carta offerings to the iPhone app w/ live streaming video, I have been incredibly impressed by the online footprint created by Spain's RTVE (Radio y Televisión Española). But I'm trying to step away from the peninsular Spanish accent to which I've become (in J's eyes) bizarrely accustomed and move toward the (to me) exceedingly unclear Argentine/rioplatense accent in

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51633.post-38081157495692725002010-02-05T10:22:00.000-08:002010-02-05T11:27:28.878-08:00

While not as long as last year's nine-week stay in Mexico City, I'm off to Buenos Aires for five weeks beginning just before my birthday. I'm thinking if I head to the southern hemisphere before the big day, time will go backwards and I can ward off 30 for a little longer. Yes? If not, I can enjoy finally being able to check Argentina off the list. No plans to explore much of the interior (it's

TJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295336921729905229tjdegroat@gmail.com32