on Buenos Aires (II)

Somehow the trip to BsAs rendered me mute. It's been almost 6 months now and I'm still wondering why. I don't know. Everything I've lived there is still very much alive in my mind, yet I find it very difficult to write it down.

Perhaps it's sheer simplicity is overwhelming. Maybe the common people doing remarkable simple yet fantastic things it's what stroke me. Cultural clash? Maybe, though we're not so far apart. There I've experienced a sense of normality that I'm still searching for here, back home.
When I said to the people living in Buenos Aires that I loved the city and I could live there whithout any second thoughts the general reply was "It's funny how we want to leave Argentina and you foreigners want to stay". Well, I'll try to explain. Byass, of course.

I did not grow up in a western European country. I was only 10 when the communist regime came to an end and I don't remember much of that period. We, as a nation, were aiming West. Yet all I recall is the "transitional" time from communism to democracy. A time of social struggle, political mayhem (more or less subtle) and somewhat economical growth. One could state we're now on the right track. We're part of EU, NATO and everything is going by the book from a very large point of view. We're building a consumerist nation, and now we can buy the Pepsi can from any corner of the street, the same Pepsi can our parents could only see at the foreigner tourists or could only buy in duty-free shops.

The sense of value has been twisted and perverted. What I shall write next is purely subjective and prone to various kinds of critique - feel free.

.... to be continued....