Somehow, it's always about the people. Too often I forget this. Here, a good majority of the friends and faces that made Buenos Aires home. I owe them, big.
Sebas
Sunday Brunch with Sebas. To recount the adventures and misadventures of the week. Usually involving a bit of gossip. A great friend and listener with a better sense of judgement than I.
Sebas: “Y como está tu amigo, Rodrigo?”
Jon
An excellent keeper of all my secrets, even from his fiancé, Ali. Great company and an excellent brisket-maker. When he and Ali left, I learned my first lesson on how ex-pat living is often transitory and with that, good byes are the pits.
“This man’s a vault.”
Franco
One of the first porteños who invited me to his house was Franco. A true friend and confidant. A far more meticulous sushi-maker than I. And a better one, too. Franco’s smile makes any day better.
Making sushi:
Me: Can’t you go any faster? I’m hungry.
Franco: See, that’s the problem with your culture. You just want to eat, I want to enjoy making this.
Me: …I’m SO HUNGRY.
Sandra
Met via Alan and couchsurfing, but quickly transcended that through talks about art, games about hat, and long dinners at someone’s house. When I left Sandra gave me a small painting; it’s hanging up in my room. Some people just “Get you,” Sandra got me.
Hakon
A world traveler in the right place at the right time. Walking through the Reserva on a long Sunday talking about expectations and attachment and disappointment, Hakon helped me flip how I saw my fellowship and my work. Our conversation came as close to saving me as a conversation can.
For some reason, his loyalty to ice cream highly amuses me. As did sitting in a heladería basically having the “there is no spoon” conversation.
Maria Luisa
María Luisa became my Argentinean mother. I’d go out to provincia (the suburbs) to see her and Guillermo about once a month to have a home cooked meal, tell them about my life, and hear about theirs. They took me in for Christmas, and became my Buenos Aires family. Guillermo’s mom.
Rocio
A friend I could tease and laugh with. Rocio demanded of me to dance better, always had something to tip me on, while simultaneously making fun of my metal waterbottle and telling me about the term “Amigacha” that a tv host uses. A true amigacha.
Mariana
The first tango pro for whom I baked a pie on her birthday. The first smiling face you meet in DNI. She invited me to her birthday and was one of the first tango pros I called just a friend. Likewise, one to not stop from chastising me when I missed her class.
Carina
My aunt in the tango studio. With a love story that gives me hope, Carina is always one that I can joke with, laugh with, and she’s the one that helped me retrieve the drawstring of a pair of pants when it disappeared. When she asked me what would I do without her? Frankly, I don’t know.
Anthea
An Aunt of a friend. Fierce and smart and passionate. On the brutal quest to find what she deserves in a world that has yet to deliver. Calls me on my mistakes and forgives me them too. A gem of a lady.
Any time I actually show up to a milonga.
Anthea: “Oh. My. God. Look who it is.”
Chofy
The sister of Dana. A force to be reckoned with. One of my first real tango friends. Led in tango, and always fun to dance with. I wish I was as cool as she was when I was 16. Una piba fantastica.
Virginie
Tanguera. Met at Tango Brujo before it closed. Teaching French, learning tango. Would see each other once in awhile at DNI post Brujo, would be a nice reminder of the era before.
Angelo
A Bologna, Spring 2009 friend. Originally Bolivian, passing through for a semester not to be. A good reminder of how you never know when international friends come back.
“I stopped eating meat in Italy. In comparison to here, it doesn’t taste like anything.”
Rodrigo
Chook-cur-ri, as known by his Mandarin teacher. A prodigy with languages. Showed me the Porteño voting system and a ton of local haunts, while always willingly helping me with my castellano.
Nora
Landlady for my second apartment. A bright light of “it’s okay.” Subletted while she traipsed through Europe. Constant fear of, “Will Nora mind if we do this?” She never did.
Jenny
A friend met from hours around Victoria’s dining table. Taught me about bacon sandwiches and cricket. Forever grateful.
Also, Brass Off.
Joe
A friend of James’ passing through. Flying from BA to back home, having just finished biking from Ushuia, Argentina to Le Paz, Bolivia. Inspiring and the sense of you’re next to someone having just finished something incredibly epic.
Eric
IPhone app developer. A friend via Piper. A great guy to chat with after a long dinner. Coiner of the oft repeated phrase: “Write on, write on.”
Juli Spinosa
A porteña skater. She made me remember how skating can still be exciting, no matter the size of the rink.
Roxana
A porteña via couchsurfing. Doesn’t cook, but was open enough to invite me to her house and serve me purchased porteña delicacies. Went to the Buenos Aires Book Fair together. Was always willing to meet up.
Luis
Peruvian. Studying in Buenos Aires. Conversation Buddy. An intellectual fighting against the broken university system. Invited me to a parilla once where we had to bring out own meat. That said, it was well worth the investment.
Matias
One of my first conversation buddies. We’d always meet in parks or places where neither of us would have to pay. Once invited me to a summer parilla on his roof. Half-way through, the power goes out. And we hear someone holler “Apaga los aires, hijos de putas!” Classic Buenos Aires.
Maria
Another of the weekly quartet. María is a loyal, amazing, caring companion. A true female confidant. A woman who’s open and brave and does the best with what’s handed to her. Someone I’ll always gladly laugh with and shake our heads together at the boys.
Ali
The other fellow member of the "winning" 1 ½ Asian Hat Team composed of myself,Ali, and Julia KD. Originally a Brown Alumna, we met through that, but continued to hang out due to mutual awesomeness. An excellent girlfriend, always game to gossip, rant, or laugh.
“I have a great business plan for you.”
Karen
Another porteña friend. The only one brave enough to explore Santa Tierra with me. Full of laughter and energy for whatever the next crazy adventure might be.
Alan
A friendship that was cemented over a free polo game via couchsurfing. “You write plays, I played piano on cruise ships; let’s talk.” A world traveler, an expert musician, a loyal friend, and the bowling champion. The world ain’t big enough for Alan B.
“The Coatí’s! The Coatí’s!”
Sofia
A fellow Brown ’10 grad who also ended up in Buenos Aires for a year. A confidant and dear dear friend. An equal pad thai enthusiast and an excellent listener to all my trials and tribulations, along with having an insider’s know-how to the city.
One of my favorite Sofia quotes: “I pretty sure that’s called following the letter of the law but not the spirit of it…”
Daria: …probably.
Sofia: Sofia Knowing smile.
Guillermo
Part of the Arica community in Argentina. Like an Uncle to me. Someone to talk to for hours over empanadas or whatever delicious dinner María Luisa had cooked up. Always with a twinkle in his eye as our conversations rambled from politics to history to music. María Luisa’s son.
Juan
I asked Juan about private lessons because he intimidated me the least. Endlessly patient, Juan once simultaneously chided me for not believing in myself enough while agreeing that it was indeed hard. For that complexity, I am forever grateful. He gave me the first private lesson, and when I did my farewell dance at the studio, was the last one to dance with me.
Dana
Una leonesa. An amazing dancer and the founder of DNI tango. My first interaction with Dana:
“Hi, Im’ Daria. I don’t know who you are.” “Hi, I’m Dana.” Oh, THE Dana.” (Laughing) “Yeah, The Dana.” Dana always has a smile and a hug for everyone, a big personality. A self-made woman, I initially let her force of personality drive me away, but there was a always a sense of mutual respect for all she has done.
Maxi
Maxi and Cande taught my first group tango class ever. I first was terrified of Maxi because I thought he was incredibly attractive. Since then we’ve become normal friends, and dancing with him is always fun due to the intermittent “Vamos, Daria!!!” when I’m dancing particularly well.
Benedikt
Saved tango for me. Tango was becoming sweaty palmy old men who I didn’t like pulling me around a floor. Ben made it fun and light and worth doing. The tango I found with Ben was probably the anti-tango: dancing at noon with a brother of a friend to US pop music.
Me: “Do you want to dance to this song? Or this song? What about this song? Is this song okay?”
Benedikt: “Whatever it is, is fine.”
Juampi
Someone I can dance with and kiddingly fight with. A brother of a friend. An excellent DJ at the DNI practicas and someone with whom dancing was always fun. Who teased me about apologizing so much. And we evolved to the joke of saying “Perdon por el perdon.” Con Sara.
Eva
Fellow tango-er. Always gave me the best hugs in the hallways. Helped me remember you don’t have to be the best to do what you do, which in this case was dance. What counts is if you do it with love.
Loyda.
Carlos' wife. An amazing sense of hospitality. I was incredibly touched when Loyda and Carlos invited me to their house for dinner. A great friend. Loved her misgivings about taking Hugo into or cemetary on our walk through Chacarita. Something about dead air not being good for young lungs. Makes sense, really.
Kat
A best friend from highschool who visited. Made keen to me the difference of who I was in the US and how my time in BA had changed me.
Gracious enough to travel with me, even on the bad days. A true sister.
Esteban
My windstorm landlord blowing through my PH every few days. Talking miles a minute about everything from disappeared history to the DIY that'll get done next week, and always remembering to ask about my writing.
“I got you a big desk because you’re a writer.”
Jenna
Keeping fashion alive in Buenos Aires since whenever she arrived. Another Victoria’s table friends. Endless cool.
Someone to commiserate with when I didn’t know who someone was in “stick a famous person on a post-it on your head.”
Stephanie
With Ben. Awesome enough that I only found out that she went to one of “those name schools” on the last night we were hanging out. Relies on who she is, not the labels. Respect.
Pato
Spanish Tutor and dear friend. Hearing her stories was a reminder that it’s not just the porteño men who can cause the dating woes, ex-pats men are not exempt. Always a friendly face at Piper’s gatherings and once gave me some Benadryll at a very critical moment.
Natalia
One of my first female friends. We’d meet in the morning pre-work and practice Spanish and English over medialunas and café. Was living with her mom and dealing with her brother. We eventually fell out of touch, but it was good fun whenever we got together.
Liliana
Fellow tanguera. Con Stephen. With equally open days, we’d explore museums, talk about Mexico, and our lives together. My first bachelorette’s party ever, was hers. We both thought the thing outlandish and bizarre. An anchor in the early days.
Martín
A weekly standard in my BA life was meeting Martín, Maria and James for what started as a weekly conversation practice and turned into a fun dinner among friends. A dear friend, who was willing to go on adventures, skating and archery included. He considers all his other friends “inpresentables,” which seem like the best sort of friends to have.
“Vas a caminar? Porfa, toma un taxi!”
James
El chico. Strangely arrived on the same day, randomly met a week later. A wikipedia of a friendship, which is to say, in-depth and constantly changing. Probably the only person I’ll ever let call me “boluda.”
“Do you know Roberta Flack?”
“No. You invite her to the party?”
And the rest is history.
Uli
Locro extraordinaire. Movie buddy. Took me to my first futból game. “Racing! Vaya la Acade!” Brave enough to ride his bike in Buenos Aires streets and always cracking jokes, even across a language barrier. It was making jokes with Ullie in castellano and hearing him laugh that made me realize I’d finally figured out the language.
Milagros
Milagros invited me into her home and into her life. From inviting me to a “noche de chicas” to her family’s ranch in Entre Rios, Milagros has let me see sides of Argentina that I’d never had imagined. Having a true gaucho father, Milagros made empanadas with me and made Argentina for me as well. Con Hernán. Not a fan of spicy food.
Amos
Loyal as the days were long. Arrived same day in Buenos Aires, left in January. Every day an adventure in between. Really taught me few are the people that don’t want a new friend.
Hugo
Top notch. Expert party game player. Much to my amusement is adamant that he is never cheating, while Victoria is always sure he is. I thought it best to not take sides. Con Victoria.
“<Insert some famous movie title in Girl v Boy charades.”
Hugo: That’s too hard; I haven’t seen that.
Cande
My teacher and a friend. As one of the youngest on the team, Cande and I truly connected in the contemporary dance class that she taught. She got to see me in my movement element and always challenged me to do a little better while helping me feel at home. Always with a smile and the best music to dance to.
Jonny
The only US kid on the DNI team, Jonny and I almost always spoke Spanish to each other in complete denial that we’re both expats living in a foreign country. He’s my go to guy, however, when I don’t know the Spanish word for blisters or papercut.
Raul
El uruguayo. “El Bombero.” Proudly from Uruguay, and always seen with a mate in hand, seeing Raul always makes my day. Along with being a teacher, Raul has always been willing to dance with me at the milongas, encouraging me to go out and dance, even on the rough dancing days.
Gaby
Una tanguera. An amazing tango dancer. She makes dancing tango, being gorgeous, and speaking a second language fluently all look so easy. A wonderful afternoon at MAMBA and then sharing stories over coffee made me realize how quickly friends can be made.
Sara
An amazing dancer, and the newest of the DNI team. The first time she left for a few months, I cried to see a kindred spirit go. Someone who’s always encouraged me with my dancing while tearing it up on the dancefloor herself. Un abrazo grande. Con Juampi.
Chang
Chang-o. Korean, but long time Buenos Aires resident. Until recently he hadn’t been back home in over seven years. Always willing to dance and to laugh when the dancing went bad. A refreshing dancing partner in class.
Carlos
Peruviano. A conversation exchange friend, who showed me how even the biggest of challenges can be overcome. While 30-soemthing like many of my friends, he had son who I saw grow up immensely over a year, and showed me the many different ways a person can live 30 long years. Always in a good mood, no matter the weather. Con Loyda.
Karen
Full of life and amazing stories. Enough to keep us hiking Macchu Pichu in high spirits. Even in the hail. Fast friends, from Macchu Pichu and forward.
Alex Shade
A brief Buenos Aires overlap before expected turns pulled her back to the US. A big dreamer and living proof that you never know how long you have with the people you meet. Fierce for all that life throws at her.
Mary
Another lioness of a woman. I’m inspired by how bold Mary is, how unapologetically herself, she is. And that self is pure awesome. From sharing our tango, boy, and life problems, Mary is the kind of strong woman I thought only existed in literature.
"What kind of wine do you want?"
“Bella y barata.”
Ben
With Stephanie. New Ex-pat friends via Piper. Ben and Stephanie were coming in for a year in BA, just as I was finishing mine. A great reminder of how a year can change you and all the things that happen within.
Diego
Elegant and Dapper, and brave enough to convince us to leave the opera when it was terrible. 2nd in the bowling, and a refreshing reminder (one of many among my friends) that not all the porteño men are as bad as the porteña women would lead you to believe. Con Piper.
Mika
Guevara housemate. Never gave up on me. Always friendly and always welcoming me to be part of the house. Eternally grateful.
Stephen
Wry sense of humor, always happy to have me over for dinner. Proposed to Lili on “El Punto de la Mujer.” Finishing a masters. Con Lili.
Pablo Galeano
We first met in Parque Centennario over Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. Conversation exchange partner and friend. Friendly and partner in crime for baking molten lava cakes.
Julia
Dear dear Julia. A filmmaker, an artist, a fellow movie goer. Julia and I met through conversation exchange and due to shared interests a friendship was born. Julia showed me her “Facu” (her university) and let me into her life during my time there. Always game to see and critique the next Argentine movie. A true friend.
“Pero él, es un poquito raro…”
Piper
7 years in BA, más o menos, and still going strong. Never far without Lucy her amazing canine companion, Piper was my Buenos Aires almanac, dear friend, and occasional fellow tango-er. Con Diego.
Piper: “She’s okay. She works very hard at what she does.”
Jon: “Not that you could tell, but that was Piper talking about someone she dislikes.”
Lucy.
Piper's canine companion, Lucy spends her days taking walks, gaurding Melrose Palermo from the evil dog next door, and pining after her not-so-secret love, wondering when she'll next be able to steal a moment with him...
Hernan
Un amigo via James and a mutual love of “futból.” Hernán is full of jokes makes an excellent paella, and is the parillador extraordinaire at any Arevalo Asado. Argentina Juniors forever. Has the best laugh. Con Milagros.
Jean
A friend made through one of my Closed Door Interviews, Jean is a marvel of a woman. We first met as skating buddies, and then became Thursday lunch friends. With wild stories and a full life, Jean was an inspiring reminder that no matter what happens, the adventure lives on.
Favorite story: All of them.
Victoria
First met in Tealuxe, Providence, RI. Really got to know each other during simultaneous fellowships in Buenos Aires. I’ve happily lost hours at her dining room table playing party games post a din with friends. Victoria encouraged me to be brave in my research and also would listen as I ranted about my Buenos Aires misadventures.
My Favorite Victoria Story: The Visa Debacle.
Adrian
My age, but I was pretty sure he was about 12 years older. A teacher so “exigente” (demanding) that I almost cried the first class, and came out of it dancing a whole lot better. A charmer, and rarely without his grin.
Virginia
A goddess. Virgie always challenged me to dance better, be better, dance taller. Also the leader of my group for the tango show, Virgie helped me shine in the show and yet would always point out to me how to do better. She didn't give up on me, even when I had came with sore feet and danced in flip flops.
Majo
Always one to compliment my dresses, Majo was always a bright light to see in the studio. We’d always compare clothing notes and give each other a big hug any time we saw each other.
Fede
I imagine dancing with Fede was how dancing tango is supposed to be. Every moment listening, every moment paying attention. An amusing against the establishment, but still shows up to the establishment kind of guy, Fede was trained in traditional tango, but somehow doesn’t mind dancing at DNI.
Chuky
A fun clown of a dancer, Chuky was always game to have fun. While I couldn’t always understand what he was saying due to the speed with which he talked. But always good to see Chuky, say hi and laugh.
Rosalind
Mentally I’d labeled her as “The Unicorn,” a phenomena that doesn’t actually exist in the natural world. A woman who led in tango. And led far better than the majority of the men. A joy to dance with.
Eduardo
The rock man. A precious mineral collector. Went on a mission for an uncle, ended up spending the afternoon chatting in Spanish during one of my last few weeks. He gave me a small rock “the first of my collection,” which mentally has become my trophy for my fellowship.
Ricardo
Traveler and adventurer, Ricardo was always game to meet up, explore new events in the city, laugh about the week’s misfortunes and practice my castellano. Had an amazing ability to always be game for whatever BA exploration I had in store.
Me: “perdon! Perdon que llegué tarde…otra OTRA VEZ.
Ricardo: “No, no hay problema.”
Elisabet
The mysterious Elisabet. The original fourth to our conversation quartet, she never showed up and eventually Maria came into the picture and a tradition was born, along with an inside joke that maybe she never existed.
Nicole
Another woman fierce and strong. Nicole encouraged me not to take crap from those around me and to demand what I want, two things I don’t do hardly enough. I remember our first meeting I kept picking fights with her, in an attempt to be strong. And then I learned that there are better ways to make friends.
Lian
A co-worker of Sofia’s, Lian had won a very similar fellowship to mine the year before. She helped me relax and realize there is actually, truly, no right way to do a fellowship.
Julia KD
A shining inspiration of the force of a woman I’d like to be when I’m finishing out my twenties. The first time I met her I almost didn’t like her because she seemed so amazingly good at being herself, the second time I decided to learn from it.
A fellow member of the Legendary 1 ½ Asian hat team.
“This city’s so loud! Sometimes I record in my closet.”
Anabel
Writing a PhD on mural culture in LA. Was in BA for a break. Learned fascinating things about murals, a museum buddy.
Asaka
A Japanese native who’d come to BA to learn tango. We commiserated about tango, wandered gardens, and she taught me the trick of adding sprite to fruit salad (it’s better than it sounds) and a few words in Japanese.
Nacho
Conversation exchange buddy. Another soul brave enough to ride a bike. An acrobat and conversationalist. Was in deep mourning when his futból team River Plate went to the “B” league. Still may be.