For Charlie

First, a tribute to my beloved pet bunny rabbit: Charles Gregory Kilkenny (a.k.a. Charlie the bunny) passed away Friday morning, a week ago today. I didn’t find out until Sunday. It’s so hard that I didn’t get to say goodbye. I just seriously hope and pray that he was not in pain as he went. And surely it was his time; he was 13 years old, which is pretty damn long for a rabbit. But that’s just a number. When I was writing about him and thinking about him, I realized we had him as a pet since I was in the second grade. That makes 13 years a whole different number, because from second grade to my sophomore year in COLLEGE is an incredibly long time. He was a part of so much of my life, so much of my childhood, youth and adolescence, and now even adult being. That puts 13 years into a whole different perspective.

And even when I was away before he passed, I missed him. Now I miss him even more. Animals and pets have always meant so much to me, and Charlie was truly an icon of the Kilkenny family amongst all us kids and our friends and our family friends and neighbors and anybody who knew us, really. I miss you and I love you, Charlie. Rest in peace.

So beyond suddenly missing home and mourning the loss of a dear friend since Sunday, yesterday completed the first full week of classes. And today commences a five day weekend; I have Monday and Tuesday off as holidays for Carnival, the holiday / festivals that occur before Lent, a.k.a. the European and South American version of a more extensive Mardi Gras (with perhaps exception to the celebrations in New Orleans; students who attend Tulane University get the entire week off!). Rio is world renown for being the ultimate Carnival party place, but for some reason Brasil doesn’t fascinate me, not now, at least. Some students here at NYU have planned out of the country travels for this weekend, but I’m still in a state of not knowing Buenos Aires as well as I could, so why would I leave this beautiful city that will also have whimsical parades and street partying galore? I’m pretty excited to experience it. I will let you know of my adventures.

One of my favourite experiences thus far has been my visit to the Feria de San Pedro Telmo, it’s formal name, or as everyone simply knows it to be, the Sunday artisan market that occurs in the barrio of San Telmo (and an incredibly beautiful and unique barrio it is). It is seemingly endless. It runs from 10 am – 4 pm every Sunday, but even that is not enough time to walk the length of it and see everything there is to see. I purchased my first souvenir there, a lovely necklace made of dyed bone (I decided not to ask where the bone came from). I will make a new post of just pictures I have thus far soon.

I have made it a habit to record my dinner each night in lengthy description, a food log per se, so I can rant to all my food-freak friends about the glorious homemade meals I’ve been having here. Mi mamá Marina has cooked Susannah and I some of the best meals I’ve ever experienced (because yes, each and every one of them is an experience) and that sure as hell is saying something considering the (other) best chef on planet Earth is none other than my mother, Cindy Kilkenny. I am one lucky lady! I must at least say that fruit here is sweeter than anywhere I’ve ever tasted and the vegetables are sweet, too. Imagine eating an onion that tastes like candy… and having it in all your meatloaves and salads and on top of cooked squash and in cheese filled empanadas, oh the joy.

I’ve only had one meal out so far (according to our housing agreements, we get dinner every night except Saturdays) and am due for another tomorrow night (I’m thinking: STEAK, since it hasn’t formally happened yet. In Argentina! What am I thinking!). Perhaps I will theme posts later on and talk about the food here in more detail once I’ve been more exposed to what is customary and what is the best in Buenos Aires (because I sure as hell plan to find it). But to reiterate what I’ve said so far, everything here is fresh and sweet and I’m so pleased to be experiencing all the benefits of a South American summer. I am so happy and fortunate to be here. The air here really is good, they’re not lying about that part.