Before you think I'm obsessed with my refrigerator, let me tell you that this picture above takes me to a happier, warmer time in my life. Back in the summer, if we put ice trays in the freezer, it would take about two solid weeks to produce ice, seriously. This was due to the fact that the summer sun beat down on our beat, old fridge. Oh, how I miss those days of sweating all day and all night. Now, I know this might be a copout to come back to my blog after a month away and have nothing to talk about but the weather. But the weather has been weighing on my mind lately, and from what I can tell, the minds of everyone in Buenos Aires. It has gotten chilly. I actually can't believe how dramatic the seasonal shift here it. After lving in LA so long where the seasons kind of ease into each other, or not at all, I am surprised that one day it was really hot and humid here, and the next it was freezing. Ok, I'm going to back up here. It's not freezing at all. Not even close. I looked at weather.com today and I discovered that it has really not dipped below 45 degrees in a month. In the winter, in LA, we get 45 degree days all the time. People in LA say, "ooh, nippy" and move on. No one really has a heater or an overlarge jacket. Soo why am I so cold here? I think I have fooled myself into thinking it's freezing. This is not my fault. Every time I leave the house, and this is often, everyone on the street is dressed for arctic winter. Serioulsy. Huge goose-down jackets and wool scarves. Everyone wears knit hats; most, gloves. I wander around in a skimpy track jacket and a bare head. Are these people really that cold? When I see these jackets, I think, wow, I'm going to freeze, look at what I'm wearing. But, no, I've caught on to the trick here, you see. Yesterday was a beautiful day, definitley in the mid 70's. I went outside in just a t-shirt. My doorman was wearing galoshes and one of those russian hats with the earflaps. He was probably sweating. So, is it that the Argentines have no tolerance for cold? No, I have a theory. Everyone in this city is so caught up with appearance that you can't go ten feet here without seeing a mirror. The mirrors aren't decorative, the are used. Frequently. This obsession with looks translates obviously into personal fashion. It is winter, therefore no self-respecting Argentine will be caught dead wearing anything but winter garb. It's sort of like no white after labor day. Here, it's no t-shirts after fall. So, to try to blend in, I bought a wool coat. It's nice and big and when I wear it in the sunshine, I sweat. But I look good. At least my freezer is producing ice now. Just not the kind I want...
