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Hoo
Hoooey |
September
6, 2003 - Jujuy, Argentina |
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"The
first condition of understanding a foreign country is to
smell it."
~T.S.
Elliot |
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I
smelled burning rubber my first morning in Argentina. Piles
of tires burning in the street. I approached the scene with
trepidation. I wanted to get up close for some photos. What
was this all about? It wasn't violent. It seemed like a
casual gathering. Almost friendly. |
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I
got some photos. No one paid much attention to me. I relaxed
a little bit and started asking questions. I talked to the
fire tender. He had a truck full of old tires. When one
of the three blazes got low, he would toss another on the
fire. I watched the apparent leader of the group get interview
by Channel Two, the local TV station. |
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It
was about Argentina's current financial crisis. Everyone
is broke. The protest was organized by local politcal group
trying to get their message heard. The fires were in the
middle of an intersection. Police had closed the streets
on all four sides, about a block away on each side. It seemed
to be business as usual, nobody getting too excited. |
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On
the way back to my hotel I made a new friend. She was sitting
in front of her shop enjoying the morning sun and a cup
of mate'. With a bright green iguana on her shoulder she
was obviously not shy nor avoiding attention. Moments later
I met her sister and her sisters' 5 year old daughter. Very
soon I felt like I was part of the fabric of daily life
on the streets of Jujuy, being introduced to all of their
friends and customers as if I was part of the family. |
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The
two sisters, Sylvana and Valerie, are the proprietors
of a small loungerie shop. Victorias Secret with their
own distinct style and personality. The shop is called
'Gala' named after Salvador Dali's famous model and
mistress. |
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Gala
the shop
The management
of their business could not be more casual. Sylvana
spent most of her time greeting and chatting with
passersby on the sidewalk. Once in while, one would
inquire about a product; she would direct them inside. |
Gala
by Salvador Dali |
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They open at about nine and would shut down for a couple
of hours midday for lunch and a nap. They closed around
dark or "...whenever friends and customers would go home." |
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Valerie
was only slightly more businesslike than Sylvana. She seemed
to be the managing partner, if you could call her that.
An enjoyable lifestyle seemed to take precedence over maximizing
profit. It was very refreshing. Valerie and I spent time
talking about poetry and publishing. She is a published
author of three books of poetry and a teacher at a nearby
college. |
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The
two sisters, the daughter and a cousin took me out to lunch
and on a tour of Jujuy. It was delightful. I was part of
the family after just a few hours. It was a quick dunk into
a very warm and friendly culture. And great way to start
my adventures in Argentina.
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But back to the title of this entry...I think the main reason
I stopped in this town in the first place was because of
the name. I had met people in Bolivia who were from Jujuy.
I just loved the sound of the name. But how could you take
yourself seriously if you are from here? "Hi. My name
is Mark, I'm from HOO HOOOEY." I really love to say
it. And I say it with the enthusiasm of an optimistic owl:
WHOO WHOOOEEY!!
Perhaps I've spent a little too much time alone on the road.
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