THE INNER WORKINGS...

recuerdo: buying real estate in the park

As my foot turns vibrant shades of blue, I'm reminded of the hundreds few times that I found myself face-down, prostrate on the streets of Argentina. When you fall in Argentina - and I'm not just talking about the casual I-caught-my-new-Argentine-leather-heels-on-the-uneven-sidewalk-tile sort of tripping - but when you really fall in Argentina, there's a special economic category that you move in to. It's figurative, of course. But I'd like to think that even figurative economic advancement could improve one's social status. Here's how it works: they say something like "se compró la vereda", or, in layman's terms, "she bought the sidewalk". Now, if we apply this phrase to my seven years in La Plata, well, I'd be the primary shareholder in just about every square-inch of that city.


My last good spill in Argentina was in the bosque, a big park on the edge of town. It was winter (or somewhere close to it), because I distinctly remember that I was wearing long pants and a fleece as I jogged in nice little circles. I was on the pavement, engrossed in whatever book on tape (or rather, book on ipod) that I was listening to at the time. (I admit. I'm a total book on tape/cd/ipod/8-track junkie. I love them. They love me. We just love each other.) As I was engrossed in some irresistible historical narrative describing how an 18th century explorer vanished in the deep jungles of Brazil (riveting, I tell you), I jumped up onto a curb entangled by squirming tree roots. I felt my foot catch, and for a split second, I thought, "Thank you, Lord, that I didn't trip!". But the gratefulness was immediately followed by a very distinct... splat. My Brazilian jungle explorer and I were face down in the dirt at the foot of a nice, pretty tree.

For the life of me, I don't know how I managed to get dirt on my shoulder and in my hair. I suppose after nearly three decades of walking (and tripping), I'm still learning how to break a fall. So I stood up, brushed myself off, and limped back home with Mr. Brazilian Jungle Explorer in tow.

And that, friends, is how I've ventured into property acquisition.

posted by Courtney @ 1:20 AM