For the past 5 weeks, Wednesday has been "project day" here at Operation Alternative Schooling in Palermo Hollywood, and while Simon finished up a script for another program he had been writing using MIT's Scratch, Alex and Mica wrapped up their "Intro to Photography" course by setting up a gallery of his 12 best shots, and she led him through a self reflection of some of the things he had learned over the past several weeks.
Once the gallery analysis was complete, it was time for Mica to be a good listener, as Alex taught her all about the planets, both factually and via an Arts experience: He's become obsessed with Holst's suite of late, and insisted on playing excerpts from each selection for her, and having her guess which planet it was!
Once the gallery analysis was complete, it was time for Mica to be a good listener, as Alex taught her all about the planets, both factually and via an Arts experience: He's become obsessed with Holst's suite of late, and insisted on playing excerpts from each selection for her, and having her guess which planet it was!
Next, we had a surprise visit from the other Maria, which was good fun, since -- with the exception of the recent bus siting -- we hadn't seen MJ in quite some time.
("Just think", mused one the boys later that afternoon, "once we were just business owner and customer, and now we're friends." Indeed!)
After lunch and a nice chat with the Marias, it was on to Walmart (cringe) -- Simon had requested that we visit to compare, and so I had promised him that if he looked up the location, we'd go. (Actually, the "big" store turned out to be well over an hour away by bus, so we elected to go to the "smaller" one closer by, in order to get to the osteopath on time later on.)
After lunch and a nice chat with the Marias, it was on to Walmart (cringe) -- Simon had requested that we visit to compare, and so I had promised him that if he looked up the location, we'd go. (Actually, the "big" store turned out to be well over an hour away by bus, so we elected to go to the "smaller" one closer by, in order to get to the osteopath on time later on.)
To be honest, we were underwhelmed.
Although, they did have some no-name brand Yerbamate, lol! (You know you're in an Argentinean Walmart when...!!!)
BUT, the good thing about our smaller Walmart visit was that we found ourselves on a subway downtown at precisely the same time as a harpist, who was quite possibly the best subway musician we've heard to date. Alex was mesmerized, as was I.
His sales pitch was as gentle and soft-spoken as his magical music, but people dug deep into their pockets for this one.
BUT, the good thing about our smaller Walmart visit was that we found ourselves on a subway downtown at precisely the same time as a harpist, who was quite possibly the best subway musician we've heard to date. Alex was mesmerized, as was I.
His sales pitch was as gentle and soft-spoken as his magical music, but people dug deep into their pockets for this one.
The harpist took us all the way to Palermo, and then it was not long until Bulnes, from whence we walked to my 80s-classic-hits-lovin' osteopath for a treatment and a walk down musical memory lane.
As we walked across Las Heras Park to the bus ("Mom, the 41 goes by here, that's faster than walking to the subway!" insisted Simon), we were blessed with a rosy sunset and half-moon rise.
As we walked across Las Heras Park to the bus ("Mom, the 41 goes by here, that's faster than walking to the subway!" insisted Simon), we were blessed with a rosy sunset and half-moon rise.
The palm tree reaching its long neck and plentiful foliage into the dusky sky above us confirmed our location on this side of the equator... and the end to another glorious day in Buenos Aires!