(Exchanging Surgery for Drink Coupons: Nervously waiting to get sliced in a tiny/empty room in Hospital Italiano)

For the past week I've been in and out of hospitals and doctors offices around Buenos Aires. Nothing major, I just had a cyst on my upper back that had gotten infected and needed to be removed. Gross I know, but I'm all about full disclosure. 

The whole event has pretty much ruled out any good sleep for the past few days because i've gone right from class to the hospital(s) and then to work.  However, throughout the process I've asked a million questions about the Health Care System here in Argentina and have learned a lot about how it all works. 

This post isn't for everyone, but I figure if I can help save some people the headaches and hassle of what I've been through this past week then it's worth it. 

DISCLAIMER: It should be noted that that I DO NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE. I had the STA Insurance plan when I first got here but that expired on January 1st and I didn't renew it.  

MY HEALTH CARE ADVENTURE:

First of all, I wanted to find an English speaking doctor and found a bunch on the US Embassy Doctor List "Medical Care in Argentina". I chose Dr. Raul Kelly under General Practice. His office was right in Recoleta next to the bar so it was very convenient. His "office" was in an apartment and was old and minimal. He had a Norman Rockwell painting on the wall which was comforting but then he had a giant wood carved bear lamp next to it that completely freaked me out. His English was perfect and it sounded like he had a lot of experience (although he was specialized Gastroenterologist). He said he was also the doctor for American pilots who came through Buenos Aires and spent a lot of time working in the states. Okay, so I'm thinking... background check: sufficient. 

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(MANIFESTACIÓN by Antonio Berni)

Monday I took a break from the chaos of class and work and took a lady friend to check out the MALBA Art Museum in Palermo Chico. For the past few months they have had a great Andy Warhol Exibit up that I've been wanting to check out. 

Simply put... It was impressive. That was the first time I've actually seen Andy Warhol's work, which was amazing. I also had the opportunity to see a lot of great Argentine and Latin American artists. My Favorite was Antonio Berni from Argentina who painted the picture above and had a ton of great pieces on display. 

The MALBA was a nice change of pace and the whole building was air conditioned so it was exceptionally refreshing to get out of the heat for awhile. 

Although I went on a Monday the best day to go to the MALBA is on Wednesdays when it is free for students and just $6 for adults. 

This trip was a gift and curse. It just made me realize there is so much more I want to do and see here. There are so many great art galleries and exhibits in the city that I want to check out. Since I've been down here I've grown more and more fascinated by artists and their creativity. I don't know if its all the wine or if its because all of Buenos Aires looks like a giant canvas but I guess you could say I am a fan of the arts. I hope to one day be "Artsy Fartsy". 

Other "Artsy" stuff I want to check out:

• Museo Xul Solar
• Graffiti Tour
• Hollywood in Cambodia
• Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo

Do you know any other spots I should visit?

T2t Words of Wisdom: Always carry a student ID with you when you travel. Even if it's expired or really old you can still get discounts at a ton of touristy places... like the MALBA.

Another tip is to get to a place early when meeting a date and have the tickets paid for and then wait for her back outside. That way when she arrives you can just walk in like you didn't have to pay... smooth. For an added touch give the security guard a hand shake and pat on the back when you walk by. 

(My Soccer/Futbol Glory Days complete with Argentine haircut)

The guys from Buller organized a futbol match last Wednesday after work. Although it was 3am and I was dead tired from class and work I couldn't turn down the invitation.

This was the second time I've played futbol since I've been down here and my skills haven't improved a bit. I consider myself a role-player. A whatever-it-takes kinda guy who hustles for everything and yells a lot. Kind of like my ice hockey "career". Inevitably, they stuck me on defense to guard the cherry pickers. 

It was the kitchen vs. waiters/bartenders. We closed up the bar at about 2:30am to play in a 3am game at an outdoor field (gancha) about 20 minutes away. It ended up being 7 vs. 7 and the competition was tough. The teams mostly consisted of Argentine guys from both Buller locations but there was also an Italian, an Uruguyan, my Colombian roommate Sergio, and I (poorly) represented the USA. 

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Last monday I started group Spanish classes at the Buenos Aires Spanish Center (BASP) near Congreso and that is why I've been MIA for the past week. BASP is a 2-week intensive program and classes are from 9:30am to 1:30pm (with a short break in between). The first 2 hours are spent on grammar and vocab while the second half of class focuses on conversational practice (and dirty jokes). The team of professors are ton of fun and very helpful. The only real problem with the class is that I have to get up at 8am after working at the bar until 4 or 5am. But it's okay, we setup a system: No one is allowed to talk to me for the first half hour of class (including the profesora) until I get my groove back. 

While the building is a little creepy and has no sign out front, the office itself is real "cute". They have multiple floors of small classrooms that fit about 6 to 7 people around one table. It is a nice change of pace from my private spanish classes. Being around other people allows me to speak, listen and laugh when others make mistakes. At the moment there are a ton of Brazilians taking the course, so I get to pick up a little portuguese in the process (todo bon, todo legal). 

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I decided to take a page out of Kate Hudson's book and create a "How To" guide for futbol fans who want to attend a match here in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

This is the first of many T2t Tutorials on Buenos Aires I want to create and hopefully it will be a resourceful & Entertaining guide to attending futbol matches. Please pardon any shaky images, for most of the day we were either really excited, jumping up and down or trying to hide the camera from being called out at the game. 

The footage is from the River @ Velez Match some friends and I attended on December 6th as part of the first tournament (season) here in Buenos Aires - Apertura 2009.

We learned the songs, bought the gear and didn't get beat up... I'd say it was a pretty successful afternoon.

Velez beat River 3 to 1 and I'd like to think we had a small part in the victory. 

READ ABOUT THE ADVENTURE - "Velez vs River - Argentine Futbol Magic"

CHECK OUT ALL THE PHOTOS - Futbol Match in Buenos Aires, Argentina

I'm sure many of you have already seen this but it's so amazing to me that I had to put it up. This show has nothing to do with Buenos Aires or Argentina but at the same time has everything to do with the Tourist2townie project and why I'm here.

A few weeks ago some friends back home sent me the link to this new show on MTV called The Buried Life. It's an amazing idea and great adventure of 4 friends set out to accomplish everything they want to do before they die. Along the way for everything they check off their list they help someone else accomplish his or her dreams as well. 

These guys are an inspiration for me to continue living life everyday to the fullest and try to help others wherever and whenever possible. At the same time, like many people, I'm also a little bit Jealous that my friends and I didn't come up with this sooner!! 

Cheers guys, great work. 

More About The Buried Life on MTV

And don't think I'm forgetting about that other amazingly inspirational show on MTV... The Jersey Shore! You guys are doing something truly "interesting" as well. Keep the blow outs and fist pumps coming! I wonder what they would want to do before they died? 

MY LIST (In the making)