So, such nice weather we are having,eh?

‘Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something’
But where does SMALL TALK fit in?!?’
I would definitely fit into the fool category I think. Four separate, sticky situations:

1. Meeting new people travelling, one consistently has the same conversations. I wish we could have t-shirts like we had in university fresher’s weeks stating where we are from/what we are doing/ how long we are staying for, consequently we wouldn’t be required to have these, at times, mundane conversations. In fact, I can say this small talk rather well in Spanish now as I have said it over 767 times - approximately. I should probably stop there while I am ahead in my game.

2. It is always awkward when you see old acquaintances, ‘we MUST do coffee’, even though we are both aware that this won’t happen. A face saver, the I don’t know what to say phrase, at the end of the small talk conversation. Then awkwardly when we see each other again, the same thing surpasses, ’must get round to that drink’. Maybe a head nod is best and moving on and over.

3. The Argentines are friendly, almost unnaturally so at times. They make conversation with you in queues, at the bank, waiting for the bus, in cafes, even at the blimming traffic lights. Recently after an Argentine Lady was (small)talking to me in a café’s queue, we said our goodbyes. However then her food was delayed, alas she stayed by me. So what do we do now? We have said our goodbyes, conversation has been exhausted, and this is simply all rather bizarre now.

4. I am really not very up to date with recent bands. Again I sound like a pensioner, anyway recently when sharing an IPod with a new ‘friend’ (well, apparently we only have 5 actual friends in our life so after knowing him an hour, I best not jump the bullet there), he started acting surprised I hadn’t heard of these bands. Subsequently, I had to lie to restore my music cool connaisance image , this gets complicated though. If the conversation proceeds, I have to know whether the artist is dead or alive, what my favourite song is, and if I am particularly unlucky where the artist is from also may enter the conversation. I grab the iPod, and switch it to my all time ‘fave’ song on the album. Which I haven’t actually, exactly, heard before.

‘’Men have become the Tools of their Tools’ – Technophobe?

I am not a major fan of technology. I certainly will not be holding out for a blackberry any time soon. I just like it when things work; I know I sound like a 70 year old pensioner when I say that. But it is true. I like a mobile phone to send texts, a camera to take photos and a computer for writing emails. You see people with Blackberries and they resemble their life support machine. I would not be surprised if counseling sessions are a necessity if they lose their beloved BB, as it is three times worse than a regular phone appliance when the inevitable (in my case) breakage or loss occurs. Everyone is constantly checking their BB for news and now people update their Facebook status when they are at a bar ‘am at x bar, havin gr8 time’, thanks to the beloved mobile BB . WHY!? Surely socializing in reality is higher up the agenda?

One of the proudest technology days I have had was when I successfully downloaded a podcast onto my Ipod, thus I could listen to ‘women’s hour’ on the go..Revolutionary. Unfortunately when boasting to my peers about this, they told me I was about 5 years too late in working this out. Oh and I have discovered TWITTER too, thanks to twitter I know that Fearn Cotton is hung over today and the polling station where India Knight is voting is busy..Don’t know how I would have continued with my day without these two vital pieces of information…

Is the time where people are no longer required to leave their homes upon us? Half of the expats I seem to meet in Buenos Aires are here because they only need the internet to work so can work from home. When they want: to chat with a friend,facebook can answer their needs.
Food –You can get anything delivered, from sushi, steak and ice cream.
Boyfriend search – Head to an internet dating site.
Exercise – WII fit.

I recently played WII tennis for the first time in a friends flat, I think she was rather worried I was going to break the TV , ‘’it’s not like normal tennis!!!’’, she would bellow at my excessive movements. Is this what kids do these days to keep fit? Well, no wonder the nation is overweight, especially the poor kids with little living rooms to hit the ball in. What happened to, dare I say it, REAL tennis? And if it is raining – play squash.

Could do with a satellite dish for the car though – That would save me multiple lost hours.