Rege Central - The First Installation

This entry is both a) long overdue, and b) indicative of the type of life us 'ex-pats' live in Baires...

First thing's first - Laura Rege is my roommate extraordinaire and source of witty, time-pertinent comments that still catch me off-guard; in the same way that my younger sister (who is no longer by baby sister) surprises me almost every time I have a chance to spend with her...

Things Laura Loves:

I think it is prudent to point out that Laura has a thing for guys named Adam, naturally... Maybe it's our stylish good looks, or the fact that we are cherished all over the world as the source of the human existence on this planet, or something random (which I doubt), or that we're bad boys, Laura digs us, and it's a great thing! It's nice to be the 'exception' to the Adam Rule, which we will call Ley-1282, as she and I have had a chance to develop a great friendship under what could ordinarily be described as a bizarre situation - economic troubles at home, both left without jobs, desiring something more, a new challenge, etc...

One term that Laura taught me, among others, was "Ama de Casa"... Translated directly, it means 'love of the house' which is typically used to refer to a housewife here in Latin America. With that, Laura has been a lovely 'ama de casa' and we often joke (usually after she has spent a little bit of time pestering me to clean up, help in the kitchen, and generally, stay orderly) about our roles in our living situation. I happen to think, as of now, we have a pretty great thing going on - all the benefits of a domestic partnership, with none of the trials and tribulations of what comes with the dreaded 'next step' questions. We hang, we get along, we go out, and there's not weird, added pressures of 'feelings' between us, so the 'Ama' title that she has is more of an 'apodo' (nickname) that we can joke about. And what's best about it all is when Laura dons her pink 'ama gloves' to really get the kitchen clean (the bathroom is usually my territory)...

For those of you who don't know her, Laura is a health nut... All things good for her, she does. What's most disappointing for her is the total lack of a sophisticated Yoga industry, specifically, the inability to locate a Bikram Yoga studio here in Baires... Big problems! So, in an effort to stay sane, she has resorted to her other pastime, running, and eating healthily, with the occasional slip up to our balcony for a relaxing, personal meditation, which I often join in on, but with my own remedies. She has found two or three places that are absolutely divine (in the context of a health god) - Pura Vida (how fitting), and Natural Deli (is that an oxy-moron?), both of which provide healthy alternatives to the otherwise not-unhealthy, but certainly not healthy, comida criolla (local food).

In addition for her overwhelming bodily craving for salmon sushi, Laura spends her time dreaming of the day when she can become a backup electronica singer to a bad-ass beatmaster-type group. I think she just really wants to be at a giant boliche (club) and hear her own song come on so she can dance to it, sing along, and say, 'that's my song, cariño'... That, and, I think she loves being in front of a camera, as evidenced by a week full of posing shamelessly with anyone and everyone whom we came in to contact with, just so we could take pictures of Laura - it was awesome!

Since we've arrived, the exchange rate between the Argentina Peso and the US Dollar has been moving in favor or the Dollar, which is great for us, and the local fashion industry, as Laura has done a great job, single-handedly, supporting a store called Rhapsodia... Everyone that visits gets a private tour, from Laura, of the company's several stores, and there are times when I've come home to a multiple-trip day to Rhapsodia where the bads of goods purchased are strewn about (notice, I don't complain about the mess when she makes it...).

And, in finality, Laura's great, and everyone should have the chance to hang with her... Buena onda!