So the other night, in order to get a bit of a relief from the heat, Nat and I decided to go to the movies to enjoy some air conditioning, something my grandfather always did when he was young. There wasn't anything particularly appealing playing but we finally decided on Hollywood land. I walked up the ticket booth and say, "Hollywoodland". The guy looks back at me and said, "i didn't understand anything". So I repeat, "Hollywoodland". "What??" he says. So mustering my best Argentine accent I then said, "Hoelli woood laand." "Ahh yes of course" and he gave us the tickets. This was the first demonstration for Natalie in how Argentines need you not only to speak spanish but with their specific accent if you wish to be understood. Maybe it would have been better to call it by the unpublished spanish translated title, Death and Mystery behind the Cameras. When translating movie titles, they leave little surprise as to what the movie is about. My favorite so far is The Rebellious Nun in Training, which we know as the Sound of Music.
The experience also served to show how there is never any change!! I'm really not sure how it is possible but no matter what you buy no business ever seems to have the right amount of change. Getting coins is even harder. If you are out and need some for the bus, you have to run around to kioscos buying little items like gum until you have enough change. Sometimes the vendors see through this and will refuse to sell you something if you can't pay with coins. Anyways thanks to this, I have a collection of gum packs from which i have only had a piece or two. Maybe the shortage of change is a conspiracy led by the gum companies.
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