Noquis

Yesterday, on the way to dinner Aviva said to me that it would be a lot better if everyone in Buenos Aires owned their own car because there would less traffic and less pollution. "Taxis and buses run all day and night, so they must waste a lot of energy." I countered with the tried and true argument that cities are in fact far more environmentally friendly places because so many people take public transportation, and that in fact if everyone had a car in the city it would be complete gridlock. I am sure both answers are true, especially for the subway and buses, but I do wonder how much extra pollution is generated with taxis running around constantly, often empty. Perhaps zipcars or their like (including the new car system invented in part by William Mitchell at MIT) should be more central to our future.

Another thought: it seems bizarre that in a city where people routinely start dinner at 9 or 10 pm, that the subway stops running after 10:30. The other night, when Eve and I went out for a lovely dinner with Laura Valinotto and her novio (boyfriend) David, we didn't start eating until around 10:30. The place only filled up around 11 and was going strong when we left at midnight.

Last night we took part in a custom which I feared was invented by my guidebook and would make us look like, well, tourists. On the 29th of every month there is a tradition (still honored by some) to go out and eat gnocchis (noquis) for dinner, and then leave a 2-peso note under the plate. There are varying understandings of the purpose of all of this. One says that as Portenos are only paid once a month by the 29th people have little money so if they go out they eat the cheapest of pastas, those little potato dumplings. Another is a sly criticism of government bureaucrats, those little dumplings (or, as we might say, "sacks of potatoes") who do nothing all month but show up on the 29th to get their paychecks. And the 2 peso note -- a wish for good luck (and good fortune) in the coming month.

Whatever the reasons, we had some excellent noquis at Las Cortaderas and a nice long walk home, at a mere 10 pm.