The Latest Fashion

I was dreading wearing the new uniforms to work. Actually, let me provide a little background for those who may not know. Myself and my coworkers fell under the coverage of the ramp contract after the merger. This meant a nice raise but it also meant I would have to wear a uniform. I find uniforms awful because I don't like being told what to wear and how to wear it, especially if I have no say in the articles of clothing themselves (like where I get them, or how flattering they can be, etc.). Uniforms make me feel like I'm being publicly branded by a company as their property. Besides, comfort is my top priority with regards to clothing I have to sit in for up to 16 hours a day, day after day. However, after getting part of my order, I came to the harsh realization that the company and I have diverging priorities in this regard.

I'll spare you the details of the horrors of the terrible sizing and sky-high waists that basically offered built-in girdles. I'll also gloss over the fact that the pants are all cut for straight legged men and not women, much less women with actual-size hips and thighs.

I will, however, use this post to complain that the pants material is so stiff I'm pretty sure I've seen them walk themselves. They also don't breathe and actually, neither do I when I'm wearing them. The button up shirts are some other cheap material that's more bearable but still much too stiff. The worst is that the most comfortable of the shirts are the cotton t-shirts but they are navy blue, like the pants. Well, that's actually not true. They are also navy blue, but when worn with the pants, it's clear they are not the same navy blue at all.

There was a bright light at the end of the tunnel, though. After much despair and plenty of ordering, trying on and returning (of which I still have a little bit more to do, truth be told), I found something that has made it all worth it. I found my poplin coveralls. Oh yeah, baby. It's like one of those mechanic-type jumpsuits you expect to find at a Jiffy Lube, but I get the pleasure of sporting it to work. And it truly is a pleasure.

I really see no reason to wear anything else now. I just wear my jeans and uniform shirt and once I clock in and get into the break room, I slip into my poplin. It's like wearing a onesie. It's absolutely comfortable and also convenient for when I need to walk around the terminal or run an errand after work (I just slip it off on my way out and stuff it in my locker). I feel as if I'm wearing pajamas because I'm seriously that comfortable. The fact that rumor has it some members of management generally frown upon them makes them all the better.

Plus I can wear my poplin with my pink Rocket Dogs so I feel some semblance of personality still fights through the sea of uniforms that brand us property of the man.

Blissful Beautiful Bariloche

Bariloche, a great little mountain town in the Argentine lakes district was another favorite stop. It was supposed to be our first stop in Patagonia. We planned to start up north and continue to work our way down to the very tip. I didn't work out like that but our time in Northern Patagonia was amazing and left us wanting more.

It was cold and blustery there and the scenery was breathtaking. The Andes lined the lake and everywhere I looked left me thinking "wow."

The town is built up on the mountains so exploring sometimes led us uphill and sometimes downhill. Almost always, though, it led us to a view.

Bariloche was originally settled by Swiss immigrants so there is an abundance of delicious chocolate everywhere. Keck was able to try Spanish-style hot chocolate. Unlike hot cocoa, Spanish style hot chocolate is made with actual baking chocolate mixed with cream or milk. It's very rich but not sweet, so once we added sugar we had the perfect cup of hot chocolate.

We toured the local national park one day, where the highlight truly was just taking in the views. We hiked to a waterfall and then had a picnic in a totally idyllic Patagonian setting, complete with tire swing.

From there we set off with the group for more hiking, only this time through the snow and just a stone's throw from the Chilean border. After much stumbling and slipping and just plain falling, we arrived at our destination - a black glacier. The sky was about 6 different shades of blue and we happily waited around for mini-avalanches and small pieces of the glacier to calve off. I was sitting on a mountainside in the snow, watching as the warm sun melted the glacier and freed the water to run off to the river when I realized something. It was probably still well over 100 degrees back home. I'd like to believe that in that moment I must have appreciated that experience more than anyone else there.

I must also mention the Marcopolo Inn Hostel, where we stayed. It was very nice with a big clean bathroom (including a rare full sized tub) and the nightly rate included not just breakfast but dinner as well. Even the company was good and we met a variety of people from different places. We made friends with a few German guys that were studying at a university in Chile and were on holiday for the week. We also met a couple from England that were travelling together for five months and a few guys on holiday from Israel, where they're soldiers. The best part was when one of the German guys said he hates how he always runs into other Germans no matter where in the world he wanders. It was a sentiment Keck and I had always shared as well, so it was pretty funny to hear him express it.

Bariloche is a big vacation destination for many residents of Buenos Aires and the rest of Argentina and it was easy to see why. It's simply picturesque. If this was Patagonia, we decided we wanted more. As it turned out, however, it was still the end of winter and some roads were impassable, making the rest of our journey into Patagonia impossible as originally planned. I didn't have the foresight to anticipate this and so I didn't get non-rev tickets for alternate routing. I was seriously crushed, of all the places we'd been this one was the one I most hated leaving because it just seemed we'd only scratched the surface of what the area had to offer.

Election Observations

In my opinion election day had always generally been an exciting day filled with nerves and plump, juicey anticipation. I see voting as a responsibility (and its even manditory in some countries) and I love the feeling of completing my ballot and being rewarded with a sticker. Its also one of the few times in our culture where talking openly about politics is more socially acceptable than usual.  Best of all, election day means we don't have to deal with those awful, propaganda commercials anymore and can finally have a resolution to it all.

After voting first thing in the morning on Super Tuesday, I went to work for a double, excited to follow the results online and see how the race would unfold. Unfortunately, as I was reminded time and again throughout that day, speaking our views openly doesn't necessarily mean they will be listened to openly. If fact, there wasn't so much political discussions going on but rather, ignorant, often unwelcome, small-minded rants and personal attacks.  I was actually stunned by some of the things I heard that day and much of it even changed my perception of certain people. In the end, I realized it may be a good thing after all that talking politics is somewhat taboo...

Uruguay

Getting to Uruguay was just a matter of taking a simple and comfortable ferry ride over from Buenos Aires - no visa required. We went to Colonia del Sacarmento, rather than Montevideo, which we heard was fairly similar to Buenos Aires.


Colonia is a small colonial town originally settled by the Portuguese that still retains its colonial charm. Completely navigable by foot, exploring this charming little place was very easy. Although some alternative transportation was available for rent if needed.


Mainly we strolled around taking in the coastal views, stopping by the little shops and artisan stands, catching a futbol game at the park and lounging in the plazas to people watch and read about the country's history in our guide books.






We saw lots of cobbled streets, classic cars, lovely old architecture and even a little whitewashed lighthouse that afforded a great view.





We left feeling a nice affinity for this country and its warm, laid back people. Unfortunately, in considering a trip there to explore some of the cute interior towns and coastal surfing/fishing villages we read about and seemed to beckon us for a future trip, we realized a connection through Santiago or Buenos Aires would be necessary. There are no direct flights from the US into Uruguay, but maybe the annoyance of getting there would make being there that much sweeter of a reward. Regardless, we enjoyed our much too brief time in Uruguay.