From New Orleans to Buenos Aires.

This spring break I went to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Yes, this is a whopping 4,920 miles away from my origin of New Orleans, LA. Therefore, in order to make it there (and back) on time, I had to travel by plane; a method of traveling that requires a significant amount of oil and to a certain extent, is considered pollutant. Once there I had to drive a good hour and a half to my home. Unfortunately, this is an oil-guzzling way of travel as well. Although I did contribute to the pollution of the environment, one must recognize that through a general perspective, traveling by plane is less pollutant than driving a car because, proportionate to the amount of oil it consumes, it transports a greater number of people. For this reason, during my stay in Buenos Aires I made sure to use public transportation as often as possible. Whether it was by metro, train, or bus, I noticed that the majority of people living in the city also decided that this was a much more efficient and less harmful (perhaps unconsciously) way of travel. Nevertheless, I did notice that whenever it rained I would prefer to use the car in order to get to my destination. This shows how the synthetic world interacts with the natural world, and how the inconvenience that the weather caused led me to use a car.

Buenos Aires is a very large, pedestrian-oriented city. There are parks, plazas, and open areas located all around for public enjoyment and use. There was one area in particular, however, that caught my attention: The United Nations Plaza. It is here that the Floralis Generica, a monument shaped like a flower, is located. Donated by architect, Eduardo Catalano, this flower, as well as the plaza, is meant to be an oasis separate from hectic city life. I love the fact of how it is located right in the middle of the city and how it hopes to provide busy people with a moment of relaxation and serenity. To a certain extent, this is a form of the commons because it was built for everyone to enjoy an use. Although much different to our perception of "the commons", I believe that public transportation also possesses some qualities that could make it a a form of "common land." In Buenos Aires a person is able to travel for free by train, and the toll for buses is usually subsidized in order to encourage travelers to use bus instead of their own car. I admire this because it is an effort to reduce traffic, and most importantly, pollution.

Whenever I am at home I tend to lose weight. Why? It's simple: I eat fresh, homemade meals. Almost every one or two days my mother goes to the grocery store and purchases the protein (beef, chicken, fish, etc) that she will cook for dinner and then goes to the local produce stands located within our neighborhood to buy fresh vegetables and fruit. Depending on what is available at the market, the meal we plan to cook may undergo slight modifications. Nevertheless, this is alright because at least we know that the food we are eating is what is in season. Argentina is a country with great agricultural investment and for this reason the majority of what is sold in stores (or stands) is national produce. Back in December I ate the most delicious blackberries I had ever tasted. Unfortunately, they were no where to be found during Spring Break, but that is okay because I am aware that they are simply no longer in season.