Hot Dog!

Hot Dog!

Today was a pretty boring day. So I will try and give you a little piece of an interesting part of my day. I was out walking the streets looking for cheep food (as per usual). I come across an empty place with a sign that says:

Pomocion 2 Panchos y gaseosa 9 pesos

Now I don't know what a pancho is but if I get two and a drink for less that 3$ US it is worth trying! So I ask the store owner behind the counter and he says:

Store owner: UM...Hut dog (points to the buns and all the toppings)
Me: Perro caliente (how you would say hot dog in Spain)
Store owner: Um ju git two...um...panchos (extends his arms) and un coke for 9 pesos.
Me: Esta bien (that's good).
Store owner: What you want, coke?
Me: Coke esta bien (I hand him the money).

By this time I could tell this guy like to speak English. He begins to make my hot dog.

Store owner: One now...one later.
Me: (pointing to the toppings) Que son estos?
Store owner: Um...Ketup...Mayonesa....(listing all the toppings with a little help on some)

After he made the hot dog we began to talk about local points on interest (Sports, social issues, that kind of thing). He had to switch to Spanish because some if the ideas were more complex. We talked about the state of Buenos Aires as it pertains to the economic crisis in 2001 and how that has changed the goals of the city. I had no idea that in 2000 Buenos Aires was one of the cities in the running for the Olympics (Athens won). He told me Buenos Aires is in no position to host an Olympics anymore because there are too many people that go hungry. He said the investment is better spent on hospitals for the poor than hosting an Olympics games. I was sad to hear him say this. Buenos Aires has regressed and his feeling are proof. I told him about the time surrounding Atlanta when they hosted the Olympics and how much Atlanta has grown. As I ate he told me about place in the cities where children die of hunger. I could tell by the look in his eyes and the sound in his voice that he was not joking in the least bit. I felt bad for even suggesting Buenos Aires would benefit from an Olympics. I thought about the people I saw digging in the trash earlier and quickly tried to change the subject. Being a good conversationalist he let me off the hook and we began to talk about something else.

I really enjoyed talking to the store owner and I think he like talking in English. The hot dogs (panchos) were good. I think I will go back next week.