Now it is starting to impact my life!

H1N1 or the Swine Flu is now affecting my social life. Friends invited me to brunch this Sunday at the Four Seasons Hotel. I confirmed with them and they tried to make reservations. At the Four Seasons, brunch is cancelled until further notice. The reason: Swine Flu (or Gripe Porcina or H1N1).

The public service pronouncements are everywhere. There are even bigger signs than this in the city.

We have also posted notices in our office. The papers are also 'full of it'.

And:

• All schools are closed. The kids get an extra 2 weeks of winter holidays.
• We have gone to flextime in the office so staff can travel in less crowded buses and subways.
• Live theatre and concerts have been cancelled.
• Restaurants are reducing their capacities (less tables and spacing them further apart).

We did find a great restaurant in Palermo that was open for brunch though and then we went to the Mataderos Fair afterwards. It is a market/entertainment event that goes every weekend in the winter. The place was packed. Temporary booths are set up for blocks. No flu fears here.

Besides the market selling local wears, restaurants cooking traditional food and the cultural music played be a number of bands through the day - you can get a ride on a wagon pulled by a pony. It might be difficult to see but there is a dog on top of the pony 'announcing' their arrival. Down one of the sidestreets, they spread sand in a narrow strip on the road and out come the gauchos to put on a demonstration of riding skills. They hang a ring (the size of a wedding band) from a bar and then race full speed towards it and try to catch the ring on a stick the size of a pencil. We have seen it before at an estancia but here they 'bring it to the cityfolk'. These guys are quite good.
It is winter here and the weather has been like great autumn days. Cool, fresh & sunny.

B.