Mi espaniol es medio malo (or 'medium bad' which is not as bad as 'wicked bad' which in Boston might actually means really good) now that I've been here for a few weeks. I've spent many evenings with Crist and his beautiful wife Maria Theresa talking art, politics and futbol. I'll never spell futbol any other way. It's just more efficiant. Not that I'm a big sports fan. But my father used to coach my little sister's soccer team and both my sons played so I know enough to engage. And it was really nice to be included in something so familial and down home' so to speak, when you are in another country for any length of time. But more importantly is the effort it takes to converse when one side only speaks a little of your language and you only speak a little of the others. Luckily Cordobeses speak Spanish with an Italian accent and lots of hand gestures.

They joke about the idea that because they are so connected to our economy that they should be given the right to vote for president.) Crist tells his stories in paint as efficiently as he does in person using the same body language. Take "Repre Amor" the image with a riot cop using his riot shield to cover his love interest {female piquetero) from the rain. The title means something like 'Repression Love'. A contradiction in terms for sure. The piqueteros (picketers or protesters) are bothering the government here. I see it every night on TV. I don't understand what it is all about so I won't comment on the situation. Only to say that the Police have been very gentle with the piquetaros even in the face of a recent show of violence on the Legistlura- the Legistation Building. This cartoon, which on the face of it seems only to be a little story about the oddities of love, also hits another chord in the light of the evening news here in Argentina. There is a subtle understatement at work about the patience of the Policia. I can sense it but not understanding the situation I don't quite understand the possible meanings.

Che Gueverra is a national cultural hero in Argentina. I visited his family home in Alta Gracia with my wife just over a week ago. It is interesting how this man who began as a doctor, became a communista, has now become a capitalists marketing treasure. T-shirts, mugs, pins, berets with the star in front ala Che, books about him abound in the book store windows, his image is everywhere. And what a great metaphor for Crist to play with. "Che Brando" seems a good example since Brando has died so recently. But what only an Argentine might note is that Che really loved motorcycles. Again, there's that little peg that strikes a chord. That little attention to a detail that might not even register for many of us but for Crist it is necesito y importante. "Feminina Copa" is just a great comment on the controversy over performance enhancing drugs which is in the news just now. That little touch of the application of lipstick to maintain the femininity of such a hairy and masculine woman is the kind of thing Crist does so well. I giggled every time I thought of that image last night while watching the news coverage of the build up towards the Olympic games in Athens. These discussions have certainly improved my Spanish. Having to figure out how to say what you mean when no one speaks your own language is the best way to learn. But both Crist and I speak visually which has made it much easier. So my spanish has improved from the level of a 3 year old to that of a 4 year old in just one month. Crist calls it Tarsan Spanish. Me Tarzan, tu Juanita.