Muy Caro

Yesterday while making plans to find a DHL service to mail our insurance papers home, Silvio came into our office.  He is a member of the church who has a contract with our mission to help find apartments for the missionaries and then repair, paint, and do all the general maintenance work on them.  He works with Elder Valente on all the housing issues. He heard we were going to the Unicenter and told us of another larger mall that has just been opened for a month. It is a few kilometers farther down the autopista and even has a WalMart attached to it.  He drew us directions and we were sold.  Why not? We are up for anything these days.

So after leaving the office, we decided to just take off from there and not go home first. That would just burn time. We'll find something to eat at the mall.  Silvio didn't know if there was a DHL place at this mall, but we didn't care.  We wanted to check it out anyway, and we needed to shop for something to add to a birthday gift for Urban.  If there wasn't a DHL place there, we could stop at the Unicenter on the way home. So off we went.

The minute we entered the parking garage, we were impressed.  They have a system in parking cars at this mall that I wish would catch on in the States.

At the beginning of each parking row, there is an electronic sign that tells how many spaces are empty and available. Two on this one. It was great!  No going up and down rows trying to spy an empty stall. Then, look close. . . . .

Above each parking space is a light.  If it is red, the space is filled, and green if it is empty. They can easily be seen at a glance. How cool is that?? There were absolutely no cars wandering around trying to find a place to park.  We recommend it!

The name of this mall is Dot. We don't know what it means, and maybe it means nothing. It is huge!!  We don't think we have ever been in a mall this size before. The stores are so big and decorated elegantly, and not stuffed with clothes and things.  They don't look like TJMax for sure.  The walking areas outside the stores are wide and easy to navigate, even with kioskos along the way.

The stores were wide open and spacious too, and really not filled with a big inventory. They reeked of money, and most looked too expensive for our pocketbook. Muy caro!!  

Those stairways to each level are lined with lights on the steps. It was gorgeous. We should have walked up one just to do it.  Maybe next time. Seeing how small the people are on the bottom floor, tells how grande this mall is.

At the end of the area where the food court is located is a place called "Neverland".  It has a full sized carrousel all lit up that children can ride, and all kinds of smaller toy type rides that move and jiggle when occupied by children.

We chose to eat chinese food for dinner at the food court. We ordered two different things and shared.  It didn't take us long to clean up our plates. It was really good food.  While sitting there, a lady came up to us and in broken English asked which mission we were in. She was a member of the church and was here visiting her father.  She now lives in Miami.  She said it is hard to learn English in Miami because everyone speaks Spanish. 

This is a meat and cheese store that is as artistically decorated and put together as any other store.  A note about cheese: We have never seen so many varieties of cheese in our life as we have seen here in Argentina. Even the grocery stores have displays that go on forever and ever. I hope we can sample a lot of them before we go home. 

Anyway, we found our purchase, and in doing so we met another LDS person at the mall.  He was a salesperson, and he struck up a conversation upon noticing our name tags.  We enjoyed our night out at Dot, but feel more comfortable at the Unicenter. It is more like the malls we are used to, and even though the Unicenter is pretty ritzy itself, it doesn't seem as over the top as this one. But, we might return.

Work at the office today was steady and normal. The elders were out and about early doing apartment contracts and delivering space heaters to some of the missionaries. We are glad that we can stay put in the office and not have to deal with the traffic and running here and there like they do. When they come back tired and exhausted, we know we have the right assignments.  We are happy.

After coming home tonight, we decided to take a walk to a busy shopping area in San Fernando which is about 10 blocks away (short blocks) in order to find some wrapping paper for the birthday gift we need to send tomorrow for sure.  I decided I could not wear my missionary dress shoes, even as comfortable as they are, to do that much walking.  No way. So we changed clothes and I put on my levis and tennis shoes, hoping we wouldn't run into the President (ha). I have never left the house in that attire before. Oh, did my feet feel good all laced up tight in my comfy shoes.  It was a treat and a necessity if I was to go.

We really enjoyed walking along the streets looking at the Mom and Pop places and hoping to find a liberia or a papel (paper) store.  After asking a few questions, we found one and made our purchase.  The paper is sold in large sheets which is rolled up for carrying home.

An interesting discovery was made in our travels.  I thought that acrylic nails had not caught on yet in Argentina because I had never found a place that did them, plus never saw women sporting them.  Well, they do have nail places here, as we saw two.  It is too late though.  All but two of mine are off, and I don't plan on getting into that scene again . . . at least not over here anyway.