One thing very distinct about Buenos Aires is that there is no government-form of recycling and instead there are people called Cartoneros who collect the cardboard that people leave on street corners and sell it for money.  Eloisa Cartonera is a company that buys the cardboard for a lot of money in order to make cheap books to give to children in impoverished neighborhoods.  Arielle, Phoebe, Rachel, and I thought that this concept was really cool, so today we took a long colectivo ride into La Boca, the poorest and most dangerous neighborhood in Buenos Aires, to go check out Eloisa Cartonera for ourselves.



We came in and talked with the workers for a bit and scoped through an amazing collection of Latin American literature.  We decided which books we wanted and then sat down and began painting our book covers.  Who knew painting cardboard could be so fun?  

I love this picture.  Arielle is an artistic soul who is staying in Buenos Aires until November to study Literature at La UBA because her parents love her and want her to be happy (unlike my “parents” who are forcing me to come home.  ”Mom” and “Dad”, I’m taking a vow of silence and ignoring you two the moment I land in LAX and I will not speak a single word to you all summer.  I’M NOT KIDDING.)  I’m convinced that she’s never going to leave Buenos Aires, and just meet un chico inteligente en la facultdad and by this time next year we will all be invited to her Porteño WEDDING.   
 

I bought three books: Salón de Belleza by Mario Bellatin, El atravesado by Andrés Caicedo, and Las Batallas en el desierto by José Emilio Pacheco.  For five pesos each.  I can spend around $4 USD and help impoverished children receive books?  Can I get a dáleeeee?

I painted my copy of Salón de Belleza and I was going for the “Under the Sea: Remix” theme, even though it has absolutely NOTHING to do with the novel.  The workers were all making fun of me, saying things like, “Oh, yeah, there are SO MANY fish in that novel!” and I was like, “Hmm, the Peruvian philosopher Immortal Technique once said, ‘Talkin’ shit will get your neck-bone disconnected’ so don’t MAKE me choke a bitch for making fun of my drawing!” 

I feel like the menacing octopus and the sinister electric eel give the viewer the an authentic view of the dangers of consumerism—represented as underwater life—while the crab and the fish illustrate the polar spectrums of consciousness and oblivion.  I consider it to be my magnum opus.
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Alejandro, our new Chilean friend who works at Eloisa Cartonera, told us that they also make dolls that they give out.  What else were we supposed to do besides have an impromptu photo-shoot?

Rachel will be waiting for you under your bed at night:


Meanwhile, I will come for your first born (and your soul):

 
Phoebe is sad that her friends are insane mental hospital escapees:
 

ALEJANDRO!  
 

All of us with the workers.  I want the man in the back smokin’ his cigarillo to be my mentor in life:


I unfortunately left my Dead Weather water canteen at Eloisa Cartonera so I feel like I’m missing an arm because that water canteen is like my CHILD and I take it everywhere with me.  TE EXTRAÑO, WATER CANTEEN, I HOPE I CAN FIND YOU!  I’m likely to die of thirst now because I’m too cheap to pay for water bottles.  I’ll just have to dance the pain away by listening to Kylie Minogue and getting in touch with my inner gay man.  This weekend is the Bicentenario, the 200 year anniversary of independence from España.  I’m going to an Onda Vaga concert and classes are cancelled until next Wednesday because the entire country will be festejar-ing and Buenos Aires will most likely be too drunk to function.  Can’t wait!