The Search for the Elusive Ketchup Bottle & More

Since I've been trying to cook most of my meals at home, I generally go to the market a couple times a week to constantly stock up on supplies and groceries. It definitely saves a lot of money since most restaurants in Buenos Aires seem rather pricey. While cooking for myself, I realized that a little bit of ketchup goes a long way in regards to flavor. Also, the Heniz Ketchup was a homey item that added a bit of familiarity in this unfamiliar environment.

However, I found out that ketchup is not a universal concept! I went to the local supermarket, trying in vain to explain what ketchup is in my broken Spanish. A confused lady at the cash register directed me to some tomato sauce instead. But after walking many more blocks down and searching through several stores, I finally found (a rather expensive) bottle of Heinz, just like home!

I would consider this as one of my more luxurious indulgements, but ketchup is just something I can't do without! This was about 35 pesos (around $7), which may not be considered too expensive in the States, but compared to some other items, it is on the pricier end. For instance, this container of the Argentinian delight known as Dulce de Leche was only 7 pesos (around $1~$1.50) - it's cheaper than some bottled water brands here!

Dulce de Leche is basically sweetened, condensed milk that has been caramelized over a slow-heating process. It tastes very much like caramel but with a creamier consistency. Argentinians seem to love this confection and add it to just about any dessert they can. The cañoncitos are one such example: a flaky pastry covered in chocolate and icing with a dulce de leche filling. I wish they would have this in US, but we have enough fatty foods.

Speaking of which, I visited the local McDonald's and was pleasantly surprised by many things. As I mentioned in the previous post, the McCafes seem to have a huge presence in Argentina. They are almost like another section of the McDonald's that had an even more extensive menu than the actual restaurant. What I thought was even more interesting was the part of the building overhanging the drive-thru entrance: The Ronald Gym Club. Perhaps the Argentinian branch of McDonald's is doing something positive for the Argentinian community and not contributing to obesity? 

For my first time though, I ordered something off of what is equivalent to the Dollar Menu. The burger ended up costing something more like $3.00, but it still seemed like a decent deal because it came with three full-sized patties that would have defeated any Dollar Menu item from the US without contest. I believe the quality of the patty was of higher quality than the US ones as well.

And of course, Argentinians have developed a new kind of McFlurry loaded with more Dulce de Leche. It also included bits of chocolate infused with more Dulce de Leche. It was simply heavenly and only cost around $3.00 for a huge serving.

Unfortunately, I was not able to do much else in terms of exploring because I was trapped in my room for around a 15 hour period over the past weekend. Argentinian doors and locks are extremely tricky because they are not exactly a "perfect fit" as they are in the US. Furthermore, I managed to get the key stuck in the lock, so I was literally trapped.

Those tricky keys and locks.

My roommate had gone away for the weekend, so I was all alone in the apartment. I did however remember that my roommate/subletter said that her mother would be coming during the weekend to water the plants. To make sure I didn't miss her, I took some paper and wrote a note in Spanish, asking whoever was on the other side of the door to save me. Fortunately, the mother came by and was able to speak English. I was eventually saved from my self-imposed prison. Luckily I had some food inside my room to keep me alive for a little bit.

Getting my work started in the lab was initially slow due to a holiday and some unforeseen circumstances. However, my host PI and I were able to get things on the road after we were able to visualize how the preparations of the leeches would be made. She has taught me a couple new dissection preparations already, and we have shotgunned about 30-40 mini-experiments using only a couple preparations. Since my research has a heavy electrophysiology component, once the dissection preps are in place, experimenting and seeing results are a matter of pushing some buttons and impaling some neurons.

We initially opted to test for muscular tension induced by stimulation of a particular non-spiking cell, which has been linked to all the motorneurons in the leech ganglion. However, after our initial experiment, we have decided to include some other cells, including the P (pressure-detecting) and AE (annulus erector) cells. We have not analyzed any results so far, but we can make a qualitative guess on most experiments by observing them in live action through the digitzed data on the computer screen. It is a very interesting and adaptive process that allows us to plan our experiments and direction as we go along, noting which procedures work and which procedures don't.

The lab members have also been eager to introduce me to the lab culture and my further enculturation of Argentinian customs. I was finally able to try mate (MAH-teh), a traditional Argentinian tea-infused drink. It is actually bitter but reminiscent of my usual morning black coffee. Argentinians seem to use it for a similar effect, always sharing the drink in their hollowed gourd bowls and metal straw. It is truly an interesting tradition. I am hoping to buy a mate gourd for myself before I leave!