El Día de la Mamá

Yesterday was Mother’s Day, or “El Día de la Mamá.” All week I had noticed neon-colored advertisements in store windows along Avenida Santa Fe offering “10% descuentos para tu mama” or simply saying “gracias má!” Since it was Sunday, however, all of the store on Santa Fe were closed and the streets were rather tranquil. The first time that I saw Santa Fe was on a Sunday. Greg and I were up on the roof enjoying the sunset over the city while looking down onto the large Avenida Santa Fe below. Greg had commented that it was weird that I got to see Santa Fe on a Sunday. When I aksed why, he said, “you’ll see tomorrow.” It was true, the next morning, the sidewalks of Avenida Santa Fe were bursting with people. I quickly understood why Greg said that he always avoided walking on Santa Fe if he had to get somewhere. Not only were there tons of people, but they were also extremely slow-moving. The stores along Santa Fe usually run in an order of Pharmacy, shoe store, shoe store, clothing store, café, shoe store. No matter what the store is selling, the people on Santa Fe seem to be interested in it. Thus, the sidewalks of Santa Fe are crowded with window-shoppers. Like in Spain, the stores in Buenos Aires put every single item that they sell on display in their store windows. I get such a kick out of these elaborate displays. The best ones are the hardware stores where they manage to cram all of the screws and nails that they carry in all shapes and sizes into the store window. It makes it all look so junky, but I guess that the advantage is that you never have to go into the store until you are ready to buy. The disadvantage, for me, however, is that the street I live on is flooded with people browsing through the available merchandise. Whether it be different cheeses, bras, high heels, books, or light bulbs, most people stop to have a look at it. Meanwhile, there I am on weekdays speed-walking past the slow-movers while dodging kioskos and trying not to run into little old ladies that randomly pause in front of shoe stores.
Sundays are the days that this bustling Avenida can take a breath. Its stores are closed and its streets are relatively quiet. When I passed two men carrying flowers on the way to the Subway, I smiled. It was mother's day. I began to notice more and more families that were out celebrating the day with their mamás. The holiday seemed to unify the population of Buenos Aires. The people in the subway station were not rushing in all different directions to various work places, but instead they were making a relaxed communte to their mother's house. Even though I couldn't celebrate Mother's Day with my mommy, I was still warmed by the love of the porteños around me. I finally felt like I was a part of something in this enormous city.