Cell Phones, Abuelas and to-do Lists.

Spent the day doing errands.  Well, actually every day I study Spanish, and in between I do things like running errands.    Today I had two goals, get a cell phone and make contact with the Abuelas (more on them later).  I brought a cell phone from the US that my friend Tara lent me.  It's the Motoral C155 World Phone, and one would think that it would work everywhere (it worked for her in Morocco).  Alas, no luck (different band), I already own an iPhone and I am philosophically opposed to buying a new piece of electronics that I'll only use for a short while.  I had found several phones on eBay before I left, but obviously thought the one I borrowed would work.  Electronics here are fairly expensive, there's a 50% tax, so even used stuff is expensive.  And I was determined to buy something used, my tiny contribution to the environment.

I'll skip the uninteresting details, and conclude that I finally got one.  

A few days before I left, I saw a documentary at the Jewish Film Fest called "Who am I?  The Found Children of Argentina".  It was about the Abuelas (Grandmothers) of the Plaza de Mayo, who have been searching for their grandchildren, who disappeared during the Dirty War between 1977 and 1983.  About 30,000 "subversives" were killed, but many of their children were put up for adoption or given to military families.  The Abuelas have a campaign going to find those children and give them back their identies.   I had sent them an email introducing myself and talking about my video interviewing system, but hadn't heard back from them, so I went to their office.  The sole person there said the office was closed until the second week of January, but by chance there is a press conference tomorrow, they found another child and are announcing it.   

The secret to accomplishing everthing on your to-do list is to have a very short and simple to-do list.  I got my cell phone, made contact with the Abuelas, and had a plan for second night candles.