Winter has arrived

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Winter has arrived to Uruguay, too. Scarfs , woollen gloves, and hats are becoming more and more frequent in everybody's outfit, once again. In cold mornings you even get to see your condensed breath. Tough times for homeless people.

It's been a month of rains, cold, and even some mist. Rains were highly expected, and when they arrived, it poured. Unfortunately, it wasn't in the areas that really needed rain, so the energy saving policies are still ongoing (aka elevator queue syndrom).

The president's been making some ill comments about the uruguayan press, and how it is politically biased, against the government. The uncomfortable thing was, that he mentioned the exact list of newspapers, and tv channels that did not support the government. It was sort of the unhappy, unnecessary kind of comment, you wouldn't expect from the president, in a country with press freedom. Anyway, uruguayans, after our former president (Jorge Batlle), are kind of numb to stupid presidential declarations, noone could ever top him (he went public about how argentineans are all thieves and corrupt, and then had to go to argentina to beg for forgiveness.... historically sad).

We were visited by the brazilian ministry of foreign affairs to strengthen the mercosur bond, and to be offered a "new deal", since the mercour's presidency will be going to brazil in the coming period.

Nacional is the unnoticed victorious champion of the decaying national opening tournament (el apertura).

Today there was this big farmer's demonstration, against the upcoming economic tax reform. The government is in the final approval stages of a major tax reform, and there's unconformity in a lot of sectors that won't be at all benefited in the new taxing scheme, especially those that have right now some kind of excemptions, like farms ;)
The gov is implementing the tax to the rent of the physical person, something that does not exist in Uruguay, so far, and which seems very tricky to be implemented in a country with banking secrecy. Tomorrow there'll be what is known as a general partial strike for this reason, meaning all unions will stop working for some hours of the day. If it were all day, it'd be called a general strike, this ones are not very frequent (can't remember the last one).

Meanwhile, everybody talks, eats, reads, and breaths the world cup, the world cup match, players, and everythings. In every company small betting pots are made(called pencas no idea why :). Here, in Uruguay, everybody speculates about the world cup results, everybody has a formed opinion, everybody has a favorite, everybody "knows".

Right now, everybody is expecting tomorrow's Argentina Germany world cup match. As usually happens, when our neighbors play, opinions are divided in half, brazilian sympathizers (or just plain argentinian haters), will strongly support germany (the current "other"), while the rest will support argentina.

Me? I guess, like most uruguayans have mixed feelings towards tomorrow's match. On one hand I'd like to see a fellow south american, emerging country, win one of the most important world tournaments. On the other hand...who will be able to put up with argentineans if they win?... no one! they are waaay too cocky, and they are too close for that matter

(not to mention pulp mills) ;)...