在布宜诺斯艾利斯寻找美丽 BBC.docVIP

In Search of Beauty in Buenos Aires I have just joined a gym in downtown Buenos Aires - five floors of sweaty, muscle-pumping, stomach-toning, buttock-tightening office workers at it from seven in the morning until 10 at night. It is not easy to join the ranks of the beautiful people but a fair number of portenos seem to have made it. And dont they know it! There is a constant cluster of men in front of the full-length mirror in the changing room quite unashamedly admiring themselves before they return to work. I choke through a cloud of deodorant as I slink out and Im sure I detect a couple of disapproving glances at my rather worn jeans and less than perfectly ironed shirt. I noticed when I arrived in Argentina in the middle of the southern-hemisphere summer that people during their lunch breaks would occupy any available public space and twist themselves into the most contorted positions to sunbathe. I soon realised they were trying to expose to the midday sun that difficult spot on the side of the neck or inside of the right thigh that did not conform to the uniform, all-over tan that had been assiduously developed over the preceding months. A few years ago, the national football teams manager told his players to get their hair cut or be dropped from the squad. He said their game was suffering as they spent too much time flicking their locks into place for the cameras. Most complied, but not all of them. At the weekend, Argentines go out very late. It is not unusual to leave the house at midnight or after. On my first visit to the country I was told by my hosts that they would start preparing to leave at about eight. Five minutes later, my teeth cleaned, a check to see that my socks matched and my shirt buttons were done up correctly, I was ready to hit the town. Three hours later, and fed up waiting, I was asleep. Two hours after that, the family was ready and woke me to leave. Having spent so long getting ready, it is then important to be noticed and many reve