nearly 1000 words of Chapter One completed tonight

Yes, really pleased. I feel I've made a good beginning for my novel(but we'll wait and see what receiption I get when I workshop the material at the end of the month back at City). I wrote a new couple of paragraphs which I've put as an opener - this gives a very clear picture (I hope of time and palce) and goes on to set up Julie's character and her predicament, nicely, I believe. I've also planned the rest of chapter one and know exactly where I am going with it. I've sketched a plan for chapters Two and Three also.

After writing this evenning we took a cab over to the Ricoleta district for dinner at a very nice Italian restaurant. There we also witnessed an unfortunate incident where another customer - a man of about 60 - part of a foursome of British tourists - choked on his meal. We saw him being given the Hymleich Manouver but it just made him make alot of noise and then he vomited into his knapkin and then also onto he floor. He was helped out of the establishment by his fellow diners - leaving their half devoured meal displayed - Marie Celeste like - for all to see. The incredible thing was the white jacketed, black tied waiters just carried on as if nothing had happened and evry one else followed their bad(or good , depending on how you see this situation) example. I dont know what happened to the man but he did not return to finish his dinner.(I think the party had to pay for it; they did return briefly and I saw them waving a credit card at the Maitre D.

We walked back to our Hotel in San Telmo. About 45 minutes. I was shocked by the amount of uncollected bags of half opened refuse on the streets - everywhere. And the numbers of homeless people , seemeingly with nothing. Many people begging amidst all this apparent afluence. It made me feel as uncomfortable as the choking man in the restaurant. When I put it to the man on our hotel reception desk, he said that in Argentina there are many rich but also many very poor people. He said that the rubbish isnt especially bad after new year(this was what I thought might be n excuse) ...no..he said it's like this all the time! B.'s A's is a very dirty city with many homeless peple living on the streets.So it seems.

This I found disturbing. Not all Tango and Cafe dinning after all.

BG