Shrek 3, Argentinian style

Shrek 3 came out a few days ago here in Argentina and last night I went with a few friends to go and see it. Strange how even the most ordinary, American of experiences have thier quirks in a foriegn country. First, due to the overwhelmingly subtle nature of the humor in Shrek, there were moments when I was dying with laughter. And the rest of the theater? Silent! Sometimes subtitles just don't quite capture it. Then there was the matter of dress. Who would think that it would even be possible to be underdressed to go see a kids film? Let's just say that my tennis shoes, which by now have seen hundreds of miles on the trail and even more miles on buses, backroads and city sidewalks, stood out conspicuously against the highheel leather boots all around me. Finally, there's the topic of assigned seats... something the Argentinians (and apparently the Europeans have) and us Americans have never heard of. On this point, I have to give it to them. How often have you gone to see a new release and had to fight your way through the crowd, asking if people wouldn't mind just moving one seat over to fill in the gap? And so, in conclusion, although Hollywood it may be, no experience down here quite escapes the Argentine flavor.