Personal blood drive

Recoleta Cemetery in downtown Buenos Aires -- I spent the national holiday two weeks ago being a "tourist" with my house guests.

Interesting e-mail I got from my local church last week: one of the church members was in the hospital and they were requesting blood donors. After donating you would get a piece of paper that showed you had donated for the patient. I don't know how this works, perhaps you can't receive blood without having donors replace it for you?

The requirements are listed below in Spanish. It says that you must have fasted from food and milk for eight hours prior to donation. They do recommend that you drink water, pop, juice, coffee, tee, or mate with sugar before donating. It sounds like they're thinking you might throw up during donation?

It also says you must be between 18- and 65-years-old. For the American Red Cross you must be at least 17, but some states will let you donate at 16. There is no upper age limit as long as you are healthy.

Los requisitos son:

Mayores de 18 y menores de 65 Años.
Peso Superior a 50 Kg.
Sin fiebre, resfrio, tos, etc. al momento de dar.
No haber sufrido Hepatitis, Paludismo, Sífilis, Brucelosis, Tuberculosis o inyecciones de vacunas en los últimos 2 meces.
No estar embarazada. Estando con período menstrual se puede donar sangre.

Se deben presentar con 8Hs. De ayuno de sólidos y Leche.
Se Recomienda tomar agua, bebidas gaseosas, jugos de frutas, café, té, mate, con azúcar antes de dar

The police prepare to protect the Casa Rosada, the presidential building, in downtown Buenos Aires. A protest march about the farm crisis passed by the square as we were there. Thankfully there was no violence and we saw the police pack up to leave.