Of Suitcases, Stocks and Sponsors....

I have been busy reporting for CNN this past week. First, about the $800K Suitcase scandal that is currently playing out in a Miami courtroom. Today, the woman who discovered the suitcase stuffed with cash, the lovely Maria de Lujan Telpuk (above), is in Miami testifying in the case. Telpuk went from being a homely customs officer at the Buenos Aires domestic airport (where I am pictured below) to being a Playboy cover girl (after some surgical assistance, of course) and now a stand-by on an ice-skating competition show in Argentina. I didn't have time to mention Telpuk in my CNN report, (I would have LOVED to, trust me), but her role in this bizarre situation proves yet again that truth is always cooler than fiction.

On Black Monday, September 29th, I did my first "live shot" for CNN International from the CNN en Espanol bureau here in Buenos Aires. It was the first live report I have done in some 8 years, dating back to my days at WCAX-TV in Burlington. It went well, and as the global markets plunged deeper that day, it became apparent that the story was gaining importance worldwide. Consequently, I was asked to do two more live reports that evening for the CNNI shows that are anchored out of Asia, and again the next morning with the anchors in Atlanta. Considering my location, I had been concentrating my reports on the Argentine Merval and Brazilian Bovespa indexes, so I was a bit thrown when one of the anchors in Hong Kong asked me to talk about the Mexican markets. I mentioned the close relationship (geographical, financial, cultural) between Mexico and the U.S. and then (tried to) coolly segue back into South America news. I think I pulled it off.

I also attended a truly awesome MTV party this week, a "pre-fiesta" for the MTV Latin American Music Awards that will take place in Guadalajara, ("Oh no, Guadalajara won't do...") Mexico on Oct. 16th.

These days, most of the bands that MTV promotes kind of suck, but I have to say that I was really impressed with Uruguayan rockers No Te Va a Gustar who have a kind of Fishbone/Fabulosos Cadillacs-vibe going on....perfect for a warehouse full of twentysomethings wearing purple afro wigs courtesy of Yahoo, while sloshing down free Quilmes and Cuervo ......gotta love corporate sponsorship.