Top 10 List: Why Living Here Beats Living in the USA

September 26, 2005 | Filed Under Argentina | No Comments

10. Great gelato and lots of slow food is the norm in Argentina.
9. No need to worry about cops giving you a ticket for driving over 100 mph.
8. Argentinians enthusiastically embrace you and kiss you hello AND good-bye.
7. Folks here know how to dance.
6. Lots of XXX rated films on free channels. (And romantic music on the radio.)
5. Good wine costs under US$7 a bottle, filet mignon about US$2 a pound.
4. You get to take an afternoon nap in Argentina.
3. There are no hurricanes (and last big earthquake was before 1950).
2. […]

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Gayle & Roberto Visit Sin Palace

September 24, 2005 | Filed Under Argentina | No Comments

The gorgeous classic Mediterranean-style mansion pictured is the Palacio San Jose, a treasured national monument and former home of President Justo Jose Urquiza. (It is also my dream house—well, perhaps four entire dream houses.) Some might consider it a Victorian Era palace of sin!
In the middle Entre Rios, of a now-backwater province that makes Kansas look like a downhill skier´s paradise, Urquiza decided to impress international visitors with an Argentine version of Versailles. So he constructed a gorgeous mansion, double anything else here, with all rooms opening up to one of two immense central patios with trees, fountains, and flowers. Then he added a stately personal chapel (with a secret balcony in case of bad hair days), stocked an enormous artificial lake, filled fancy wrought-iron aviaries, and designed extensive formal gardens. Of course servants’ quarters, blacksmith shop, stables, etc., completed the self-sufficient community within. […]

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Gayle & Roberto Visit Sin Palace

September 24, 2005 | Filed Under Argentina | No Comments

The gorgeous classic Mediterranean-style mansion pictured is the Palacio San Jose, a treasured national monument and former home of President Justo Jose Urquiza. (It is also my dream house—well, perhaps four entire dream houses.) Some might consider it a Victorian Era palace of sin!
In the middle Entre Rios, of a now-backwater province that makes Kansas look like a downhill skier´s paradise, Urquiza decided to impress international visitors with an Argentine version of Versailles. So he constructed a gorgeous mansion, double anything else here, with all rooms opening up to one of two immense central patios with trees, fountains, and flowers. Then he added a stately personal chapel (with a secret balcony in case of bad hair days), stocked an enormous artificial lake, filled fancy wrought-iron aviaries, and designed extensive formal gardens. Of course servants’ quarters, blacksmith shop, stables, etc., completed the self-sufficient community within. […]

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My Newest Words: Ecógrafo, Cálculos, Cirujano. . .

September 24, 2005 | Filed Under Argentina | No Comments

Right, one should learn Spanish before moving to Argentina. Even so, there’s nothing better than personal experience for adding richness and depth to one’s vocabulary. Here are my newest experientially derived words—and not one ever appeared in any of my Spanish classes!
· Gastroenterólogo – Gastroenterologist· Ecógrafo – Ultrasound· Vesícula – Gall bladder· Cálculos – Gall stones· Controles – Medical tests (e.g., blood tests)· Bioquímico – Health professional who does said tests· Cirujano – Surgeon· Cardiólogo – Cardiologist· Sanatorio – Small private hospital· Suero – Intravenous fluid· Receta – Prescription· Convalecencia – convalescence· Recuperación – recovery
Alas, given that the human body only contains one gall bladder, some of my new words are already obsolete! Let’s hope that the rest will not get much practice.
¡Salud!

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Born Again

September 20, 2005 | Filed Under Argentina | No Comments

Living here has been like being born all over again in some ways. I’ve had to learn to speak in a new language, interact with different gestures and norms, drive differently, cook differently. Even hold my fork differently!
There is usually no point looking for compassion or understanding when it starts to overwhelm me. . . (no ex-pat community here!) If I try to explain stuff from my prior life, I am likely to sound crazy or arrogant. Really, can you imagine having to do any of these things?* Justify stopping at a red traffic light? Or slowing down for a pedestrian or cyclist?* Beg for no-smoking zone in a restaurant? Or that friends not smoke in your house?* Insist that employees wash their hands (with soap!) before handling food to be served raw?* Show your passport or national ID to use a credit card or check into a hotel?* […]

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DON’T BANK ON IT!

September 14, 2005 | Filed Under Argentina | No Comments

Less than half of Argentines use banks, so says the Buenos Aires Herald this morning. Makes you wonder where folks here keep their cash–and how they buy things and pay their monthly bills.
They use cash. To pay for just about everything from the newspaper to a refrigerator. Even a car. Forget checks and credit cards unless you’re in a supermarket or a mall in one of the few big cities. In many places, especially electronics and home appliance stores give a 10% discount for cash.
I’ve never carried so much cash around in my life. You can often find $200 or more in my purse. Ten pesos here for fruits and veggies, 20 there for meats, 40 at the market for staples, another 12 at the pharmacy. And no one ever has change. And then there’s the peso for the guy who offered to “guard my car” and another for the […]

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