So, it has been a little while, but now that I've been down here for 2 months, I figured an update on matters that I've posted previously was not only appropriate, but obligatory...
First and foremost, I can now safely say that I no longer have a US-based mobile phone... SWEET!! Not only am I no longer throwing money in the tubes, but I learned the verbs (yes, in Spanish, there is more than one verb, depending on the context, obvio) 'to lock.' When talking about a door, window, car, etcetera, the verb is 'trancar' and is conjugated as a regular verb (for those of you linguists in the audience). When talking about a 'digitally-oriented' mechanism that requires codes, passwords, etcetera, the verb is 'bloquear' and also has a regular conjugation. However, 'bloquear' also means 'to block' whereas, a incoming call that does not have an associated telephone number (caller ID) comes in as 'bloqueado' (blocked). Likewise, 'desbloquear' means to unlock/unblock, so again, you run in to similar linguistic questions regarding contextual use and multiple meanings, as is common... I must give credit to two friends for this wisdom - Juan, for unlocking my iPhone, and Sasha, for being a smartass, as is also common...
For those of you who have Facebook, and I'm assuming most of the readers are already friends of mine on FB, have been able to see a few more pictures of my 'experiences' here in Buenos Aires, so I've clearly gotten the whole camera/upload situation sorted out. If you are saying to yourself, 'man, he looks like he's having a great time'... You're right! This place is totally incredible, and you should definitely be jealous that you (likely) are sitting somewhere in Northern Hemisphere, where it is cold and nasty, and I'm down here having a blast.
On a more serious and personal note, I can't remember the last time that I have been this happy, have had this much fun, and been so sure of a 'large' decision that I've made for myself... The friends that I've been making are great, and despite the fact that a handful are in the process of moving along on their own adventures, the time we've spent has certainly been quite memorable and I certainly won't be forgetting them (the people AND the memories).
Hasta próxima vez...
Zé
Monday, January 26, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Inauguration Day!!
So, like many Americans, I spent January 20th celebrating... It was the first day of class that I did not attend, but it was completely justified, rightfully so... It's been pretty amazing how much fanfare Obama has had, as many of the cab drivers, bar tenders, and locals want to know Americans' impressions of our new president/world leader. So, a handful of fellow 'yankees' (the common term for anyone from the USA, which I'm sure our friends in the deep south would be more than insulted by, considering their roots) got together at a friend's apartment to watch, eat, drink, and celebrate the worst president in this country's history passing the baton to the most supported, most revered, and certainly, most monumental president in our history. All of which come from a decidedly biased opinion...
That said, we did what any Argentine would do in a normal, festivity driven occasion - we ordered a ton of empanadas, bought a few bottles of Fernet and Coke, and got working... I believe I've got a few pictures posted of the momentous occasion, including one of me, in front of the tv with a bottle of Fernet in one hand, and Barack, giving his address (to me) in the backround - how memorable is that!
Compared to the political disaster that is Argentina (this could be a daily or hourly series on the seduction of corruption, the strange-hold of power, and the pseudo party-dictatorship of the Peronist party), the US, and the world, is in for some interesting, challenging, and enlightening times now that that retard, W, is out of office... The global position has changed, and while I'm not here, writing from Argentina, suggesting that Obama has every answer to solve all of the world's problems (there are plenty, we're all aware), just his presence and his being are enough to put people's minds at ease, at least for the time being, with the knowledge that he will do what's right, and in the interest of the people, and not as W did, which was what was right for his dad's friends, and the people who put him in office (which, if memory serves was less than the number of people who wanted someone else in office in 2000)...
gObama!
And, as a side-note, Chicago 2016!!
That said, we did what any Argentine would do in a normal, festivity driven occasion - we ordered a ton of empanadas, bought a few bottles of Fernet and Coke, and got working... I believe I've got a few pictures posted of the momentous occasion, including one of me, in front of the tv with a bottle of Fernet in one hand, and Barack, giving his address (to me) in the backround - how memorable is that!
Compared to the political disaster that is Argentina (this could be a daily or hourly series on the seduction of corruption, the strange-hold of power, and the pseudo party-dictatorship of the Peronist party), the US, and the world, is in for some interesting, challenging, and enlightening times now that that retard, W, is out of office... The global position has changed, and while I'm not here, writing from Argentina, suggesting that Obama has every answer to solve all of the world's problems (there are plenty, we're all aware), just his presence and his being are enough to put people's minds at ease, at least for the time being, with the knowledge that he will do what's right, and in the interest of the people, and not as W did, which was what was right for his dad's friends, and the people who put him in office (which, if memory serves was less than the number of people who wanted someone else in office in 2000)...
gObama!
And, as a side-note, Chicago 2016!!
Friday, January 16, 2009
A Small World...
You may not be familiar, which I was certainly not prior to arriving to BA, but 'A Small World' is an exclusive, invite-only, social-networking site that I am not a member of, ha! However, my roommate, Laura, was special enough to have been invited by a close friend of hers, so I can be a member vicariously... Nonesense aside, it's a pretty well-established network, having met several people here who are also a part of it (they also happen to be friends, coincidence?, haha). Because of the exclusive nature of the site, it seems to be far more trustworthy and professionally managed, as the goal is to not drive volume, but quality of membership... They have professional services, events, apartment/accommodation listings, job offerings, etc... It was especially helpful to a friend who reached out before he moved to BA to meet a few people, and when he arrived, he was taken out, shown the city, etc to help develop his social network.
So, how does this have an impact on me... Well, I can't take any real credit for it because I'm not exclusive enough, apparently (yet), but, Laura was able to scour the site's apartment listings when we began having doubts about the apartment we were scheduled to move in to last week... Yes, it's a little overdue, but the drama that unfolded is a pretty ridiculous, comical, and otherworldly experience that can only be had in Argentina - for all the right and wrong reasons, I'm going to refrain from putting the entire saga online, so if you're interested, give a shout...
As it stands, foreigners traveling to Baires (that's another colloquial idiom for BA) are typically looking for short-term, furnished accommodations, on which locals capitalize on the rental rates they charge foreigners to occupy their residences. So, there's effectively a 60-75% markup on the rates charged to foreigners versus the rate that a local would receive for the same apartment... Needless to say, this is totally normal, and completely 'legal' (loosely defined, as are most laws regarding monetary exchanges and business practices), but provides an opportunity for foreigners to try and find the best deals possible...
This is where 'A Small World' comes in, as Laura was able to find a great apartment that has pretty much everything except a pool and a gym (I know, seriously!) that we wanted in an apartment/building. And even better, we're basically paying what a local would pay, which is even more ridiculous considering what we were going to be paying for a different apartment. I now know why my friends suggested just coming down here and winging it - which is effectively what we've done at this point...
We will miss our neighborhood, Palermo Viejo, but we're heading only 15 minutes (a pie - by foot) away to a new hood (Alto Palermo), and are looking forward to exploring a new area... So, today is moving day, and we're off...
It really is 'A Small World'...
So, how does this have an impact on me... Well, I can't take any real credit for it because I'm not exclusive enough, apparently (yet), but, Laura was able to scour the site's apartment listings when we began having doubts about the apartment we were scheduled to move in to last week... Yes, it's a little overdue, but the drama that unfolded is a pretty ridiculous, comical, and otherworldly experience that can only be had in Argentina - for all the right and wrong reasons, I'm going to refrain from putting the entire saga online, so if you're interested, give a shout...
As it stands, foreigners traveling to Baires (that's another colloquial idiom for BA) are typically looking for short-term, furnished accommodations, on which locals capitalize on the rental rates they charge foreigners to occupy their residences. So, there's effectively a 60-75% markup on the rates charged to foreigners versus the rate that a local would receive for the same apartment... Needless to say, this is totally normal, and completely 'legal' (loosely defined, as are most laws regarding monetary exchanges and business practices), but provides an opportunity for foreigners to try and find the best deals possible...
This is where 'A Small World' comes in, as Laura was able to find a great apartment that has pretty much everything except a pool and a gym (I know, seriously!) that we wanted in an apartment/building. And even better, we're basically paying what a local would pay, which is even more ridiculous considering what we were going to be paying for a different apartment. I now know why my friends suggested just coming down here and winging it - which is effectively what we've done at this point...
We will miss our neighborhood, Palermo Viejo, but we're heading only 15 minutes (a pie - by foot) away to a new hood (Alto Palermo), and are looking forward to exploring a new area... So, today is moving day, and we're off...
It really is 'A Small World'...
Monedas...
To quickly define 'Monedas' - think of change, yes, the little coins we cherish so greatly (pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and the ever rare silver dollar)... Well, think of an environment where stores, cabs, kiosks, restaurants, etc literally did not have coinage to make change...
That's the world of Argentina right now - you can see signs in almost every window where business is conducted that says something to the effect of, "We don't have change." It seems preposterous that a government responsible for monetary policy could have a shortage of change within the country, but hey, I live here, and it is Argentina... So, we've been told, and have seen it already take effect, to hoard our monedas, if we can ge our hands on them... Primarily, the conspiracy-theorists (who may have things right down here) suggest the privately-operated bus/subte (subway) company is keeping all of the monedas to themselves with the hope of selling the coins back to banks (and the government) for a premium... Does that sound normal to anyone? So, economists have been suggesting the government authorize the private production of coinage, which has apparently been done in the past, but in England, where it worked fine...
With under-reported inflation, some pegging actual inflation at nearly 25%, I can understand the issues surrounding additional currency, which would further boost inflationary pressures, but to have a shortage, with high inflation is just abnormal, but again, this is Argentina... Since I got here, the price of the subway has increased nearly 25% (from $0.90 to $1.10 - Argentine pesos), but like NYC did while I was also there, this doesn't seem too crazy... The difference of course, is that I only noticed the change when I went to buy a subte ticket, and just figured that because I was in a different station, and traveling further than I previously had, that the system was more like London or DC where you pay by zone/distance traveling... Nope, I was wrong, as I noticed the taped sign above the ventanilla (ticket window) about the fare increase... So, it's entirely possible that this hike has been in the works for a while, and I just never learned of it until after it happened, but still..
There's plenty more to learn, and this is only the beginning...
No hay monedas acá!
That's the world of Argentina right now - you can see signs in almost every window where business is conducted that says something to the effect of, "We don't have change." It seems preposterous that a government responsible for monetary policy could have a shortage of change within the country, but hey, I live here, and it is Argentina... So, we've been told, and have seen it already take effect, to hoard our monedas, if we can ge our hands on them... Primarily, the conspiracy-theorists (who may have things right down here) suggest the privately-operated bus/subte (subway) company is keeping all of the monedas to themselves with the hope of selling the coins back to banks (and the government) for a premium... Does that sound normal to anyone? So, economists have been suggesting the government authorize the private production of coinage, which has apparently been done in the past, but in England, where it worked fine...
With under-reported inflation, some pegging actual inflation at nearly 25%, I can understand the issues surrounding additional currency, which would further boost inflationary pressures, but to have a shortage, with high inflation is just abnormal, but again, this is Argentina... Since I got here, the price of the subway has increased nearly 25% (from $0.90 to $1.10 - Argentine pesos), but like NYC did while I was also there, this doesn't seem too crazy... The difference of course, is that I only noticed the change when I went to buy a subte ticket, and just figured that because I was in a different station, and traveling further than I previously had, that the system was more like London or DC where you pay by zone/distance traveling... Nope, I was wrong, as I noticed the taped sign above the ventanilla (ticket window) about the fare increase... So, it's entirely possible that this hike has been in the works for a while, and I just never learned of it until after it happened, but still..
There's plenty more to learn, and this is only the beginning...
No hay monedas acá!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Feliz Ano!
Como lo vee aca, felices fiestas! (As it is said here, happy holidays!)
Espero que eso email les busca todo bien durante la temporada de las fiestas (there’s not a direction translation for the holidays, so ‘we’ use ‘parties’ instead – how fitting?!). Lo estaba un rato hasta el email pasado, pero tomo las semanas pasadas mas facil que la primera – lo necesite!
ENGLISH: I hope that this email finds you all well during the holiday season. It has been a while since the last email, but I took the last two weeks more easily than the first week – I needed it!
Ok, enough with the funny business, here’s a little update...
The holidays here are pretty cool, as the summer has really just begun, so people have been out and about in Buenos Aires since classes ended; meaning there are a ton of high schoolers prowling the streets doing whatever it is that high schoolers do in the summer, during the holiday shopping season (weird). The City took on a noticeably different tone, literally, from the week leading up to Little Baby Jesus’ birthday, thru New Years Eve, as many of the local families spend the period of time from Christmas thru New Years at summer homes (still weird) with family. This is not terribly different from how we are accustomed to spending the holidays, but things are a little different when it comes to planning... Typically, nothing really takes place on Christmas Eve throughout the City, but families tend to have parties together to ring in the festivus occasion of celebrating the birth of the Lord Savior, cute Little Baby Jesus. Midnite mass and/or a gathering at a home is standard procedure, and I was lucky enough to be invited to a friend of a friend’s apartment for a get together. He, and his father, are Brasilian, so they shared their home with other BA transplants from around the world – literally!
I was invited to come by between 9.30-10.30p for some drinks and to make a toast, so in true latin time, I got there promptly at 10.30p. The whole nite was great, and as I was in the cab heading over (practicing Castellano with the driver – he recommended I visit his home town of Cordoba), I was both amused and nervous – I was heading to an apartment of someone I had never met, and presumably, would be required to speak only Castellano the remainder of the evening... Oh boy! Getting to the building and heading up the elevator, I started to schvitz a little bit in anticipation of what was about to happen – my first real Castellano only evening with complete strangers, on Christmas Eve!
So, I get in, and begin getting introduced... There’s a kid from Hawaii, three Israelis, four Brasilians, and a few more that roled in later from LA, Mexico, and Colombia... Needless to say, I felt a bit more relaxed knowing that If I got caught up like a gringo, I could always fall back to English to clarify a word or ask a specific question regarding a translation. It ended up being great, drinking a ton of great Argentine wine, sharing cachaca (Brasilian liquor, similar to rum), and sipping on the Argentine mixed drink – Fernet and Coke – all before we even popped the endless supply of bubbly to actualy celebrate... And then, we sat down for dinner around 12.30a. Fernet, if you are unfamiliar, is the Argentine version of Campari, a bitter (agriero), dry drink that really sucks all the moisture out of your mouth, which is why it is mixed with the sweet bubbles of Coke (or Pepsi) - it will also put you on the floor if you don’t watch out; I was fine, don’t worry... Yet.
Once we had Christmas down, the plans started to come together for New Year’ Eve, which I learned is a drastically different experience than what we do back at home – plan, plan plan, spend, spend, spend, drink, drink, drink, complain, complain, complain. Maybe it doesn’t always happen in that order back up north, but all of those components are in full effect on the last nite of every year – or so it seems... None of the friends that I’ve made down here were ready to pull the trigger, so on the 30th, plans came to fruition – a little asado (bbq) on the roof at a friend’s flat and then to a boliche (club) later. What differs the most, at least in my opinion, is the way in which things are celebrated... Here, people don’t go out to bars, clubs, etc, as we do in the states – here, people, go out between 2-3a, so the actual NYE celebration is done, almost in total, at someone’s house or apartment, whereas we’re always out at a bar, several drinks deep, by the time the ball drops. As I write this, I’ve come up with another thought – when the ball drops in Times Square, it’s 3a in Buenos Aires, so maybe that’s why things start so late... Tawk amungst yawselves... So, we had an absolute blast, making more friends, and identifying how small this world is – school mates’ friends’ college buddies’ girlfriend’s sister’s friend kind of stuff... Great nite, all around – dancing outside until the sun comes up, drinking the nite away without a care, and being with great people – feliz ano!
To backtrack just a bit, I have officially had my first ‘guests’ in Buenos Aires, and they were the parents of my buddy Steve Sotoloff (there it is, the first shoutout, happy?), as they were on a trip thru South America and had a few nites in Buenos Aires. They took me out to a cute little spot they discovered, and wanted to share it with me – it was a great nite, we shared stories, I saw pictures, we ate steaks and empanadas, we met the owner, and drank plenty of wine (we also got to meet the owner of the vineyard whose bottles we were drinking – he’s apparently friends with the owner of the restaurant)... They were also thoughtful enough to bring me a menorah, as it was the second nite of chanukah – lechiem! So, after this filling meal, I thought it would be prudent to head to the ‘Americano’ bar (El Alamo – is that fitting or ironic, or both?) to watch a little Monday Night Football... Da Bears v Packers at Soldier Field! No need to summarize, but it was the coldest game ever played (in recorded history) at Soldier Field, and the Bears won in overtime on a field goal. What was funny about the evening was running in to two sisters from Lake Forest who were there to watch the game – I guess Lovie lives up there, so... I have been back to Alamo a few times since then, the most recent being January 1st for a little Rose Bowl action – one of my buddies went to USC.. And, I got to watch the two teams that beat the Buckeyes this year... That said, I’ll be back there on Monday nite for the Fiesta Bowl, in full regale – Go Buckeyes!!
Now that you’ve gotten to the bottom, I wanted to let you all know that you can now follow the adventure on my new blog – so, I guess, I’m a blogger now?! The website is:
zeshinds.blogspot.com
The ‘Ze’ was a nickname given to me back in NYC playing soccer, so I figured that it would be fitting for me to adopt a soccer-related pen-name in the blogosphere... So, I ask that you go to the site, register (if you are so inclined) and select the option to become a “Follower” of the blog. This way, whenever I post something, youll be notified, probably with a link to the blog, so you can catch up. I have a slideshow of pictures that I can continually update, which I plan to do on a regular basis, so you’ll be able to see what it is that I’ve edited for your eyes, haha! Additionally, I’ll be ‘blogging’ more frequently and with more specificity within each ‘post’ so the emails will be fewer and far between, but will highlight what’s on the blog.
So, enjoy the blog – it’s title is Que Onda?! (more or less a casual way of staying “What the...?!” and do post and check it out.
Feliz ano!
Chau,
Adam
Espero que eso email les busca todo bien durante la temporada de las fiestas (there’s not a direction translation for the holidays, so ‘we’ use ‘parties’ instead – how fitting?!). Lo estaba un rato hasta el email pasado, pero tomo las semanas pasadas mas facil que la primera – lo necesite!
ENGLISH: I hope that this email finds you all well during the holiday season. It has been a while since the last email, but I took the last two weeks more easily than the first week – I needed it!
Ok, enough with the funny business, here’s a little update...
The holidays here are pretty cool, as the summer has really just begun, so people have been out and about in Buenos Aires since classes ended; meaning there are a ton of high schoolers prowling the streets doing whatever it is that high schoolers do in the summer, during the holiday shopping season (weird). The City took on a noticeably different tone, literally, from the week leading up to Little Baby Jesus’ birthday, thru New Years Eve, as many of the local families spend the period of time from Christmas thru New Years at summer homes (still weird) with family. This is not terribly different from how we are accustomed to spending the holidays, but things are a little different when it comes to planning... Typically, nothing really takes place on Christmas Eve throughout the City, but families tend to have parties together to ring in the festivus occasion of celebrating the birth of the Lord Savior, cute Little Baby Jesus. Midnite mass and/or a gathering at a home is standard procedure, and I was lucky enough to be invited to a friend of a friend’s apartment for a get together. He, and his father, are Brasilian, so they shared their home with other BA transplants from around the world – literally!
I was invited to come by between 9.30-10.30p for some drinks and to make a toast, so in true latin time, I got there promptly at 10.30p. The whole nite was great, and as I was in the cab heading over (practicing Castellano with the driver – he recommended I visit his home town of Cordoba), I was both amused and nervous – I was heading to an apartment of someone I had never met, and presumably, would be required to speak only Castellano the remainder of the evening... Oh boy! Getting to the building and heading up the elevator, I started to schvitz a little bit in anticipation of what was about to happen – my first real Castellano only evening with complete strangers, on Christmas Eve!
So, I get in, and begin getting introduced... There’s a kid from Hawaii, three Israelis, four Brasilians, and a few more that roled in later from LA, Mexico, and Colombia... Needless to say, I felt a bit more relaxed knowing that If I got caught up like a gringo, I could always fall back to English to clarify a word or ask a specific question regarding a translation. It ended up being great, drinking a ton of great Argentine wine, sharing cachaca (Brasilian liquor, similar to rum), and sipping on the Argentine mixed drink – Fernet and Coke – all before we even popped the endless supply of bubbly to actualy celebrate... And then, we sat down for dinner around 12.30a. Fernet, if you are unfamiliar, is the Argentine version of Campari, a bitter (agriero), dry drink that really sucks all the moisture out of your mouth, which is why it is mixed with the sweet bubbles of Coke (or Pepsi) - it will also put you on the floor if you don’t watch out; I was fine, don’t worry... Yet.
Once we had Christmas down, the plans started to come together for New Year’ Eve, which I learned is a drastically different experience than what we do back at home – plan, plan plan, spend, spend, spend, drink, drink, drink, complain, complain, complain. Maybe it doesn’t always happen in that order back up north, but all of those components are in full effect on the last nite of every year – or so it seems... None of the friends that I’ve made down here were ready to pull the trigger, so on the 30th, plans came to fruition – a little asado (bbq) on the roof at a friend’s flat and then to a boliche (club) later. What differs the most, at least in my opinion, is the way in which things are celebrated... Here, people don’t go out to bars, clubs, etc, as we do in the states – here, people, go out between 2-3a, so the actual NYE celebration is done, almost in total, at someone’s house or apartment, whereas we’re always out at a bar, several drinks deep, by the time the ball drops. As I write this, I’ve come up with another thought – when the ball drops in Times Square, it’s 3a in Buenos Aires, so maybe that’s why things start so late... Tawk amungst yawselves... So, we had an absolute blast, making more friends, and identifying how small this world is – school mates’ friends’ college buddies’ girlfriend’s sister’s friend kind of stuff... Great nite, all around – dancing outside until the sun comes up, drinking the nite away without a care, and being with great people – feliz ano!
To backtrack just a bit, I have officially had my first ‘guests’ in Buenos Aires, and they were the parents of my buddy Steve Sotoloff (there it is, the first shoutout, happy?), as they were on a trip thru South America and had a few nites in Buenos Aires. They took me out to a cute little spot they discovered, and wanted to share it with me – it was a great nite, we shared stories, I saw pictures, we ate steaks and empanadas, we met the owner, and drank plenty of wine (we also got to meet the owner of the vineyard whose bottles we were drinking – he’s apparently friends with the owner of the restaurant)... They were also thoughtful enough to bring me a menorah, as it was the second nite of chanukah – lechiem! So, after this filling meal, I thought it would be prudent to head to the ‘Americano’ bar (El Alamo – is that fitting or ironic, or both?) to watch a little Monday Night Football... Da Bears v Packers at Soldier Field! No need to summarize, but it was the coldest game ever played (in recorded history) at Soldier Field, and the Bears won in overtime on a field goal. What was funny about the evening was running in to two sisters from Lake Forest who were there to watch the game – I guess Lovie lives up there, so... I have been back to Alamo a few times since then, the most recent being January 1st for a little Rose Bowl action – one of my buddies went to USC.. And, I got to watch the two teams that beat the Buckeyes this year... That said, I’ll be back there on Monday nite for the Fiesta Bowl, in full regale – Go Buckeyes!!
Now that you’ve gotten to the bottom, I wanted to let you all know that you can now follow the adventure on my new blog – so, I guess, I’m a blogger now?! The website is:
zeshinds.blogspot.com
The ‘Ze’ was a nickname given to me back in NYC playing soccer, so I figured that it would be fitting for me to adopt a soccer-related pen-name in the blogosphere... So, I ask that you go to the site, register (if you are so inclined) and select the option to become a “Follower” of the blog. This way, whenever I post something, youll be notified, probably with a link to the blog, so you can catch up. I have a slideshow of pictures that I can continually update, which I plan to do on a regular basis, so you’ll be able to see what it is that I’ve edited for your eyes, haha! Additionally, I’ll be ‘blogging’ more frequently and with more specificity within each ‘post’ so the emails will be fewer and far between, but will highlight what’s on the blog.
So, enjoy the blog – it’s title is Que Onda?! (more or less a casual way of staying “What the...?!” and do post and check it out.
Feliz ano!
Chau,
Adam
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