Argentine National Holiday: San Martin Day

August 17 is the anniversary of the death (1850) of Argentina's liberator, Jose de San Martin. Born in 1778 to a Spanish colonial administrator in the Argentine outpost of Yapeyú, Corrientes, San Martín resided only seven years in Argentina before returning with his family to Spain. At the age of 11, he joined the Spanish military where he served with distinction during conflicts in North Africa and Spain and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. (At 11 he was in the military?! I hope Boy is able to make his own lunch by the time he is 11.)

I didn't know about the holiday until we were told the Friday before that the kids school would be closed the following Monday. We looked for a San Martin Day parade or something relevant/semi-educational to do with the kids that day, but could find no information except that banks, schools, stores, and most offices were closed.

A couple of days later, Girl and I went to the playground in Barrancas de Belgrano. In the park, I noticed military police, media trucks, and a military band getting into formation. As I was pushing Girl on a swing, the band started playing very patriotic-sounding music (see national anthem lyrics below). We wandered over, dodging the doggy land mines, to be spectators. The ceremony honored San Martin and was centered around a bust of him, draped in the blue and white Argentine flag. There were several passionate speeches and many regal-sounding songs that were heartily sung by the 200 or so people in attendance.

Girl loved the music and the ceremony. I wished I understood more Spanish. I pretended to sing so as not to offend anyone.

Jose de San Martin bust in Barrancas de Belgrano, one of our neighborhood parks.

Girl was fascinated by the soldiers, guns, and bayonets.

Why yes, she does have a small machine gun.

March of the Fatherland

Argentina National Anthem: English Translation

Lyrics: Vicente López y PlanesMusic: José Blas Parera

Mortals! Hear the sacred cry;Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!Hear the noise of broken chains.See noble Equality enthroned.The United Provinces of the SouthHave now displayed their worthy throne.And the free peoples of the world reply;We salute the great people of Argentina!We salute the great people of Argentina!And the free peoples of the world reply;We salute the great people of Argentina!And the free peoples of the world reply;We salute the great people of Argentina!
May the laurels be eternalThat we knew how to win.Let us live crowned with glory,Or swear to die gloriously.May the laurels be eternalThat we knew how to win.Let us live crowned with glory,Or swear to die gloriously.May the laurels be eternalThat we knew how to win.Let us live crowned with glory,Or swear to die gloriously.

One Month Down: What I Love, Hate, Love and Hate, and Miss

Yesterday marked one month into our stay. It has flown by! We have settled into a lovely apartment and almost into a routine since Boy and Girl are in enrolled in a bilingual school and we have regularly scheduled meetings with a Spanish tutor. An au pair now helps with the kids, so Husband and I are going out to dinner and cultural events. We are eager to do, see, and taste more!

Following are lists of my reactions to the city so far. I expect these lists to change and grow by the end of our stay. Look for forthcoming blogs about some of these topics.

What I love about being in Buenos Aires:

1. Every time I step outside it is an adventure.
2. Meeting other expats -- fascinating people with amazing life stories.
3. The Malbec.
4. The beef.
5. The ice cream.
6. Cheap taxis.
7. Fresh pasta.
8. Delivery service for everything, including ice cream.
9. Argentines are generally incredibly kind, pleasant, and helpful.

What I hate:

1. Dog shit everywhere.
2. Bus and car exhaust is nauseating.
3. Having to be on guard all the time -- fearful of being mugged or taken advantage of in taxis, stores, markets, etc.
4. Beggars with children.
5. No car seats or seat belts in taxis.
6. Children's birthday parties -- totally intense and over the top.

What I both love and don't love:

1. Dulce de leche, which is in everything.
2. Not speaking Spanish well -- both freeing and frustrating.
3. The Latin way of doing things slowly and inefficiently.
4. Riding in taxis and city buses -- both thrilling and slightly terrifying.
5. The custom that everyone kisses on the cheek at EVERY greeting, even at first meetings -- charming but a bit much.
6. That no one bothers you if you sit in a cafe for hours.

What I miss from home:

1. Driving, but I do not want to drive here.
2. My espresso machine.
3. Holding The New Yorker in my hands. I don't mind reading the New York Times online, but it's not the same with themagazine.
4. Being able to use my iPhone, especially the map feature, as I wander around the city.
5. Friends, of course (but Skype, Facebook, and email are amazing for keeping up with everyone!).

I need to take more pictures. Here are a few from the last two weeks:

Boy and Girl on their first day of school at the Florence Nightingale School.

Girl enjoying one of the many playgrounds in Palermo.

On a bus touring the city. The bus was equipped with a tape of ten languages and headphones to listen to the tour(when you could hear the narrative over the tango music). Girl listened to the tour in Arabic.

Who knew???

The Three Graces in Plaza Belgrano.

Cash Money in Argentina: Quantity and Quality

Since the 2001 economic crisis, Argentina works on cash. Except for large grocery stores and some restaurants, few retail shops or restaurants accept credit cards. As someone who pays for everything possible with a credit card at home -- so I don't have to carry cash -- this is strange for me.

On the rare occasion that I can use a credit card (Capital One Master Card, because it is one of the only U.S. cards that does not charge fees for international transactions), I have to show picture ID. They do not seem to look at the picture to confirm that the card isn't stolen, but only to write down the ID number. Husband and I laugh about this -- I cannot imagine that the number on my Ohio driver's license provides any valuable information here.

The value of the Argentine peso to the U.S. dollar is about 4/1 right now. (Oh, they also use the U.S. dollar (USD) sign for the peso value, which I find slightly confusing at this point). Either Husband or I go to the ATM almost every other day in order to have enough cash on hand for day-to-day activities. It's difficult to wrap my mind around the fact that carrying $500 in pesos around in my wallet is only $125 USD. One-hundred-twenty-five dollars is nothing to sneeze at, but it goes fast when you are paying cash for most things.

Petty crimes are common here, so we have been warned be very cautious carrying cash and when using the ATM. E.g.: only use ATMs that are indoors and unable to be seen from the street, never get into a taxi after walking away from the ATM, hide your card number and the keypad if anyone is standing nearby, etc. This is all common sense, of course, but not something to worry about at home where you roll up in the car to the drive-through ATM.

Another challenge is to have change and small bills on hand at all times. They say that about five percent of Argentine pesos in circulation are counterfeit. Allegedly, the primary generators of bad bills are taxi drivers who give it as change. To avoid this situation, we were advised to pay the exact fare and just round up to the nearest peso for a tip.

The USD has great value in Argentine. Merchants are eager to take USD, but then you have to wonder about the exchange rate at that moment.

Renting an apartment here is an interesting, expensive cultural experience. Apartment owners want USD upfront for the entire stay, plus a two-month deposit. Husband and I had carried what seemed like a ridiculous amount of cash on the plane here but it sill wasn't enough. When we finally got our hands on the necessary cash (with help from American Express), it was nerve-wracking to carry it around until we handed it over. Our realtor told a story about an apartment that he sold for $1.5 million USD. At the closing, piles of cash were stacked on a table then counted by five different people. When an armored vehicle arrive to take the cash away, the deed and title were signed to the new owners. Can you imagine this ever happening in the U.S.? The IRS would be all over it!

We had heard and read that Argentina was relatively inexpensive and that people from the U.S. could "live like kings" here. I would guess that was true three to nine years ago. So far the only bargins we have found are Argentine beef, wine, taxis, and services like babysitters, maids, and some spa treatments (services all done by women, of course -- a topic for another day). Clothing is as or more expensive than in the U.S. but of worse quality, or so I was told by some sophisticated ex-pats.

Later in our stay, we plan to explore beyond Buenos Aires and visit provinces where bargains are supposed to be still be found on leather items and antiques. Look for a future posting on shopping and sites beyond "BsAs."

Just something I found curious: a residential rubbish bin in Olivos, a nice suburb north of the city.

An Attitude Adjustment to the Porteno Way

SLOW. Slow. S L O W…. Except for riding in a taxi or a city bus, things happen very slowly in Argentina. Buenos Aires may be the "Paris of South America," but it is proving to be very Latin in many aspects. The Internet goes down often. Owners who are supposed to show apartments go missing. Phone calls often do not get returned so you have to show up in person and politely demand to speak with someone to get any answers.

It took 12 days to get a mobile phone because the store was closed when it was supposed to be open. When it was open the Internet was down. After two visits to the store where the phone was ultimately purchased, we waited more than two hours for a seemingly simple transaction (e.g., buying a cheap phone with no contract).

Most servers in restaurants or a retail employees respond to questions only after chatting with their coworkers or friends for a few moments. No one rushes you to leave a cafe or restaurant, which is great when you want to use the wi-fi for a few hours but not great when you want more coffee or the check. The coffee here is pretty awful.

We have done some fun things with the kids, including visiting the zoo, where many creatures roam freely; going to the Natural History Museum for a dinosaur exhibit (the quality of the exhibits were very poor by U.S. standards, but boy and girl loved it); and exploring a Children's Museum that had really cool, interactive stations that encouraged teamwork and creative play. COSI Columbus could definitely benefit from these kinds of hands-on experiences for kids.

Our life is here is coming together slowly, which is why I haven't been posting anything. I am trying hard to embrace the "Porteno" (Buenos Aires native) Way, which will probably be an interesting and welcome contrast once I get used to it. Expect more posts as we settle into a routine.

First Few Days

Days 1-2 / 162-161 (July 26 & 27)

Arrived without much difficulty, although flying Delta was disappointing for a variety of reasons. Husband could not help but compare it to his fabulous carrier to and from Vietnam earlier this summer -- Cathe Pacific -- which only added greater awareness to our discomfort. Our first day was spent in a two-week rental, a comfortable, mostly clean apartment in Palermo Chico. Our realtor, a multi-lingual Dutch expat, took us to Carrefour, a huge grocery store with all kinds of other stuff, which was distracting when all I wanted to do was find a few familiar foods that boy and girl would eat. I found myself wishing that we had stayed in a hotel and not had to think about groceries.

A mild panic attack kept me awake in the middle of the night. I was kicking myself for not working MUCH harder on learning Spanish and for not having figured out a kindergarten for boy, nanny for girl, or a place to rent for the next five months, and wondering if we are we insane to do this with two young children.

First impressions included that this city is HUGE and that the people encountered thus far have been pleasant and helpful. The warnings about lowered expectations seem accurate, especially regarding cleanliness--from public spaces to expensive rental apartments. Men stare with a hard, unwavering stare--even while pushing a stroller--which reminded me of being in Italy, but without children. Walking the streets here is fascinating--so much to see. There are many statues, large (mostly of men on charging horses) and small (this sweet boy with the fish is on a little boulevard in Palermo Chico.

3/160

An Argentine kind of day: We went to La Rural, the Argentine version of the Ohio State Fair, but with more horses.

Husband

bought boy and girl a furry rabbit foot ring and a chinchilla toe attached to a keyring. I found it disgusting but they were very excited to have a takeaway. They also loved eating choripan (sausage on a crusty bun) and helado (ice cream) while sitting next to enormous tractor displays.

Later that night (around 8, which is way early for Portenos to eat dinner) we had our first Argentine parrilla experience in a neighborhood restaurant, La Dorita. The grilled bife de lomo (beef tenderloin) and vegetables were flavorful, completely delicious, and ridiculously inexpensive. Complementing the traditional meal was vino tinto de la casa, 1,000 ml of Mendoza Malbec poured from a large, brown ceramic penguin (la penguini). Super annoyed that I hadn't brought my camera, I found it so adorable that I actually stole it.

4/159

I stalked a woman I overheard speaking English at the Plaza Allemain playground. A NY attorney who has been in BA for five years with her husband and young son, she introduced me to a stunning Swede with small kids who is married to a British diplomat. We sat in the "expat ghetto" while I grilled them on BA neighborhoods and schools. They were wonderfully helpful and friendly and I was relieved to have met them.

5/158

Today has been a grim and dark. It started raining in the middle of the night and has not stopped. We decided a good indoor activity would be the planetarium. Boy and girl were briefly interested but not for long. The graphics were reminiscent of a corny 1970s cartoon and we couldn't understand the narrator, which was frustrating. When we left the planetarium, it was absolutely pouring and the sidewalks and curbs had mostly disappeared. There was nothing to do but make our way across the vast plaza to the street and try to hail a taxi. Even with raincoats, hats, and an umbrella, we got completely soaked. I had brought raincoats and waterproof shoes, but this was ridiculous. I will definitely be buying tall new rain boots for all of us before the next storm.