What’s It Like Living In Buenos Aires?

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If you had told me ten years ago I would be living in South America today I would have laughed.

I did laugh then! WHY in the world would I do that? In fact, why would anyone do that? When I thought of South America, I thought of bamboo huts and dirt floors!

Strange things do happen. Today I live in Buenos Aires and I love it.

So what’s it like living in the capitol city of Argentina? Buenos Aires has a personality! I have seen writers try to describe this city and I think that it can’t be done. One writer compared it to Montevideo, Uruguay’s capitol city, in this way:  “Montevideo is more European than Europe. It is laid back and tranquilo. But Buenos Aires vibrates!”

Buenos Aires is a city of culture, from elaborate tango shows all the way to opera. If you like polo, that is here as well.  Some of the best restaurants you will ever find are located in Buenos Aires. Although I consider them mostly Italian, you can find just about any ethnic food that suits your fancy. I used to brag about the low prices here, but with inflation really heating up now, eating in a restaurant costs about the same as it did in the U.S. the last time I was there–about 2009. When we first came here in 2004 you could buy a steak dinner, without drinks, for $5.00. But for now, that time has passed. I say “for now” because Argentina has a crisis approximately every ten years and things get very cheap. After that, the economy begins to recover. In time, inflation starts heating up again as they head for the next crisis.  It is possible we could see $5.00 Argentina steak dinners again.

People from Buenos Aires are called Porteños–a take off from the fact that B.A. is a major port city. Porteños (Port-TEN-yos) are for sure a different breed. I sometimes wonder if they ever sleep. My friend, Luisa, lectures me that I live in Argentina now and I should learn the culture of Argentina. She tells me I don’t need as much sleep as I think I do. She is a forestry engineer. She says, “I stay up until 1 or 2 a.m., sleep 4 or 5 hours and go and work in the woods all day.”

             Buenos Aires on a Rainy Night

In fact, if you feel up to a walk at midnight in my part of the city, you will see the restaurants are still busy serving dinner. If there is a party or a meeting, it will usually begin at 9 p.m.

When I lived in Bariloche, this made more sense since everything shuts down about one in the afternoon and does not open again until four or five o’clock. Restaurants don’t open again until eight! THEN they stay up half the night. But that is after the afternoon siesta.

As far as I can tell, Porteños don’t even siesta!

One of the things I like best about Buenos Aires is the fact that there are three organic grocers that I know of–there could be even more–that allow me to order online and who deliver to my door. The cost is about as much as buying groceries at the supermarket in the U.S. in 2009, the last time I was in the States. The quality is far better here. Most, if not all, of the food is produced in La Plata, just outside Buenos Aires, so it is very fresh when it arrives. It isn’t necessary to pay huge prices for grass-fed, non-medicated beef here, since most of it is grown that way. I can’t say the same for chicken. We were warned that Argentina has taken up the U. S. methods of farming chickens, using hormones and bringing them to market in just a few short weeks. Here, if a woman has had breast cancer, her doctor will tell her not to eat chicken because the hormones cause cancer. You in the United States might want to pay attention to that warning. I suspect you are not likely to hear it there.

As always, I am most interested in the people and the culture. Argentines are a proud people. I honestly think that they really do consider themselves superior. But I don’t find it offensive. It may be because it is so tempered with their generous supply of friendliness and camaraderie, and their courtesy and respect.

There are negatives. If you live here, you are likely to experience episodes where you remember fondly the level of customer service you experienced back home. That service is decidedly missing in many cases here. There is little effort to make things convenient or to save time. For example, if you receive a package, you can’t go to the local neighborhood post office branch to pick it up. You have to go to the central post office, take a number and wait, sometimes half the day–depending on the number of people who arrived ahead of you. Along that same line, I don’t know if it has changed in Bariloche, but when I lived there, not many years ago, you went every month to the power company, took a number and sat down in the waiting room and waited for your number to be called. When it was, you went to the window and paid your bill–in cash. Not much is done with checks here.

And they don’t seem to think ahead. Therefore, you have to do a lot of extensive research to get good information, and even then you might not find out something you really wish you had known until it is too late to avoid extra expense and frustration. This, with all of our thoroughness, we have been unable to avoid at times. This is what we hope to help you to avoid as much as possible.  And it is not unique to Argentina!

For example, I hired a professional firm to handle my residency because I wanted to be sure everything was done right. But it took me an extra year to get my permanent resident status because the professionals handling it for me neglected to tell me such a simple fact that I had to be full time in Argentina that last year. If I had known, I certainly would have been here. Since no one told me, I spent too much time across the river in Uruguay, just three hours away. These people did a great job with all the legalities and making the whole process go smoothly. I can’t say enough good about them on that score! Plus they were always courteous and responsive. But that one act of thinking ahead was missing. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it does happen. If you are from the states it will put your own sanity in question unless you can adjust and accept the mindset here. Life does go on–normally–in spite of it. I hope I am preparing you ahead of time.

And don’t even think about suing. Which is another whole subject.

If you are negative and critical, you won’t be happy here. Also, your attitude will show and the response you receive might become even more sluggish than usual. A positive outlook, as in all of life, can make a big difference. That doesn’t mean you never complain. And you certainly do not allow yourself to be cheated or treated rudely. The squeaking wheel still gets the grease here as elsewhere, but attitude counts.

Do you think those people sit comfortably and quietly for three hours? No way! The boat is hardly underway before they are on their feet, gathering in groups, joking, laughing, talking. You’d think they were among old friends. We have noticed the same behavior in another travel situation on the train. They have their maté gourd and a metal straw they call a bomba, short for bombilla (bomb-BEE-zsha). The gourd is filled to the top with the maté leaves. Then they pour the hot water over the tea leaves and drink the maté through the metal straw. Meanwhile, they carry a thermos of hot water under one arm and continually add hot water to the tea leaves.

Beef is not the only thing that is almost a ritual here. Maté is the same. I have had several Argentines who, when learning that I am not a tourist but living in Argentina, grinned and said enthusiastically, “And do you drink the maté?” The whole thing is very social and they pass the gourd around and everyone sips from the same straw. I have seen them go so far as to offer a sip to a vendor who was passing down the aisle selling snacks. He joined them momentarily in their maté before moving on.

Argentines are knowledgeable and proud of it. (I think about the only thing they are not proud of is their government!) I once sat beside an Argentina businessman on an airliner out of Bariloche. This man was talkative, as is typical. We had an enjoyable conversation all the way to Santiago, Chile. He spoke very good English and had an amazing grasp of world history and world politics. I was impressed by his knowledge, and I said so. He said, proudly, “Any street cleaner in Argentina could tell you the same things.” I really doubt that but when my Spanish is good enough I may just strike up a conversation with a street cleaner and find out!

It goes to the point where I caught a glimpse of an Argentina woman’s refrigerator once on which there was a sign that said, in Spanish, “Argentines are the most beautiful people in the world!” I do think they are close to being right on that. Some of the most beautiful people in the world were born and live right here in Argentina!

Recently I had my eyes checked by an ophthalmologist. In my opinion, he is a top level physician. My appointment cost the equivalent of $84.00 US and my glasses were about $60.00 US, for those who are interested. If I had wanted to take advantage of the free medical care, I could have had the exam free at the public clinic. I do not put an extra burden on Argentina to pay for my medical care, since I am able to pay for it myself–but for those who need it, or even those who just want to take advantage of it, the service is available. Anyone can get care. They ask no questions beyond what they need to ask. And the care, in my experience, is very good. One of my Argentine friends has even had successful eye surgery at the public clinic. Many affluent Argentines do not mind taking advantage of the free care.  This friend who had the eye surgery is an engineer. I am impressed by the absence of what I call the “god-complex” in the physicians here. They tell you what they suggest and ask what you want to do.

In the ophthalmologist’s office, I was the last patient of the day and the doctor sat for an hour just chatting with me. He loves his profession. In fact, if you come to Argentina I will be pleased to recommend him. He goes to the U.S. frequently for seminars and professional meetings.

During the conversation he said there are many things he likes about the Americans and a few he does not like. One of the things he does not like is that Americans are so PROUD!

Well that time I DID laugh. I didn’t even try to hide it. How typically Argentine! I said, “Now this is interesting! An Argentine is calling Americans proud?! Hohohohoho!

He grinned broadly and said, “Well yes, it is true that we are proud. But we are proud of our individual accomplishments. With Americans they are proud of, ‘The Country! The Flag!'” And therein lies the difference.

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