Argentina At Its Finest

Little by little Karlyn and I are slowly being exposed to the real world of Argentina. It is pretty easy to manipulate it in your mind to be this picture perfect world when you are a tourist. After being here for over three weeks, I think we are finally coming to grips with the reality of the day-to-day life here. Not that it isn't all picture perfect here for us, but there are so many problems ingrained in the structure of the government, politics, and society.

Karlyn and I were able to face this head on while coming back from Iguazu and we experienced a bumper to bumper standstill on one of the major freeways coming into Buenos Aires. Startled by the interesting commotion we didn't know what to think at first. As we slowly creeped our way up through the lines (creating our own road so to speak) we finally encountered the reason for the chaos. There, we saw a makeshift line of men with their faces covered standing across the road with their cars strategically placed to prevent any access from cars or people. At first, I was very startled and immediately thought back to the wild wild west movies where the horse drawn carriages are attacked by random assailants as they make their way down a treacherous road. Our driver, a three year Argentine veteran, consoled us explaining that this was a typical occurrence and it was completely peaceful, just meant to boldly broadcast their overall goals. It turns out these men were protesters from a nearby factory of Kraft who were unhappy with the recent layoffs at the factory and would not end the freeway standoff until all the protesters were able to resume their previous jobs. I was baffled by the fact that the police refused to intervene and that they were able to maintain their post for over two eight over periods that lasted two days. Due to some strategic persuasion from our driver, we were able to take an extreme detour on back roads following a random car with GPS throughout the countryside using trial and error techniques to evade the blockade. I felt like we were straight out of a movie and the car grew silent as we drove down one dirt road to the next only to finally reach an unbarred highway over an hour and a half later!

After returning home, I was very intrigued and perplexed by the whole situation. As I read through the paper, I saw many similar stories of strikes all throughout the city in protest to the government. As a seriously garrulous individual, I find every reason to talk and I am always very interested to learn about people's opinions on everything and I mean everything. From what I have learned, most people hate President Cristina Kirchner here. Some even claim that she is the worst president that they have ever had before. She is a Peronist leader and acts as a figure head while her husband, Nestor Kirchner, the former president here maintains power.

Throughout her time as president, she has crippled their primary product of beef by implementing a huge tax on all farmers for their cattle. This has resulted in Argentina having to import cattle from other countries for the first time in over a century and has simultaneously encouraged farmers to kill of their cattle in order to refuse the vast tax inflicted on them in a very dry season. Many people claim this will consequently trigger a major crisis, greater than the one now, in ten to fifteen years. She has also placed a huge tax on grain that normally is not maintained in bad seasons, like the previous year.

She was able to be elected because the Peronist party represents mainly the poorer sect of Argentina, which encompasses the majority of the country. They are often paid off for their votes and their livelihood virtually depends on it. Many people here receive some type of work pay (I am not sure of the name) and for this they receive an amount to "work". However, they are often not provided with work, so they are given an amount to live without doing anything. These people will not receive these contributions unless they continue to support the particular candidate who has the power to distribute them. Therefore, the majority of middle to upper class individuals are overpowered in vote size and cannot sway the overriding force of votes to counteract the Peronist tendencies. The vote often goes to those who are uneducated on the subject or are voting because of bribes. In fact, many also claim that she intentionally pays the majority of picketers here in Buenos Aires in order to bring about chaos in the city and portray the image that people from Buenos Aires are deeply unsatisfied with their government. She does this because her party and decisions constantly come in contention with the mayor's demands and the two have faced political standoffs since their time in office. Not to mention, a share of everyone's taxes go to the small city where Nestor is from in Argentina, which is definitely not a coincidence as his wealth has gradually accumulated throughout their time in office. (I apologize if I am slaughtering the politics here or wrong in any sense. This is just what I have learned from talking with other people.)

So this is the current state of affairs and I am fascinated to see what will happen. It's interesting to be right in the forefront of it all since the majority of the economic and political life in Argentina lies in Buenos Aires. For some reason, all of these events are a little too reminiscent of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. I keep thinking back to the images of unrest she described when the US came shattering down and it seems like she seriously could have been using Argentina as her inspiration. From everything to the locals tearing up railroad tracks to secure the bus system to getting severance for doing absolutely nothing, I think many could gain a great deal of incite if they were to read this book. I, too, would like to read it again just to see the many similarities.

On the other hand, Iguazu was absolutely incredible. As Karlyn mentioned, it's hard to put words to something so vast and amazing. It is a masterpiece of nature and the pictures do not do it justice. We stood in awe as we crossed one bridge to the next constantly perplexed how they were able to build the bridge in the first place. We still have yet to figure it out and I would love for someone to explain how you would even go about starting a feat like that. In addition to Iguazu, we were also fortunate enough to see much of the Argentine countryside. It was beautiful and many pictures to come to illustrate this. However, the rest of Argentina is much poorer than Buenos Aires. I was truly able to feel the huge difference between the two parts as we drove through the small towns and I finally got the feeling that I was actually in a third world country. I am sure El Calafate will have much to teach us as well about the country, so much to come after the weekend.

Anyway, time to get back to the festivities. The birthday girl is just waking from a little snooze and it's about time we continued on with the festivities. I do believe tonight will be her fourth night being sung happy birthday. Needless to say, she is not very happy about this. I'll make sure to make it nice and embarrassing for her.

OUR IGUAZU ADVENTURE!

6 days, 1,063 kilometers (660 miles), a 23 hour bus ride, severe rainstorms, a pina colada poolside, the Iguazu falls, a 40 peso lunch on the side of the highway (can you say rip off), a yerba mate factory tour in Apostoles, a random gas station that was home to an ostrich, attempt at staying in the sketchiest town ever, a 10 peso dinner, another 18 hour car ride, a 4 hour protest, arriving in BA at 10am, all finished off by breakfast at our sanctuary, Oui Oui.

Jessica and I really have had quite the week. It all started on Thursday afternoon when we left for the train station around 2pm. Our bus, packed with 50 fellow international travelers (or students I should say) took off from the Retiro bus station at approximately 4pm with plans to arrive in Iguazu at 6 the next morning. What we didn’t plan for was the intense rain/thunder storm that threatened us the entire way up there. What started as a fun bus party with lots of wine, beer, fernet, whiskey, etc, eventually turned into a long nap with a variety of movies. Needless to say, after an extremely annoying pit stop at a “diamond mine” in a place called Wanda at 2pm the next day, I was more than ready to just get there! Approximately 24 hours later we finally pulled into Iguazu and were greeted by a very pleasant hotel. Exhausted from the ride, Jessica and I showered up, took a nap, and then headed into town for a delicious meal that we both thoroughly enjoyed. While I enjoyed a variety of appetizers, Jessica indulged in a local fish, Surubi, that is caught in the Igauzu River that runs right through town. Following our delicious meal we had a couple of Capriska’s at Jackie Brown’s before heading back to catch up on some more sleep.

Day two our group headed to Brazil to view the fall’s from the Brazilian, but without a Visa Jessica and I were unable to go. Therefore, we figured we would head to a place where we could really enjoy the sun and the warm weather: Hotel Panoramica. With a poolside view of the river Jessica and I enjoyed some delicious drinks while trying to tan our now pale BA winter skin… After an amazing dinner at La Rueda with our friends Leonardo and his Italian amigo, Smiranda, we all went to the one and only club in Iguazu, "Cuba Libre." A rather famous spot for travelers who come to see the falls, this place was packed with kids from all over and we found ourselves dancing well into the night… or should I say the morning.

Jessica and I dedicated day three to the waterfalls. We drove to the park with our friends Haig and Jeff (fellow Americans) and spent an endless amount of hours just walking around and enjoying the beyond imaginable sights. The Iguazu falls truly are an experience that every person must enjoy. I have never seen anything like it in my entire life. Not to mention there are these rainbows that literally extend throughout the entire park. They are just incredible- a sight to never forget.

After hours of walking and some rather sore feet, us four decided to head up the road to the Sheraton Hotel that is actually built in the middle of the Iguazu National Park. Here we enjoyed a delicious hamburger and (a few) mango daiquiris! After watching the sunset over the falls we headed back to the hotel for a quick nap before going back to town for dinner. Exhausted from our long day of sightseeing, we ate some yummy homemade raviolis at a local spot called Charo, and then headed back to the hotel to rest up for the next day of travels.

Haig, a Jersey native, has now lived in Buenos Aires for two years and lucky for Jessica and I, owns a car that Jeff and him had driven up to Iguazu. We were the lucky recipients to an offer to drive back to BA with them rather than riding on the bus. We were pretty excited about this not only because we would be able to experience more of the countryside, but also the fact that we would probably get home in a much quicker manner really excited us. Our plan when we left Sunday morning was to drive 6 hours to a town called San Martín making some random stops along the way, and then wake early the next morning and drive the last 6 hours to BA. Our first stop was for lunch at a random Parilla on the side of the highway, and assuming our meal would total about 60 or 70 pesos, we were rather surprised when the old man told us our bill was 160 pesos. To put this into perspective, an amazing meal at a nice restaurant in Buenos Aires would cost less than this. So once we were back on the road we figured we needed to make another stop to boost our spirits. Therefore, about 4 hours later we found ourselves in a cute town called Apostoles. Home to the yerba mate tea we decided to check out a factory to see how this native Argentine favorite is made. Although the tour was in Spanish and I didn’t really catch anything that the guy was saying, I did learn a bit through translation. Here are some fun facts that I will share with you:

- Yerba Mate tea has more caffeine than coffee

- Yerba Mate trees grow up to 15 meters tall

- Yerba Mate is better when it is lighter in color

- After it is picked the leaves sit for over a year before they are packaged and sold

Anyway, those are a few random facts and it actually wasn’t even until we left the factory that I tried mate tea myself! One very interesting fact about Argentina actually, is that every gas station has a hot water faucet (rather than ice that you find in the US) outside for people to fill up their mate tea thermos. Therefore, after receiving some free tee from our tour, we made a stop at a rather interesting gas station for some hot water. Here not only did we find hot water, but we also found that the gas station is home to some rather interesting animals: dogs, ostriches, and these oversized rat things that I can’t remember the name of (I’ll fill you in once I remember). Anyway after a nice pot of mate and interacting with the animals we headed back on the road. Our next stop was a town called San Martín, which was the town we decided we would stay the night in since so many people had ranted and raved about it. The closer and closer we got to this ‘quaint’ little town we started to think otherwise. Instead of cute buildings and little hotels, we found graffiti, empty shacks, and some places we decided we would rather not risk our lives in. Therefore, after a delicious meal that totaled 40 pesos we decided we would drive through the night and arrive back in BA by morning.

What looked like it was going to be a smooth ride took a turn for the worst at around 5:00am. After an hour in standstill traffic because of a fatal accident, we were back in standstill traffic at about 6:30am because of a protest that was taking place in the middle of the freeway. After 3 – 4 hours of sitting in the same spot all of our tempers started to rise and we decided that we would take the country road however far out of the way it would lead us back to BA. Therefore, after an interesting detour we finally made it back home at around 10:30am. After dropping our bags inside Jessica and I B-lined it to Oui Oui for a hearty breakfast at our favorite local spot. After eating all we had our minds set on was our big comfy bed, which is where we spent the remainder of the day!

Today we went back to our normal routine, heading back to work and now preparing for a night out on the town as tonight at midnight marks my 23^rd birthday! We are going to dinner at a place called Kansas, which most people here refer to as the Houston’s of Buenos Aires (cant wait!) Afterwards we are going to host a pre-game party (we taught Ferdinand that term tonight) and then we are going to go to a club here called Rumi.

Updates soon to come ;) CIAO!

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

Hola!

Well we have officially been here three weeks which is so hard to believe! How time flies. We had yet another wonderful weekend full of food and fun that we would like to update you all on! On Saturday we actually accompanied our friends Ivan and JD for a lovely dinner at a usually frequented club here, Asia de Cuba. Between the live belly dancer, strawberry daiquiris, champagne, and raviolis, the dinner was very entertaining on top of being delicious. After a couple of dances on the dance floor Jessica and I headed back to our part of town and met a couple of friends at a place called 'TIKI' for a more bar-like experience. The next day we woke up with a craving for a big american breakfast so thought we'd try out a place called Oui Oui that is located only a few blocks away. I will have to say that Oui Oui may have the best breakfast to offer here in BA. It was pure bliss. For 8 dollars you are given a plate full of tasty eggs, a bagel, some (undercooked- unless otherwise mentioned) bacon, and a delicious pot of homemade lemonade that is just indescribable. (Our experience here was so good that we managed to make it back the next day for the exact same meal... plus a homemade banana muffin that was incredible). Sunday night Jessica and I decided to lay low as both of us had to be on our A-game for work the next day, and entertained ourselves with some good ol' movie watching on our laptop.

Today also officially marks my third day of work! I have yet to write about my new job so I'll give everyone a brief synopsis. I am now working for a company here in Buenos Aires called RentInBA, and basically they manage a lot of properties here in the area and rent them out both long and short term to mostly foreign travelers. It really is a great company and I adore the people I get to work with- they couldn't be nicer ( / more accepting of the fact that I don't know Spanish well at all!) Anyway the office is located very close and in the mornings I usually take a 12 peso cab ride there and enjoy a 40 minute walk home in the afternoon. My boss is an Israel native who spent some time growing up here as both of his parents are Argentinean and is a pleasure to work with.

Tomorrow Jessica and I leave for IGUAZU! Woop Woop! We are so excited yet a bit apprehensive about our 14 hour bus ride there (should be interesting!). Rumor has it that the buses here really are rather comfortable so we can only hope for the best... Here is the link to where we will be staying so check it out. We will be sure to take plenty of photos to entertain you with upon our return.

I am also happy to announce that our first traveler has officially booked her flight: GO GRETA!! Greta is planning on coming in the end of October so we are already planning the fun week she is going to be spending with us.

Today after work Jessica and I went to Puerto Madero to check out a rather highly spoken of hotel here called Faena. Here we enjoyed a delicious glass of wine with a rather large cheese & cold cuts plate. The hotel is absolutely incredible and is a must see (at least for a glass of wine) if you are ever here! The design is like nothing else and once we become workin' (money making) women we are going back to treat ourselves to some massages in their extensive spa... ahhhhh.... Tonight we may make the return to the bar around the corner, Fetish, which adds a bit of a different feel to the bars here in BA. Located here in Palermo Hollywood Fetish has a huge square bar inside (the biggest in the city I believe) that seats 50 people if not more! It's a really neat ambiance and the owner is actually a friend of my boss's (who is the person who first introduced us to the place!)

Wish us the best of luck while we're up in Iguazu- we are going to try and avoid the mosquitos as much as possible... we are a bit unprepared in the malaria meds area... and we look forward to filling you all in when we return.... BESOS!

scrumdidlyumptious

When one thinks of BA a few common words come to mind: tango, nightlife, reggaeton, and many others. Little did we know that the number one thing that would constantly be on our mind is FOOD. We have literally been eating our way through the city, one bite or big mouth full at a time. Since we spend a vast majority of our time dining, we thought it would be worthwhile to document these culinary delights. Also, we can provide wisdom for all different types of people considering that Karlyn and I have very different eating habits. She likes red meat and I like fish. I like white wine and she enjoys red, it goes on and on.... However, we do always seem to share an affinity for desserts and they are never missed in our household! With this in mind, we think any fluctuation in our weight is completely necessary because we're doing it all for the sole purpose of documenting the hot spots for tourists. Therefore, we will just let it be known that no comments should be made upon our return to the States- especially since we're sacrificing ourselves on behalf of our avid viewers. From now on we will try to provide pictures of all dishes for future postings, so that you too can understand our fascination for Argentine dining.

Here are a few of the spots we have tried in the last few days:

Sottovoce: This is one of the incredible Italian restaurants of BA. It was a favorite of our two year veteran we met for dinner who ended up staying after a random visit to the city following her graduation from college. She now has her own real estate business here and dates a local. Who knows if we too will have the same luck? The staff was very attentive and the restaurant had a classic, elegant style. I had an amazing fish that was seasoned to perfection, nestled on a platter of vegetables and mushrooms. Karlyn enjoyed the "mozzarella, basil, garlic, yummy concoction" on a bed of penne pasta where she devoured every morsel on her plate.

Itamae Sushi: Enjoyed the Buenos Aires roll-salmon, lobster, cheese, mango and sesame sauce, and the Tex Mex roll- salmon, guacamole and some other deliciousness. Karlyn even gave the rolls a thumbs up commenting that she could barely taste the fish! Karlyn had the vegetarian roll and we shared stuffed chicken appetizers. We did not receive the girl's night out discount because our roomie came with us, but they did provide us with free champagne following dinner.

Miranda: Neighborhood joint that reminds us weirdly of Houston's. They have waffles here that we have yet to try, but are eagerly awaiting this culinary adventure. We did have the ricotta and spinach ravioli, which was very tasty. However, not the best we have had yet here. One must be critical with the abundance of Italian restaurants in our midst. We did relish every bite of our apple cobbler that was topped with vanilla ice cream!

Bakana: One of our favorite places for lunch or breakfast. They have an amazing breakfast menu, but we have yet to make it there for the special. All of their bread is freshly baked and could not be more incredible! They also make a delicious homemade berry lemonade that is to die for! Karlyn ordered a quesadilla (an Arizonan necessity) that was topped off with caramelized onions and some amazing cheese that featured a very spicy sauce (even for our spicy tastes!). I had a chicken sandwich that was on a crumbly whole grain with lettuce and fried tomatoes and a side of potatoes with a delectable spicing.

Las Cabras: This is a must see restaurant. It is nestled on a corner in our neighborhood and always seems to be jam packed. We had to wait 20 minutes before being seated, but it was well worth the wait. They have a beautiful setting that features candles throughout in a very simplistic environment. The restaurant is bustling with food and people and we were lucky enough to enjoy some wine by the kitchen in order to see a variety of the many amazing dishes they have to offer. I had a white fish on an avocado and tomato salad. The fish was good, but I think many things on the menu were better. Karlyn has an incredible lemon chicken that came with a Caesar salad. The chicken was cooked to perfection and the salad satisfied all our American desires! They also give you crayons to play with while waiting, so needless to say we had some very interesting designs at the end of our meal!

Besides eating, we are trying to become more active to combat our indulgences. We have found a great yoga studio here. It is right in Palermo Soho and reminds us of our favorite establishments back home. The only problem is that the classes are in Spanish, so you have to sneak the occasional peak to the neighbor to make sure you are in unison with the rest of the class. Luckily, we were able to make it through the class, unlike some of our neighbors, and are proudly feeling the effects of our hard workout today. On top of exercising, we have come across an amazing selection of stores right in our neighborhood. Both Karlyn and I were lucky enough to come across some amazing treasures. We now both have a mental note of the locations of all our favorites and even some gift ideas for friends and family for the holidays! At first we were a little disappointed in the shopping, but now it's a constant temptation as we stare adoringly into each store window. On top of all this, Karlyn has found a job! I will let her describe it in detail in her next post, but we are proud to now both be working ladies.

We are also helping to create a business plan for a company here and hopefully will be partners if we are able to acquire some funding and successfully launch the company. We are creating a company that manufactures advertising signs that you would see in supermarkets, streets, etc. The three men we are doing it with all come from a history in sales and manufacturing for a variety of the major name brand companies here. They have a vast contact list that we are going to bring together, organize, publicize, and sell for them on our down time. Since the peso is so cheap relative to the dollar, it offers a great competitive edge to American corporations. Not to mention, there is a huge need for these services since there are only two major companies here and they refuse to cater to smaller clients. It should be an interesting experiment and we are pretty sure this will be one of the many projects we take on while here. Argentina has a plethora of opportunities and it's our duty to take advantage of them!

Tonight, we are heading to an event at the modern art museum. It's a black party and Karlyn and I have already begun searching through our closets for the proper attire. It should be an interesting group and we are excited to meet some new people from the Buenos Aires social scene. Our friend who took us to dinner at Sottovoce, Ariel, invited us as the guest of her and her boyfriend. She also promised us that at some point we would receive introductions from the celebrity polo players here. Until then, we'll let you share in on our excitement for the night's activities and update you on our pending state of affairs. Adieuuu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1jmhbw3JHw

El Calafate!!

Today Jessica and I are excited to announce that we have booked another weekend get-a-way! The destination this time is El Calafate, Argentina, a small town in southern Patagonia. Located in the Los Glaciaras National Park, we plan to spend our four days relaxing, taking boat rides to the bottom of the glaciers, and warming up by the fire with a hot cup of Baily's and coffee! We are going with our Italian friend Leonardo and a girlfriend of his who will be visiting. Another exciting aspect of our little excursion is that Leonardo and I are both born on September 24 and are really looking forward to celebrating our birthday's in style! We have put Jessica in charge of locating a couple of birthday cakes so we can blow out some candles on top of the glacier :)

Yesterday we went to a marvelous Italian dinner with a new friend Ariel. A fellow American, Ariel came down to Argentina for holiday two years ago and has managed to extend her stay indefinitely! Owner of a rather impressive Real Estate business, Ariel is a fun, young, enthusiastic person who we are so happy to have met! After dinner Jessica and I partied it up at Kika which seems to be becoming our tuesday night spot. Upon our arrival home from the bar Jessica and I found it very amusing to prank phone call a number of friends from the US via skype-- so if you happened to be one of the victims, well, we apologize. We thought we were very funny! Last night I also managed to make the first trip down the stairs- on my toosh. We knew a fall down our rather steep spiral staircase would be inevitable and last night I became the first to do so. I also lost have my toenail in the process which was rather painful this morning!! Tonight we are looking forward to having a sushi dinner at place called Itamae which is located around the corner from our house. The best part about it is on Wednesday's the restaunt has "Ladies Night" and gives all girls 20% of their meal (whoo hoo!) I have even promised Jessica that I will try a couple pieces of her sushi ;) I'll let everyone know how that goes!! For those of you who don't know me I do not eat seafood (literally- none) and Jessica doesn't eat red meat so our goal is to make one another try as much of each as we can. My hope is to return to the US a fish aficionado.... After dinner our 'roomie' is taking us to a new destination called 'rumi'. According to him this will be our new favorite wednesday night spot but we have been warned that it is not uncommon to bring ear-plugs (or purchase them there) because the music is so loud! We'll keep you posted on how this experience goes... Should be interesting! Besos!

Lost in Translation

As Jessica and I prepare for the expat bar-b-que we are attending this afternoon, I figured it was about time we updated you on what we have been up to since our last blog entry! I last left you with the fact that I was going on an interview for a job... After an offer to work for the companies sales force I have decided to turn it down because it just wasn't what I was looking for- therefore, my job hunt continues! Last monday Jessica and I traveled to the Pepperdine Campus located here in BA to meet with Rafael, the president of the University. It was a rather chilly and rainy day and it was more than reassuring when we arrived at this amazingly adorable Argentine style house that has been converted into a cozy home away from home for the Pepperdine students. Here, the abroad students have classrooms for their studies, a kitchen and dining area where they enjoy local meals, and cute rooms where some of the teachers reside. After a tour of the property Jessica and I were fed the authentic Argentine "beef stew" that had been home cooked by one of the men at the University. Our lunch with Rafael was more than informational, and in a way we feel like we made a life-long connection and friend.

Thursday day Jessica attended her first day of work so roomie Ferdinand and I roamed around Palermo Viejo/SoHo and I have officially discovered my favorite lunch spot. Kudos to Mike Lewis who recommended it to me! Mark's Deli is a modern NY style lunch spot and is perfect to get either a delicious (and FRESH) caesar salad, a ham and cheese sandwich, a cold iced tea, or to indulge in their delectable dessert selection! The American in me was also ecstatic to find a Starbuck's located right around the corner, and yes, it is walking distance from our apartment (Needless to say I think I've been there every day since this discovery)!

As you can see, the theme of this blog is 'Lost of Translation' not only because Jessica and I found ourselves at a German speaking get together in the middle of Argentina last Thursday, but because my inability to speak/understand spanish really does make for some entertaining experiences. One of the photo's featured in this blog shows you the name tags we received at the German/Argentine bar. My name reads CAROLINA (which is how my it is repeatedly pronounced here) and Jessica's reads JESSICKA, and sounds a bit more like HESSICKA when spoken aloud here.

While Jessica spent her second day at work on Friday I headed out for a day on the town ALL ALONE! I will say that it was a rather intimidating experience because I am usually comforted by Jessica's spanish abilities when traveling around. Not only did I know that I would have to buy a new subway pass, but I knew that if I were to get lost I wouldn't know how to ask for the way home. However, despite the fact that I tried using 'fake' money (which I guess can be rather common and you really have to look out for it) my daily adventure went great! I walked around for a bit, traveled to the Patagonia store for a new raincoat (their winter really does bring on the rain!), and even ventured downtown. That night Jessica and I met my family friend Sheldon for an amazing dinner in Recoleta. Sheldon is a worldly man full of amazing insight and guidance. Jessica and I were lucky enough to be given a first hand depiction on what life and business is all about; as the saying goes, "Under promise & over produce!" After dinner Jessica and I spent night #2 at Asia de Cuba for a farewell party to two Venezuelan brothers whom we met through our Italian friend Leonardo. Needless to say we ended up shutting down the place (at 7:00am that is....)

Saturday was another rainy winter day so I decided to take Jessica to Mark's Deli, my new jam! Needless to say she also fell in love with the place and I think we will be frequenting this particular spot. After lunch we wandered the area before meeting some friends at a nearby Hookah Pub to watch the Argentina vs. Brazil futbal match. Unfortunately, Argentina was beat 3 to 1, but Jessica and I vowed that we will definitely work up the guts to go to a futbal game one of these days!! After the match we went to a place called Fetish which was conveniently located three blocks from our a house. Fetish is a lounge/bar which was opened by a couple of Israeli guys, one of whom is a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend... Just kidding.... But we did go to meet this guy named Zohar whom I was introduced to through a friend in the states. Day after day we are making connections all around town and despite the melting pot of different origins, we sure have been able to meet an amazing group of friends here in Argentina! Tonight after the bbq we are actually going to watch another friend we made play at a local jazz bar.

Jessicka & Caroline

Little did we know that Buenos Aires would be such an international mix of people. Each day our group is continually expanding and includes quite a variety of individuals (to say the least)! It has been an eye opening experience to hear about the cultures, traditions, politics and habits of the people we have met here. I have had my palm read by our Italian friend Danny, salsa lessons from our Venezuelan friends, late night discussions about Oktoberfest with our German friends, and so many more interesting times. We even ended up at a German/ Argentine mixer where we were assigned name tags and given either a Spanish or German word where we had to find the other equivalent! Karlyn and I did our best to transition from German to Spanish and back again and answering the many questions of why we were there. I was able to fit in as a probable German, but the people there were dumbfounded when it came to Karlyn. Needless to say, our names were butchered in the process and we ended up with name tags bearing the name Caroline and Jessicka, but figured it was easier to submit to these names then attempt to change them.

As far as the Argentine front goes, I could not love Argentine people more. They have been so kind and eager to assist us in adjusting to the Argentine life. It has been an incredible experience to now be working for an Argentine company. I work outside Buenos Aires in San Isidro, the residential area here. The office is a renovated old stable that features art work throughout and has an open air garden in the middle. Each day I am greeted with besos from each employee and there is a major emphasis on personal relationships in the workplace. They move at a completely different pace and take the time to develop these relationships at a deeper level than common in the American corporate world. Every day all of the employees gather together for lunch and we eat together at one big perfectly set table with a beautiful flower arrangement. We have had some hilarious discussions ranging from typical holiday traditons to some necessary words for women to know here. It feels like a small family. When remarking on the environment to one of my coworkers, he responded, "Why of course! We're in the business to make people happy. How could we not have this environment?" I am responsible for bringing MSB into the US and am thoroughly enjoying bringing the company into the US thus far.

On a different note, each day I am supposed to be taking the bus to and from work. The only problem is that San Isidro is 40 minutes from the city. Each day I wake up a little too late to try out the buses and metro, so I have been forced to take taxis. I have learned so much from these daily rides because this is the time when you truly learn about the people. It's been surprising to see how much the people here hate the government. I have yet to meet one person that has a positive impression of the government. I have resorted to the typical American question often when attempting to keep up with these debates by asking, "Then, why don't you change it?" No one here really has known how to seriously respond to that, besides the fact that the corruption is completely ingrained into the whole political structure. It's in all parts of the judicial system- judges, attorneys, politicians, government, business, and the list goes on. This is one reason why they feel there is a crisis here every five years. I have always been one who believes in trying to learn from your mistakes and for some reason BA is unable to do that. When I questioned about this all participants responded, "Are you willing to make the commitment to change Argentina?"

It seems as though everyone wants to change Argentina, but does not possess the urge or eagerness to do so. It's almost as though they think it's impossible to change it. Maybe it is for that matter, but I am a strict believer that anything is plausible if you truly believe in it. Here we have met a great deal of entrepreneurs who have all given us stories about how they have had to "deal" with the government. One of their biggest complaints is the large export and import tax and how it is virtually impossible to transfer funds outside of Argentina. Regardless, there is a huge market of possibilities, but you have to be willing to work out the disorganized fragments and get creative.

Only having been here two weeks it is hard to epitomize the Argentine people. I always try to avoid this because you can't possibly try to stereotype one large group of people. However, in saying that here are a few things we have learned about men, or Argentines, for that matter. All men and women here cheat. People are very straight forward and will tell you a passionate account of what they are truly feeling, often featuring the three magic words the first time they meet you. People here like to voice their opinions, whether it be by honking, whistling, or screaming out interesting phrases they want you to know they are interested. Argentine people are very family oriented and spend a great deal of time with their families, especially on Sundays when they have their "asados" or steak barbeques. These are just a few of the recurring details we have heard personally when others describe Argentines. Who knows how our experience will be, but it's always interesting to hear the various interpretations.

Mi Trabajo

See website to check out my new job:

Post to come tomorrow!

Meet Our New Roommate!

Name: Ferdinand Schmidt

Born: 1984

Brief History: Ferdinand, a native to Bonn, Germany, and the youngest of a family of 3 has found himself in Argentina on a trip around the world. After attending school in Switzerland, Ferdinand began working for a financial firm in London before recently deciding to go back to school for his MBA. During these months between work and school, Ferdinand purchased an around the world ticket and Buenos Aires just happened to be on his lists of countries to visit among those such as the USA, Hong Kong, China, Australia and more! He is now a three week resident at our place and contributing money to our travel fund. His interests include: German rap mixed with folk music that he claims is the new "it" thing, Gossip Girls and is an adamant lover of Penthouse girls he randomly finds in Miami. Please consult for the necessary photos. Fernando, Franz Ferdinand or whatever other name we like to call him is our resident body guard and promises to make some delicious German pancakes for us and knoedel. He is still waiting for the call from Oma, so he can show off his refined formal German dialect. Franz too enjoys a good glass of wine on a rainy day and doesn't mind a little Miley playing in the background.

Sunday @ The Plaza

Jessica and I rose sunday afternoon after a wild night on the river. The gathering attracted a variety of global travelers like ourselves, and made for a wonderful opportunity to meet new friends. Between the Italians, French, Venezuelans, English, and German, Jessica and I had no problem dancing the night away. Arising with a desire to further explore the city, Jessica and I made our way down a new subway line to a new part of town known as San Telmo. San Telmo, the oldest barrio in Buenos Aires, is known for its antique stores, historical cafes lining cobblestone streets, and an ancient tango history. On Sundays however, San Telmo holds a 'must see' Feria de Antiguedades (antique fair) in its main public square, Plaza Dorrego. Exiting the subway we found ourselves among freeway overpasses, and thought that perhaps we had gotten off at the wrong station. After double checking the map we headed in the direction we presumed was right, and after a couple of turns found ourselves among the small cobblestone streets surrounded by the colorful and authentic homes. The streets were rather quiet but once we were within a block of Plaza Dorrego we knew we were in the right place. There we found hundreds of other curious amblers stopping by to watch either a local tango taking place in the middle of the square, or browse the abundance of antique stands covered in ancient yet unique paraphernalia. Jessica and I immediately got caught up in the hustle bustle of the square, going from stand to stand where Jessica found two antique bangles for a steal of a price, watched the local street performers, and quickly worked up an appetite! To satisfy our hunger Jessica and I moved upstairs to an exclusive table on the patio of a restaurant called 'Amici Miei' that landed us a view of the entire square. After ordering a delicious bottle of white wine, a spinach and parmesan ravioli for me, and a local fish similar to sea bass for Jessica-- we found ourselves in heaven! We would both have to say this was one of the best meals we have ever eaten and are certain we will find ourselves back there again.... probably very soon!

After the fair (which was still going strong when we left at 8pm) we wound our way back to Palermo where we met up with our German friends Helge and Ferdinand- whom we met through local friends. Strangely enough, Ferdinand was on a hunt for a place to stay for his three week stay and needless to say Jessica and I went home that night with a new roommate! Ferdinand has been a great addition to our wonderful apartment and has already agreed to treat us to some home cooked German meals.

On monday Jessica and I travelled to Recoleta, a very chic part of town, where we met with a travel agent to book our trip to Iguazu! We are traveling with a group of 50 (again, friends from a variety of countries) and could not be more excited! Our trip is planned for September 17th and we will be sure to blog all about it!

Last night we met up with our Italian friend Leonardo who treated us to a little bit of the underground Argentina flavor. Us and hundreds of others gathered in an open area theatre known as the Konex to watch a local drum group called La Bomba de Tiempo... The experience is undescribabel which is why I have added a link to their page! Afterwards Jessica and I went with our friends to a Japanese restaurant called To which is located right around the corner from our house. The food here was also incredible and Jessica claims to have eaten the BEST salmon she's ever had (even I thought it tasted good- now thats got to say a lot!)

Today I have an interview for a company downtown so instead of writing further I think I better go study up! Stay tuned...

For a little excitement click

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv8NDTIdh5I