Discover Buenos Aires » Randomness http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com Expat Life in Buenos Aires, Argentina Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:03:07 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Holy Inflation! http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/holy-inflation http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/holy-inflation#comments Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:52:26 +0000 DaVe http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/?p=2949 Posted in Randomness

We’ve now been back in Buenos Aires for a little over two weeks after being in the States for just over three months. The first thing we noticed upon being back (aside from the poor paper towel and toilet paper) was the amount that prices have increased. We didn’t imagine that prices in three months [...] No related posts.]]> We’ve now been back in Buenos Aires for a little over two weeks after being in the States for just over three months. The first thing we noticed upon being back (aside from the poor paper towel and toilet paper) was the amount that prices have increased.

We didn’t imagine that prices in three months would have gone up so much, but after being away, the price changes were very apparent:

  • Our normal order of a pizza and a dozen empanadas from La Guitarrita (with the La Nacion discount) went from $75 pesos to $98 pesos. (30%)
  • Our usual weekly grocery shopping went from $550/week to $700/week! (27%)
  • My haircut is now $65 pesos. This was actually a bargain as it only went up from $50 pesos a year ago. (30%)

And the official government numbers show 9% inflation? Sure it is.

While Buenos Aires may be affordable (if you’re earning dollars), it is definitely no longer cheap. Coming from New York City, you may find things to be a bit of a bargain, but comparing it to many smaller suburban cities, I’d say prices are pretty close when you’re shopping for groceries or goods. The one place where BA still beats the US is in services. House keepers, nannies, health and beauty services, etc. are still a bargain.

Not missing these

No Cheese Balls in Argentina?

Anyhow, we had a great time in the States, but it’s nice to be back, especially as the weather starts to warm up.  We are still missing many of the things we grew used to having in the States though (even if this is the normal whiny expat list)…

  • TJ Maxx, Walmart, Home Depot and Hannaford – variety, variety, variety and much cheaper prices
  • Sugarfree Red Bull. For some reason, only regular Red Bull exists in BA.
  • Organic, pre-washed salads
  • Deli lunch meat…turkey, roast beef and all the other options
  • Stonyfield Farms Organic Yogurt – nothing in BA compares to the creaminess of this.
  • Sushi (not any cream cheese to be found)
  • Good Chinese food
  • Dill pickles
  • Peanut butter – we’re out of the jar we brought back already
  • Online shopping, especially Amazon.com who somehow can ship me a couch and loveseat in two days
  • Streaming music and video – Pandora, Hulu, and HBO GO
  • Electronics purchases – $50 for a refurbished Vizio soundbar that is now in BA with me. $99 for an HP Touchpad. A new Kindle. Ahhh…I am going to save so much money now.
  • The mountains of Vermont (minus the flooding)
It’s amazing that after three months we have to go through this adjustment period, but that just goes to show that even after being here for almost three years, there are a lot of differences – both good and bad.

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]]> http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/holy-inflation/feed 6 iPhone 4 in Demand http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/iphone-4-demand http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/iphone-4-demand#comments Fri, 17 Jun 2011 23:45:52 +0000 DaVe http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/?p=2840 Posted in Randomness

I’ve previously posted some interesting Craigslist ads on my blog, but this may be one of the craziest so far: Cambio sexo por Iphone 4 Soy una joven argentina bonita, sensual, educada, elegante, open minded y bilingue. Me robaron el telefono celular y lo necesito para trabajar. Ofrezco XX cantidad de horas de sexo a cambio de [...] Related posts:
  1. Save Bandwidth On Your iPhone Have an iPhone? Have data limits? Or are you traveling...
]]> I’ve previously posted some interesting Craigslist ads on my blog, but this may be one of the craziest so far:

Cambio sexo por Iphone 4
Soy una joven argentina bonita, sensual, educada, elegante, open minded y bilingue. Me robaron el telefono celular y lo necesito para trabajar. Ofrezco XX cantidad de horas de sexo a cambio de un Iphone 4. I look forward to hearing from you!

Run that through Google translate if your Spanish is not so good, and you ‘ll be able to see that this is a girl who really needs an iPhone 4. The thing is, I’m not sure who is getting the better deal with this trade. A new iPhone 4 is over U$S 900 in Buenos Aires, and I wouldn’t think the services she is offering would be that comparable.

Also, how does this deal get arranged? Does she get the iPhone 4 first or after? Does she want new or used? Hmmm… Hopefully this was just a joke, but it certainly doesn’t look like it.

Gives new meaning to “comes with FaceTime.”

Related posts:

  1. Save Bandwidth On Your iPhone Have an iPhone? Have data limits? Or are you traveling...

]]> http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/iphone-4-demand/feed 0 Swarms of Flies? http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/swarms-of-flies http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/swarms-of-flies#comments Tue, 16 Nov 2010 10:18:09 +0000 DaVe http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/?p=2421 Posted in Randomness

Can someone please explain the swarms of flies that seem to like to hang out under building balconies and entryways? I’ve never seen anything like it before, but over and over I’ve noticed that swarms of flies are at the entrances to many buildings here. They’re not annoying and move out of the way as [...] No related posts.]]> Can someone please explain the swarms of flies that seem to like to hang out under building balconies and entryways?

I’ve never seen anything like it before, but over and over I’ve noticed that swarms of flies are at the entrances to many buildings here. They’re not annoying and move out of the way as you pass through them, but I just keep noticing it all the time and find it a bit strange.

Anyone?

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]]> http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/swarms-of-flies/feed 6 Vote for Discover Buenos Aires! http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/best-blog-buenos-aires-argentina http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/best-blog-buenos-aires-argentina#comments Wed, 20 Oct 2010 21:34:13 +0000 DaVe http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/?p=2312 Posted in Randomness

We usually don’t take part in these “best of” competitions, but what the hell… Discover Buenos Aires has been nominated for best blog in Argentina by the editorial staff of Go Overseas! and we need your help to capture the top spot! Please take a moment to head over to http://www.gooverseas.com/argentina-blogs and vote for Discover [...] No related posts.]]> We usually don’t take part in these “best of” competitions, but what the hell…

Discover Buenos Aires has been nominated for best blog in Argentina by the editorial staff of Go Overseas! and we need your help to capture the top spot!

Please take a moment to head over to http://www.gooverseas.com/argentina-blogs and vote for Discover Buenos Aires as the best blog.

We appreciate your support!

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]]> http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/best-blog-buenos-aires-argentina/feed 1 Reports Of My Retirement Have Been Greatly Exaggerated http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/retirement-exaggerated http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/retirement-exaggerated#comments Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:14:40 +0000 DaVe http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/?p=1441 Posted in Randomness

Much like Eminem, Michael Jordan, Garth Brooks, Brett Favre, and Claudia Schiffer, I am also coming out of retirement with the Discover Buenos Aires blog. Ok, ok, so it’s really nothing like any of them…but, nonetheless, the Discover Buenos Aires blog is back!  I have a bunch of stories, tips, and other ideas that I’ll [...] No related posts.]]> Much like Eminem, Michael Jordan, Garth Brooks, Brett Favre, and Claudia Schiffer, I am also coming out of retirement with the Discover Buenos Aires blog.

Ok, ok, so it’s really nothing like any of them…but, nonetheless, the Discover Buenos Aires blog is back!  I have a bunch of stories, tips, and other ideas that I’ll be putting out over the next few weeks, so please do your best to patiently wait for the new and improved Discover Buenos Aires blog.  And, feel free to let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

Some of the new things coming include business profiles of some great expat-run businesses, Buenos Aires tips gained in the last year of living here, contacts that you will need here, and much more…

See you soon!

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]]> http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/retirement-exaggerated/feed 2 My Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-05-23 http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/my-twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-05-23 http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/my-twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-05-23#comments Sat, 23 May 2009 12:00:00 +0000 DaVe http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/my-twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-05-23 Posted in Randomness

Had my second meal at Soberbia 22 in Buenos Aires & I have to say I’m not impressed. Nice place, but there are much better parillas here. # Took awhile. but the new Crystal Method album, ‘Divided by Night,’ is growing on me. Also liking ‘Empire of the Sun.’ Both electronica. #fb # Depeche Mode [...] No related posts.]]>
  • Had my second meal at Soberbia 22 in Buenos Aires & I have to say I’m not impressed. Nice place, but there are much better parillas here. #
  • Took awhile. but the new Crystal Method album, ‘Divided by Night,’ is growing on me. Also liking ‘Empire of the Sun.’ Both electronica. #fb #
  • Depeche Mode Buenos Aires tickets are supposedly on sale tomorrow, not that Ticketek would bother to update that info on their site. #fb #
  • Good article: American taste for soft toilet paper ‘worse than driving Hummers’ for the environment. http://bit.ly/zLVNZ #fb #
  • Running around Buenos Aires checking out Forcadell development projects. Beautiful new condo development in San Isidro. $3000 per sq meter. #
  • Why hadn’t I heard about http://www.magicjack.com before? $40 gets you 1 yr free calls, a USB device & ease of use. $50 for 5 years. #fb #
  • Not a huge Green Day fan, but I’m really liking the new album, ’21st Century Breakdown.’ #fb #
  • Tickets for Depeche Mode in Buenos Aires go on public sale May 30! Ticketek finally updated the info on their site. #fb #buenosaires #
  • Really good bife de ojo at Las Nazarenas in Buenos Aires last night. Going to have to compare it to Cabaña Las Lilas tonight & rate them. #
  • Steak at Cabaña Las Lilas last night was great. Had to send 2 back that were tough, but they took care of it. #

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    ]]>     http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/my-twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-05-23/feed 0     My Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-05-16 http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/my-twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-05-16 http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/my-twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-05-16#comments Sat, 16 May 2009 12:00:00 +0000 DaVe http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/my-twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-05-16 Posted in Randomness

    All you can eat at Rodizio Parilla in Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires is not always as good an idea as it sounds. Ughh! Still stuffed. Was good. # Just watched the amazing season finale of Scrubs. Definitely one of the best shows on TV. #fb # I’d really like to switch to Google Chrome, but [...] No related posts.]]>
  • All you can eat at Rodizio Parilla in Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires is not always as good an idea as it sounds. Ughh! Still stuffed. Was good. #
  • Just watched the amazing season finale of Scrubs. Definitely one of the best shows on TV. #fb #
  • I’d really like to switch to Google Chrome, but they don’t support Firefox add-ons & don’t even support the Google Toolbar w/ all my links! #
  • Anyone interested in renting a ski house in Bariloche, Argentina for June – August or just coming for a few weekends? Contact me. #fb #BsAs #
  • Strange move: NY Times takes over IHT.com & deletes old site. No links work anymore. Many wikipedia references. Bad SEO. http://bit.ly/RDCAk #
  • The new Star Trek: a bit cheesy in parts, but overall one of the best movies yet. Great special effects! #startrek #fb #
  • Probably not going. Very tired today. #
  • For the amount of beef they eat in Buenos Aires, I find it surprising that almost no one wears leather jackets on the streets here. #fb #
  • Big changes at Craigslist as they remove erotic services section & monitor adult services posts after Boston murder. http://bit.ly/UcCGP #
  • Cool. My first power outage in Buenos Aires! Moving around by the light of the laptop. Who needs candles? Going on 2 hours now. #fb #
  • Buy.com cancels my order because the IP address is foreign. Of course it is, I’m in Argentina! Ordered 100s of times before & all info right #
  • Had a great Peruvian meal at Pozo Santo in Buenos Aires last night. Great ceviche! Good design. Never a crowd for some reason. #
  • Seems like Gmail is down? Google Apps down too. #gmail #fail #gmailfail #
  • Ok, Gmail is back now. Whew. #
  • Amazing dinner at Sucre tonight. Ojo de cerdo for all of us was so good. Shrimp and tuna appetizers were great too. #buenosaires #

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    ]]>     http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/my-twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-05-16/feed 0     My Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-05-09 http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/my-twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-05-09 http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/my-twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-05-09#comments Sat, 09 May 2009 12:00:00 +0000 DaVe http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/my-twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-05-09 Posted in Randomness

    Went to the opening of Cocina Sunae last night in Buenos Aires. An amazing pan-asian closed door restaurant. Info at http://bit.ly/CnAwl # http://www.whatthetrend.com shows you what topics are trending higher on Twitter & actually explains why. Very useful! # Just joined a twibe. Visit http://twibes.com/buenosaires to join # Made another trip to Green Bamboo restaurant [...] No related posts.]]>
  • Went to the opening of Cocina Sunae last night in Buenos Aires. An amazing pan-asian closed door restaurant. Info at http://bit.ly/CnAwl #
  • http://www.whatthetrend.com shows you what topics are trending higher on Twitter & actually explains why. Very useful! #
  • Just joined a twibe. Visit http://twibes.com/buenosaires to join #
  • Made another trip to Green Bamboo restaurant last night & had amazing Indian at Tandoor on Saturday. Finding some great new places in BsAs! #
  • Interesting article on why text messages are limited to 160 characters from the Los Angeles Times. http://bit.ly/m2xSG #
  • Really liking the new album “Approaching Normal” from Blue October. I have to go download their other album now. #fb #
  • Cool! dotMobi WordPress Mobile Pack displays a mobile-friendly version of your blog when it detects a mobile browser. http://bit.ly/gQixG #
  • http://pic.gd/bc8b3b IMG00110.jpg #
  • Gonna have to head to Tandoor for some great Indian food again tonight. The only spicy food in Buenos Aires! #fb #
  • Conocé la historia del @tachero honesto. Entrá, dejale tu apoyo y doná algo para recompensarlo. http://www.devolvelelaguitaaltaxista.com #

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    ]]>     http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/my-twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-05-09/feed 0     My Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-05-02 http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/my-twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-05-02 http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/my-twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-05-02#comments Sat, 02 May 2009 12:00:00 +0000 DaVe http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/my-twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-05-02 Posted in Randomness

    Wacky site: http://isthisyourluggage.com – Guy buys lost airline luggage at auction, takes out contents & photographs it for this site. # 9 Free MP3 Audiobook Downloads from B&N: Kurt Vonnegut, Mark Twain, Jonathan Lethem & more. http://bit.ly/PhHsa # Weirdest band collaboration: Tinted Windows. Guy from Hanson, Smashing Pumpkins, Fountains of Wayne & Cheap Trick. Still [...] No related posts.]]>
  • Wacky site: http://isthisyourluggage.com – Guy buys lost airline luggage at auction, takes out contents & photographs it for this site. #
  • 9 Free MP3 Audiobook Downloads from B&N: Kurt Vonnegut, Mark Twain, Jonathan Lethem & more. http://bit.ly/PhHsa #
  • Weirdest band collaboration: Tinted Windows. Guy from Hanson, Smashing Pumpkins, Fountains of Wayne & Cheap Trick. Still deciding about it. #
  • Sunday, a good day for new music downloads. Checking out new albums from Camera Obscura, Empire of the Sun, It Hugs Back, & Bat for Lashes. #
  • Looking forward to this movie! James Cameron’s new 3D file Avatar has fans going crazy & may revolutionize film making. http://bit.ly/uWU0q #
  • Evernote is an amazing tool. Shared notebooks across Mac, PC, mobile, Twitter, etc. Easy web clipping & more.http://bit.ly/yRx77 #
  • RT @Twitter_Tips Is there anything NOT on Twitter? @DivineMK is a UK Brothel: http://cli.gs/VHu9pJ Offering coupons on Twitter too! LOL. #
  • Testing out http://tweetface.net – a better way to update your Facebook status from Twitter. Ignores @ replies, converts usernames & more. #
  • Why is Facebook in Spanish today even though my language preference is English? Seems like they have some problem. #facebook #
  • Had an amazing meal at Francesco (Cocina Peruana) in Buenos Aires last night. Amazing black risotto w/ grilled squid. http://bit.ly/yT9YQ #
  • I could handle @oprah on Twitter, but now @akgovsarahpalin? That might be too much, but maybe it will provide some humor. #
  • RT @buenosaireslife Depeche Mode in Buenos Aires, Oct 10. Tickets on sale May 19. Check out @depechemode. http://bit.ly/3jwO0 #buenosaires #
  • Managed to get tickets to The Kooks in Buenos Aires before they sold out 2 shows in a day! Maybe that means more alt rock concerts here! #

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    ]]>     http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/my-twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-05-02/feed 0     My Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-04-25 http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/my-twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-04-25 http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/my-twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-04-25#comments Sat, 25 Apr 2009 12:00:00 +0000 DaVe http://www.discoverbuenosaires.com/my-twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-04-25 Posted in Randomness

    [Blog] My Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-04-18: “Some pick Argentina as haven from economic blues” – Reuters. With … http://s3nt.com/fgeb # Trying to recover from major food coma – asado at Los Tallas Parrilla outside of Buenos Aires was unbelievable! 500+ person restaurant! Ugh. # Some photos from what I’ll call “Día de Carne” Way [...] No related posts.]]>
  • [Blog] My Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-04-18: “Some pick Argentina as haven from economic blues” – Reuters. With … http://s3nt.com/fgeb #
  • Trying to recover from major food coma – asado at Los Tallas Parrilla outside of Buenos Aires was unbelievable! 500+ person restaurant! Ugh. #
  • Some photos from what I’ll call “Día de Carne” Way too much meat at this asado outside Buenos Aires. http://bit.ly/carne #buenosaires #
  • RT @jlewis @timhaines: Subaru escaped onto the Snow Park in New Zealand. Crazy video – snowboarding & a Subaru! http://bit.ly/mP16n #
  • Realizing that using http://getmiro.com & http://tvrss.net have some flaws. My TV show feeds have not all been updating. I need The Office! #
  • Can’t wait to watch ‘Peter Bjorn & John’ & ‘The Cure’ from Coachella tonight. Too bad the Cure are on at 2am in BsAs! http://bit.ly/inlbo #
  • Decided to give my Slingbox another try. Upgrading software & firmware to latest version. Maybe I can finally get decent enough video on it. #
  • RT @buenosaireslife Loving the new #herebeforeoprah hash tag! #
  • Saw a link awhile ago about a domain name search tool. It would help make English words out of other country domains. Anyone know the site? #
  • Been crazy busy working on a new project! Hopefully I’ll be able to let everyone know more about it in the next week or so! #
  • Realized I really hate Kings of Leon. I’m deleting all their music from my iTunes right now. #
  • Interesting news about Google user profiles. They now show up on searches for a name & have post to Twitter links, etc. http://bit.ly/J9ksu #
  • Lunch at Sudestada was great! Best Asian food I’ve had in Buenos Aires so far. #
  • This is a pretty funny video done as a old PSA spoof – “Facebook Manners And You.” http://bit.ly/c1t2E #
  • The new version of Facebook for the Blackberry is great. Lots of improvements, including adding Facebook photos to your addressbook. #
  • Why can’t we have Tweetie for the PC? I have it on my Hackintosh and am loving it. #
  • RT @fastcompany The Sizzling Secrets of In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain. I miss this! http://shortn.me/uf #
  • New version of Seesmic Desktop for Twitter released today. Lots of bug fixes and seems pretty good. http://bit.ly/f8HeF #
  • Had a great meal at Green Bamboo in Buenos Aires. Funky Vietnamese place that could be in NYC’s East Village. They even had good shrimp! #
  • Why do state governments have such horrible web sites? I’m registered, won’t let me log in, won’t send me a new password, no one to call. #
  • Wow! I haven’t look at memory prices in a long time. Upgrading my PC and 1gb of RAM is only $15. This is the best upgrade you can do. #
  • Wow, crazy numbers! Twitter Eats World: Global Visitors Shoot Up To 19 Million @techcrunch http://bit.ly/IoNX3 #
  • Ah-ha! “Bacon sandwich really does cure a hangover” – Telegraph. Now I know why I crave greasy food! http://bit.ly/pHeum #

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