Discover Buenos Aires

Bloomberg is reporting that Argentina may ease its defense of the peso, and take a one time devaluation to $3.80 per dollar from $3.208 today. (It’s already slid 5 percent since August 1.) They had originally predicted that the government may simply let it fall through gradual depreciation, but the new measure may come up as a result of the current world financial crisis and depleting federal reserves.

While this may seem like a good thing for those of us with foreign currency, it would also most likely mean a continuing rise in inflation. Not good for any of us in Argentina.

- Argentina May Devalue Peso 16 Percent, JPMorgan Says[Bloomberg]

UPDATE (10/24/08): The fall keeps happening as the government is unable to keep up, even with heavy dollar selling.

- Argentine Peso Drops to Almost Six-Year Low Amid Global Turmoil [Bloomberg]

They certainly do things their own way in Argentina. We just wrote about the upcoming time change. (Argentina began observing Daylight Savings Time last year for the first time since 2000 and did it on only 4 days notice.) And now the government, after just declaring the entire country would be on the same time zone yesterday, has reversed it’s decision. Several of the Western provinces revolted against the decree which would have meant a 10:30pm sunset for some of them, and the Kirchners reversed course while making it seem as if it was their decision. So, now with 1 day to go, we have two separate Argentina time zones. Expect lots of computer issues since no one has had any time to process these changes.

UPDATE (10/19/08): Of course, I woke up today and my computer had failed to switch to the correct time automatically even though my time zone is set to (GMT -03:00) Buenos Aires. I had to set the time manually and turn off Automatically synchronize with an Internet time server in order to get it to work.

- Half the country will not change the time on Sunday (english) | (español) [La Nacion]
- I Will Set My Watch However I Damn Well Please [Good Airs]

We have a group of 30+ people meeting up for drinks tonight. If you’re around, come out and join us. It’s a good chance to meet some new people and relax after a long week. (more on that later)  Here’s the details:

Friday, October 17 - 9:30pm - 12:30am
Godoy
Paraguay 4905
esq. Godoy Cruz
http://www.restaurantgodoy.com.ar/

Hope to see you there!

Ok, we’ve been slacking…well, not really slacking, we’ve been working hard, but work has unfortunately interefered with my ability to post as often as I would like. The move to BsAs was supposed to help reduce our workload, but right now it seems like we’re working as hard as ever.  Anyhow, we’ve made this week’s update a bit longer, so now on to the next installment of…

Random Observations: Week 9 and Week 10

• This column is about the many cultural differences we’ve noticed in our time here. As I’ve said before, a lot of the things we talk about are gross generalizations and may be a bit oversimplified, but we’re just presenting our views.  Well, one interesting thing that came up in several discussions over the past couple of weeks was that with all the cultural differences, it was very easy for all of us to adapt to one thing…money.Yes, one of our reasons for coming here was that the dollar goes a bit farther, but it didn’t take us any time to start complaining about a $75 peso meal per person that we thought was a bit pricey (U$24 each), even though it included appetizer, a couple of bottles of wine, entree and dessert.  We would have thought that was a great deal in New York  Also, as soon as we heard that 10% was the acceptable amount for tipping your waiter, we quickly adjusted to that from the standard 20% in NYC.  No second thoughts.  And tipping taxi drivers, it’s almost unheard of, except for leaving them the extra change.  The other night I tried to give the taxi driver an extra $2 peso tip and he gave it back to me - pointing to the meter as if I had read it wrong. Ok…no more tipping then.So, with all the cultural experiences and adjustments, it’s nice to know that one thing really required no adjustment at all. (So long as it was decreased and not increased spending I guess.)  We may now have to adjust when we head back home.
• Empanadas are everywhere!  They have empanada speciality stores; they’re delivered by the pizza places; sold in diners, grocery stores, pasta stores, etc.  I’ve eaten more empanadas in my time here, than throughout the rest of my life.  I initially thought all empanadas were the same, and bought them from the supermarket at least once a week, but then last week we had empanadas from Gourmet Empanada and I realized what I’ve been missing. I know now that I will never be able to eat a supermarket empanada again.
• Buenos Aires still has a lot of old world charm.  Here’s a couple of the things I’ve especially enjoyed:
  • They still deliver coffee and lunch on trays to people. The coffees are in ceramic mugs and not paper cups, so I assume they also have to come back and pick them up. I’m sure throwing your sandwich (or empanada) in a plastic bag would be more efficient that using a tray too, but it would lose a lot of its charm.
  • A lot of the buildings still have old style elevators.  They’re very elegant contraptions where you have to close and open the doors yourself. Takes some getting used to, but you get the hang of it pretty quickly.
• Almost every restaurant will serve you bread before your meal, but they almost never include butter.  Does everyone just eat plain bread?
• A pretty funny billboard we came across ->
• There are no half sizes in shoes here. Everything is only sold in full sizes. Now, I’m a 10 so that works for me, but Mersal is a 7 1/2, so she’s been having a difficult time.
• Mother’s Day (Dia de la Madre) is this Sunday, October 19th.  It’s the third Sunday of October, while in the U.S. it’s the third Sunday of May, but they’re both right in the heart of the spring. Remember to call your mother!
• I haven’t seen any screened windows in apartments here. All of our widows just open to the outside and now that it’s spring, we’ve had a lot more bugs, including a mosquito that got me about 10 times while I was sleeping the other night.  We’ll have to figure out what to do.
• There is construction everywhere here.  I have heard that the government has cracked down on new building, but it would be hard to tell with scaffolding on almost every block and cranes all over the place. The face of this city changes every day.  I’m not sure what the building codes are like here, but the scaffolding and supports don’t look very secure.  Hopefully that doesn’t translate into the construction too.

“Spring forward, fall back.” - Yep, it’s that time of the year again, and even though it’s October, it’s officially the start of spring in the Southern Hemisphere, so it’s time to move the clocks forward by one hour.  The time change happens this Sunday, October 19th, 2008 at midnight -the earliest it has ever occurred. This change is being pushed as part of an effort to save energy across Argentina. Changing the clocks will allow for increased sunlight and decreased electricity usage.

It also means that we’ll be two hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time for two weeks. Then, when the U.S. time change goes into effect on November 2, 2008, we’ll be three hours ahead of New York and six hours ahead of Los Angeles.

As far as your computer knowing about the change, Microsoft dealt with the problems of having an Argentine time zone last December, when the Argentine government decided to follow Daylight Savings Time for the first time since 2000 - exactly 4 days before they implemented it on December 31. (It caused a lot of computer problems and issues with screwed up calendar appointments.) On Windows, the time zone for Argentina used to be “(GMT-03:00) Buenos Aires, Georgetown.”  Now, if you have all the latest Microsoft updates, Argentina has it’s own time zone, “(GMT-03:00) Buenos Aires” to account for these new differences. Apple users may already be experiencing the new time zone as there seems to be a glitch which listed the time zone change as happening on October 5 rather than October 19. No word on whether that has been fixed or not.

I personally liked being an hour ahead of New York as it made it easier to get a few things done in the morning before people in our NYC office got in and the one hour difference was barely noticeable throughout the rest of the day. Working three hours ahead of New York is going to make things a bit more challenging though. I’ll have to be sure to remind people that 5pm there is 8pm here and I will definitely not be around…

-  On Sunday the 19th Adjust Your Clock (english) | (español)  [La Nacion]
- “Spring Forward” Comes Early this Year to Argentina [Argentina's Travel Guide]

Argentina’s Travel Guide is a site that I’ve had in my Google Reader for awhile now, but in recent weeks the site has really picked up the pace with a slew of interesting new stories and events happening in Buenos Aires (and beyond).  Here’s a quick description from their site:

Argentina’s Travel Guide is an online guidebook and trip planning site. We started the guidebook because how we, and other modern travelers, plan our trips is changing dramatically. Instead of a heavy guide book, travelers are carrying their super lightweight laptops, their iPods and cell phones across continents and oceans.

We are a small company focused on providing the best possible service to our clients. After you’ve researched your trip with the guidebook,  Argentina’s Travel Guide Tours provides top-flight excursions, activities and travel packages to ensure you enjoy the best experience in Argentina.

To help you plan your best trip to Argentina, we offer a complete online guidebook, a forum for your questions, a directory with local services and free downloadable pocket guides. The goal of Argentina’s Travel is to equip modern travelers with the most cutting edge travel tools from downloadable audio walking tours to advice on how to rent an apartment.

They really are much more than a travel guide though, so even if you’re not planning a trip, they’re worth checking out and I’d recommend adding their RSS feed to your list. (If you’re not using RSS yet, you should be! It’s the best way to keep up with all your favorite sites and Google Reader is very easy to use.)

(updated with new details)  The Argentine Post is reporting that the Argentine government is planning to require Americans and citizens of 115 other countries to pay for a tourist visa to visit Argentina. This would be in direct reciprocity for countries that charge Argentines a similar visa fee.  This fee will go into effect on January 1, 2009.

In addition, today’s La Nacion newspaper has an article quoting the Interior Minister that such a reciprocal fee is an “act of justice” and that a U$134 fee will be charged for Americans entering the country. He also states that it has nothing to do with the visa, which means that every 90 days us expats on tourist visas will have to leave the country and re-pay this fee upon entering again. There will not be a requirement to get a visa before coming to the country, just the need to pay this fee when entering.

While Brazil already charges Americans a reciprocal U$150 fee for a visa, this visa is good for 5 years. While the new Argentine fee may not hit many one-time visitors that hard, it will add a significant financial burden to the expat community on tourist visas who must leave and return every 90 days.  It might be time to look into getting a longer term visa as the lawyer’s fees and hassle might now be easily worth it.

- Visa Fee To Hit Tourists Starting Jan 1 [The Argentine Post]
- The new tax on tourists: “It is an act of justice” (English) |  (español) [La Nacion]
- Argentina To Require Visas For Tourists? [The Argentine Post]

Reuters is reporting that the Argentine peso has shrunk to its lowest level against the dollar in 5 1/2 years.  The peso slid 2.39 percent to 3.315/3.320 per U.S. dollar, its lowest point since January 2003. The peso has slid 4.65% this year so far.

So, the American economy tanks and the dollar gets stronger. I don’t understand it, and this is exactly why I’m staying away from the stock and currency market.  I am however, going to the ATM to withdraw some cash and take advantage of this rate.

UPDATE (10/08/08): Just checked it out at the ATM and I got $3.1965 pesos to one U.S. dollar.

UPDATE: Figured I’d post some of the recent rates we’ve been getting. We still get the best rate from our Schwab ATM card.

Schwab:11/4/08: $3.378; 10/27/08: $3.254; 10/24/08: $3.239; 10/12/08: $3.222; 9/30/08: $3.117; 8/8/08: $3.044.
American Express: 10/26/08: $3.178; 10/13/08: $3.156.

- Argentine peso sinks; stocks, bonds extend losses [Reuters]

 We’re back…

Random Observations: Week 8

• The sushi is horrible here - don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Ok, that may not be entirely true, some of the sushi is passable here and if you only like salmon and cream cheese, you’ll probably be fine. Had we become sushi snobs from living in NYC?

  Ok, so let me be completely open here - I am writing this after we stopped into a random sushi place to satisfy a sushi craving and were given a tuna roll with tuna from the can. Now, I like tuna from the can - with some mayo on a sandwich. When it is rolled up inside of some seaweed and rice, it is one of the most disgusting things you can ever have. We have pretty much decided that the next time we get a sushi craving we’re going to do everything possible to quash it. And yes, we have tried a lot of recommended places, some of which are ok, but they cannot compare to NYC sushi restaurants for freshness or variety. When we’re back in December, we’re talking about only eating sushi! 

• I still can’t believe that beer is so cheap here. We had a party last week and seven 1-liter bottles were only $27 pesos! (U$9) Beer is close to being cheaper than soda.
• If you want to write “hahahaha” as if you were laughing, you actually write it as “jajajaja.”  This makes sense in Spanish since “ja” is pronounced as “ha” would be in English. Still, it looks a bit weird to see it in an email the first time.
• F*CK
  The f-word, f-bomb, f***, @$#*%, fcuk, etc. is one of the nastier 4-letter words that one does not say in polite company. It’s also one of the most versatile words in the English language - it can be a verb, noun, adjective, interjection and more.

  The use of the word fuck is quite interesting here. It is not a part of the Spanish language, but you’ll see it in grafitti and even in the name of some trendy stores and hip clothing brands.  The photo to the right is the new clothing store that just opened around the corner from us. It’s name would raise a lot of eyebrows and probably some protests in the U.S. but it doesn’t get any attention here (except from us foreigners).

  Giving someone the middle finger seems to be a near universal gesture, and porteños (locals) call the gesture “the f*ck you” - most without even knowing what that means exactly.  When watching re-runs of U.S. cable shows on standard TV, they don’t bother to bleep out the f-word as they would at home.  The translation of it to Spanish in the subtitles is usually something like mierda.

  While you really notice it at first, you eventually realize it’s just a word like any other, and humans are the ones who give it meaning. All right, I’m off to learn some of the 4-letter words of the Spanish language, so I can truly be conversant.

Buenos Aires is known for a lot of things - tango, beef, architecture, etc.  They are not, however, known for their seafood. Salmon seems to be the most popular choice and in many restaurants the only choice. A salmon entree will also cost more than almost any beef entree.  And yes, you can always get tuna in a can - sometimes even as a sushi roll (yes, it is horrible) - but, finding fresh seafood is difficult. It’s odd because Buenos Aires is almost right on the ocean too. It just seems as if many porteños just don’t like seafood and there isn’t much of a demand.

Luckily, we found one of the best fish markets (pescaderias) in Buenos Aires close to our house. Ostramar is on Santa Fe and J. Alvarez and has a good selection of fresh fish as well as some great pre-made salads (squid, mussel, etc), seafood paella, and emapandas with salmon, tuna or mixed fish.  Don’t expect an amazing assortment (no fresh tuna), but for Buenos Aires, it’s pretty good albeit a bit pricey.