Subscribe to our RSS FeedAnother week, another round of random observations.
- You need a key to get into any building (apartment or office) that does not have a doorman. Fine. You also need a key to leave the building. This means that you have to buzz in and buzz out or in our case, keep our keys out whenever we leave the apartment building to unlock the lobby door. I understand this is for security, but it’s annoying. They couldn’t make it only require a key to get in?
The bus routes here seem incredibly complex and they’re usually very crowded. Plus, these buses must be the single biggest cause of pollution in this city. Ok, maybe the cars, but the buses here are mostly older and belch black smoke out all the time.- Everyone who has met more than once, kisses each other on the cheek when saying goodbye. I mean everyone: women kiss men, men kiss women, women kiss women, men kiss men. I had my first kiss on the cheek from a man this week, and I have to say it takes some getting used to…
- New York does not deserve the slogan “The city that never sleeps.” Try going out to dinner in BsAs at 11pm on a Saturday night and getting a table without a reservation. It’s not going to happen. We just finished dinner at 1:15am after waiting 15-20 minutes for a table at a “less busy” restaurant.
- No one has a sense of urgency here. Things get done when they get done. Our Internet connection has had problems for two weeks, and when you call they simply say “We know” and hang up. This attitude carries over to everything. It may mean a less stressful lifestyle, but when you’re the one waiitng for something to get done, it definitely takes some getting used to.
9 responses so far ↓
1 Hernan // Aug 25, 2008 at 3:47 pm
I really like your Random Observations 1, 2, &3… it’s very funny, and some times so true.
I lived in many many cities, mostly in the US and Argentina, and I never found public transportation as efficient as Buenos Aires’
Yes… it can improve but you can go ANYWHERE in a bus, subway, ‘metro, TRAX, or by train.
If the company that provides you Internet tells you,”we know” when you call, call back and be an ass, if that doesn’t work, change company. I recomend Itcom
2 Vivi // Aug 25, 2008 at 3:56 pm
It’s funny when I tell my friends that there is no super fat people in Buenos Aires, they don’t believe me…
I also recommend you ‘itcom’, I use it at home, and if I have a problem they came right away…
ask for Edgar and tell him that Hernan sent you…
I think the website is itcom dot net sot ar but I am not sure 0810-180-4000
3 DaVe // Aug 26, 2008 at 7:51 am
Hernan - glad you liked them. We’ve been here almost 4 weeks now and it’s probably going to be awhile longer before we attempt the bus.
Luckily our Internet is back up and running and we now have 2 lines - one with Arnet and one with Fibertel.
4 Just some guy // Aug 27, 2008 at 4:14 am
You have a great blog going. I left last week. In fact i watched your san telmo video twice, we nearly crossed paths.
I think the biggest reasons for the key to leave is that in case someone you bring in robs you they need the key to leave. It’s one more step. If you live in a building with a portero, some times you will need to walk down with your guests to assure there was no foul play occurring. Same goes at the Transitorio/Telo. If you go in with a girl you need to walk out the door with the girl. So if you were to kill her in the room and try to walk out it would not happen. Or vise versa. Remember BA is a great place but bad things can happen.
I have some local friends that I go out with. The plan is to go out about 10-11. Eat. Go back to someone’s apartment take a nap. Wake up at about 3-4 and then start drinking. Next step go out at about 4-5. I ended the day at 2 PM.
Cheers!
5 DaVe // Aug 27, 2008 at 10:15 am
JSG - Glad you like the blog. I guess the key does add another level of security. Someone couldn’t just sneak in with someone and then get out easily.
That’s a long night of partying… I haven’t made it to that point yet!
6 GLT // Sep 7, 2008 at 8:14 pm
but DaVe, I know you have it in you to party that long!
7 DaVe // Sep 9, 2008 at 9:16 am
GLT - I thought I did, but damn, you have to sleep all day to do that!
8 Adjusting to the Man-Kiss // Sep 14, 2008 at 12:10 pm
[...] about Buenos Aires is that men kiss each other on the cheek all the time. I wrote about this in my Week 3 Random Observations and noted how it takes some getting used to. (Ok, it takes a lot of getting used to.) The Denver [...]
9 Lilly Darnell // Sep 16, 2008 at 11:22 pm
1) At my place I don’t need to unlock the main door to get out but there are only two apts in the bldg– less risky. However, we can’t buzz anyone in– we have to run downstairs and open the main door when the doorbell rings.
2) I have found the colectivos very difficult to master- I have made several mistakes of getting on the bus going the wrong direction and one night I ended up in Boca at 4am and I was completely sober. Now I always ask what direction when I get on unless it’s one I use often.
I don’t understand why there are no route maps –instead they just list the streets in the Guia T. This does not tell me where to find the bus stop nor which direction it goes. You have to know the entire city really well to understand where they are coming from/going to and some have more than one route for the same line and that can be very confusing. I’m determinded to master them but it’s been very challenging!!
3) I still consider NY the City that Never Sleeps because the subways run 24/7. wish the subte did…
Leave a Comment