M
maskow
Guest
Things don't always work out the way we intend no matter how good our intentions. I think that is what happened with the BAEG forums. I'm certain that it was unintentional.
For whatever the reason, however, this forum has become an affront to many porteños and Argentines.
For this I am sorry and I ask local residents to forgive any previous slights.
I feel a part of this group and I, therefore, share in the blame.
I hope that Argentines realize that the expatriate community here is a much smaller group than is represented in these forums. Not only that, the people that I have met at Buenos Aires Expatriates Group get-togethers have almost never made the insulting comments of the sort that are regularly featured here on the website's front page.
The policy regarding these forums is very open...as any local person has found upon registering and leaving comments. It is open to all and wears its opinions on both its sleeve and "front page above the fold." That is a commendable quality of this group and its house organ.
The openness and the prominence of the website's forums, however, might leave the occasional reader with the impression that the level of frustration and unhappiness expressed here comes from actual foreign residents of Buenos Aires. Please believe me that this is not normally the case.
These forums are open to anyone...not only Buenos Aires expatriates.
No matter if the person has never even vistited Buenos Aires, these forums are open to them and anyone here is free to say whatever they want (within the limits proscribed by the moderator, of course.)
No one here is required to identify themselves nor their level of familiarity with any part of Argentina. This tremendously liberal policy results in a tremendous number of opinions...from all over the possible spectrum of opinions.
It would be impossible, however, to re-create these opinions within a group of expatriates here in Buenos Aires. They are simply not the same two groups, they are not the same people.
Almost anyone that has relocated to another country, no matter what the level of cultural difference, has experienced frustration with their new homeland. Argentines are famous travelers and certainly recognize this.
Frustration of this kind is usually expressed in private, if at all, like a polite but petulant guest within the hospitality of someone else's home. I believe that everyone has felt this way at least on one occasion.
That normal level of frustration is not expressed here, however. Frustration with living in Argentina is often expressed here by those that do not live in Argentina.
The common courtesy and decency expected of a guest is not always expressed here...but keep in mind that many of these frustrated and unhappy opinions are from people who may have rarely visited this beautiful place and, possibly, might never have made themselves available to the kindness of the average porteño. "Expatriate", in this usage, is a misnomer.
Neither is there anything private regarding this expression of normal frustration with unfamiliar surroundings and circumstances. Here it is front-and-center on a page freely accessible to anyone in the world, including our hosts.
I doubt that this will change.
I hope, however, that any occasional readers will realize that this forum allows a free-for-all for complainers no matter who they may be, and is not representative of the foreign population that enjoys and benefits from the hospitality of Argentine society and that it gives the same opportunity to those of us that adore Buenos Aires and can't bear to think of leaving.
For whatever the reason, however, this forum has become an affront to many porteños and Argentines.
For this I am sorry and I ask local residents to forgive any previous slights.
I feel a part of this group and I, therefore, share in the blame.
I hope that Argentines realize that the expatriate community here is a much smaller group than is represented in these forums. Not only that, the people that I have met at Buenos Aires Expatriates Group get-togethers have almost never made the insulting comments of the sort that are regularly featured here on the website's front page.
The policy regarding these forums is very open...as any local person has found upon registering and leaving comments. It is open to all and wears its opinions on both its sleeve and "front page above the fold." That is a commendable quality of this group and its house organ.
The openness and the prominence of the website's forums, however, might leave the occasional reader with the impression that the level of frustration and unhappiness expressed here comes from actual foreign residents of Buenos Aires. Please believe me that this is not normally the case.
These forums are open to anyone...not only Buenos Aires expatriates.
No matter if the person has never even vistited Buenos Aires, these forums are open to them and anyone here is free to say whatever they want (within the limits proscribed by the moderator, of course.)
No one here is required to identify themselves nor their level of familiarity with any part of Argentina. This tremendously liberal policy results in a tremendous number of opinions...from all over the possible spectrum of opinions.
It would be impossible, however, to re-create these opinions within a group of expatriates here in Buenos Aires. They are simply not the same two groups, they are not the same people.
Almost anyone that has relocated to another country, no matter what the level of cultural difference, has experienced frustration with their new homeland. Argentines are famous travelers and certainly recognize this.
Frustration of this kind is usually expressed in private, if at all, like a polite but petulant guest within the hospitality of someone else's home. I believe that everyone has felt this way at least on one occasion.
That normal level of frustration is not expressed here, however. Frustration with living in Argentina is often expressed here by those that do not live in Argentina.
The common courtesy and decency expected of a guest is not always expressed here...but keep in mind that many of these frustrated and unhappy opinions are from people who may have rarely visited this beautiful place and, possibly, might never have made themselves available to the kindness of the average porteño. "Expatriate", in this usage, is a misnomer.
Neither is there anything private regarding this expression of normal frustration with unfamiliar surroundings and circumstances. Here it is front-and-center on a page freely accessible to anyone in the world, including our hosts.
I doubt that this will change.
I hope, however, that any occasional readers will realize that this forum allows a free-for-all for complainers no matter who they may be, and is not representative of the foreign population that enjoys and benefits from the hospitality of Argentine society and that it gives the same opportunity to those of us that adore Buenos Aires and can't bear to think of leaving.