Argentina, Second Most Miserable Country On Earth?

[EricLovesBA]

I feel pretty miserable here. I'm a US citizen living in Lanus. Not a nice place, actually, it's down-right disgusting! They told me that Lnaus is the east side of Buenos Aires, the slums. The streets are always full of dirty, rotten water, dog and cat shit, stray cats and dogs, fleas, cockroaches, mosquitoes, rotten garbage ...

I'll pipe in here too to say that Lanus is not representative of what life in Argentina can be like. My father-in-law works as a postman and has worked all parts of zona sur. Lanus is one of the areas he has warned me "not to go there" without asking him first exactly what part I'm going to. I live in a fairly low-income area truth be told, but it is not the slum-like experience that you're describing. I don't perceive Argentina to be a particularly drug/alcohol ridden culture. I felt more likely to run into problematic drunks in downtown Houston than I do here. Regarding prices - I'm going to take a wild guess that it may be difficult to run a business there in your area without getting robbed, and that may drive the prices up as there is overhead associated with that, and little competition. In my case, one of the advantages of living in Zona Sur is that the prices for food and such are a bit lower than they are in Capital. Prices do vary greatly from one store to the next even in a 20 block radius. If you can find a mayorista (wholesale) place, that may help too for some of the staple foods.

You are young, and something that you might take advantage of is that education here is publicly funded and freely available to you. If you and your husband really don't see an opening right now to move to a nicer area, perhaps you could at least commute out of the misery on a daily basis and open some new horizons.

To some extent many of us here on the forum know that feeling of being a bit isolated socially and removed from the easier opportunities we are accustomed to, but it's a great opportunity to find new strengths within you. Good luck in continuing to make and build your life here!

 

[ElQueso]

Well this is just a wild stab in the dark but I suspect the fact that shes as U.S citizen living in Argentina with a deported husband means he`s Argentine.

Yeah, I realized I was confused.

 

[Osprey87]

I don't,remember reading anything about "A Paris" of North America.

never said i was quoting anything there. just my own opinion. but, i also don't know what the fuss is about Paris anyway.

 

[johnw100]

never said i was quoting anything there. just my own opinion. but, i also don't know what the fuss is about Paris anyway.

Been to Paris a few times, lovely city but one thing that I noticed was the huge amount of dog crap on the pavement. So perhaps thats why they say Buenos Aires is the Paris of South America.

 

[Ceviche]

just my own opinion, but, i also don't know

We all are awaiting on the edge of our seats, for your story details.

 

[Osprey87]

As far as I know, American citizens don't get "deported". Even naturalized citizens. I do know of one guy here who was Argentine-born, was brought to the States with his parents as a baby and was raised there. When it came time to make his status officially as a citizen, when he turned 18, he didn't do that. A decade or more later, he had trouble with the law and was indeed deported because he'd never become a citizen.

Osprey, what you're describing sounds a lot like a villa. There are indeed better places to move. You're making me cringe just reading what you wrote. Sorry that you are stuck in that situation!

Thank you for your sympathy. my husband entered illegally on his own back in 2005, when he was like 22. he was not brought by anyone. he had been living there for 8 years by the time they decided to order him removed back to argentina. i guess it's because he decided to run from a law enforcement vehicle, which, over there in the US, is a felony 1 charge.
we cannot move. i don't have work, although i'm looking, and he doesn't make hardly anything. the only reason we weren't homeless when we got here was because his parents have had their house here for more than 20 years. i'd like to just get the heck outta argentina. don't like this country too much. not my cup of tea.

 

[Matiasba]

Argentina is not exclusively Lanús.

 

[camberiu]

Argentina is not exclusively Lanús.

No, it is not. But if Ariel was around, I'd write that it is.

 

[Dublin2BuenosAires]

No, it is not. But if Ariel was around, I'd write that it is.

Argentina is not exclusively Lanús.

in fact east lanus isn't even lanus!

 

[sevi]

At least they don't deport you that easily here.