Do You Hate Living In Buenos Aires?

[Dublin2BuenosAires]

One of the strangers facets of human behaviour is that yearning for something to be outraged about. Seeking validation through the straw men we create!

 

[surfing]

I could throw the same thing right back at "Chica" and say: "If you hate the vibe on this forum so much, why don't you just leave?". But that's not my style.

 

[SarahAnn]

I honestly do have love for this country. For more than 4 years now, I have made the conscious (and God help me, sober!) decision to remain here and form my long term future and life here. This is not even because I have an Argentine spouse. There is not and has not been a single obligation, legsl or otherwise, for me to invest my life here. Let's be clear- "investment" is not even money (not that I was exactly an heiress to begin with). I mean invest my personal life, choose to start my family here at the cost of being separated from my own "real" family back in the States. I never really know for one reason or another when I'll see them again, and life is unpredicatable. I'm chosing to have my first born child come into the world in Argentine territory, understanding that this means that as of his first breath, he will owe legal allegiance for life to the government, to CFK, to any potential draft, and identify a major part of himself among those who can't even be bothered to throw their own garbage in a trash can. If that is not the highest form of investment, my friends, then I sure as Hell don't know what is!

I reiterate, I stll love this country (leading a lot of locals to look at me like I've really gone round the bend to the point of no return). Case in point- after getting married and filing my paperwork, I woke up and checked the Migraciones website to find that I had been approved for permanent residency. And I was legitimately happy. I mentioned this to a an Argentine acquaintance, who could only shrug and give me the half-serious reply, "Bueno, hay cosas peores."

I don't hate Argentina, but you can't love or appreciate anything without knowing the flip side if the coin. It's not hate, but such frustration for a lack of national pride (defacing public property like a 15 year old loser declaring that, "Las Malvinas son de Argentina" doesn't cut it, no matter how ugly and large your public display of vandalism is). It's a lack amongst so many people of a sense of some kind of communal ir social responsibility on their part (Dude, if you are going to own a dog, take him out in public when he's not fixed and not on a leash and leave his unsightly, steaming presents in the middle of a public sidewalk, do us all a favor- trade him in for a goldfish instead. If you can keep him alive by feeding him and cleaning his bowl once in awhile, then we'll talk). It's the country where I learned all too well what a "cagador" is, though a vast search on most English to Spanish webpages don't recognize its existance (it does indeed exist, make no mistake about it!!!).

For all my qualms as a consequence of still choosing to live here after all this time, you know what? I'd even say that I love Argentina more than a lot of Argentines that I know. But I will not and cannot validate a faceless Argentine using an anonymous screen name hiding behind the safety of the world wide web making snide and oversimplified hit-the-victim-and-run comments who comes looking for a confrontation by asking, "If you all hate Argentina so much, why don't you all just leave?" Yes, that was an intentional and direct hit, make no mistake. Oh, and Lauren is my real name, I've got nothing to hide or not own and back up. Anyway....

Seiously? You've got some major passive-agressive psychological issues, my friend. I can't recognize your words, and even giving the most clear-cut, coherent, elaborate, and genuine response would only be al pedo. C'mon! You've already made up your mind about an entire (and very sizable and diverse, I might add) population.

I'm not saying that ALL Argentines can seriously be that narrow minded and foolish, but all PEOPLE in the world who would really think like that and act like that are the reason why their country is the way it is.

Respect.

Good comments! But the dog shit paradigm applies to many countries ...we need a global scoop the poop movement!

 

[NYKate]

Good comments! But the dog shit paradigm applies to many countries ...we need a global scoop the poop movement!

And I am giggling! Its SO true!! As an owner of two dogs (medium sized) I can vouch for how important it is to clean up after them, keep them on leashes, take them for regular trips to the vet and get them fixed.

 

[BienTeVeo]

This poll is a blunt instrument. I didn't respond.

In my case, it's beyond love or hate. It's where I live. Sure, there's dogshit everywhere, the napkins in the cafes are completely useless, and people drive their cars like 8 year-olds on jet skis. But strangely, I find that when I've been gone a while, I miss it all (ok, perhaps not those three aforementioned items). BA is just part of who I am now.

Richard

 

[JennRaine]

Overall I am not unhappy here, just trying to adjust...never been a city girl. Moved to BA for love, which is wonderful. Having a hard time with the food, still working on the language and trying to figure out how to get dinero back in my bank account in the States to pay bills is stressing me out. Other than that, with time, I think I will adapt.

 

[Illinoisjoe]

Overall I am not unhappy here, just trying to adjust...never been a city girl. Moved to BA for love, which is wonderful. Having a hard time with the food, still working on the language and trying to figure out how to get dinero back in my bank account in the States to pay bills is stressing me out. Other than that, with time, I think I will adapt.

Sorry it's been tough for you! How long have you been here? I'm currently here for love (which IS wonderful ) and I spend a lot of time wondering if I could hack it here long term myself.

 

[JennRaine]

Thanks. This city is frenetic and chaotic and it feels hard to find quiet and space to breath. Not sure if I can do this long term either. My fiance knows this and is willing to consider other locations, it's just not time for a move on his end. To answer your question, I moved here a the end of September and was here till mid-December. Went back to the States for 3 weeks at the holidays and realized my life wasn't there anymore. Feeling just out of sorts, which everyone tells me is normal. I miss the beach a ton and surfing but know this city has a lot to offer on other levels.

 

[Rich One]

Well 72 % don't hate it here and the ones that do 52 % hate the government !!!

Why keep messing around with the subject!!! Get a life !! Neither the People nor the country are to blame for the KKK!!

Suspect that most of the sour grapes are due to frustration....!! Nothing so healing as a good Hawaian ley ....!!

 

[lovinit]

[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]“But I don’t want to go among mad people!" Alice remarked.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat. "We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.” [/background]

[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]-Lewis Carroll, "Alice in Wonderland"[/background]

Perfect quote for a country ruled by a cross between a radical socialist version of Marie Antoinette and Wonderland's La Reina Roja.