Expats not happy, why stay?

[RyanHairStylist]

OK I have read what people are saying on here, and I find it very fascinating.

I just want to say Buenos Aires, like any other city is what you make of it.

I have been here for 2 years now, and the first 2 years were very difficult. And do you know why..... I made them difficult. In comparing things to where I have lived before... You don't have to be 60 years old to understand this...

I can't blame the city, or the people, or the dog poop, or anything else. it was me who chose to see things negatively.

And now I have peace here. I love this place, I love the dog poop(keeps you on your toes when walking down the street), and I love the dirtiness of the city(of which its not really that dirty compared to parts of Toronto, Vancouver, LA, where ever).
And I love the lack of things I could easily get at home...... makes it more challenging to cook, and more enjoyable.. use different recipies.....
It amazing how people come here and bitch they can't get peanut butter, or philly, or this or that.... you want it bring it in..... or go home.....
Besides most Argentine brands are amazing and have half of the crap in their ingredients..... simple .... good.... yummm...
Argentine food can be wonderfull. if you get bored of it , cook at home...... I think its simple, and sometimes i get frustrated, but IM NOT IN NORTH AMERICA ANYMORE.... Im here........hello...... leave Firdays... back home.....
I come from Canada, and everyone thinks its better. Well its the same here if not better.... In fact the bills are outrageously more expensive back home.

Getting a 25 peso bill for gas for 2 months, doesn't even compare to the $500 gas bills I got at home in Canada living in an old house every month.
Or running my air conditioner 24 hours a day and getting a 50 peso bill every 2 months, versus the $300 bill back home....

I don't make a lot of money here, but i am happy. I have money to do things I want to do...... It called I live the life of an Argentine( AN ex-pat argentine...tehehe). Took me 5 months to get a fridge... but it was worth it! I learned how to eat on a dime.... and cook everything fresh...
I love going to the Museums to check out the AMAZING Argentine Pieces of Art, to the wide array of global Art..... MOST ARE FREE
Free shows, plays, community gatherings..... more than i could find back home in Canada..

Canada is my home, but Argentina has my heart.

If you think the grass is going to be greener of the other side of the fence, your wrong, it has just as many weeds, smells the same and just as much dog shit....
This place is constant chaos, drama, ups downs, good bad, clean, dirty.... but to me its like any other big city in the world.
Argentina gives you the potential to grow and learn, and make a success of your self.

If anyone thinks they can come down here and conquer BsAs(Changing 40 million people's habits and customs) thinking your so rich or can do this because your not from here and you think you can do it better.... your wrong.....

And quite frankly, you think living in the United States or Canada right now is going to be better or safer.... your in for a rude awakening.......
Explain that to the 10's of thousands of people loosing guaranteed jobs every day... The world is going to experience what the Argentines have lived with forever..... They just do it with finesse here.... and a smile of their face..... weather you think it sucks here or not, is about your experience...... Everyone in life has a different experience.... That is what makes life so wonderfull........
No matter how much North Americans think we have it so bad, do some research on how they have lived here, the history and yet they still laugh make good wine, and great food. And will still invite you into their home even if it is just Mate and some cookies... which they bought with their last 10 pesos.. Just to have a chat with you...

And for people who say they are sooooooo spiritual... but have so many negative things to say........ Saying your spiritual, doesn't make you that way...... That fake it untill you make it or untill you believe in it doesn't work......
That peace comes from your heart...... and sole...

Explain that to the Millions of people here who live in the Villas and are 500times more happy then you. They are glad to have 1 light bulb in the house, and glad to wake up every day alive...... or get bread or have meat, or even eggs.... hell..... to not get shot.....
Slamming other people to make your self feel better is the opposite of spiritual... And writing horrible things about people in a blog or shaving your head in protest...... and sending photos of it is going to make you look like a sham...... fake.... and heartless..... Practice what you preach....... Karma is a bitch.....!!
Argentina rocks!
Now I'm off to yoga! All the best everyone!!!!!!!

 

[soulskier]

I believe Ryan the hair guy has made quite the entrance, bienvenidos!

 

[nikad]

I believe Ryan the hair guy has made quite the entrance, bienvenidos!

hehe, Indeed

 

[HotYogaTeacher]

Such a great question! Thank you for asking it so politely. I am happy to answer. We spent some time in BsAs before we moved here, only 10 days, but our reasons for moving had to do with a number of things the city offered that smaller cities wouldn't have, like an active art community, a love of yoga, good public transportation, etc. All of these things we love about the city, among some others as well.

A great deal of our research though, was done on line, on sites like this and so there were many people who said things that led us to believe that it would be VERY inexpensive to live here. It is not for us. Particularly the cost of running a business here in BsAs is far and away more expensive than in San Diego. My friend Sonia in San Diego recently spent 6 months and $50,000 planning and building a yoga studio. My friends Carla and Jay are now a year into the process here with another month minimum to go and will, by the time the doors have opened, have spent double what Sonia did, at least.

We were told that ALL the people who live in this city are gorgeous, thin, dressed to the nines ALL the time. We were told that they were very sophisticated, well traveled and educated and the EVERYONE spoke english. I actually like beautiful clothes and it saddens me that if you wear anything really nice here you are looked at as if you are from Mars, and to boot, people say you'll be robbed if you dress up here. No one mentioned THAT until after we moved.

We believed people, realtors, people who had purchased property that we met, when they said you could buy a nice home here for under $200K. We could not. Nothing that would afford us even half the space or amenities we were used to. We believed them when they said that you could buy a dinner out at "the finest restaurants in the city with wine and tip for two people" for under $50. You can not. We believed that the city was very progressive, and, for South America it is, but compared to what we were used to it isn't. Truth be told, we needed to move here and have the experience of discovering some of this stuff for ourselves. No one could have told us all of it. That is why we aren't sorry we're here. But, we are people who value learning and experience over comfort. This is not a comfortable place. Maybe, just in case someone asks, we should all say that out loud.

Some people walk around or through dog poop month after month and it bothers them less and less as time goes by. For me, it bothers me more and more as time goes by. I don't know why. I long for fresh air and clean streets and people who smile move aside as they pass and I want it more and more the longer I am without it.

Moreover, our personal situation has changed. When we came here it was to do something specific that made the things we didn't like about the city seem less significant. Now that task is no longer in front of us and we find that our patience wears thin. Many things can happen that change a person's circumstances. My hope, when people post answers on sites like this for others, is that they are realistic in terms of what they say.

Truth be known if you are not a retired, straight, single woman in her 50s on a fixed budget who has never lived abroad and only spent a lovely 10 day vacation in BsAs dancing tango with a group, then you likely are not a good person to give her advice. People, in their excitement about the life they've created for themselves, look only through their own lens and then tell others what their view is. I don't whine all the time about my life here. I am in the middle of a project, remodeling a home, that would be frustrating and difficult anywhere. Most of the time, even when it's tough, we just laugh about it. It isn't about whining, it's about being honest with someone who asked a genuine question about uprooting herself from her home of many years and moving her life here all alone. I think that question deserves an answer that looks through more than one lens. What is truly awful about some of the poster's way of expressing themselves, is that when they are rude and ugly and hurtful, it lessens the impact of their opinions and makes them seem as if they likely don't have good judgment. If one wants one's opinion heard and respected it behooves one to be gentle and kind so that others will want to listen.

One of the posters actually called me stupid. He said "if you moved down here and didn't know what it would be like then you are just stupid and should just shut the hell up". My God, it was people like him who told us how wonderful and perfect it was, and then when we find that it isn't he tells us we are stupid. I ocassionally learn something new from this site, but really, I only come to offer a different perspective. If the woman in the original post makes a choice to move here, having done all of her research and having made the decision that is best for her, I'll be happy for her and I will wish her joy and happiness here.

I will also feel good that I let her know how hard it could be because that is only fair.

Thanks for being open and curious...
Peace...

 

[Rad]

We were told that ALL the people who live in this city are gorgeous, thin, dressed to the nines ALL the time. We were told that they were very sophisticated, well traveled and educated and the EVERYONE spoke english.

I will be rude for a minute, but I have to ask -Were you stoned when you heard these things?

 

[HDM]

I have no more interest in quibbling with you, Hot. You have made up your mind about Buenos Aires and are leaving. Have a nice trip. Hope you are happy in Mendicino.

But you are way wrong on the price of restaurants, unless you are eating at the Hilton. I live in Palermo, and within a few blocks of my apartment in any direction, there are fine restaurants -- Rio Alba, La Catedral, Elisabetta, to name just three -- where you can have as fine a meal as you could get in San Diego (excluding Mexican, which is a loss here), including a bottle of wine, and if you spent more than $50, I would wonder how much you must have eaten. My wife and I eat in these places, along with a number of others in Las Canitas, three or four times a week, and we have yet to spend more than $50 for dinner. Where would you go, what kind of wine would you order, and how much would you eat to spend more?

Look, you hate the place. All right. We get it. But at least stop exaggerating every single thing that bothers you. There is a lot of realistic posting about life in Buenos Aires here, but yours is not among them.

 

[YohoYoho]

"Truth be known if you are not a retired, straight, single woman in her 50s on a fixed budget who has never lived abroad and only spent a lovely 10 day vacation in BsAs dancing tango with a group, then you likely are not a good person to give her advice."

I don't understand this bit.


If I am a single, working, lesbian, in her mid thirties, who has lived here over a year am I good person to give advice or not?

 

[HDM]

PS Hot: Your snide, sarcastic comment "a retired, straight, single woman in her 50s on a fixed budget who has never lived abroad and only spent a lovely 10 day vacation in BsAs dancing tango with a group, then you likely are not a good person to give her advice," magnifies your problem. Hot, you are deep in the throes of culture shock. It warps thinking and clouds judgement. You can either leave, which is what you have decided to do, and I for one think you have made the right decision, or you can realize how much culture shock discolors your impressions and try to get past it. You have chosen the former. Either way, you'll be better off. Right now, your bitterness smells really bad.

 

[soulskier]

YY, I bet you could give many of us men some good advice, jaja!

 

[tangobob]

(quote) I actually like beautiful clothes and it saddens me that if you wear anything really nice here you are looked at as if you are from Mars, and to boot, people say you'll be robbed if you dress up here. No one mentioned THAT until after we moved.

I don't know who has filled you with this, but I walk regularly around Caballito, Palermo, Villa Crespo and Almagro in the early hours, with my wife, dressed up, and have never been acosted, except to be asked the time.
There are too many scare stories around, that is my opinion. I am 5'6 55 years old and no match for any would be attacker. If the place is so dangerous, I must be very lucky.