Favourite cities/Places to live

[Johny]

Finally, as for the “new” excuse that whining is “normal and acceptable” . . . well, that cheap reasoning doesn’t wash with me. Midlife’s comments could not have been more on target. Possibly it’s a generational thing. Such behavior was never acceptable in the home I grew up in. And I don’t tolerate it well among my friends who are so self indulgent. Who in their right mind would want to socialize with the many naysayers who have nothing better to do than complain? I’ll submit that all the expats out there cannot possibly be represented by those few who insist upon using this site as a sounding board.

Nashorama,



If no one criticized, everything would always stay the same. There would be no place for change. Criticism is healthy for any society. It shouldn’t be a sin… Quite the contrary… Actually, the “whining” is what makes people see their flaws and better themselves. The “politically correct” views may sound very nice and pleasing, but are no good except to keep people happy.
So thank God for all the “whiners”!!!
Can you imagine the world without them? Everyone trying to please one another… and pretending everything is perfect when it’s not… No thanks. Too dull and boring for me.
Being an Argentine myself, I prefer a whiny expat over an obsequious flatterer any day.

 

[bjrutledge]

I agree with Nashorama. Whining and criticizing are not the same. Whining implies POINTLESS REPETITION of the same damn complaint. Like nagging.

There's a sort of passive element to whining. Whiners don't DO anything about the situation they are whining about, they just WHINE. Either the situation is something that they can't change on their own (eg, pollution from diesel buses here), or it's something that they could improve through action of their own, but it would be an effort (eg, better communication with Argentines by increased fluency in Spanish). Whining is just an exercise in negativity and passive agression. I think being in a state like that IS bad for your health (and certainly is bad for the health of those around you, who have to put up with your incessant whining!).

I like that prayer by St. Francis of Assisi --- who by the way, was a great admirer of little birds ;-) Whiners should learn to recognize and ACCEPT the situations that they cannot change. If the situation is truly intolerable (eg, if you HATE living here and you will NEVER adjust to this culture), then leave. For your health, both mental and physical (constant stress, anger and depression take their toll on the body).

And Johny the Argentine, can I ask why you chose to hijack this perfectly pleasant thread? If you want to comment on Nashorama's comment made on another thread, why don't you just send him a personal note? Or comment on that thread? (or did you lift that comment from a thread that's been locked? --- if so, it was locked for a reason!)

To bring this BACK to the original thread, I like Edinburg, Scotland as a place to live. At least the Edinburg of 20 or 30 years ago. By now it may have morphed into something ultramodern and dreadful, I don't know.

I was never that fond of Switzerland. Too regulated. I prefer the chaos of Buenos Aires to the obsessive cleanliness of the cities I have visited in Switzerland.

Nashorama, in your homeland of Canada, I really loved the Gaspé Penisula in Quebec. Way the hell out, and probably FREEZING in winter. But in summer it is a paradise.

I have a fantasy that I would like to live north of the Arctic Circle for a year. But realistically I suspect that a day or two is all I could bear in winter. I don't think I would be able to cope well with the constant darkness.

 

[bf4]

And how about Montevideo? Any of you been there?
I find it way too quiet, like provincial but charming anyway. Carrasco, Pocitos, and some other neighbourhoods are worthwhile.
For Rosie, I lived in DC 3,THREE!!!!! years and hated it, the quietness, so boring, so burocratic, no I couldn't stand it, I need energy, buses horning their "bocinas?, people coming and going, and a little bit of chaos. I was going mad in that city, or maybe I'm already are I am convinced and obviously this is very PERSONAL that should there be a ranking with the most boring cities (there is one with the most expensive, other with the best quality of life etc) DC would top it. No doubt. And the weather well that is another issue I don't have time to deal with now. Winter is dreadful, you wear so many clothes to go running that you just can't close your arms, but then you didn't know that there could be sthg worse and that that was summer! Walking two blocks under the blazing sun might mean dehydritation and making some stops under the trees (Could it be the effect of the Potomac and the lush vegetation?). Even worse I dare to say than Formosa or Chaco in January. Obviously with the diff. that as soon as you enter any boliche the AC is so strong you need a fur coat and a rush to the toilet.

 

[Johny]

Johny:
There's a big difference between constructive criticism and childish whining. Obviously, you are oblivious that such a difference exists. Please note, this comment is not meant to be "obsequious", (good word, though).

You’re wrong. I’m well aware of that difference. I don’t think whine and criticize are synonyms. That’s why I quoted “whiners” and “whining”. But yeah, it seems some people get the two terms a little mixed up. Anyway, I think most criticism on this site (the “whining”, as some call it) has been pretty reasonable. Everyone expresses their feelings, be them towards Argentina, the US or Spain… What I don’t understand is how it can be childish. In my opinion, childish is the attitude of attacking anyone who complains… even when they are expressing themselves in a reasonable manner.

 

[tanghetto]

too many people come here and tell us how to live in argentina. I see some people here tell us what rent to pay and where to eat etc etc etc.
This city was cheap once not any more with people from outside putting up price of rents and property .
I like argentina to be old fashion and not a state of the union

 

[Johny]

And Johny the Argentine, can I ask why you chose to hijack this perfectly pleasant thread? If you want to comment on Nashorama's comment made on another thread, why don't you just send him a personal note? Or comment on that thread? (or did you lift that comment from a thread that's been locked? --- if so, it was locked for a reason!)

First of all, the Nashorama's comment I commented on was made on THIS thread. Second, just because you don't agree with me doesn't mean I'm "hijacking" this thread.

 

[bjrutledge]

Okay, Johny. You are right. I apologize for suggesting that you hijacked the thread. You picked up on a comment that Nashorama made within his discussion of cities.

Nashorama --- PLEASE don't give anyone an opportunity to start again on the tedious subject of whether Argentina is good/bad, etc. If it gets much worse, I will be forced to quit entertaining myself by reading this forum when I should be working! (of course, in this post I am doing the same thing I am asking others not to do, by responding at all!)

Johny, hijacking and agreeing/disagreeing with you are two separate things. Your response does not make sense to me. It doesn't matter whether I agree or disagree with you. If you had made a response stating that you like red-factor canaries, I would agree with you, but I would still think that you were hijacking the post by turning it into a discussion of canaries --- although on second thought, perhaps that wouldn't be such a bad idea...

Tanghetto, I don't dispute your "right" to practice your English by posting on this forum. But as a courtesy to others, could you perhaps make comments at least remotely relevant to the thread?

bf4 --- Washington, DC is a place for political junkies. I am sure it is very entertaining if you are heavily involved in the world of politics. But otherwise, it is not very exciting, although there are some good sushi restaurants and decent Thai restaurants there.

Does anyone like Florida? I think Orlando is one of the most horrible cities I have ever visited --- it seems to symbolize everything I DISLIKE about the US! But there are some small towns in the Panhandle region that were appealing several years ago (although there are also military bases in some towns in that area, and their presence certainly changes the local culture).

 

[Marc]

This thread has nothing to do with whining, so why start now?
Here we go again. Please cut it out or I'll just have to throw my toys out of the window.....again!

 

[bjrutledge]

If you throw your toys out the window, you will be littering and that will incur the wrath of many.

Unless of course, your window looks out onto your own backyard in Olivos.

 

[Marc]

Actually, I meant throw my toys out of my pram. Same thing really....anyway we don't have many windows here. It's very dark and scary.