Hola Buenos Aires!

[Lucas]

One post.....

The incredible street level clouds of fumes, black monster clouds of pollution pouring out of the uninspected vehicles here takes some getting used to. I dont think I ever will. You will be exposed to pollution and broken sidewalks and endless garbage (the people are the opposite of clean) on a daily basis.

Two post......

Why dont the expats just leave??

Why dont you guys fix those buses! Come on dont you have any shame? Ive never seen pollution like this. And learn how to use a garbage can. Ive been to India and I swear the people are dirtier here, everywhere, all day long, constantly dirty.

And I dont think its correct to call ARg. developing. This is the best they can be, will ever be. this is it. Until Argentinianism dies out, this is it. A failed state of people who blame others and throw garbage and walk through black clouds of pollution in the street. Theyre good looking though, once a black cloud passes from a truck or uninspected public bus, the guys are nice to look at.

Three post....

Its possible that the police have a good idea who your thief is since they are most likely there "shopping" every day. Many police here get paid off like a mafia by such theives.

Whats the difference between a scam artist and an average Porteno?

Four post.....

Mysteries:

Why is the pedestrian crosswalk the most dangerous place in the city to be at?

Why doesnt anyone in the nation put their garbage out in garbage cans? (is it fear of theft)

Why does the butcher shop have a huge, price menu without a price on it?

Why do Arg. public buses emit clouds of black fumes, bombing the street in a haze?

Why are all the sidewalks broken? Why do we have to pay taxes? Who's responsible if we break our leg?

Why dont people here use a garbage can? Ive never seen so much littering.

Why doesnt the govt. ever ever arrest the counterfeiters?? This problem has been around for over 5 years, perhaps forever!

Last mystery.....Is there justice in Argentina?

Five post....

If you check out a pharmacy here youll see tiny small packages. This is the norm in general in Argentina. They have never known abundance. Its always like Germany right after the war here!

So, if you want a huge bottle of antacids or aspirin etc., then buy that at home where it is easy to find and often many sales. Here they are stingy.

I also ask for pepto bismol. Sanitation is poor and food often isnt fresh (fish, stuff left out in the heat all day long, bathroom with no soap or towel for the workers,, etc), youll be needing it even after eating in the best of restaurants.

And bring sheets and towels. They cost a fortune here and even then are low thread count. Back home you can buy good sheets on sale.

One thing you cant bring with you is clean air. youll be missing it. BA is horribly polluted as no vehicle is inspected. public buses are the worst ive ever seen. Cant keep up with the greasy soot in my apt. It blackens everything.

Six post.....

Then why cant people sue for breaking their leg, falling down and injuring themselves, etc. Ive seen so many people tumble. Its dangerous, isnt it? On Florida recently I sank down into a hole up to my knee! So arg. local govt. washes their hands of any responsibility to provide safe sidewalks by either fixing them themselves or by enforcing the building owners responsibility to do so? If yes, I guess its not a surprise. This is a country where its every man for himself and its always someone elses fault.

Its just common sense that the govt. could make the utilities fix the sidewalk to the state that they found it and could also make owners fix their sidewalks. BUT since that would be a crazy system with so many different owners to deal with, the logical efficient system would be for the city to maintain uniformly safe sidewalks citywide.

But I know, I know, we are in Argentina. Leave good ideas behind.

Seven post.....

When you think in dollars, salaries are pathetically low in Argentina. You can compare this country with India with a straight face!

I just started a job in morgage banking (a leading foreign firm outsourced here). I earn less than 2 dollars an hour gross. I expect to be earing monthly about 350 dollars.

Dont move here people unless you are rolling in foreign success. This is loserville.

....and so on, and on, and on.....

What the hell are you doing here pal, go back to India and you may will be happy......

 

[Slopey]

Lucas, as an Indian citizen living in Buenos Aires, I OBJECT! We really don't have room for people like that.
Sorry, but you're going to have to pick another country to banish brocolliandtea to

 

[SaraSara]

One more mystery:

Why is brocolliandtea so unhappy? Can't be just this place - forty million people manage to live here without committing mass hara-kiri.

 

[Lucas]

In defense of brocolliandtea, I will say something...

If the forty million living here were Japanese they may will very well do it.....brocolliandtea included, that's for sure.


BTW, Welcome to BsAs Jacqui...and keep handy the oxygen mask as brocolliandtea suggest....just to be on the safe side.

 

[Lallie]

Hola Jacqui, welcome to Buenos Aires and to this forum. It's useful and thought-provoking most of the time and, when it's not, it's entertaining! Enjoy, and I do hope to meet you at the fiction writers' group, which seems ready for lift-off.

 

[Jax_C]

Hi all! Thanks so much for all the warm welcomes... very much appreciated!

Hmmm, I have indeed noticed the gases and pollution while walking on the "broken" pavements or whatever brocolliandtea called them... but I really can't say this is what I'm writing home about! I think the cheap public transport, amazing beef, cheap and efficient high-speed Internet and general charm of Buenos Aires (to name but a few things) are far more mentionworthy.

Lallie, I'm definitely keen to join the fiction writers' group... will check for the latest news on that thread.

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