Ries
Registered
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2008
- Messages
- 3,563
- Likes
- 4,893
Personally, I think looking like a tourist is much less important than looking like a victim.
As you are here longer and longer, you will look less like a tourist.
But if you avoid being drunk and confused in the wrong neighborhoods at the wrong times, flashing wealth, you are going to be a lot better off than if you are doing that but look like a local.
As far as shoes go, I am a bit of a nut- I have been a shoe fan for 40 years, have made a few pairs myself, own dozens of pairs, and just plain pay attention to them. In the average day in Buenos Aires, I would say I look casually at 1000 pairs of shoes, minimum. I just automatically check out what everyone is wearing, the same way I scan every car I see for make or model, the same way I know what every hardware store sells- its just something I have always done automatically. (Saw both a Porsche Cayenne and a Hyundai Genesis with the 3.8 liter yesterday, for example. Both amazingly expensive and rare here)
Crocs are huge here- mostly not REAL crocs, of course, but I see dozens of locals every day in crocs. There are several large wholesalers in Once who sell nothing but crocs, and most chefs here either wear them, or real imported Birkis (which, of course, cost well over three times what the crocs cost.) A lot of deliverymen wear crocs, kids on the train wear crocs, and warehouse and kitchen back staff are all wearing em.
Although I know Nancy wears flip flops, she is not exactly a tourist- she has been coming here for months on end for years. She doesnt look like a local, but she doesnt look like a tourist, either. I was down at San Telmo on Sunday, saw 4 or 6 dozen tourists. Was in Recoleta on Monday, saw another few dozen. At Malba yesterday, 30 or 40 more. And not a one was wearing flip flops. Most were wearing either huge running shoes- Brooks or New Balance, or else river running shoes and Tevas. I have been observing tourists here since 2007- and virtually never seen one in flip flops. They all think they are going on an Andean expedition, or a trek in Patagonia. Once in a while I see an exchange student who is here for a quarter or two wearing flip flops- but usually they are so inebriated with the cheap shoes that they wear local wedges, or heels.
A few things that are a dead giveaway- Hats on Women. Argentine Women NEVER wear hats. One in every 5000, maybe.
If a woman is wearing a floppy, crushable sun hat in a "technical fabric" in a brown or beige color, she is from the USA almost every time.
Here in Argentina, they do not believe skin cancer exists, but, if they grudgingly admit it MIGHT, they would deny that could possibly be a reason to wear a hat.
Its kind of like how they dont believe in Cholesterol.
Tourists also almost never smoke, and fuss about second hand smoke blowing their way- an Argentine will sit outside so as to smoke, and would never think of other people's smoke as a problem.
Tourists are also obvious by their need to dictate to chef's- substitute items, demand salads made their way, and refuse to eat fats, salt, meats, huge amounts of fried foods, grease, and gigantic amounts of sugar on everything.
Argentines will happily eat a white lettuce and unripened tomato salad, to balance out the kilo of papas, and the two kilos of carne, and the liter of coke. Per person. Followed by the Kilo of Helado. Per Person.
As you are here longer and longer, you will look less like a tourist.
But if you avoid being drunk and confused in the wrong neighborhoods at the wrong times, flashing wealth, you are going to be a lot better off than if you are doing that but look like a local.
As far as shoes go, I am a bit of a nut- I have been a shoe fan for 40 years, have made a few pairs myself, own dozens of pairs, and just plain pay attention to them. In the average day in Buenos Aires, I would say I look casually at 1000 pairs of shoes, minimum. I just automatically check out what everyone is wearing, the same way I scan every car I see for make or model, the same way I know what every hardware store sells- its just something I have always done automatically. (Saw both a Porsche Cayenne and a Hyundai Genesis with the 3.8 liter yesterday, for example. Both amazingly expensive and rare here)
Crocs are huge here- mostly not REAL crocs, of course, but I see dozens of locals every day in crocs. There are several large wholesalers in Once who sell nothing but crocs, and most chefs here either wear them, or real imported Birkis (which, of course, cost well over three times what the crocs cost.) A lot of deliverymen wear crocs, kids on the train wear crocs, and warehouse and kitchen back staff are all wearing em.
Although I know Nancy wears flip flops, she is not exactly a tourist- she has been coming here for months on end for years. She doesnt look like a local, but she doesnt look like a tourist, either. I was down at San Telmo on Sunday, saw 4 or 6 dozen tourists. Was in Recoleta on Monday, saw another few dozen. At Malba yesterday, 30 or 40 more. And not a one was wearing flip flops. Most were wearing either huge running shoes- Brooks or New Balance, or else river running shoes and Tevas. I have been observing tourists here since 2007- and virtually never seen one in flip flops. They all think they are going on an Andean expedition, or a trek in Patagonia. Once in a while I see an exchange student who is here for a quarter or two wearing flip flops- but usually they are so inebriated with the cheap shoes that they wear local wedges, or heels.
A few things that are a dead giveaway- Hats on Women. Argentine Women NEVER wear hats. One in every 5000, maybe.
If a woman is wearing a floppy, crushable sun hat in a "technical fabric" in a brown or beige color, she is from the USA almost every time.
Here in Argentina, they do not believe skin cancer exists, but, if they grudgingly admit it MIGHT, they would deny that could possibly be a reason to wear a hat.
Its kind of like how they dont believe in Cholesterol.
Tourists also almost never smoke, and fuss about second hand smoke blowing their way- an Argentine will sit outside so as to smoke, and would never think of other people's smoke as a problem.
Tourists are also obvious by their need to dictate to chef's- substitute items, demand salads made their way, and refuse to eat fats, salt, meats, huge amounts of fried foods, grease, and gigantic amounts of sugar on everything.
Argentines will happily eat a white lettuce and unripened tomato salad, to balance out the kilo of papas, and the two kilos of carne, and the liter of coke. Per person. Followed by the Kilo of Helado. Per Person.
