Is it all that bad? Please say it isn't!

[sesamosinsal]

Learning to speak spanish well opens myriad cultural/friendship doors that simply don't exist in an english-based BA environment. Your family would do well to start studying spanish before leaving. Argentinians are very welcoming and generous with foreigners, but you will be treated differently if you can manage the language well.

I think this is an understated issue. In my experience, the vast majority of expats who I've met and who've told me that they aren't happy here do not speak Spanish hardly at all. Could be coincidence, but I think it makes a lot of sense. I can't imagine living here without knowing how to speak Spanish. You're relegated to the life of a child, essentially, having to have someone order food for you, make calls, go to hospitals/doctors, etc., etc.

I definitely echo this advice! Learn the language. It makes a world of difference.

 

[El chabon]

If you dont speak Spanish you can go out with boring fellow yankees, Irish, Brits in palermo.

After 4 years you still dont have à clue what Argentina is though

 

[jenndean]

I am relatively new to BA and when making my decision I was also very turned off by the negative tone of many posts on this forum. However I think it's important to keep in mind that for every person taking time to rant on this site there are other expats actively working to find solutions to their grievances and many more who are happy and don't feel the need to narrate their lives here.

Moving to a different country is an adventure, but nobody said it was easy. Argentina is an especially difficult place to adapt to--I lived in Chile which is much less chaotic politically and economically, but I swear, exactly for that reason, that Buenos Aires is a much more interesting place to live.

I also completely agree that too many of the complaints allegedly about BA (crime, pollution, high prices, apartment living) are simply about big cities. If you're not prepared for those aspects, don't move to a city of 12m people (especially in continent with high economic inequality).

 

[jenndean]

You will find that there is some very valuable information contained in most of those rants that just might save you a headache or 2 while here (perhaps even save your ass)!

This is absolutely true, and I have repeatedly referred to this forum for others' experiences and advice. It was very helpful for shaping my expectations when coming here.

I think it's also perfectly appropriate that this forum should serve as a space to rant. I just meant to point out that people tend to share their negative experiences more often than positive ones, and that one person's frustrations do not always translate into advice for someone else who is asking for it.