Looking Back...

[gsi16386]

Hey there guys, I had lived in BA for the past year and 10 months and have just recently moved back to the US (West Palm Beach, FL) for the summer and thought I would share my experiences as well as my viewpoints on my life here vs. the US.

First off, I can't begin to express how happy I am to be back. I used the BAExpats forum to gather a lot of information and everyone within the community has been extremely helpful (albeit very judgmental. I remember reading a lot of posts that said that very few expats make it longer than two years and I am certainly one of those individuals. Life is just so much easier here in the States. Very cut and dry, no red tape. Everything is so much cheaper from Televisions, IPhones, right down to McDonald's. Customer service is top notch. There are no lines at the grocery stores. There are 24 hour grocery stores. Businesses are open on Sunday. People want to make money, so they work harder. There are no children living in the streets. It's safe to keep your money in the banks rather than a shoebox under your bed.

Some other things that stick out in the US since I've been back is that everyone is fat. I mean, it's a real problem here (and one that has been talked about over and over, but just damn). Health care is retarded expensive. I was paying $125usd for OSDE for top notch coverage, down here I'm paying double that with ridiculously high deductible, so basically all care will be out of pocket unless I get cancer. Healthy food is more expensive!! I used to buy a weeks worth of vegetables at the verdureria for like $25usd, I paid three times as much at Publix the other day, probably the reason being I had to buy Organic. The vegetables that were layed out in the normal displays were like three times as big as what I'm used to in Argentina. When it comes down to a strawberry being the size of an Argentine apple, I think I'll pass. I miss chinchulines, rinones, vacio, bife :-( And lastly, the woman that I love is in Argentina and not here with me, that sucks too....

So I guess my question is, for those expats that have live down in Argentina for a longer duration, what basis do you have for leaving? If you're an expat and have been in Argentina for less than a year, you're still kind of in La La land with the new experience and really can't answer my question because you have no idea (or at least I was), so I'd like to hear from the longer term expats. I still have to come back in two months and will probably be living off and on between BA and West Palm Beach for a while, but I just feel happier in the US. Everything is just so much easier....so much easier.

I value your thoughts and opinions and look forward to any opposing viewpoints or any other differences skewed in either direction. Cheers!

 

[jantango]

It's important to be happy in what you are doing and where you are living. That's a priority for me. That's why after 12 years in Buenos Aires, I don't want to return to the USA for a visit. Argentina is the country I chose to live the rest of my life. Things are different, but not impossible here. If you don't assimilate into the culture with the language and friends, you'll never put down roots.

 

[tomdesigns]

When I stepped off the plane 3.5 years ago my first time in Argentina.. I weighted 270lbs. I stayed 6 months and then went back to the US at 220lbs.. I stayed in the US 6 months and gained back 15 lbs and then returned to Argentina..I only make very brief trips back to US these days because the food is toxic in my opinion. I also started going to gym again, which I was in the gym all my life until my mid 30s when work started taking over my life.

When I stepped off that plane my cholesterol was in the 300 range and I had to take meds for that and high blood pressure.. Today I do not take meds for anything.

Today I am almost 50 years old weigh 184lbs my cholesterol is 119 I run 3 days week and go to the gym 4 days a week.

Thank you Argentina! Perhaps I owe my life to you!

The photo says it all...

You can have the western life style.. knock yourself out!

 

[AkBill]

you are pretty old
but i will be your age in some years
let us go forwards together
with our united age

 

[tomdesigns]

you are pretty old
but i will be your age in some years
let us go forwards together
with our united age

Argentina...

The best meat in the world!
The best wine in the world!
and the best women in the world!

Sure everything else is a pain in that ASS! but what more could a man want!

Juaaa ja ajjajjaaaaaaa

 

[cbphoto]

Depends on what you are looking for in life...yeah right! Everything runs much smoother in the North. If you gain weight.. get fat.. it's because you have far too many choices/temptations... and gave in to those. Plus...you were more than likely earning 5-10 times more $'s per hour (for the same work)...and could afford to eat much more. There have been sooo many comparisons to Europe and the US (seemingly Canada does not come up much)... there is no comparison. Not to say Argentina does not have it's beauty..good wine...beautiful women etc etc... but you can find all that in the north...and many more varieties ...
As far as food goes... maybe one day.. Argentina will learn that there are more spices than just salt and pepper. Meat... I hear it used to be amazing.... was never impressed. Sure...it was cheap in comparison to the US or Europe (never been to Canada)... probably 1/3 for the kilo... a few years ago...BUT relative to what you can earn in pesos...cost double...for dry, overcooked, no longer grass fed... do like the chorizo.. oh yeah...can get that in US and Europe too...not just the best from Argentina (think they export all the best meat)...but also from Italy, Germany, France...and anywhere else I feel like trying their sausages But hey...the lovely gov. down in Argentina..makes sure not to have any competition from importers of meat..or seemingly any other product...so how are the locals to know what options there are.... unless they can travel...which is too expensive on the local salary....
Subsidies... what a lie/joke. They say (gov) that that locals pay less...1/2...than foreigners BS. Look at airfares in peak season in the north vs. peak season in Argentina by distance... same cost in $'s... but if you foreign ..it's double...wonder who gets all that money?
I like leaving my phone on the cafe table when I go to the bathroom...get this...I even leave my Mac Book Pro on the table...seems everyone else does too... in Los Angeles! In NY too! and Berlin, London, etc etc etc....
Please stop me...tell me again why I should have stayed in BsAs
I follow all the rules/laws in the US...sometime there is some bureaucracy...like anywhere in the civilized world...but..it's little.. not too hard to deal with... I don't think I need to explain how fun it is in BsAs, to deal with it,even when you want to buy groceries it seems.. OK done for now... looking forward to someone telling me about how we don't have tango... oh yeah...we have that too

 

[fifs2]

Tom you look cute (forget Doughboys comments as he's still fat!).

 

[tomdesigns]

First off BSAS in not Argentina.. and I do not nor would I live in BSAS, it is a part of Argentina. Secondly.. do not even try to compare any other meat in world with meat here.. there is no comparison period! I earn more money now then I ever have in my life.

And as for women which I do not know any women from BSAS only from other parts of Argentina. They have a playfulness and fun in their personalities that you do not find very often in western women. I could rant for an hour if wanted too about this subject. My fiance is an agricultural engineer educated and all.. she is beautiful, intelligent, witty, fun and most all not hung up on money.

BSAS food/dining ROCKS where were you living in BSAS? I have never experienced a shortage of any spice flavor or taste in BSAS? Or for that matter any where else in Argentina.

Dining in BSAS Pics..

Well as you can see just about the all flavors are here.. and I do not lack the means the eat well.

But sure makes one hell of differance when the beef is naturally fed and food is prepared naturally.

And as for all the Western pride.. that is a thing of the past. Just do some in depth economic research.. in a few years, odds are the federal reserve and US along with most of Europe will go belly up and you will all be so poor it will blow your mind.

Of course before or right after that you all will most likely start WW3 and nuke the hell out of yourselves fighting over the scraps. And all for what?

 

[Hop]

I'm with you, OP.

I'm 25 years old and have a job where I get two weeks paid vacation, plus amazing health benefits. Anytime I've gone to the doctor, I've never paid a thing out of pocket.

I have my own one bedroom apartment in the middle of Capital without needing a roommate.

Yet, I just spent an hour buying milk and cereal (brinner!).

Recently separated from the man I love (yes, it really sucks), I can now feel free to move back to the US. While that thought gives me a feeling of relief, I'm still not making any plans to go back.

 

[sergio]

First off BSAS in not Argentina.. and I do not nor would I live in BSAS, it is a part of Argentina. Secondly.. do not even try to compare any other meat in world with meat here.. there is no comparison period! I earn more money now then I ever have in my life.

And as for women which I do not know any women from BSAS only from other parts of Argentina. They have a playfulness and fun in their personalities that you do not find very often in western women. I could rant for an hour if wanted too about this subject. My fiance is an agricultural engineer educated and all.. she is beautiful, intelligent, witty, fun and most all not hung up on money.

BSAS food/dining ROCKS where were you living in BSAS? I have never experienced a shortage of any spice flavor or taste in BSAS? Or for that matter any where else in Argentina.

Dining in BSAS Pics..

Well as you can see just about the all flavors are here.. and I do not lack the means the eat well.

But sure makes one hell of differance when the beef is naturally fed and food is prepared naturally.

And as for all the Western pride.. that is a thing of the past. Just do some in depth economic research.. in a few years, odds are the federal reserve and US along with most of Europe will go belly up and you will all be so poor it will blow your mind.

Of course before or right after that you all will most likely start WW3 and nuke the hell out of yourselves fighting over the scraps. And all for what?

Aren't Argentines considered westerners? In BA they certainly make a point of how European they are. If they aren't western. what are they?