So why did you move to Buenos Aires?

[buenodale]

I moved to buenos aires cause I love the people. It's a very big city, with a lot of things to do. You can have fun every single night of the week, there's always something to do. And the people are amazing, very nice and kind. For my future I plan to run some business here in Argentina, like a restaurant or a pub.

 

[nicoenarg]

We also moved to Buenos Aires from Dubai, quite a change, right (except for the work ethic that is about the same)?

Work ethic's about the same, yeah (depends on who you were working with in Dubai, if you know what I mean). However, there are a lot of similarities in the culture (Emirati culture, that is, not the expat culture) when you look deep into it. One little example of course is always leaving their trays on the tables for others to clean up after them at food courts or McDonald's.

Emiratis looking down upon darker skinned Indians, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Srilankans, etc where Argentines look down upon Bolivians, Peruvians, Colombians and what have you.

Driving like morons is a trait I thought Dubaians had mastered but people here seem to be competing with Dubaians to win the "worst drivers in the world" award.

Not caring about fellow man while walking on the streets here or in the malls in Dubai is very similar too. Stopping abruptly and not caring about who's behind you or whether you're blocking traffic...yeah, I could probably go on.

There are positives here that Dubai did not have. And the most important one is that people here are way more down to earth and real than they were in Dubai. Buenos Aires itself is way more REAL (its hard to explain, but Dubai is just...fake). This is a lot more individual freedom in terms of you being able to honestly express your opinions about anything from dog poop on the pavements to calling Cristina an idiot. As a contrast, once the Dubai Mall ceiling was leaking in one section and people were forbidden from taking any pictures because that would give Dubai a bad name. Also, Feb 2009, reporting on Dubai's economic problems was made illegal and firing Emiratis as well. As for criticism, yeah, try criticizing Dubai in a public forum and boy try criticizing Sheikh Mohammed or the Maktoum family. You're pretty much screwed if you did either of those things. On that note, Ramadan is probably one of the worst months to be in Dubai. Especially if you're the kind of person who likes drinking water or one who likes to eat on the go!

Dubai had better things too like cleanliness. Cheaper electronics. Both cities are pretty expensive but few cities in the world can beat the ridiculous rent in Dubai. There was more economic freedom in Dubai. No income tax (I would say Dubai is not completely tax free, SALIK on Sheikh Zayed Rd. is a tax, they just don't call it that).

Anyway, we were in the Greens, where were you guys living?

 

[em618]

thanks people, this is awesome!

 

[jlord]

great thread!

i left the uk last august and travelled overground through russia (by rail) and the western US (by bicycle) before doing a planned 3 months backpacking in bolivia, argentina, paraguay and brazil.

was just in buenos aires for a weekend in january en route from patagonia to asunción but met an incredible cuban girl here, so after my planned stuff was finished i came back to bs as instead of flying back to the uk...

 

[citygirl]

- why (and when) did you move here? I moved here 2007. When I moved here, I thought I would only be here a year - the plan was to learn some Spanish and ride horses - a sabbatical from my NY life. Loved living here - esp since I wasn't working in so I could really enjoy the nightlife I briefly went back to the US in 2008 to work and the company was more than happy to send me back to Argentina (where we later wound up opening a subsidiary company).

- do you like living here? Why or why not? I have my days (who doesn't) but yes, in general, I am very happy here. I don't find it the easiest place to live or work but I love my life. I definitely miss the conveniences of life in the US, running a business here is an exercise in patience every single day and I hate spending so much money on everything when it isn't even high quality. But I love my friends and my (adopted) family and the fact that I get the best of both city and country life.

- what are your future plans? Do you mean plans to stay? Yes, I don't think I will ever move back. No crystal ball of course. My SO is porteño, I think this is where we will always be based.

- what does "expat" mean anyway? To me an expat is someone who has fully committed to living in another country. I don't consider any of the people passing through here, spending a year, etc to be expats. They are visitors.


in BA since 2008[/quote]

 

[expatinowncountry]

Work ethic's about the same, yeah (depends on who you were working with in Dubai, if you know what I mean). However, there are a lot of similarities in the culture (Emirati culture, that is, not the expat culture) when you look deep into it. One little example of course is always leaving their trays on the tables for others to clean up after them at food courts or McDonald's.

Emiratis looking down upon darker skinned Indians, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Srilankans, etc where Argentines look down upon Bolivians, Peruvians, Colombians and what have you.

Driving like morons is a trait I thought Dubaians had mastered but people here seem to be competing with Dubaians to win the "worst drivers in the world" award.

Not caring about fellow man while walking on the streets here or in the malls in Dubai is very similar too. Stopping abruptly and not caring about who's behind you or whether you're blocking traffic...yeah, I could probably go on.

There are positives here that Dubai did not have. And the most important one is that people here are way more down to earth and real than they were in Dubai. Buenos Aires itself is way more REAL (its hard to explain, but Dubai is just...fake). This is a lot more individual freedom in terms of you being able to honestly express your opinions about anything from dog poop on the pavements to calling Cristina an idiot. As a contrast, once the Dubai Mall ceiling was leaking in one section and people were forbidden from taking any pictures because that would give Dubai a bad name. Also, Feb 2009, reporting on Dubai's economic problems was made illegal and firing Emiratis as well. As for criticism, yeah, try criticizing Dubai in a public forum and boy try criticizing Sheikh Mohammed or the Maktoum family. You're pretty much screwed if you did either of those things. On that note, Ramadan is probably one of the worst months to be in Dubai. Especially if you're the kind of person who likes drinking water or one who likes to eat on the go!

Dubai had better things too like cleanliness. Cheaper electronics. Both cities are pretty expensive but few cities in the world can beat the ridiculous rent in Dubai. There was more economic freedom in Dubai. No income tax (I would say Dubai is not completely tax free, SALIK on Sheikh Zayed Rd. is a tax, they just don't call it that).

Anyway, we were in the Greens, where were you guys living?

I was working for the government so half the people were Emirati... so all in all I think the work ethics is slightly better here. I can't compare the driving because I do not dare to drive in Buenos Aires... in Dubai they were morons but the infrastructure was amazing so you had some space to avoid collision when someone decided to change five lanes on SZR in one second to not miss the exit. In any case, we like it here better (I do miss my Dubai salary, the travel possibilities, cheap gas and my car) as there is the social fabric that was missing in Dubai and a lot more to do in the city.
We lived in the Shoreline Apartments in the Palm (we got it directly from my job) but I personally did not do the most of it as I am not a beach person...

 

[katti]

Because we love it here!

We used to come here for holidays, ever since 2003, several times a year. When we were here we didn't want to go home, when we were back we counted the days until we could come here again.

Then we realized this was a crazy situation....

We decided to move here in 2009, and didn't regret it for a second. We like the people, the friendship, the more laid back way of living (a lot less stress!),...

Back in 2009 the cost of life was 1/3 compared to what we spend in Belgium, and we lead a more luxurious life for that money. A maid, personal trainers, dining out,... These are things that we could not afford in Belgium.

True, prices have gone up a lot since then, electricity/gas/taxis/restaurants, but it is still cheaper. We have gotten used to the absence of certain things (food, electronics, etc), we eat a lot when we travel and we bring whatever electronics we really miss from abroad.

Overall we are in a luxury position. We intend to stay, but one never knows, if things become too crazy... we always have the option to leave, unlike the majority.

 

[AlexanderB]

To be brutally honest, get as far away from American women as I could get and afford.

Hear, hear!

 

[steveinbsas]

Steve if you were living in BA for 4 years long is because you liked it. Sure your love for paris its bigger, and if it is and you are american (wich means lots of money in your wallet)... then go visit paris and finish your sadness.

It's amazing how many invalid assumptions can be made in two sentences.

While it's true I first liked living in BA after living in a small village in Mexico for five years (with three months spent in Paris during those five years), I only stayed in BA out of economic necessity. I arrived six years ago today and bought a small apartment in Recoleta in October, 2006, a few days after I was granted residencia precaria in Argentina.

As I shopped for decorative items for my apartment I "discovered" Argentine art and, after looking in the "expensive" galleries on Florida and Arroyo I found a few locals in San Telmo who had paintings by some of the same artists as the galeries which were "expensive because they catered to tourists" at very low prices. There was no doubt of the authenticity of the artworks (nobody forges $600-$3200 pesos paintings). I also found out about the subastas at the banco ciudad and bought many paintings there as well, "competing" with the buyers for one of the biggest galleries on Florida. They would pay $1200 pesos and mark them up to $1200 dollars. The highest price painting I have for sale (by Luis Cordiviola) is $3200. I paid $2800 pesos for it in 2008.

To make a long story short, I no longer live in Capital Federal and am now liquidating the "excess" of my art collection. I bought several hundred paintings and drawings to export to the US. I took 32 paintings with me to the US in September of 2008 to display in a friend's gallery in Carmel, CA. The economic collapse happened while I was there. My friend closed his gallery within six months... after over 20 years at the same location...without selling any of the paintings.

While it is possible to find other galleries in the US to sell the paintings that I still have, I have no desire to leave Argentina. I don't even like going to Bahia Blanca to shop at Walmart. Once a month is more than enough. Punta Alta is much closer and the ambiance is wonderful. I can send the artworks to my Mercado Libre buyers from there. Almost every business I shop at remembers me as the only yanqui in the area that isn't a Mormon missionary. And it's always fun to suprise the missionaries in the street by saying, "Hi guys, how's the mission going."

As for Paris, I am not sad not to be there. Perhaps I will visit once more, but I'm happy enough where I am now that it doesn't make much difference...and the thought of dealing with the discomfort of travel actually outweighs the "happiness" of being there.

Paris is also a place I cannot afford to live as I don't have a lot of money in my wallet...perhaps just enough to survive in Argentina..until prices double...again.

For more info see post #79 in this thread :http://baexpats.org/expat-life/21851-amazing-how-expensive-bsars-8.html

 

[jeff1234]

Quote:
Originally Posted by dennisr
To be brutally honest, get as far away from American women as I could get and afford.

Hear, hear!

Me too, in a way. After 20 years of bachelorhood in the USA, I encountered an an Argentinian Angel. Now, 2 years later, I'm really happy to be moving to BsAs in two weeks.
I jokingly invented a phrase: "ABS".
Meaning: Argentinian Babe Syndrome.
Symptoms: An American Man encounters a beautiful, quality lady from Argentina and succumbs to ABS..