What do American expats miss the most about living in America?

[Fiscal]

Obviously by living here I don't think Argentina is some "third world shithole" but there are a few things I miss:

- Customer service as a concept; Argentines think a business is good provided they simply don't spit in your face
- Banking/finance, somehow Argentina found a way to make a hated industry worse
- Things generally just working, even if imperfectly, it's night and day compared to here: internet, the post office, banks,
interactions with the city/government in general, etc.
- Variety of products
- Security; the city is more or less safe, but Provincia, especially Zona Sur is a basket case, from petty theft to corrupt mayors,
to murdering teenagers for bicycles and a bottle of beer. I don't trust the police in the US either, they kill civilians too just like here,
but it's the lack of trust in the police/corruption/murders + all the crime. I mean, the balls on Berni to try a launch a presidential or
gubernatorial run off of being the head of the Bonaerense, that would be a political death sentence in a normal country, these guys
can't catch a cold, but they can disappear kids for looking at them the wrong way.
- Everything having to do with renting an apartment or buying property
- The legal system is the definition of Kafkaesque, it has legalized and incentivized institutional corruption amongst politicians while
holding itself above the law, and the fact too that as much as I don't care for the British, I do think Common Law is a better system of
jurisprudence
- This is different than customer service, but quasi related: businesses don't want people's money it seems. They act like they don't
care if they sell anything, and I have no idea how you can take the attitude in a country with 40% poverty and 51% inflation. Everything
is a hassle, forget being treated politely or respectfully, it's just a pain in the ass to buy things, in person, online, doesn't matter
- Chronic understaffing. Argentines LOVE waiting in lines. I'm convinced they dream of going to Disney just to wait for the attractions

Funny I feel like I am always the idiot waiting in line patiently and somehow every other Argentinian figures out a way to skip to get ahead of me if I'm not paying attention.

It is weird that I often have to literally beg people to be able to pay them for a service. Lawyers, accountants, the cleaning lady, no one wants to work. When I moved to BA, I asked the cleaning lady how much she is ordinarily paid. She said $40,000. I told her I will pay her $80,000 and she still barely wants to work!!

 

[Redpossum]

Trader Joe's
IKEA
Tijuana
Huevos Rancheros, fish tacos, refried beans, the universal availability of fresh tortillas, and Mexican food in general.
FRESH eggs, they're always old here.
A chain of distribution that actually works, (though it seems from the news that this died in the USA two years ago)
Charmin
The ready availability of hearty breakfasts
Balboa Park
Excellent weed and hash, delivered to my house, and it's all totally legal. Roberto's at 3am with the raging munchies.
Tequila that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
People that speak Mexican Spanish, which I can understand, without all this bastardized-Italian platense sh sh sh sh bullshit.
Mexicans in general. They are good people.

As far as my family, ehhhh, I don't miss them all that much, and they sure don't miss me; after 8 years, I can barely get a reply to an email.

 

[BostonBucket]

both quality and variety of sushi

You must be going to the wrong restaurants

 

[jblaze5779]

-Customer service
-ownership of screw ups at any level, desire to learn and prevent repeats. Always an excuse.
-business in general, they make it difficult to pay for goods or services
-variety of food
-roads system with the first goal of facilitating consistent and speedy transportation. Most all roads and people within city limits are determined to slow you down.

 

[sts7049]

Trader Joe's
IKEA
Tijuana
Huevos Rancheros, fish tacos, refried beans, the universal availability of fresh tortillas, and Mexican food in general.
FRESH eggs, they're always old here.
A chain of distribution that actually works, (though it seems from the news that this died in the USA two years ago)
Charmin
The ready availability of hearty breakfasts
Balboa Park
Excellent weed and hash, delivered to my house, and it's all totally legal. Roberto's at 3am with the raging munchies.
Tequila that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
People that speak Mexican Spanish, which I can understand, without all this bastardized-Italian platense sh sh sh sh bullshit.
Mexicans in general. They are good people.

As far as my family, ehhhh, I don't miss them all that much, and they sure don't miss me; after 8 years, I can barely get a reply to an email.

Check out eggshons for eggs.

 

[sts7049]

You must be going to the wrong restaurants

which ones do you consider to be good sushi?

if they serve most of their rolls with cream cheese and salmon make up 80% of the options they don't qualify as good.

 

[MercyRego]

Trader Joe's
IKEA
Tijuana
Huevos Rancheros, fish tacos, refried beans, the universal availability of fresh tortillas, and Mexican food in general.
FRESH eggs, they're always old here.
A chain of distribution that actually works, (though it seems from the news that this died in the USA two years ago)
Charmin
The ready availability of hearty breakfasts
Balboa Park
Excellent weed and hash, delivered to my house, and it's all totally legal. Roberto's at 3am with the raging munchies.
Tequila that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
People that speak Mexican Spanish, which I can understand, without all this bastardized-Italian platense sh sh sh sh bullshit.
Mexicans in general. They are good people.

As far as my family, ehhhh, I don't miss them all that much, and they sure don't miss me; after 8 years, I can barely get a reply to an email.

Yes, I K E A !!!

 

[jantango]

After 23 years living in the heart of Buenos Aires, I don't miss anything about/from/in the USA. That absolutely includes the harsh winters of Chicago.

When I need items from my neighborhood health food shop, I leave my shopping list, a bag, and my debit card with one of the owners (who know me by name for many years) before taking my morning walk around the plaza. When I return an hour later, I receive my order with a receipt. That's customer service. I can't imagine doing this anywhere in the USA.

I never ate organic food in the USA because it wasn't available where I lived. I've gotten spoiled by Tallo Verde. I place an order online once a week for fruits, vegetables, etc. I pay with a debit card. Everything is harvested, washed, and packaged at the farm for delivery the following day to my door. I'm eating better than I ever could in the USA.

 

[Alby]

Now there's a better topic for a thread: what do we migrants/guest workers/international students (real or pretend)/regular visitors/tourists/permatourists/illegal overstayers miss least about where we came from?

 

[Brian_is_here]

for a country with so many cows, the local cheese is depressing.