What Keeps You In Argentina?

[AngelinBA]

Yep, love and hate relationship. Love my husband, love my kids, love the school they go to here. Hate that my family budget that I prepare each month lasts about a week before I have to start scrambling around to cover price rises. Unfortunately, one of the things I need to feel secure is money. Not the having of lots of it, but the ability to have it all organised, bills paid, a little extra for the unexpected or for a treat. At the moment, it is just impossible to organise like that so I constantly feel insecure and anxious.
If it weren't for the inflation, I would be happy here.

 

[fifs2]

Since my business closed last year, I worked at one small company which lasted 5 months, then packed up and went back to the USA, then I was hired by another company just 4 months ago and was let go yesterday being told that they have decided not to keep the Argentina project (they are based in the USA) going for now. Of course I thought what am I doing wrong? However after discussing this with others I realize that the economy is not in good shape and getting a good (or even ok) job without connections here is difficult. For now I am going to keep trying and we will see what happens. I am an optimist, and feel a lot of lover for this country and pray that one day there will be harmony and stability here.[/quote]

Bloody hell David - you have been through the mill and you keep smiling. Good for you - this is what I love about Argentina: the unsinkable spirit in the face of negative circumstances. I chose not to live here anymore but that's not to say I don't a lot about the people and the place. Wishing you good fortune in the next venture.

 

[expatinowncountry]

Like many others we love and hate the place. We have some family here and that helps a lot with the kids. There are a lot of activities for our kids and I found people very friendly in general.
The other option for us would be Paris but the math works better for BsAs. The price of comparable real estate per square meter is 5 or 6 times higher in Paris than Buenos Aires. People keep saying how expensive Buenos Aires is and that's true if you are in a local salary. In our case, we get paid the same wherever we live and we still find BA inexpensive (even after adjusting by quality differentials). Here we have a comfortable life with one salary, while in Paris we will need two salaries to be okish. We do miss cheese, wine and other products back home but we stuff our faces with those goodies when visit our family in the old continent.
We are perpetual expats so for us the best place is always the next one.

 

[lamarque]

Yep, love and hate relationship. quote]
definitely Tango country

 

[kenjoachim]

I have been here for nearly eight years, more because my partner is Argentine and he cannot get a visa to live in the USA because immigration laws in the States discriminate and I as a gay male citizen do not have the same rights as a heterosexual citizen has. I also have to say that now it has become impossible to go on in Argentina due to the corruption and how foreigners are constantly targets and victims of opportunistic mentalities. It is a contstant struggle to live in this country with the corruption and also how much energy it requires to get even simple things accomplished. I am constantly repairing or fixing broken things that would be very different back in the States. There is more accountability and controls to protect people. So to answer your question about what is keeping me here now. I invested in this country financially and now I just want my money out of my real estate and to leave. I am tired of living in a country where it feels like there are only problems and I have to live so guarded.

 

[Sockhopper]

And another big thank you to each of you who's posted on this thread to date from someone who thought of my reasons day and night for half a year for retiring in BA this past May and then at the last possible minute substituted France for Argentina.
Because my husband and I will be living on a fixed income and just like one poster above, we too have to budget monthly expenses and don't want a life of juggling our budget around every month. Because there's so many better things to do in BA. Unlike many of you, we don't have family or a business there.

Fortunately, we found a place to stay in France that's across from a pretty park and even better, there's a weekly milonga at a venue only 5 blocks from us!! These were pure luck. We like where we're going enough that we call it the "Buenos Aires of the North".

Your posts are all so from the heart. They really inform readers how important a decision where one will live is. I wish you all the very best!

 

[arlean]

I giggle a bit when people say why do you stay in Argentina with the corruption and the economy and everything, what keeps you from coming back to the States? I think Good Night! Do these people not know what's going on in the States? The corruption is so obvious now I don't see how anyone could still be oblivious. But hmmmm, you know, a nice place in France might be fun! ;D

 

[lucha54]

I giggle a bit when people say why do you stay in Argentina with the corruption and the economy and everything, what keeps you from coming back to the States? I think Good Night! Do these people not know what's going on in the States? The corruption is so obvious now I don't see how anyone could still be oblivious. But hmmmm, you know, a nice place in France might be fun! ;D

For me, it's not about comparing corruption, it's that Argentina is so much more up front about it. Yes, it's corrupt. Yes, everyone has to deal with it. Americans (including my own mother) are in so much denial, and they believe the lies. They have way too much faith in that flawed system. The politicians try to put on this moral/ethical facade; they are just as big of crooks as the Argentine politicians- they just try to hide it better. And they don't do a very good job at that! The hypocrisy in the states is what makes me sick.

 

[ben milne]

first

watching my 3 children grow up in a wonderfully sociable and sane environment and perhaps having a more fruitful childhood than i did in Scotland

although i had a great childhood, i never had 5 mates around every 2 months or so for a sleepover or had pateadas at 15 years old and had a great time with the whole class without alcohol !

also, hockey,football,tennis and even free violin lessons !

again as mentioned, i live in the suburbs 40 km from ba, buenos aires is not argentina


second, argie friends

i have always kept my expat mates to a minimum to truly integrate into argie society

as a result, i have great argie mates with whom i share many asados and just general banter

thirdly, the climate

on the whole, fantastic, especially if you are a scotsman !

 

[Mano Negra]

first

watching my 3 children grow up in a wonderfully sociable and sane environment and perhaps having a more fruitful childhood than i did in Scotland

although i had a great childhood, i never had 5 mates around every 2 months or so for a sleepover or had pateadas at 15 years old and had a great time with the whole class without alcohol !

also, hockey,football,tennis and even free violin lessons !

again as mentioned, i live in the suburbs 40 km from ba, buenos aires is not argentina


second, argie friends

i have always kept my expat mates to a minimum to truly integrate into argie society

as a result, i have great argie mates with whom i share many asados and just general banter

thirdly, the climate

on the whole, fantastic, especially if you are a scotsman !

Not too shoddy if you are an Englishman either! I have far more and would say better friends here than I ever had in London. Your mates are much more prepared to put themselves out for you here, probably because life feels less secure and therefore friendship has more value. Even so, my favourite taxi driver volunteered as my bodyguard today when I had to run round with lots of cash to complete a property purchase, the landlord of my rental apartment takes me round all the building suppliers to make sure I am not overcharged and the Uruguayan furniture restorer up the road gave me an amazing piece of furniture that would have cost thousands of dollars in a shop for the price of a dinner, as he hadn't had to pay for it himself. Life is definitely easier with friends like that!