Why Does Everyone Here Seem To Hate Buenos Aires So Much?

[Iznogud]

Observant, yes. Angry, no use for it.

Enjoy yours too.

 

[NYKate]

I guess I have been very lucky. I am functional en castellano and I always have people helping me with my words and such. I know a lot of the shop keepers in my neighborhood and they go out of their way to greet me. And I do feel a bit of an authority on pizza since I am from Chicago. Buenos Aires pizza is the best. Way better than Chicago! New York pizza? Sorry, New York! Lastly, I really enjoy my Argentine friends here. They are amazing and very loving and a lot of fun.

Oh James! Please don't make this another pizza thread!!

 

[jdr7137]

Please make it a pizza thread, I'm dying for some NY style, like what you get in Naples not the crap you get in Rome, thin crust without a monton of cheese - where the crust, sauce, and cheese all come together into a magical new deliciousness. I don't live in BsAs but next time I'm there I'll would consider seeking some out if it does exist.

 

[cbonanni]

Food ? Again ? My how everyone seems so obsessed with food. Why can't everyone just like what they want , without being so critical of those things which they do not like. There has to be more to a discussion about what people like and/or dislike (NOT HATE !) about Bs As than food.

Went sailing on the river all day Sunday. Then anchored up in a little river in the delta. Nice Lunch , drank wine , had great conversations with great friends. What can anyone possibly dislike about such a wonderful day ? I said it earlier in this thread. I love Buenos AIres.

You make your life what it is. If you want to be a complainer , trust me , I am not listening to you !!

 

[Aleina Dee]

They are many things I enjoy and I have some terrific friends here, but my main gripe after living here a quarter of my life is the level of personal dishonesty. Sometimes I purchase something, get told an inflated price, then send a friend in after me to see what price they are given and bust the seller. Usually if I suspect I was overcharged, it turns out to be true. Yesterday I paid 40 a kilo for something that my Argie friend was given a price of 29/kilo for. I don't want to be a complainer but when it happens on a daily basis, it gets to you. Local friends say it happens to them too. It doesn't come naturally to distrust everyone for me, but that has been one part of my assimilation.

La guachita,that does happpen to everyone in verdulerias.If you are a regular you get treated differently but you need to invest time in creating a relationship and it is not always possible.Periodically you need to change verduleria for a while to stay popular at your regular one.If Ifind a price inflated I usually make a joke about oh dear is that a drought or inundation inflated price? My German accent notwithstanding it often leads to a conversation about wholesale prices and you being seen as the informed one who will be aware of what things cost.Sorry ,this was long but it goes too little tricks that make life easier.Earning respect is very important here and is an individual thing,whereas a lot of us now come from cultures where the threat of a complaint to an 0800 number earns us said respect.

 

[Gringoboy]

Judging a place by the quality of its pizza and ice cream seems a little 'stuck in the box' to me.

 

[Illinoisjoe]

+1 in favor of the OPs use of the word "hate". I don't think it's that out of place in either language. I have native English speaking friends for whom that is an hourly part of their vocabulary, though we sometimes tease them for it. Hating a person can reasonably be considered a bit strong and offensive, but it's quite normal to say "I hate it here," "I hate the pizza here.", etc. where I come from. I would also point out that the OP tempered her title with "why to people here SEEM TO HATE BsAs" not "Why do people here HATE BsAs?". Maybe we need a poll? Is there anyone on this thread who would cop to "hating" (in their own words) BsAs? To me, it seems like some of you should be saying yes, based on your comments.

To me, Iznogood is being a bit of a language snob and distracting from the actual content of the OP.

 

[Iznogud]

To me, Iznogood is being a bit of a language snob and distracting from the actual content of the OP.

 

[Illinoisjoe]

NO SOUP FOR YOU!!

As long as I can have pizza and ice cream. I hate soup in the summer time anyway

 

[Thereandbackagain]

And the pizza-bashing is something i seriously dont understand. I lived in USA and pizza there is actual crap. Lived in Italy and the best pizza wasnt as good as some pizzas in Buenos Aires (one guy said this in other forum and you guys wanted to lynch him!!!).
BA really does have little offer in food and we have A LOT to learn from USA in that respect, but beef, pizza and ice cream....are you joking?? People in the food thread didnt even wanna recognize ice creams here are delicious!!!

Yesl, that was me. I never imagined getting called an A55hole because I like Pizza and Ice cream here better than in Italy. Until that post it was fun for me to try to help others with advices after 6 years of experience here. Especially since I got too a lot of help in the beginning from others and still am so thankful for that. However, currently I do not feel any need anymore to post here (except this one).

Coming back to your original question: I have to admit I am too a little dissapointed. I think it is such a great city that in the beginning someone from a "norther" country may think that it is sort of a "perfect" city. Then, after a while, the negative aspects get discovered piece by piece and may lead to sort of a continuously dissapointment. People are negative not because they hate BsAs, they are negative because they _want_ to like it and the city makes it sometimes very difficult.

Personally I am in the process of leaving too. But this has more to do with my company and the impossibility of importing necessary tools / the high price and the pressure of global competition. I want to come back one day because I love the people and the lifestyle when the political landscape changed.