Would You?

I'm returning back to Argentina after >10 years. I understand your situation and concerns, I went through them in my head many many times. My entire family is in Argentina (except my wife she is from the states) and to me being close to them is an important point. I have a good job here (university), and I could get a better one, but I decided to return in the next few months ( it helps that I already have job waiting for me in Argentina ;) ).... Good luck!
 
I have family there and my son is there too. He came to visit Texas and really didn't care much for the lifestyle here. It really is way different, especially becuase I live the typical American life in the suburbs... I just wish things weren't so uncertain in Argentina.
 
Stay in the US. Don't lose valable years in Argentna. You will earn third world wages without the benefits of being able to travel or enjoy all that a first world counry can give you. Despite what someone here said, running a business is very hard in Argentna. Everything from high taxes, very complicated labor laws, ridiculous importation laws, a terribly unstable economy, unpredicatable government and a poor work ethic make running a business very very stressful - and the financial benefits can not begin to compare with what you can earn in the US with savings, Social Security and possibly pension at the end of the road if you stay in the US. I'd be very surprised if your family in Argentina didn't tell you these things and discourage you from making the move.
 
Don't burn your ships there, ask for a sabatical, or a leave of absence, lease your flat (if you own one), store the furniture. The future for your children is so much greater in the USA. Will you be able to live with that...!!
 
I wouldn't want my children to grow up in a culture so sexist as in Argentina.
 
Hey Julieta,

So Argentina has changed a lot since you left. I doubt you'll find it as appealing as before. Society is divided, the economy is slowly but surely stagnating and crime and the black market are soaring. I would only come back if i could assure myself a dollar denominated income. The entrepreneur thing works if you have an e-business, you keep your US bank account and get people to deposit there directly. I'm sure there are loopholes, but you will have to be a different person to take full advantage of them.

I would like to know what Montauk_Project is doing, but i doubt it's for everyone.

I work in finance also and i must say it's a shrinking market. IT only makes sense if you are a recent grad or a managing director with contacts to exploit. There are slim opportunities in the middle. Most of the sector is moving to Chile and Brazil. To live comfortably you will need a net 20K a month plus salary if it's just you, and you will need a guaranteed 30% raise per year.

On a weekly basis you will need to cope with the following:

Blackouts (ever more and longer duration)
Strikes (increasing with inflation)
Worsening public transportation (es como estar en una lata de sardinas)
Razing costs (on taxis, buses, ABL, luz, gas, prepaga, etc.) once and sometimes twice a year.
Crime (more knife and firearm related robbery)
Anarchists (people who burn cars in the street)
Beggars (lots and everywhere)
Trapitos (pay between 5 – 100 pesos to park your car depending on where you go)
No FX market – you have to pay around 8 pesos for every dollar and rising (cuevas)
Less and less electronics at 100% mark up.
No foreign brands on white ware and no parts for maintenance
To get something fixed its 100 pesos to look 1200 to fix no matter what it is.
Cars are at least 120K pesos for a safe model with ABS and so on.
Going out is expensive (50 to 80 pesos a drink; 150-300 to eat out; concerts in the 800 plus range)
Travel is expensive 1500 pesos airplane tickets locally with delays etc.
And the looming uncertainty of a 2001 crash in the next 2 to 3 years

My advice is the following:

Wait till after the next presidential election (two years) and then decide.

Or find a finance job in Chile that is growing and many friends in finance are there enjoying life and their job with no worries. This is probably the best option. Get your LATAM connections in finance and monitor closely the situation here. Also you can visit more often and ski at Cerro Catedral with your son. Win-Win.
 
Voiceofreason said:
Hey Julieta,

So Argentina has changed a lot since you left. I doubt you'll find it as appealing as before. Society is divided, the economy is slowly but surely stagnating and crime and the black market are soaring. I would only come back if i could assure myself a dollar denominated income. The entrepreneur thing works if you have an e-business, you keep your US bank account and get people to deposit there directly. I'm sure there are loopholes, but you will have to be a different person to take full advantage of them.

I would like to know what Montauk_Project is doing, but i doubt it's for everyone.

I work in finance also and i must say it's a shrinking market. IT only makes sense if you are a recent grad or a managing director with contacts to exploit. There are slim opportunities in the middle. Most of the sector is moving to Chile and Brazil. To live comfortably you will need a net 20K a month plus salary if it's just you, and you will need a guaranteed 30% raise per year.

On a weekly basis you will need to cope with the following:

Blackouts (ever more and longer duration)
Strikes (increasing with inflation)
Worsening public transportation (es como estar en una lata de sardinas)
Razing costs (on taxis, buses, ABL, luz, gas, prepaga, etc.) once and sometimes twice a year.
Crime (more knife and firearm related robbery)
Anarchists (people who burn cars in the street)
Beggars (lots and everywhere)
Trapitos (pay between 5 – 100 pesos to park your car depending on where you go)
No FX market – you have to pay around 8 pesos for every dollar and rising (cuevas)
Less and less electronics at 100% mark up.
No foreign brands on white ware and no parts for maintenance
To get something fixed its 100 pesos to look 1200 to fix no matter what it is.
Cars are at least 120K pesos for a safe model with ABS and so on.
Going out is expensive (50 to 80 pesos a drink; 150-300 to eat out; concerts in the 800 plus range)
Travel is expensive 1500 pesos airplane tickets locally with delays etc.
And the looming uncertainty of a 2001 crash in the next 2 to 3 years

My advice is the following:

Wait till after the next presidential election (two years) and then decide.

Or find a finance job in Chile that is growing and many friends in finance are there enjoying life and their job with no worries. This is probably the best option. Get your LATAM connections in finance and monitor closely the situation here. Also you can visit more often and ski at Cerro Catedral with your son. Win-Win.
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. Are you living in BsAs, because that in NOT the world I'm living in BsAs?
Nancy
 
Hi Julieta, I would like to give you a long answer, but I'll just tell you this: I came back to Argentina 4 years ago (spent 12 years abroad) and only now I am fully adjusted and somewhat happy to be here. It's taken me lot of energy, patience and resignation to get to this point.

The pros: knowing I am here to support my parents as they get old, raising my kids in a culture that is still about friendship and affection above all else.

The cons: everything else. Depending on the day, I wake up knowing that if my kids, my husband or myself ever get seriously hurt in a robbery, ridiculous traffic accident, or a loose sign falling over our heads, I will never forgive myself...
 
To live comfortably you will need a net 20K a month plus salary if it's just you, and you will need a guaranteed 30% raise per year.
Click to expand...



What? Do you eat at La Brigada every night? You do not need near 20k a month to live comfortably in my opinion.

Going out is expensive (50 to 80 pesos a drink; 150-300 to eat out; concerts in the 800 plus range)
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Again, I wonder where you go out. A pint of good stout usually costs AR$25-35, which is pretty pricey if you're not using Xoom. You can get a drinkable bottle of wine in a restaurant for under AR$80 too. I'm going to Andrew Bird next week -- a major artist now and tickets cost AR$250.

I could continue to be contrarian with some of your other statements, but just goes to show that there is a wide range of experiences among foreigners living here.

I'd say to the poster to come down for a visit, put some feelers out and see how it goes and then make a decision.
 
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