xxx....and counting.

[SaraSara]

Alzinho has explained his reasons for being in Buenos Aires in other posts. He deserves great credit for choosing to stay, despite his many muggins.

 

[almagestos]

When I said "Condescending know-alls telling you what you're doing wrong", what I really meant was "Condescending know-all (ie. almagestos) telling you what you're doing wrong".

Why are you on this forum for BA expats exactly? You're not an expat and you don't live in BA and all you do is whinge about foreigners and do your best to piss us off. You constantly and arrogantly make wrong assumptions and equally wrong accusations based on those wrong assumptions.

eg 1. I didn't 'choose' Buenos Aires - I'm stuck here for reasons beyond my control, which although talked about elsewhere on this forum, are quite frankly none of your business.
eg 2. 13 of those 16 robberies happened outside of Buenos Aires, in Peurto Iguazu, population - about 50.000.
eg 3. I don't speak anything other than Castellano when I'm out and about in the city, I don't need to study a map on the sidewalk and the only place remotely touristic I've visited since I've been here is the zoo with my 2 year old son.

Now, be a good boy (from your posts it's obvious that you're no more than 14 or 15 years old - my turn to make a wild an unsupported assumption) and go find a forum for Argentinians that don't like BA and just like to whinge at people for the sake of it - try www.arsewipes.com.ar

I'm taking all the sensible precautions I can - the only thing I'm doing wrong....is that I'm a foreigner

And the only thing I´m doing wrong is that I´m argentinian and I´m defending my country...

I was searching information about my country and I found this site... and I think is funny to read how the foreigners come to my country to complaing about EVERYTHING, even about some stupid things as the pizza we eat... 40 pages with messages of people complaing about our pizza or our traditions... come on! if you´re not confortable here move to another country... you´re not a slave, you can search for your own destiny...

By the way the reason of your bad experiences are not your nationality or your face of a gringo, the reason is that everyone can be a victim of those bad experiences, even the foreigners...

I know this is a forum for expats, but... wich is the forum rule that says that the argentinians can´t write here? are you discriminating the argentinians?

I´m 29 years old and I have never been robbed, mugged, etc in Argentina... 29 years of experience so I think I have a little more advantage than you to make critics...

 

[Alzinho]

And the only thing I´m doing wrong is that I´m argentinian and I´m defending my country...

Defending against what? I didn't attack your country in my original post? I only reported what has happened to me. And that happens to highlight a pretty dreadful crime rate....which is indefensible, it's just a fact.

40 pages with messages of people complaing about our pizza

So? That's entirely opinion. Everyone is entitled to their taste and opinion. Although it is informed opinion, by people who have tried pizza in many different places. How often have you tried pizza in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, London, Paris, Madrid, Hong Kong, Delhi, Cairo or Sydney? If you've tried it in at least 4 of those places then I'll totally respect your opinion on the quality of pizza here, ok.

everyone can be a victim of those bad experiences, even the foreigners...

Finally, you do eventually talk some sense! And I've never suggested that this isn't the case - I am only reporting my own personal experiences.

I know this is a forum for expats, but... wich is the forum rule that says that the argentinians can´t write here? are you discriminating the argentinians?

Oh dear....back to your fantasy world of making things up and making false accusations again. Very tiresome....

 

[SaraSara]

I'm Argentine too, and there's no denying that there are lots of robberies and holdups in BA right now. I pay for private security (an old man in an equally old booth in the corner), have iron bars in all windows, pay for an alarm system, and have motion-activated lights in the yard. Sadly, crime (inseguridad) has become a fact of life: my next door neighbor was held up at gunpoint at ten in the evening, when she got out of her car.

It is OK point out the negative aspects of life here; in fact, the worst complainers I know are my BA-born friends and relatives. Some grouching is normal - lets off steam. It's the chronic complainers I don't understand - those without local family ties, who see this country as a dismal dump, and still choose to stay instead of trying to find a place that suits them better.

 

[almagestos]

Defending against what? I didn't attack your country in my original post? I only reported what has happened to me. And that happens to highlight a pretty dreadful crime rate....which is indefensible, it's just a fact.


So? That's entirely opinion. Everyone is entitled to their taste and opinion. Although it is informed opinion, by people who have tried pizza in many different places. How often have you tried pizza in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, London, Paris, Madrid, Hong Kong, Delhi, Cairo or Sydney? If you've tried it in at least 4 of those places then I'll totally respect your opinion on the quality of pizza here, ok.

You said that the crime rife in Argentina... I told you that you´re wrong talking in that way, the crime rife in Buenos Aires (one of the hugest cities in the world - 14.000.000 inhabitants) and I´m pretty sure the crime rife in all the huge cities of the world...

If some people in other country read your comment, they would think that Argentina is like the far west... and that´s not true, Argentina is a very peaceful country... the only place with that kind of problems is Buenos Aires...

And about the pizza of New York, Rome, Paris, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Katmandú, Atlantis and the Andromeda galaxy... whooooo cares? Is food after all and it will be excrement sooner or later, no matter if you eat pizza in the best restaurant of Paris, or in a poor house of Villa 31, you will pass a loaf in the same way... xD

So there´s more interesting things to talk about...


Además eso de que vas a respetar mi opinión sobre las pizzas si al menos comí pizza en no se cuantos países del mundo me sonó a refregada en la cara de que vos conocés muchos lugares y tal vez yo por ser argentino no...

Bueno, así como alardéas por internet seguramente también te gusta mostrar tu hermoso reloj y celular a los pobretones que viajan en los subte no? tal vez por eso te robaron.... ojalá me equivoque...

No lo traduzco porque no se hablar inglés jaja... sorry my english sucks!

 

[ElQueso]

And about the pizza of New York, Rome, Paris, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Katmandú, Atlantis and the Andromeda galaxy... whooooo cares? Is food after all and it will be excrement sooner or later, no matter if you eat pizza in the best restaurant of Paris, or in a poor house of Villa 31, you will pass a loaf in the same way... xD

After nearly 4 years of living in BA, I've finally discovered why the food is so bland and unadventurous for the most part! You all don't really care bout your food!

BTW Almagestos - I've written about this before as far as why some of us don't like Argentinos posting on an EXPAT forum. It's actually easy to understand.

We are here for various reasons. Some are stuck here, some are here because they need to be, many enjoy life here but still have problems adjusting to some of the idiocies that can be encountered here, often for what seems like quite arbitrary reasons.

We aren't on the streets of BA or any other city in Argentina telling Argentinians how awful their country is. Instead, we are on a forum where most of us share the same or similar cultures and are trying to find ways to either blow off steam or figure out how to survive in what, to many of us, is a strange land - we being the strangers.

When we have to worry about offending an Argentino/a who feels like he or she has to defend his or her country, no matter how factual OR opinionated the posts, it takes away from one (but not all, certainly) of the real purposes of this forum.

If you don't like what you read, go somewhere else. I've seen very few things posted in these forums, related to life in Argentina (or Buenos Aires - since this forum is called BAExpats, it is certainly more concentrated on BA itself) that is just downright untrue.

The fact is - there are a much higher percentage of poor people living in and around BA than any other city of its size that I have lived in - with the exception of Rio (note - that's where I have lived. I'm not saying BA is worse than any other city of its size int he world at all). There is more crime than London or New York (or Houston, where I'm from). It's the way it is. Of course, you wouldnt' really know that because 1) there are not enough police patrolling the streets and when crime happens it doesn't get reported nearly as much as a result - why bother and 2) the government lies through its teeth about many (most?) of the statistics it puts out to make things look better than they are.

So take a chill pill and stop trying to defend every little thing that someone says about Argentina/BA. Let us have our forum where we can blow off steam and figure out how to live here so our frustrations don't spill over into real life in front of someone we really don't want to offend.

We don't mind Argentinos posting here as long as we can have our comforts as well - this forum is for expats primarily and certainly locals can help significantly.

 

[sesamosinsal]

Well, Alzinho, if you "look" like a gringo, I feel your pain. I know some people who blend in quite well until they open their mouths. However, my hair, my eyes, my height, and my bone structure just scream gringo, thus I never blend in. I'm fine with that, but it does get irritating. I can't count the amount of times that the folks on the street asking for a monedita intensified their solicitation as I was walking by... Out of my total year or so in Argentina, I've only been robbed three times, if I remember correctly. Only once in the subways. The other times I had a few tequila sunrises in a club and just lost track of my cell phone. ;-)

It's actually a humbling experience. Coming from a country where I have been and still am the norm, Argentina put me in another set of shoes -- the minority.

 

[almagestos]

After nearly 4 years of living in BA, I've finally discovered why the food is so bland and unadventurous for the most part! You all don't really care bout your food!

BTW Almagestos - I've written about this before as far as why some of us don't like Argentinos posting on an EXPAT forum. It's actually easy to understand.

We are here for various reasons. Some are stuck here, some are here because they need to be, many enjoy life here but still have problems adjusting to some of the idiocies that can be encountered here, often for what seems like quite arbitrary reasons.

1- Yeah! who cares about the food! I don´t like to spend my time in the kitchen... I prefer to cook something healthy quickly and then spend my time in another activities...

2- The american food and habits are worse, that´s why is one of the countries with more obesity, so before to critic the food or habits in my country you should try to resolve the problems of obesity in yours...

3- Why you don´t like argentinians posting here?

this is an internet site.... I´m complaining in the ciberspace, there´s no sovereignity in the ciberspace, I´m not complaining in your own homeland but you as your friends are living in my country (searching for some benefits) and complaining about everything... if you can complain about our defects in my own country... I think I can complain about your complains in the ciberspace... after all I´m not in your country...

4- Nobody is here ´cause they must to be here (nobody was called to come here, Did I call you to come to my country?), if they´re here is ´cause they want to be here, maybe ´cause they find everything cheaper than in their countries... you know 1st world services to the prices of the 3rd world...

If I don´t like Afganistan I will not be there ´cause I must to be there... if I go there is ´cause I have some interest in that place... so if some place brings some benefits to you, you must to be grateful and not complain about stupid things...

And If you have bad experiences here go back to your homeland, after all this is not your country see? so easy

I can't count the amount of times that the folks on the street asking for a monedita intensified their solicitation as I was walking by...

Yeah there´s a lot of people asking for moneditas and they don´t ask for moneditas only to the gringos, they ask to everyone... the gringos are minority here, if that people ask for moneditas only to the gringos they will die of hunger...

 

[Liam3494]

And far from wanting to get into this debate, that last post from almagestos is exactly why ElQueso feels that BAExpats should do as it says in the title.

Wonder what The American Soldiers feel about their desire to be out of Afghanistan....

And Food is important, and should be enjoyed, not endured, or rushed, although I do agree with some sentiments about US fast food which is hardly what we try and compare with on this site when we talk food (And Pizza is not what I describe as a fast food).

And just for the record, I go with the flow here, accepting it for what it is, a great place to live, but different to Dublin, as it is from Nairobi or Mumbai, but the red tape in this country will never cease to amaze me.

 

[SaraSara]

After nearly 4 years of living in BA, I've finally discovered why the food is so bland and unadventurous for the most part! You all don't really care bout your food!

As an Argentine, I'll put in my two cents here.

El Queso, it is not that we don't care about our food - we do, and we think it is just great...! You should hear Argentines complain about the food in the US, and even in France and Italy. Why, there's no dulce de leche there...! Not a decent bife de chorizo...!