"Better late than never" is what some unknown author in history said for some reason I don't know; nevertheless it is most definitely relevant to this situation. For those of you who aren't friends with me on Facebook, who don't follow me on Twitter and have therefore been living under a rock for the last two weeks, I will allow you to "ketchup" to my international dealings as of late. I am currently abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina studying the Spanish language. As you could imagine, my anxiety prior to my departure was at an all time high. I had never traveled abroad before, unless you count Cozumel, Mexico which might as well be my back yard. Luckily, my friends and family were at hand to give me good, "tranquil" advice by recounting the tragic events from the box office hit "Taken", the television special "Locked Up Abroad" and a slew of other accounts from their personal story book of "worst-things-that-could-possibly-happen-to-me-while-walking-down-the-street-in-a-foreign-country". Thanks guys...you really made me less paranoid-_-. Well, I'm happy to inform everyone that, clearly since you're reading this entry, I made it safely through customs and across the international border to Argentina without trouble. *Praise break*
Exchanging Money
Now, let's get to the good stuff. I'll break each experience down into sections beginning with the exchange rate. Officially, the exchange rate is 4.5 to 1, which basically means for every American dollar one will receive 4.5 pesos(Argentine currency). There isn't much more to explain about exchanging money in Argentina...legally:)
Food/Restaurants
Argentine cuisine requires a very open-minded type of consumer. The
carne or meat
empanadas are my favorite food so far. They typically range from 5 to 5.50 pesos or a little over a dollar in American terms. Not bad for a snack between classes. Another popular entree is the
parrilla. A
parrilla consists of a variety of grilled meat, mostly pork, and is accompanied by salad and french fries. Depending on the restaurant, a
parrilla averages about 95 pesos, or $18, and feeds about 3 people. Finally, there is a delicacy known as
chori-pan. It consists of a large pork sausage garnished with lettuce, tomato, a fried egg, cheese and toasted bread. You can find
chori-pan at any street vender and they cost about 15 pesos or $3.
Grocery Shopping
While it would be nice to eat out every night, that can get expensive. Lucky for me, my roommate and I split the costs of groceries. On just about every street, there is a
verdularia/fruteria or fresh fruit and vegetable store. These places sell fresh fruits and vegetables for reasonable prices. Also dully noted are stores referred to as "
chinos" or grocery stores run by Chinese immigrants. I'm not gonna lie, I was quite surprised when one of them started speaking Spanish to me! Finally there are chain grocery stores such as Disco, Coto or Dia. They're just like any other grocery store, however, they are much more simplified compared to American grocery stores. On average, a weeks worth of groceries can be purchased for about 100 pesos which equates to about $20! Not bad for two people to split, eh?
Transportation
Surprisingly, most people use public transportation to travel from place to place. Buses run every hour on the hour and can take you pretty much anywhere in Buenos Aires. On average, the cost to ride the bus is 1.25 pesos. Another form of transportation is the
Subte or subway. It's a much faster means of travelling and because of its convenience it costs a little bit more to use; only about 2.50 pesos. Riding the train is also an option but only to certain places in Buenos Aires. It costs about 1.10 pesos. Finally, there are taxis which are the most expensive means of transportation. During the day, drivers start the meter at 7.30 pesos and for each additional meter 0.73 pesos is added. At night, the meter is started at 8.50 pesos. While it is a hassle sometimes, taxis in Buenos Aires are far less expensive than American taxi drivers.
The Language
To the experienced learner, there are many different dialects of Spanish but to the inexperienced listener Spanish is just Spanish. In Argentina and several Spanish-speaking countries, Castilian is spoken instead of "true Spanish". There are several different pronunciations in Spanish spoken in Buenos Aires that I noticed immediately. First, replacing the "tu" pronoun is the "vos" pronoun. For example, instead of saying "Y tu?" one would say "Y vos?". Of course, in changing the pronoun the verb conjugation changes as well. Normally, the phrase "How are you?" is translated in Spanish as "Como estas?"; however, in Buenos Aires the Spanish phrase is "Como sos?" where "sos" replaces "estas". Secondly, the pronunciations of the double L's in Spanish is changed from a "yuh" sound to a "shh" sound in Buenos Aires. For example, the word for street is "calle" and is pronounced "cai-yay"; however, in Buenos Aires "calle" is pronounced "cai-shay". Muy diferente!
My "WHAT THE FRENCHTOAST" Moments
1. You have to pay for water in a restaurant. Gone is the luxury of being cheap and just ordering a water to drink with your meal. Either you pay or you're just gonna be parched for the entire meal.
2. The only sandwiches that exist are ham and cheese. THAT'S IT! Turkey, tuna and chicken salad sandwiches DO NOT exist here. Why you may ask? Because they're too expensive.
3. There is unsettling obsession with staring at every single African American female that walks down the street. Granted the majority of the race is of European decent, however, doesn't make me feel any more comfortable. The men are extremely friendly, often times wanting a kiss. Oh.....ok...I don't know you sir-_-.
Congreso Nacional
Petting a female lion at the Zoologico de Lujan
Eating my first Arrepa at the Colombian Independence Day Fair
Sleeping with the angles in the third largest cemetery in the world
