12/24/10 just after midnight.

It's lucky Santa doesn't get shot down. 

So, this is what it looks like when fireworks are legal - As they are here in Argentina.

200 years!

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Well, the bi-centennial festivities are getting into full swing.  The Pink House is all lit up, there are displays and a food booth for every part of Argentina.  Below are some of the photos taken yesterday. 

9 de Julio and Av de Mayo

Concerts, food, and fun for all.  It seems the entire country is here in my neighborhood to party.  I wish  my camera were better.

Plaza de Mayo:  The Pink House (which is the President's home/workplace)

Directly across the plaza from the Pink House is the Cabildo. Watching the changing of the guards complete with the firing of colonial weaponry. 

I have not even begun to explore the extent of what has been elaborated to celebrate this grand event, and I'm not sure how much they spent on all this but, for a culture with many problems, people are saying the money could have gone to better use elsewhere.

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Off topic

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I've had this song going in my head for the last week.  So I pick up my guitar - someday I'll post one of me playing and singing.  Not today.

You know...

Old School-2

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In my first Old School post, I had a similar shot on a much larger building - taken in 2005.  Now in this post, I am uploading shots taken today.  Yes they have modern scaffolds here (they just arrived), and as a matter of fact, I snapped a photo of a safe scaffold sitting on the groung below these workers.   But, the  police actually walked up and asked me to delete them.  This is the HSBC Tower and it houses the Israeli Consulate - "No Photos!"

REmember what I said about Buenos Aires being a very loud place to live?  Remember to turn down your speakers before hitting play.

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Here are a couple photos, in case you don't want to play the video.

click for a larger image

click for a larger image

click for a larger image

To see where these were taken see Panoramio. 

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It's called the Pimp

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This is a popular restaurant / cafe by my house.  The name, "Cafiolo" means "Pimp" in English.  

The word, if used, in Spanish, really carries a stronger connotation though.  It's more like someone who traffics in sex slaves - a real scum-bag. 

But, nobody gives that a thought as they go in to have tea or grab dinner.

click to see where taken

click to see where taken

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A bit of talent

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Just a short clip of an artist in the middle of Florida Street.  .

(turn down your volume before hitting play)

There are many very tallented people on the streets of Buenos Aires.  I wish I could capture more of them - and I will certainly try. 

Weekends without $

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If you are visiting Argentina, I have a friendly piece of advice.  Make sure to break any $100 peso notes before the weekend. If you want a coke or a hot dog, 95% of the businesses will not change a hundred unless you are buying $60 to $80 worth of products. 

If you only have hundreds, you can't take a taxi, get an ice cream, buy a paper, or any other small purchase.  Going out the door on Saturday with $100 in your pocket is the same as leaving the hotel with no money.

Tip: In an emergency, McDonald's will change your hundred, but they will sneer at you.  That is the only business that believes "A sale is a sale and you should make all the sales you can." - a given in the U.S.

Businesses here would rather not make the sale, than run out of change.  Thinking ahead is generally not a common virtue.

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There's a cure.

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This was taken at a bus stop in the heart of Buenos Aires.  Note the reflection of street traffic.

It says "Breast cancer has a cure - find it before you can feel it."  Obviously, this ad will get the attention of both male and female pedestrians.  Who could ignore a breast the size of a beach ball.

 

click to see where this was taken

One of the things I like about Argentina is that nobody freaks out about these displays.  Nudity is on the cover of many magazines and all over the tabloids as well.  I walk downthe streets with my 5 and 8-year-old boys - they don't even blink.  It doesn't turn their heads at all.  When a society tries to say "No" to something, that is when people pay attention - especially kids. 

One thing that does concern me is that there is no censorship on language broadcast on TV or radio.  This bothers me some because of the kids.  However, I have never heard a bad word from either of their mouths - in English or Spanish.

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Real Hotel

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This Hotel is real and the others are probably fake. 

Real Hotel

Word for the day - covering words you may want to avoid, as their meaning is not the same.

Real or Real

"Real" means "not fake" in English, among other things. 

If you want to say "real" in Spanish, use "de verdad"

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"Real" in Spanish means "Royal" and comes from the root "rey", or "king".

Food for thought...

Hi Freaks

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Just another store front photo.  I would also like to meet their web design guru.  A lot of work went into that site!!

 

http://www.hifreaks.com.ar

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Graffiti

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What's new? What just arrived in Buenos Aires?  Yeah, graffiti.  :(

What I like about  Argentina is, well, everything.  When I arrived here, I was surprised by the strange new culture and I liked almost everything I saw.   There was a list of things that began to annoy me as I became accustomed to my new surroundings.  I never got past a count of  three things, which are; noise (no law no limit), dog crap on the side walk, and uneven side walks.

There was no graffiti, no gangs, no house fires, no extreme heat nor cold, no tornados, no earth quakes, no hurricanes, no flooding to speak of, no traffic problems, no car accidents, no instant bankruptcy upon getting sick, no doctor bills, no rules, no frills, no rush - just take a siesta and worry about that meeting another day. 

I did see some impressive graffiti when I arrived.  But, it was only at election time and always painted by the communist party (trying to get into office).  That's it. 

Most trains have always looked like this. 

Guess what has arrived.  

And it's starting on walls too. 

I hope gangs are not the next American import.  I really don't want my kids being subjected to that pressure.

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Salute

Word for the day - covering words you may want to avoid, as their meaning is not well taken.

Salute or Saludo

Not the same.  

English has one meaning for this word - maybe two.   There is this..

Then there is a 21-gun salute, when someone dies.

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In Spanish there are many. 

"Salud" means health

"Le mando un saludo a Juan." means  "Say 'hi'to John for me."

Saludar (an action) means: Wave, shake hands with, salute, or greet (usually with a kiss)

 

When I see my "ex", she always says "Saludame!" because I don't.  My first try is the American one.  She insists - I next try a wave.  She still insists - I put out my hand.  What she wants is the normal greeting. . .  A kiss on the cheek.   The obvious pun never amuses her.

Food for thought...

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Barfy Brand Burgers

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Would you buy this brand of frozen burger patties?  It's actually a popular brand here in Buenos Aires.   It took a while for me to try them - not bad.  The competitor brand is "Paty" (pronounced "potty" in Spanish).

 

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Senior Citizens

Word for the day - covering words you may want to avoid, as their meaning is not the same.

I'll start this post in a slightly different way.  The word for today,  sounds offensive in politically correct English. I assure you that it is the most respectful way to refer to a Senior or elderly person.   This is one of the surprising cultural  differences.

Actuallly, a Senior Citizen can retire quite comfortably here in Buenos Aires.   For example, a Social Security check for $1500 dollars would translate to AR $5805.00 here.  That's more than double the average wage.  Rent food and bills could be easily be covered with AR $2800 pesos.

 

Ancient or Anciano

In English, this brings up images of pyramids and mummies.  

In Spanish, this is the 'politically correct' word for referring to a Senior Citizen. 

To prove my point, here are the first three sites that come up on Google within Argentina. 

Hogar de Ancianos Juan M. Armbruster

Hagar inteligente para ancianos - Garrafex News

Maravilloso mural en inmediaciones a los hogares de Ancianos y Niños

Things to think about...

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Residency

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I posted on getting work upon arriving in Buenos Aires.   Now let's talk about becoming a resident.  Once you are legal, you will have a national document or ID here in Argentina,  which is called a DNI (Documento Nacional de Identidad).  There are three ways to do that.


1. Get married or have kids here.
2. Get sponsored by a company (I soonsor individuals).
3. Bring your money here to invest in a business.

Brown for us, green for native-born citizens.

If you want to ave a real job with health insurance, benefits, a retirement plan, and indemnification upon leaving the company, you would need a DNI.  

A real job would also allow you to receive the 13th salary, calle "aguinaldo",  which is one month's pay extra per year.  This is a free gift - required by law. Some companies pay half of it in June and the other half in December.  Others pay it all in December - like a Christmas Bonus.

All companies are required to indemnify employees when they lay them off or fire them (nice).  That would be a lump sum upon termination.  That means, the longer you stay, the larger your pay-off.  Actually, people with tenure have job security that can't be beat.  I know of people who would receive upwards of AR$250,000 if they were asked to leave.

There are also Temporary Residents who get limited time to stay based on where they are studying and proof that they are continuing with studies.

I am open to comments and questions. 

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Exit

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Word for today - covering words that look familiar but have an "o" or an "a" at the end.  Meanings aren't even close at times.

Exit or Exito

While 'exit' is a way out and is posted near exterior doors, here the same sign would say 'salida'. 

 Exito means Success, and  Exitado means Excited.

 

click the image for a more detailed view

When you start speaking Spanish, people will laugh when you silly questions like, "where's the success?" or "does this building have emergency success?"

Food for thought...

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Tortoni

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Just a piece of culture.  Since I live three doors down from this famous tourist attraction, I thought I would snap a photo and put Cafe Tortoni "on the map" so they say.   At any time of the day, there are lines of people standing there waiting to get in, shooting photos as they wait.

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click to see where this was taken

Housed in the same building, you will find the National Academy of Tango.  Many times per year, there are stages set up in the streets and people dancing tango to live performances. 

Buenos Aires, Argentina is the world hot spot for the tango. 

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Wait

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Word for the day - covering words which are not specific in their meaning.  

Wait - Hope - Expect or Esperar

Let's say your friend is in the hospital, very sick, and the doctor comes out and tells you...

"Estoy esperando que sobreviva."

This could translate in several ways. . . 

I am waiting to see if he survives. 

I am hoping he survives. 

I am expecting him to survive. 

I think you would have some questions for the doc in order to nail down what he is telling you. 

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Another example - less life or death...

Nobody likes to wait in line at the bank, but it's quite likely that there will be a line.  I say...

"Espero esperar, pero espero que no"

   or

I expect to wait, but I hope I don't have to.

There are examples of words with several meanings in English too.   We have fun with them and call it a 'pun'.   People here in Argentina are rarely amused  by these examples, but I have seen misunderstandings between native speakers.   I have learned that it's best not to bring it up. 

Food for thought...

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Hippies still exist

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Just a shot of a small store near Belgrano Station.  The clothing they sell looks quite normal, and I have not heard of people called 'Hippies' since coming to Buenos Aires.  They do usually forget the double consonants when replicating English.

click to see where this was taken

       The translation;  Happy Spring Time - Hippie Outlet

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Fake money

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Can you tell a fake bill? You may not have even seen an argentine note until you get taken at the airport currency exchanges - let's avoid that...

Here is a real $100 bill AR.  

Three things to look at :

the green number 100

the empty white space below it

the up and down 'dash' marks' sewn into the paper. 

The number...

click to see larger image

click to see larger image

When you look at the bill straight on, the number will be a brilliant gren. 

When you turn the bill away from you, changing the angle, it's deep blue. 

that's a true bill

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Next...

What appears to be tin foil, sewn into the paper  ( you cant see it form the other side)...

And the empty where the red serial numbers are...

click to see larger image

Watch what happens as we hold it up to the light. (as every cashier in town does - you will see upon arrival)

click to see larger image

If you click the above image, you will see enough detail in the picture to see that the dashed silver line now turns solid and says clearly "BCRA $100"  all across the bill.  (Banco Central de la  Republica Argentina $100). 

You will also see the face of the president "la sombra" or "watermark" showing through (which cannot be seen from either side, but only when light passes through the bill.

There are a lot of fake bills and many ways to detect them - non are fool proof, but these three will keep you out of trouble.  If you get one that does all of this - it's a good fake and you can spend it anywhere.   There is no chance of getting arrested for passing fake bills.  They just hand it back to you and ask for a different one.

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Diversion

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Word for the day - covering words you may want to avoid, as their meaning is not the same.

Diversion or Diversion

 

One is a deceptive act to take one's mind off the planned objective, and the other means 'fun'.

Tuvimos una noche de diversion = We had a fun night. 

 

Food for thought...

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Shocking

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Just down the street from my flat.  I wonder what they want to tell the customers.  Most people in Argentina understand the meaning of the word 'shock' in English.  Maybe you can get your electo-shock treatment and a new hair style all in one shot. 

 

click image to see where it was taken

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Quote

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Word for the day - covering words you may want to avoid, as their meaning is not the same.

Quote or Cuota

Quota or Cuota

The Spanish word "cuota" has nothing to do with its English couterparts. 

Cuota = Payment, as in how many payments you will have to make on a car or a home. 

Interesting that you can choose to pay for anything on a payment plan, including: groceries, services, dinner, TV's, computers, appliances, etc.  

If you want to say, "Give me a quote on painting my house", use "presupuesto".

If you want a quote on your home's value, use "tasacion".

If you want to talk about a sales quota, use "objectivo de ventas" .

Incidentally, most words that begin with "qu" would begin with "cu" in Spanish

quality-calidad / quantity-candidad / quarantine-cuarentena

quarters-cuarto / qualify-calificar / question-cuestion

Food for thought...

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Our daily bread...

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These photos were taken all over the city of Buenos Aires.  I have seen this kind of 'Old School' bread delivery method out in the suburbs as well.   I thought it strange when I arrived and still today. 

Outside the bakery, waiting to get rolling

click image to see where it was taken

 A different bakery - another part of town

 

click image to see where it was taken

click image to see where it was taken

Still another right outside my door

click image to see where it was taken

Just so you know, once you get past the fact that the bread sat on the side walk in a bag and that it was brought by a bike in the open air,  it's actually some of the best bread I have had. 

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Preservatives

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Word for the day - covering words you may want to avoid, as their meaning is not the same.

Preservatives or Preservativos

First and foremost, Argentinian food products don't have preservatives as a general rule.  The meat here is fresh and very tasty.  But, we have to be careful when talking about these qualities in Spanish.  

If you are talking about a can of corn, and you ask, "tiene preservativos?"

They will hear "Does this can of corn have condoms in it?"

The right word would be "conservantes".

Preservatives = Conservantes

Condoms = Preservativos

Food for thought...

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Getting in

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Valentines day being over with,  I hope you all had a lot of love shared between you and yours.  If you had any difficulties in that area, here is a suggestion. 

There is a brand of "love" related products here in Buenos Aires that could solve your problems.  The words they chose seem to make it clear that you will be successful. 

I went into a pharmacy to buy aspirin, and while waiting in line, I snapped these photos.  I don't mean this blog to be off color in any way.  This is, after all, a different culture.  

click to see the map of where I took this

As you can see, I was in line to pay for my purchase.  This is where they have the products that you may need - last minute things.   These are "preservativos" or condoms.  One brand in particular caught my attention. 

 

click to see where I snapped this picture

This is real, as are all the other strange pictures I have taken here over the years.  This blog is just a place to put them, so you can see what I see in the streets and in the stores. 

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Don't have to

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Word for the day - covering words you may want to avoid, as their meaning is not the same.

Don't have to... or No tienes que...

"You don't have to go."  (you can if you want - it's optional)

"No tienes que ir." (you shouldn't go - it's not a good idea)

This morning my son, who is a bilingual 8-year-old, was talking about going to the park.  He said, "We don't have to forget my skate board."   I spent a few minutes explaining his mistake.  Now, we are off to have fun with his new friends who are supposed to teach him some tricks!

Food for thought. . .

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Acid Bar

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Word for today -  This sign was etched into the glass based on the assumption that "acido" translated to the same word in English.  Not so.

click image for map

The translation, in this case, might have worked if English words were to rely on context and lots of assumptions for their meaning.

"Acido" - depending on context, means:

- Acid - Citrus - Sour - 

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Receipt

Word for the day - covering words you may want to avoid, as their meaning is not well taken.

Receipt or Receta

These are not the same.

If you want a receipt, you will need to use one of several words here...

recibo   (a hand written receipt)

tiquet or ticket   (what comes out of the store register)

comprobante   (proof of purchases)

factura    (a legal receipt)

If you use the word receta, you will be talking about...

prescription  (medical)

recipe (for cooking)

Food for thought if you are visiting...

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Netbooks?

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Have you heard of Netbooks?  I think they sell them in Buenos Aires, but they also sell last year's model, and those from a few years back.

I took this picture yesterday.  Are those Netbooks in the window?  What's that on the white table -lower left?  Today's Special! (I have a close up below).

click images to see where this store is

close up...

the tape is so that nobody steals this monster

Argentina usually catches up with the rest of the world, oh, 30 years later.  Yes, I have seen institutions using these dinosaurs - they also stamp everything.  The banks sound like construction zones - as they pound away stamping checks.

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This store is located 1 block from the Obelisco, in the heart of downtown Buenos Aires.

Thus, the name - translated "Obelisco Office Supply"

 

Sorry about the picture quality - I took them on a whim

Here are some other photos of the same store in case you want to call them and ask for the current prices on any of these beauties. (click the images to enlarge)

Come on!!! - Comments anyone?

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Regular

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Word for the day - covering words you may want to avoid, as their meaning is not well taken.

Regular or Regular

In English, you can say, "I'm a regular customer"
In Spanish, "Soy un cliente regular" will translate back to mean...

I am a scum-bag customer.


If your child brings you a report card, and the comment section states 'regular' - he is a trouble maker.

I blew a job interview once, while trying to be modest, stating, "I'm just a regular guy."  The interview was in Spanish.  They heard "I'm just a dirt-ball."

There are cases where the word "regular" does actually mean the same as in English, but make sure you know when and how to use it correctly.

Food for thought. . .

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Office Space

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As I stated in my first post most apartments and office are offered for rent with bare walls and no appliances.  I know of one place where you can sit down and get to work.

It's run by an American friend of mine, Tom, who does things the other way around.  He rents office space which is not only centrally located (in the heart of downtown), but also offers everything you need to start working 5 minutes after you rent. 

www.argenesys.com

Rent is all inclusive, global phone service, internet, computer (if needed), meeting rooms, - you name it.  His prices are very reasonable as well.   Here are a couple photos of his place. 

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