I belong to a group on Facebook that consists of expats living in Córdoba.
As new people move to Córdoba and stumble upon the group, there are a few standard questions that get asked, especially by us Americans.
Perhaps the most popular is – “Where can I get bacon like we have in the US?” Great question.
Much to my dismay, one group member has perfectly summed up the answer to this meat riddle in three little words – “In the US”.
Some Background
While I’m Argentina I’m making a living doing web design and web development.
My current strategy is to find clients via Elance. I’m brand new to that site so although I’ve got the talent to develop amazing websites and apps, I still need to build up my online reputation.
In the time during my work day when I’m not doing business development or working an actual client engagement, I focus on building a web app that I created called Vizzy Guitar.
Every apartment or house I’ve been to in Córdoba has a bidet.
As an American you might not even be familiar with what these things are. Essentially, it’s a toilet shaped sink located right next to the actual toilet that has the marvelous ability to squirt a jet of warm water upwards, cleansing anything that sits upon it’s magical throne.
With zero bidet experience in my life I was a little hesitant to jump on board. For the first 6 months of my bathroom experiences here in Argentina, my bidet remained idle. Then, realizing that real growth only happens outside of your comfort zone, I decided it was time to start living a bidet-filled life.
What is the etiquette with these things?
The sweet smell of fresh baked bread emanating from the panederias.
The broken, narrow sidewalks.
The melodic, sing-song Spanish of the locals.
The meriendas.
Sites like AirBnB and Trulia have conditioned us Americans to expect nothing but amazing apartment photography.
Crystal clear and shining photos that make you want to stay at that apartment regardless of the price.
Sifting through the search results on those sites produces excellent photo after excellent photo. Each with their wide lens, perfect lighting, and high appeal.
The apartments are always clean and orderly. Showing off the best side of the place and enticing visitors to want to stay there.
To demonstrate here is a small sample set of photos off of AirBnB for San Francisco apartments.
After spending 9 months in Argentina I found myself back in the United States during the entire 2014 World Cup.
While I desperately wished I could have stayed in Argentina to soak up the World Cup spirit, family matters dictated that I return to my motherland. Those thoughts only intensified when Argentina nearly won the whole thing.
Being back in the US where soccer might not even crack the top 5 most popular sports was a culture shock in and of itself. But watching ever single World Cup game (great time to be unemployed) from the USA gave me a perspective into why soccer is more exciting in Latin America.
Here’s what I think.
When I went back to college for my sophomore year at Cal I brought with me my Mom’s old nylon string acoustic guitar and a burning desire to learn how to play it.
Nirvana’s “Come as You Are” was the 1st song I learned to play. Followed by Led Zeppelin’s “Baby I’m Gonna Leave You”. And then Green Day. Lots of Green Day.
Back then my friends showed me how to play the songs. Fast forward 10 years and I’m still learning to play songs albeit with a much larger breadth of tools available for use.
When I learn a song on guitar there several very handy resources that I use –
I guess it was only a matter of time.
I’ve heard story after story of fellow traveler detailing the particulars of how it goes down but never had it happened to me despite being on the continent of South America for nearly a full year of my thirty-four.
One full year and zero mugging incidents. Until now.
My parents came to Buenos Aires to visit me. It was their first time in Argentina so I planned an adventure full of all the touristic hot spots – Palermo, Boca, Retiro, San Telmo, and the fateful Recoleta where this story takes place.
Today is my little sister’s birthday. Happy Birthday!
This year for her birthday I wrote an original song with lyrics inspired by her Instagram and Facebook photos. The song is called “Ambaalam” based on her moniker on Instagram.
I had been working on the song for weeks however I did 80% of the work today, on her actual birthday. That deadline was the motivation.
If the melody and rhythm sound familiar, I borrowed them from a band I like called Mayday Parade.
In Argentina the tourist visa is good for 90 days. This visa can be renewed by leaving and re-entering the country however given that I find myself in the center of the country in Córdoba that’s not always an option.
Today I extended my visa at the immigration office in Córdoba using these 32 simple steps.
Simple as that.