Metrobus, Buenos Aires, and Other Improvements

Driving in Argentina is another of my pet peeves. Yes, I love living here and proof of that love is not ignoring the ugly side.

The city, finally, has started to invest in infrastructure. Since I have been here it has looked like it has just been forgotten.

Now they actually have construction crews on the streets; they have reversed traffic flows on some streets. In Palermo there used to be three streets in between Honduras and Cordoba that all went in the same direction. I never understood what genius set that up to begin with.

They are working on a relief tunnel to help combat the flooding along Juan B. Justo. This one directly affects me as well since we get flooded on a yearly basis.



They started building bike lanes in the city; expanding the subways; putting more and more tasks on line so you don´t have schlep your way downtown and stand in lines; gave the citizens the ability to take pictures of drivers breaking the law and turning those pictures in!

It´s as if the city is starting to wake up from a very long slumber and hopefully this is just the very beginning.

There is still much to do and to improve. Meanwhile, I like what I am finally seeing and there will be a little bit less ugly to ignore or at the very least, I might not have to invest in hip waders anymore.

Goodbye Democrats Abroad!

Hopefully yesterday was the very last meeting that I participate in with this organization.

For those that know me, it's common knowledge that I did not have such a great time these last two years with regards to Democrats Abroad.

However, I can't help but be grateful for those that, two years ago, took the time to vote me into office.

I wish I could have done more for you.

The people who attended the meeting got a peek into some of the craziness that I have put up with for the past two years.

The ones that showed up to the bar afterwords got more of the details.

I am glad I got to get some of that off my chest at Sugar Bar. I was really happy to see quite a few people show up to have a beer with us.

I also feel pretty bad for those that showed up. Not enough of us made it to the meeting and we needed 25 people to reach a quorum. Sadly, we got up to about 19 people.

I also feel pretty bad for the three brave souls who ran for office.

I wish I could have done more for you too.

As for what's going to happen next with Democrats Abroad Argentina, I don't have a clue. Yanqui Mike has promised to look into the matter and let us all know.

Meanwhile, I am going to take some distance for a while and try to reflect on my DAA experience.

The Informed Customer?

Fernando of BA Cast brings up a great point about another difference between Argentina and the USA in his response to one of my posts.

"I don't know if Argentina is too efficient, but the customer-server communication works in a different way . One in which the former has a little more responsibility in informing his or her tastes, preferences, and recommendations...if you want a particular beer, it's up to you to ask: "¿have you got beer X, beer on tap, whatever?" if you order a piece of meat without clarifying anything, it comes "a punto" (is that "medium"? I always get lost with those scales)...if you want it some other way, you ask in advance."--Fernando

And I agree that the customer would need to clarify what they want when they order. My original point though was that in some of the more traditional cervecerías the only thing you get to choose is the size of the glass or the size of the bottle that you want to buy.


But, you get no choice as to the beer because they only have one.


In any case, his response did jar another point of difference that I had forgotten about.


A long time ago, one of my friends offered to help me replace the front door to my parents house. We went out and bought the door and obviously it came with everything. What I mean by everything is that it came with a door frame, knobs and a locking system, a door bottom, and a still for example.


Here you just get a door. It gives you the freedom to buy everything else and customize it, but you have to know that it´s going to be that way and you obviously need a little more knowledge if you are going to go about installing a door.


But this also extends to other things. For example, when I first got here and I looked around for unfurnished apartments to rent I was surprised by seeing the holes in the ceiling and the walls where there should have been light fixtures.


At the very most, sometimes there was a bare light bulb hanging by a wire.


When people bug out of an apartment or a house here they literally take everything with them.


As to Fernando´s experience with his first New York Bagel, he got me there. We do tend to want to create the biggest, and the best and are driven to include whatever can be included in a package. However, it might have been just a language/cultural misunderstanding.


You can order a plain bagel with nothing on it (exactly like that or a plain bagel, dry) and you should be able to get it. Or, you could order a blueberry bagel with nothing on it, etc.


When I started traveling to the states with my Argentine family I saw that they would try to order a toast, dry, but they did not know how. Since they started hanging out with me they have become experts at asking for dry toast.


So Fer, maybe one day we could find ourselves in New York and I would gladly go with you where you can order your 2nd New York bagel, and if you felt a little adventurous you wouldn´t be limited to a plain bagel.


No sir, you could try Blueberry, Poppy Seed, Onion, Apple Nut, Banana Nut, Cheese Pizza, Cinnamon Raisin, Cranberry Walnut Orange, Honey Oat, Jalapeño and Sharp Cheddar, Parmesan Basil, Pumperknickel, Spinach and Monterey Jack Cheese, Whole Wheat, etc.


I could go on for quite a while longer. And of course, Yanqui Mike lampooned that side of the USA quite accurately in his comment on our last post.


Maybe we could talk about it over a beer?

Customer-Server communication

Guest Post by Fernando of BA Cast:responding to my post "Is Argentina Too Efficient?"

OK, here's my move, Frank:

I don't know if Argentina is too efficient, but the customer-server communication works in a different way . One in which the former has a little more responsibility in informing his or her tastes, preferences, and recommendations...if you want a particular beer, it's up to you to ask: "¿have you got beer X, beer on tap, whatever?" if you order a piece of meat without clarifying anything, it comes "a punto" (is that "medium"? I always get lost with those scales)...if you want it some other way, you ask in advance.

I remember feeling like a moron in a bagel store in Manhattan, because I wanted A bagel. Un bagel. I wanted to try my first NY bagel, plain, a secas, sin nada, no toppings. How would I know how it really tastes if I attack it with cream cheese, bacon, eggs, peanut butter, chocolate? It took me three times to make the guy understand I just wanted A PLAIN BAGEL WITH NOTHING ELSE, NOT EVEN TOASTED. And it wasn't a language thing: the staff were all Spanish-speaking. They just wouldn't compute the request: "One bagel, please"...

If I want it with something on top, or toasted, or filled, it's in my interest to ask that. If they sell bagels, or beer for that matter, they should give me one. No questions asked.

In Truco language, I just gave my "Quiero Retruco", to your "Truco".

(Truco's a card game, that's all about teasing, lying and bluffing, like Poker but much, much funnier)

Hello 2011!

Yes, these are fireworks. Nothing dramatic happens, except that this firework show lasted for over an hour (about 1 hour and 15 minutes)!