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Yes, I know, it's already a year! A great and safe year spent in Buenos Aires...and actually, touring a lot around Buenos Aires too.
The story didn't start last year. I had wanted for years to spend at some stage, some quality time in South America, meaning for me, something longer than a few days or a few weeks. But that was out of reach...till the day I started to spend way more time in Africa for work. I know, you may be confused by now. Put is simply, going to Africa from Bangkok, or from Buenos Aires, is exactly the same thing. So three years ago, I did set up my goals. We were going to spend a year in Argentina. For me, it would be a half-sabbatical, and probably a one-off too. I never did a gap year in my life...with no regrets as I have managed my own time for years.
The next hurdle, was to make sure we wouldn't leave Tiffany behind....that was solved when she moved with us 25 months ago....everything was in line...the plan was set up...it was time to share the idea with friends and clients to see
how they would react. They know I'm kind of "mad", it went pretty well.
So back in July 2012....we moved to Buenos Aires. We arrived a day of the south hemisphere winter, with nearly 250kg of bags....everything else was left behind us in Bangkok...and few other places. The day we arrived...we had to sort out the school and find a nice place to live for the next 12 months. It was done in less than 36 hours, but it was done.
Next, for 12 months, our challenge was to stay safe. The reputation of Buenos Aires over the last few years have gone from fine...to not safe due to a disastrous economy. There are the pickpockets, but others do also point a knife at you in broad daylight...they do car-jacking, but what I was really worry is the increase in home-jacking at gun point at 2am. Trust me, coming from Asia...this is another world. I didn't wear a nice watch for 12 months, neither a wallet...but that's ok, we can say it, we were never even in a difficult situation....Buenos Aires may be less safe today. For us, it was a safe year....something very
important when you have two kids at home!
I would describe Argentina pretty simply....it has a great heart...and a pretty sick body. Living here was full of contradictions, mainly due to the state of the economy.
The local infrastructure is in a total disarray...metro is old...trains are older...roads are...mainly bad...there is no money poured into the future of this nation...and it feels! I'm happy we stay in good health, if the hospitals are in the same conditions as the roads...you don't want to be in a serious condition here!
So yes, the press is banned from publishing inflation figures...and the general guess is that it is going at around 30% per year...I'm gone from Buenos Aires...I guess I can write this...well...K seriously disagree with the FMI on that topic...ask the people...around 30% inflation per year hurts...big time!
To understand better how such a disaster the economy of Argentina is, you first need to understand one or two things...first, K, who is running the country, and duly elected by her own people, is a serious partisan of Chavez...even now that he is gone. You want to understand where Argentina
is going...look at Venezuela...except that Argentina, doesn't have oil...just soya!
Than there is the exchange rate...this can be seen as a bad joke, but it is a reality. Something that most tourists are unaware of...something that disgusts the Argentinians...and make the foreigners in the know...pretty happy!
When we arrived the official rate was at around 4.5 pesos per 1 USD...but than, there is the blue rate, aka the black market rate, which was at around 6.25 pesos to the usd. Bear in mind, that was a relatively new thing, a month before our arrival, the blue rate was closer to 5.7.
In April 2013...the official rate was closer to 5.2...with a blue rate jumping above 9! Than in June...the authorities went in....now there is an "official Blue rate"...aka it's ok to publish that one, at around 8 to 1usd...and for my last exchange...in a place...for "those who know friends who have friends"...they gave me 9.7!
So now, you are going to tell me...well, this is not legal....well...not really, as it is well-known practice and published in authorized places...they have fake notes...maybe, but I still have to encounter my
first one...
So you are going to tell me next...I really don't understand your point...Don't worry, it doesn't make you an idiot, just because you come from Europe or North America, and this is way beyond your understanding if you were not that great at math at school...
Than, let me re-phrase...if you do come with cash into the country...meaning, you won't use a local ATM...ever...or your foreign credit card...ever...this is what it means.
If at the shop an item is 10...pay it in cash, you pay it 6...pay it with your credit card...you pay 10. You cannot even imagine how many young backpackers...the properly educated ones...do not understand that concept. What do you think your steak should cost...10 or 6...pay it cash it's 6...pay it with your credit card...it's 10...that simple!
Ok, let's close the economic mess for now...
Than came...the welcome! Argentinians may be in deep "s..t" in term of their wallets...they are amazing people....with a huge heart...and most of them...well...you know...very empty wallets.
My kids have lived all their life in Asia. In Asia people have nice smiles, polite
behavior...pretty cold welcome...I speak of the people around, not the kids! Here, it's "We are so happy to see you...you have moved to the best place in the world...let's make sure you think the same tomorrow". Argentinian are proud national....even if it can actually border the ridiculous...I admit...Argentina is not the most efficient place in the world...so stop to think everything is better here, it's wrong.
But the best part of it, Argentinians are so proud of their country (important note...not of themselves, they are proud of Argentina). That is simply makes their welcome, unbelievably warm and sincere...if they love their country...you should too!
The best proof we have encountered of it, is to see on numerous occasions people not believing that after one year...we would actually leave. Why leave paradise? Well...because your paradise have insecurity, 30% inflation....and very bad infrastructure...and yes you are more welcoming than the people of Singapore...but we have to admit...a little less efficient! Big smile!
So the kids had the best welcome you could ever dream of at their elite school in St Hilda. That welcome, wow...we would all dream about it. Classes were in Spanish
in the morning, English for the afternoon. Leslie is pretty fluent in "Castellano" today, Tiffany, it's another story. But they both had an amazing year!
So what are the best things about Argentina...well...the welcome and the people for sure...than second...or come very close to first...will always be the food....that beef, that lamb, the salmon, the fresh pastas, the ice cream...and the wine. Well, I know exactly what we are going to miss very soon...wait that the kids really start to understand...it will hurt!
We were also lucky to visit more than 15 provinces in Argentina...out of 23 (22 plus the Malvinas...you see, even I have become a local)! This is not bad for such a huge country! And don't worry, I didn't drink all the wine...some is left here!
Shopping wise, beside the food...it's actually pretty average. Due to all those import restrictions...you find in Argentina...what is...from here...even if only by design. I name La Martina, Kevingston, and shoes for me. For girls, beside leather bags...furs...it's a full disaster. Argentinian girls may have nice hairs...they do not know how to dress...and worst...how to smile!
We have also to
thank Ines, our au pair from September to mid-November...she was pretty amazing. The next one was a bad joke, so no need to mention it. Ines, you rock!
We are now gone from Argentina....even if actually not that far away right now. Next months...well....we are not settling yet anywhere very soon...rather happy homeless than settled for now!
One question came back pretty often. Are we going to do another of these "one year" pretty soon? The answer is no. I believe you don't built anything seriously solid in a single year...and moving every year would be the worst thing for Leslie and Tiffany.
You have all heard of the European exchange program called Erasmus. My point is simple, why do people have to wait to be 20 years old to have such a fun time. I wanted to give this chance to Tiffany and Leslie to do a first experience a little earlier. I spoke a lot with many educators...this is fine to do for early teenagers...do not attempt this once they are 14! Understood...the next few years may be more boring...they will also be more stable.
After
all the long conversations I had with many of you, I believe everybody would have dream to have such an experience while being kids....I would have. Most of us never had it. At least, for Leslie and Tiffany...what we've done is not a "if"...it's done, and nobody will ever be able to take it from them...or us...
We'll see what the future will bring....but in the meantime...we'll be on the road!
PS: I had spent some time trying to figure out how to write this last entry about Argentina...too much to write...too many things to say...so at the end, I decided to write it in one go...the day after we left Agentina...
Argentina, what a year! And a huge thank and kisses to all those people who have helped us make this dream become a wonderful experience...and they are a lot of you to kiss!
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Home and Away
Bob Carlsen
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on your Argentina experience...
What a wonderful gift to your children. But I agree that they will need a stable school situation soon. See you on December 7th!