Lunching on Ice Cream

Your WOTD:

helado [ay-lah’-do] : ice cream Listen

I have a love-hate relationship with the helado in BsAs. It's some of the best I've tasted outside of Italy, although I don't think I'll ever put a winning blue ribbon on any other than my classic Blue Bell Cookies 'n Cream. So why the hate? Such a strong word, but it fits nicely with the 200% increase in helado parlor prices in the last 2 years. Today was a beautiful day. 25°C (78°F), sunny, little wind...I have 3 classes in a row at Prudential downtown and my 1:00 class decided they wanted to go get ice cream with the 12:00 class students who announced they were going to Freddo. (an helado chain) So we all went together. They said we would speak in English to make up for the lost class, but that never happens. We all spoke in Castellano.

Downtown is a stone's throw away from an area called Puerto Madero; this is the newest addition to BsAs. They revamped the old port area along with the warehouse buildings and it is now home to the big international companies and some of the most expensive restaurants in town.

Ice cream for lunch:

Strolling during the day:

A different view at night:

What I Do.

Have you ever thought about the way we ask people what their profession is? What allows them to eat and put clothes on their back? 4 simple words - What do you do? You know exactly what they mean when they say it. They're not asking you if you take showers or baths, if you grocery shop twice a week or once a month, if you spend your weekends playing or watching sports. Do you remember when people used to add (for a living?) at the end of the question? But that has been phased out. Because this definition of DO is society's most important. No specification is required.

Your WOTD is:

trabajo [trah-bah’ho] : job, work Listen

And you can also relate to the verb:
trabajar [trah-bah-har'] : to work Listen

I do many things. But as a trabajo, I teach English. Specifically to Castellano-speaking Argentines in international companies and private classes. There are a few other freelance trabajos I have been able to add to the list, but teaching is my day-to-day trabajo.

Teaching EFL (English as a Foreign Language) is not for everyone. It's the same as someone saying that teaching, in general, is not for everyone. For many years in my young(er) life, I wanted to be a 3rd grade teacher. Mrs. Burr, her 247 stuffed bears, and her compliments (with stickers!) on my creative writing had really gone to my head. Later, when I realized I despised babysitting, I had a change of heart. When I discovered the idea of traveling to another country to teach adults, I was thrilled.

http://www.baexpats.org/ is a forum for expats living here, some who used to live here, those who are daring to move here, and anyone else interested in the ins and outs of daily life in Buenos Aires for an expat. You can find everything from questions about where to find peanut butter and maple syrup (latter impossible) to the detailed explanation of the 37-step process to receive a residency permit (that is, after you qualify).

Recently, a fellow expat vented his consternation at not being able to find a job teaching English. Most responses were helpful, but the one that made me "type" up is the following:


"Stanexpat" I am sympathetic to any person having trouble finding work, but in this case I would have to say I am in agreement with steveinBsas. I assume most of the people trying this are young early to mid 20's. What on earth are they doing in Argentina? Shouldn't these people be a home getting a real job and starting their adult lives? Isn't a lot of this just people trying to extend their adolescense years. Maybe I'm old fashioned but I believe other people see this the same way.


He was hit with a lot of arguments and, I'm sure, cold shoulders. The thing is, any one trabajo has many different levels of dedication, and in TEFL the level fluctuates wildly. This guy is focusing on one end of the spectrum while I strive trabajar at the other. I'll leave you with this comment in response to his opinion:

What on earth are they doing? Heaven forbid that they are getting to know another part of the world and trying to make a peso while doing it. Shouldn't they be waiting in line back home to become a part of the rat race, you ask? Yeah, sounds thrilling. Jumping right on the bandwagon.

I also think many come to learn and/or improve their Spanish in hopes of using it in their future "real job." Some of them don't achieve that since they end up spending all their time with other English-speaking expats, but there are many exceptions. And there's no way they leave without learning something...even if that is "Sí, una copa de vino tinto por favor."

Mind you that it is possible to make a "real job" out of this ridiculous English teaching gig. One can take it as seriously or as light-heartedly as one likes. What is a "real job" anyway? A 9 to 6? With benefits? A 30 minute lunch break? A cubicle? Deadlines? Maybe even a corporate car someday?

"Real" or not, a job that pays the bills, leaves some money left over for life's simple pleasures, and allows that I do not leave my house with a "cara de culo" on Monday morning is a job for me.

When you Stand Out

Election Night 08 in Buenos Aires with fellow expats from the USofA

Your WOTD:

Destacarse: to stand out Listen

And watch us practice our foreign language skills. Bear it till the end!

Monedas! Monedas! Where are all the monedas?

Ok, so I've written about this before. But not on my blog. And not with the nifty audio file. Your WOTD is:

moneda [mo-nay'-dah] : coin Listen

There are many circumstances where your WOTD might have another or multiple meanings, but to keep things simple and to the point, we will stick to the translation which focuses on the topic.

So, I was one step ahead today. The camera actually made it into the backpack. But by the time I could get to it to take a picture of the couple digging for monedas in their pockets, bags, and ears on the bus today, they had succeeded in their quest, had inserted the desired monedas into the moneda machine, and took the front seats up by the driver. Boy, were they lucky. They were Spanish speaking tourists. I know this because A. they were speaking Spanish - (or Castilian) and B. because they did not know that they couldn't get change on the bus. I smiled as I heard the driver flatly answer, "Sí, monedas únicamente" (Yes, coins only.) two or three times as their bewildered faces asked that question. Really? We can only pay with monedas?

Ok, so what's the big deal, you ask? Well...if there were monedas growing on trees, it wouldn't be a big deal. But that's not the case. Remember the fruit vendor who didn't have change one day so he gave me a tangerine instead of my 10 cent moneda? You'll go to the grocery store. You'll lie. No, I don't have monedas. Liar, liar pants on fire. But no lie = no bus ticket, so it's survival of the fittest...or, really, the most mendacious. Sometimes it backfires on you. You want an alfajor (special Argentine cookie) that costs 50 cents. You only have a 2 peso bill. They ask for monedas, you lie, and they won't sell you the alfajor. If you had 50 cents all along, you can't just pretend like the coin magically appeared next to your foot on the sidewalk so you walk to the next little kiosk and think twice, but use your 50 cent moneda for that alfajor you wanted so badly. There is actually a moneda exchange office where people can change up to 50 pesos ($15 US) a week in monedas. I've never been, but I've seen them lined up on the news channel with the first guy saying he got there at 5:00 a.m. and was still waiting 3.5 hours later. Ah, Argentina. These are the things that make life just a little more quirky here.

Last night after dinner with two friends, Emily and Andrea, I walked Andrea to her bus stop. Now, that was being a good friend, right? And then I hear, "Oh no! What am I thinking? I don't have monedas." I look at her. I know where this is going. I'm about to sacrifice a moneda. And as the #12 rumbles our way, I open my moneda purse, press the one peso moneda into her hand, and know that my pants are definitely not on fire. "A friend in need is a friend indeed."

"Usá tus monedas. No las guardes."

"Use your coins. Don't hoard them."

Update! Nov 22, 08. Wouldn't it have been nice to appear in the Times?

Castellano / Globalization Hits my Block

I would like to just start writing on this blog as though that's what I've been doing for my last 21 months in Buenos Aires. Really, there's no real reason that I never started it (the blog) earlier. I credit the title and its idea to my mother who would in turn give credit to someone else. So. For some of you, "Castellano Word of the Day" might make more sense titled "Español Word of the Day" but here in Argentina they refer to their spoken language as Castellano and not Español so this is officially your first WOTD:

Castellano - Castilian (and/or) Spanish. [cas-teil-lyah’-no] or my version [cas-teh-yaw-no]

Listen

Castilian refers to the original language which spread across Spain and which most around the world now refer to as Spanish. Click if super interested.



Mind you, this blog could easily turn into Castellano WOTW or WOTM (Word of the Week or Month). WOTD doesn't necessarily mean daily. I just don't want expectations getting too high.



So why this globalization title? I had one of those "Geez why don't I ever take my camera with me?!" moments today 2 blocks from my apartment. Less than a year ago, articles on Buenos Aires would rave about the historic atmosphere in the quaint cafe culture and how there was no Starbucks in sight as could be found in Madrid, Shanghai, Moscow, and numerous other big cities across the globe. I was never a fan of Starbucks since I prefer my personally-brewed coffee which comes out to about 1/47th of the price (just an estimate). The rumors circulated, and then it was true; the first BsAs Starbucks opened in May. But in a location that was obvious - a posh mall in the middle of a nicer neighborhood and I wasn't surprised. But then a few weeks ago, much to my dismay, I see this on the corner 2 blocks from my front door:

It's not like I'm that person that said he would never shop at WalMart because it was running all the MomandPops out, but the lack of the huge international coffee chain was something I really treasured about BsAs. My new neighborhood location opened a few days ago, and business has been non-stop. The picture I wanted to take today was of the line of 10 Catholic school boys in uniform walking out the door with their initialed vanilla frappes in hand. I've seen this city change quite a bit since February 07. Good and bad. This is a change I could do without. You can find me in the quiet cafe a few doors down.