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Living
Large |
November
4, 2003 - Buenos Aires, Argentina |
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| It
doesn't take muchto
live large here. Since the currency was devalued, just
having dollars enable a nice standard of living.
You get three times
more bang for your buck than you did in 2001. And they
do know how to live here. With a long tradition of dining
out and great ingredients (especially if beef is your
thing) you simply can't go wrong in restaurants here. |
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I
am used to cheap food in Latin America. But not 5 star
cuisine. My $10 dinner last night included an excellent
cut of beef, wine, dessert, style, service and ambiance.
Makes you wish you were hungry enough to do it all over
again. |
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Cafe'
con Leche AKA Latte
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And
the residents here (they call themselves Portenos)
love their cafes. In some neighborhoods there is
one on every corner. Elegant little places with
that are busy all day long. Then there are the massive
ones with huge banks of pastries on display. Your
beverage is always served backed by a small glass
of soda water plus a croissant or small sample sized
pastry.Starbucks
has not arrived in Buenos Aires yet. Perhaps for
good reason. Why would you grab a cup to go when
you could linger and enjoy.
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McDonalds
has adapted successfully to the Portenos way of
life. McCafes seem to do the trick here. And then
there is McDelivery. Big Mac, fries, and a Coke
to your door for $2.50. On the phone they ask what
denomination of Peso you will be using and your
change is ready in and envelop with your meal.
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Stylish McDonalds
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McDelivery!
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But McDonalds
isn't the only one to deliver. In Recoleta, my adopted
neighborhood, everyone delivers! Cafes, restaurants, groceries,
even the local version of Sams Club/Costco. Doggie-Day-Care
picks up and delivers. Exercise and a social life for
your pooch, five hours each day for 80 cents! |
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Doggie Day Care |
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Joel,
my pal and host here earns California dollars as a Bay
Area accountant but spends money and three quarters of
his time here. He has a luxury apartment here for the
price of a hovel in San Francisco. He does his work online
and returns to the States only for tax deadlines. The
lifestyle is not for everyone but it has its advantages.
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Worlds Widest
Street, 20 lanes!
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He
has a surrogate mother figure in the form of a warm
and caring maid. Twice a week she cooks and cleans
for him. He never needs to leave the house except
for fun and his Spanish lessons. His new Venezuelan
girlfriend may see to it that he never returns any
semblance of his former life in the States. I wish
him well and appreciate the hospitality! |
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I
am happy to have contributed to Joel's technology
for living here. I brought an internet based phone
system (www.vonage.com)
with me that I will be donating to his cause. I
got it for myself to see if it would work for me
on the road. But it is so perfect for his situation
that I am going to leave it with him. |
Ten Cents a Pound
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It is
simply a regular phone connected to small box connected
to the internet. With it you can call anywhere in the
States or Canada for free ($25 monthly fee). But the best
part is that people in the states can call you as if you
were in the states! You choose your own area code. Think
about that for a moment! Joel's clients in San Francisco
can call a local phone number and reach him as if he were
down the street - when in fact, unbeknownst to the caller,
he is several thousand miles away, living large. |
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