An Expat Progress Report: Christmas in August and Starfleet Uniforms

Some of you may have noticed that I’ve only recently started updating my blog. Time really does fly when you’re caught up in the whirlwind of life abroad. Now that we're entering the second half of 2023, I thought it would be the perfect time to catch you up on the remarkable moments that have been shaping my life in Argentina.

So, let’s dive in and take a look at what’s unfolded since June.

First things first, let me wrap up what happened during our trip to Buenos Aires in June. If you haven’t had a chance yet, feel free to go back and check out my previous entries for the full story.

After leaving the Airbnb, we headed to the airport. Our flight wasn’t scheduled to depart until 5 PM, but we had to check out by 10 AM. Unlike a hotel, this particular Airbnb didn’t offer a place to store our bags until we were ready to leave. This posed a problem because my husband and I had planned to visit Jay's Diner one last time for an American breakfast and take a stroll around Buenos Aires. But we couldn’t do any of that while lugging around our bags. So, we made the tough decision to head to the airport and wait for our flight.

And let me tell you, that experience was a nightmare!

People were coughing and sneezing all around us, and none of them bothered to cover their mouths. This is one of our biggest pet peeves. It also felt like everyone was trying to get under our skin on purpose. There was this one kid playing with a toy gun right in front of us. How he managed to get that thing through security is beyond me!

Also, there was this woman sitting behind us who kept flicking her long hair against the back of my neck. After about 30 minutes of this, I shot her a nasty look and told her to stop. She just stared at me as if I were from another planet.

But we did come across something interesting at the airport—an Outback Steakhouse!

Alright, it was more of a food truck than an actual restaurant, but the hubs and I were still excited. I used to eat at Outback Steakhouse back when we lived in the States, and I was really craving their famous Bloomin' Onion. But when I asked the lady at the Outback Steakhouse food truck if they had it, she had no idea what I was talking about. Funny, since there was a photo of it right in front of the truck.

Bummer!

It reminded me of the time I went to an Argentine Starbucks and asked for a Pumpkin Spice Latte... they had no idea what I was talking about either. Speaking of Starbucks, though, I ended up having a latte, and it definitely perked me right up.

Anyway, long story short, our flight was delayed by about an hour. But eventually, we boarded and made it back to our host province, Cordoba City.

Hm… I wonder.

At what point in our expat journey do we stop using the word "host"? Have we been here long enough to transition from expats to locals?

We certainly don’t act like Argentines. We don’t use their inflections or slang, and we don’t speak Spanish or Castilian unless it’s absolutely necessary. We definitely don’t drink mate or eat asado—I can’t imagine that ever changing. But, we’ve been living, working, and enjoying life here (for the most part) for over 11 years. In many ways, this has become home—even if it doesn't always feel that way to me.

Moving on!

About a month after we returned to Cordoba City, I celebrated my 46th birthday with the hubs.

I had a lovely time, but more importantly, I was gifted a Starfleet uniform from Star Trek: The Next Generation. I’ve wanted one of those uniforms since 1987, but I never thought I’d actually own one.

A couple of weeks later, I celebrated my mother's 76th birthday with my estranged cousin and her son. The cousin and I had a falling out about nine years ago, but we decided to let bygones be bygones for this occasion.

Sadly, that day I learned that two of my aunts (whom I had never met before) had passed away during the pandemic. I wasn’t upset by the news because I had never really connected with the Argentine side of my family. They didn’t do anything wrong—it’s just that I was raised in the United States and only learned of their existence after moving abroad in 2012. So, we’re not particularly close. Still, a loss is a loss, and my aunts weren’t the only ones I lost in 2023. But if the last 46 years have taught me anything, it’s that life has a way of replenishing a loss.

On a brighter note, I finally reconnected with my dear friend Melisa and her boyfriend. They were kind enough to stop by and help me celebrate Christmas in August.

I know, I know—Christmas in August? That sounds insane! Well, actually, some people celebrate Christmas in July. That was our original plan because it's winter in Argentina, giving us the chance to cook without turning our kitchen (and our whole house) into a furnace. In previous years, we've celebrated in December, which is summer down here, and we always ended up sweating like pigs in an oven.

Unfortunately, we hit a bit of a hiccup with our "Christmas in July" plans, so we had to move "fake Christmas" to August. But honestly, it worked out just fine.

We had a great time and managed to prep everything, despite our busy online English teaching sessions and the challenges posed by the difficult Argentine economy.

As I wrap up this update, I can't help but feel an immense sense of gratitude for my husband. I also want to thank my friends and my students—thanks to them, each day brings new lessons, connections, and a deeper understanding of the world we all share. While life in Argentina isn't always easy, the challenges only make me more resilient.

Thank you for following along with me on this adventure. Stay tuned for more tales of discovery, growth, and the magic of living beyond borders. Until next time, keep exploring and never stop chasing your dreams—wherever they may lead you.

Sbarro: A Quest for Authentic American-Style Pizza in Argentina

When it comes to culinary adventures, there's something magical about the hunt for an authentic taste from home right in the heart of your host province or country. For pizza enthusiasts living in Argentina, this often means embarking on a quest to find that quintessential American-style pizza. While Argentina is famous for its own culinary delights, the allure of a cheesy, pepperoni-topped American-style pizza is undeniable. 

Over the last 11 years, The hubs and I have searched for a place that could satiate our taste for pizza. We've been lucky to find pizza spots like Ugi's, The Bronx Pizza, and Hell's Pizza in Buenos Aires and PIBI - NY Style Pizza in Cordoba City and Chicago American Bar, the latter of which went out of business. But in 2021, the pizza chain called Sbarro made its debut in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires. Unfortunately, the pandemic and economic setbacks delayed our trip until 2023.

There is one Sbarro location that has all the glittery exterior of New York City, but in June, we visited a smaller Sbarro in the food court at the Abasto Shopping Mall in Avenida Corrientes 3247. 

Now this wasn't my first time eating at Sbarro. As a child, I recall eating there several times with my parents at Westland Mall in Hialeah, Florida. That Sbarro not only offered mouth-watering large pizza slices but also calzones and a number of pasta options. I was curious to see if the Sbarro in Argentina would bring back fond memories of home.

Well, they didn't offer pasta, but they did have pizza toppings like meat lovers and pepperoni, among others. And since American-style pizza was exactly what the hubs and I were looking for, that's just what we ordered.

They also had cheesecake, which I thoroughly enjoyed. 

Now recently, the hubs traveled to Buenos Aires yet again! This time, the hubs went to the NYC-style Sbarro in Avenida Corrientes 1267, and shared some photos with me.

In the diverse world of pizza, American-style pies have a special place in our hearts. So if you prefer a classic mouth-watering New York slice, the good news is that Argentina, with its vibrant food scene and passion for flavors, has Sbarro to offer American expats and all you pizza aficionados. So, the next time you find yourself in Buenos Aires, Argentina, don't hesitate to visit Sbarro. Your taste buds will thank you for it!

Struggling for a SUBE Card in B.A. and Our Turbulent Evening at TGIF

For many, Buenos Aires is a destination that beckons with promises of unforgettable experiences and boundless excitement. Yet, as any seasoned traveler or expat knows, not every journey unfolds as expected. 

In this post, I delve into two unexpected disappointments that lurked beneath the captivating but complex world of Buenos Aires, while still taking the time to appreciate its glittering surface and beautiful people.

So let me start off with what happened when we went looking for a SUBE card. When we got to the city, we knew that we didn't want to spend all our money on cab fare, especially in this pricey Argentine economy. Naturally, we thought about our SUBE card, which is used to pay for bus and subway fares.

We owned a SUBE card from our previous trips to Buenos Aires. Unfortunately, we had left ours at home. So, we went looking for a new card. And let's just say that it was a nightmare to find!

We walked block after block and asked one kiosk owner after another if they had a SUBE card. But every vendor told us that they were sold out. They suggested we try the booths inside the subway stations. 

No luck there either!  

At this point, we felt like cabs were going to be our only option to get around the city. We had just about given up hope when we found a newspaper stand that had one SUBE card left.

We were so relieved!

Traveling around the city proved to be a lot easier and less expensive with the card. It's too bad that our visit to T.G.I.F. didn't have the same happy ending.

T.G.I.F. was one of our favorite restaurants back in the States. Sadly, Cordoba City doesn't have a T.G.I.F., so the hubs and I always take advantage of the one in Buenos Aires whenever we go on vacation.

Now keep in mind that we had just left the Comic-Con and walked a bunch of blocks to get to Puerto Madero. It was around 8:30 pm and the city was virtually shut down for the night. 

To top that off, we only had about an hour and a half before we had to head back to the AirBnb to eat Subway sandwiches with our traveling acquaintance. So we were pressed for time, stressed and exhausted.  

And yet, we needed our T.G.I.F. date to go perfect!

What we weren't counting on was the service or the quality of the food being so bad. Usually, T.G.I.F. has some expensive but very delicious menu options, and the servers are reasonably efficient. But that's not what we experienced during our visit in June. 

We started off with appetizers and drinks. The hubs ordered chicken tenders, which ended up looking more like stale chicken nuggets. The server didn't even give him the right sauce he had asked for. 

But the tenders weren't quite as bad as the potato skins I had ordered.

Don't let their appearance fool you. These potato skins were old and stale, and the bacon bits were hard and burnt. I almost lost a tooth.

We started with non-alcoholic drinks but planned on ordering some later along with dessert. As I mentioned earlier, we didn't want to get full because we had food waiting for us at home. However, the appetizers were bad, and our server went on a long break and never bothered to check on us. So, we asked another server for the check, paid for our horrible appetizers and drinks, and left. 

It's safe to say that we won't ever go back to T.G.I.F. again. Luckily our experience at Sbarro's was a lot nicer. But I'll talk about that in my next post.

Uncovering the Recent Looting in Argentina

Recently, Argentina witnessed a wave of looting incidents that left its citizens upset. As a nation known for its rich cultural heritage, beautiful landscapes and passionate people, these incidents have cast a shadow on the collective spirit of the country. The motives behind these acts of looting, the consequences they bring, and the societal implications they bear are all topics that demand attention and reflection on behalf of the Argentine government. In this entry, I will delve into the recent looting incidents in Argentina, explore the factors at play and the impact on the nation's fragile fabric.

The reported incidents occurred in places like Cordoba, Mendoza, Neuquen and Buenos Aires. What started as looting of major supermarkets quickly escalated to stores throughout these cities. At first, the Argentine government denied these incidents were as bad as people claimed. Authorities also chalked them up to isolated occurrences of petty theft. But eventually, the government realized that the problem could not be ignored and offered financial assistance to store owners affected by the looting.

Generally speaking, Argentines don't go around shooting people like in the U.S. But I'm not saying Argentines are a gun-free society either, especially in these times of uncertainty. Sadly, the looting has forced some owners to take up arms to defend what's theirs.

Recently, one of my students shared security footage of their car being broken into. It turns out that thieves are familiar with a defect in the Ford Fiesta's central locking system. Essentially, damaging the lock to the driver side door unlocks all the doors to the vehicle. As you'll see when you watch this video, the thieves took advantage of this defect to open the trunk of my student's car to steal his spare tire, along with two chairs he was storing in there.

I was very surprised that they took such insignificant items instead of the entire car. But my student told me that car tires are very expensive in Argentina. On average, one tire is about $85,000 Argentine pesos ($243 USD). But a brand name tire like Michelin costs about $250,000 Argentine pesos ($715 USD).

While talking with yet another student, I learned that thieves are lurking in areas where people commonly park their cars. In their possession is a signal-blocking device that ensures a car owner's alarm won't activate when they press the button. Thus, making it easier to break into a car without all the noise.

Now, anyone who knows me or has been following my blog over the last 11 years, knows that I live in seclusion and rarely interact with the locals. So, I had no idea the surge of looting incidents were happening until a student mentioned them to me. 

Most cases appear to have occurred during the month of August. Thankfully, the looting appears to have stopped for now. But I've been told that they may occur again as the Argentine elections in October draw near. 

As to why the looting began in the first place, I can only assume that it has to do with the horrible Argentine economy. My students claim that it is also politically motivated. But the interesting thing about the looting is that the thieves that were caught claimed that they only stole to feed their families. However, many of them were caught on camera stealing non-essential items like alcohol, electronics and sneakers. This gave me flashbacks to the looting incident that occurred almost a decade ago in Cordoba City when cops went on strike.

But this recent spate of looting in Argentina serves as a stark reminder of the complex web of economic, social, and political factors that shape the nation's destiny. It is a call to action for both the Argentine government and its citizens to come together to find common ground and work towards creating a brighter future. By addressing the root causes and fostering a sense of unity and cooperation, Argentina can emerge from the challenging times stronger and more resilient than ever before. It is a journey that will require a great deal of determination, empathy, and a commitment to create a better tomorrow.