I Breathed the Same Air as Henry Cavill at the Argentina Comic Con... Well Sort of

The last Argentina Comic-Con we went to in May 2019 was pretty packed, but this time, it was even more crowded. The line, as one Argentine standing behind us put it, was bigger than a black man's manhood, and I had to agree. We assumed it had to do with "The Witcher" star Henry Cavill and "The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" stars Kiernan Shipka and Gavin Leatherwood showing up. But did I actually get to breathe the same air as Henry Cavill? I'll let you know a little later.

We got inside after about an hour of waiting in the sun. The Argentine summer heat was intense. But once we got through those doors, it was time to geek out and have fun. We started out by helping Eleven repel a demogorgon.

Then we went over to Sabrina's house and fought over who should get to ride the broomstick. I felt I should have won, but you know... whatever.

And then we hung out with a couple of Disney characters.

But we got into a bit of tiff over what to do next and decided to settle it with a good old light saber battle.

Along the way, we ran into a couple of cool cosplayers and started hounding them for photos. Fortunately, they were all very obliging.

Hanging with an unmasked Green Ranger

Posing with the Red Ranger

Aladdin (not really) photobombed Maleficent and my husband

I tried getting some spoilers about the CW's Crisis on Infinite Earth from Constantine

Then I hung out with She-Ra from the rebooted animated series

Hubby and Klaus from The Umbrella Academy are looking good

Last May I ran into Michael Myers. This  time I had a bloody encounter with Jason Voorhees.

This guy was a real Joker

Chucky versus Jurassic Park Dinosaurs? Either way I'm screwed!

Then I hung out with Lex Luthor, not realizing that he had just recently killed multiple versions of Superman on alternate Earths.

But at least I got to hang out with Wonder Man. Before you say anything, there was an Earth 11 where all the genders of the superheroes were reversed and Wonder Man was one of them. Oh and  those muscles were real. Trust me, I checked.

But along the way we ran into some serious danger with animals we thought had been extinct for millions of years. Damn those scientists from Jurassic Park/Jurassic World!

This time around, the Argentina Comic Con brought the coffee set from the hit sitcom "Friends" and it was too good to pass up.

They even had a couple of exhibitions (some of them were made of wax) available to take photos with.

But were we able to meet Henry Cavill? No. Although he was a guest, the Comic Con didn't offer a photo op or autograph session. He did go on stage to promote his new series "The Witcher." And a privileged few were lucky enough to win a meet and greet contest. Others just hung out outside of his hotel and waited for him to come out to take a photo. We did breathe the same air, though. It was just mixed in with everyone else's. And we sort of got to meet Henry Cavill, or rather his alter ego in the form of a statue. Hey, beggars can't be choosers.

There was something that really ticked me off, but it wasn't inside the Comic-Con. It was outside. But that's a story for next time.

We Took a Trip to Buenos Aires With Our Stolen Money

Well, the good news is that we got our money back after the whole debit card cloning debacle, but our spirits were still down. Not that you could blame us. The thief ruined our Thanksgiving and anniversary, but we didn't want him/her/them ruining our Christmas spirit. So, we decided to treat ourselves to another trip to Buenos Aires.

We were so fortunate that our mini-adventure coincided with the final Argentina Comic-Con of 2019. We had planned on going months in advance, but that didn't seem possible after our money was stolen. I was pretty bummed about it too because I wanted to buy a photo op and autograph session for celebrity guest Alexander Calvert from "Supernatural." But I didn't have the money anymore and by the time the bank returned our money, all of the photo op and autograph tickets were sold out. But as it turns out, Alexander Calvert had to cancel because of his work schedule, so I didn't really miss out on meeting him. But we still needed to figure out how to get there.

So we went to a travel agent to book an airplane ticket, but the prices had gone up because of the country's declining economy. The last time we went in May 2019, the cost for three round trip tickets ran us about $8,000 Argentine pesos. But this time, the travel agent wanted to charge us $15,000 Argentine pesos round trip ticket per person. There was no way my husband and I could afford that on both of our freelance salaries. So, we took the El Practico Bus.

Now, from previous posts, you all know that I'm not a big fan of buses. But this bus trip was a real nightmare. For starters, the drivers were smoking pot and laughing all night. As a result of their impaired condition, there were a couple of near misses with other vehicles along the way. Then there were the people who insisted on talking all night. Some of the passengers were sick and the concept of covering one's mouth while coughing, sneezing, or yawning is an unfamiliar concept for most Argentines. Oh, and did I mention the constant disregard for the person sitting in front of them when they kick the back of someone's chair?

The food's pretty bad, too!

But we made it to Buenos Aires in one piece and I can't wait to tell you and show you how amazing it was. Who knows? It might convince more of you expats and locals alike to save up some money for the next Comic Con in May 2020.

So stay tuned. I'll be adding a new post very soon. 

Chicago American Bar Brings American Pizza to Cordoba, Argentina

Let me tell you about this little gem we recently discovered in Cordoba, Argentina. It's called Chicago American Bar and they offer American style pizza. 

A regular slice will cost you $170 Argentine pesos ($2.85 USD) and $220 Argentine pesos ($3.69 USD) if you want pepperoni on it. You also get two slices for the price of one on Tuesdays. Their slices are juicy, greasy and soooo delicious! They're also ginormous just like the ones back home. 

At Chicago American Bar, you won't find those typical Argentine pizzas the locals call large but is really the size of a plate. Best of all, the mozzarella cheese on these pizza slices don't taste like feet like most of the local pizzerias in Cordoba.

 

We had just given up hope of ever finding a decent pizza in our host province of Cordoba. We've traveled to Buenos Aires and sampled the pizza at The Bronx Pizza, which was pretty decent. Ugi's Pizza wasn't bad either. But we can't zig zag to B.A. every time we get a craving for pizza, especially in light of our recent debit card cloning debacle. But now we don't have to go so far to get a great slice of pizza. This time we can get them in downtown. 

Chicago American Bar is located in Fructuoso Rivera 262. They operate at night, which is a total bummer because sometimes I'm craving pizza in the day time. But the good news is that customers can either eat there, pick up their own order, or use the delivery service app, Pedidosya.com. 

Here are their business hours:

Hours: 

Saturday	7PM–4AM
Sunday	7PM–12AM
Monday	Closed
Tuesday	7PM–2AM
Wednesday	7PM–2AM
Thursday	7PM–2AM
Friday	7PM–4AM

They have an indoor area as well as an outdoor area on the second floor that is smoker friendly. But you need to make a reservation because it gets packed. You can also place an order to go. They'll have your pizza slice done in about 15 minutes. Then you just have to make sure you get it home safe.

They offer a bunch of different toppings, including, pepperoni. Well, it's not exactly pepperoni. Then again, only someone who loves pepperoni would notice that. But it's really good.

They also offer a variety of other food items like chicken wings, burgers and fries among other things.

My husband recently went with a friend of ours to introduce her to the wonderful tastes Chicago American Bar had to offer and she loved it.

They also have a bar, so if you want to order a beer while you wait for your order, then go for it!

If you're a local or you're an expat staying here long term and are craving some decent non-Argentine pizza, then Chicago American Bar is your best option.

Halloween in Argentina 2019: Celebrating the Good While Coping With the Bad

Halloween is one of our favorite holidays, and if you look at how we’ve celebrated in the past, you’ll see we really like to go all out. But this year was different. As I mentioned in my previous post, we fell victim to debit card cloning, which left us completely broke. So, here’s how we coped with the situation and still managed to celebrate Halloween in Argentina in 2019.

Thankfully, we had bought a few extra decorations a few weeks before our money was stolen, so that worked in our favor. The store we usually get our Halloween supplies from is called Ferniplast. But when I asked one of the employees when they’d be putting out the Halloween items, he looked at us and asked, “Isn’t that next month?”

Wow, I thought. How disappointing.

Luckily, there was a costume store near Plaza San Martin that had a few things we needed, including a Terminator mask with light-up eyes and a Freddy Krueger latex mask.

We also picked up some blood splatter stickers to decorate our home. But for a few extra decorations, we had to make the trip to Dinosaurio Mall on Route 20 to visit Party Love Cotillon.

When we got home, we transformed our mini white Christmas tree into a Halloween tree, replacing the Christmas ornaments with Jack-o’-Lanterns.

We recycled some of our old decorations from last year and repurposed them, like the spooky wall of Halloween masks shown in the photo below.

We had big plans to make a ton of Halloween treats, but we hadn’t bought the ingredients yet. And then it happened.

They stole our money, which completely derailed everything.

With the little cash we had left, I gave it to my husband so he could spend some time with one of our acquaintances, who had come to Córdoba for a visit. I knew hanging out with him would lift his spirits—and it did. But we still had my husband's birthday to prepare for.

So, on the 30th, we made some makeshift soft tacos, bought an Oreo cake from a local ice cream shop called Grido, and celebrated his birthday. Admittedly, the menu was pretty limited.

I’m a little embarrassed because we’re used to cooking so much more. But given the circumstances, it was the best we could do.

On the 31st, we went to the mall and ended up having the most disappointing McDonald’s lunch we’d ever had—just 4 pieces of Chicken McNuggets, a burger, and a large drink (which we shared).

It was by far the lowest we’d ever sunk since 2010, when I was between jobs in the Bronx, NY.

At least we still had enough money to see Terminator: Dark Fate. Ironically, the title felt like it mirrored what we were going through. I even brought my Terminator mask to the theater and snapped a few fun pictures.

The movie was great—it might just be the best one yet. It was so nice to see Linda Hamilton again. I’ve been a fan of hers since she starred in Beauty and the Beast—the original series, not the CW remake.

Afterwards, we took a cab home and got ready to celebrate Halloween. Normally, we’d celebrate with our friends, but there was only enough food for the two of us. So, we made chicken pizza, a zombie brain using macaroni and cheese with green food coloring, Boo Oreo cookies, and an orange cake decorated with pumpkin eyes and a mouth made from chocolate chips.

Afterwards, we tried on different masks and took some photos to share with our friends and family back home, as well as our friends here in Argentina.

I won’t say we’re okay, because we’re not. Despite the smiles in these photos, we’re still quite shaken. But we made the best of a really bad situation. Now, we just have to wait to get our money back and prepare for Thanksgiving, which is only three weeks away. Hopefully, our spirits will be a little brighter by then.

I Became a Victim of Debit Card Cloning in Argentina

Whether you're an expat, a potential expat, or a tourist, it's important to know that you're vulnerable to debit and credit card cloning in Argentina (and likely anywhere else in the world).

Apparently, the number of reported incidents has been on the rise in Argentina. But, as usual, I tend to be the last to know about these things. That’s probably because my husband and I have chosen to live in virtual seclusion for security and personal reasons.

On October 28, 2019, I became a victim of debit card cloning.

The day before, I had gone grocery shopping, bought a gift for my husband's 37th birthday, and then stopped at McDonald's for some nuggets. I used my debit card three times that day, completely unaware that something insidious was happening behind the scenes.

Meanwhile, my husband was downtown in Córdoba City, picking up a few items for the tasty treats he was planning to make for his birthday and for Halloween (which, as you know, are just a day apart). However, when he tried to use his debit card, it was declined—twice, at two different stores.

When he contacted me, I checked our account through online banking. To my shock, the balance was only 98 Argentine pesos—far less than usual. Somehow, 13,000 pesos had gone missing from my account. I checked the transaction history and saw that four withdrawals had been made from an ATM: three for 4,000 pesos each, and one for 1,000 pesos.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t rush to the bank because Argentine banks close at 1 p.m., and I only realized what had happened after 4 p.m. However, I was able to call VISA to cancel my cards.

The next morning, I went to the bank to report the incident. It turns out this wasn’t an isolated case. The bank representative informed me that card cloning had become a growing problem. But the real shocker came when he told me which of my two debit cards had been cloned.

I had assumed that the card had been cloned in our host province of Córdoba, since the ATM withdrawals seemed to line up with my earlier purchases that day. I had two theories:

1. One of the cashiers had cloned my debit card. Given how difficult things have gotten in Argentina under former President Macri’s regime, desperation can drive people to do terrible things.

2. The person who provides me with freelance writing work, a local who has my bank information to pay me through direct deposit, might have done it. But I didn’t believe she would be capable of something so terrible.

So, I asked the bank representative if he could tell me which ATM the money had been withdrawn from, and he told me it had happened in Buenos Aires. That’s when things got even stranger: It wasn’t my debit card that had been cloned, but my husband’s!

I think they may have cloned his card when we went to Buenos Aires for Comic-Con in May. That’s the only conclusion I can come up with. So why did the thief wait five months to hit us? It doesn’t make sense.

The bank had me sign some papers and instructed me to call a number while still at the bank to dispute the charges. If everything goes smoothly, I should have the money back in a couple of weeks. But before I left, I asked the representative if there was anything I could do to prevent this from happening again. He just shrugged and said no.

Typical.

I won’t lie, this experience has shaken me.

It’s bad enough that we have to stay vigilant when we’re out and about. I carry a screwdriver in my pocket for self-defense in case I'm attacked. On top of that, we also deal with random neighbors vandalizing the front of our home. We worry about break-ins, just like the one that happened in 2016. There have been signs that someone’s attempted it again, but thankfully, they’ve failed. That doesn’t mean they won’t try again. It’s why only one of us can go out at night—the other has to stay home and house-sit. But one’s supposed to feel secure knowing that their money is safe in the bank. I don’t anymore, and frankly, it’s too much. I’ve seen the toll it’s taken on us, and I don’t like it.

I can honestly say that when I post about Argentina, I try to show the best sides of this country. I seek out beautiful buildings, friendly people, and scenic views to photograph. I share the restaurants we’ve discovered in hopes of helping other expats feel more comfortable while staying here long-term. But after this experience, all I see is darkness. All I feel is hate and suspicion for anyone I meet. Is that how I’m supposed to feel for an expat blog? I don’t care.

What I do still care about is my husband, who’s turning 37. So we’re going to celebrate his birthday and Halloween. But once this year is over, we’re going to sit down and figure out whether going back to the States is the best move for us.

And not to get all Sandra Bullock from The Net on my fellow expats, but like Angela says in the movie, "They’ve done it to me, and you know what? They’re gonna do it to you."

Argentina Says Hello to a New President With a Familiar Face for Vice-President

On October 28, 2019, Argentines voted for the next president. It was a close battle between presidential and vice-presidential hopeful Alberto Fernandez and Cristina Kirchner versus Mauricio Macri and his vice president, Miguel Angel Pichetto.

This is one of the schools-turned voting center in Cordoba City

For those of you who don't know, Kirchner was the president for two terms before Macri won the last election.

In the end, Fernandez and Kirchner won the presidential election. You can get the 4-1-1 on the voting percentages here.

So, Kirchner is back, but this time as the vice president. However, some say she'll quietly be the one leading the presidency.

The newly elected president and his vice president will officially take over on December 10, 2019. This might explain why there haven't been any major change in the value of the Argentine peso versus United States dollar.

But I'll do one of my price comparison lists sometime in early 2020 to document any changes. In the meantime, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the economy might recover slightly and the cost of living will drop a bit with the shift in power.