Moving to and living in...Argentina

Babywearing in Argentina

First off, if you're not interested in babies, parenting or babywearing don't even bother to read the rest of this post unless you're looking to learn something about the above :)

Babywearing has become more and more popular and there are now tons of different types of carriers   and just as many websites to provide information about them and the benefits of wearing your baby. Carriers can range from wraps to asian style carriers to ring slings to structured baby carriers (no the Baby Bjorn is not the only carrier out there).

Wearing your baby is excellent for promoting bonding both for mothers as well as fathers, and if you're adopting a baby there is no better way to bond with your new addition. Some of the most widely known reasons for wearing your baby are: resting your arms, providing hands free freedom of movement, soothing fussy, colicky infants, and making breastfeeding on the go - easier. Carried babies are often more alert, cry less and are safer - just take a look at Caitlyn in our ringsling on an airplane, well actually you can't see her because she's tucked down where it's warm and the air is moist and away from germs.  

I've also worn her in places like the Puerto de Frutos market in Tigre and even grocery shopping which drew all kinds of looks from people and lots of questions. One thing that's important though is not all carriers are suited for all types of weather - my ring sling was perfect for the hot Buenos Aires summer but my stretchy wrap was way too hot but would be perfect for fall and winter.

In Argentina it's begining to catch on in the more mainstream lifestyle but there aren't many carriers available, one of the most widely commercially available ones being the Wawita Portabebe which I found to be a bit bulky and cumbersome and definately too hot for the summer, but at least they're making the effort to get them out there. However, with so many seamstresses in Argentina there's absolutely no reason not to have your own made (just make sure they use VERY STRONG thread and double stitch things) - I'm listing plently of links that give the instructions on how to made sewn carriers and how to construct a simple wrap as well as well as proving information about how to choose a carriers, forums where you can talk to other baby wearing people, and tons of other information.  

One of the biggest sites on the internet is The Baby Wearer which although it can be overwhelming has excellent information on choosing a carrier, forums where you can talk to other people, ask questions and even connect with people in Argentina. There is also plenty of information about how to make your own carrier.

NINO (Nine in Nine Out) a nonprofit babywearing organization to promote babywearing by educating the general public about its benefits.

Mamatoto Wear Your Baby Project where you can learn to wear baby wearing positions from their excellent videos, sewing instructions for making your own carrier and even how to make a SPOC carrier (simple piece of cloth)

The Rebozo Way Project has lots of information and also some excellent articles. Este sitio Proyecto " A La Manera del Rebozo" esta en Espanol tambien y tiene muchos articulos en Espanol.

Another great site is Kelly Mom which not only has great information about baby wearing but also lots of breastfeeding information as well - excellent resource.

Last but not least is another favorite, although not just about babywearing that one of my good friends in Argentina turned me onto, Mothering.com. The site has excellent information on everything from babywearing, attachment parenting, cloth diapering, breastfeeding, and also a "tribe" forum where you can connect with other people around the world (I'm hoping they'll add a South American tribe). A huge plus for expats - they just launched a digital version of their magazine.

I hope this information is useful and would certainly love to hear comments!

Crazy weather and electricity in Buenos Aires

It's been a crazy week here in Buenos Aires. Although summer isn't due to officially begin until this coming Friday, December 22nd, it started getting horribly hot again last week. Actually this past winter and spring have been strange with some really warm days in winter and some really up and down temperatures in spring.

This past Saturday the "st" temperature or sensacion termica was 40.5 celsius in the Capital. That would be  around 104.9 in fahrenheit.  Ridiculously hot and heavy and major draws on electricity, which here in Buenos Aires, means temporary shutoffs of electricity in various barrios to conserve power.

So on Saturday night, a cool front came through, merged with the hot air, and created some pretty impressive storms. I can only compare them to the tropical storms we would get in Miami and from what I understand it's pretty unusual at this time of year. But then again this is a year that has seen tornados and several storms with hail as big as golf balls. So go figure. I keep saying that we brought Miami's weather with us when we came here.

Saturday night's storm had really heavy winds, our neighborhood was full of fallen tree limbs, smaller branches, and leaves littering the streets. Plants in our backyard were blown over and even some of the outside chairs, so you can just imagine how strong the winds were. The lightning in the initial part of the storm was lime green and acid yellow, showing just how strong and bizarre this storm was. And, of course, the rain which came down in bucketfuls, including right into a one of the hallways of our cool, but old house. Something about pushing water out the door at 2 am is just not fun and definately reminded me of Miami's nasty downpours.

After all the crazy weather Saturday night, Sunday was considerably cooler, and only started to warm up slightly on Monday. So it was with great surprise that as we were sitting working at our computers, all of a sudden the music shut off, the internet connection died, and the neighborhood became remarkably quiet. We had no power it seemed. First thought, gee did I forget to pay the bill. But no, that wasn't the problem. We called a friend who was out and about in San Isidro and he confirmed that there was in fact no electricity. I wanted to know why. Oh, well it's summer and even though this is a privatized electric company, they can't keep up with the demand and routinely shut off power to different neighborhoods for several hours. He said that in Martinez where he lived, he had been without power for about 6 hours just the week before, warning, "get used to it because it won't be the last time." And this was all on a cooler day!

I know there are issues here with the electricity, and it's no wonder. Just today, one day after, our electric bill showed up. It was a whopping 16.80 pesos. Now we aren't major energy hogs even though we work from home, but we have been using the AC units more often lately and I wasn't expecting the equivalent of like 6.00 dollars. In Miami we could expect bills of 150 to 200 dollars in the summer months. Even if it were higher it still wouldn't be expected to go above maybe 70 or 80 pesos. So although we aren't paying much for electricity, we also never can know now whether we'll HAVE electricity. Just one of the tradeoffs of living here I guess.

Of course for a pregnant woman in her last week or two, not having AC is not a fun thing to look forward to. I'm just happy that our baby will be here just as summer starts!

Buenos Aires: Psst! Want a Discreet Dinner?

Ian Mount wrote an interesting article for the New York Times Travel section, that featured one of my favorite bloggers, Dan Perlman from Salt Shaker. He's the blogger I recommend who has a great English/Argentine food dictionary.

Buenos Aires: Psst! Want a Discreet Dinner?

...But perhaps the most exclusive place to flaunt one’s status are the puertas cerradas (or restaurants with closed doors) that have recently boomed in Buenos Aires.

Among the insiders’ favorite is Casa SaltShaker (54-9 11 6132-4146; www.casasaltshaker.com), held twice a week at the ground-floor rear Recoleta apartment of Dan Perlman, an American chef and sommelier, and his Peruvian companion, Henry Tapia. The five-course menu is built around a theme, often wacky, like the Great Moon Hoax of 1835, or the film “Babette’s Feast.” Dinner is 60 pesos and up to 12 can be seated.

“There’s something kind of cool about knowing what’s behind the secret door,” Mr. Perlman said, “of being in on something that no one else knows.”

The full article can be accessed here.

Interested in learning more about how you can enjoy a life in Buenos Aires, Argentina, click here.

Looking up a telephone number in Buenos Aires, Argentina

If you need to find an individual's telephone number in Buenos Aires or throughout Argentina, or just want to get a yellow pages listing of businesses, then you should check the Paginas Blancas (White Pages) or the Paginas Amarillas (Yellow Pages).

One thing you need to know is that telephone numbers usually stay in the name of the owner (dueno/duena), so if you are looking for a person's number, you might be sucessful or you might not.

Useful numbers:
Emergencies - 911
Bomberos (Firefighters) - 100
Policia - 101

Gay Pride 2006 in Buenos Aires

It never ceases to amaze me how much is happening here in Buenos Aires. Not only are there tons of things to do for families, retirees, students, young couples and singles, but there is an active gay community here as well. And on November 25, 2006, the biggest gay event in Argentina, the Argentina Gay Pride Parade 2006 will begin at 6 pm commencing from the Plaza de Mayo in downtown Buenos Aires. If you are looking for information on the event then check out their official website here.

LAN offers new nonstop flights to Buenos Aires

I really hate to let this secret out, but after all that's what the purpose of my blog is, so here goes. There is now another, much better option, to American Airlines when flying to Buenos Aires - LAN Airlines. They started direct flights from Miami to Buenos Aires this past month. Their prices are competitive and their service seems to be much better.

So if you're looking for competitive prices from Miami to Buenos Aires non-stop definately this is one company you want to check out.

Ah, one last thing, for the people coming here with pets, unfortunately they seem to have the same rules as American, so I still would consider someone like Delta or United first.

Tango Lovers - rental with dance studio

Tango lovers - here's your chance to rent a great short or long term restored colonia style place with a dance studio.

Located in Palermo Soho near Voltaire and A.J. Carranza, is this completely restored,  colonial antique / PH style house.  Fully furnished and equipped. High ceilings, wood floors, big windows, large internal patio with plants. Very bright.

Large living room, 2 bedrooms - one in suite, fully equipped kitchen and bathroom.

If you love Tango then this house is for you as it has a dance studio as well. The dance studio has wood floors, mirrors, a bar, bathroom and dressing room.

The entire house and studio has heating and ceiling fans.

Located near some of the most prestigious milongas in Buenos Aires: Salon Canning where there is a live orquestra every Monday and Friday, La Viruta, Gricel Norte, and Dr. Jeckyl, and many others.

For photos and prices see our rental website www.expatrentalsba.com and check under the heading Palermo.

Thank you!

I would like to say a quick thank you! I'm "moved" :-) by all of the interest in my upcoming ebook Moving to Buenos Aires, Argentina. I never imagined it would generate so much interest. I've received more than 30 emails in just a week requesting to be notified when it's ready. It's currently over 120 pages and seems to keep growing a bit here and there. I'm really looking forward to getting this into everyone's hands and am pushing hard to get it finished by the 15th of November.

Triple Crown of Polo in Argentina

Whack! Cheering! Thunder of hooves at full speed! Yes it's that time of year again! If you're a polo fan, horse lover, or just a sports fanatic, then it's time to pick yourself up and trot over to the Campo Argentino de Polo en Palermo for the 2006 Triple Crown of Polo in Argentina.

Currently up and galloping is the Tortugas Polo Master Cup (Campeonato Abierto del Tortugas Country Club), which started on September 26th and will end on October 14th (a fine day incidentally as it's also my birthday!)

The second event of the Triple Crown of Polo, the Hurlingham Open (113º Campeonato Abierto del Hurlingham Club), will take place October 17th to November 4th. 

The season will culminate November 18th through December 9th with the Argentine Open Championship (113º Campeonato Argentino Abierto de Polo) which was first played in 1893. This event is the fifth-oldest polo competition in the world. Is a fabulous event not just for watching the horses and (of course) the celebrity players, but also for people watching as Argentina's elite turn out in record numbers.

Campo Argentino de Polo en Palermo
Av. Del Libertador and Dorrego
(54 11) 4576 5600

"Got Tickets?" Try Ticketek.com for your tickets, they have tickets for all sporting events including polo, and will have maps of the event location, seating, etc. as well. Click here for ticket sale locations.

Can't get tickets? Here's a hint...you can always hang out by the fence on Libertador for a bit and watch the game.

Don't know anything about the game of polo? Check out these two great Internet pages:
Polo News page "About the Sport of Polo"
Feelpolo.com's page the "rules of polo"

Enjoy!

Spring in Buenos Aires

Spring rolled in a couplee of weeks ago and with it....varying weather. One week beautiful, then a few days of cooler weather, then warm again, etc. ect. I had forgotten how great a "real" Spring could be after ten years in Miami. But with that is the pollen! There are so many flowering plants and trees at this time that allergy sufferers are...well suffering. If you're coming here be sure to bring plenty of Allavert or your preferred allergy meds.

That said, it's also GEORGEOUS right now. It's not too hot. Days have been averaging between 70 and 80, and nights have been anwhere from 45 to 60. And when the sun shines, it shines along with crystal clear, azure blue skies. It's a great time to be out and about, walking and taking in the sights, and enjoying all there is to offer in the best months of Buenos Aires.

Some great things to do now that Spring is here:
Market browser? Check out Tigre's Puerto de Frutos market (maps) via the Tren de la Costa.
Music Lover? Then the XII Festival Guitarras del Mundo running from October 1-30 is for you.
Art lover? Take advantage of La Semana del Arte, October 1-7. The website has clickable maps of each barrio and the events that are taking place there.
Museum Lover? Don't miss La Noche de los Museos, October 7th. Museums will be open until 2AM as part of Arte en Buenos Aires.

More suggestions to come...