De La Noche: Boliche, Pub, Milonga

For what it lacks in the way of inflation control, smog checking, and respect for authority, one thing that Buenos Aires delivers is the nightlife. Yes, the porteno youth live for "la noche" here, which isn't hard to do when there are clubs open til 7am every night of the week. It took less than three days here to understand that there are Monday clubs, Tuesday clubs, etc. Not every club is bumping on every night of the week, but there are special nights at each club. The "specialty" of the night usually consists of foreign music (e.g. hip-hop night, drum n' bass night) supplemented by drink discounts. Oh yeah, if you didn't know already, the standard dance music south of the border is almost exclusively reggaeton, which stinks for those of us who prefer rhythmic diversity.

These nights are almost always found at boliches (giant clubs) and clubes (U.S.A.-sized clubs). Some boliches can fit up to 2,000 dancing bodies or more, which can make them pretty overwhelming for someone who hasn't experienced it. Entrance fees range from 35 to 50 pesos (9-12 USD), which will usually provide one complimentary beer or mixed drink. After a month of living here, boliches have ceased to be the regular main attraction of the night, and tend to be more of an afterthought driven by people we're with or have met on that night. There are a couple of really amazing spots that I feel I should mention.

Asia de Cuba -- same owners as the incredible restaurant in LA on Sunset -- is probably the most exclusive and "dressiest" of dancing venues in Buenos Aires, though apparently no boliche fancies itself above a hoodie these days. A huge perfectly lit Buddha statue reclines before the main bar, flanked by two scantily clad dancers as an ironic welcoming gesture: the centerpiece of a night you probably won't forget. Yes, the blaring house music intermingled with some monologue about how we're going on some magic journey can be a bit over the top and obnoxious, but ask 9 out of 10 portenas where they want to get taken out tonight and they will probably mention "Asia." I've been able to join a table here the last two times I went and it definitely made the night ten times better (when you're up until 7am, there's no price tag for a place to sit down).

Terrazas del Este -- went here for the first time this weekend to meet some friends and was blown away by the beauty of this enormous coastal venue. It is my favorite boliche hands down, as it boasts three dance floors, two DJs (one mainly USA tuneage, the other house/reggaeton), and a drink coupon with 50 peso admission. Not only are the indoor bars sleek and accomodating for the masses (photo of the east bar above), but as its name suggests the club offers large, cabana'd terraces with couches that overlook the coast. If you want the perfect spot to party until the sun comes up, look no further. See my shaky, terribly timed Blackberry video below for footage of the main dance floor/VIP area...The cool lights kick in at the end.

If you're not looking to go full throttle into the sunrise, there are some interesting Irish American styled pubs, some of which offer the Latin American addition of large dance floors like The Shamrock in Recoleta, walking distance from my apartment. There are also loungier resto-bars, including our house favorite Milion (pictured below, also a few blocks from the domicile) which is actually a converted mansion from the '70s that boasts an endless list of high-end cocktails that never fail to impress those with an eye for mixology.


If it's time to tango, you best make your way to a milonga. Milongas are tango dance halls that offer dance lessons to begin the night, often accompanied by traditional live music. I've only been to the one pictured at the top of the post, known as La Catedral, which is a short bus ride from my apartment. This place gets really crowded on Tuesday nights, as people gather in the high-ceilinged, dimly-lit attic ambience to watch and dance to some live music. Large tables allowing much multicultural mingling barricade the bar (yay alliteration), and a wide selection of wine bottles are offered at reasonable prices. This unique feature of Latin American nightlife happens to be my surprise favorite, as there is simply nothing else like spending hours chatting with old friends and making new ones over two bottles of Mendozan Malbec we just bought for 12 USD at the bar (you thought right -- $6 each), listening to some live music, and learning the city's most iconic art form. Check out my footage of La Catedral on a Tuesday night below.

That's all folks.

Hasta Luego

Spring Cleaning...

Don't take garbagemen/women for granted. They went on strike for a few days here, which was pretty frightening for someone who had never experienced anything like that before (see above photo). Piles of steaming garbage bags in front of every other restaurant and storefront. Combined with this week's heat wave and the complete lack of smog regulation in Argentina, it basically convinced me that the waste removal industry has the power to jumpstart the plague any given week. Thankfully, they finally picked it up and we can all go on breathing again.

So it's now officially spring in Buenos Aires, which is a big deal for people here as they finally get to see some green on their streets. They have Spring Day, which is just another excuse to party during the week. It's kind of like St. Patty's Day in that it's in spring, many wear green and drink a bunch. Many trees are fragrant at this time of year, which helps to mask some of the air pollution that the increased sunlight intensifies. Walking around, you can see "Feliz Primavera!" written on numerous windows and facades.

As promised, here's some photographic evidence of my job down here:

This photo was taken at the end of winter/very beginning of spring so the trees hadn't started leafing yet. This is one half of the giant duplex that makes the building I work in. It is located to the north of Buenos Aires proper, and, as you can notice, has a big soccer field in front of it. There is a high school across the street from the duplex, and every boy at the school practices futbol pretty much every day without exception. It's neat to be able to watch the future Messis and Militos of Argentina do some "joga bonito" while walking home after a long day at work.

Photo taken just before the security guard turned around and told me to put the camera away.

The view of the office from my classroom.

My "classroom."

I use the company's conference rooms to conduct my classes. Though I have used three different rooms since I started work due to business meetings and what not, the cozier "blue room" you see above is the one I use most often. You can see the ever-present bottle of water, cup of mate cocido (cooked yerba mate), coffee, and book (Atlas Shrugged) keeping me company as I anticipate the next batch of students.

But what would a blog post of mine be without a FOOD UPDATE?

Lunch Time!

I eat lunch most of the time around the corner at one of the best and cheapest buffets I've ever experienced:

The ambience (can you feel it?).

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Salad Bar

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Tartas (yum)

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Hot Ish: Pollo con Papas, Milanesas, Jamon y Huevos

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Cold Ish: Marinated beef tongue, ham salads, wraps.

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PARRILLA (That's what I call made fresh to order)

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A full plate and a drink for between 19 and 27 pesos (~5-7 USD). As pictured: ~$5.

That's my work post. I'll post some fun stuff next time.

Chau

Bienvenidos

Welcome one and all to the Buenos Aires chapter of The Residual. I plan on living here for a few months and I thought I'd update everyone on my adventure.

To start off, I am going to answer the most common FAQs I encounter when I tell people I am living in Buenos Aires.

1) Why are you living in Buenos Aires?
I'm trying to gain practical fluency in Spanish and teach English simultaneously in a place where the money I've saved up has some extra power. I decided on Buenos Aires in collaboration with two good friends with whom I am living.

2) How long do you plan on staying in BsAs?
Anywhere between 6 and 10 months.

3) Is it safe in Buenos Aires? Isn't Argentina a Third World country or something?
Like all big cities, it depends on where you are. I found a pretty cheap apartment (3 bedroom + guest room @~$1300USD/mo) in arguably the nicest, safest, and most culturally significant part of Buenos Aires (Recoleta). If you leave Buenos Aires, you are pretty much in a Third World country.

4) Who do you teach?
Currently, I am teaching adults at an agrochemical food products company in a suburb of Buenos Aires. My students range from Basic to Highly Advanced. If you are wondering why Highly Advanced English speakers would need a teacher, I actually teach these students specific subject matter relating to their jobs/industry. Although the offices are within the "Greater Buenos Aires Area," it is not in Capital Federal (Buenos Aires proper), and therefore it is kind of a schlep - an hour and a half each way by bus. The commute is certainly worth it for me, as I really enjoy my work and I can study Spanish on the bus ride. I also get to see a side of Buenos Aires not commonly seen by foreigners.

5) By bus? Are you crazy? (typical LA response)
Buses (known as "colectivos"), along with the Subte (subway) are main forms of transportation down here and are necessary to use if you plan on living here without a car. Though cabs are cheap relative to the US, they are not viable on a teacher's salary (except at night, when they're worth every centavo). There are over 400 lineas (lines) that can take you wherever you need to go, all of which are privately owned. More about the colectivo later.

6) So how cheap is BsAs, really?
When it comes to food and drink, it is quite cheap:

You can purchase a filling standard breakfast (2 sweet croissants known as "medialunas"/half-moons and a coffee) at most cafes for 6 pesos/~less than $2USD.

On workdays I eat lunch at an incredible buffet where I can pretty much get whatever I want for maximum (you're really hungry) 24 pesos ($6USD). Lunch at cafes in the area I live in can be pricier (maybe $8USD), but you can always get the staple foods of BsAS - empanadas (mini calzones/the best hot pockets you've ever had) and pizzas - for dirt cheap wherever you are (2-3 pesos per empanada, basically 3 empanadas for less than $2USD and that's a filling lunch).

You can get a nice steak dinner with a bottle of Malbec split between 2 people for around $10 or 12USD. The steak will most likely be one of the best steaks you've ever had, and if you didn't know already, along with soccer, the beef and dairy here are major sources of national pride.

Speaking of dairy, a cone with two scoops of gourmet Argentinian helado (ice cream) sculpted to perfection is around 14 pesos (~$3.50USD). You can certainly find cheaper family stores, but there are gourmet chains that hover around this price.

Sculpted indeed.

A liter of beer can range from 6 pesos (less than $2USD), and you can return the empty bottle at most kioscos (corner stores) for a couple pesos. A bottle of Malbec at the market ranges, but you can get something memorable for around 20 pesos (~$5USD). At a restaurant, a bottle will cost you closer to 40 pesos (~$10USD) depending on the place. Harder stuff like Fernet (our house drink of choice) can be found at markets for around 40 pesos.

Drinks at clubs can range from 10 pesos to 30 pesos depending on the club. No such thing as a $10USD drink at the nightspots here.

Other than food, drink, public transportation and rent, commercial prices are comparable to the United States.

I will try to post something once a week. Thanks for following.


Chou