Confessions of a Starbucks Addict part 2

I first came clean on my addiction in this earlier post. However, I have a new confession to make. I have fallen off the wagon. I have stumbled into the abyss of my drug addiction again. My drug of choice? Starbucks Coffee.

I fell off bad... having now consumed the equivalent of 7 shots of espresso in 2 hours! Damn me. (Damn you Mike for buying me another latte!)

I moved to Buenos Aires 10 months ago and was free of my vice. There were no
Starbucks triple-venti, non-fat, no-foam, 1-splenda lattes to be found for thousands and thousands of miles around. I thought I was safe.

And then today came. Starbucks has opened up its first store in Argentina at the Alto Palermo shopping mall. I thought I could stay away. I tried.

I woke up early and took my shower, and lied to my wife on the way out on where I was heading. But after dropping my son off at school, I hopped in a taxi and high tailed it over there. I had to get my fix after all these months.



The place was packed and there was a line out the door almost down to the street corner. But I waited patiently in line for 30 minutes. Fortunately, they were well staffed and handed out samples of their coffee to tease and taunt me while I waited. They even had a doo-wop group signing Mowtown songs to keep everyone entertained while we waited.

I had my first latte after 10 months and damn was it good. It tasted just like I remembered. I ran into the Yankster he bought me another 4 shot grande latte. And of course I had plenty of free drip coffee samples from this guy:



All in all, it was a disaster of a morning for me. For Starbucks, it was a huge success.

More to come in another post. In the mean time, I'll be looking up to see if there is a 12 step program for Starbucks addicts here in BA. I'll leave you with the Doo-wop group singing Blue Moon:

San Telmo and Plaza Dorrego

A must on any Buenos Aires tour is the the Sunday street market in the barrio of San Telmo. Street Tango, street musicians, artists, antiques, crafts and an occasional transvestite make for an interesting scene.

We finally made it last Sunday after saying we wanted to go for the last 7 months. Why we have not been is beyond me. It is a short bus or taxi ride to the other side of Plaza de Mayo and we had a great afternoon even though I'm not into the whole craft fair kind of thing.



The crowds on Sunday can be quite large. Despite the crowds, the whole walk from end to end is quite manageable and makes for an interesting stroll. The knick knacks compete with the people watching as the main attraction. But there are plenty of sideshows with Tango performers and other musicians panning for your coin along the route.



The best place to start is at Plaza Dorrego at the far end of Defensa street which they close off to traffic during the fair. The plaza is filled with antique vendors selling everything imaginable.

There will be plenty of photo ops and entertainment as you make your way up Calle Defensa towards Plaza de Mayo. On the street, the antiques will share billing with local handmade crafts from the neighborhoods more bohemian citizens.



There are plenty of great restaurants to eat at along the way. I can recommend Bar Plaza Dorrego or La Divina Comedia. Both have outdoor dining right on Calle Defensa and are well suited to watching the parade of people pass by on Sundays.



San Telmo itself has some great, albeit faded architecture with the city's largest concentration buildings from the 19th century. The architecture ads to the neighborhoods bohemian feel.

If you are planning a stay in Buenos Aires, be sure to put a trip to San Telmo on your list.

Feels good to be back in BA

Just a quick update for family and friends. We arrived safely back in Buenos Aires on Saturday night. I should say Sunday morning. Our flight out of Trelew was delayed by about three and half hours. Rather than getting in at 10:00, our flight landed more like 2:00.

We had a slight mixup getting the keys to our apartment, and by the time we got in and ready for bed it was after 4:00.

Anytime you fly Aerolineas Argentina you can be certain your flight will be delayed. We knew what we were getting into. It could of been worse. At least there were no riots.

I have a big backlog of photos and blog posts to work on. I promise, I will get to them in the next couple of days.

Buenos Aires Jardin Zoologico

Took Mijo to the zoo last weekend and we had a blast. It is an old city zoo and some had warned us that it wasn't the greatest. However, we disagree.

The Buenos Aires Jardin Zoologico was Founded over 118 years ago and houses more than 2,500 animals originating from 350 species. After a few years of decline, the Zoo has been making major upgrades and enhancing its staff.

While it is no Temaikén, which has animal-friendly natural habitats for all its furry inhabitants, the Buenos Aires Zoo is getting there despite its small footprint.



Even though not all of the Zoo would make PETA happy, being there reminds you of those wonderful old children's books set in a city zoo ( Like Madeline would walk by any minute to say Poo Poo to the Tiger in the Zoo).

Hey, for $14 pesos for a complete pass, you can't beat it.

Here are a few more pics...

Frida Khalo: Mexican Food Quest Part II - Getting closer to the real deal

Photos © copyright by Guía Oleo
Tonight, my wife and I went back to Frida Khalo the restaurant in Núñez (Ciudad de la Paz 3093), and I have to say it is much better than the other Mexican place I mentioned a few weeks ago. It is now my favorite place for a spicy ( and I mean really spicy) fix of my favorite food from back home.

We heard about Frida Khalo's when we first went to Il Gran Caruso, a very good and highly recommended Italian restaurant in Las Cañitas.

There we were having one of the best Italian meals we have had in the city when my wife looks up and says, "Isn't that a Mariachi Band in the lobby?" Now, we had consumed one or two bottles of Malbec already, but sure enough our eyes did not deceive us.

It is not every day you see a mariachi band in an Italian restaurant, much less in an Italian restaurant in Buenos Aires. We had to go up and introduce ourselves. Come to find out, the Guitar player was a college student from McAllen, Texas! What a small world.

Well, we never found out what in the world a Mariachi band made up of good'ol boys from Texas was doing at an Italian restaurant. We had more important questions to ask... Like where in the hell can you find decent Mexican Food?

After a small debate and a few recommendations on where NOT to go (Maria Felix), they all agreed on Frida Khalo. We immediately phoned our friends and made a date to try it out.

The first time to Frida Khalo's was wonderful. Although it was not Tex-mex, it was very similar to food at the nicer restaurants in Mexico. Very fine interior Mexican food. When we were telling other's of our experience at Frida Khalo, we received puzzled looks. Several (mainly porteños) who had tried it said they did not like it.

Because of the feedback from others, we had not tried Frida Khalo's again until tonight. What a mistake. The food was excellent and very, very spicy. Ahh just what I have been missing. The same can't be said for our second outing to 5ta. Esencia in La Lucila.

We started with two Sopas. Mine was the Sopa Trotsky, a cold soup that was very similar to Gazpacho, only less tomatoes and more lime. Very good. My wife started with the Sopa Chiloto, a warm mexican corn chowder with plenty of cilantro, lime and the most deliciously sweet corn . It was slightly spicy with just a slight hint of chili. It was one of the best corn chowders I have tasted, including my own.

Frida Khalo is known for their moles. My first visit, I had the chicken mole made with the traditional brown mole (the numerous ingredients include chocolate and peanut butter). Tonight, I had the chicken enchiladas with the same mole sauce. The mole was very spicy and I was very happy. The only complaint was the chicken was a little bland on the inside.

My wife tried the pork enchiladas in a spicy red sauce. When they say spicy, the mean it. The pork was seasoned well and was tender. Her only complaint was that the dish was a little too spicy. Yes you heard me right. Food that was too spicy here in Buenos Aires is a little hard to believe, I know.

If you don't believe me, try it for yourself.

Spring????

Reports from back home are of the Indian Summer you guys are experiencing in North Texas.

Keep in mind that things are reversed down here south of the equator. Not only does water drain clockwise not counter-clockwise (as proven by Lisa Simpson) but it is spring, not fall here.

And while Texans are out on the lake enjoying an endless summer... WE ARE FREEZING TO DEATH!!

We awoke today with the temp hovering at 9 celcius (48F—I know, I know that is a long way from freezing... but remember I'm from Texas!) and the wind was blowing like a bat out of hell. My fellow expats from Chicago (mike and frank) probably felt right at home.

The great thing about the weather in Buenos Aires—stick around it will change. Ahh, just like back home.

I wonder if they call it an "Indian Winter" here.

I'll leave you with images from when the weather was a little more spring like. The Nike 10K was held here last weekend. The images are from the Cartel Endorfina site. Please click on the link to see more amazing shots of Buenos Aires.

Finally Moved to Belgrano

Over the weekend my family finally moved to the Barrio of Belgrano. We've been wanting to for some time so our daughter could be closer to school. Plus, we just love the neighborhood.

Friends and family have been screaming for pics of the place. So here it is. As you can see above, we went a little over our normal budget for this place. It was well worth it.

We splurged because we finally decided NOT to buy and are going with the the temporary rental apartments for the mean time. It was a tough decision. But with the increasing inflation here (the real number approaching 30% annually), the cloudy outlook for the economy and the bubble like atmosphere in the BsAS real estate market, it was hard to justify that kind of investment.

The other factor was my daughter. The honeymoon has worn off and she is having a tough go of things. Most likely, she'll get through it. Most parents that have similar age girls have said it gets rough but most snap out of it and relish their expat lifestyle.

To help my daughter, we've agreed to only be abroad for a year. With that short a timeframe, it is kind of hard to justify buying an apartment here. Sure, we had always planned to rent it out. But the shorter timeframe with the economic situation here, we just had to say no.

Besides, we were spending too much time looking for housing and not enough time enjoying this wonderful city.

After two months, we are finally set for the real fun to begin. Now we even have the flexibility to pickup at the drop of the hat and see the rest of the country. Say move to Mendoza or Bariloche. Even hike Patagonia for month or two.

BTW, here are a few more shots of our new digs...

More From Belgrano

We love Belgrano. These apartments overlook the park and the train station. We were in the red one today. The view was incredible. You can see the river and across to Uruguay.



Most streets are lined with trees and are very peaceful.



A paseo in an old building in Chinatown.

Confessions of a Former Starbucks Addict

Man, Starbucks comes to town and now everyone can talk of nothing but coffee. It seems that every expat blog in town has been heralding Starbucks' arrival and/or predicting their demise here in Buenos Aires.

The event has inspired introspection on what the coffee culture means here. There was even a lengthy discussion on the sorry state of coffee found in the supermarkets to make at home on the BA Newcomers Yahoo group. Ironic given how passionate porteños are about their café.

Frank summed up the coffee situation here the best in his post. And of course, Yankimike was quick to weigh in with his thoughts in another good post.

For me, I am proud to say I just don't care that Starbucks is coming to town. You see, I'm a recovering Starbucks addict. Yes, I was a Triple, Vente, Non-Fat, No-Foam, One-Splenda Latte addict. I could not function unless I had at least one every day. I admit it. It was wrong and I have moved on.

In prepping for my move to Argentina, I tried ordering a machiato or a douple shot of espresso knowing that was the main way coffee was offered here. Boy is the espresso nasty at Starbucks. I couldn't drink the stuff. I thought I was in for trouble down here if that is what I had to drink everyday to get my fix.

Once I arrived, I was surprised to learn how great coffee (espresso) should taste. The corner cafe has broken me of my Starbucks addiction and shone me the true light.

For a recent post, Yankimike asked me to provide a picture of what I used to make my cofee at home, I sent him the pic of the empty espresso cup above.

I had to explain to him that I didn't have anything to make coffee at home. Why would you make the crap they offer at the supermarket when I can go to the corner and have bliss in a cup? Besides, as any Argentine will tell you (and expats like Maya), "café" is not about the coffee as much as it is the experience of hanging out in the café.

Thank you Argentina for showing me what true coffee is. Anyone else out there need a 12-step program for ex-Starbucks addicts?

Let Them Eat Wii!

We were shopping at the Paseo Alcorta shopping mall the other day and we noticed a Nintendo Wii in the window of a store. We about passed out on the spot. The price was a mere AR$3,000. That is $1,000 in US dollars. It was not some ebay scam. It was not due the some crazy inflation rate. That is the actual retail price here.

I love my Wii. We can't imagine life without it. I don't know that I would pay $1000 for one.

It is not just Wii's that are priced so crazy. All electronics here are priced through the roof due to huge import duties. Just the other day I was offered a handsome sum for my video iPod. The offer was more than double what I paid for it and it is even a couple of generations old now.

Most things in the store are made here. The government since the time of Peron has really pushed Argentine economy to be self sufficient. And that policy has helped employ a large number of people. However, this gringo feels they are getting a raw deal.

The stores are filled with inferior goods. We went shopping for baby strollers last week and were looking at paying $200 for a stroller that was not even to the standard of the $19.95 version at Toys R Us. Why? My guess is that the market isn't being allowed to work freely and efficiently and the manufactures here have been insulated from any real competition. Plus the raw goods are harder to come by and more expensive from the duties placed on them.

Another example. My daughter started school way out in the suburbs. Which means she (and we) must get up at the un-Argentine hour of 6:00 to get ready for the bus that comes by at 7:00. Time to get an alarm clock. Only there are none to be found in the stores. At first I thought this was a cultural thing. Why would a country that prides itself on never being on time for anything need alarm clocks? OK, it may be partly due to that. But in reality with limited pesos, why spend money on the overpriced item when the alarm on your cell phone will work just fine.

We were told in our expat orientation meeting at school that if you want to find good quality goods go out to the Wal-Mart. The Wal-Mart! Something is seriously wrong with this place if I have to go to Wal-Mart to find "quality".

If they opened the markets here and eliminated the tariffs, prices would come down, the economy would grow the quality of life would increase along with the quality of goods. Sure some local manufacturers would have to close due to the pressure to compete globally. But, BustBuy, CompUSA and the new Argentine equivalents would trip over themselves opening new stores employing more than the factories that did have to close ever did.

Then every boy and girl would be blessed with Wiis and life would be grand. I say let them eat Wiis! Wii tennis anyone?

My New Flickr Friends in BA: Safari BA

I hooked up with a Flickr group here in BA and went to my first Flickr meetup on Sunday. The group is SafariBA:reloaded. We went to a wildlife park about an hour northwest of the city by bus. Temaikén is on par with the better zoos and wildlife parks in the U.S.—only without all the commercialism.

The photo above is not mine. It is from one of the other members (muchas gracias Martín). I'm the one making the "I" in the pic.

Most of the group spoke only castellano. However, a few were able to translate for me. Also, another expat who hooked be up with the group came along. We had a good time and took some great pics. Be sure to check out my Flickr photos from the trip.

Thanks again to:
Slaff
Tony
Cintia
Martín
Patt
SuperBet
Maxx
Leo
and Jason

Here are some of my pics from the event:

Buenos Aires Food Heaven

It's about time we get down to details on the wonderful food here. My wife and I have been having some of the best meals we have had in a long time.

Last night we ate at Sottovoce around the corner from our apartment here in the Recoleta. Sottovoce serves classic Italian food with impeccable service and an expert touch in the kitchen. It is said the restaurant is popular with politicians and the upper crust Italians in the neighborhood. There was a mix of very refined Italians, Recoleta grand dames and younger couples dining last night. Can't say if I saw any politicians.

We started with two appetizers of carpaccio. One was the traditional beef with arugula and parmesan. The other was a carpaccio of fresh salmon with capers and dill. The beef carpaccio was traditionally executed. However, the arugula here has a wonderful peppery flavor that can't be duplicated in the US. And when it is paired with the super thin slices of Argentina's famed beef, this standard Italian fare is turned spectacular.

Can't say the same for my salmon. I love dill on grilled salmon. I love capers with smoked salmon. The two just overpowered the raw salmon. Using the two together sparingly in more of a garnish combined with a little lemon would of been a better route.

For the main event, my wife went for the roasted conejo (rabbit) served in a wonderful hunters sauce. It was succulent and very flavorful without the gamey taste most rabbit dishes have.

I wanted to try some of the homemade pasta they are known for. My Tagliatelle Sottovoce was served with a simple sauce of tomato, basil, oregano, garlic and olive oil. It was a simple dish expertly prepared. The fresh tagliatelle was the best fresh pasta I have had anywhere. The sauce was a perfect balance of flavors.

We finished with the Chocolate Vulcano pictured below. Ummm, chocolate heaven.



Our whole tab came out to $224 pesos (US $70). And that included a bottle of 2004 Luigi Bosca Reserve Malbec. Easily a $50 to $60 bottle of wine in the states. While the cost of eating out here has dramatically risen lately, I can get use to eating a fine meal for about what we would pay for a nice bottle of wine in the US.

Spring Is Almost Here...

Well, not quite yet. It has been cold and rainy the last two days. I snapped this photo from our balcony yesterday after the rain had stopped. It's raining again today. I can't wait for warmer weather to see this wonderful city at its best.

It is weird getting use to spring falling right on the heals of our hot Texas summer. ( Remember the seasons are reversed down here south of the equator.) It has been a very cold winter here in Argentina. The cold was a wonderful change from the August heat back in Texas...at first. It's novelty has worn off.

Although it hasn't been that bad since we landed. The weather here is a lot like Texas in that it can be frigid cold one day and 82 the next. In a few months, I'm sure I'll be complaining about how hot and humid everything is... Just like back at home!

Protest On My Front Doorstep...

My kids starts school tomorrow and we needed to get all of their school supplies. As we walked out to get them, we were greeted with our first Buenos Aires protest... Right in front of our apartment! Sorry for the poor quality of the photos. I didn't have my camera handy and had to use my cellphone.

The protest was organized by Union of Civilian Personnel of the Nation or UPCN. From what I can tell, they are a labor union representing civil employees of Argentina.

I'm no expert on the labor situation here and my Castellano (the local Spanish) is still very poor. But, I think they were protesting the effect of recent inflation on their wages and demanding a bigger Christmas bonus. I'll have to wait and see if the local English language paper explains things better.



They completely blocked traffic on Callao in front of our apartment and made a bunch of noise with loud drums and fireworks they shot from canons in the back of pickup trucks. Alicia seemed pleasantly surprised by all the commotion unfolding right in front of her.

But before you knew it, they dispersed and life on the street was back to normal.

Where We are Living Now...

Sorry we haven't posted in awhile. We've been spending all our time looking at apartments and getting our daughter setup for school. Everyone back home is requesting I take more pictures and I hate to say I've slacked off on that too. However, I thought I would share a few pics of our new neighborhood.

We are setup in a temp rental for 2 months or so in the Recoleta. It's a 968sqf, 2 bedroom apartment that suites us just fine for now. It's furnished nicely and has everything we need to function.

Our Temp. Apartment

It is a little tough going from 3,600 sqf to 968 sqf and we are getting use to having everything on a much smaller scale. You should see the size of the bathrooms. My wife about died when she saw the size of the washing machine ( you can see it in the last picture peeking out from behind the bottom cabinet).

It is in a great neighborhood though. The Recoleta can be a little on the touristy side, however it works in our favor since most employees in the shops and restaurants are use to customers speaking English.

Our New Neighborhood

Here are a few shots of the neighborhood. Most people give me a "Yeah Right!" look when I tell them Buenos Aires looks a lot like Paris. Let me know what you think.

The Argentine Paradox: How Can They Eat This Well, Yet be So Thin!

Ok.... We have been here almost five days and from best we can gather, here is the daily intake of the average porteño.

1. Breakfast: start with cured ham, cheese, a few pastries and a few shots of espresso.


2. Lunch: Salad, hearty pasta, Vino, more café, more pastries.


3. Afternoon: more café, a few more pastries


4. Early Evening (6 to 7): Tapas ( little plates of food), more pastries and of course mas café.


5. Dinner: Late Evening (starts between 9:30 and 11:00 - even on weeknights!) Steak and wine. And we are talking massive amounts of the the best beef in the world.

The paradox? After all that food, how come porteños are so thin! There are no fat people in Buenos Aires. At least none that we have come across. Yet look at what they eat. How can that be!

Atkins folks will point out that they eat little else on their plates except the beef. Yet that is only for dinner. Every time they sit down for café, there is some sort of fattening sweet involved.

Others will point out that there are no processed foods in the porteño's diet. I have to admit that I have yet to eat anything that ADM or Monsanto has had a hold of. It has all been whole foods made from the freshest ingredients. Even the few Cokes and Sprites we have let the kids have are made from sugar and not corn syrup.

Are we in heaven? Can it be true that we can eat all this wonderful food (and I can't describe in words just how good the food is) and loose weight at the same time?

We'll keep you posted.