Inflation in Argentina

I must say that I feel like my grandfather whenever I say, “Yes, I remember the day when a Fernet and Coke was just 8 pesos.”

Unlike my grandfather who is referencing the 1930s when talking about prices, however, I am referencing 2006. For those of you have been in Argentina for a couple years, I know you too have reminisced about the golden days of ridiculously inexpensive prices. While prices in Buenos Aires are still very much a bargain when compared to those in the US or Europe, the average gringo can no longer spend money like Mike Tyson after his first payday. Many of us have only read about inflation in text books, but it is a fact of life here in Argentina, a fact of life to which one is forced to adapt.

Truth is, inflation is as old as paper money. In the 1920s, the German Reichsmark went from an exchange rate of four per dollar to four trillion per dollar. It was so valueless that it was used as wall paper and as fire kindling. In 1981, Argentina had a $1,000,000 note and prices changed by the minute. Argentines have told me jokingly (or maybe not) that they would drink in the morning because by the evening the price of beer would be more expensive. And even more recently, Zimbabwe has been experiencing an inflation rate of 13.2 trillion percent per month.

It’s hard not to let out a chuckle when thinking of people using banknotes for wallpaper and a Coca-Cola costing $1,000,000,000,000 Zimbabwe Dollars. However, inflation is no laughing matter because it leads to serious human suffering. Demoralized Germans fell for a charismatic megalomaniac, an out of control currency which helped provide fertile grounds for a golpear militar in Argentina, and Zimbabweans are currently experiencing a surge in brutal violence.

Finish reading the article on LandingPad BA.

Keeping Fit in Buenos Aires!

How to eat right, fit exercise into your day and avoid the foreigner 15

Arriving in Buenos Aires can be like arriving as a freshman to college. Promises of big parties, all night affairs and schmorgasborg-style eating that seem too good to be true eventually become reality. It’s all fun and games until somebody puts on 25 pounds. Here are a few ideas to help you enjoy Buenos Aires without needing to buy overpriced new jeans because you popped the zipper on your old ones.

How to eat cow and not look like one!
Buenos Aires cuisine is delicious, but really fattening. From steak with all the juicy fat attached to plump empanadas to salads made of mayonnaise and potatoes, it’s hard to stay trim while enjoying the local delicacies.

Here are 10 tips on how to eat and enjoy in Buenos Aires:

1. Order lean cuts of meat, such as bife de lomo, and avoid too much choripan (chorizo sandwiches). Yes, those are chunks of fat if you were trying to convince yourself otherwise.
2. When invited to an asado, bring vegetables that are tasty when grilled, such as pumpkin, corn, sweet potato and bell peppers.
3. When invited to an asado, bring a big salad with a homemade dressing.
4. Shop at organic markets to support small organic businesses and eat healthy! My favorite is the Galpon Organico located by the Subte B Federico Lacroze at 4171 Federico Lacroze Ave. (and Corrientes Ave.) Be sure to plan ahead, though, they’re open Wed. 9am-1pm and Sat. 9am-3pm
5. Don’t order pizza or empanadas to your house – just don’t make it an option. Don’t keep the magnets on your fridge, no matter how cute the delivery boy is. If you’re craving empanadas go to Cumaná, El Sanjuanino or 1810 Cocina Regional and make it worth it!
6. Share entrees when eating out. Buenos Aires restaurants are (in)famous for their big serving sizes.
7. When you need monedas (coins) to catch the bus, go to a fruit stand and buy a few apples or bananas instead of buying an alfajor cookie at a kiosko.
8. Drink mate! Enjoy this traditional tea drink that’s also a great digestivo!
9. Remember what dulce de leche is made of.
10. Order a café or cortado instead of café con leche (most cafes don’t have reduced fat milk)

Exercising porteño Style!

Porteños love to look good and stay fit. This is proven by a phenomenon I call “that hot chick turned around and she had the face of a 70-year-old.” You’ll be walking down the street and spot a trendy looking young girl from behind. She’s trim and has all the right accessories. She looks like she was born on a Stairmaster and has beautiful shiny hair. All of a sudden, girlfriend turns around. The combination of wrinkles and botox is shocking, but damn! She takes good care of her body. She fills me with hope for the future and a desire to work out.

The men and women of Buenos Aires are very concerned with their appearance, take pride in their bodies and thanks to them, Buenos Aires is full of gyms.

From mega-fashion Megatlon to the rinky-dink Average Joe’s style gym, everyone can find one that fits their style. My style was the overpriced Sport Club (190 pesos per month) until I decided I’d never achieve the buns of the girl with the steal tush implants, so now I’m heading to the dive gym on the corner (65 pesos a month). Most gyms that have a pool are slightly more expensive. Just splurge during summer months. Don’t pay for the pool access during winter, you won’t use it. Those looking JUST to use the pool can also sign up for exclusive pool use at many gyms.

Tip: Many big gyms have “promotional plans” where if you pay with a debit or credit card you have a reduced price. Any special like this has a catch, so always read your contract carefully. I learned this lesson when I signed up at Sport Club a few months ago. Instead of the regular 350 peso a month membership I signed up for the 190 peso a month deal. Soon I realized it wasn’t for me and when I went to quit, the manager said that my contact was for 12 months and to quit I’d have to pay 2-months worth of membership. Turns out, if you drag it out enough, use the word abogado (lawyer) and one other reasonable excuse they’ll waive the fee. This isn’t a country where taking someone to court is a solution, so don’t give up all your money at first. Quitting the gym shouldn’t be an express kidnapping.

Finish reading this usefull article on LandingPad BA.

Currency Converter

Use this currency converter to calculate how much your currency is valued at in any other country of the world. In some countries of South America the currency fluctuates continually (based on the value of the U.S. dollar) and residents become accustomed to using a currency converter (or checking the newspaper) daily to view the exchange rate for a particular day. In other countries the currency is more stable.

Use the currency converter at Go South Expat

Admission of pets into Argentina (just in case you need to bring some friends)

The requirements to be fulfilled to get dogs and cats into Argentina are the following:
1. Complete information on the owner:
• first and last name;
• country of origin or departure;
• countries in transit (if any);
• address.

2. Information about the animal:
• breed – sex;
• birth date – size;
• weight–fur colour;
• particular signs.

3. Vaccination certificate against rabies for animals over 3 months old.
For animals under 3 months old or that are coming from a country free from rabies and/or where anti–rabies vaccination is prohibited, this situation has to be stated on the certificate issued by the official sanitary authority.

4. Zoosanitary certificate issued by the official sanitary authority of the country of origin that should state:
• that the animal prior to leaving the country had no signs of any infectious–contagious or parasite disease, characteristic of the species.
• if the animal is coming from countries that declare before the International Office of Epizooties (O.I.E.) the presence of african equine pest or Valle del Riff fever, shall certificate that in the area of origin, or where the animal is coming from, and in an area within fifty (50) kilometers of such, there have been no reports of those diseases in the last 12 months or that during that period the animal has not been taken to the affected regions.

5. Quarantine: the animals that fulfill the mentioned requirements will not undergo an import quarantine; if there is a suspicion of infectious–contagious, zoonotic or high risk diseases the SENASA (Servicio Nacional de Sanidad Animal) (National Office of Animal Sanitation) will decide on the means to assure the animal’s isolation and the corresponding sanitary measures.

More info on Argentina.gov

Book Review: ‘Che Boludo: A Gringo’s Guide to Understanding the Argentines’

By James Bracken, Ediciones Continente, 30 pesos, 61 pages Reviewed by Stephen Page

On a recent sunny spring day, while wandering the streets of Buenos Aires, searching for a café where I could sit outside at a table and sip an espresso while looking at the passers-by (a popular Argentine custom), I detoured into a bookstore.

On the very first shelf I came to, I found a pocket-sized book titled Che Boludo, with the subtitle: A Gringo’s Guide to Understanding the Argentines.

I opened the book and discovered it was a dictionary of sorts, filled with words I had never read before. The words were contemporary Argentine slang, and the definitions were in English. “What a great find,” I thought.

After a decade of living in Argentina, I have been missing some of the slang while talking with friends, or at Sunday family get-togethers (they don’t teach Argentine slang at US universities, or in most of the Castellano classes offered in Buenos Aires). I was growing tired of repeatedly asking, “What? What does that mean?”

The title of the book translates to, “Hey Idiot!” or “Hey Buddy!” or “Hey Friend!”—depending on to whom you’re talking and your tone of voice. “Boludo” literally means “one with big testicles,’which does not mean “ballsy” or “brave,” but instead denotes a lack of cerebral functions. In Argentina, the young as well as the old use slang. You might hear an elderly man with a cane standing on the street corner waiting for the green crossing light mutter “¡miercoles!”—which translates to “shit” or “Goddamnit” or “hell”; you might hear a sophisticated woman in a fur coat call her husband’s new secretary a “puta” (whore) or a “babosa” (horny woman) even if she knows bystanders are listening to her; you might hear a teenager say to his brother, “No me hinchés las pelotas,” which means, connotatively, “don’t be a pain”—but denotatively means, well . . . you’ll have to read the book to know that one.

The book also contains drawings of the more popular hand gestures Porteños use—gestures that have risqué yet non-offensive meanings.

To read more go to The Argentine Post

Expats Working in Argentina: How To Invoice Local Companies

The following question arrived to me today by way of the Immigrant Mutual Aid Society, which is an organization here in Buenos Aires dedicated to helping expatriates and immigrants with a variety of issues. I'll post the question and then respond to the issue at hand.

Question

I've been living here in Buenos Aires for the last year and a half. I do free lance work film and tv, mostly advertising and documentaries for abroad. I have been working under the table this whole time, usually borrowing "facturas" from friends ect, or I have the money deposited into my account in the US, but now that I've started to generate a more significant income I am considering getting facturas of my own. Do you know how I would go about doing that? I've been on tourist visas this whole time and it hasn't seemed to be a problem yet, so I'm not too worried about a residency or healthcare or anything, my primary concern is about getting paid legally. What would you suggest?

Options For Expats Without Visas
There is no way to issue invoices (facturas) legally as an expat without a visa. As a tourist, you are not authorized to work in the country, so you cannot apply for the monotributo system and you can't enroll as a self employed worker either. The only way you can work and issue facturas locally is to form a company (SRL or SA) with an Argentine partner and then have your company issue the invoices. You will then be able to receive profits from the company in the form of dividends, but due to your expatriate status, you won't be able to work for the company.

Suggestions
My recommendation would be to get residency and start operating as a sole proprietor, either under the monotributo system if you qualify, or under the general system if you don't qualify for monotributo. If you can't get a visa or refuse to get one, you can form a company and start issuing invoices from your company. In this second case, you'll still be an illegal resident of Argentina and still breaking the law by doing work for your company while you're here. Nevertheless, at least you won't be committing tax fraud.

Read complete text on argentinabusiness.blogspot

Argentina national football team

The Argentina national football team is the national football team of Argentina and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association (AFA). Argentina has won most international titles by any national team - 19, a record shared with Uruguay.

Argentina is one of the most successful national football teams in the world, and is currently eighth in the FIFA world rankings. The team has twice won the FIFA World Cup, in 1978 and 1986. Argentina has won the Copa América 14 times, a record shared with Uruguay, won the Confederations Cup in 1992 and the Olympic Football Tournament in 2004 and 2008.

Argentina and France are the only national teams which have won the three most important men's titles recognized by FIFA: the World Cup, the Confederations Cup, and the Olympic tournament. They have both also won their respective continental championship (Copa América for Argentina, and UEFA European Football Championship for France).

Keep reading about Argentina's football league on Wikipedia.