Arrival in Buenos Aires, September 2006

After months of living out of suitcases, we finally made it to Buenos Aires. And let me be the first to admit that a two-month vacation just isn't vacation the way I remember them when you are traveling with an active toddler. It took me a few weeks to accept that. After a week in London I was wondering why I had not had a pint in a pub and still had not been shopping. I actually went to Amsterdam without seeing the Red Light District. Although it was great to catch up with friends and family again in those places and NYC, Seattle, DC, Puerto Rico, it took me a long time to accept that my selfish, do-what-I-want-and-relax-on vacation-loving life would never be the same again. Well, at least not for a while. Business travel all of a sudden has an allure I never fully appreciated before…

Anyway, we are here. Buenos Aires is just huge. You don't have to come here to figure that out but it is just urban sprawl and tall buildings from the airport all the way to the part of town we live in. At least twelve million people are packed in this place. Pollution and noise pollution are something I have to get comfortable with fast or I won't make it here. That and dog crap. It seems I can't escape the feces no matter where I go. I comfort myself with the fact that it is dog feces here and not human feces. The hundreds of dog walkers throughout the city are the worst offenders leaving "treats" for my toddler to pick up and show me when we go to play in the many parks surrounding our apartment.

At the same time, Buenos Aires is a sophisticated city and the country needs tourism right now. Some 250,000 Americans visit every year. So, some smart dog-hater in the Tourism Ministry must have had the bright idea to create a few parks that dogs are not allowed in - one is right near our apartment. It has a rose garden in it, and a duck pond, and statues of Descartes, Shakespeare and other famous Argentines and foreigners donated by governments. It is a beautiful, peaceful place and my son and I visit often on sunny days. Surrounding the rose garden park is a running/walking track a mile long, packed with people exercising during the day (walking, rollerblading, running, bike riding, or working out with some of the many personal trainers). But at night, the place turns into a different kind of sport - apparently it is the place for transvestites to make friends and consummate relationships. In any event, I really like the fact I'm living in a place where it's totally acceptable to exercise outside.

The grocery stores and malls here are even bigger and nicer than those in the U.S., which means they are just overwhelming to me after Ghana. On the other hand, the malls have areas for children to play in with free, staffed changing rooms with complimentary diapers, and other baby accessories—all of which are really nice. Overall, I'm having a hard time accepting the fact that we get to live in a place that I feel like we should be visiting on vacation. But I like how that if I dress well every day and don't open my mouth, no one can tell I am a foreigner - it's nice not to stick out like a sore thumb.

We live in an apartment building in the Palermo section of town. The view at night from our balcony is stunning--we are surrounded by tall buildings with beautifully decorated apartments that we can spy into at night when they are all lit up. Our building's rooftop view (where there is a very small pool) is even more spectacular. I think I will need a telescope so I can do some "Rear Window" viewing at night. It turns out that we live down the street from where the famous soccer player Diego Maradonna lives. I shared this fact with one of our first visitors who commented, "Isn't he a fat drug addict now?" Maybe so, but don't let an Argentine hear you say that. He and Evita are still the national idols of Argentina. No sightings yet, but I'm on the lookout!

Speaking of Evita - I went to the Evita museum with some visitors yesterday. I was only able to run through it because my kid wouldn't stop throwing temper tantrums after I wouldn't let him touch the displays, but I can say that it is sparsely decorated but nicely done, with tango music playing throughout to give the appropriate atmosphere. It is filled with photos and videos of Evita speaking and clothes that she wore during her reign as first lady. Apparently she is still a divisive figure here - I'll have to ask some Argentines what they think of her.

A few other things continue to strike me here - unlike any other place I've been in Latin America, straight men kiss here. A mini-hug and one kiss on the cheek is an acceptable greeting. There is a street a few blocks from my house with 14 lanes, and this is not even the widest street in the country. This is a walking city, and you can go out and buy anything here and have it delivered to your apartment free of charge. So rather than get freaked out by the huge supermarket nearby, I call up the neighborhood grocer and he delivers my basics within an hour. We also have a doorman. It is a treat never to have to fumble for the front door key again.

Personal security is an issue though. During the recent economic crisis (2001) 1/3 of the country became impoverished overnight. The result - lots of petty crime. Our friends were here visiting for a conference recently and five of the conference attendees walking around nice parts of town during the day and night were relieved of their jewelry and wallets. So I switched to the cheap watch and fake earrings for strolls on the town. Leave the good stuff for a night out when you are going to take a car service (a "remise").

In spite of not having found anyone yet to help me take care of the house of my son, I still have been able to frequent some of the many cafes near our apartment. So far, people here are really friendly towards foreigners and very accommodating towards kids. Everyone loves my son. They always comment on his blue eyes. I didn't manage to grab his wandering fingers full of "dulce de leche" quickly enough the other day when they strayed to the back of the head of a blue-haired lady in a coffee shop. She turned, I was mortified and apologizing, and she smiled brightly and laughed and said in English, "This one can do whatever he wants!"

Having a kid who hates to be cooped up in the house is the perfect excuse to explore the city. I've hit all the grocery stores, all the parks, playgrounds, malls and kid-friendly places within a few mile radius. I've visited numerous day care centers and schools. Even more shocking is that I joined a mommy and child play group - a far cry from doing trade and economic development work. But given that the Embassy is huge and most people make friends and find work/entertainment outside the Embassy community, it's the only way I am going to make some friends, find a nanny/maid, get a social life and find leads for jobs and other activities. So, when my husband goes to work, I put on the cheap watch, pack up the backpack, set up the stroller, grab my kid and head out the door.