No one should expect to see Paris in Buenos Aires or vice versa. They are 2 different places, they couldn't be more different to one another, in terms of population, architecture, mentality, food. BA feels huge like a New York for example, Paris doesn't have many skyscrapers and most streets are narrow
no one expects to see paris in buenos aires.... but it is literally called ''the paris of south america'' this isn't something she just made up. there are a ridiculous amount of similarities between the two cities - hence why it got this nickname. but not a single person is saying they expect to see paris in buenos aires. that's like assuming people expect to see the real eiffel tower in vegas... because there is a mini one and then assuming people get angry over this? what? you can literally google the phrase and you will find out why they are often compared to each other.
Buenos Aires is that unique city that is like a mix of every city... Buenos Aies is like Paris, Washington, New york, and Spain all of them combined but most historical and of course, most beautiful
4:35 I will tell you a secret I'm not supposed to reveal but us, porteños, we developed a secret power that allow us to see dog poop even with our eyes closed. It's been probably 3 years since the last time I stepped on dog poop and that is specially amazing if you consider that I'm a dog trainer so I literally spend my days on parks and the street
I just feel curious to know that, if you don't like sharing mate, you don't greet friends with a kiss either. By the way, if foreigners feel afraid of sharing mate because they think they may catch the flu, every Argentinian person who drinks mate and feels she/he has a cough or any similar flu symptom, that person will let you know that because she/he is conscious of that.
@@LifebyMelissaAndrew Primero me disculpo por escribir en castellano, lamentablemente no sé inglés. Entiendo que las personas que quieran vivir en B.A. deben saber que probablemente deberán lidiar con los malos conductores, el excremento de animales en las calles, y los otros problemas que mencionaste. Pero no entiendo por qué incluiste compartir el mate como un problema para quien quiera vivir en Buenos Aires. Por supuesto es totalmente entendible que sea una costumbre que no sea de tu agrado. Pero siempre creí que en la Capital, al igual que en cualquier otro lugar de la Argentina, basta con agradecer y decir que no se desea tomar mate. Es decir que no sería un problema para quien quiera vivir allí, sino nada más una costumbre que no es del agrado de todos. Estoy equivocada y sí es un problema? Por qué? Acaso te sentiste obligada a participar de esta costumbre? Les pasa a otros extranjeros que se sienten obligados? Usualmente se invita a compartir como una muestra de amistad, de consideración, pero no hay inconveniente en negarse. Fue diferente tu experiencia? Gracias por leer. Espero tu respuesta, esto me ha intrigado muchísimo
I don't like the idea of Mate because i don't like sharing a straw between so many others. A kiss on the cheek is ok. I don't mind the risk of being sick just some things seem more personal. I'll try someone else's beer as well but a straw is a bit much. I don't drink Mate in general so i may be biased
Estoy absolutamente de acuerdo con Patricia PA. Aquí nadie obliga nadie a tomar mate ni nada que no tengas ganas. De tu descripción, se desprende cómo si alguien te hubiese atado a una silla y obligado a chupar esa asquerosa "bombilla". Por razones profesionales, viajé varias veces a USA y jamás se me ocurriría postear, que algunas costumbres, me resultaron bastante estúpidas. Bye!
I agree with most of these things haha and im from buenos aires. The dog poop issue actually was WAY worst a couple of years back, but it honestly got much much better, i rarely see any dog poop on the street nowadays, and its been ages since the last time i stepped on dog poop (when i was younger I remember this happening all the time, not so much now) The pedestrian thing is totally accurate. People are straight up assholes when they drive, the way you reacted to that car almost hitting you is literally the most porteño thing ever! Lol The only thing i don’t really get is the noice thing. I mean, buenos aires is noisy i guess, but having lived here my whole life i don’t really notice the noice, just the ambulance sirens tbh. And the mate thing is also true. I mean, i don’t mind sharing it with my family (parents/siblings) but anybody else is just too much for me, i usually just skip on it all together. Covid is the perfect excuse haha
Hey guys. I'm definitely interested in visiting Argentina for a few months. What is a good area to stay in? By the way I'm also in Texas. I want to stay in a place where I get to learn and practice Spanish but somewhere that is pedestrian friendly so I can walk to the stores etc. I keep reading to stay in Palermo more recoleta but I don't want to just have a tourist experience either. What do you think?
@@bilingualsecrets it seems though these areas would be the noisy areas? I used to live in a noisy area, but then I moved out and I can't imagine re living in a noisy area... I guess it depends on the exact location though and the building thickness
Im flying to Buenos Aires soon, i know they call it the Paris of Latin American but i already know it is not. Mexico City has lots of those kinds of European buildings but by no means will I say it is the Madrid or Paris of NorthAmerica even less call it the Madrid of Latin America.
The streets are noisy maybe, but if the apartment construction was better, you wouldn't hear so much. I was 7 floors off the ground in Medrano but the noise felt like it was in the same room with me.
You use to live in Recoleta. A barrio that has a lot of night life, it's almost at the center of the city. And is a very touristic area. So if you don't like noise, Recoleta is not your place to live. Buenos Aires it's a big city. And most of it is very quiet at night. It has 48 Barrios. You are taking about one. And it's not near one of the biggest. Mmmmm About Mate... With Corona virus, there is no shearing. I had not drink mate with anyone except my wife this last two years. About 💩 you are more than right. And pedestrian and drivers makes you go crazy.
Hi! Do you know how overall prices (like f ex on restaurants, cafés, the grocery store, at markets) have changed (increased?) in BA during 2021? Thank you.
Besides the Mate, none of this sounds that different from when I lived in DC and Boston (except the poop - in DC, it was homeless guys pooping on the street, not dogs :(
I don't think you have understood mate. First you don't sip from it, you drink it completely. The mate goes back empty to the "cebador" who is in charge of preparing it and filling it every time. Nobody obligates you to drink of it. You may even don't like the taste of mate. During the pandemic everyone drank from his own mate, but the yerba has taste for many mates but you cannot keep it humid from one day to another. The mate is a national tradition for sharing, hear stories, study. I cannot think why this should be of any influence for a foreigner coming to Buenos Aires. You don't like the idea of sharing the mate, don't drink it or have your own mate with the yerba of your choice, with or without sugar/edulcorant, and the temperature of water you prefer.
1) its kinda undeserving no Argentine would say that. 2) dog poop issues got a little better but yeah its a problem, there's also plenty of stray dogs so no one to pick the poop there sadly 3) its a huge city noise is expected 4) i dont drink mate and i know people who actually dont share it or only do it with their spouse or close family. You dont have to participate if you are not comfortable with. 5) totally right, pedestrians, bikes, motorcycles, cars, everyone sucks here sadly
I'm from Buenos Aires and I loathe domesticated animals, so would never kidnap an animal ever again. Traveling with 2 dogs or having 2 dogs period must be hell. Also, I have never shared mate, it's not rude to decline.
Before covid It was extremely rude not to share the Mate. Its ok to decline it, but its an offense having Mate and drinking it by yourself. Its ingrained in our culture, not sharing the mate is a sign of misery, poverty, of being a bad host, or egoist, so people is compelled to share it and you will have to decline. The dog thing can easily be explained by 2 factors: People don't have internalized the concept of picking your dogs poo, and there aren't enough green spaces properly distributed around the city relative to the density of population.
What is up with all of these negative comments? all cities have pros and cons and no two cities are identical. but also... cities have cons. whether you are from the country or from the city, all cities have cons. I don't get the point of calling this woman ignorant, uncultured, wrong, etc These are the things SHE doesn't like. And you know what? This helps other people who also don't like these things to either be prepared OR find somewhere else to live. It has nothing to do with the fact that she is from Texas... several comments have pointed that out - so I just want to let them know 'your ignorance is showing' I 100% appreciate these tips. It is always better to get the cons before going somewhere and deciding for yourself 'hey dog poo on the streets really isn't that big of a deal' rather than getting to BA (or anywhere else you want to go) and be miserable because you effing hate dog poo. Not everyone is going to find her negatives - negative. These nasty comments just got to me... there are so many. This is a very small channel. And I appreciated the video. But really, many of these horrible comments can tear somebody down and this woman (I don't know her!) seems nice and kind and heck she's even posting information that people might find helpful to their particular situations. Moving to a new place is never going to be sunshine and rainbows... and anyone calling her names or insults because of that... are just ridiculous and have unrealistic expectations in life. Awesome video! Thank you for the info!
Thank you for your kind comments. Overall, I really enjoyed living in Buenos Aires and it's an awesome city. I simply wanted to create a video with some of the things I personally found to be more negative. But I agree, all places have pros and cons. Even where I live now in Texas - there are things that can be hard. I appreciate your understanding.
Agree. It’s totally okay to have an OPINION. We live in such an over sensitive society where opinions are banned but we all expose ourselves for having them when we tear strips off those who share theirs?
Bump into me!? You will learn the power of a shoulder tackle! If you drive close to me? Oh! I am so sorry! I accidentally dropped my water bottle in your direction!😮😊😅😂❤🎉
Para vivir en lo gustes silenciosos basta con irte a los suburbios lujosos del norte. Desde Olivos hasta el Tigre,llenos chalets con jardines.Si no te gusta el verano caluroso, los pueblos y ciudades de la patagonia.
Hi, we created this video :ua-cam.com/video/6XYBeWqgmMQ/v-deo.html It is about the early days of the pandemic in Buenos Aires. But I will create another video talking about it overall until we left in December.
I want to move to Argentina I understand all but the mate one. I only share matè with people I trust ( like family or friends) I don’t think I’d share with a stranger tho especially after covid
The noise problem you described in BA sounds almost identical to the problems I experienced in the Philippines. At least in BA you don’t have roosters crowing 24/7 from all parts of the city like in Cebu City, Philippines.
It's so complicated!!!! Is not a first world country and is still struggling in South America. Their history is rich and tragic; college students go to Playa del Carmen Mexico to make extra bucks.
Hi! as an Argentinian living in California, I agree with most of your points. the "Paris of th south" one needs some explaining though. It's a nickname Buenos Aires received many decades ago, when the country was doing better and the buildings were kept in better conditions than they are now. At the time Buenos Aires received that name, the cities were very comparable to one another. I think there's been an effort in the lat 10 years to make Buenos Aires shine again, but the economic situation of the country is what it is and there's no escaping that. Regarding mate sharing... I guess it's just something you get used to from a young age, but I'm pretty sure many will agree with you after the pandemic, that it's not a universally good idea to share straws, hehehe.
Oh, I forgot! Having been to New York, I can attest to the rudeness of new yorkers, which coming from sunny and happy LA was kind of a shock and it made me feel like I was in Buenos Aires again. So, I'm totally with you on that one.
In the U.S. people are abusive as pedestrians, and get unreasonably angry at vehicles. I find it strange that carelessly bumping into someone else on the sidewalk "anywhere" is the norm, and doesn't trigger anger in Argentina? I recently discovered that the country imposes a %30 tax on visitors, and expats? Is there a way around it? I appreciate any feedback? Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the view! I haven't heard about the 30% tax on foreigners. I know in 2020 they started a restriction on accessing USD, which is important if USD is your preferred currency.
Official exchange is around 100 pesos. “Blue” exchange is around 200 pesos. The blue one is the actual market value of the currency, while the “official” one is the exchange fixed by the government.
Paris is not what it was, unfortunately. BsAs is way better than Paris now. The dog problem was really bad in Montevideo, way worst than anywhere else. One of the great things about the Middle East Muslim world - Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Oman, Saudi Arabia, where I spent many years, is that there are almost no dogs, certainly as pets.
It's never easy (or possible) to shed where you've lived the majority of your life! But that's the beauty of being an expat...experiencing and learning new ways of living!
Ooh that's a good one... especially since they're from Houston, the world's largest suburb-without-a-city. A place that's a lot more Luby's and Strickland Propane than bistros and Balenciaga. But in Melissa's defence.... you don't have be from a hick town to be put off by some of what you encounter in Buenos Aires. I've lived my whole life in semi-big cities: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Nürnberg and New Orleans. I went to UC Berkeley. And I've visisted London, Madrid, Montreal, Sydney and Singapore... .and in none of those places will you experience the rude behaviour of porteños or motorists who deliberately try to run down pedestrians. And the dog s---- issue is straight out of some hellhole like Manila and Calcutta. Buenos Aires is an AMAZING city, but from some angles, it's much less the Paris of the Americas... and more like the Cairo of the Americas...
@Melissa & Andrew - wondering if you would be willing to do a segment devoted to the current financial situation in Argentina, given that you have apparently lived through the financial downturn that is currently evolving. Thanks.
I'm Argentinean, and Having traveled abroad, I sometimes get into arguments with my compatriots about BA not being like Paris or any other European city at all! Still, I've seen some foreigners say it feels like Barcelona. Which I disagree btw. Also I don't like mate because I don't like sharing straws or glasses lol. Luckily that's changed after pandemic.
London is the probably the the most important city on Earth. It's also one of the largest. And the people there are polite, pick up their dog shyte and don't try to run pedestrians over. And same can be said for other "small villages" that I've visited, like Madrid, Berlin, Sydney, and Singapore. The less-than-civilised behavior exhibited by many porteños has nothing to do with the city's population.... it's simply because they're a-holes. Anyone moving there from "small villages" like Toronto, Chicago or Melbourne would probably see the city the same as Melissa does.
Jeez hahahaha, I loved this video (I'm Argentinian btw), I criticize the majority of your appraisals. Though I disagree with the apologises for knocking your shoulder, I've received literally always a short sorry or a sign of politeness (sth which missed in places as Spain or UK)
I've been to Buenos Aires three times and nothing was ever remotely consistent. It was maddening! I grew up Johannesburg, where everyone is arrogant and rude ALL the time, and later Cape Town, where everyone is laid-back friendly ALL the time. It took time for me to get used to the rollercoaster-ride of attitudes one experiences in Buenos Aires. The friendly people are THE friendliest... and the rudest are THE rudest... and you'll experience all of them within a 15-minute walk! I was expecting to see a lot of Italian attitudes and gestures from the locals, but to my surprise, that wasn't the case. It was much more like Madrid than like Paris... arrogant snobs intermixed with super-friendly types. Buenos Aires is a city of juxtapositions: everything is either amazing... or it's horrible. Nothing's in the middle. While it can be maddening to those with the traditional Anglo-Germanic sense of order and consistency, it's also the very thing that gives the city its amazing character. I've never been to a place that I so hated and so loved at the same time!
I too have stepped in dog excrement - in Paris, and you really do learn to walk looking down because it's ubiquitous all over Paris, so much so that there's signage everywhere in parks and on the streets admonishing city dwellers to pick up after their dogs and associated fines if they don't. It's that much of a problem. There are whole articles about this issue. So I gave one more reason why Buenos Aires is the 'Paris of South America.' :)
Muy de acuerdo. Sucede que, BA pasó de tener un potencial equivalente al de NY hace más de un siglo (a pesar de estar más lejos de Europa), a ser una ciudad cada vez más tercer-mundista, hasta llegar a la basura que es ahora (y es cada vez peor). Lejos ya de parecerse (relativamnete a París) fue haciendo todo lo posible para alejarse de esa posibilidad también (descuidando su casco histórico permitiendo que se construya cualquier cosa, etc. no como en París donde no se puede superar la altura de su torre, por ejemplo). La sucesión de gobiernos corruptos, una población maleducada, desigualdad, falta de visión de un país, falta de control de sus fronteras, etc. Una ciudad plagada de inmigrantes de paises limítrofes a los cuales no se los controla de ninguna forma, ni para entrar al país ni para nada... De hecho esto no es un "país", es BA más provincias estado separadas gobernadas por caudillos y familias que se perpetuaron en el poder, todo plagado de corrupción, donde no hay ningún plan conjunto, ninguna dirección hacia donde este "país" se dirija. Demasiado largo el tema para abarcar toda su múltiple profundidad... Felicitaciones por ser sincera! PD: el potencial que tiene un país como este es inimaginable, siempre me imagino a los japoneses por ejemplo diciendo: "mirá el país que tienen y el desastre que hacen, no podrían desaprovechar PEOR todo lo que tienen, no es posible hacer las cosas tan mal...". E incluyo al valor de las personas, de acá sale un Juan Martín Maldacena (el Einstein de nuestra época según sus pares); pero no se invierte en I+D ni de casualidad, ni en lo poco que ya se hace, como la producción agricola, un país que produce como para alimentar a toda una población como la de USA... Si en eso no hacemos nada, qué le espera a lo demás? Ojala me pueda ira a vivir no sé a New Zeland para abandonar este basurero llamado Latam y listo, aunque algunos imbéciles me exijan "patriotismo" jaja me río para no llorar... Saludos!
No one should expect to see Paris in Buenos Aires or vice versa. They are 2 different places, they couldn't be more different to one another, in terms of population, architecture, mentality, food. BA feels huge like a New York for example, Paris doesn't have many skyscrapers and most streets are narrow
Yes, very good points!
no one expects to see paris in buenos aires.... but it is literally called ''the paris of south america'' this isn't something she just made up. there are a ridiculous amount of similarities between the two cities - hence why it got this nickname. but not a single person is saying they expect to see paris in buenos aires. that's like assuming people expect to see the real eiffel tower in vegas... because there is a mini one and then assuming people get angry over this? what? you can literally google the phrase and you will find out why they are often compared to each other.
I dont think theres a difference between the streets of both cities actually they look alike a lot
Buenos Aires is that unique city that is like a mix of every city... Buenos Aies is like Paris, Washington, New york, and Spain all of them combined but most historical and of course, most beautiful
Dog poop is a big problem in Paris, they had motorcycles whose job was to squirt it and vacuum it up
This is a public health issue especially for small children in parks and it's very disturbing. Please contact your embassy or consulate to complain.
4:35 I will tell you a secret I'm not supposed to reveal but us, porteños, we developed a secret power that allow us to see dog poop even with our eyes closed. It's been probably 3 years since the last time I stepped on dog poop and that is specially amazing if you consider that I'm a dog trainer so I literally spend my days on parks and the street
Sharing the mate with a group of people was not an issue for me in normal times but during the pandemia I can definitely understand your reluctance.
Easily solved 😄 don't brush/floss/rinse your teeth for a few days
I just feel curious to know that, if you don't like sharing mate, you don't greet friends with a kiss either. By the way, if foreigners feel afraid of sharing mate because they think they may catch the flu, every Argentinian person who drinks mate and feels she/he has a cough or any similar flu symptom, that person will let you know that because she/he is conscious of that.
Thanks for the additional information!
@@LifebyMelissaAndrew Primero me disculpo por escribir en castellano, lamentablemente no sé inglés.
Entiendo que las personas que quieran vivir en B.A. deben saber que probablemente deberán lidiar con los malos conductores, el excremento de animales en las calles, y los otros problemas que mencionaste. Pero no entiendo por qué incluiste compartir el mate como un problema para quien quiera vivir en Buenos Aires.
Por supuesto es totalmente entendible que sea una costumbre que no sea de tu agrado. Pero siempre creí que en la Capital, al igual que en cualquier otro lugar de la Argentina, basta con agradecer y decir que no se desea tomar mate. Es decir que no sería un problema para quien quiera vivir allí, sino nada más una costumbre que no es del agrado de todos.
Estoy equivocada y sí es un problema? Por qué? Acaso te sentiste obligada a participar de esta costumbre? Les pasa a otros extranjeros que se sienten obligados?
Usualmente se invita a compartir como una muestra de amistad, de consideración, pero no hay inconveniente en negarse. Fue diferente tu experiencia?
Gracias por leer. Espero tu respuesta, esto me ha intrigado muchísimo
I don't like the idea of Mate because i don't like sharing a straw between so many others. A kiss on the cheek is ok. I don't mind the risk of being sick just some things seem more personal. I'll try someone else's beer as well but a straw is a bit much. I don't drink Mate in general so i may be biased
Estoy absolutamente de acuerdo con Patricia PA. Aquí nadie obliga nadie a tomar mate ni nada que no tengas ganas.
De tu descripción, se desprende cómo si alguien te hubiese atado a una silla y obligado a chupar esa asquerosa "bombilla".
Por razones profesionales, viajé varias veces a USA y jamás se me ocurriría postear, que algunas costumbres, me resultaron bastante estúpidas.
Bye!
I agree with most of these things haha and im from buenos aires. The dog poop issue actually was WAY worst a couple of years back, but it honestly got much much better, i rarely see any dog poop on the street nowadays, and its been ages since the last time i stepped on dog poop (when i was younger I remember this happening all the time, not so much now)
The pedestrian thing is totally accurate. People are straight up assholes when they drive, the way you reacted to that car almost hitting you is literally the most porteño thing ever! Lol
The only thing i don’t really get is the noice thing. I mean, buenos aires is noisy i guess, but having lived here my whole life i don’t really notice the noice, just the ambulance sirens tbh.
And the mate thing is also true. I mean, i don’t mind sharing it with my family (parents/siblings) but anybody else is just too much for me, i usually just skip on it all together. Covid is the perfect excuse haha
Positive side of dog poop is there are dogs! Meaning I have a chance of playing with pups when I miss mine who are far away from BA 😄
This is how you handle the pedestrian issue 🤣
ua-cam.com/video/c412hqucHKw/v-deo.html
Thanks for sharing and being honest about your feelings and experience. And I admire how gracefully you handle some of the rude comments.
Thank you for your thoughts on the video!
After living in the US for more than a decade , I understand your mate sharing annoyance 🙂. Great immigrant stories , keep them coming!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hey guys. I'm definitely interested in visiting Argentina for a few months. What is a good area to stay in? By the way I'm also in Texas. I want to stay in a place where I get to learn and practice Spanish but somewhere that is pedestrian friendly so I can walk to the stores etc. I keep reading to stay in Palermo more recoleta but I don't want to just have a tourist experience either. What do you think?
I studied abroad in Buenos Aires, I would suggest, Belgrano, Palermo, Recoleta or Puerto Madero!
@@bilingualsecrets it seems though these areas would be the noisy areas? I used to live in a noisy area, but then I moved out and I can't imagine re living in a noisy area... I guess it depends on the exact location though and the building thickness
come to ciudad evita
Thank you ! ... I am Argentinian yet I totally agree with you !! ...
Im flying to Buenos Aires soon, i know they call it the Paris of Latin American but i already know it is not. Mexico City has lots of those kinds of European buildings but by no means will I say it is the Madrid or Paris of NorthAmerica even less call it the Madrid of Latin America.
The streets are noisy maybe, but if the apartment construction was better, you wouldn't hear so much. I was 7 floors off the ground in Medrano but the noise felt like it was in the same room with me.
I definitely prefer BA dog poop than NY rats at the subway.
why? you can take a rat home and make it your pet. you going to do that with poops?
I never stepped on a rat then threw up because of the smell.
You use to live in Recoleta. A barrio that has a lot of night life, it's almost at the center of the city. And is a very touristic area. So if you don't like noise, Recoleta is not your place to live. Buenos Aires it's a big city. And most of it is very quiet at night. It has 48 Barrios. You are taking about one. And it's not near one of the biggest. Mmmmm
About Mate... With Corona virus, there is no shearing. I had not drink mate with anyone except my wife this last two years.
About 💩 you are more than right.
And pedestrian and drivers makes you go crazy.
Hi! Do you know how overall prices (like f ex on restaurants, cafés, the grocery store, at markets) have changed (increased?) in BA during 2021? Thank you.
Hi Anna, I am not 100% sure but it would not surprise me. It seems prices are trending up everywhere during the pandemic.
did you get to see the Buenos Aires eifel tower?
Besides the Mate, none of this sounds that different from when I lived in DC and Boston (except the poop - in DC, it was homeless guys pooping on the street, not dogs :(
)))
I don't think you have understood mate. First you don't sip from it, you drink it completely. The mate goes back empty to the "cebador" who is in charge of preparing it and filling it every time. Nobody obligates you to drink of it. You may even don't like the taste of mate. During the pandemic everyone drank from his own mate, but the yerba has taste for many mates but you cannot keep it humid from one day to another. The mate is a national tradition for sharing, hear stories, study. I cannot think why this should be of any influence for a foreigner coming to Buenos Aires. You don't like the idea of sharing the mate, don't drink it or have your own mate with the yerba of your choice, with or without sugar/edulcorant, and the temperature of water you prefer.
1) its kinda undeserving no Argentine would say that.
2) dog poop issues got a little better but yeah its a problem, there's also plenty of stray dogs so no one to pick the poop there sadly
3) its a huge city noise is expected
4) i dont drink mate and i know people who actually dont share it or only do it with their spouse or close family. You dont have to participate if you are not comfortable with.
5) totally right, pedestrians, bikes, motorcycles, cars, everyone sucks here sadly
Thanks for your feedback!
thanks for heads up
I'm from Buenos Aires and I loathe domesticated animals, so would never kidnap an animal ever again. Traveling with 2 dogs or having 2 dogs period must be hell. Also, I have never shared mate, it's not rude to decline.
Before covid It was extremely rude not to share the Mate. Its ok to decline it, but its an offense having Mate and drinking it by yourself. Its ingrained in our culture, not sharing the mate is a sign of misery, poverty, of being a bad host, or egoist, so people is compelled to share it and you will have to decline. The dog thing can easily be explained by 2 factors: People don't have internalized the concept of picking your dogs poo, and there aren't enough green spaces properly distributed around the city relative to the density of population.
Thanks for your thoughts
What is up with all of these negative comments? all cities have pros and cons and no two cities are identical. but also... cities have cons. whether you are from the country or from the city, all cities have cons. I don't get the point of calling this woman ignorant, uncultured, wrong, etc These are the things SHE doesn't like. And you know what? This helps other people who also don't like these things to either be prepared OR find somewhere else to live. It has nothing to do with the fact that she is from Texas... several comments have pointed that out - so I just want to let them know 'your ignorance is showing' I 100% appreciate these tips. It is always better to get the cons before going somewhere and deciding for yourself 'hey dog poo on the streets really isn't that big of a deal' rather than getting to BA (or anywhere else you want to go) and be miserable because you effing hate dog poo. Not everyone is going to find her negatives - negative. These nasty comments just got to me... there are so many. This is a very small channel. And I appreciated the video. But really, many of these horrible comments can tear somebody down and this woman (I don't know her!) seems nice and kind and heck she's even posting information that people might find helpful to their particular situations. Moving to a new place is never going to be sunshine and rainbows... and anyone calling her names or insults because of that... are just ridiculous and have unrealistic expectations in life. Awesome video! Thank you for the info!
Thank you for your kind comments. Overall, I really enjoyed living in Buenos Aires and it's an awesome city. I simply wanted to create a video with some of the things I personally found to be more negative. But I agree, all places have pros and cons. Even where I live now in Texas - there are things that can be hard. I appreciate your understanding.
Agree. It’s totally okay to have an OPINION. We live in such an over sensitive society where opinions are banned but we all expose ourselves for having them when we tear strips off those who share theirs?
You say definitely hundred times
Bump into me!? You will learn the power of a shoulder tackle! If you drive close to me? Oh! I am so sorry! I accidentally dropped my water bottle in your direction!😮😊😅😂❤🎉
word to the wise.... give less intro and padding to keep the videos interesting.
Thanks for the feedback
Don't worry. Complaining about Argentina is our national sport, so...
Really helpful, I'm sensitive to noise and will probably wait a bit on living in BA.
She is talking about one Barrio, Recoleta. Buenos Aires have 48 Barrios. Choose another.
Para vivir en lo gustes silenciosos basta con irte a los suburbios lujosos del norte. Desde Olivos hasta el Tigre,llenos chalets con jardines.Si no te gusta el verano caluroso, los pueblos y ciudades de la patagonia.
Could you please make a video taking about how it was living in Argentina through the COVID pandemic?
Hi, we created this video :ua-cam.com/video/6XYBeWqgmMQ/v-deo.html
It is about the early days of the pandemic in Buenos Aires. But I will create another video talking about it overall until we left in December.
@@LifebyMelissaAndrew yes!! That would be so great to know about if anyone is allowed to do anything at all and are the cities quiet?
@@LifebyMelissaAndrew I’m going to check out that video
I want to move to Argentina I understand all but the mate one. I only share matè with people I trust ( like family or friends) I don’t think I’d share with a stranger tho especially after covid
The noise problem you described in BA sounds almost identical to the problems I experienced in the Philippines. At least in BA you don’t have roosters crowing 24/7 from all parts of the city like in Cebu City, Philippines.
lol, I do think noise is a problem in all major cities....good luck with the roosters!
As an Argentinian who lived in Vietnam for a few years I promise you the noise pollution in Asia is waaaay worse.
It's so complicated!!!! Is not a first world country and is still struggling in South America. Their history is rich and tragic; college students go to Playa del Carmen Mexico to make extra bucks.
You're right, Argentina is an incredibly complex country. Still amazing and beautiful though.
Sharing is caring but for health reasons dont share drinks, its just common sense
Is it dangerous? Will you get mugged?
Hi! as an Argentinian living in California, I agree with most of your points. the "Paris of th south" one needs some explaining though. It's a nickname Buenos Aires received many decades ago, when the country was doing better and the buildings were kept in better conditions than they are now. At the time Buenos Aires received that name, the cities were very comparable to one another. I think there's been an effort in the lat 10 years to make Buenos Aires shine again, but the economic situation of the country is what it is and there's no escaping that.
Regarding mate sharing... I guess it's just something you get used to from a young age, but I'm pretty sure many will agree with you after the pandemic, that it's not a universally good idea to share straws, hehehe.
Oh, I forgot! Having been to New York, I can attest to the rudeness of new yorkers, which coming from sunny and happy LA was kind of a shock and it made me feel like I was in Buenos Aires again. So, I'm totally with you on that one.
These all sound like big city problems
Yes can I ask how much you pay an apartment or apartment
Its called the Paris OF Latin America not Paris IN Latin América.
In the U.S. people are abusive as pedestrians, and get unreasonably angry at vehicles. I find it strange that carelessly bumping into someone else on the sidewalk "anywhere" is the norm, and doesn't trigger anger in Argentina? I recently discovered that the country imposes a %30 tax on visitors, and expats? Is there a way around it? I appreciate any feedback? Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the view! I haven't heard about the 30% tax on foreigners. I know in 2020 they started a restriction on accessing USD, which is important if USD is your preferred currency.
@@LifebyMelissaAndrew Then how would U.S. citizens access their money there?
There are a LOT of things I don't like about Texas. :)
Lol, yes I agree 100%. Every place has its pros and cons!
Hi , why the Government don't do anything about the dog pops issue ? I think the dog's owners should clean up after their dogs. Nasty !!!!
What the value of their currency to 1 usd
Official exchange is around 100 pesos. “Blue” exchange is around 200 pesos. The blue one is the actual market value of the currency, while the “official” one is the exchange fixed by the government.
depends on what day of the week it is. Argentina's economy is about as stable as Somalia's.
Paris is not what it was, unfortunately. BsAs is way better than Paris now.
The dog problem was really bad in Montevideo, way worst than anywhere else.
One of the great things about the Middle East Muslim world - Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Oman, Saudi Arabia, where I spent many years, is that there are almost no dogs, certainly as pets.
So the worst things about living in Buenos Aires is that your preconceptions and perceptions were wrong... Your Texas is showing. LOL
It's never easy (or possible) to shed where you've lived the majority of your life! But that's the beauty of being an expat...experiencing and learning new ways of living!
Ooh that's a good one... especially since they're from Houston, the world's largest suburb-without-a-city. A place that's a lot more Luby's and Strickland Propane than bistros and Balenciaga. But in Melissa's defence.... you don't have be from a hick town to be put off by some of what you encounter in Buenos Aires. I've lived my whole life in semi-big cities: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Nürnberg and New Orleans. I went to UC Berkeley. And I've visisted London, Madrid, Montreal, Sydney and Singapore... .and in none of those places will you experience the rude behaviour of porteños or motorists who deliberately try to run down pedestrians. And the dog s---- issue is straight out of some hellhole like Manila and Calcutta. Buenos Aires is an AMAZING city, but from some angles, it's much less the Paris of the Americas... and more like the Cairo of the Americas...
Omg sharing mate 🧉 really wow 😮 u r American
To much talking! Just get to the point!
Thanks for the feedback!
She makes a long disclaimer so people dont throw shitfits and downvote her video, I think its perfectly reasonable
I totally agree on the dog poo and the pedestrians, not on the others though
@Melissa & Andrew - wondering if you would be willing to do a segment devoted to the current financial situation in Argentina, given that you have apparently lived through the financial downturn that is currently evolving. Thanks.
Dear Argentinians! Please create "Dog-Parks" dedicated to dog poop! Report back to me, when you have fixed it! And I will consider visiting!😊😅😂❤🎉
Crossing street etc is identical to Paris 😄
Sale
I'm Argentinean, and Having traveled abroad, I sometimes get into arguments with my compatriots about BA not being like Paris or any other European city at all! Still, I've seen some foreigners say it feels like Barcelona. Which I disagree btw. Also I don't like mate because I don't like sharing straws or glasses lol. Luckily that's changed after pandemic.
Narrow-minded country girl goes to a big city and expects it to be like the small village she came from. I am not from Argentine, btw.
what a rude comment.
I'm actually from the 4th largest city in the USA. Thank you for your feedback and view.
London is the probably the the most important city on Earth. It's also one of the largest. And the people there are polite, pick up their dog shyte and don't try to run pedestrians over. And same can be said for other "small villages" that I've visited, like Madrid, Berlin, Sydney, and Singapore. The less-than-civilised behavior exhibited by many porteños has nothing to do with the city's population.... it's simply because they're a-holes. Anyone moving there from "small villages" like Toronto, Chicago or Melbourne would probably see the city the same as Melissa does.
Jeez hahahaha, I loved this video (I'm Argentinian btw), I criticize the majority of your appraisals. Though I disagree with the apologises for knocking your shoulder, I've received literally always a short sorry or a sign of politeness (sth which missed in places as Spain or UK)
By "criticize" I mean sharing the opinion
I've been to Buenos Aires three times and nothing was ever remotely consistent. It was maddening! I grew up Johannesburg, where everyone is arrogant and rude ALL the time, and later Cape Town, where everyone is laid-back friendly ALL the time. It took time for me to get used to the rollercoaster-ride of attitudes one experiences in Buenos Aires. The friendly people are THE friendliest... and the rudest are THE rudest... and you'll experience all of them within a 15-minute walk! I was expecting to see a lot of Italian attitudes and gestures from the locals, but to my surprise, that wasn't the case. It was much more like Madrid than like Paris... arrogant snobs intermixed with super-friendly types. Buenos Aires is a city of juxtapositions: everything is either amazing... or it's horrible. Nothing's in the middle. While it can be maddening to those with the traditional Anglo-Germanic sense of order and consistency, it's also the very thing that gives the city its amazing character. I've never been to a place that I so hated and so loved at the same time!
I too have stepped in dog excrement - in Paris, and you really do learn to walk looking down because it's ubiquitous all over Paris, so much so that there's signage everywhere in parks and on the streets admonishing city dwellers to pick up after their dogs and associated fines if they don't. It's that much of a problem. There are whole articles about this issue. So I gave one more reason why Buenos Aires is the 'Paris of South America.' :)
Hard to take any city seriously where the people think ubiquitous dog poop is ok.
I was frustrating but I just did my part and cleaned up after mine!
I'm from Buenos Aires and I agree with everything you said, including passing mate around is gross 🤣
What is mate?
@@beaniebassist herb tea
Muy de acuerdo. Sucede que, BA pasó de tener un potencial equivalente al de NY hace más de un siglo (a pesar de estar más lejos de Europa), a ser una ciudad cada vez más tercer-mundista, hasta llegar a la basura que es ahora (y es cada vez peor). Lejos ya de parecerse (relativamnete a París) fue haciendo todo lo posible para alejarse de esa posibilidad también (descuidando su casco histórico permitiendo que se construya cualquier cosa, etc. no como en París donde no se puede superar la altura de su torre, por ejemplo). La sucesión de gobiernos corruptos, una población maleducada, desigualdad, falta de visión de un país, falta de control de sus fronteras, etc. Una ciudad plagada de inmigrantes de paises limítrofes a los cuales no se los controla de ninguna forma, ni para entrar al país ni para nada... De hecho esto no es un "país", es BA más provincias estado separadas gobernadas por caudillos y familias que se perpetuaron en el poder, todo plagado de corrupción, donde no hay ningún plan conjunto, ninguna dirección hacia donde este "país" se dirija. Demasiado largo el tema para abarcar toda su múltiple profundidad... Felicitaciones por ser sincera! PD: el potencial que tiene un país como este es inimaginable, siempre me imagino a los japoneses por ejemplo diciendo: "mirá el país que tienen y el desastre que hacen, no podrían desaprovechar PEOR todo lo que tienen, no es posible hacer las cosas tan mal...". E incluyo al valor de las personas, de acá sale un Juan Martín Maldacena (el Einstein de nuestra época según sus pares); pero no se invierte en I+D ni de casualidad, ni en lo poco que ya se hace, como la producción agricola, un país que produce como para alimentar a toda una población como la de USA... Si en eso no hacemos nada, qué le espera a lo demás? Ojala me pueda ira a vivir no sé a New Zeland para abandonar este basurero llamado Latam y listo, aunque algunos imbéciles me exijan "patriotismo" jaja me río para no llorar... Saludos!
TRAITOR! You left TX! So did I. LOL😂