Observations

During my first week in Buenos Aires, a few things have jumped out at me concerning the behavior of Porteños (people who live in BA).

• They don´t have stop signs. They do have traffic signals at larger intersections. But it took me awhile to notice that in other, smaller intersections, it's a free-for-all. The prevailing idea seems to be: try not to hit one another. They drive fairly fast through residential streets, and it seems to be a game of chicken to see who will stop. No accidents yet that I have noticed. I suppose it's working, and it keeps people zooming along.


• Where are the newspapers? One day I went to the super market specifically to pick up something to read, like a paper or a magazine. I did a little shopping then realized at the checkout. There is nothing! Liquor stores: nothing. I realized that the only place one can buy a paper or magazine of any kind is at one of the sidewalk news stands. Also, there doesn't seem to be any such thing as free weekly papers. Somewhere to see listings of movies, music, etc. This has led me on a wild goose chase to figure out what is where and when. Maybe I am just missing something. I imagine the news stand guys will light your store on fire if you try to tread on their territory. That's all I can think of.
  
• How do you order espresso? Ask for coffee (cafe´). Apparently there is no such thing as brewed drip coffee here. All coffee is espresso. That one took me a bit to figure out.


• People are stressed out. This isn't really my observation, although the people do have a bit of an intensity to them. I read in a newspaper (once I found it) that 5% of Argentinian teens have hypertension. It could be all the espresso.. or perhaps all the Red Bull that's required to go out to a club from 3am to 7am which seems to be what the youngsters do around here. Sheesh.


• Buenos Aires is the second home of The Whopper. Burger King is a super popular restaurant here. And given that the prices seem to be about the same as U.S. prices, they are willing to pay extra to eat there. I have to admit I have had a few Whoppers myself. BK seems to fill a gap in the type of restaurants they have here. They tend to either have tableclothes or they are street vendors. There is very little in between. I have noticed a few golden arches as well, but they mostly seem to be Mc Cafe's - stores that only sell pastries and coffee drinks. Starbucks is nowhere to be found.


• Browner people are serving lighter people. It could be my imagination, but I don´t think so. The folks working as cashiers, cooks, bus people, and generally blue collar jobs seem to tend toward the darker, more indigonous look. Most of the local folks here, although they dark hair, eyes, and slightly olive skin, are caucasion. Interesting how these divisions happy even down here.


• Porteños love PDA! As far as public displays of affection, it is just so different here. People will make out anywhere. In a restaurant, on a bus, and in a park it can get almost obscene. I was in a local pub last night. There were three couples in the mostly empty bar, and at one point all three couples were making out in their booths simultaneously. I could barely conceil my laughter.


• Dog shit doesn't exist. Well yes of course it does. But I have seen tons of dogs running around town crapping and I haven't seen even one person bend down to collect it. As a result, the sidewalks are peppered with smelly shit. Folks seem to instinctively watch where they step and don't even seem to notice. I thought maybe people wait until it's a day or two old and sweep it into the street. But I haven't seen any evidence of that either. I know Argentina has had bigger problems to worry about in the recent past, but somewhere along the line this should move up the list.