Update from my Concrete Jungle

I’ve been a bad blog owner and not written for far too long. So much has been happening – I feel like life is just a whirlwind right now. First I had my fabulous friend Lisa come and visit me and she and I trekked all over the city playing tourist. It was marvelous to have her here and get to chat girl talk. A little piece of home.

The ladies going out for the night: Meg, who also has made Argentina her home, me, Devon (who is leaving soon, so sad) and my visitor Lisa!

Right now I’m back to “real life” again: running all over the city trying to find a new apartment. It’s a little complicated, since renting a place in Argentina is not the easiest task. Renting like an Argentine is difficult, since you have to a) sign a lease for 2 years and b) need a “guarantor” or someone who owns property in Argentina be your co-signer. I was able to talk my work into being the guarantor and explored the offerings, but it is simply too big of an expense for my budget. First you have to pay the Immobiliaria, or rental agency, two months commission and then you also have to put down a one-month deposit. If you break your lease after a year, you loose the deposit and if you break it after six months, you have to pay an additional half month rent. Whoa. Top that off with the need to furnish a place, and it just ended up being a) too big of a commitment (I don’t know if I can love you for two more years, Argentina) and b) way out of my price range.

So I’m stuck doing what we foreigners do here: renting a furnished room in someone else’s apartment. You’re going to laugh: the main source for a roommate hunt here is Craigslist! They’re expensive, though – especially compared to my Argentine salary. It’s a challenge: I earn like an Argentine but I’m getting smacked with foreigner prices. Which means house hunting is a daunting task requiring lots of emails, phone calls and visits running all over the city. While I’d love to stay in my neighborhood, there doesn’t seem to be anything here. I did find one apartment I like and requested the room, but I’m waiting to hear back to see if I’ll get it.

Let me tell you that living in Argentina is not American-style comfortable. We’re talking about ancient buildings (swarming with broken paraphernalia), old furniture and a creepy roommate selection. While I did find a pretty good spot with a charming Argentine roommie, we can’t call it perfection. It’s all about deciding what’s most important and just how much you can compromise on the other items. I picked privacy and independence, so we’ll see just what I end up with.

That’s my little update! Living in the concrete jungle and trying to survive. I promise to adore my air conditioner even more when I get home. This experience has certainly taught me to appreciate how lovely we’ve got it as Americans (despite the political mess I hear is happening up there in my home country right now).

Besos! Hopefully I’ll be posting good news soon!