Buenos Aires International Newcomers - BAIN Downtown

Spring at the Sivori event - 2012

It's finally time to write about BAIN.  I wrote about this expat group a few times a while ago, but have never actually described what it is, and definitely haven't written about it since I became as involved as I am now.  Now just involved, I am now (by default because the other co-president moved) the President of the Downtown chapter of BAIN (Buenos Aires International Newcomers).

Please, feel free to be impressed.  

Though I'm sure my friends and family back in the US are incredibly interested in reading about this group (as they most certainly are with all of the things I write about), this post is geared toward the folks that are living in, or moving to Buenos Aires.  The biggest complaint that I hear from English-speaking expats, especially those who have lived internationally in the past, is that there is not a very strong expat society in Buenos Aires, and I have to say that I agree.  This is why I am now so involved with BAIN, I think that BAIN can fill that hole, and I'm hoping to help it to get there.  

BAIN has been around for a long long time in the world of expat living, started almost 20 years ago.  The biggest hurdle with Buenos Aires is that the downtown area is so diverse, that there are a bunch of little clubs, but not really one solid unifying group that works for everyone. Now that there are more young families living in Capital, BAIN Downtown has really diversified to include everyone from the single traveler to the retired couple that has made Buenos Aires their home - needless to say, and everyone in between.  

Membership with BAIN Downtown includes benefits like our monthly activities; Morning Coffees, Dinners, Lunches, Book Club, Book Exchange, End of the month meetings with either a happy hour or presentation, Happy Hour during the week, Baby/Toddler playgroups and our one-time events like running a 10K, Spring at the Sivori Museum, or our End of the Year Party coming up in November.  You can pick and choose what you participate in, or just stay tuned on Facebook or our Newsreel to see what we're up to this week.  

So, to try to get the word out, I'm using my blog as a medium of "advertising" for the group.  Please feel free to contact me directly at dawn.e.gill@gmail.com if you are interested in joining or becoming more involved with BAIN, or contact the general BAIN Downtown email address: bain.downtown@gmail.com.  I am also adding a "recent posts" area on my frontpage so that you can link to BAIN Downtown whenever the spirit moves you!  

So, if you're interested in joining or want more information, you now have lots of ways to find out more about BAIN Downtown.  If you're not yet convinced, follow us on Facebook or follow our blog and see if we can spark your interest in the upcoming weeks.  

I hope to see you soon!

*And now back to my non-promotional, normally written blog :) 

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is one of those emerging holidays here in Argentina.  They are starting to celebrate, but haven't quite gotten the concept at this point.  Most of the costumes that we've seen on locals involve either an outfit covered in blood or the outfit they wore during the day coupled with a mask.  It's a work in progress.

It is nice to have the weather on the upswing as Halloween approaches. On Sunday, when all of the Halloween festivities took place, we had a beautiful, sunny 73 degree day.  It makes me wish that I had been in Buenos Aires all those years that I had to wear a jacket over my costume while trick-or-treating.  In order to take full advantage of the day, some of my mom's group friends and I ran in the AmCham 10K in Puerto Madero.  It was a perfect day for a race, and we got to keep these highly fashionable bright orange shirts!

We were excited to get Gretchen dressed up for her first Halloween, obviously, since dressing up babies in adorable costumes may be the cutest thing ever.  We are lucky enough to have some great friends that threw a fantastic Halloween party through BAIN, which was a great substitute for our traditional Halloween festivities.  We all got dressed up and had a great time, and though we didn't have the benefit of a whole bunch of American candy, we did have this little lovebug:

Thank you Gran for getting this precious vaquita de San Antonio/Ladybug costume.

The adults were requested to dress up, so we threw together a chef and teacher outfit, though it didn't matter since Gretchen stole the show.

And as with every childhood Halloween I can remember, tiredness took over toward the end of the party and we ended up with a very sleepy, sad ladybug.  It was time for a nap.  Let me just say that a baby crying in an adorable costume might be the funniest thing ever.  I hope to catch future Halloween meltdowns on camera, because it is comic genius.

The rest of the day was spent hanging out with our little bug while she made us laugh, practiced standing, and enjoyed the simple joy of a baby in a costume.

As an additional bonus, little miss got her second tooth on Halloween!  She has a completed pair of bottom teeth now.  Congratulations to our little ladybug, and Happy Halloween to all of our friends and family back home!

Pregnancy Abroad

Back in my first post about pregnancy (Dawn + Jon = Baby Girl) I mentioned that there would be more posts about medical care and pregnancy abroad. If you are interested in that sort of information, this post is for you!  I will preface the entire post by saying that all of this information is specific to my experience, I don't presume to know anything about healthcare or pregnancy abroad that is outside of my personal experience. 

I am now over 7 months pregnant, and things seem to be progressing quite normally.  I wish it was a bit cooler outside, but aside from that, I really can't complain.  For those of you who are interested in hearing some of the differences in pregnancy care here in Argentina, or those that are in Argentina and need advice on prenatal care, here is my best attempt to capture the differences. 

Doctor
I see Dr. Juan Procaccini who is located in Palermo and I think the world of him.  He speaks fluent English and is extremely patient with our questions/concerns/confusions.  If you would like his contact information, please email me, I am happy to recommend. 

Pros: 

• I have never waited more than a day for an appointment, including my first "new patient" appointment in which he saw me 2 hours after I called.  
• He gave me his cell number the first time I saw him and I am able to call at any time with questions.
• He is the only doctor in the practice, so I know who will be delivering our baby.  

Cons:

• All lab work is done in other locations, so each time I have blood drawn or need an additional test I need to go elsewhere.
• The nurses/other professionals that he works with do not speak English.
• He is the only doctor in the practice, so if he has an emergency to tend to or is running late, the whole office/all appointments are dependent on his schedule.  
• All office visits are paid in cash.  It's a little strange.

Prenatal Care
The prenatal care the I have received is similar to that of many other pregnant mothers that I know, surprisingly, I know quite a few pregnant ladies here.  It is, however, different than that of friends of mine in the US.

Pros: 

• More frequent appointments.  I started with appointments every 2 weeks in my first trimester, graduated to every 4 weeks in my second & went to every 3 weeks starting my third.  At 35 weeks I'll go on a weekly basis until delivery.  
• More frequent ultrasounds. I have have an ultrasound at every appointment, and by the end of my pregnancy I will have had four 3D ultrasounds.  
• Cost.  We are considered "out of network" for all of our medical care so we pay everything in full and then submit it for reimbursement.  Considering that we pay in full, before insurance, the cost of medical care is incredibly low compared to what we are accustomed to in the US.

Cons:

• There is a huge emphasis on low weight gain during pregnancy.  The recommendation is to gain 15 - 20 pounds total versus 25 - 35 pounds recommended in the US. As if I wasn't already feeling fat, I get to go to a zillion appointments that tell me how much weight I've gained.
• Confusion. There are so many recommendations in the US that are not necessarily followed here that I find myself a bit confused at times.  Food and drinks to stay away from, exercise requirements, travel limitations and other recommendations are completely different.  This is why it is extremely important to have a doctor you trust, they can help you sort out all of this conflicting information. 
• The childbirth classes with our midwife are in Spanish.  We are doing pretty well with them, but it still makes life a little more difficult.  

Hospital
I have visited our hospital (Sanitario de la Trinidad) and am very pleased with the facility and the level of care available. If you are delivering in Buenos Aires, contact your hospital about taking a tour, there are not always organized tours available but I have found that they will show you around if you ask.  There are some differences, not necessarily pros/cons, that I thought would be fun to mention. 

• Some of the hospital services include; delivered meals, daily paper and wi-fi (things that I would expect) ear piercing for girls, baby haircuts and baby cologne (things that surprised me).  
• You need a reservation.  Considering I have no idea when baby girl is going to be joining us this might a bit difficult.  
• There are strict visiting hours (for our hospital 8 - 12p & 4 - 8p) where only 1 person will be allowed in the room outside of those hours.  Bummer for close family/grandparents/etc that would like to help out in the other hours of the day.  

There is a whole other world of childcare that we will discover after the baby is born.  Things like car seats (not required here), grocery shopping (no child seats in the front of the carts), breastfeeding (totally acceptable in public, with or without cover) and all sorts of other adventures lie ahead.  I have found resources in BAExpats.org, BAIN and other bloggers in Argentina, but if you are in Buenos Aires and are interested in talking pregnancy shop - let me know!

The Help - Kathryn Stockett

My friend Stephanie is known for her great ideas, many of them showcased on her amazing blog, Literally Organized. Back in 2007, in one of her best ideas, she invited me to join her newly created book club. This was the beginning of a beautiful relationship between me, books and some great new girlfriends. One of the benefits of being in a book club (other than the hilarity, friendships, great food, etc.) is the great suggestions for future reads that you receive from other people. This is one of the many things I've been missing since our move. Until....

The first month's read from my new BAIN book club was The Help, and I absolutely loved it. The Help is Kathryn Stockett's first novel, and as mentioned in the afterward, is loosely based on her experience with live-in help while growing up in 1950s Mississippi. The story revolves around a group of 20-something white women who have full-time cleaning and childcare help from seasoned, African-American women. Stockett explores the complicated relationships that develop between the underpaid and under-appreciated maids, the innocent children they look after and the women, who cling desperately an empowering society, that employ them. In an unusual coordination of efforts, the "imaginary" white vs. black lines are crossed when a young, white, aspiring journalist pairs with one of her best friend's maids to write a tell-all book detailing employers secrets and the treatment of the help in their deep-Mississippi town. The story comes to a head when the women of the town begin reading each other's stories and begin to identify the actual names behind the anonymity. I really liked the way that this book looked at the civil rights movement from the eyes of everyday people. The common story, the story I expected, focuses on the fearless protagonist that powers through the discrimination to create a better world. I was pleasantly surprised, the characters were frightened and unsure and many times unclear of their motives - good and bad alike. This novel felt authentic, heartfelt and honest - I was emotionally pulled in all different directions, each character earned their own separate reaction. I thought the Stockett did a great job of staying neutral and presenting the story without any obvious exaggeration. I am interested to see what my new book club compadres have to say about this one, it will be a good barometer to the group. I, for one, am happy to report that the first test of a new book club has been passed - I like the recommendations - score!

Benihana

Through reasons that I can only blame on my few years in the restaurant business, I became a bit of a restaurant snob. If a friend suggested going out to an American food restaurant chain I would either urge them to reconsider or suggest a more original place. I still think that if you travel to another place in the country, or the world for that matter, you should venture outside the Senior Frogs-style restaurants and into a more local place, but if you are staying somewhere for any length of time, I have drastically changed my feelings on the subject. I would say that this revolution in my restaurant-snobbery happened in the first week of March, when I insisted on eating at the Hard Rock Café and I took down a plate of potato skins in record-setting time. I went back a week later to devour nachos and a Caesar salad. So when the BAIN notice came out that this month's lunch would take place at Benihana, my previous desires to be an original restaurant connoisseur went right out the window.

Oh, Benihana, you are so good. I have come to appreciate the consistency of these chain restaurants in a way that I never thought that I would. I know that Benihana is no hot-dog-and-apple-pie kind of place, but the flavors are familiar and for the meal, I feel like I could be located in any Benihana in the world - they are all exactly the same. I have to confess, this is not my first time to the Benihana here in Buenos Aires, in fact, it's my third. Our first trip was back in December on their opening weekend and they had more than a few kinks to work out. I have to say that since then, they have transformed into the lovable Japanese-style-steakhouse that we have all grown to adore. Benihana is located in the Alto Palermo mall, otherwise known as mini-America. As you'll notice from the picture, there is an enormous Starbucks on the right-hand side and if you could see the neighboring restaurant on the left-hand side, you would be looking at a T.G.I.Fridays. In a hilarious twist on reality, the Friday's is ALWAYS busier than any other restaurant that I've seen. We're talking line out the door and around the corner on a Saturday night, nice work Fridays.

In general, I would go to Benihana for dinner, but my expat group had a lunch planned so I headed in for the midday meal. For the amazing price of $50pesos, we were given a starter salad, fried rice, a choice from 9 different meat options (I chose Filet Mignon), grilled vegetables, ice cream for dessert and your choice of either a soft drink or a full-sized bottle of wine (1 bottle for every 2 people). According to today's exchange rate, 50 pesos = $12.75 USD. Can you say great deal?! It was fun, we had close to 40 people from BAIN show up, a mix of the downtown and suburbs groups.

The only potentially negative thing that I'll say about Bs.As. Benihana is that the chefs are clearly new to the game. There isn't a whole lot of shrimp-flinging or fancy onion-train tricks going on - but I actually see that as a positive thing. I really dislike the possibility of a grease stain on my shirt when I inevitably miss catching the shrimp in my mouth. Some people really dig the fancy chef-tricks, so be aware that they are muted at this location. The restaurant also offers some great looking sushi and traditional Japanese dishes for folks that would rather sit at a normal table and not the griddle-topped table that we always go for.

BAIN

Buenos Aires International Newcomers (BAIN) was recommended to me before we moved as a good way to connect with other expats in the area. The group takes anyone, newcomers or longtime Bs.As. residents, with the common thread that everyone speaks English. The larger group is divided into two sections of BAIN, suburbs and downtown, generally the suburbs group is more families and the downtown group is more couples without kids, singles and retired folks. I am involved in the downtown section.

BAIN is a great way to get involved in events, meet new people that are also looking to get involved and see areas of the city that you may otherwise have passed by. I spent my first month here reaching out to people on my own and exploring the city out of guidebooks and internet recommendations. Although I feel like I did a pretty decent job on my own, as soon as we returned from a two week vacation in the US, I had run out of ways to occupy myself. Nothing is more depressing than sitting at home with a silent phone, so I promptly joined BAIN. I met Bonnie, the downtown group president at a restaurant called Empire Thai, where she meets potential new members every Friday. My intention was to sign up, pay my $100peso yearly fee and then head back home, but Bonnie and I struck a great conversation and I ended up sharing a 2.5 hour lunch with her and one of the restaurant owners, Kevin.

BAIN offers monthly lunches and dinners at new restaurants, monthly meetings with guest speakers and a social network for buying and selling items when other expats move through the area. This is where I finally bought an artificial Christmas tree, something that I was trying to buy for a few months before I found a good price through the BAIN buyer/seller network.

For me, the most beneficial perk of BAIN are the English speaking tours in unique museums and cultural spots that they arrange each month. I've attended every tour that I was available for and without fail, they have all been excellent. The only tour that I have been able to write about so far was the Museo Evita but there are more to come. All in all, BAIN has been a great resource for me to network, see the city and exchange advice with folks that have been here and have lots of tips to share. Well worth the US$25 yearly fee.

Update: As of yesterday, I'm up to a long run of 6 miles! My legs feel like Jell-o and I'm hoping to be able to walk today, but I am successfully over halfway to the goal!

Valparaiso

Nicaragua 6078 (Palermo) - We went to Valparaiso with the expat group BAIN on a Tuesday night for dinner. This is a quaint, pleasant Chilean restaurant with lovely paintings on the walls and a small bar. From my years working in the restaurant business, I know how difficult it is to accommodate large groups for dinner, especially with a small kitchen. So I am understanding of a set menu, longer orders times, longer wait times, etc. This place was borderline ridiculous. We all paid upfront, $80 pesos per person (pretty high for a 3 course meal here), and we had 3 items to choose from for appetizer, entree and dessert. The simple act of paying in advance theoretically should save us at least 20 minutes at the end of the meal. Additionally, the reduced option menu should have also saved us some time during the order or delivery of food - but no.

As our appetizers, I ordered the ceviche mixto and Jon had the calamari. The calamari was fine, but the ceviche was a strange citric pile of unidentified seafood. We each ordered the beef option as our main dish and it was by far the worst cut of meat either of us have had since we moved. It was fatty, tough and tasteless and that combination is difficult to accomplish here in the land of beef. It also took no less than 20 minutes to get all of the food out to the table for each course, half of the time was spent auctioning each item out to find whoever ordered it. This was exceptionally frustrating since we only had 3 items to choose from - I remembered what everyone ordered more than the waiter who wrote it down did. Dessert was a single scoop of ice cream, which was fine, but pretty small. We did have one beverage included in the set price, but we also ordered water which was a steep $9 pesos.

Overall, not worth the price or the wait time for an unorganized and underwhelming meal.