Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Spanish in Argentina
Teaching Spanish in Argentina
Learning Spanish, or expanding your language knowledge in Argentina is highly recommendable. This country is regarded as having a long-standing teaching tradition during the decades in which the Argentine state was created, and once the civil wars had come to an end and the territory currently identifying our country had been consolidated. (1880-1900)
The endeavours intended to foster the learning of the Spanish language are contemporary to the widespread literacy process inspired by the Common Education Act N°1420, which was enacted in July 1884. Such act set forth that the primary school was compulsory, and required students to acquire a minimum knowledge and develop basic skills.
The above mentioned endeavors were not only targeted at school-aged children, but also at adults, some of whom had been involved in growing urbanization processes and were part of the immigration groups that began to arrive in our country in the 1880-1890 decade.
Such a process together with free-of-charge teaching programs and a widely-known hospitality tradition characterizing our people turned our country into an open society, which rapidly regarded the second generation of Asian and European (not having a Spanish descent) immigrants as hispanic speakers and it allowed the third generation to enter university.
Admission at Higher Education Institutions was followed by migratory movements led by neighboring countries students who therefore managed to have access to a qualified teaching system and to come back to their home country to be professionally engaged, in most of the cases, on an outstanding basis. Such a distinctive mark has been preserved until today and the Argentine state aims at extolling the trust placed upon its higher education institutions.
Read more on Ministerio de Educacion Argentina.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Tango is a feeling
Much has been studied about its origin, and although historians and investigators have researched and have entered in heated discussions, the mystery of its origin remains unrevealed.
The word TANGO 's etymological definition has contradictions, some say it comes from African dialects, for example, "Tang" would mean "touch, get close to..", among the Bantus, there are two dialects, one "Tanga" and the other "Tangui". In Spanish, the word Tango is similar to the African "Tang" in its definition of the old Spanish word "Tangir" ot "Tañir", and in Latin "Tangere", meaning "Touch".
The slaves brought it to the River Plate from the "black" continent called their percussion instruments "Tangó", accenting the last syllable.The word Tango appears in the River Plate (Rio de la Plata) in the mid XVIIIth century, and was the name given to a House and Place of Tango, located on a lot belonging to the Concepción (neighborhood) Parish.
Read more on Buenos Aires Times.
Ski Centers in Argentina
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Saturday, December 19, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Buenos Aires Custom Itinerary, from $5
Leave those out-of-date travel guide books that only lead you to overpriced and overcrowded tourist traps behind! Order your custom itinerary from LandingPadBA.com, and our Buenos Aires experts work with you directly. After learning a little about you, we’ll build a personalized itinerary that includes:
✓ Only the best day and night activities that fit both your interests and your wallet
✓ Great new restaurants and night spots that haven’t made it to the guidebooks yet
✓ Links to LandingPadBA.com guides and maps so you’ll know exactly where you’re going and what to expect
✓We’ll even include tips to some of our favorite restaurants and night spots that we love so much we won’t publish them on our site!
Our custom itineraries are a bargain at just US$5 per planned day.
Not only will we save you the time and stress of choosing your Buenos Aires activities blindly before your arrival, but we’ll also suggest money-saving activities and recommend restaurants and nightspots that won’t give you jacked up tourist prices.
Ordering your custom itinerary is easy! Just follow these 3 steps:
1. Fill out the form below and submit it to our Buenos Aires experts
2. We’ll be in touch! Within one business day, we’ll send you a questionnaire, which will help us to build you the best itinerary for your trip.
3. Process payment. After we’ve learned a little more about you and we are confident that we know the best itinerary for you, we’ll send you a bill via PayPal. Once we’ve received your payment, we’ll send you your personalized itinerary and you’ll be ready for your best Buenos Aires holiday!
Check out this new way of travelling around Buenos Aires on LandingPad BA.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Argentinian Traditional Food
A Barbecue can be made al “asador”. In this case a fire is made on the ground or in a fire pit and surrounded by metal crosses of around 1, 30 mts (asadores) that hold the entire carcass of an animal splayed open to receive the heat from the fire. Generally this style is used for cuts of meat of about 10 kg and its baking is made with wood since the metal crosses are placed at 45 degrees on the fire and is the heat of the flame which cooks it. Cooking time is of 5 hours approximately. It is begun to cook on the side of the bones for three hours and a half, after this, it is turned over, to cook the fat side.
Learn more about te Argentine Asado on visitargentina-arg.blogspot
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
HOUSING IN ARGENTINA
Finding reasonably priced accommodation to rent will be relatively easy in Argentina depending on the area you are looking in. This section gives you information about the Argentinean housing market, as well as a wide range of tips and tricks for your housing search.
Latin America has a high percentage of its inhabitants living in big cities. Argentina is no exception to that. The downtown areas are mainly characterised by apartment buildings. When moving away from the centre a wider variety of housing is found. Argentina is an immigrant country which is clearly noted by the architecture of its housing. For example, in the outskirts of Buenos Aires you are likely to come across English style houses, whereas the downtown area resembles Italy and Spain. Near Cordoba and in Bariloche you will often have the feeling of being in Southern Germany or Switzerland.
Things to bear in mind on your search
Accommodation prices in Argentina are determined by the size and location. This holds for both renting and buying. Accommodation is measured in square meters. Furthermore, and this may come as shock to some, buying a house or apartment in Argentina means most of time that payment in cash is required. With the economy improving this is slowly changing again.
Another factor to bear in mind is that in Argentina apartment and houses are described by the number of rooms or ambientes. This includes the living room and the bedrooms. Take into account that there can be several living or sitting rooms in a house or apartment. Kitchen, bathrooms and toilets are not included in the room count.
Housing in Argentina is either let furnished or unfurnished. The availability of one or the other ranges from where you want to live. In a mayor city like Buenos Aires or Cordoba both furnished and unfurnished are readily available. In a smaller city like Comodoro Rividavia finding a furnished place will be very hard.
The Rental Market
For many foreigners coming to Argentina finding a place will not turn out to be that difficult since prices are still relatively low. Renting a place also means paperwork.
For Argentineans finding a place to rent is becoming increasingly difficult. Since many Argentineans are not in the position to buy property (anymore) the demand for places to rent is high. To get an idea of rental prices, in the most solicited neighbourhoods in Buenos Aires a two room apartment will have an average monthly rent of AR$ 900 in Recoleta whereas in Belgrano it will range from AR$ 550 to AR$ 2000 a month. In the popular neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires a small place to live will hardly be found below AR$400/month. (Source: ReporteInmobiliario.com).
A development that is taking place in the mayor tourist and business areas in Argentina is the increase in short term rentals aiming at foreigners. Places offered in neighbourhoods like Recoleta in Buenos Aires as well as apartments in places that receive many tourists like Bariloche and Villa Langustura, are offered fully furnished at prices lower than the better hotels. Many of these places can be booked online.
Supply and demand can also vary considerably in the course of the year, particularly in cities with a large student population such as Cordoba and Buenos Aires. At the beginning of the academic semesters, which is around February/March and August/September demand tends to be high.
Read mlore on this on Allo' Expat Argentina.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
HOTELS DIRECTORY IN ARGENTINA (BUENOS AIRES)
Alvear Palace Hotel
1891 Avenida Alvear,
Recoleta,
Buenos Aires C1129AAA,
Argentina
Phone: 54 11 4808 2100
Fax: 54 11 4804 0034
Email: info@alvearpalace.com
Website: www.alvearpalace.com
Aspen Tower Hotel
857 Paraguay,
Buenos Aires C1057AAK,
Argentina
Phone: 54 11 4313 1919
Fax: 54 11 4313 2662
Email: sales@aspentowers.com.ar
Website: www.aspentowers.com.ar
Caesar Park Buenos Aires Hotel
1232 Posadas Street,
Capital Federal,
Buenos Aires 1011,
Argentina
Phone: 54 11 4819 1296
Fax: 54 11 4819 1121
Email: aaairoldi@ceasar.com.ar
Website: www.caesar-park.com
Claridge Hotel
535 Tucuman,
Buenos Aires C1049AAK,
Argentina
Phone: 54 11 4314-7700
Fax: 54 11 4314-8022
Email: inforeservas@claridge.com.ar
Website: www.claridge.com.ar
Emperador Hotel
420 Avenida Del Libertador,
Recoleta,
Buenos Aires C1001ABR,
Argentina
Phone: 54 11 4131 4000
Fax: 54 11 41313900
Email: info@hotel-emperador.com.ar
Website: www.hotel-emperador.com.ar
Faena Hotel Plus Universe
445 Martha Salotti Street,
San Telmo Quarter,
Buenos Aires C1107CMB,
Argentina
Phone: 30 6290 1111
Email: res@designhotels.com
Website: www.designhotels.com
Feirs Park Hotel
1366 Esmeralda,
Barrio Norte,
Buenos Aires C1007ABT,
Argentina
Phone: 54 11 4131 1900
Fax: 54 11 4131 1950
Website: www.feirspark.com.ar
Four Seasons Hotel
1086 Posadas,
La Recoleta,
Buenos Aires 1011,
Argentina
Phone: 54 11 4321-1200
Fax: 54 11 4321-1201
Website: www.fourseasons.com
Hilton Buenos Aires Hotel
351 Macacha Guemes,
Puerto Madero
Buenos Aires C1106,
Argentina
Phone: 54 11 48910000
Fax: 54 11 48910001
Website: www.hilton.com
Nh Florida Hotel
839 San Martin Florida Street,
Buenos Aires C1004AAQ,
Argentina
Phone: 54 11 4321.9850
Fax: 54 11 4328 4855
Email: nhflorida@nh-hotels.com
Website: www.nh-hotels.com
Park Tower Hotel
1193 Avenida Leandro N. Alem,
Buenos Aires 1001,
Argentina
Phone: 54 11 4318 9100
Website: www.starwoodhotels.com
Read more on Allo' Expat Argentina.
J'apprends l'espagnol !
Ça suffit les folies. Je me mets sérieusement à l’étude de l’espagnol. Depuis le temps que je reporte ce projet aux calendes grecques !
Il faut dire que je m’obstinais à vouloir d’abord maîtriser le chinois (OK, « maîtriser » est peut-être un peu ambitieux… lol). Mais même après un an et demi d’immersion et environ trois mois de leçons intensives, je n’arrive toujours pas à soutenir une conversation dans la langue de Mao (par contre, si vous voyagez un jour avec moi en Chine, je pourrai vous éviter l'humiliation de devoir mimer une poule ou un poisson au resto pour vous nourrir !).
Comme j’ai besoin d’un coup de pied au bon endroit pour entreprendre un projet personnel de cette envergure, je m’en suis auto-infligé un en m’organisant un voyage éclair (cinq grosses journées !) à Buenos Aires. Je pars samedi. J’ai trouvé ce qui me semble être la meilleure manière de me faire entrer quelques notions de base dans le crâne : Bueno, entonces…
Ces 30 leçons d’espagnol peuvent être visionnées à l’aide d’un ordinateur, d’un Blackberry, d’un iPod ou d’un iPod Touch (c’est ce dernier que j’utilise – j’ai acheté les premiers épisodes sur iTunes à 2,99$ chacun plutôt que d’acheter le cours en entier). Des DVD sont également en vente.
La publicité présente Bueno, entonces... comme « the Grand Theft Auto of Spanish Classes ». Plus proche de la série pour ados que du cours magistral, on me promet même quelques gros mots ! Le ton des extraits visionnés me rappelle vaguement celui de L'Auberge espagnole (probablement à cause du personnage masculin, un Anglais qui a une certaine parenté avec William, incarné par Kevin Bishop). Les cours se déroulent toutefois dans la capitale de l'Argentine.
Je n'aurai probablement pas beaucoup de temps pour « étudier » avant mon départ, mais tant pis : les 17 h passées dans l'avion et à l'aéroport de Toronto seront bien rentabilisées ! Pas le choix : les travaux pratiques débuteront dès mon arrivée. Je vous en reparle…
P.S. : Au cas où mon cerveau afficherait les mêmes messages que mon ordinateur en ce moment (« mémoire pleine » !), j’ai aussi téléchargé deux applications de traduction… ;-)
Monday, December 14, 2009
Argentina national football team
The
Keep reading about Argentina's football league on Wikipedia.
Nightlife Etiquette in Buenos Aires
A night on the town in Buenos Aires is reliably fun-filled. But before heading out for your first night, here are a few guidelines to ensure that you enjoy the night as thoroughly as possible:
Don’t plan on arriving to a club before 2am. Although this is typically when bars and clubs close for the night in other countries, dance clubs typically don’t begin to get busy before this time in Buenos Aires.
Don’t balk at having to pay a cover charge (entrada) at major bars and clubs here in Buenos Aires. Often these charges will come with a free drink or two (consumisión).
Don’t hesitate to immediately hop onto the dance floor and start shakin’ that thang! Most visitors to dance clubs are there to dance (not just to drink). So get out there and enjoy yourself!
Tipping the bartender more than a peso or two is not standard practice in Buenos Aires. An exception to this rule, however, is a request for a stiff drink (bien fuerte or bien cargado). In these cases, be sure to be a bit more generous with your tipping.
Be aware of the fact that it is considered poor form to drink too much, especially in fancy night clubs. Sloppy drunkenness and scrappy bar fights are frowned upon entirely, and almost never occur.
Single women should be prepared to meet a myriad of interested suitors who seemingly won’t take no for an answer. Women should never hesitate to frankly tell an unwelcome on-comer to buzz off. Don’t worry, it won’t be perceived as rude.
Finish reading about it on LandingPad BA.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Keeping Fit in Buenos Aires!
How to eat right, fit exercise into your day and avoid the foreigner 15
Arriving in Buenos Aires can be like arriving as a freshman to college. Promises of big parties, all night affairs and schmorgasborg-style eating that seem too good to be true eventually become reality. It’s all fun and games until somebody puts on 25 pounds. Here are a few ideas to help you enjoy Buenos Aires without needing to buy overpriced new jeans because you popped the zipper on your old ones.
How to eat cow and not look like one!
Buenos Aires cuisine is delicious, but really fattening. From steak with all the juicy fat attached to plump empanadas to salads made of mayonnaise and potatoes, it’s hard to stay trim while enjoying the local delicacies.
Here are 10 tips on how to eat and enjoy in Buenos Aires:
1. Order lean cuts of meat, such as bife de lomo, and avoid too much choripan (chorizo sandwiches). Yes, those are chunks of fat if you were trying to convince yourself otherwise.
2. When invited to an asado, bring vegetables that are tasty when grilled, such as pumpkin, corn, sweet potato and bell peppers.
3. When invited to an asado, bring a big salad with a homemade dressing.
4. Shop at organic markets to support small organic businesses and eat healthy! My favorite is the Galpon Organico located by the Subte B Federico Lacroze at 4171 Federico Lacroze Ave. (and Corrientes Ave.) Be sure to plan ahead, though, they’re open Wed. 9am-1pm and Sat. 9am-3pm
5. Don’t order pizza or empanadas to your house – just don’t make it an option. Don’t keep the magnets on your fridge, no matter how cute the delivery boy is. If you’re craving empanadas go to Cumaná, El Sanjuanino or 1810 Cocina Regional and make it worth it!
6. Share entrees when eating out. Buenos Aires restaurants are (in)famous for their big serving sizes.
7. When you need monedas (coins) to catch the bus, go to a fruit stand and buy a few apples or bananas instead of buying an alfajor cookie at a kiosko.
8. Drink mate! Enjoy this traditional tea drink that’s also a great digestivo!
9. Remember what dulce de leche is made of.
10. Order a café or cortado instead of café con leche (most cafes don’t have reduced fat milk)
Exercising porteño Style!
Porteños love to look good and stay fit. This is proven by a phenomenon I call “that hot chick turned around and she had the face of a 70-year-old.” You’ll be walking down the street and spot a trendy looking young girl from behind. She’s trim and has all the right accessories. She looks like she was born on a Stairmaster and has beautiful shiny hair. All of a sudden, girlfriend turns around. The combination of wrinkles and botox is shocking, but damn! She takes good care of her body. She fills me with hope for the future and a desire to work out.
The men and women of Buenos Aires are very concerned with their appearance, take pride in their bodies and thanks to them, Buenos Aires is full of gyms.
From mega-fashion Megatlon to the rinky-dink Average Joe’s style gym, everyone can find one that fits their style. My style was the overpriced Sport Club (190 pesos per month) until I decided I’d never achieve the buns of the girl with the steal tush implants, so now I’m heading to the dive gym on the corner (65 pesos a month). Most gyms that have a pool are slightly more expensive. Just splurge during summer months. Don’t pay for the pool access during winter, you won’t use it. Those looking JUST to use the pool can also sign up for exclusive pool use at many gyms.
Tip: Many big gyms have “promotional plans” where if you pay with a debit or credit card you have a reduced price. Any special like this has a catch, so always read your contract carefully. I learned this lesson when I signed up at Sport Club a few months ago. Instead of the regular 350 peso a month membership I signed up for the 190 peso a month deal. Soon I realized it wasn’t for me and when I went to quit, the manager said that my contact was for 12 months and to quit I’d have to pay 2-months worth of membership. Turns out, if you drag it out enough, use the word abogado (lawyer) and one other reasonable excuse they’ll waive the fee. This isn’t a country where taking someone to court is a solution, so don’t give up all your money at first. Quitting the gym shouldn’t be an express kidnapping.
Finish reading this usefull article on LandingPad BA.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
What could you do at Conviven? Volunteering Programs
What can you do at Conviven?
Centro Conviven is a place in constant development. There are different options and activities one can do while working with us.
Teach English
If you wish to teach English, we have a steady Teach English Programme, taking place every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.
But not only – there’s also a constant lack of private teachers who would have private language classes during other week-days.
Teach math or help children with their homework
Children who come to Conviven have difficulties with learning and understanding. Therefore you could also help them understand math. We urgently need a new teacher since the volunteer who did that left recently.
Learn more about these programs on centroconviven.blogspot
Thursday, December 10, 2009
ACCOMMODATION IN BUENOS AIRES
- Fully equipped furnished apartment (individual or shared).
- Host Family House.
In any case above, you will be placed near the school (Downtown Buenos Aires) or will be just a quick subway trip away. If instead you would prefer to stay at a hostel or hotel, cntact us and B.A. Plus will offer you a wide variety of options to choose from. Once you find the one you like, we will make the corresponding reservations for you.
For more info go to BA Plus Spanish School.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Music to help you Learn Spanish - Pasos de Gigante (Bacilos)
Check out more videos to learn Spanish on Youtube.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
National Universities
National universities hold the largest share of the entire Argentine university system: counting over 80% of the undergraduate population and with campuses stretched throughout to all provinces comprising our national territory, they account for over 50% of the country's scientific research while additionally providing technical assistance to both the public and private sectors.
National universities, currently amounting to 38, are attended by an estimated 1275000 undergraduates.Their Presidents sit on the Consejo Interuniversitario Nacional (CIN -National Interuniversity Council), a stage of coordination and concurrence provided for by the 24521 Higher Education Act No. 24521.
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Monday, December 7, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Learn Spanish in BA Plus Spanish School
• Why Spanish?
Spanish is spoken by more than 450 million people today (native or as a second language). Also Spanish is the official language on four different continents. The ability to speak this beautiful language will serve to enrich your travel experiences. Spanish lessons will be your door to new advantages and important opportunities.
• Why Buenos Aires , Argentina ?
The second largest country in Latin America (and the biggest among Spanish - speaking Latin American countries),
• Why B.A. Plus Spanish school?
Learn Spanish with a select group of language experts in
Learn more about this school on BA Plus Spanish School.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
10 Reasons to Study Spanish in Buenos Aires, Argentina
You may be thinking of planning a study abroad trip and are trying to decide where to go. Look no further, the list below will show you that Buenos Aires is the number one hot spot in Latin America.
Why Study Spanish in Buenos Aires?
1. Buenos Aires is a beautiful, exciting, cosmopolitan city in Argentina. This ‘Paris of South America’ offers and endless list of things-to-do as well as incredible restaurants, bars, nightclubs, art galleries, museums, theatres, parks, historical sites, and much more.
2. Portenos (people of Buenos Aires) are outgoing, kind, and friendly; perfect to make some local friends.
3. The food: parilla, pizza, wine, meat, cheese, international, fusion, etc.
4. To see the sensual and seductive Tango danced by professionals from Argentina.
5. The nightlife is one of a kind, comparable of that to Paris, New York, and Madrid, and simply must be experienced.
6. Argentine Spanish is unique in the world of Spanish and some of the best slang around.
7. The art, museum, and culture scene is never ending as there is always a different gallery, exhibit, or show to be enjoyed.
8. If you are looking for a new style, the shopping in Buenos Aires will give you just that; everything from local labels, to vintage, to top labels can be found on shopping streets and in shopping centres.
9. It is affordable. Many currencies have an advantage over the Argentine peso giving foreigners a financial advantage in the city.
10. To leave it! There are so many incredible destinations that should be visited in the country, perfect for weekend getaways or school breaks. Head to the North, Centre, or South of Argentina and discover a whole new world.
Read more on Study Argentina.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Your Planet Ambassador Program
Description: The YouPlanet Ambassador program enables you to earn money while traveling. As a YouPlanet ambassador, you will approach hotels, restaurants and experience providers and offer them the opportunity to become partners which will enable them to reach travelers worldwide. The Partner pays a yearly fee of which you as an ambassador get a large share, transferred directly to your online e-wallet account.
By being a YouPlanet ambassador, you can travel to places around the world earning instead of spending money. With only a few sign-ups every week you will earn more than enough money to explore the world.
Highlights: We want three things with YouPlanet:
- Enable our users to earn money while they are out traveling
- Our users to have access to a great travel community where they, among other things, will be able to find updated information from smaller hotels, hostels, restaurants and experience providers
- Let these smaller hotels, hostels, restaurants, and experienced providers get online with tools they manage themselves and reach an international base of travelers that has not been accessible before.
Therefore we have created the YouPlanet ambassador program. You will get the chance to finance your trip - while you are on the road!
Qualifications: Social, English language skills
Job Types : |
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Salary / Pay: Provision based salary - up to 60 euros per sale!
Experience Required: no
This Program is open to American, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi, South African and Worldwide Participants.
Participants Travel Independently.
For more info, visit Jobs Abroad.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Book Review: ‘Che Boludo: A Gringo’s Guide to Understanding the Argentines’
By James Bracken, Ediciones Continente, 30 pesos, 61 pages Reviewed by Stephen Page
On a recent sunny spring day, while wandering the streets of Buenos Aires, searching for a café where I could sit outside at a table and sip an espresso while looking at the passers-by (a popular Argentine custom), I detoured into a bookstore.
On the very first shelf I came to, I found a pocket-sized book titled Che Boludo, with the subtitle: A Gringo’s Guide to Understanding the Argentines.
I opened the book and discovered it was a dictionary of sorts, filled with words I had never read before. The words were contemporary Argentine slang, and the definitions were in English. “What a great find,” I thought.
After a decade of living in Argentina, I have been missing some of the slang while talking with friends, or at Sunday family get-togethers (they don’t teach Argentine slang at US universities, or in most of the Castellano classes offered in Buenos Aires). I was growing tired of repeatedly asking, “What? What does that mean?”
The title of the book translates to, “Hey Idiot!” or “Hey Buddy!” or “Hey Friend!”—depending on to whom you’re talking and your tone of voice. “Boludo” literally means “one with big testicles,’which does not mean “ballsy” or “brave,” but instead denotes a lack of cerebral functions. In Argentina, the young as well as the old use slang. You might hear an elderly man with a cane standing on the street corner waiting for the green crossing light mutter “¡miercoles!”—which translates to “shit” or “Goddamnit” or “hell”; you might hear a sophisticated woman in a fur coat call her husband’s new secretary a “puta” (whore) or a “babosa” (horny woman) even if she knows bystanders are listening to her; you might hear a teenager say to his brother, “No me hinchés las pelotas,” which means, connotatively, “don’t be a pain”—but denotatively means, well . . . you’ll have to read the book to know that one.
The book also contains drawings of the more popular hand gestures Porteños use—gestures that have risqué yet non-offensive meanings.
To read more go to The Argentine Post
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
BA Basics: Conversions: Weight, Temperature, and Seasonal Climate Changes
One of the joys of adjusting from life in the US to life here in Buenos Aires is learning how to convert our screwy imperial units of measure (pounds, degrees Fahrenheit, feet and miles) into those handy metric units (grams, kilograms, degrees Celsius, meters and kilometers). Since at first this task can be just a bit perplexing, here are a few quick hints to making these adjustments yourself:
Weight (1 pound = 450 grams)
You will most frequently need to be familiar with the conversion between pounds and grams while visiting your local fiambrería (deli meat seller), carnicería (butcher) or verdulería (vegetable seller). Ordering meats and vegetables are the easiest, as you can just request “dos pechugas” (two chicken breasts), or “tres zanahorias” (three carrots), and be on your merry way. Ordering deli meat is a little trickier, however, as the density of the meats varies by type. As a rule of thumb, I typically buy 100 grams of dense salted meats, such as salami, but opt for 200 grams when ordering the more common sandwich companions, including cheese, ham or turkey. These portions are just right, as they are enough to sustain me through several lunches, but won’t last too long and go feo.
Weight (1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds)
When I moved into my first apartment here in Buenos Aires, I was also pleasantly surprised to see a scale in the bathroom. Only problem? It weighed me in kilograms. If you are watching your weight while you’re here, this simple conversion is handy to keep in the back of your mind.
Temperature (°C = (°F -32) x 5/9)
The conversion between degrees Celsius and Fahrenheit is not only the measure that you will most frequently encounter, but also the one that can be the most perplexing. As you can see, the formula for making this conversion is a doozy!
Thanks to a dear Argentine friend that I met while still in the US, I now know a simpler way to get a ballpark figure for the conversion: just take the temperature in Celsius, double it, and add 30. This figure will always be slightly off from the exact temperature reading, but it works in a pinch.
Weather, Seasons and Average Temperatures
If you don’t already know, the seasons south of the equator are the opposite of those to the north. That means, that when it is summer in the northern hemisphere, it is winter in the south, and vice versa.
Read the rest of the article on LandingPad BA.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Learn spanish with Bueno, entonces on Facebook
Check out the Bueno, entonces... fan page on Facebook and learn new words, insults, piropos... and anything you need to speak Spanish conversationally!!!
Become a fan and enter to win cool prizes every week (see contest rules in notes section)!
A new way to learn Spanish - developed specifically for the iPhone and iPod Touch and now available on DVD or by instant download (visit www.buenoentonces.com to purchase). This new technique combines hard-core grammar and vocabulary lessons with a witty and engaging conversational style.
Become a fan on Facebook.com/buenoentonces
Intermediate Spanish Study Abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina
What the Buenos Aires Intermediate program has to offer
• An intermediate Spanish language program perfect for students with two to three semesters of university-level Spanish• Program located in Buenos Aires, the vibrant cultural capital of South America
• Combination of intermediate Spanish courses and integrated university courses at Universidad Católica Argentina's (UCA) Latin American Studies Program
• Program excursions and activities focused on the art, culture, sports and lifestyle that make Buenos Aires one of the world's most exciting and cosmopolitan cities
Housing
• Housing is with a carefully selected host family
• Program fee includes two meals per day Sunday through Friday and one meal on Saturday
• IFSA-Butler houses only one student per family for maximum cultural and language integration
Academics
• All courses are conducted in Spanish by university faculty• Two program courses, Intermediate Spanish and Latin American and Argentine Literature (3 U.S. semester credit hours each), are mandatory for all students
• Students directly enroll in one to three courses in UCA’s Latin American Studies Program, taking specially designed classes alongside Argentine and international students
• Available UCA subjects may include international relations, political science, language and literature, film studies, community service, history, business and more
• Earn university credit for community service with local organizations through a special course at UCA
• Academic tutors available
Learn more on Institute for Study Abroad.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Day 2 in Buenos Aires
Argentines like cow. They like to eat it, apparently per capita they eat something like 80 kg of cow on average a year. I find that hard to comprehend as a concept, but then again the beef here IS really quite incredible. The portion sizes are also quite incredible. When you order a bife de lomo you get enough to feed a small village back where I come from. It also turns out that the other David from Bueno, entonces... (el productor) knows a thing or two about wine and likes ordering really nice bottles of wine. OOOh this is heaven...mmmm Malbec.
Get to know more Vibe's experience on beadventuresinba.blogspot
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Andes Air - Cheap Flights
I flew Andes Air during the July vacation period when I had family in town. We flew from Buenos Aires to Salta during the high-season and paid around 800 pesos round trip which was a significant savings from other airlines. (FYI: Taking the 22 hour bus was about 650 pesos round trip.)
Andes serves the Northwest Region, Iguazú and Puerto Madryn. I was initially pretty nervous to fly an airline that I had never heard of before, but after talking to a travel agent friend they assured me that it is a legit company.
Although their website is pretty terrible and they sometimes don´t answer their phone (oh Argentina!) I am satisfied with the service. The plane was much bigger than expected -- 3 seats on each side of plane!
Even better is that they did not charge a different price for foreigners, it was all the same fare! If you travel in low season they had some excellent promotions as well.
Here´s the link: http://www.andesonline.com/
I would recommend going to the agency in person to book the tickets. It is located on Córdoba 755.
To read more go to budgetba.blogspot
Saturday, November 28, 2009
The Bueno, entonces Formula: Engaging + Interesting + Funny = Retention
1. Make The Classes Interesting & Engaging
Engaging students is crucial to learning and remembering material. Using wit and charm, Bueno, entonces… not only engages; it keeps you thinking about the last lesson and looking forward to the next one. Like your favorite teachers, David & Jimena know learning doesn’t have to be dry and boring.
2. See The Words As You Hear Them
Some people are audio learners, others learn visually – most people need both, absorbing different concepts in different ways. With Bueno, entonces... every word is on-screen so you see the spelling while hearing it pronounced.
3. Color-Coding.
Words on-screen are color-coded in Spanish and English to help you understand word usage and sentence structure. You’ll quickly see, hear, and understand how words in Spanish correspond with English ones, and how they are used in sentences.
4. Symbols & Illustrations.
Verb tenses and grammatical concepts are represented by clear symbols so you quickly learn and understand their usage. Iconic illustrations easily associate images and words, burning vocabulary into your brain.
5. REPETITION - The Key To Languages.
Any teacher will tell you this, and here’s the problem with old audio books and language software – they’re mind-numbingly boring, making them painful to repeat. Bueno, entonces… is engaging, fast-paced, and fun. You’ll repeat all 30 classes over and over, learning more each time – as your Spanish progresses, you pick up more of the humor, making it easier to repeat.
To get more info, go to General Linguistics.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Che Malambo Traditional Dance
For more videos go to Youtube.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Spanish Language
LANGUAGE Spanish (Castellano or Castillian) is spoken by approximately 275 million people in 19 countries and it is the official language in Argentina, but Argentinian Spanish have some differences from the Spanish spoken in Spain and other areas. |
In the areas around the Rio de la Plata, including Buenos Aires, is spoken the Rioplatense Spanish dialect, that is Castellano language with influences of French/Italian/English and pronounced with a slight Italian Accent, it is one of the things that differentiate the city of Buenos Aires from the rest of the Spanish-speaking world; to the north out of Buenos Aires, the type of accent is most related with Latin American style Spanish.
Other languages spoken in Argentina are: Italian, German, English, and French. Indigenous communities have retained their original languages, like Tehuelche, Guarani, Quechua and Aymara. Also, exists immigrants communities whom speak their native languages until today
PRONUNCIATION
The accent of the Porteños, as the inhabitants of the Argentine city of Buenos Aires are called, has similarities with the Neapolitan dialect of Italia. This match with immigration patterns. Argentina, and specially Buenos Aires, accepted an ample number of immigrants from Italia in the beginning of the 20th century. The Italian immigration had a profound influence on Lunfardo. Before that, the Argentine accent was similar to that Andalucia, Spain.
You could try to learn about Argentine pronunciation, watching Argentine films, like "El Hijo de la Novia", "Nueve Reinas", "Valentin" and listening to Argentine radio stations in Internet.
Some features in the Argentine Pronunciation are:
- In Buenos Aires, "ll" = "y", and it is uttered with a sound between "sh" (shop) and "s" (pleasure). Effect known as "yeísmo", nowadays, "yeismo" is becoming "zeismo", with the increasingly use of the "zh" instead "sh", almost an English 'j'.
- The "v" = "b" = In some Spanish-speaking countries the "v" is like the English sound (as in "very"). In Argentina, this rule is not full-filed, with one exception: when someone is spelling a word they may pronounce it as in "very" for clarification.
- The "j" and "g" (before an "e" or "i") can also be pronounced like a German "ch" in "ich".
- There is no "th" sound (as in "thick") in Argentinian Spanish.
- "s", in the end of a word, before a consonant, is uttered with a sound like the "h" in Hardware, except at the end of a word before a pause or a vowel.
- "cua" is pronounced as in "quantum".
- "qu" is uttered like the "c" in cat;
- "z" sounds like "s".
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Bueno, entonces review on Facebook
I've tried a whole slew of resources to maintain and improve my intermediate-level Spanish - magazines, private tutors, group classes, self-learning CDs, Spanish podcasts - but this is the first method I've tried that actually keeps me engaged and motivated. The characters Jimena and David are so charming, you are practically transported right to Buenos Aires with them. The visual component makes it about five times easier to learn and remember new words and grammar (versus most rich media language applications which are audio only). I'd strongly recommend this app to anyone looking to boost his/her beginning to intermediate level Spanish.
Check out more reviews on facebook.com/buenoentonces
Monday, November 23, 2009
Maradona by Kusturica (movie)
Read more on IMDb.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Swearing Translated – Part 8
Hi to all those venturing forth into the land beyond Oz. If you’re going to be spending some time here, you should know both how to tell if you’re being cussed out and how to do it yourself, if the situation is to ever arise.
Here is part eight of some easy guidelines to help you on your way to verbally express your pissed-off emotions or to understand the emotions of an angry porteño.
Phrase | Literal Translation | Our Best Actual Translation |
Me da paja hacer eso | It gives me hay to do that | I don’t feel like doing that |
Ella es una calienta pija | She is a dick warmer | She’s a cock tease |
Tiene más culo que cabeza | He has more ass than head | He’s one lucky fucker |
El no da pie con bola | He does not give foot to ball | He’s one unlucky bastard |
Me fue para el culo | It went for the asshole | It went like crap |
Now, mix and match them to come up with some of your own to use on that special person.
Paul Perry
LPBA.com Staff
For more translations visit LandingPad BA.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Colleges and Universities | Argentina
- Instituto de Enseñanza Superior del Ejército
- Instituto de Pesquisas Cientificas e Tecnologicas
- Instituto Nacional de Educación Física "General Manuel Belgrano"
- Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires
- Instituto Universitario Aeronáutico
- Instituto Universitario CEMA
- Instituto Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud - Buenos Aires
- Instituto Universitario de Estudios Navales y Marítimos
- Instituto Universitario de la Policia Federal
- Instituto Universitario Nacional del Arte
- Red de Interconexion Universitaria
- Universidad "Juan Agustín Maza"
- Universidad Abierta Interamericana
- Universidad Adventista del Plata
- Universidad Argentina "John F. Kennedy"
- Universidad Argentina de la Empresa
- Universidad Atlantida Argentina
- Universidad Austral Buenos Aires
- Universidad Blas Pascal
- Universidad CAECE, Buenos Aires
- Universidad Católica Argentina Santa Maria de los Buenos Aires
- Universidad Catolica de Cordoba
- Universidad Católica de Cuyo
- Universidad Católica de La Plata
- Universidad Catolica de Salta
- Universidad Católica de Santa Fé
- Universidad Católica de Santiago del Estero
- Universidad Champagnat
- Universidad de Belgrano
- Universidad de Bologna - Representación en Buenos Aires
- Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA)
- Universidad de Ciencias Empresariales y Sociales
- Universidad de Concepción del Uruguay
- Universidad de Congreso
- Universidad de Flores - Buenos Aires
- Universidad de la Cuenca del Plata
- Universidad de la Fraternidad de Agrupaciones Santo Tomas de Aquino (FASTA)
- Universidad de la Marina Mercante
- Universidad de Mendoza
- Universidad de Morón
- Universidad de Palermo
- Universidad de San Andres
- Universidad del Aconcagua
- Universidad del Centro Educativo Latinoamericano Rosario
- Universidad del Cine
- Universidad del Museo Social Argentino
- Universidad del Norte "Santo Tomás de Aquino"
- Universidad del Salvador
- Universidad Empresarial Siglio 21
- Universidad Maimónides
- Universidad Nacional de Catamarca
- Universidad Nacional de Cordoba
- Universidad Nacional de Cuyo
- Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos
- Universidad Nacional de Formosa
- Universidad Nacional de General San Martín
- Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento
- Universidad Nacional de Jujuy
- Universidad Nacional de La Matanza
- Universidad Nacional de La Pampa
- Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco"
- Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral
- Universidad Nacional de La Plata
- Universidad Nacional de La Rioja
- Universidad Nacional de Lanus
- Universidad Nacional de Lomas de Zamora
- Universidad Nacional de Lujan
- Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata
- Universidad Nacional de Misiones UNaM
- Universidad Nacional de Quilmes
- Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto
- Universidad Nacional de Rosario
- Universidad Nacional de Salta
Friday, November 20, 2009
STUDY IN ARGENTINA
If you are a foreign student with residence in Argentina, shall comply with the admission requirements applicable to Argentine applicants; if you are not Argentine resident, yo have to go to the Argentine consulate in your country, and request for a seat under the Ministry Resolution No. 1523/90 ruling. For more information, contact the Secretariat of University Policies of the Ministry of Education.
The following is the information required to enroll in University in Argentina:
- First, second and last names.
- Birth date.
- Passport or Identity Card number.
- Country of birth / nationality.
- Marital status / profession / religion.
- Country of residence.
- Consulate where the passport will be visaed.
- Address of residence in Argentina.
To see the complete list of all the documents required, visit the Secretariat of University Policies of the Ministry of Education page.
If the student want information about to validate a degree or equivalences, must contact to the Department of National Validation of Degrees and Studies
You can check the list of universities and university institutes (both public and private) of the
Learn more on Argentina Travel.