Argentina BLOG

Exploring Jewish Buenos Aires

September 1, 2010 – 7:13 pm
Did you know that the only kosher McDonald's outside Israel is in Buenos Aires? That fact speaks to both the size of the Argentine Jewish population and how many of them follow traditional dietary laws. But it also suggests how assimilated Argentine Jews are. Argentines consume more beef per capita than any other people in the world: why should Argentine Jews be different? Aside from that McDonald's, a map of kosher restaurants and establishments geared to the Orthodox is published. Among the restaurants listed are at least three that serve sushi and others that serve the favorite Argentine food after steak and hamburgesas - pizza. Numerous shops catering to Jews sell religious items, books, wigs and garments acceptable to the Orthodox. The question of exactly how many Jews there are in Argentina is one of debate. Reputable sources cite figures that range from a low of 184,500 to a high of 595,000. ...

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Argentina’s hotel building boom

August 31, 2010 – 12:27 pm
Argentina’s hotel building boom can be held up as a symbol of South America’s climb back from the global downturn. The country has 15 projects in the development pipeline representing 1,700 rooms, according to STR Global. Of those 1,700 rooms, 68.9% or 1,172, are currently in the in-construction phase of development. Argentina’s pipeline is bested in South America only by tourism mecca Brazil, which shows 51 projects comprising 7,042 rooms. “The market in South America is going very well,” said Arturo Garcia Rosa, president of HVS Argentina. The city of Buenos Aires has been performing at a particularly high level for hotels. The market’s occupancy skyrocketed 87.3% to 62.5% in July in year-over-year comparisons, according to STR Global. Meantime, average daily rate increased 15.8% to US$134.48 and revenue per available room zoomed 116.9% to US$83.99. Garcia Rosa attributed the uptick to a return of leisure travelers caused by Buenos Aires being featured prominently in several ...

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The Best of Buenos Aires, On a Bicycle

August 31, 2010 – 12:23 pm
Transport throughout the city of Buenos Aires is tough to say the least, I have found problems in nearly every form of transport that have taken. Be it delays, overcrowding or just incredibly confusing! But last week I made a discovery. Bicycles. Its a great feeling to be able to leave exactly when you want, no more getting lost on buses or finding yourself stuck next to the snoring old man on the bus. By bike you can see the city in comfort and with all the flexibility that you could want. There is even the opportunity to skip past the bulky cars stuck in traffic. You can see the sights and the vibes of the city whilst keeping fit and learning the back roads of town. There are numerous great places where you can really enjoy cycling in Buenos Aires from the rolling parks of Palermo to the culturally rich area ...

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Argentine tango in Manila Philippines

August 30, 2010 – 12:31 pm
When we first met Chita Wilcox, Roni Merk’s cousin at the Merk’s Bar more than a month ago, she was all enthused with her upcoming series of workshops starting September that would bring the authentic Tango Argentina to Manila. Dance instructor would be a 31-year-old Chilean Enzo Hoces who had his first tango lesson from his dad at the age of seven and has been hooked since then. After attending classes, joining competitions and reaching the finals, Enzo accepted invitations to teach in Brazil, Paris, Madrid, and Russia. “I am very happy and excited to teach my different styles of tango to the Filipinos as I was told that they are excellent dancers. Having the Latin blood embedded in their veins, I am sure that beginners can easily pick up the dance,” says Enzo. Enzo will teach the Tango Argentina, milonguero style, tango salon and tango Nuevo as well as the Milonga traspie, ...

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Feeling maximum pleasure in Buenos Aires

August 27, 2010 – 2:12 pm
This month, I paid $8 to watch a dyed-blonde Julia Roberts prance across the globe, draped in what can only be described as prototypes from J. Crew’s “Ashrams and Anchors” line. And then, a week later, I did it again. I freely admit that the five hours I spent watching “Eat Pray Love” were not my finest. But as soon as Liz Gilbert, the author of the memoir that started this whole mess, suffered a new age bullshit-laced breakdown in her friend’s office and declared her intention to run away to the world for a year, I was hooked. It felt like I was looking in a mirror. At the beginning of this summer, I was what is commonly referred to in these parts as “a hot mess.” My grades were unremarkable, my hair was frizzled, my relationship had fizzled. Instead of a flashy internship or a volunteer position teaching children/convicts/children convicts to ...

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Studying Abroad in Argentina

August 27, 2010 – 2:04 pm
Studying abroad in Argentina could be one of the best experiences that you do in your life. The Universities of Argentina have a very open door policy in terms of allowing international students. You can study anything from medicine to law, be surrounded by highly educated people and live in a city alive with culture. Perhaps the most attractive thing about studying in Buenos Aires is the low cost, with extremly low and even at times free course fees coupled with cheap living. Studying in Argentina is affordable and high qualtiy. The main university for the country is El Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA – The University of Buenos Aires), whose varios departments are spread through the city. From the impressive Law building to the small department of phycology. There is a large student community, and inclusively a large international student community not just from all over Latin America but ...

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Buenos Aires Expects a Gay Travel Boom

August 27, 2010 – 2:02 pm
To its dazzling tango, world-renowned beef and oh-so-European flair, Argentina can now add an altogether different touristic calling card: gay marriage. Or at least that's the hope of many travel pros, who see in the nation's surprise move to legalize same-sex unions -- the first Latin American country to do so -- a potential bright spot in an otherwise tough travel economy. "This will position us as ...a great place to visit," said Carlos Melia, a 36-year-old Argentine whose boutique travel agency and consulting firm, CM by Carlos Melia, specializes in gay travel to the region. "We're on the front pages of newspapers and magazines all over the world. Now everyone's talking about Buenos Aires and Argentina. Not just gays; other minorities see that Argentina is an open and accepting country." Indeed, the July 15 vote in the Argentine Senate to legalize same-sex unions -- the culmination of bare-knuckled brawling between President ...

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2010 Tango World Championship in images

August 27, 2010 – 12:18 am
________________________________ SOURCE: "Photos: Tango World Championship in Buenos Aires"  Aug 25, 2010 KOMO News http://www.komonews.com http://www.komonews.com/news/entertainment/101530813.html

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BsAs-PARTY Organizers Giving Cut to Charity

August 25, 2010 – 2:40 pm
Once in Motion® is delighted to announce it’s largest event of the year, the 1st Annual Buenos Aires Players Ball, which will take place on Sunday, September 5th, 2010 at UniClub in Buenos Aires. The unique element of this event is that the organizers have committed to donating a portion of the proceeds to Cimientos, a non-profit organization that specializes in improving educational opportunities for students from low-income families. While the concept is certainly not groundbreaking, BA Players Ball Co-Organizer William Stewart attempts to explain exactly what distinguishes this particular event “We are hoping to establish a precedent with this party by linking the luxurious nightlife scene of Buenos Aires with a very important and often overlooked principle: Giving Back To The Community”. Special activities and entertainment will include jamaican reggae singer MC Lion, a Champagne Raffle, and a Burlesque Dance Show. Costumes will retain an emphasis on the 1920s mobster/burlesque period. DJ ...

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Reasons Why Its Essential to Learn Spanish in Buenos Aires

August 25, 2010 – 2:34 pm
Buenos Aires is a magical city full of culture, art and interesting people. But to truly discover and unlock the sectrets of the city, Spanish is the key. There are an endless amount reasons to learn Spanish, below are just are few reasons why you should learn Spanish if you are thinking of relocating or visiting Buenos Aires. Understanding Locals To truly understand the culture of a country you need to understand the locals. From there you can discover the customs and what it means exactly to be Argentine. The real secrets of a country are unlocked when you begin to make true frinds with those who live there, and is the first step in the transition from tourist to local. Getting Better Deals Tourists and foreigners are always getting taken advantage of, from the moment you open your mouth in a foreign language, many locals will just hear the sound of ...

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