Things I have learned so far

So it has been a few days...... We have slept a total of maybe 12 hours and oddly enough I am not tired and have no problem staying out until 3 or 4 AM. We still have not found an apartment- a search that is proving to be a bit more difficult than I had previously expected. However, I have learned several things already:

1. Here people do not eat dinner until 10 PM. If you go to a restaurant before then, it will be empty. I do not even think that they open until at least 8.

2. A university education and healthcare here costs next to nothing- really you could use your change jar to pay for college. Adidas, Nike, electronics, and other "name brands" are very expensive here in comparison with the US. Is it just me, or is something terribly wrong with that picture?

3. I really need to learn Spanish soon!!! I am lucky to already have American friends here thought that have been a tremendous help in getting around.

4. While I always thought a 2 bedroom house that was 1000 square ft. is quite small- by Argentine terms is it actually quite large.

5. I have way too much stuff in general!

6. While picking up after my dog is rather disgusting, I am happy that people do it in the US. The streets here are decorated with piles of dog poo everywhere.

7. I will make many mistakes riding the bus system- and I will get very lost- and this will happen several times.

8. I will always carry enough cash to get a taxi for when I am truly lost in transit.

9. It is perfectly acceptable to sit at a coffee shop for 3-4 hours. And while this sounds like a long time, it is quite normal here and the time flies by.

10. I have taken for granted the clean mountain air- having a nose full of black goo is pretty disgusting.

11. Americans go to work too early- 9 or 10 is much more acceptable and should be taken into consideration in the US.

12. If you fly into Chile, there is a fabulous "Reciprocity Tax" that Americans, Aussies, Mexicans, and Canadians must pay. It is the most expensive for Americans at $ 131 and the cheapest for Mexicans at $25. It is in place simply because, as the name implies, we too charge Chileans to get into our country.

13. A New York taxi driver would fear for his life in a taxi here.

14. Did I mention that I really need to learn Spanish?

15. Owning an apartment here would be less expensive than buying one. However, if you want to buy a place, be prepared to pay in cash. Mortgages simply just do not exist in most cases.

16. Argentine's are probably the most friendly people you have ever met.

17. When meeting someone, you kiss them on the cheek instead of shaking hands. Yes- this includes men meeting men- even in a business setting. If you know them well, you kiss on both cheeks. You also do this when you say goodbye- even if there are 20 people in a room.

18. To ride the buses here, you need coins called Monetas. Everyone relies on buses heavily and they do not take bills- only Monetas. However, these coins are incredibly difficult to get. No one gives change- they round to the nearest dollar- because they do not want to part with the Monetas or simply do not have them. This problem has been blamed on several things, including the Mafia and Asians hoarding the coins and melting them to make jewelry.

19. We make more money in unemployment than people here make in 4 mo.

20. There are 3 ways to become wealthy here: do illegal things, own several businesses, or earn money in a different currency.