For people looking for work abroad and the chance to experience another culture, country and language, Au Pairing has always been a popular and worthwhile option, especially in and around Europe. However, until recently, it was a relatively unknown concept in Argentina. Thanks to Au Pair in Argentina, set up by British Expat Anna Templeton, that’s all changing. Expanish Spanish School Blog wanted to find out a bit more….

Tell us a bit about Au pair Argentina

So Au Pair in Argentina introduces fun, enthusiastic and experienced British, American, French and German au pairs to warm, open minded Argentine families. We like learning through play, so au pairs are encouraged to get creative with the kids, cook, do arts and crafts, play games. It makes their job more fun, but also means the kids learna new language without noticing. We arm au pairs with lots of activity ideas in our welcome packs and at orientation.

The positions we have are either live in or live out and the hours are normally 25 a week so great for a steady income and for still having time to explore the city, study Spanish, have fun.  Our live in positions are great for those who want the full immersion experience, and have an avenue to practice their Spanish (out of working hours), and live out seems to be preferable to au pairs already living in Argentina who don’t want to give up their flat, but want a job that is rewarding and fun and not in an office! Both are great for getting to see the “real” Argentina, learn about the culture, make Argentine friends and get properly stuck into living abroad.

I was an au pair so I know it can be a bit lonely some times, so Au Pair in Argentina arranges events, days out and social gatherings for our au pairs so they can get to know each other, and see bits of the country that they might not have seen before.

Tell us a bit about why you founded Au pair Argentina?

As I said I was an au pair, and I thought it was a brilliant experience. I loved the job satisfaction I got, the bond I made with the family and it really helped my Spanish. I was quite surprised that in a country which has masses of bilingual schools and a real interest in learning a second language, that the au pair scheme was not available. So I thought why not set up Au Pair in Argentina…

Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you end up living in Buenos Aires?

On a whim. I was frustrated by London; my freelance job that felt like it had hit a dead end and really wanted a change. My friend had been transferred to Argentina with her work and suggested I joined her. She had a flat paid for by work, where I could stay, so  it seemed like a no brainer. Was supposed to only come for 6 months, but after several months of enjoying myself I founded Au Pair in Argentina. I was having a great time; I was excited by Au pair in Argentina so it seemed silly to leave. I initially extended my stay for a couple of months, this turned into a couple of months more, and suddenly I had been in Buenos Aires for almost 2 years!

What cultural differences will Au pairs notice when working closely with Argentine families?

I think appearance is a big one. The majority of us are vain, but Porteños take pride in appearance to a new level. What you look like, how you dress, the impression you give through your style/look matters big time. Also tidiness. Most of our au pairs are pretty neat and tidy people, but not by Argentine standards. That is definitely one of the most common complaints we get, that au pairs are messy and this can just be because they left some clothes on their bed!

Also I would say timing. Au Pairs need to prepare themselves for the more laid back schedule; the vague arrangements, the eating late, the mañana attitude. I personally think this is a perk, but each to their own

What kind of people do you get applying to be Au pairs?

All sorts; 45 year old people starting again, 18 year old gap year folk, people studying in their year abroad, Russians, Danish, English, Americans, everyone! Sadly we only take native German, French and English speaking 18 – 30 year olds who have some level of childcare experience, so we can’t help everyone who gets in touch.

List your top 5 favorite things about Buenos Aires

The “onda” so cool, underground and with an amazingly positive energy

The people – they are supposedly the most unfriendly in the country, but I love Porteños, never before have I felt so welcome in a country

The  beautiful old houses – Peaches – So stylish and cool.

Social life; eating out is cheap and great, night life is cracking, people are friendly

Spring – I love how Buenos Aires turns purple with the Jacaranda, the weather is amazing, and the people come out to play

And your bottom 5…worst!

Crime – I have been mugged twice and it was not fun

Ever increasing inflation – how can my shop cost AR$150 pesos one week and AR$200 the next?

The dog poo on the streets – particularly in autumn where the leaves made it impossible to see where to avoid

Dulce de leche – controversial I know, but found in almost every sweet dish, which as a hater means puddings are hard

No change – where is it all?

If you could give one piece of advice to newcomers to Buenos Aires, what would it be?

Bring chillis and cheddar

And lastly…we have to ask this. How is your Spanish?

Good, finally feel confident in it…doesn’t mean I still don’t make MASSES of faux pas !

To find out more about becoming an Au Pair in Argentina visit http://www.aupairinargentina.com/

This week Expanish Blog Meets the owner of Spanglish, a popular Buenos Aires language event and a great way for Spanish students to practice their Spanish and meet locals.

Tell us a bit about Spanglish?Spanglish Exchange puts a twist on the traditional language exchange by pairing native speakers in a series of mini-conversations, half in English and half in Spanish. Equally attended by expats, travelers and Argentines, we host events almost daily in bars around Buenos Aires. There are no requirements, no tests….no pressure, just a lot of friendly people who are eager to meet other people and practice a language socially.

How did you come up with the idea for Spanglish and go about launching it?

A friend of mine had asked me to teach an English class for her. I reluctantly agreed and after a few weeks I realized my students didn’t speak English outside of the 1.5 hour class. After almost a decade living a double life in the educational field as a teacher and in the event industry as an organizer and entertainer, I decided to combine my passions and the first Spanglish Exchange event was held on October 22, 2008. The ten people in attendance had so much fun and were so thankful that I dropped everything else I was working on and dedicated myself to growing Spanglish. It was a niche market and we grew rapidly…also because in the beginning I was working 70+ hours a week on it! I recently traveled solo through Mexico, and I spent an hour at a bar writing in my journal…and wishing a Spanglish were there so I could meet people.

Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you end up living in Buenos Aires?

When you’re an expat people often only know your life post-BA. I came here on vacation in 2005 and fell in love with the city. 6 years later I’m still here, but that’s a longer story. There was an article in the Buenos Aires Herald about that. My real passion is politics and poetry…and I have a BA in one and a Masters in the other. Buenos Aires is a great place to experience either, so it’s a city that plays to my personality.

What kind of people come to Spanglish?

We get this question a lot. The truth is…everyone comes to Spanglish; we get Argentines who are still finishing high school and 80 year olds who want to continue improving their English. A lot of students and business people as well as those who like to travel abroad. As far as travelers go, we get vacationers here for one week and expats who’ve quit their jobs and sold everything to move to Buenos Aires.  

How can people expect to benefit from coming to Spanglish?

The obvious answer is that they’ll improve their language skills. I always tell people it’s like a sport…you don’t expect to be an ace football player practicing once a week. Attending regularly they’ll hear different accents and expressions and be able to handle themselves in a variety of situations. But Spanglish is more than about language practice, it’s about creating friendships that go beyond one’s stay in Buenos Aires. Most people won’t do their Spanish homework on a Saturday night, but Spanglish on Saturdays if full of people practicing. One of my biggest motivations for growing Spanglish is seeing all the friendships that begin there

What are the biggest challenges people face when learning Spanish?

Fear.  Most people are scared to death of making mistakes and sounding stupid. But that’s the best part about Spanglish, both sides make mistakes and usually end up laughing over them..  If you really want to learn another language you have live in it, argue in it, love in it, defend yourself in it…and that only happens when you spend the majority of your time with people who speak that language. At Spanglish people meet and practice with at least 6 different native speakers, increasing the chance they’ll find not just a language partner, but a person that they genuinely want to communicate with.

List your top 5 favourite things about Buenos Aires

Spontaneity, you never know what to expect. Life doesn’t run on a clock. The abundance of good steak. That people here are blunt and curious. And that there is always something to do.

And your bottom 5…worst!

See my top 5 favorite things. On my bad days, they’re my least favorite things….yes, people, there is such a thing as too much good steak. I was a vegetarian when I got here!

If you could give one piece of advice to newcomers coming to Buenos Aires, what would it be?

Bring high quality towels. And socks. And Ipods. And Heinz Ketchup. And cheesecake. And bring it to me at Spanglish. In all seriousness, I’d say drop the idea of what the guidebooks tell you about Buenos Aires and use every bit of time here to live the culture. Get to know as many Argentines as possible…be curious, explore. And if you have an Ipad, don’t whip out in the middle of the street

And lastly…we have to ask this. How is your Spanish?

It could be better…You know the saying, “en casa de herrero cuchillo de palo?” I fall into the category of people who are “fluent” enough to get away with not taking classes, but not as fluent as I should be for how long I’ve been here. I recently learned that slang for procrastinating is “voy pateando” and I’m definitely guilty of that. So, I’d like to come out and formally declare, I, Maya May, am going to take an intensive Spanish grammar tune-up. Do you have a class for that? Stay-tuned for updates on my progress to 100% native fluency.

For those of you who fancy giving Spanglish a try (Something Expanish highly recommends!) visit https://www.spanglishexchange.com/

Expanish Spanish School blog loves hearing about news and interesting ways to learn Spanish so when Isabel Glove showed us her new slang flash cad project ‘Go Flashcards’ we tought they were great.  Neat little packs of themed flash cards to help students practice their Argentine street slang and get one step closer to being a true porteno!

Tell us a bit about how and why you developed the cards

After having both lived in Buenos Aires for a while we had learnt the local lingo, whilst friends still struggled despite doing classes. We were always playing around with flashcards, but they only taught the boring stuff everyone already knows. So we decided to make a different type of flashcards that teach you how people really speak here.

Who are the cards aimed at and how do you see them being used?

The cards are aimed at anyone interested in learning the slang and conversation words and phrases in Spanish or English. The GO flashcards are small and fun so they can be used on the subte, with a group of friends at a party or when you’ve left Argentina and want to carry on practicing your vocab.  

Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you end up living in Buenos Aires?

I first came to BA as part of my Hispanic Studies degree then returned after I graduated. There is something about Buenos Aires that keeps drawing you back! Emily moved here with her Argentine partner after they met in Australia.

List your top 5 favorite tourist destinations in BA

Ecological Park near Puerto Madero
Palacio de Aguas Corrientes
Museo Evita
Tecnopolis
Tigre

List your top 5 favourite things about Buenos Aires

Bike paths
Feeling like part of a community in a big city
Free cultural events
Parks
Asados/barbeques

And your bottom 3…worst!

Caca de perro
Overuse of plastic bags
The subte closes at 10.30

If you could give one piece of advice to newcomers to Buenos Aires, what would it be?

Try your best to make friends with Argentines. It can be all too easy to take the easy route and just hang out with fellow expats, but it’ll be worth the extra effort when your Spanish improves and you experience a real asado!

And lastly…we have to ask this. How is your Spanish?

Pretty good. Emily and I are often confused as Argentines despite our blonde hair and gringa faces!

For this month’s edition of Expanish Spanish School Meets, we speak to Jonathan Evans from Buenos Aires Local Tours a tour company that offers the chance to explore Buenos Aires, travel by collectivo and get tips and advice from a very well informed Buenos Aires expat.

Tell us a bit about Buenos Aires Local Tours?

Buenos Aires Local Tours offers a daily, free, walking and public transport tour of some of the most interesting areas of Buenos Aires. It leaves every day, Monday – Saturday at 11am from Plaza Italia and using colectivos and subway we visit Abasto (Carlos Gardel’s house and street art), Congreso, Avenida de Mayo & Plaza de Mayo.

Tell us a bit about how and why you founded Buenos Aires local tours?

After traveling for 18 months around South America I wanted to find a way to live in Buenos Aires without working in an office – I’d done enough of that in Europe!

I’ve always enjoyed catching a bus here, it’s always felt like an achievement, successfully decoding the system and figuring out where to get on and off. One day it hit me that this was what I could offer visitors to Buenos Aires – give them a way to see the city, but at the same time making public transport the focus, rather than just another walking or organized minibus tour.

I spent a few days planning a route, catching buses around town to become familiar with the lines and areas and sights that could be easily covered. My favourite part of the tour is Abasto because it is an area that most tourists would never visit but it is full of fascinating history, culture and street art.

As the tour has developed I’ve also become aware that it’s not just about the sights. The people that come on the tour are genuinely interested in Argentina and what makes the country tick politically and culturally, so often we’ll end up having a long discussion about the upcoming elections, corruption or the economy – it’s not your average walking tour!

And how on earth you manage to make a living when the tours are free!?

Tips! I decided to go with free tours as I wanted to allow people to pay what they were able, or what they though the tour was worth! A backpacker traveling on a budget won’t be able to afford a USD125 walking tour, but he or she can come on my tour, get a great introduction to the city, and pay what they can.

So far, everybody has been very generous and I’m making the same, if not more than I was working full-time in a office here in Buenos Aires and enjoying it much, much more!

Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you end up living in Buenos Aires?

I’m from England and came here on holiday for 2 weeks in 2007. I stayed in a great hostel in Palermo Hollywood for 10 days and did a 4 day trip down to the Peninsula Valdes to see some whales. I absolutely loved it. A year later I had left my job, sold all my stuff and came back to spend more time here and do some traveling round South America.

I spent 18 months doing that, my girlfriend (who is from Colombia) decided that we wanted to give living here a try, so we came back in May 2010 and I started the tours in December.

List your top 5 favorite tourist destinations in BA

In no particular order:

1. Abasto, particularly the filete and Gardel murals near the Carlos Gardel museum. It’s a very unique area with a special place in Buenos Aires history & culture – as a tourist it feels like discovering a secret.

2. La Costanera – walk past the docks of Puerto Madero and there’s this great promenade along the edge of the Ecological Reserve full of great barbecue stands. They say choose the one with the most taxis parked next to it!

3. Plaza Serrano, Palermo Soho – it’s cheesy and not especially ‘authentic’ but it’s a great place to sit on a sunny afternoon, sipping a Quilmes and watching the world go by. It’s where Buenos Aires first got me!

4. Recoleta Cemetery – another obvious one, but it seriously is an incredible place. Amazing architecture, beautiful sculptures – it gives a fascinating insight into Argentinian history and in some cases their overblown sense of importance! Take a camera and snap away.

5. San Telmo – it has a much more gritty feel than Palermo, based in its working-class roots. It’s a great place to explore with lots of classic wood-lined bars to stumble across, some fantastic street art and tons of attitude.

List your top 5 favourite things about Buenos Aires

1. Anything goes – lunch at 5pm? Dinner at 1am? Beer delivered to your house? It’s all possible and nobody cares, they just let you get on with it.

2. Public transport, especially the colectivos (buses). They’re frequent, go everywhere and very cheap – the only way to travel.

3. Spring – the North may be heading into winter but October and November are the perfect months to be in Buenos Aires – the purple jacaranda trees burst into life and everybody is out in the parks and squares

4. The history in the streets, from the Palacio Barolo to the secret house overlooking the Obelisco, Buenos Aires is full of fascinating stories and characters. I love finding out about these places and sharing the stories on the tour.

5. The people, regardless of where they are from, expat or local, almost everyone I’ve met here has been interesting, interested in me, funny and generous – it makes a huge difference.

And your bottom 3…worst!

1. The Subte. I love catching a bus, but the subway system can be a struggle at times. Overcrowding, unexplained delays and people standing on the left of the escalator are the main problems!

2. Inflation – prices are creeping up every time you go to the supermarket – it’s frustrating and can start to limit what you can afford.

3. Political adverts everywhere. 2011 is an election year and the streets are covered with posters, and corners are full of people thrusting leaflets into your hand. It’s a novelty at first, but soon wears off.

If you could give one piece of advice to newcomers to Buenos Aires, what would it be?

Get out there and explore. Coming on my tour will give you some of the tools you’ll need such as understanding the bus system which is very useful. Otherwise just walk around soaking it all up – try a new barrio every day.

And lastly…we have to ask this. How is your Spanish?

Getting better every day! I have a degree in French & Italian so languages are kinda my thing and I’ve not had lessons in Spanish as there are many similarities with French that I’ve been able to pick it up as I go along. I think that learning Spanish is one of the most important things you can do here – your experience will be so much richer if you can just make that little effort.

Jonathan’s Buenos Aires Local Tours run Monday to Saturday from 11am at Plaza Italia.

And now for the next addition of ‘Expanish Meets…’ Now a monthly spot where Expanish Spanish School in Argentina gets to meet the people who make Buenos Aires the interesting, artistic and engaging metropolis that it is. Following on from our recent blog about Buenos Aire’s unique delivery culture  this month we spoke to Wither’s Davis, expat entrepreneur and founder of BA Delivery to asked him about his company and his life in Buenos Aires

Tell us a bit about BA Delivery (i.e service provided, where, how it works, etc)

Buenos Aires Delivery helps you find and order food in English or Spanish wherever you are in Buenos Aires. How it works: you type in an address, we tell you the restaurants that deliver to that location. You select cuisine type to specify your search and we’ll filter your results accordingly. When you find what you’re looking for, you can place your order online, free of charge. We also give you access to special deals and discounts, customer reviews and an excellent bilingual customer service team that tracks each order and makes sure you get exactly what you want.

Tell us a bit about how and why BA Delivery was founded?

One afternoon in the office a yanqui friend of mine (Todd) was trying to order empanadas from a local casa de empanadas.  One of our favorite types is the apio y nuez (celery and walnut) so we wanted them. My friend called and instead of saying ‘apio’ he said ‘a pido’ which greatly confused the poor person on the phone, who said ‘que?’.  Instead of trying to figure out what he said wrong, Todd just proceeded to talk louder as if the person didn’t hear what he was saying.  He kept repeating ‘apido! apido!’ basically yelling over the phone. The empanada place hung up on him.

We basically said ‘there has to be a better way’ and out of that idea we created what is now Buenos Aires Delivery.

Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you end up living in Buenos Aires?

I initially came to Argentina in 2006 for a month vacation.  I travelled all around the country, only staying 7 days in BA. In late 2008 I quit my job in consulting and started working for a startup. In January 2009 we decided to move our development team to Buenos Aires and down I came.  Eventually that company ran out of money so I started doing web design to make money.  I really loved (and still do) living here, and I had no intentions of leaving.

Where do you see BA Delivery in 2 years?

Great question.  I see BA Delivery becoming a dominant player in the food delivery business in Buenos Aires, and growing in other cities.  

List your top 5 favourite restaurants in BA

1.  The parrilla not to be named in Las Canitas

2.  Sarkis

3.  La Cabrera

4.  The Office

5.  Shwarma at Medio Oriente on Fridays

List your top 5 favourite things about Buenos Aires

1.  The Weather

2.  Expats

3.  My Team at Work

4.  Asado

5.  The Nightlife 

And your bottom 5…worst!

1.  Bad Customer Service

2.  Inflation

3.  The likelihood of getting ripped off by landlords

4.  Lack of a live music

5.  Not being close to friends/family back home

If you could give one piece of advice to newcomers to Buenos Aires, what would it be?

The key to long-term living in Buenos Aires is developing the ability to say ‘I can’t tonight.’  This city has so much to do that it is easy to get burned out and/or broke.

And lastly…we have to ask this. How is your Spanish?

Mas o menos.

And now for the next addition of ‘Expanish Meets…’ A regular spot where Expanish Spanish School in Argentina gets to meet the people who make Buenos Aires the interesting, artistic and engaging metropolis that it is. This time we’re talking to the founders and presenters of BA Cast a new (ish) podcast designed for people living in Buenos Aires.

Expanish staff and students have been listening to BA Cast since it launched last year, and it’s popularity has been growing, mainly through word of mouth. Presented by Fernando (The Local) and Dan (The Expat),  not only is it laugh out loud funny at times, it offers a two sided view on life in Buenos Aires, lots of cultural observations, as well as a lot of informative content about the city’s history. Plus… we musn’t forget to mention, it’s great for the Spanish, with Fernando and Dan introducing various phrases and words in Spanish throughout the show. Expanish blog has also been informed that multi-lingual content will increase during the forthcoming season.

So to start, can you tell us a bit about BA Cast?

Dan: BA cast is a bicultural, bilingual podcast hosted by an American expat and a local Argentine that dialogues about culture, language, politics, sports and other topics with the aim of SEARCHING FOR TRUTH. It is for any foreigner residing in Buenos Aires for very short, medium, or long term and any English speaking Argentines. It is uploaded once per week on Thursdays and can be downloaded on our website, www.bacast.com or via iTunes.   

Fernando: What I would only add to that is: a little bit of culture clash over the length of a collectivo-ride.

Tell us a bit about why you founded it?

Dan:  For me, when Fernando approached me, this was about me having a creative outlet and a place to talk about these issues. It has quickly turned into something with much greater depth and breadth than I had imagined.

Fernando: Seeing so many foreigners living in the city, I thought it could be a good idea to create something in the form of a radio program for them…and then, considering that most foreigners are always carrying around a laptop or a smartphone, started thinking podcasting was the way to go. As Dan points out, it evolved as we worked through it, into something very appealing and stimulating to me, both creatively and intellectually speaking.

And what about your backgrounds…. Dan how did you end up living in BA, Fernando are you from BA originally and are your backgrounds in Radio?

Dan:  I left the US to go backpacking around the world, met my wife (who is Argentine) and stayed.

Fernando: I am a Gran Buenos Aires-born and raised Porteño. Lived in the BA metropolitan area all my life except for two years I lived in Europe (London, mainly). I graduated as a “Locutor” (radio broadcaster/presenter) at the ISER National Broadcasting Academy. I have worked in several radio stations both as a presenter and as a producer and currently, I host the English-language program of RAE (Argentina’s Foreign Radio Service) and do replacements in the 80s music FM Aspen.

Where do you see BA cast being a few years from now.?

Dan: A multi-national, multi-lingual show, with correspondents around the world, offering different perspecitves and information on different issues. BA Cast will be known as a show, of the similar to the onda of Daily Show or CQC, where one can laugh about current events and culture, but BA Cast will include much more of a learning component as well.

Fernando: Yes!
 

What do you think it is about BA that attracts so many expats?

Dan:  3 years ago I would have said price, but now I think that it is a combination of the fact that it is “cool”, it is still relatively inexpensive, and it has many attractive features like architecture, food and nightlife.  

Fernando: To me, it’s a world-class city, no doubts! For those who like living an urban experience comparable to London, New York, Paris, Barcelona, but in South America. 

List your top 5 favorite things about Buenos Aires:

Dan: Asado, vacío, molleja, chorizo and bife de lomo

Fernando: Cafés, corners and architecture, intellectual-cultural-political life, pizza and porteño’s ironic-acid sense of humor (not listing Asado because it’s genetically imprinted on me, lol)

And your bottom 5…worst!:

Dan: Traffic, inflation, lack of food variety, lack of service… *DISTRUST* between argentines.

Fernando: Traffic jams, expensive or inexistent electronic items, summer heat and humidity, football *extreme” fanaticism, not much live music in bars.  

What do you think surprises people / new expats the most when they arrive in BA?

Dan: The ridiculous, obvious, and truly interesting responses to this question, and the best way to answer is for you to listen to our show!

Fernando: Right on the spot.

If you could give one piece of advice to newcomers to Buenos Aires, what would it be?

Dan: Be patient

Fernando: Come ready to experience a city that has a lot of great stuff and its share of bad stuff (like any other big city). Be very aware of what you value and what you don’t, if you prioritize certain things you take for granted back home, you may get frustrated very easily. After all, it’s a personal appraisal. Me? I love living here!
And lastly…How is your Spanish (Dan), tell us about your learning curve.

Dan: Why didn’t you ask Fernando this? His Spanish is actually quite good for an Argentine…. I studied for 6 years from age 12-18, lived in Mexico for a bit, so when I came here I had that as a base, which is extensive I would say. I had to relearn accent, tone, and the “vos” form as well as slang so I could communicate here. I completely and totally immersed myself: lived with Argentine roommates, dated my Argentine girlfriend (now wife), and refused to speak English. It took me at least 6 months to be fully fluent, even with the total immersion that I did. It probably took about 12 months to get to where I am now.

For more information on BA Cast go to: BA Cast or their Facebook page (BA Cast: The Buenos Aires Podcast). All of the recent series are available on iTunes and the new series will be available for download soon.

Welcome, Expanish Blog readers, to our brand new Expanish Meets Blog Spot, each month we will be speaking to the movers and shakers of  Buenos Aires. Friends of Expanish who have agreed to lend us their thoughts on life, work, experiences and Spanish in the wonderful city that is Buenos Aires.

First up is Meghan Lewis, joint owner (with Katrina Petney) of  Buena Onda Yoga. Expanish Blog wanted to find out a bit more about Buena Onda, yoga and why we recommend them to our Expanish Students (Reminder that all Expanish Students get 10% off lessons)

Buena Onda Yoga

Tell us a bit about Buena Onda Yoga? When we started BuenaOnda YOGA, most of all we wanted to create a welcoming community. so that people feel they can come to classes . We really believe that yoga will improve your life even if you don’t want to change your entire lifestyle. Taking a break from worries, stresses, and repetitive thoughts in order to focus on your breath while stretching and strengthening your body is bound to make you feel good. When people feel better they make healthier choices and are more creative and vibrant.

Tell us a bit about how Buena Onda was founded?

Katrina Petney and I met in November 2008 at a bus-stop in Belgrano, waiting for the 29. We then discovered we were neighbors in San Telmo and chatted through the whole ride. We had a lot in common, including yoga teacher training, and decided to meet for breakfast the following weekend. Interestingly we each contacted the other one time, and each ignored each other’s messages. Then 2 weeks later I was having breakfast alone and Katrina coincidentally came to the same cafe. It was destiny. We talked about the lack of accessible yoga classes – all the fliers gave phone numbers for more information. Talking on the phone in Spanish was so intimidating back then. There were also fewer studios then and the classes we had been to were very different from what we were used to in the states. I remember I said to her, “I’ve had this teaching certificate for more than a year now and haven’t done anything with it!” Remember, she was just an acquaintance at that time; and she said, “Don’t worry about it, when the time is right you’ll do something with it.” I asked her if the time was right. Our initial idea was that it would be radical and effective to simply be very clear in our communications. We would make a website with the class times, locations, and prices – no need to call and confirm, just drop-in any time! We started planning that day and had our first class 2 months later.

Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you end up living in Buenos Aires?

I had been teaching first grade for 6 years, was about to turn 30,  and was itching for a change. I also had recently broken an engagement that would have had me married in July 2008 in Lima, Peru. I already had the plane ticket there and the cheapest flight changes were to other South American destinations. Since I have been dancing Tango in the states Buenos Aires was the obvious place to come. I planned a trip for 5 weeks, inclucing a month of spanish lessons. It was winter here, and I was staying in an awful apartment on the border of Monserrat and Constitucion, and I fell in love with the city anyway! I loved it! Loved the buildings, the people, the bustling nights. I went home to sell things and came back in September to do a TEFL certification with the plan to stay one year. Thank goodness I soon met Katrina who was initially planning to stay just 3 months dancing tango and writing. When we started BuenaOnda YOGA we agreed to give the business 3 years before either of us would change projects or move on.

What kind of people come to your classes?

Mostly travelers and expats. Lots of Norwegians and Swedes! But people from everywhere: the US, British Isles, Chile, Venezuela, Europe, Canada, Mexico, and Argentines too. Travelers come because they want to do something healthy and maybe their bodies are sore from backpacking and bussing and new beds all the time. Expats and Argentines come for the community and for the regularity of practice.

What can people expect from the classes (fitness, flexibility?)

Fitness, yes – most of the time you’ll work up a sweat, lots of strength building. Probably increased flexibility as well, though another way to think about stretching is that it’s an activity that helps release stress and relieve tension. What I mean is, it may be that you do the same stretch several times a week and never seem to reach any further or go any deeper. It’s a mistake to think that the stretch is “not working” if the form doesn’t change. You are releasing stress every time, it’s more correct to think of stretching as opening a pressure release valve. Both when stretching and when holding postures for extended periods you have a chance to learn to focus on your breath and practice being calm and focused even in slightly uncomfortable circumstances. This is a helpful skill in all of life. People often comment that they feel renewed and refreshed after class. The heat-building and vigorous parts from the beginning and middle of the class are followed by a relaxing cool-down and deep relaxation.

How has practicing yoga improved your life…why should people come along to one of your classes?

What a big question! Katrina might have a more specific answer, she was a runner and serious volley-ball player, and she found yoga at a very stressful time in her life when she was teaching high-school biology. She says yoga was physically restorative and mentally and emotionally life-saving. My dad told me about yoga from the time I was a child, and I can’t really remember life without yoga. When I was 12 he had me read a book called Yoga, Youth, and Reincarnation. It’s funny though, because my dad is not a hippy at all! But because of him, and through my own research I was convinced that between the basic tenants of the philosophy and they health benefits of asana practice yoga one had all the necessary tools for well-being.

I think I partially answered why people should come in the previous question. A yoga class is a gift you give yourself: an hour and a half when you stop thinking about all the things you need to be doing, stop worrying about mistakes or being afraid or nervous about things that might happen. It’s a chance to give yourself over to the teacher’s verbal and demonstrative instruction and let your awareness move out of your brain and into the rest of your body. And the larger possible benefit is that you learn that nothing bad happens when you let go of all that mental activity that often plagues us. What’s important will be waiting for you when you put your attention back to it. Learning to take mental and emotional breaks – learning to consciously let go of discomfort, anxiety, and worry about the future is very helpful. Here we all are in a foreign environment with lots of unknowns and constant stimulation, yoga is a nourishing and restorative break. And you meet great people!

List your top 5 favourite things about Buenos Aires

1. The buildings! I love the haphazard mix of architecture. There is beauty everywhere and I love that people valued beauty so much that they spent all that time and money making buildings into art – to me that is a very hopeful act. There’s an amazing building on the corner of Belgrano and Peru with 2 little copper cupolas at the top.
2. The night-life. Even though I am a lover of mornings and I think Argentines are kind of insane, I love that they stretch the days, they seem to squeeze more hours out of life that we do in the US.
3. The fact that friendship and social interaction are highly valued parts of life. Even after university adults are allowed and expected to put energy and time into their social lives, whereas I feel in the US that after univesity your main priority should be your career and your own family (spouse and perhaps kids, not even the extended family).
4. I love all the ferias and how people use public spaces: plazas and parks and stoops.
5. I love how expressive and creative people are. You see it in street art, fashion, photography, theater. And there is music everywhere. If you move about through the city, not even going to the countless small concerts, you are bound to come upon musicians on the street or in the subway

And your bottom 5…worst things about BA!

1. People littering. This is the worst. I just can’t understand it, especially in a place where people spend so much time in public places. It’s like throwing trash on your own living room floor.
2. Shop attendants who seem highly annoyed when they have to help you; this is astonishing to me as I often wonder how certain places even manage to stay open. Then you go in and they glare at you as if willing you to disappear.
3. Riding the subway at rush-hour
4. The excessive use of bags and packaging
5. The lack of spicy food, I especially miss Mexican food.

If you could give one piece of advice to newcomers to Buenos Aires, what would it be?

Don’t assume you understand the city or the people or the culture – instead look, listen, and observe, and try to participate and learn without making conclusions or too many comparisons. When you assume things, you miss out on all the richness and they why’s of this crazy place.

And lastly…we have to ask this. How is your Spanish?

Well, I guess it’s pretty good. I live with an Argentine and spend lots of time speaking Spanish but still feel very frustrated with myself a lot for stumbling and forgetting things. It’s like swimming across a lake. The further I go in the language the further I see there is still to go. I am definitely nowhere near the English shore anymore, but now I feel I’m in the middle and the Spanish side keeps seeming farther and farther away.

For more information on Buena Onda Yoga including prices, class times and locations, visit www.buenaondayoga.com and dont forget to show your Expanish Benefit Card to get your discount!