Tag Archives: BA tips

Mundo Lingo Language Exchange

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Buenos Aires Multi-Lingual Language Exchange Night

An Indian, a Russian and an Argentine walk into a bar… “Ouch!”

This isn’t just a bad joke, it’s also a reality. Every week in an Irish pub in the heart of Buenos Aires people of all nationalities, including local Argentines of course, come for a drink, a chat, and even a bite to eat. Some come to meet new people, some looking for a date, some even come straight from the airport looking for a couch to surf on! But most come with the intention or at least the excuse of practicing another language.

How does it work?

It’s probably the most relaxed kind of language exchange you can imagine. There are no rules, you don’t have to pay for anything or write anything down and nobody is going to tell you what to do. You can talk to whoever you like. To make it easier to find your perfect language exchange partner(s) just find the little table with the flag stickers. There’s a kind of system worked out in which the sticker that represents your native language goes at the top, and the rest follow in order of ability. You’ll see people wearing flags from most European language speaking countries, as well as Slavic, Arabic and Asian languages. Of course the most common exchanges are Spanish, English, Portuguese, German and French.

 

So that’s ‘What’ and ’Why’. Who, When and Where?

Everyone is invited and nobody is excluded. People here are very warm and inviting. Nobody get’s left behind and as you come back the second and third time that you start to recognise some people. The event is every Tuesday in the Micro Center. To see more info, photos and to find out about Slavic and Asian nights check out the page at facebook.com/mundolingo

Good luck!

 

Contact:

 

Don’t Be Scared, Just Don’t Be Stupid: A Mini-Series of Safety Suggestions (by Alison Keppler)

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As a Washington DC native, Los Angeles convert, and current Buenos Aires inhabitant, I have had many people ask me, “Aren’t you scared living in such dangerous cities?”. Well…no. But I am very realistic, and that’s an important distinction. Buenos Aires is just like any other big city: there’s no need to walk around terrified, but there’s also no need to walk around oblivious. Some tips are obvious, along the lines of ‘Don’t walk home alone’ and ‘Don’t keep your phone inyour back pocket’. But what about the insider tricks of the trade? The little things that you never find out until it’s too late? Well, here we are…pre-too late. Read on, and give yourself the best possible chance of a safe and successful trip to the breathtaking city of Buenos Aires:

Where To Keep Your Shit – I already addressed the issue of the back pocket, but that’s just a given. Pickpocketing here has been taken to a whole new level of both skill and audacity, and no matter how Argentine you might have the good fortune to look, chances are something about you can still scream tourist. That’s the equivalent of a target painted on your phone, wallet, and anything else someone might consider to be of value. I experienced two attempted-thefts, (one that resulted in a friend slapping the guy’s hand away and another that was unsuccessful when my purse strap didn’t break), before someone actually made it work. That time I was carrying a small cross-body bag at a concert, made the mistake of taking my hand off it for just a few minutes, and then looked down to find my bag unzipped and my phone gone. Ladies, carry tiny bags that fit right under your arm, clutches that never leave your hand, or if you have the rack for it I honestly suggest keeping a fair amount tucked between the twins. Gentleman, obscenely tight hipster pants with front pockets that even you can barely get into are your new best friend. These are the sacrifices we all make…just go with it and give yourself a little less to be worrying about.