This public hygiene oxymoron is pictured to the left — they are the green and pink egg-shaped items suspended over the sinks on metal bars. The first time that we encountered these in a public restroom, none of us could figure out what they were (it’s as if the girls and I mentally [...]
Christmas at the estancia really started on Christmas Eve, which is the important day here in Argentina.
As Papa Noel was flying around the world delivering presents, we were erecting our Christmas tree that Fred Johnson sent to me before we left Buenos Aires. The girls and I had a ball putting it together. [...]
QUIRK: Garbage Cans. Why is it that every cabin and every hotel room that I’ve stayed in has only one garbage can located in the bathroom; and why is said garbage can so tiny that you can fit exactly nothing in it; and, why does this garbage can have a lid with a [...]
I had no idea that picking up a package in Baires would be so complicated!
Upon arriving at the central post office, the whole Offermann-Reeves clan entered a smallish room with postal clerks and a waiting area, where we took a number. When our turn arrived, we submitted our package delivery notice [...]
Tom has noticed that when he takes the girls to school on Monday morning, he can nearly always find a seat for all three of them on the bus.
Why? Because the hard living, non-sleeping Porteños have had their ass kicked by the Argentine schedule (stay up late/get up early). By Monday, [...]
Motorcycle/Scooter helmet law in Baires requires that you have a helmet on your person, but you don’t necessarily have to wear it on your head! I know…weird.
Generally, you see these permutations:
Not having a helmet at all.
Placing the helmet on the motorcycle in between the driver’s legs.
Hanging the helmet on the forearm, [...]
(Sure, we’ve talked about the coin shortage crisis a few times before, but here are a couple examples of how it affects me every day. – Tom)
To get to school every morning, the girls and I take the bus, which only accepts coins. So, everyday I have to figure out how to get more coins. [...]
Ian and his fellow drum ensemble members made their performance and directorial debut on Monday, opening for the very popular La Bomba de Tiempo drumming concert that happens every Monday.
Ian kissed the Zs before going up to direct, which enamored him to everyone in the crowd. I must admit, I found myself with [...]
At first blush, juice may seem to be an odd topic for a blog post. However, when you have kids, juice and juice boxes are an important part of your life. And, here in Argentina, it is fraught with challenge.
We try to pump the kids full of water and milk in terms of [...]
“Hey, how many bags of milk do we have left?” is a question you commonly hear in our apartment.
Milk in Buenos Aires comes in two types of containers: milk in a box, or milk in a bag. Tom and I used to buy the milk in a box. It is pasteurized regularly [...]
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