If there’s anything international it’s the love of books and classic films. April is a pretty busy cultural month in Buenos Aires, Argentina, especially concerning these popular pastimes.
This year was the 18th year of BAFICI, the Buenos Aires Independent Film Festival. Movie-goers were able to catch at least one featured film daily from April 13th-April 24th at 27 different locations all throughout the city.
Not only is BACIFI an important vehicle to showcase local Argentinian talent, it also serves as a diverse channel to learn about cultures all over the world. Five continents were represented in unique ways and awards were given in categories such as Best Feature Film, Best Children’s Film and a UNICEF human rights award.
Bacifi is an opportunity to get to know Buenos Aires and the Argentinian culture as well! Among the list of theaters was the historic Teatro Colon and a few films featured live concerts, and food trucks.
Throughout the years, this film festival has become well known and reached well over a million spectators! Film aficionados have the opportunity to attend workshops and discussions with the cast and crew of specific films.
If you’re a book lover, never fear! The 42nd Annual International Book Fair in Buenos Aires is the place for you.
Held at La Rural, Predio Ferial, this enormous book fair is considered one of the five most important in the world. It houses over 2,500 stands and features books by over a million international authors.
Although the fair is a great place to stock up your book selection for the next year, it also provides an opportunity for small businesses, non-profit organizations and other governmental entities to have a presence and educate the public about their organization.
From new reads to classic fiction and interactive activities, to open discussions and workshops, there is sure to be something for everyone.
There aren’t many people who can come to Buenos Aires, even for a week, and not leave with the sense that they’ve fallen in love with the city. There are so many small and huge reasons to become enamored with this colourful, bustling and friendly city, and I have listed a few of the smaller things I’ve noticed which act as telltale signs that I too will leave Buenos Aires with a lingering sense of rapture, infatuation and many blissful memories.
1) You know you have fallen under the spell of Buenos Aires’ fashionable culture when you find yourself admiring rather than scorning the huge array of platforms and flatforms which adorn the shop windows, and you even consider whether you have enough space in your backpack to take a pair home with you! (The answer is always no!)
2) Another aspect is to take delight in watching the people’s passion about politics and the constant protests and marches which take place outside your window and have now become a part of your daily life. Something you know you will miss when you get home to your quiet town or city.
3) It’s easy to fall in love with the food in Buenos Aires. You will find yourself addicted to alfajores and there comes a point when you have tried every single style and every single brand, with the ability to reel off their names just as easily as you can say the alphabet
4) Speaking of food, if you truly love the food culture of Buenos Aires, you will find that you can give advice on the best restaurants, cafes and bars within the entire Capital, and direct someone to the best Japanese, Indian, Chinese, Italian, English or Peruvian eatery without having to give it a moment’s thought.
5) The amount of time spent trying to practice your (pretty poor) Castellano on local shop owners shows when the Kiosk owner and workers in the nearest pizza shop all wave at you as you go past and like to play tricks on you about your usual pizza order. The friendly attitudes all around Buenos Aires are what make it truly special.
6) Something which can at first seem alien, but soon seems logical are Argentine timings. Leaving for the club at 2am, having a large and late dinner at 10pm… when you discover that these have become your normality and you are constantly perplexed at why your friends and parents back home eat, go out and sleep at such strange and early times, it’s clear to see that you’ve fallen in love with all aspects of Porteno life.
7) When you can sit on your usual bus and notice the small changes along its route that help add to the jigsaw puzzle of this crazy and wonderful city; the old lady who usually watches from her balcony isn’t there today, or the family who usually gets on at the stop after you are already on the bus when you sit down. Watching these little aspects of life change can be captivating.
8) Right from the start you will notice yourself falling in love with the web of history linked so tightly to this city. You will become enchanted by the history and always try to find out as much as possible about the stories behind the buildings, the people and the events within Buenos Aires.
9) The people you meet along your journey are what really give Buenos Aires a very special place in your heart. Having friendly faces dotted all around the city from numerous different countries and backgrounds, of varied ages, who you hope to come back and visit or travel with in the near future can create strong connections between you and Buenos Aires which will never fade.
10) Of course, the best way to tell that you’ve fallen in love with Buenos Aires is the fact that you really don’t want to leave! Nowhere can quite compare to the people, places and lifestyle you will encounter in this city and it will always take up a little space in the back of your mind, like a past lover who you will one day return to visit. (Or maybe even to live here for good!)
Thank you, Buenos Aires, for everything!
The recent and inspiring launch of Radio Soldati 91.3FM by the organization El Hormiguero has been closely followed by the equally inspiring release of their evening show ‘Mujeres en Accion’ (5pm-6pm daily).
For the last two weeks, one of Voluntario Global’s kindergarten projects has been blessed with the presence of our lovely volunteer from the UK, Ranj. Even though she was only with us for a short time, her sunny personality made a great impact on both her project and the other volunteers. The kindergarten is large, with classes split up by age groups; the youngest group being the under 2s. Even though Ranj's Spanish was limited, it was easy for her to help out in the class. After all, the children only want to play and occasionally need to be comforted. Hugs are a universal language!
Though she has done other volunteer work before, Ranj has said she was previously not a huge lover of children, but wanted to challenge herself. And what better challenge than helping the other two carers take on a room full of lively under 2s! There are generally around 15 children in the class, but due to their age they can be very demanding and so an extra pair of hands never goes amiss.
By the end of her two weeks in the kindergarten, Ranj's face lit up when talking about the children, and we even spotted her comforting one child with another in her arms... looks like her mind has been changed!
Thank you for all your help, Ranj, and good luck on your further travels.
Walking into a small green-painted room, on the third floor of a nondescript building in a barrio on the outskirts of the city of Buenos Aires, a sign on the wall reads:
"Voces organizadas crean historia"
Organised voices make history.
This is certainly true for FM Soldati, a small radio station set up and run by members of the community.
El Hormiguero is a new project where Voluntario Global is helping. An inauguration party that was held in March where members of the community and of Voluntatio Global all the celebrated the launch of such an important aspect for bringing about change and improving life in the neighbourhood.
Claudio, who helped to make the dream of the station come true, showed us around the building and explained how the organization El Hormiguero had started four years ago, with the aims of fighting for the rights of the people in the neighbourhood. For example, they wanted the government to give the streets of Villa Fatima official status and name them on the map as a way to start bringing the neighbourhood out of separated poverty and make people aware of its existence. El Hormiguero also set up other projects in Villa Fatima and the surrounding neighbourhoods such as school groups, football sessions and apprenticeship skills training.
Claudio then explained that it was not until two years ago that his friend Mathias suggested creating a radio station in the neighbourhood, to work alongside other successful stations already creating positive changes in neighbourhoods such as La Boca and Barracas.
A few years before there had been a big problem with police conduct and interference in the Villa, which eventually resulted in the government cutting off water and electricity supplies to the neighbourhood. The events were broadcast on the mass media, but the problem was distorted and the real cause of the government's action was not explained. This left the people in the neighbourhood feeling cheated, and gave reason for El Hormiguero to aim to broadcast local news to its community as it actually happened, thus bypassing the biased and unfair accounts which are spread by the mass media.
At this point, Claudio's sister, Soli, tells us that right from the beginning, people were asking How can we have a radio station in this neighbourhood? How can it be possible?
It took two years to organize the station and one year to build the location. They had to build and paint and rebuild, constantly finding problems and having to overcome them. Soli describes how one day the whole room was flooded with rain and they had to wear boots to walk around. It took a lot of time to repair the damage.
We thought we would never make it and everyone wanted to quit.
So of course, Soli explained, everyone cried when the radio station finally opened.
The station broadcasts not only specific news to the neighbourhood, but also current affairs and events going on the rest of the world. They have regular shows about music, food, and local happenings and often invite people from the community, as well as special guests and occasionally local bands to appear on the show.
Sitting in the broadcasting room, watching Soli, Claudio and other members of the group chat over mate and biscuits about their next show, with the enormous Radio Soldati antenna on the roof towering above Villa Fatima, it's easy to see why the organization was named El Hormiguero (The Anthill). Built piece by piece by people from all around the neighbourhood working together to create the seemingly impossible. Each bringing their small contributions to help create a powerful and inspiring tool to help shape a more positive future for the Villa.
You can listen to Radio Soldati 91.3FM online here.
In any new city or country one goes to, the first instinct is always to Google for things to do, places to see or even which restaurants to dine in. Before coming to Buenos Aires, I did an extensive Google research on nearly all the touristy activities I could do. From the colourful array of houses in Caminito to the beautiful city of the dead in Cementerio de la Recoleta, Buenos Aires is without a doubt an exciting city waiting to be explored. But what Google doesn’t show you is, in the simplest of terms, the non-touristy aspect of Buenos Aires. Volunteering with Voluntario Global provided me that opportunity and more.
I came to Buenos Aires hoping that I could be one with the city. I wanted to see all the city had to offer. Give me a year and I still wouldn’t be able to see everything this city is made of. But in the few months that I’ve been here, I’ve grown so fond of this city that it’s now home to me. It feels like home because I don’t feel like I’m on the outskirts. Volunteering has allowed me to interact with the locals in more ways than one.
Picture yourself getting on a Ferrovia train, a train with no doors, a train that makes your heart skip a beat each time it gets on an overhead bridge or even when it goes through a tunnel. Picture yourself taking that train for almost an hour to get to a shanty town on the outskirts of the city, occupying your time with a book while trying to ignore the loud voices of the man trying to sell you biscuits, chewing gum, highlighters or even a portable sewing kit. You get to the shanty town and it is pretty much everything you pictured it to be. Stray dogs lazing on the streets, men pulling carts in the middle of roads, rows of single story houses with children playing on the streets. What I didn’t expect were the cheery voices of people in these homes, singing as they worked the stove, the welcoming environment they provided to just about anyone who walked through their doors.
I instantly felt comfortable despite being completely out of my element. Toddlers, being the joyful innocent little beings they are will come up to you and look at you with bemused expressions and wonder off only to return with a toy for you to play with. The women entertaining these children give you a kiss on the cheek along with a warm hug and invite you in. It made me feel right at home. Each time I was given the task of visiting a kindergarten, an orphanage or even a soup kitchen, I couldn’t wait for the chance to interact with the locals. I would never have been able to gain such an experience had I not been a part of Voluntario Global.
Even after a long day of work, it is always a joy coming back to the Voluntario Global house. Catching up with other volunteers and coordinators who have now become family. It isn’t a house, it’s a home. The coordinators in the house have been nothing but wonderful and incredibly understanding. Always there to cater to your queries or doubts and never failing to make you feel like you belong.
There aren’t enough words to express my gratitude towards Voluntario Global. The experiences I’ve gained and the lessons I’ve learnt are irreplaceable. If you’re thinking of volunteering, do consider Voluntario Global. Take it from me, you will get what you are looking for.
When moving to a new city it can be normal to feel detached from the community and lifestyle of those who have been living there for a long time. However, it`s easy to overcome this feeling in Buenos Aires as the city has much to offer travellers who want to do more than just pass through. Here are some tips to make you feel more integrated in the Buenos Aires lifestyle:
GET LOST
There's no better way to get to know a city than to explore and get lost in it. Because of the organised grid design with roads extending for miles, Buenos Aires is the perfect city to wander as you will always discover a familiar road and be able to find your way home.
Walk up and down all of the side streets and you'll discover little gems such as hidden book shops and wonderful little cafes nestled among the high rise buildings. Within a few weeks you will (quite literally) know the city streets like the back of your hand, which helps to make you feel more at home in this now familiar new city.
Once you feel more comfortable with your local area, why not explore further afield via bus, train or Subte. There is so much more to see on the outskirts of el Centro, and public transport is very safe and efficient. Soon you will be able to recite bus routes as easily as your ABCs!
USE THE LANGUAGE
Portenos are very proud of their culture and will really appreciate your efforts to use their own form of Castellano. The `ll` sound which comes out as a `Y` in Spanish is pronounced as a `shh` in Buenos Aires, which will feel very alien at first but soon you`ll find your own pronunciation changes with little effort. Using this form can help you communicate much better.
It's also good to learn a few slang phrases or words which are unique to Argentina. For example they say ´boliche´ instead of ´discoteca´ and use `aca`/`alla` much more than `aqui`/`alli`. Here is a useful link for Argentine slang: https://www.gringoinbuenosaires.com/argentine-slang-dictionary/argentine-slang-phrases/
The most important thing to do is talk to people!! Porteños are extremely friendly and always keen to help you learn more about their culture. Even if it`s just having a chat with the lady at the Post Office during one of her quieter days, or stopping to talk to the guys who work at the pizza shop to ask about the football or the weather, talking to people can really help you feel more at home.
Try attending some events such as Mundo Lingo, where you can practice your Spanish and meet new people who are also living in Buenos Aires. Most local people will happily offer to give you a tour of their city and recommend good things to do. This is a great way to make friends in the city and feel much more a part of it rather than a passer through.
GET INVOLVED WITH THE COMMUNITY
Start to build up a routine or live like a local rather than a tourist. You can do this by joining classes, for example at the gym. The Facultad de Derecho in Recoleta offers a full timetable of exciting classes from Swimming to Kickboxing, and is very cheap. This is a great way to keep fit, improve your Spanish and make lasting connections within the community. The other students and young people are very friendly and make sure you feel welcome both within the classes and within their beloved city. Alternatively, you can join a local gym or Crossfit centre to meet with people from your local area.
Other ways to experience more of Buenos Aires culture is to go to the multitudes of cinemas, theatres, musical recitals, art gallery open evenings and book fairs that occur throughout the city. Cine Gaumont, near Congreso offers a wide range of Argentinian-made films for only $8 pesos per showing. The Teatro Colon often has free orchestral recitals during the afternoons or cheap standing tickets ($60) to their ballets and operas. The Facultad de Derecho also offers free orchestral recitals some evenings.
On top of this, there are frequent milongas and tango shows where you can watch amateurs dance for free. Feel free to join in and learn a few steps beforehand for the true Tango experience!
ACT LIKE A PORTENO
One of the best ways to feel at home in Buenos Aires is to follow the Porteno lifestyle. Sit in a café for hours, discussing literature or watching people go about their daily business. Visit a famous pizza place and stand up to eat your meal amongst the local businessmen, or visit a bar to watch a football match with the rowdy sports crowd.
Soon you will find yourself eating dinner in the very latest part of the evening, partying until the early hours of the morning and walking home through the streets as the sun rises along with the rest of the young Argentine population.
Within no time, you will feel so at home in the city that you`ll forget what it was like to eat at `normal` times, visit only tourist attractions, and needing a map to navigate the city. At this point it`s safe to say that you`ve fully embraced the Buenos Aires lifestyle and can call yourself a true honorary porteno.
Arriving in a new city can be daunting, especially if it's half way across the world and works around a completely different language and culture. To make your integration into Buenos Aires a little bit easier, here are a few tips to remember:
Transport
The transport system in Buenos Aires is very reliable, so one of the first things you should do is to buy a SUBE card. The nearest shop to the VG house is called Puerta Digital. You then need to charge your card at any Kiosk or Subte station.
If you are only here for a short time, or if you're travelling with a friend or partner, it may be cheaper for you to share a SUBE card.
When you get on a bus, remember to tell the driver where you're going and how many people you want to pay for with your card. It´s a good idea to look up the name of the road of the place that you want to go to before getting on the bus. You will always need to tell this to the driver, and they will help you to know when your stop is coming up, or tell you if their bus doesn`t go there which can be very useful!
Another important thing to remember is that Buenos Aires is designed in a grid system and roads can stretch from one end of the city to the other. This is great as whenever you feel you might be lost, you will undoubtedly come across a road name that you recognize and can then just follow it home!
However, when getting a taxi, make sure you know the number of your destination not only the road, as this can save you time and money as well as a lot of confusion.
Queuing
Queuing is a varied concept in Buenos Aires. When at a bus stop it is polite to queue and let those who were there before you board the bus first. It`s also very much expected that you must always give up your seat on any form of public transport if someone less able gets on board. Portenos are very polite and considerate, a wonderful part of their culture!
However, many shops, medical centers and the post offices operate a ticket system rather than have long queues. This is great as it means you can collect your ticket number and then look for a seat or even pop out for a coffee and come back when your number is ready to be called.
Paying
Don't be surprised if your change is not exact when paying in cash, as the smaller coins are not always available shopkeepers tend to round figures up or down. If you have any small notes or coins, always have them handy to help out!
If you want to pay by card, you will often have to present documentation such as a passport of driver's license so don't forget to bring this out when doing big food shops.
It's also a good idea to always keep spare cash on you or in your apartment as sometimes the banks will run out of notes or occasionally they will shut at unexpected times, so don't rely on this as you only option.
Food
One really fantastic element of Buenos Aires culture is the food scene. It`s perfectly acceptable to buy one coffee and stay in a coffee shop for hours without hassle.
Italian cuisine is a big part of the city`s food scene and ice cream shops will often stay open till midnight or beyond, a nice alternative to going to a bar if you want a relaxed night! They also sell insulated takeaway pots by the kilo or quarter kilo if you would prefer to have a night in.
Ensure you visit some of the city's famous and age-old pizzerias too such as Pizza Guerrin where it's normal to order pizzas by the slice and stand up to eat it with a knife and fork alongside the businessmen of Buenos Aires.
By following these tips and embracing a spirit of adventure, you´ll be sure to feel comfortable in the city in no time!
Being a vegetarian travelling or living in Argentina sounds like it could be a huge challenge. What with the portenos love of steak, carne, pollo and all things meaty, you may be worried about struggling to maintain your healthy lifestyle and balanced diet. However, within the city of Buenos Aires, there are lots of great finds to fuel your appetite and fulfil your dietary needs.
1) Green Eat is a chain which sells healthy superfoods, superjuices, vegan cakes and more, geared around quick lunches to take away but usually with a few seats upstairs where you can sit down to eat if you want. It also has options with meat and fish which means you can bring your meat-obsessed friends along!
Location: Reconquista 690 / Uruguay 703 / Av. Santa Fe 1661 / Galerias Pacífico / DOT Baires Shopping
Our recommendation: Kale salad with a creamy white sauce or Veggie Tex Mex box of eggplant meatballs and salsas.
Price range: $$
2) MEME Sopa y Roll in Palermo is a hip and arty place to hang out and do some good people watching. Its not exclusively vegetarian and has plenty of meat options too. The idea is that you order soup and follow it up with a´roll´ or wrap. You also get a complimentary mini portion of gespachio before your meal.
Location: Gorriti 5881, 1414 Buenos Aires,Argentina
Our recommendation: Capresse or Falafel are the only two vegetarian roll options (not that you need much more as they``re both delicious) but their salad menu is flexible too.
Price range: $$
Notes: The café owner is super friendly and will often come and take a seat with you to have a chat during your meal.
3) Panda Buffet is good for a quick meal or take away option. You fill plastic containers from the buffet and pay based on their weight. They offer a wide selection of salads as well as chinese options within the buffet so it`s a good cheap fix if you`re craving something a little bit healthier such as lentils, coleslaw and broad bean salad as well as the classic Chinese menu. They also have a veggie section at the end of the buffet with ´veggieland´ brand burgers such as chia and linseed or quinoa.
Location: Libertad 171, C1012AAC CABA
Our recommendation: Veggieland burgers with roasted aubergine, lentils and egg fried rice
Price range: $
Notes: Its also super cheap, with two full containers coming to less than $75- great to keep one in the fridge for the next day!
4) Veggie Buffets are plentiful, especially around the VG house on Avenida de Mayo. You can load up take away boxes with all kinds of delicious tofu dishes, vegan milanesas and hot and cold salads.
Location: Tte. Gral. Juan Domingo Perón 1319, C1038ABA CABA
Our recommendation: Grab a little bit of everything as there are so many new flavours to try!
Price range: $
5) Bar Quimera is a 5 minute walk from the VG house and may seem non-descript from the outside, with handwritten signs and menu pasted on the windows. However, this little café serves two very good veggie dishes for extremely low prices. The Hamburguesa Vegana ($50) and Super Veggie Sandwich ($40) are both advertised on the door. You can sit in a very Argentine café and eat substantial meals packed with vegetables for the price of a cheap takeaway stand.
Location: Talcahuano 95, C1013AAA CABA
Our recommendation: Hamburguesa Vegana (lentil burger with sweet potato, zucchini, bean shoots and other vegetables roasted and packed on top)
Price range: $
6) Furaibo is hidden away up a discreet staircase on the outskirts of San Telmo. With a small Japanese garden and beautiful decoration, this restaurant takes you out of Buenos Aires and makes you feel like you`re sitting in the heart of Japan. It is also a functioning temple and place of worship, so you are likely to hear drums and prayers coming from the other rooms as you eat.
Location: Adolfo Alsina 429, C1087AAE CABA
Our recommendation: Yasai Katsu Kare
Price range: $$$
7) Hierbabuena offers an upmarket, artsy vibe. With two shop fronts; the bakery and café, you can sit outside sipping all kinds of smoothies and lemonades from glass jars, order some brunch and then choose from their delicious range of cookies, muffins and tarts. The bakery section also stocks fresh vegetables, vegan cookies and vegan milk.
Location: Av. Caseros 454, C1152AAN CABA
Our recommendation: Yoghurt and Granola followed by a chocolate cookie
Price range: $$$
This month Voluntario Global gave a very warm welcome back to Emma from the UK, who first joined us back in 2014 and spent a month volunteering in the soup kitchen. She had such a great time that this year, at the end of her travels through South America, she stopped in Buenos Aires to spend another 3 weeks volunteering before returning home.
The soup kitchen is located in Villa 21-24, and feeds the large kindergarten next door as well as the inhabitants of the villa. The kitchen is run by volunteers from the villa itself, and receives donations and food from the government so that it can keep on going. However the ladies there work really hard from early in the morning, so they were very happy to see a familiar face like Emma’s ready to help them!
Although her Spanish is basic, Emma still developed a strong bond with those who she worked with and was touched to receive a goodbye card on her last day. It won’t be a goodbye for long, as she plans to return in the future, and we are sure that the ladies in the soup kitchen can’t wait to see her again!
VOLUNTARIO GLOBAL
Voluntario Global helps local communities by being available to discuss anything that local organizations need, and offering ideas for further change and development.
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CONTACT
Location: General Pacheco. Buenos Aires. Argentina
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