One of these kids is not like the others (in honor of the very scientific Conquest family Great Barrington count)

Walking through the streets of Buenos Aires, I am sometimes struck by how familiar the folks here look-- tall and generally white, lots of redheads and blondes.  The majority of the immigration here happened in the late 19th century and the immigrants were primarily from Europe.  Argentina's indigenous population is much smaller than in other South American countries.  Not unlike the United States, the indigenous people have been wiped out by slavery, war, and disease.

Despite the similarities between Buenos Aires and many large North American cities, it is NOT a racially diverse place.  There are some Chinese and Koreans here-- both immigrants and first or second generation Korean or Chinese Argentines.  There are indigenous-looking people who have immigrated from Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay, and Brazil.  But there are almost no black folks here.  In fact, I've seen 3.5 black people since arriving-- 3 for sure and I couldn't tell the if the 4th was the same as the 3rd, so I counted him as half.  Sorry buddy, but don't be offended, I count as half too.

Buenos Aires has a distinctively european flavor to it-- some of the archictecture is reminiscent of Madrid or Lisbon.  The lifestyle is european, too: children are welcomed everywhere and it is not uncommon to see a 2 year old sitting at an outdoor cafe after 11 pm.  Eating, and in large groups, is a priority.  The afternoon meal is a reason to leave work and the evening meal can stretch from 8 until 10 or 11 pm.

I especiallyy love the cafe culture.  No one gives you the hairy eyeball if you sit and take up a table for hours on end (this is primarily because the waiters and waitresses have the humane benefit of a reasonable hourly wage).  In my neighborhood, there is literally a cafe on every corner.  Today I found La Imprenta which is a large modern cafe with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating (I chose inside because it was raining) about a 10 block walk from my apartment.  I tried it out based on my landlord's excellent recommendation.

Here's breakfast which cost AR$15 ($3.75USD), clockwise from the top: steamed milk, medialunas, cafe con leche, and galletitas (small cookies):