To sing and to sew: The suspended Scientific Count and other things mathematical.

I've decided to suspend my oh so scientific pursuit of counting black folk in Argentina. Honestly, it's stressful. And I've gotten to the point where I'm either disappointed to see another dark skinned person or confused by them. I think I mistakenly counted a very dark skinned east Indian man the other day.... how confusing!!

Quad and I walked around Avenida Florida today which is the main commercial center of Buenos Aires. He had some last minute shopping to do and I was happy to tag along and window shop.

Argentina's economy hit a deep low in the early 2000s. By 2002, the entire system (including its currency) was restructured. During this time, Americans and Europeans flocked to Argentina to take advantage of the currency devaluation. The government here quickly caught on to this and established a variety of ways to make living here as an expatriate more beneficial to Argentina. To live here without a work visa, you have to provide proof of monthly income in your home country, you have to maintain your own health insurance, and you are subject to extra fees and taxes. Almost all domestic airline tickets have two prices-- one for citizens and one for non-citizens. Some hotels have separate rates for citizens and non-citizens. And yes, this is legal.

Argentina is still a relatively inexpensive place to live if you can live on American dollars or euros. In case you're curious about prices, here are some examples:

Ice cream cone: 8 pesos (US$2)
High end bottle of Argentine wine: 40 pesos (US$10)
2 large pears: 2 pesos (US 0.50)
Dinner for two at a moderate parrilla (steakhouse): 100 pesos (US$25)
Most expensive dinner (for two) I've had yet at a fish restaurant: 330 pesos (US$82)
Nike tee-shirt: 115 pesos (US$28)
A ride on the Subte: 1.10 pesos (US 0.27)
Cab ride from Quad's hotel to my apartment (approximately 4 kms): 20-29 pesos (US$ 5-7.25)

And now for some random photos: