Job Discussion Forums

PFO1 · Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 8 Location: Los Angeles

Hello everyone!

I live in L.A. and I think I will come to B.A. in April or May. I want to stay in Argentina as long as I can, so I had some questions maybe you could help me with:

1. One of my main goals is to become fluent in Spanish. There is a course at UBA called Espanol para estranjeros. Does anyone know if that is a good way to learn Espanol/Castellano? Or does anyone have a better suggestion?

2. Where are the safe parts of the city to live? How do you know who to trust before you get to Buenos Aires? Does anyone have good suggestions for housing?

3. What is the music scene like? I am a singer and keyboard player, and the way I came to know Argentinean people was playing in a band with some guys from Rosario a couple of years ago. Is it hard to find Rock/Funk/Pop musicians to play with? Do any bands sing in English, or is all the rock in espanol?

4. Do you have to have a TESL certificate to get a decent English teaching job?

5. I know basketball is gaining in popularity in Argentina. Is there any need for basketball teachers?: I used to work at a basketball camp...

I'm asking these questions because I want to find some way to kinda fit in, instead of hanging out for a few months and going home with nothing but a vacation to talk about...

Any help, good or bad, supportive or negative, would be appreciated...

Thanks

PFO1 · Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 8 Location: Los Angeles

Nobody?

Lots of views but no comments...

Should I conclude that my plan is bad? Sad

matttheboy · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Posts: 854 Location: Valparaiso, Chile

Perhaps you could conclude that every single one of your questions has already been answered 50 times in the last couple of months...just read through posts on the first and second pages and you'll find all the info you need.

PFO1 · Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 8 Location: Los Angeles

Understood...thanks.

savycat · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 4

Hello there!
Becoming fluent in Spanish was my main goal a couple of years ago and I did just what you are doing - I went to Buenos Aires to learn! I went to Universidad de Belgrano. What I discovered was that I learned the language not by forcing myself to go to class (although I did and it did help somewhat), but by forcing myself to meet people there. This may seem very obvious and it is...but I noticed that I seemed to be the only student in my spanish classes to have any Argentine friends. Surely I wasn't the only one, but I did notice the common trend of people "sticking" to their own linguistic kind. It's an easy trap to find yourself in, especially when times are tough and lonely out there. The farther you put yourself out into that uncomfortable zone, the more you will learn (of the language and of the culture). I do, however, think it'd be a good idea to take the Spanish course at UBA. It will act as a sort of "reference" point amidst the initial chaos. Suerte!

PFO1 · Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 8 Location: Los Angeles

dub_vibrations · Joined: 27 Oct 2005 Posts: 15

There's a great music scene here, in fact I know of few places where you'll see more young people traipsing around with musical instruments strapped to their back. From a rock point of view there is a bit much 'rock nacional' and in terms of the music listened to it can be like experiencing time warp (the Ramones are a veritable cult here). There isn't much attention to what's going on indy-wise, partially because of the pre-eminence of rock nacional and partially because of a certain type of provincialism (why is no-one interested in the great new stuff coming out of Brazil?). That negative aside, there's really interesting stuff happening on a whole series of levels: electro-tango, tango/milonga, cumbia (from the villas) and a lively jazz scene. I'd say that it's a musicians pig heaven.

PFO1 · Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 8 Location: Los Angeles

gigisehr · Joined: 24 Feb 2006 Posts: 17

You really can find anything here. One great example is the very well known tango electr�nico genre (they also refer to it as "tango for export"). And although rock nacional is a big influence, reggae and ska are extremely popular as well. You can find lots of people with dredlocks running around, or even dredlock mullets! Actually rock nacional is really awesome, I would really recommend listening to a couple of groups, especially if you play keyboardSome recommendations to get aquainted with rock nacional (this is more modern stuff, Charly's kinda dated): Sumo, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs (very famous outside of Argentina and very ska), Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota (his music is like an unintentional sociological study of Argentina), Bersuit Vergarabat, Miranda (poppy and stupid but super fun), los Piojos, Los Callejeros (band that played during the big club fire 1 1/2 years ago), Los Ratones Paranoicos (awesome rolling stones ripoff), Los Pericos (more reggae/ska), Soda Stereo, and of the Los Babas�nicos (but they suck in concert), I could go on and on.........

Also, you can find a a lot of free stuff sponsored by the local government (check out the ciudad de buenos aires website) and by getting on email lists at clubs. Check out vuenosairez.com, they also have a magazine which is distributed for free at many restaurants.

gigisehr · Joined: 24 Feb 2006 Posts: 17

PFO1 · Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 8 Location: Los Angeles

PFO1 · Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 8 Location: Los Angeles

matttheboy · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Posts: 854 Location: Valparaiso, Chile

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=23055

duh.

gigisehr · Joined: 24 Feb 2006 Posts: 17

Haha, I guess I should have known better what with Ginobili being on the Spurs and all.