Argentina, Where Bad Steaks are Rare

Bife de Chorizo - 46 Arg Pesos / $15US (NY Strip)


Bife de Lomo - 50 Arg Pesos / $16US (Center Cut Filet Mignon)


Bife de Ojo- 55 Arg Pesos / $18US (40oz Aged Ribeye)


2 Fat and Happy Americans

Where in the World is Matt Lauer?

Matt Lauer graced Beunos Aires with his presence and ignorance yesterday (You're in South America Matt, "grazie!" is Italian my friend)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/24349461#24349461
But I am particularly glad his message was widely broadcasted as I am regularly accosted by tango dancers asking for directions.

Walk Before You Run

It hasn’t all been fun and games since we arrived in Buenos Aires over 6 weeks ago. Final iterations of interviews are complete and things are getting interesting. As we begin to comb through the data gathered it’s clear that the priorities of the developing community are not highly correlated with the opportunities that exist. Yes, there is strategic interest in investing in infrastructure, shared development resources or streamlined processes! However, the general population places higher importance on training field staff to send emails, or even better, train them to send that email in English. There continues to be focus on rudimentary issues causing a tremendous sense of helplessness in their ability to manage day-to-day functions/operations. Implementing a strategy that changes the nature of basic functions like finance and procurement is overwhelming. The ‘misalignment’ is additionally complicated when leadership learns that the typical investment necessary to implement shared services is relatively large. In a perfect world, a corporation’s decision to realign strategies is uncomplicated – there is the initial estimated investment, expected returns/savings are calculated and benefits are immediately quantifiable over a payback period – this of course is a gross oversimplification. However, when dealing in the world of non-profit, this task becomes exponentially complicated. Donations instead of revenue are used for operations and special projects. Investment attractiveness is typically based on 2 key priorities 1) the immediate impact to the beneficiaries 2) the interests of the foundations and donators who fund the NGO. It is a quandary for our project team – will keep you all abreast of the progress and thinking here.

Google Analytics

So Google offers a neat little way to keep tabs on this blog of mine – its called Google Analytics. It utilizes technology similar to that used for marketing differentiation, reporting on users geographic location and miscellaneous demographics (e.g. internet browser, type/speed, and others). Here is a quick overview of the MeLlamoJustin blog analytics as of 4/18/2008.

There have been a total of 243 views of my blog – not that impressive but not embarrassingly low either. There have been two significant spikes in visits. The first was the day after I sent out my original email with the link. The second is directly correlated with posting the website to Facebook.

There has been a surprisingly global turnout. The US is leading the way with about 60% of total views. Some other notables: And the award for most unexpected country to view my blog goes to….. drum roll… Turkey! Runner up goes to Pakistan followed closely by Indonesia.

Some troubling news is that the average time spent on my site is less than 2 minutes! I get the message guys, less jibber jabber more pictures. Note taken.

I leave you with a geographical dispersion of my US viewer base. Expectedly, Georgia comes in strong at first place. Tied for second is Indiana and Arkansas. The Arkansas views can almost certainly be attributed to my boy David Chance – Sorry I am missing the wedding big guy but I’ll be there in spirit.

Thank you all very much for the support. Keep up the views!

Plaza de Mayo and the ‘Pink House”

The Pink House is the Argentine equivalent to the White House in the United States. It was globally popularized by the speeches that Eva Peron delivered from her second floor balcony to thousands of Argentine supporters (“Don’t cry for me Argentina” -Madonna). The Plaza de Mayo lies in front of the Pink House lawn. Every Thursday at 3pm a group of women named the “Madres de la Plaza de Mayo” have a demonstration in protest of the Dirty War - it is a very moving experience.

During the Dirty War, government forces and death squads worked hand in hand with South American dictatorships to silence their opposition. Throughout the span of the Dirty War (1976 – 1983) nearly 30,000 people mysteriously "disappeared.” An Argentine court has since condemned the government's crimes as crimes against humanity and been classified as a genocide. However, not a single person has stood trail for the atrocities.

Habitacion Humanita – Nacho to the rescue

2 volunteers dropped out of a local Accenture Habitat for Humanity event – Steve and I valiantly rose to the occasion. The work wasn’t pretty but at the end of the day I was filled with a great sense of accomplishment. The guy I replaced was named Ignacio. As the day wore on, the group of miscellaneous Argentine Accenture employees began calling me Ignacio and then “Nacho”. Nacho is a nickname for Ignacio, which I think is hilarious. “Who’s helmet is this?, Not sho’s”

Torcha Olímpica

The Olympic Torch continued its global trek from San Fran to BA this weekend. Given the recent trouble in Argentine policy and government, I expected there to be a larger showing of protesters and other general dissenters. But in the end, the event was entirely peaceful. As Argentina has a large Chinese population, there were hardly any Tibetan human rights activists. Just this one brave guy, all by himself.

To say the least, it was great to see the torch and I can’t wait for the Olympics to start. However, chances seem slim that problems will not escalate further as the torch nears the base of Mt. Everest in Tibet.

Recoleta Cemetery

We finally have a permanent apartment! The decision was a tough one as there were several options, but in the end we chose an apartment in Recoleta over the trendy Pallermo SoHo and Hollywood. Although we frequently eat out/go-out in Pallermo, the Recoleta area offers, in my opinion, a better Argentine experience. The area is full of family owned restaurants that are generations old, the architecture is amazing, and the people are tremendously friendly. The neighborhood is centered around the Recoleta Cemetery which is where most rich and famous Argentines are buried.

Controversially, this is where Eva Peron resides. Eva was not considered of regal status as she married into the Peron family. Her contentious love and support for the poor working class drew support from the masses, but opposition by the military leadership.
Outside the cemetery is a great park and open market.

Aligning all sides of the cemetery is an overabundance of cafes and bars which has proven to be very convenient. Lets just say, we are eating very well and don’t be surprised if I have gained a few lb’s since my arrival in BA.

Call Me

Hey Everybody,
I got an Argentine cell phone. From a US land line or cellphone dial, 011 54 911 6002 9698. Additionally, you can call or text me from Skype, dial exactly the following, +54 (9) 11 6002 9698. And as always, you can leave me a message on my US cell, 706-254-9344.

Llamame!

La Boca Futbol!

We scored tickets through a nearby hostel and ventured to the game with an eclectic group of Kiwis, Aussies and Brits. To say the least, the game was an experience.

While I am not exactly a soccer fan (at all), the game was one of the most entertaining events I have ever witnessed. Much like the student section of an SEC football game, the fans stood the entire game. However, not even the craziest SEC fan holds a candle to the average Boca fan. They just wouldn’t stop! 15 minutes before the game started until about 15 minutes after the game ended was spent banging drums, waving flags and singing in unison.


The game ended in a draw, but that didn’t stop the fans from moving the celebration into the street. People of all ages danced into the night in a plaza bordering the stadium.

Police Dogs

Tensions are high in Argentina. Farmers are on strike and government leadership is on an offensive with the UK over the Falkland Islands. Police are everywhere and their attack dogs are out of control.

Message to Reader

As most blogs do, this reads from most recent to oldest. If you would like to read the blog chronologically, scroll to the bottom of the page and read towards the top. My first, and most important, post gives a solid overview of the project. Cheers!
-Justin

Have you seen my baseball?

La Boca

The birth place of Tango, La Boca is a sensation to the eyes. Sailors and artists used the left over paint of colorful boats to paint the buildings a spectrum of brilliant pastels. La Boca is a small neighborhood located in east Buenos Aires on the Silver River. Originally populated by Italian immigrants La Boca became a melting pot of Africans, French immigrants and impoverished natives after slavery was abolished in 1813. Lesser known, the Tango actually started here as an African dance. Lead by a strong bass drum beat, two men would take each other by the hand in attempt to overpower the other and impress the surrounding females with their style and strength. Over the course of time, the multiple cultures influenced the dance by including the accordion, French piano, Spanish guitar, and lastly an Italian dramatic monologue. La Boca is the home of the Argentine futbol team “Boca Juniors.” El Juniors play in a stadium that is home to the “Numero 12^” or the12^th team mate. Their stadium that seats around 15,000 regularly holds 50,000+ screaming, singing, laughing, crying, INSANE fans. It’s said to be one of the most dangerous activities for a tourist to take part in. We don’t have tickets yet, but we’re working on it.