good luck. I wish I could do what your doing.

It's much closer already. Just over five weeks to go!

So next question: is it very wrong that I'm considering spending my first month renting a room in someone's house largely because I think it'd be really cool to call his local football club my local football club, even if only for a month?

Some belated advice (while endorsing everyone else's good luck wishes): sort out the girlfriend situation before you go.

When I moved abroad I didn't. I told her it would just be for "a couple of years", and that the relationship could survive fine until I came back. I'm not sure who I was kidding more - her or myself. As soon as I was away, I knew that one of the reasons I was suddenly so relaxed and happy was precisely because I'd left her behind - for the first two months I made no attempt to get a phone because I was enjoying being out of touch so much.

I was dishonest, and should have been straight up with her and finished it before I left, rather than dragging it out and causing her extra hurt. Though she did get her own back by giving my box of highly collectible 45s to Oxfam.

I'm not saying you should end it. I'm just saying, try to be straight with her about the reasons you're going. Of course I know neither of you, but my guess is that as your departure date gets closer, the issue of your future will come up more and more often. Don't just assuage her, try and have The Discussion. If you know deep down it's not going to last, try not to mess her around. It's been sixteen years, and I still feel guilty.

imp wrote:

I'm not saying you should end it. I'm just saying, try to be straight with her about the reasons you're going. Of course I know neither of you, but my guess is that as your departure date gets closer, the issue of your future will come up more and more often. Don't just assuage her, try and have The Discussion. If you know deep down it's not going to last, try not to mess her around. It's been sixteen years, and I still feel guilty.

Amen. I was in a similar situation, although only moved across the country. When I moved back I was still unhappy but stuck it out for a while. Had I ended it before I left, everyone would have been better off and my phone bill would have been much much lower when we were in different cities. Now that isn't likely an issue today with skype and the like, but there is also the time of keeping in touch when you could be doing other things.

Thanks for that both of you, but don't worry. My ex was also a long-distance relationship of course, having been the reason I visited Argentina in the first place (I feel I should make crystal clear that she couldn't be less of the reason for my going back there now, though). I know it can work, but also that neither of us want a long-distance thing. And whilst I don't plan on taking advantage of the fact that Argentine girls... shall we say... aren't shy, there are so many other reasons why that kind of distance just seems like too much of a tie.

She feels totally the same on that score too, if not more so. And I've been completely honest with her all the way through our relationship. She comments now and then about going out there after me when she finishes her degree, but she'll also then snap into seriousness and tell me she knows that won't happen. She's also talking about post-grad options. So now we're enjoying the time we've got left together (which will include my birthday). And if it all goes horribly wrong and I end up coming home for good, then who knows. But she knows not to expect that.

Blimey. It is absolutely horrible saying goodbye, isn't it. I've just about finished my packing, still have to sort out my travel insurance, and am hoping like hell I've not forgotten anything. I fly on Wednesday at about 10pm.

Yikes.

Good luck! Go n-eirí an bothar leat!

I only understood two words of that post, Toro, but they seemed well-natured enough. Thanks very much. I'm now going to bed. Wonder whether I'll sleep...

Yeah, best wishes for what will doubtless be an emotional rollercoaster as you try and find your feet.

I suppose saying goodbye isn't as grief-invoking as it used to be with the means of modern communication and morte affordable air travel. Still, it will be tough being in Argentina thinking of the comfort of the human contact with thise you're close to. And of the routines of the life you leave behind. All that will be offset by meetging new people and discovering all thise things that will make uop your new daily routine.

Veels geluk.

Good luck Sam.
Enjoy!

Blimey. It is absolutely horrible saying goodbye, isn't it

Yes. Good luck, you're going to have a great time.

The other ones mean either "may the road rise to meet you" or "I hope Argentina crumbles into the sea". I only did pass-level Irish, so I'm never sure...

Vaya con dios, Sam (whether or not you believe in him/her/it).

It's going to be great; what you are going through right now is the most difficult bit in a lot of ways.

There's a saying here in Ohio, which I will give in the local vernacular:

"I hope everything goes well for you, and that you're happy in your new digs. But whatever happens, don't be a stranger."

So, that.

As you're probably in the departure lounge right now...

Don't worry, you'll love it. And if you fancy a vacation a thousand miles or so to the north any time from the end of June, let me know.

SamLKelly wrote:
It's much closer already. Just over five weeks to go!

So next question: is it very wrong that I'm considering spending my first month renting a room in someone's house largely because I think it'd be really cool to call his local football club my local football club, even if only for a month?



Ferrocarril Oeste is a pretty cool name, too bad I get tongue twisted trying to the do the double r's half the time.
I'm kinda partial to Nueva Chicago, for obvious reasons.

Buena Suerte y no buscar atras. (Scraping the rust off my Spanish.)

So give us a report then. Feel free to just copy and paste from an email, but you set us up for the move so now you've got to let us know how it's going there.

Well, it's been mixed so far.

I had a great first week-and-a-bit. Met up with a couple of friends (one of whom is a fellow WSC contributor) and settled into my new flat. Went along to River Plate vs Godoy Cruz, which was River's new manager's debut and turned out to be their first win in five matches and an unexpectedly good match last weekend.

This weekend though has been one to forget. On Friday evening I went to Vélez Sarsfield vs Tigre, which was a dull as hell match but which I was happy with because it represented the first game I'd been to in Argentina totally unaccompanied and without any assistance in getting either there or back (Vélez's ground is a very long way from where I'm living).

That evening I went to a salsa night and when I was waiting for a bus to get home, a drunk and/or high guy (I think both) who didn't like my gringo-esque features decided to punch me in the face. Luckily for me he obviously didn't know how to punch, because all I got was a thick lip which is already, 48 hours later, going down.

This evening I went to La Bombonera for the clásico against San Lorenzo and found it was sold out (I wasn't totally surprised by this). I bought a ticket from a tout but of course, as I couldn't choose where I was I ended up in the stand behind the goal, sharing a stand with La Doce, Boca's barra brava. As the only six foot tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed person in the stadium, I had my mobile stolen after the match when I was stupid enough to take it out of my pocket to give someone the time, whilst we were all waiting for the gates to open after the game*

On the plus side, after walking back to my house I decided I needed a drink and went into a bar almost next door to where I'm living, and have thus made friends with the two people (one Argentine woman, one Colombian guy) who were working in there. The Colombian wants English classes, so I told him I might be able to help him, and the talk and a little booze was just what I needed to calm me down a bit. It was only a cheap phone and I didn't have a whole load of numbers on it already anyway.

So so far, it's mixed. Until the last couple of days it was good without exception, hopefully I've learned my lesson now and will be a little more street smart in future. One thing: going from a village of perhaps 15,000 people to a city of over 13,000,000 is a learning curve.


*Stadium security in Argentina operates thus at present: after every match, the home fans aren't allowed to leave the ground until the away supporters have been lead out of the ground and put onto their transport home. As such if you're in the home end there's always a wait of 20-40 minutes after the match before you get away. This evening I couldn't tell you how long it was, because I had my phone taken off me near the start of it. Fortunately my camera remained in my pocket, as did my wallet. Next time I go to La Bombonera I'll have the money I need for my ticket and a bus/taxi home, and nothing else.

Glad to hear it's mostly going well for you. Bad news on the thick lip and the phone though. Is it recommended to get oneself a cheapo phone for taking out in public if you're over there then?