Here’s a summary of what’s been going on this month on a few of the expat blogs that I follow:

My favorite post from Voices in Español (not an expat blog exactly, but an excellent blog on the Spanish language and has a great podcast): The most annoying phrase in Spanish. Who knew there was a phrase that foreign speakers tend to say that annoys Spanish speakers? I won’t ruin in and tell you what it is– you have to go look. There is also a great post about the phrase “It’s all Greek to me” in English and how that is translated into different languages. For some languages, the incomprehensible language is Chinese, and for some, it’s Spanish!

Frank Alameda makes and sells his wonderful brand of cookies throughout Buenos Aires. His cookies and his blog are called Sugar & Spice, where he talks about his business and raising his children here in BsAs. This month, Frank talks about his 7-year old comparing the life expectancy of a whale to that of Michael Jackson, updates us about where his cookies can now be bought in the city, and a list of other expat entrepreneurs in Buenos Aires.

Paddy in BA is now no longer in Buenos Aires, he’s in Asia, blogging about his adventures hiking in the Philippines with a few side notes about keeping his body hair in check. He always writes with his wry sense of Irish humor.

Tracy has been blogging about love and relationships over on Last Tango in Buenos Aires. She also has a book coming out, part of which can be read online. Congrats, Tracy!

And last but certainly not least, you MUST see Cate Kelly’s photos of the South American Sumo Wrestling tournament that recently took place. amazing. She’s an awesome photographer, and chooses unique subjects.

Julia Evans wrote this article forAffordableCallingCards.net where she blogs about her life as an expat.  She also writes a personal blog Evans’ Gateabout living as an American expat in Buenos Aires, where she lives with her husband.  Comments on both blogs welcome!

I think one of the most difficult things for most expats to get used to is the change in food.  I notice that when I read other blogs the bloggers always talk about the food they miss.  If you lived in a place where there was an abundance of ethnic foods and then move to a place where the daily fare is less exciting, you find yourself dreaming of those foods you don’t have anymore.  Even junk food like marshmallows or peanut butter become forbidden foods to die for.

I notice that Emily a blogger from Chile (Don’t Call Me Gringa) has written several posts about food she misses from California.  I liked her post about cheese.  She really misses the variety of cheese she could get back in the US.   Julia Evans another blogger on this site, also from Argentina ( Evansgate) brought back salad dressing when she went  home.

My friend Gina missed cupcakes so much she started a business making cupcakes. (Palermo Cupcakery) Sometimes I read this blog about this young woman who is a vegetarian. Being a vegetarian really is not a big deal here. It takes getting used to. I think mostly they are in culture shock more than anything else. Buenos Aires is clearly meat country. She misses her peanut butter. ( Veggie Carly)

Personally, I don’t miss that much anymore.  Cinnamon candies, Peets coffee.  I can live without them. What I do miss is good ethnic food.  I was so happy to find the Korean barrio here in Buenos Aires.  It is in a bad neighborhood.  It doesn’t stop me.  I try to round up a group of friends and go there as much as I can.  It is my favorite food.

One of my friends who is Korean Argentine told me that the Korean barrio in Buenos Aires is like Korea in the 1970s.  He thinks that I am crazy to want to go there so much.  The food is excellent.  I think it is the only food in Argentina that is spicy.  My other expat friends love to go there with me.

Last week a group of us went before we went to dance tango.  We made jokes we would have Korean Barbecue breath all night.  Not such a good thing when you are dancing close.  I think we were all so happy to have the food we didn’t care.

All the tables have their own barbecue where you grill beef, pork, shrimp, and octopus.

They bring you 1000s of little dishes of wonderful spicy foods. Each one is different and delicious.

Korean Sake is not like Japanese Sake, it is much smoother. Unfortunately I could drink a whole bottle of it.

This restaurant serves oysters on the half shell and you can have as many as you want. In a seafood devoid BA this is like a slice of heaven.

You cannot possibly eat all the food they bring you.  The amazing thing is that it is like a buffet, all you can eat.  If you want seconds or thirds on any of the dishes, all you have to do is ask.  It is all included in the price.  My Argentine Korean friend David thinks we are all crazy.  He also thinks it is funny that the owners of the restaurants all know me and come out to greet me.

The Korean Barrio are Korean expats.  They are eating their native foods.  For us, me and my friends, the Korean barrio is a slice of life we had before moving here.  I think it is nice how we are all immigrants and we can share something in common that we love, food.

Deby Novitz moved to Buenos Aires in 2004 from California. She has a small bed and breakfast for tango dancers, she writes, does translations, teaches English, and of course dances tango. You can find more about her life in Buenos Aires on her blog  TangoSpam: La Vida Con Deby.

I originally started blogging to replace the mass e-mails I’d been sending to family and friends detailing life after the big move to Chile. It seemed like a good way to let people keep up with what I was doing without cluttering their inboxes. As it turned out, barely anyone I actually knew read my blog – or if they did they never commented. But thanks to the blog, I met several fellow gringas in Santiago, some of whom have become close friends. I’ve also found other people whose writing I really enjoy, even if we haven’t met in person quite yet.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anniemole/ / CC BY 2.0

Cachando Chile, written by Margaret Snook, is one of the purest Chile-focused blogs I read. Margaret’s from the US but has lived here for years (18 if I’m not mistaken!), and she’s got some interesting insights onto both the little and big quirks of life in Chile. Plus, if you like her style, she’s now got a radio show on Santiago Radio, and you can listen online.

Bearshapedsphere, brainchild of Eileen Smith, is well-written, well-photographed, and just plain funny. Eileen’s post on 5 places she’s biked from Santiago cracked me up, although I am very glad I didn’t have to take those trips!

Kyle Hepp is back in Chile – yay! I suppose I should add that this is the first Chile blogger I met, and she just so happens to be both my wedding photographer and an honorary bridesmaid. All bias aside, however, the girl’s got some good stories about Chile and the photos are AMAZING.

Abby chronicles her adventures as an English teacher in Abby’s Line. Although I’ve never taught English, I’m in the minority among gringas, so if you’re considering a move down here and want to get an idea of the lifestyle, definitely check out this blog.

Leigh of Crooked Compass is a less regular blogger, but I found her latest post about birth control in Chile really interesting.

Rounding out my list is Colchaguino, written by property agent, house remodeler and funny Brit Matt. He’s recently moved from the coastal city of Valparaiso to the wine country town of Santa Cruz and shares the occasional ensuing confusion. Plus he can help you buy a winery!

That should be enough to get you started on some Chile blogs, but if you’re looking for more, check out my blog roll. And if you find a new one – or are yourself a Chile blogger who I haven’t met – please let me know!

Emily Williams is a US gringa living in Santiago, Chile. She writes about expat life at AffordableCallingCards.net and on her personal blog, Don’t Call Me Gringa, and loves hearing from readers!

Check out Pingo.com's calling cards!

• No hidden fees or rates - don't lose minutes to dirty marketing.
• Top-rated prices per comparison reviews on AboutCallingCards.com.
• Fast dialing through speed-dial.

Pick Country or View Rates

• Italy
• Switzerland
• Phillipines

by Tina Ferrari

I’m fortunate that I live in the era of blogging.  When I first decided I wanted to live in Italy years ago, I joined Expats in Italy and subscribed to every blog I could find written by Italian expats.  I was thirsty to learn as much as I could about Italy from a resident’s perspective.  Blogs are a great source of information for wannabe expats. They provide anecdotes about daily living, advice on things to do in your city of choice, and information on how to avoid a cultural faux pas.  I’ve compiled a list of a few of my favorite Italy expat blogs, and I hope they can help you as you plan your next adventure.

Bleeding Espresso. Michelle lives in Calabria, where she is a writer and the mom of two dogs and three kids (baby goats).  I’ve been following her blog for as long as I can remember.  She offers recipes, great stories about life in her beautiful southern-Italian town, and the most adorable dog and goat pictures you could find.  An inspiring, positive presence on the internet, much like my fellow ACC blogger, Cherrye, who also writes from Calabria!

Calabrisella Mia. Staying with a Calabria theme, Lulu’s blog is a delicious archive of all things Calabrese. It’s so rich and descriptive I keep thinking she is in Italy and not Canada! I’m looking forward to what she has to write when she finally moves to the bel paese. She recently got her Italian citizenship, like me. Would you hurry up and get here, Lulu?

Art and Barb Live in Italy. Art and Barb are a wonderful couple living in Umbria, the region where I live.  I’ve also been following them since my expat wannabe days.  When I left Umbria for a while (a few years) so I could have my Buenos Aires adventures, I checked back to their blog frequently for memories of spicy olive oil and sagre in the green heart of Italy.

Living in Florence, by Melinda Gallo. Melinda is my Italy expat idol.  She lives in my favorite city, and she lives a beautiful life that she created for herself.  She has always been one of my favorite writers on the internet, with wonderfully written pieces on various aspects of her daily life, from bureaucratic adventures to walks around her beloved city.  Her photographs are inspiring and her blog’s design is easy on the eye.  Her blog is a wonderful reference for both armchair travelers and those who are planning a move to Italy.

Figs and Lemons. If you think life in Italy is all roses and lollipops, think again: it’s actually figs and lemons.  Charlie lives in a quaint seaside town that shall remain unnamed, and I have been following her for ages as well.  Her blog is beautiful and entertaining, providing you with delicious photographs that your eyes want to eat up, and a realistic view on life in a small coastal town.

What expat blogs do you like to read?

Tina Ferrari is a translator, writer and tango dancer based in Perugia, Italy. She writes at AffordableCallingCards.net as well as on her own blog, Tina Tangos. Comments are always welcome!

Expat experts say one of the worst things you can do when you move to a new country is constantly compare things from your home country to things in your new life.

And it is true. It is a recipe for despair.

Once I stopped let up on that, things got easier for me and I began understanding and appreciating the differences. That being said, there are some things I don’t think I’ll ever get used to – and here are three of them.

-  Not receiving mail
The Italian postal service is notoriously ineffective-packages are lost, misplaced or stolen on a regular basis and every expat I know has had at least one run-in with the mail system. Just over the last two months, I’ve had two packages from Amazon gone astray and a small package I sent never reach Rome. Packages are often held hostage in customs and the recipients are forced to pay a ransom to get them.

To combat this problem: I have asked people not to send me packages.

-  Walking into a doctor’s office and smelling smoke
A few years ago my hometown in Texas went smoke-free (no smoking inside buildings) and non –smokers like myself relished in our fresh air and clean lungs.

Not so much the case here in Italy.

Two days ago I went to the doctor’s office, walked under the sign that said “no smoking,” and was greeted inside by a wave of smoke.

To combat this problem: I have purchased a surgeon’s mask to wear when I am in public.

- Kids riding in the front seat – without a car seat
The first time I saw this, my mouth dropped ajar and I stared dumbfounded into the passing car. A one time thing? Oh, but no.

Children regularly ride in the front seat, oftentimes without a car seat and more than once I’ve ridden in the backseat, while a pint-size toddler took the front.

To combat this problem: I look away.

What are three things you will never get used to about your new country?

Cherrye Moore is a freelance writer and B&B owner living in Calabria, Italy. In addition to Affordable Calling Cards, she writes about living and traveling in Calabria at her website, My Bella Vita.

Photos from flickr: maxinnaberlin, marqez and Rebecca and Bernhard

I know this sounds uppity, but I LOVE having a maid. It’s one of the perks of moving from a rich country to a poor one. Antonia, our “household angel,” as I refer to her, does more than clean the house. She cooks, sews, does laundry, even runs errands. But it hasn’t been easy for me, because I did not grow up with household help, and I am not used to it. (I know, I know, this is a problem you would LIKE to have… but it is an issue with many expats nonetheless.)

First, there is the guilt. To me, having someone do the chores that I don’t want to do seems naturally exploitive. I have a hard tome telling Antonia what to do. It makes me feel bad. But taking care of a house is a job she is good at, qualified for, and we pay her at the top of the market rate for her services. (She actually owns her own house, so I guess she has not done to poorly in her vocation.) As long as there is equal exchange of value for value, it is fair. She genuinely appreciates the work, and I don’t ask her to do anything i wouldn’t do were I to have the same job.

The next issue is not one that I was prepared for. I’m in charge of Antonia. I give her a list of things to do when she comes, pay her, call her when there is a problem with scheduling, etc.  Rob and I both work, but Antonia comes to me for direction, because I am the woman of the house. When Rob has a problem with her work (rarely), he tells me, and I tell her. At first, I was very resentful of this. But then I realized that to change it would be to fly in the face of a cultural norm, one that Antonia is probably comfortable with. She likes Rob, but she would probably be uncomfortable having him as a “boss.”

The other realization was one of a North American norm that I think goes unsaid: whoever makes the least amount of money takes care of the house. Although Rob and I both work, he makes at least three times my salary. We could survive without my job, but we could not survive without his. Therefore, I need to support him. If the situation were reversed, he would support me (how it would work with Antonia, I don’t know, but he would be willing). That’s a reality. I didn’t chase the high-paying career, he did. I take care of the food/shelter/clothing stuff, he makes sure our future is financially secure.

Antonia’s life is the way it is partly as a result of her living in a country with less opportunity; I have no excuse. There is no room for resentment in a life that I chose for myself.

When I write that best-selling book, or land a job with someone willing to pay oodles for my talent, Rob can manage the household. For now, I will. But at least I have help.

Julia Evans wrote this article forAffordableCallingCards.net where she blogs about her life as an expat.  She also writes a personal blog Evans’ Gateabout living as an American expat in Buenos Aires, where she lives with her husband.  Comments on both blogs welcome!

by Chantal Panozzo 

In Part One of The Life of an Expat, I talked about the expatriate phenomenon of feeling like your life is on hold. We’ll get that dog when we move back. We’ll have that baby when we’re in a place where doctors speak better English. Yes, we’ll have a house. Someday. When we’re somewhere else in the world that’s more appropriate for such a thing.

And sometimes those “somedays” turn into not just months, but years. And even though to outsiders, we’re living our lives to the fullest (heck, we’re living a life most can only dream of), we can’t help but think part of us is just waiting for a return to the familiar before we do those certain things.

Another thing that’s hard about expatriate life is that you learn to love more than one country. You learn new ways of doing things. Some you hate. But some you like better. In Sarah Turmbull’s book about expat life, Almost French: Love and a New Life in Paris, she meets a man who tells her, “It’s a curse to love two countries.” I can’t think of a better way to sum this feeling up.

Even though I do my own fair share of complaining about certain things Swiss, the reality is, it will be hard to leave when (and if) that time comes. Hard to leave my neighbor, my Swiss friends, my expat friends, and a country that almost feels like home. Key word, almost.

Which brings me to the point. As expatriates, we often don’t know how to answer the simple question, “where’s home?” Your adopted country is just that—adopted. And while you’re adopting, your home country becomes more and more foreign.

When I go back to the United States now, I can’t help but criticize all the gas guzzling cars, the wasteful packaging on products, and the stores that stay open on national holidays. But at the same time I can’t wait to eavesdrop on conversations while I eat deep-dish pizza and drink bottomless beverages. I thought living abroad would make me a more educated and international person, but deep down, I think I’m  just more confused. Happily confused, but still.

What do you think? If you’re an expat, does your life feel like it’s on hold sometimes? Do you feel cursed loving more than one place? What do you love and what do you dislike about expat life? 

For more on this topic, visit Part One, over on One Big Yodel.

When I  think of Argentina, I immediately think of tango, wine, and good steaks.  I never thought of the sport polo.  Polo like football and tennis is a major sport in Argentina.  There is a whole industry built around polo in Argentina.

Argentina is most know for the breeding of polo ponies.  The horses used for polo are not the same as regular horses.  They are a cross breed thoroughbreds and criollas.  The Argentine polo pony although not considered an actual breed are recognized all over the world for being quick and strong.  I am not a horse person, but I must admit, when I saw them at my first polo match, they are a beautiful animal.  They appeared to fly across the field with almost no effort.  Just like tango dancers.  The horses are stockier and lower to the ground.

My friend Matthew suggested we go to an off season polo match.  I had never been before.  A group of us got together to go.  We walked over to the polo fields.  I don’t live that far from them.  They are across from the Hippodrome or the horse races.  Walking into the Polo fields is a unique experience.  Another world.

The fields are beautiful.  We watched them exercise the horses.  They are magnificent animals.  We walked around the restaurants and the booths of small stores.  Everything was geared towards polo, and people who have money.  There was a marching band that reminded me of the changing of the guard in London.

I didn’t realize that the first polo match was actually played in Persia.  The modern polo was made popular by the British who took it from a game played in Manipur (Now a state in India). Polo is an active sport in 77  countries but played professionally in only few, one of which is Argentina.  It is also one of the only sports where amateurs play along side professionals.

We had real seats.  But they were in the shade.  It was a cool day so we were cold.  Our view of the fields were excellent.  Matthew was the only one who understood the game and he would explain it to us.  He was great about keeping us up to date with what was going on.  There are two teams of 4 players.

It is a slow moving game.  It gave Amy and I plenty of time to check out the men.  We would use the zoom on our cameras.  A small dog came out onto the field.  It wanted to chase the horses.  It was actually more exciting than the match.  At least for us.  That and the cute guys 5 rows down.

The cold finally got to us, so we moved to the other side of the field to the bleachers and where the sun was.  By that time we were sort of bored with the game.  It was good, because it was almost over.   We watched them finished and then stood in line to congratulate the players.  Something you can actually do.

I think I am ambivalent about polo.  It was something I had to do since I live here.  I would go again since it is was fun to be with my friends.  It is not something I could become a fanatic about.  But then again, there were a lot of really cute guys there.

Deby Novitz moved to Buenos Aires in 2004 from California. She has a small bed and breakfast for tango dancers, she writes, does translations, teaches English, and of course dances tango. You can find more about her life in Buenos Aires on her blog  TangoSpam:La Vida Con Deby.

Katie Greenaway and I connected through our blogs initially, and met in person in Florence, Italy in January 2007.  She’s been going back and forth between Florence and the US for almost 8 years.  If anyone loves Florence, it’s Katie.  Recently she came back to Florence – this time to stay – and I was excited to be able to ask her a few questions about her experience.

What do you do in Florence right now?

Right now, I am doing a plethora of things.  I teach English Tuesdays and Thursdays in Prato. I end those two days with a BodyFLOW class at a local gym.  Then several days a week I teach BodyFLOW at It’s Yoga Firenze studio near the Ponte Vecchio.  This week I start working part time for a local school helping with marketing.  Every other minute of the day I write on the Nile Guide as a Local Expert on Florence.  Soon I will take on the challenge of being the Tuscany Expert as well.

You have been in Florence on and off for several  years, and now you live there permanently.  Can you tell us a bit about the struggles and the triumphs of this journey?

My  journey started  in 2002 when I was a student here through Saint Mary’s University.  I am able to live here permanently because my mother was born in London, so I obtained UK (and EU) citizenship.  My grandmother was born in Italy but it was a mess trying to obtain Italian citizenship.  One big struggle was being unable to work properly because I didn’t have documents to work.  A triumph was definitely the day I received my passport.  I became an EU citizen.  I am still flabberghasted over it.

What’s your favorite part of your current Florentine routine?

The spontaneity of my life here.  I could run into my friend Pasquale on the street and end up hanging out with him all day.  I might come to the center just to teach my class but end up sitting with Davide at his hot dog stand.  It is great to know that my friends just randomly call or text me to go for a walk or a drink.  That is the biggest difference in my life here as opposed to in the States.

Even though you know Florence like the back of your hand, are there still things that surprise you about it?

There are still streets I come upon that I don’t recognize.  That is great because then I can explore a new street like I just arrived in Florence.  I also enjoy seeing new, unique stores and cafes that perhaps were never in my frame of view as a student.  Now that I have full range of the city and my new neighborhood, I can explore and get introduced to new ventures I never fathomed experiencing.

What piece of advice do you have for others who dream of moving abroad?

DON’T GIVE UP!  When you have a dream it is important to not let others put it down.  If you know your path is to be in a different part of the world, really believe in yourself.  Also a great quote my professor from college used to say to me, “I think the royal road to achieving genuine satisfaction in life is going the Bloody hard way.”  Keep the naysayers out of your circle of friends, those people don’t understand how to live life to the fullest.

Read Katie’s blog here.

Tina Ferrari is a translator, writer and tango dancer based in Perugia, Italy.  She writes at AffordableCallingCards.net as well as on her own blog, Tina Tangos. Comments are always welcome!

I actually have never met Ambi.  The funny thing is our paths have crossed many times.  I met her husband Hugh when they first moved here.  He stayed up one night and read my entire blog and then emailed me.  He asked if we could meet for a cup of coffee.  He and his wife Ambi had just moved here from San Francisco.

Since that time we have stayed friendly.  I have been able to give him some helpful information at times.  Then it turned out one of my English students and her boyfriend were good friends with them.  She and Ambi met through their running club.  She told me how Ambi was teaching yoga and how she started a blog.  Being a fellow blogger, I would check in from time to time to read her blog.

I find Hugh and Ambi interesting as their lives are completely different from mine.  I asked Ambi if I could interview her for Affordable Calling Cards.

Deby: How long have you lived here?

Ambi: We moved to Buenos Aires 2.5 years ago.

Deby: How did you guys ever select Buenos Aires to move to?

Ambi: We came here for a 3 week vacation to celebrate Hugh’s 40th birthday (3 1/2 yrs ago).  Every time we traveled somewhere new, we’d play a game of “could we live here?”.  This time, the game got serious as we both said “yes”.  We spent the trip strolling through neighborhoods and getting to know the city – getting a haircut, going to the movies, eating out of course and talking to the locals as much as possible.

Deby: What was the influencing decision to make your move to Buenos Aires?

Ambi: Timing.  It was the right time for me to leave my corporate career behind and it was a great time to move to Buenos Aires.  The year we moved here, there was a positive energy to the city that was palpable.  Lots of new business and growth everywhere.  The expat community was growing and it was one of the world’s top destinations for travel (still is thanks to the exchange rate).

Deby:     What did you do before you moved here?

Ambi:    I was a Marketing Director for Charles Schwab (brokerage firm in San Francisco).  I managed a team of people whose job it was to convince our current clients to invest more money with the firm.  Also to educate them on how to get more our of their investments.

Deby:    What are you doing now?

Ambi:    I’m a new mom to an 11 month old baby girl named Valentina; I teach Ashtanga and Prenatal yoga; I’m studying Iyengar yoga and I write – mostly creative nonfiction.

Deby: What was the hardest thing for you to adapt to in your move to Buenos Aires?

Ambi: The language – the first 6 months were brutal and frustrating not being able to make friends with the locals but then it flowed…

Deby: What was the easiest?

Ambi: The food.  I like how Argentines use simple fresh ingredients and shop every day for their meals..

Deby: Do you have any regrets?

Ambi: Sometimes I wish we’d traveled more in Argentina when we first arrived as its more complicated with the baby but then we wouldn’t have learned the language as quickly.

Deby: What is your favorite thing about living in Buenos Aires?

Ambi: The emphasis people put on spending time with family and friends – really enjoying each others company without hurry or multi-tasking with their iphones.

You can read more about Ambi and her life in Buenos Aires in her blog Argentine Dreams

Deby Novitz moved to Buenos Aires in 2004 from California. She has a small bed and breakfast for tango dancers, she writes, does translations, teaches English, and of course dances tango. You can find more about her life in Buenos Aires on her blog  TangoSpam:La Vida Con Deby.