SAE Buenos Aires 'Spotlight!'
This week, we want to introduce Caroline Major, 21, from London, England. She is a current volunteer working here at the BA Clubhouse and is our Brazil expert. (Go to our blog at www.saebuenosairesclubhouse.blogspot.com to read more about Caroline in Brazil).

She arrived in Buenos Aires just over a month ago having spent six months volunteering in Lencois (a small colonial town in the middle of the national park Chapada Diamantina) where she helped to build (literally!) an education centre for the children of the neighbouring town in the middle of the beautiful national park itself. She did a lot of cool travelling whe she had the time and if you visit our blog at www.saexplorersba.blogspot.com you'll find a fascinating article about her travels by motorbike, written truly from the heart.

Any questions you may have about venturing into Brazil or indeed vounteering in the country (particularly for the Casa Grande Association project that Caroline helped to build), send her an email at volunteerba@saexplorers.org and maybe arrange a time to meet for a more indepth chat.

Incidentally, if you're looking to practice a little Portuguese, Caroline's is fantastic!

Visit our Blogs!
SAE Buenos Aires has TWO blogs that we are gradually updating to provide our members with even more useful info at their fingertips. The first blog (www.saebanewsletterarchive.blogspot.com) is where the content of each weekly newsletter will be stored so that if there's some information that you found useful in the past and suddenly get the urge to access it all over again, you can do so with ease. The second blog (www.saebuenosairesclubhouse.blogspot.com ) is our general blog - a pool of more detailed information, this week including the notes on Brazil from Caroline, for example.

Do you want to volunteer in BA?
Here at the BA Clubhouse, we would really like to start regenerating our volunteer program again. Therefore, if you would like to do some volunteering in the city, come along to the office on Friday 15th May (this Friday!) from 4pm - 4.30pm. We can then share ideas and put a plan of action into place for the following weeks. Volunteers in the past have worked on projects with children, construction, disabled people, ecological projects and farming to name but a few.

Made in San Telmo.Come by the clubhouse and pick up a copy of the San Telmo Tourist Guide: a pocket guide to San Telmo that provides quick information on cultural centers and exhibitions, local events, bars and restaurants, and more! You can also check out their website for information at: www.madeinsantelmo.com.

Poke us, befriend us. We're part of the social networking revolution too. Join our SAE BuenosAires clubhouse myspace and/or facebook fan page. Find us online at www.myspace.com/saebuenosaires and www.facebook.com (search for Buenos Aires Clubhouse SAE.)

Pick one up! Get South is a fantastic free guide we have that features pages and pages of invaluable tips and information on life in Argentina. It has discounts on hotels, tours and trips all over Argentina. We also have copies of the latest Traveller's Guru! All you need to know about travelling in Argentina and chillin' in the Capital. Both are free so swing by and pick one up!

Cinema Event at the Clubhouse
Tuesday 12th May 09 @ 3pm in the clubhouse
The film: 'Entre Los Muros' (translated... 'Between the Walls.')

This event is truly going to be a lot of fun! You must come! At 3pm, meet us in the clubhouse where there'll be a lot of information for you to read so you can get clued up about the film. 'Entre Los Muros' is actually a French movie, with Spanish subtitles, which will be good language practice for all concerned. However, the most interesting thing about the movie is that it was filmed by Laurent Cantet using an improvisational style - not too disimilar from the likes of Mike Leigh (for all you film buffs out there!). The film is set within a French inner city school full of teenagers with discipine problems. The children in the film are NOT actors. They are real children, living lives like the ones depicted in the films and were encouraged to simply improvise infront of the camera throughout a fair portion of the film. Really....this is not an event to miss!!!

After the film, which is being shown in the beautiful Arteplex cinema next door to the clubhouse, we invite you to take part in a discussion about the film in the cinema's fantastically eclectic cafe. (Read about the cafe and the Arteplex cinema and little further down in this newsletter in the 'Top Place of Interest' section.

All in all, this should be a fantastic afternoon, including culture, language practice and plenty of good, old-fashioned chat! Don't mss out!

Chaco, Dengue Fever and your fantastic efforts here at SAE Buenos Aires
Just to give you an update on our efforts to help the people of Chaco during the continued Dengue epidemic. We received some fantastic donations from our recent SAE party, including clothing, water, food and there were even some kind hearted soles who donated good, hard cash, which we used to buy more useful supplies for the people living in this heavily affected region of Argentina.

Thanks again! What a team we make!

SPANISH CONVERSATION CLASS* (EVERY) Wednesday.
Next lesson: Wednesday, May 13th at 3:30pm @ the clubhouse.
Learn how to string your words together! Join us every Wednesday for an informal conversation class with a teacher from ELE BAIRES. RSVP encouraged.
FREE for members and $8 pesos for non-members.
Email us at: saebuenosaires@gmail.com

Historical Talk with Alem School... An advance warning!!!
The BA Clubhouse is proud to say that next week we will be hosting an event in association with the Alem School here in the BA Clubhouse. The details about the event are listed below.

Thursday 21st May 09 @ 2pm in the clubhouse
AR$5 (members)
AR$8 (non-members)

The talk is going to be given by members of the Alem School (information about the school is given below) and will focus on 25th May, why Argentines celebrate the day and when the holiday celebrations first began.

Details about Alem School
Martin Vazquez Grille and Pedro Nazar Anchorena run Alem Spanish School, located on Lavalle 166 5A, just a few meters away from Plaza de Mayo and Puerto Madero. The school has a very friendly atmosphere with a very welcoming and informative staff. They offer both individual classes and group classes and all of the materials are included in the price of the class. They also provide Internet Access, Wi-Fi, Hot and cold drinks during class breaks, and air conditioning.

Think in Spanish?

Argentine History Class: May Revolution Day

The May Revolution was a series of political and social events in the nineteenth century in the city of Buenos Aires which installed the first local government not designated by the Spanish Crown in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, which at the time contained the present-day nations of Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay. Although the Revolution took place only in Buenos Aires, one of the consequences was that the head of the Viceroyalty, Viceroy Cisneros, was ousted from office. Involved in these acts were mostly middle-high to high-class inhabitants of Buenos Aires (most native Spanish ex-patriates or residents of Spanish descent). There was no great violence involved; the term "revolution" has been loosely applied by Argentine tradition to highlight the changing of their governmental system and distinguish the undisputed fact that after the May Revolution, Buenos Aires itself was no longer subservient to decisions taken by Spain in their name.

Alem Spanish School

Studying in Alem Spanish School will allow you to get in touch with the history of the city, have easy access to practical linguistic experience and several cultural activities to enjoy Buenos Aires. Located where the ancient Buenos Aires used to be, a few meters away from Plaza de Mayo and Puerto Madero, Alem Spanish School is connected with the most important metro and bus lines, making it very easy for you to reach popular neighbourhoods like Palermo and San Telmo. All our teachers at Alem Spanish School are very well qualified with Master's Degree in Education. They have many years of classroom experience and are very dedicated to their students and profession.

Alem Spanish School
Lavalle 166 5º "A" ,Tel (011 54) 5252-0404 ,www.alemspanishschool.com.ar

Give me the Meat!
O.k. I've recommended late night hot spots for whiling the hours away with a good friend, I've recommended top-notch Argentine snacks on the go and this week I've decided to go really traditional. Yes, I'm talking about one of the main attractions of Argentina in general..... the meat!

Frequently, we are asked where the best places are to go for a steak that is going to blow your mind, without blowing a hole in your pocket. Therefore, I am this week suggesting TWO places in which to dine. Both parilla restaurants serve great cuts of steak (it's generally recommended that you stay away from the 'lomo' cut as it can be thicker and therefore a little tougher wherever you go) and both are guaranteed to satisfy even the hardcore carnivores out there.

I recommend TWO restaurants to you as one is a little pricier than the other and perhaps offers a little more of the finery and adornments with each plate that make for a very special evening, including a variety of side dishes and sauces to bring out the flavours of the meat. Therefore, you can take your pick of the two as, and I have to repeat quite clearly here, that the quality of the meat is very high in both restaurants. The first (and pricier option of the two) is La Cabrera, located on Cabrera 5099 in Palermo. The second, slightly cheaper option, is called Las Cholas, located on Arce 306 in Las Canitas, which also has a vast selection of very reasonably priced wines..... has to be worth a visit!

In La Cabrera, it is advisable to share a plate between two, as there is no skimping on the portions in this place. Or, if you're anything like me, you'll order your own plate and then ask to carry the huge amount of meat that you simply cannot eat home in a box to snack on for the following week to come! And let me say that if you're not really a big red meat fan (should I really even utter those words in Argentina?!) there are some excellent chicken dishes to choose from too. In La Cabrera, the chicken with orange and vodka is always a dish that strikes out at me from the menu; the flavours sound weird but wonderful and if there's anyone out there that takes the time to try it, I'd love to here back from you!

Both restaurants can be found easily on the net through google and then you can book a table ahead of schedule if you want to be sure of a seat. However, Argentines never start dining before about 10pm anyway and so if you're someone who, like me, still has to eat at a reasonable hour, you're not going to have any problems securing a quiet little spot in either of the two.

Enjoy!

Arteplex Cinema and Cafe, Roque Saenz Pena and Cerrito
About two weeks ago, I went to see a German film entitled, ‘Nunca es tarde para amar’ and had a fantastic all round experience. Not only was the film well worth my 12 pesos, but the cinema, the in-house café and the history behind the development of the Arteplex Cinema here in Buenos Aires, all helped to make my Saturday afternoon one to remember. For that reason, I strongly recommend that you pay a visit to this cinema, located on Roque Saenz Pena with Cerrito (almost next door to the BA Clubhouse wouldn't you know!) and take a look for yourself.

The Arteplex Centro was slowly built into a cinema famed for its desire to show films that had been rejected by the mainstream cinema distributors by a man called Alberto Kipnis and today retains that same reputation. Kipnis began by working in the ticket office of The Lorraine Cinema, using the job to fund a career in music. However, by the age of 23 he had organised his first cinema cycle, presenting undervalued films and supporting the work of underrated directors who had met with resistance from the mainstream cinemas of his day.

However, in this week’s newsletter, it is enough to bring to your attention the cinema itself, which is this week screening a very interesting French film entitled, ‘Entre los muros,’ that documents the attempts of a secondary school teacher in a very difficult inner city school aiming to enthuse and interest a regular group of teenagers who are approaching a life of crime and misdemeanour. The children in the film are not played by actors, but are real children living in France who were allowed to improvise during the making of the film at a number of given points. This gives the film a real gutsy feel.

I also suggest you arrive a little ahead of schedule if you choose to check out what’s on offer, simply to enjoy the wonderfully eclectic cinema café before the screening itself. The café is located on the bottom floor, next to the screen entrance, and is adorned with huge cut-outs of famous film actors on every chair and film-orientated nick-nacks placed on each table. The coffee, it being BA, is also nothing to turn your nose up at and, therefore, not only does the cinema screen an excellent selection of foreign film, but the whole experience of submersing yourself within the cinematic world is just enchanting. I passed a good hour at the end of the film, making notes on what I’d just seen and enjoying a coffee in the café’s inspirational environment and if there are any more film lovers out there like me, you really should go. You’ll have a blast!

Has Cristina made another promise that she is not going to keep?
Since arriving here in Buenos Aires, I have unfortunately heard very little in support of the Argentine president from the locals. In fact, many people are very disappointed with their president and her government (perhaps a world-wide story?). They have no faith in her abilities to deliver what she promises to deliver and are awaiting the day in two years time when they may well be able to rid themselves of her leadership. Having said that, like a number of South American countries, an actual opposing candidate doesn’t really exist and so the alternative to Mrs Fernández de Kirchner is infact an empty space.....not particularly a favourable idea.

As anyone living in Buenos Aires knows, the public transport (while I have to say economical, reliable and frequent) is a very frustrating affair. Travelling by subte turns the commuters into sardines for half an hour and sometimes it is actually impossible to get on (or off!!!) at all. The alternative is a bus system which demands that you have the correct change. There is no means of paying with notes and I have found myself having to go to a number of different ’Open 25 hours’ outlets to buy one sweet for 20 centavos with a 2 peso note in each shop in order to fund my bus fare home. Naturally the shop owners have been less than pleased and have sometimes let me have the sweet for free, preferring to keep a stash of change for themselves, which really has done very little to help me reach my own personal objective.

A while back, a series of machines were installed on all of the buses with a view to introducing a card system (a little like the monedero used on the subte) whereby each passenger would simply top up their card and thus get around the annoying problem that the city lacks coins. (Incidentally, nobody really knows why there is a lack of coins, but a few years ago the amount in circulation began to decrease and now everybody spends their time fervently guarding their change). However, the obvious fundamental problem with the card idea was the fact that the buses in Buenos Aires are privately owned. Each bus line is owned by a different company and therefore there is no standardisation between the lines. This effectively meant that it would have been necessary to have a completely different card for each bus route. Simply hopping on a bus wherever you happened to be wouldn’t have actually been a viable option, thus making this system practically unworkable.

However, about 3 or 4 months ago, Argentina's president made a promise to the people of Buenos Aires. The promise was to install a standard machine inside each and every bus so that the use of one solo card could be achieved. This would rectify the problem concerning the lack of change in the city and would probably encourage more people to use the bus system to travel to and from work every day. It’s conceivable that this system would even help to reduce the amount of people pushing themselves on to the subte during rush hour too, which can only be a good thing. In short, de Kirchner’s proposal was one that would really have helped to improve the lives of nearly every porteño on a daily basis and would have probably helped to improve the reputation of the president amongst her people at the same time. Excellent!

Unfortunately, the promise has not been kept. The buses still require the use of change and are full of machines that have been installed but are completely useless (a clear waste of public funds) and therefore, people like me who refuse to be a sardine but never have any change, are still making a walking trip of 1 hour and 15 minutes every morning. I actually enjoy the walk and am not complaining, but as the winter approaches, I don’t much relish the thought of doing the same trip in the pouring rain. And anyway, it would be nice to actually make the decision to walk rather than being forced to due to the poor nature of the public transportation on offer.

The future? Who knows? But, I write the article to keep you informed of the situation so that, by the slim chance that something good may come of this idea in the not too distant future, you’re aware of the changes and can perhaps take full advantage of what has the potential to be a really good system.

SpanglishBA.com
If you’re in BA and you haven’t heard about this group, then you really are missing out. Last Thursday evening I decided to take myself on over to the Thursday meet held in Palermo between 7pm and 9pm and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

SpanglishBA.com is an informal language exchange session organised by two expats from the states (one of which happens to live in my building I found out on Thursday… the world really is a small place). The idea and format of the session is truly ingenious and fairly unique here in BA. Basically, everybody meets in the designated venue organised by the directors (Argentines, travellers and expats alike) and for the price of AR$15 you get two hours of language exchange in English and Spanish and a free dink from the bar.

The first half an hour is very relaxed as people slowly arrive. I spent some time chatting to three very nice people (an expat from the states and two Argentines) and then the organised fun began. I was given a table number to find and then a series of different conversation starters were handed out to each pair. My partner and I spoke in English for five minutes and then in Spanish for five minutes, thus practicing both languages in an informal and relaxed way. But the great thing was that each time I had to move round to my next partner (or victim, depending on how you look at it) I found that my Spanish was more fluid and that I could communicate with more ease, re-learning how to think in Spanish again after a full day of communicating and writing in English at the office. I also got to meet a number of really nice and diverse people. (One Argentine was particularly attractive - a George Clooney lookalike girls! I certainly enjoyed my ten minutes talking with him, particularly as he was as charming as his onscreen persona too!) As a newcomer to BA, I really felt like I got a lot out of the evening.

There are three different venues (Palermo, Microcentre and San Telmo) and the event is organised 4 times a week. I cannot speak for the other two venues, but I really liked the Palermo venue. The lighting was soft, there were a number of large, white sofas dotted about with tempting smoking bombs placed on adjoining tables and both the music and food made for an all-round inviting atmosphere. You’re welcome to stay on after the event has officially finished and so I spent an extra hour talking in Spanish with a very nice lady originally from Cordoba before walking home feeling invigorated and more integrated into this huge capital city.

Therefore, if you haven't been yet, check it out. Look them up on google and reserve a spot. I think you'll b glad that you did.

As you're probably aware, being the clued-up SAE member that you are, the Spanish of South America changes dramatically depending on which country you happen to be in. Therefore, each week, this enewsletter will now introduce you to a little of the Argentine vocabulary to help you enjoy your BA experience that little bit more. This week's nueva palabra is:

Che: the argentine word for 'friend, dude or mate'

Use it at some point during the week when you're out and about enjoying the city!

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What is your favourite radio station here in BA and why? Write in and let us know. Share the knowledge people!

Rosie Okae, last week's winner has been kicked off of the top spot. Sorry Rosie! This week's winning photo was sent in to us by Maraya Loza-Koxahn of a couple of artisans at the end of the Sunday Street Fair in San Telmo, one of the most beautiful barrios here in the city. Maraya has spent a fair amount of time living in BA in the past, particularly enjoying the delights that tango brings to the city and writing about what she experiences for a variety of publications. At present she is living in Calgary, Canada, after a road trip through Guatemala and Mexico, but longs for the day when she can return to BA and once again enjoy the wonder of tango in one of her favourite cities.

To enter our weekly competition, simply send in your pics to my email address buenosairesclubhouse@gmail.com (please put PHOTO COMPETITION in the subject heading) and be sure to include a little info about the photo along with your details so that we can give you credit.

Remember, the aim is to take a better photograph than the previous winner (this week Maraya). If we don’t receive any worthwhile contenders, Maraya will stay in our newsletter next week too.

Interested in putting a classified ad in this e-newsletter? Our e-newsletter goes out to over 2500 people weekly, in and around Buenos Aires. Contact me at buenosairesclubhouse@gmail.com for more information.

APARTMENT FOR RENT
Description

The apartment is 71 square meters. Maximum capacity: 4 persons. It has a full kitchen with breakfast room, living room with dining area, one full bathroom with bathtub, two bedrooms and huge balcony -6 sq m. Amenities: paddle court, swimming pool, yard, security 24 hours and laundry, cable TV, stereo, A/C and ceiling fans, central heater, local telephone, High Speed Internet . Kitchen with kitchenware, microwave, gas stove and oven, coffee maker, bed linen and towels, iron and ironing board.

Contact Details
ccukier@cponline.org.ar

Location
Palermo. Two blocks from Botanical Garden, two blocks from Santa Fe Avenue.
Close to Subway line D (3 blocks, Scalabrini Ortiz Station), and buses. Restaurants, cafes, shops, supermarkets all within walking range as well as movie theatre, Alto Palermo Shopping.

Rent
Rental: 850 USD pr. Month plus 1.000 pesos expenses.
1.000 USD refundable security deposit
The rental includes all expenses. The rental includes monthly maid service.
Owner, no commission, no extra charges.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT
I'm planning to build a catamaran sailboat out of discarded PET soft drink bottles which are littering the ecological reserve next to Puerto Madero. I'm borrowing the idea from a British environmentalist who is sailing across the Pacific in a PET bottle sailboat that he calls PLASTIKI. If there are any people from SAE who are interested in forming a crew to construct and sail it, or know of anyone in BA who would be interested, please contact me at: greganchors@yahoo.com

I need people to help gather and convert soft drink bottles in the reserve and to help me build it into a catamaran form. I then need people to help me sail it after construction. Experienced sailors are a must.

FOR SALE
The SAE shop has expanded! Guide books from $15 pesos to $80 pesos (Lonely Planet South America on a Shoestring $60 pesos), Hiking Maps of Patagonia and road maps of Buenos Aires are now available. Come by to see more, or email us: saebuenosaires@gmail.com

EXPAT INFO
www.livinginargentina.com is an online publication for expatriates in Argentina. It is written in English, Spanish and French. It covers almost everything that an expat might need to know and offers some interesting articles to read at the same time. Check it out!

LANGUAGE CLASSES
Learn Spanish with Elebaires!!!
We offer a variety of intensive Spanish courses for all levels in both private and group classes! All Elebaires teachers are university accredited and will do everything they can to help you meet your linguistic goals. Contact us via email at info@elebaires.com.ar or visit our website: http://www.elebaires.com.ar.

TOURISM
BA: Mallory Outdoors - Located in Palermo, Mallory offers a plethora of camping and ski equipment as well as custom knives and outdoor clothing. Stop in and browse the selection and receive a 10% discount on any purchase with your SAE member card. English and Spanish spoken.
Open Monday-Friday 10:30-21 and Saturdays from 9-15