Buenos dias to you all!

We are introducing a new system for our Clubhouse Events. If you are a member, when you come to one event the money you pay (20 pesos) will earn you a voucher. That voucher (featured above) will last for a month and you'll be able to come to all of our events during that month for free - if you present the voucher of course! ALSO, IF YOU ARE NOT A MEMBER AT PRESENT AND YOU JOIN, YOU WILL GET ONE OF THESE VOUCHERS FREE AS PART OF YOUR SUBSCRIPTION! BARGAIN!!!

An Important Question…. There are a couple of films out at present well worth a look and we’re willing to organize another cinema event here at the Clubhouse so that we can go out and enjoy a good flick together, with some grand coffee to follow. So…CAN YOU LET US KNOW WHAT DAY IS BEST FOR YOU ALL, WHAT TIME (ie: 3pm, 5pm or and evening deal) AND WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING FILMS YOU’D RATHER SEE???

Once we get an idea of the majority’s availability, we’ll let you know! So, email me at buenosairesclubhouse@saexplorers.org

Take care
Tracey

SPANISH CONVERSATION CLASS* (EVERY) Wednesday.
Next lesson: Wednesday 24th June 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 BAevents@saexplorers.org to reserve yourself a place.

FREE Truco Afternoon (Argentine Card Game)
Wednesday 24th June @ 4.30pm in The Clubhouse (straight after conversation class)
Do you know how to play the Argentine card game called 'Truco'? It's a very cool game, full of subtle looks and signals between the different players that makes for an entertaining afternoon. Amauta Spanish School are sending some of their experienced representatives to the BA Clubhouse to teach you all. It's going to be a fun afternoon - delivered in Spanish, so more practice for you (with us on hand to translate as always) - and the best thing is that we've organised this activity to run directly after the Spanish conversation class on Wednesday. That means that you don't have to find time to come to the Clubhouse on another day and your Spanish will be nicely oiled to participate in the game too. How can you resist?!

Email us at BAevents@saexplorers.org to reserve yourself a place.

Tango Culture Seminar at Amauta School, Federico Lacroze 2129
Friday 26th June @ 1pm
Amauta School are offering this event to all SAE members for FREE. It promises to be an interesting and informative talk and well worth the visit
Email us at BAevents@saexplorers.org to reserve yourself a place.

Gallery Hop (Appetite Gallery, Zavaleta Lab and Kanpai – Japanese Restaurant)
Friday June 26th @ 5:30pm
The Appetite Gallery is located within what used to be a slaughterhouse and features the talents of Daniela Luna, who has been featured in many magazines including The New York Times and Rolling Stone. The gallery is very edgy and should be a lot of fun. Afterwards, we will be visiting Zavaleta Lab on Venezuela 567. This gallery has a huge space designed to accommodate contemporary art. The last stop will be Kanpai! a Japanese restaurant on Chile 518. We will be meeting at the Appetite Gallery on Chacabuco 551 at 5.30pm

The cost is $10 pesos for members, $20 pesos for non-members of SAE
(The price is for the two galleries. Obviously, whatever you buy in the Japenese restaurant is NOT included)
Email us at BAevents@saexplorers.org to reserve yourself a place.

ADVANCED WARNINGS
Historic Talk about 9th July in Argentina – with Churros and Hot Chocolate
Tuesday 7th July @ 4.30pm
We are pleased to announce that Francisco Malini Verdú, a born and bred porteno, will be giving a talk here in the Clubhouse on the above date and time about the importance of the 9th July in the history of Argentina. In addition to the talk, we will be serving hot chocolate and churros to make the event all that more authentic and special.
Email us at BAevents@saexplorers.org to reserve yourself a place.

Do you have something to sell?

Our Clubhouse here in BA is a good place to sell stuff. Why???? Because people pass through here all the time. We are willing to set up an agreement with anyone interested in selling something (for example, if you make great bags, jewelry or you want to sell some art) whereby we take care of the sales for you in exchange for receiving a small percentage of the purchase itself. Interested??? Email us at baclub@saexplorers.org

Storing Luggage at The Clubhouse
Please remember that if you want to store or pick-up luggage you need to make an appointment with us beforehand via email. This is because we store all luggage at a different location and we will need to organise a time to meet. Email all luggage correspondence to baclub@saexplorers.org

Jessica Dufresne - our new marketing intern! - ADVERTISING WITH SAE
We have a new member of our team here in the BA Clubhouse as of this week. Jessica is from Michigan, USA and will be working with us mainly on marketing until August while she takes a break from her studies back home. If you want to talk advertising with us, she's your lady. You can email her at advertiseba@saexplorers.org

Poke us, befriend us.
Please visit our facebook page because it includes lots of stuff about events, contact details (that are up-to-date!) and more. Find us online at www.myspace.com/saebuenosaires and www.facebook.com (search for Buenos Aires Clubhouse SAE.)

WE HAVE TELEPHONE CONNECTION!
Finally, the powers that be here in BA have managed to get around to connecting our telephone line and so you can now call us from anywhere the city on 5275 0137 (+54 11 and then the number if you're calling from outside Argentina or if you're using skype to call us). Also, if you need to make a local call to any landline here in the city you can do so from our office for FREE.

The Escuelismo exhibition @ The Malba Museum
From 19 Jun - 3 Aug 2009 (but not on Tuesdays)
This exhibition, presented at The Malba presents around 60 works by over 40 key Argentine artists in the 1980s and 1990s, including Liliana Porter and Guillermo Kuitca. It incorporates all mediums, ranging from drawings to paintings to videos to installations and well worth a sneaky peak.

Cost: pesos15; seniors pesos 8; students pesos 5; under 5s free
(Wed: pesos 5; seniors pesos 3; students free) Bargain!!!
Opening Hours: Thu-Mon 12pm-8pm; Wed 12pm-9pm

Zanjón de Granados
Sunday from 12pm in San Telmo
This is a fascinating tour around the hallways and tunnels of an underground complex in San Telmo. The tour includes foundations, documents and objects from when the city was first founded, five centuries ago and runs every 30 minutes from 12:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The address of the tour’s start is below, as is the website address for more details.

El Zanjón de Granados - Defensa 755
4361- 3002 - elzanjon@arnet.com.ar
http://www.elzanjon.com.ar/

Tango Shows
(Every night) in San Telmo @ 9pm
There are Tango shows every night in San Telmo. Below are some of the various places that can offer you a night of romance and intrigue.

Bar Sur
El Viejo Almacén
La Cumparsita
La Ventana
Michelangelo
Esquina Tango

If you want more information before committing yourself to an evening of Argentine entertainment, the web-link below is all you’ll need!
http://www.welcomesantelmo.com/guia/15/Tango-Shows

Bangalore (Humboldt 1416)
Bangalore in Palermo is one of those places good for an after-work relaxed affair. Getting straight down to the facts, it’s a pub with a restaurant attached. It’s not a bar, it’s not cool and trendy….it’s a pub, with a large open-flame fire, complete with long wooden benches and tables out front and a warming dark wood interior.

Fairly obvious from its title and from the token image of an elephant swinging on the venue’s sign outside, the food served in Bangalore is Indian. Well, that’s to say that the dishes on the menu are all the types of dishes you’d expect to find in an Indian restaurant across the globe, including various different types of curries (with tomato or coconut bases), rice side dishes and the all-important nan bread.

Having said that, I’m not advertising that Bangalore serves curry as good as you’d find in India itself or even several other large capital cities on the planet. Buenos Aires, together with the Argentine palette in general, is not famed for its love of spicy food. Therefore, perhaps you are reading this ‘Top Spot’ with a somewhat dubious eye. However, I assure you that while the curries in Bangalore are not the best curries you’re going to find world-wide, they do taste good and by that I mean that you can taste the spices.

Be under no allusions, however, that the variety on offer is not exhaustive. I am a fan of the peshwari naan, for instance, but the naan bread on offer in Bangalore is simply of the plain variety. It’s good, it does the trick and complements the meaty dishes well, but it was a little disappointing not to be able to order my favoured coconut and sultana filled delight. Still, the sheer fact that the portions are good and the spices differentiate one dish from another is certainly a plus point for Bangalore.

The restaurant itself is located on the upper floor of this pub, but food can be served downstairs in the pub too, (Incidentally, you can also order traditional pub fare as well if Indian tucker is not what you’re into), and the pub itself is a real joy. It’s warm, happy, buzzing and always full of people and energy. I passed a very comfortable couple of hours after work, relaxing with friends, sat very close to the warm embers of the open fire a few weeks ago and would definitely return if invited. The range of beer on tap is good and the prices are really reasonable.

All in all, exactly what you’d expect from a pub with a little of the Asian flavour to reintroduce that missing spice into your life.

Krakow Bar, Venezuela 474 (San Telmo)
A few weeks ago, I spent a very pleasant evening in Krakow. No, not the place! Ha ha! It’s a bar in San Telmo run by a Polish guy, who is incidentally one of the largest people I have ever seen in real life. Due to his Polish roots, the bar is a mixture of all things Argentine and Polish, perhaps most obviously noted through the Polish and Argentine flags proudly hung next to each other above the very long and complete bar. They also serve a range of Polish vodkas, a rarity in any city outside of Poland in my experience and definitely something that you should try if you haven’t yet done so. Polish vodka is best taken with apple juice, by the way, and really does have a definite something about it.

The décor in Krakow is very inviting. The walls are a deep red in colour, giving everything a rather romantic and sexy feel. The furniture is made up of dark wood and the bar is just huge. It’s very high, very wide and made from a glossy black marbol. The barman’s side of the bar is slightly elevated too, so when they’re serving you they most definitely have the upper hand, which only adds to the awesome presence of the Polish beast in charge. (All said with an air of affection, I hope you understand).

The range of cocktails on offer is excellent because the range of spirits behind the bar is extensive. Indeed, I was talking with a couple of Irish guys during the evening, friends of the owner, who said that they had just brought a few different cases of some of the drinks on offer over with them on the flight. Not sure whether that is entirely legal, but it does mean that we Buenos Aires dwellers are made privy to a fine list of beverages from which to choose from and therefore I’m certainly not going to complain about how these drinks arrived. Jagerrmeister and Absynth were menu features and the list of whiskies was tempting too.

On top of the Polish excitement, the drinks available and the impact made from the décor, Krakow can also boast a large flat screen TV, always showing live sport and a games corner. Yes, you heard me…..a games corner! Even when I was there at about midnight on a Tuesday, there were a group of Argentines playing ‘Jenga’ on some comfy sofas towards the back of the venue.

So, whether it’s beer, vodka or board games that you’re after, Krakow has it all.

June Elections
It is probably important to know that June 28th (the end of this week) is an important date in the Argentine political calendar. Ordinarily, Argentina’s mid-term elections are held on the fourth Sunday of October. However, some time ago the decision was made that the elections would be brought forward to June on account of the current economic global crisis. The election move was a motion urged for by Mauricio Macri, Buenos Aires’ Mayor, and then later by Argentina’s President, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner along with the support of The Victory Front, who managed to secure this unheard of change in the calendar after acquiring the votes of two more senators from Tierra Del Fuego and one more from Neuquen.

These legislative elections are for half the seats in The Chamber of Deputies and a third of the seat in The Senate. In addition, the legislature of The City of Buenos Aires and other municipalities will be reviewed and set. From a more personalized perspective, I have yet to meet an Argentine who has any idea about who they are planning to vote for. Indeed, it appears that most people will make their decision on the day itself.

Even though the elections are only a matter of congressional votes, the political climate feels a little more like that of a Presidential Election with many people anticipating a big loss for the President’s majority and a subsequent shake-up of the political climate in the country. Fernandez de Kirchner has been ruling with a 135-member majority in the 257-seat lower house of Congress. However, expectations are that by the end of the week she will have lost a fair number of those in key provinces including Santa Fe, Mendoza, Entre Rios and Cordoba. More importantly though, if the government loses the province of Buenos Aires on Sunday, Argentina’s ruling couple may well begin feeling the fear of future catastrophe, as the capital accounts for more than 38 percent of the country’s population and the word on the street is not looking good.

Having said all that, as with anything political in any country we will have to wait and see. All is speculation and only time will tell. Be sure to collect a newspaper on Monday morning in order to find out the result and keep up with the times whilst you’re here.

Where can I buy fresh fish in Buenos Aires?
Meat is everywhere, facturas seem to be what the city runs on and coffee is even delivered to your desk in this city, but fish???

If you go in to any supermarket in the city to do your weekly shop, you are bound to find a fair variety of fish and seafood in the frozen food sections. You may even find some smoked salmon (at incredibly high prices) wrapped up in ready-to-go packets next to the hams and cheeses too. However, fresh fish, served by the pound and cut to your liking in front of you??? now, where can that be found in the meat and wheat jungle that is Buenos Aires???

The answer is a few places actually. China Town has plenty of fresh fish (see past newsletter for more info info www.saexplorers.org/clubhouses/buenosaires/newsletters/01june09 ), there’s a place on the corner of Santa Fe and Julian Alvarez in Palermo and there’s also another smaller place found on Cervino and Scalabrini Ortiz, which is in the Las Heras area. However, my favourite and by far, I think, the best is ‘La Marisqueria’ Gral. Las Heras 2745 in Recoleta.

This place is amazing. Fresh fish, including salmon, trout and tuna steak are available to buy by the kilo. It also freshly prepares dishes that you can take out every day. For instance, this week I have enjoyed a very large and tasty fishcake (made from Botola, a type of white fish, mozarella and spices), a healthy dish of Hake, carrots and green vegetables in a peppercorn and lemon dressing and some mussels, that I can never say no to.

Clearly these dishes are just a sample. The menu is exhaustive. Snacks and full blown meals can be bought from this place. They even make a type fish bread which I am yet to try (kosher flour is used in the recipe) and everything is low in fat. However, the best thing about this place (open Monday through to Sunday from 8am until midnight) is that they deliver to your door for free until midnight!!! (Telephone number is: 4804 6400) What a deal!!! Free delivery on food that’s good for you. I am very excited about this place, the fish lover that I am!

So, if like me you enjoy food from the deep, pass by this little place and give your taste buds a real treat.

Mozo in Argentina is the equivalent of ‘camarero’ or waiter. Camarero is understood in Argentina, of course, but it is more common to use ‘mozo.’ Naturally, the female version ‘moza’ needs to be employed when you have a girl attending your table, so don’t forget about the all important male and female grammar distinctions in Castellano.

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This week we received a seductive shot from Hank Putnam who has been living in Buenos Aires for a while now. Over the past few weeks we’ve published shots of Buenos Aires in the main, but this Patagonian skyline reveals a little more about the range of beauty on offer to the traveler in Argentina. The shot was actually taken near the Puerto Pyramides in Patagonia and part of a gallery show called ‘The Light is Special Here’ that was a show featuring photos from Hank’s travels in Latin America.

Remember, the aim is to take a better photograph than the previous winner (this week Hank). If we don’t receive any worthwhile contenders, Hank will stay in our newsletter next week too. Can you seduce us with something better than Hank’s Patagonian Princess?

To enter our weekly competition, simply send in your pics to my email address buenosairesclubhouse@saexplorers.org (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.

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@saexplorers.org for more information.

Learn Spanish with AMAUTA SPANISH SCHOOL
Finally in Buenos Aires! AMAUTA brought over 12 years of experience in Spanish Language and cultural study from Peru to Argentina. Exacting standards and engaging teachers put AMAUTA at the top of its class. Beautiful location with garden and terrace. Amazing discounts for the opening of the new locations ánd, we give away THREE ONE WEEK SPANISH COURSES per week, totally for free! Write now and you might be the lucky one. Till June 30th only. Also special discounts at our Cusco location.

www.amautaspanish.com

info@amautaspanish.com

www.spanishschoolsblog.com

or visit us: www.facebook.com/people/Amauta-Spanish/1500927779?sid=0&ref=search

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: baclub@saexplorers.org

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