Ashley- Following suit

I figured I'd continue the list-making trend our blog seems to be on right now.

Things I love about Buenos Aires:

1) The exchange rate! (Yesterday: US$1 = AR$3.74, which generally translates into everything [food, drink, clothing, entertainment] being cheaper)
2) Public transportation; when the subte is closed, there are colectivos (buses), and when those are too inconvenient, a taxi is always available and usually only costs around US$5 to get anywhere that you would want to go in the city.
3) The coffee experience. Even the simplest cafe con leche is served with a small glass of sparkling water, some sort of small cookie or biscuit, and sometimes even a shotglass of orange juice. Yum!
4) Fernet. Enough said.
5) Overall quality of the food and beverage (water is usually of the sparkling mineral variety, soda is made with natural sugar, and pizza and ice cream will just not be quite so appealing in the states...this all goes without mentioning the empanadas and dulce de leche).
6) Walk-ability of the city (have you ever tried walking on Lindsey St.? Not a fun thing to do).
7) Weather. It's usually sunny and the first placed I've ever lived without wind.
8) Enthusiasm of the students. They actually have interest in what they are studying.
9) Style
10) Presence of and interest in the arts. (Feria de arte contemporaneo this weekend!)
11) More cheap (and well-stocked) bookstores than any bookworm could ever dream of.
12) Genuine interest in the well-being of others.
13) Cheek-kisses in place of hand shakes. They only kiss on one side, and the gender doesn't matter. (I met an American the other day and we shook hands and it was the weirdest feeling ever. I was thinking, "why are you touching my hand?")
14) Heterogeneity of the city. It doesn't take long to find yourself in a barrio with a totally different atmosphere. It's like living in several mini-cities at once.
15) Appearance of boys!

Things that annoy me about Buenos Aires:
1) Actions of boys! (machismo is something I can live without....)
2) Lack of change...when you don't have change cashiers get upset, and sometimes they just don't have any change (coins or small bills) to give you.
3) Being a big city, it is kind of dirty. I just always feel like I need to take a shower, but there is a:
4) Lack of high-pressured, hot water in the showers. Gah!
5) Americans seem to be the only ones who like peanut butter (not even mentioning almond butter)...
6) The idea that all young single ladies must always be searching for a boyfriend...
7) Dead, carved-up animals hanging from windows all over the place. Yeah, that is really appetizing.
8) Washing clothes in the bathroom sink because the lavanderia dried the clothes you told them not to, causing them to shrink or de-thread.
9) Smoking as an anorexic's tool to not eating. Ever.
10) The preception guys have of American girls (roughly that which is projected by American Pie...you were right, Jimmy).
11) I'm not a supporter of imperialism, and I can agree that the U.S. has done some pretty unelegant things, but I will not agree that the nation's actions during the early XX century were "just as bad as Nazism"...and will not support that being taught in my history class. How does imperialism equate to ethnic cleansing?!
12) Most importantly, I don't have all of my lovely friends and family here!