8. Thursday, 28 January 2010

Trivia Time in Argentina

--a metro ride in Beunos Aires costs 1.2 pesos or in euros 20 cents

--a steak of a bit over a pound, thus enough for two persons, purchased at the local supermarket (Coto) which is like in Belgium Delhaize Supermarket (or in Texas Kroger) costs 7 pesos or about Euros 1.20

--despite that, 30% to 40 % of the Argentines live in poverty. The Argentine Statistics Office actually stopped a few years ago with publishing numbers, because “they are working on a new method of measuring such.”

--more news in the meat industry: in Buenos Aires there there daily about 100 breast operation. Thus, (and I am roughly quoting) about 200 new boobs per day!!! Private health insurance includes for every two years the availability of one plastic surgery procedure. The cosmetic industry is therefore a booming business in Argentina and the people talk about medical tourism to this country because the prices in the West are much higher than in Argentina.

--Certain goods and services such as air flights, entry costs for the national parks and so on cost for the foreigners (including world travelers) up to 2/3 more than for Argentines.

--Between 1880 and 1920 Argentina was one of the richest countries of the world. That happened because of immigration from Italy and Spain but most of all because of the massive sale of meat to European nations, starving after the first World War. After a short increase in it economy during the Second World War, the country declined .

--People call Buenos Aires “the Paris of the south” becaue many buildings have a look of being French and because the city is filled with very expensive housing for the elite, chic and wide avenues, parks, statues and so on. It follows from the decadence of the beginning of the last century: some families were so rich that they filled the ships that transported the meat to Europe with all sorts of expensive things, building materials, furniture, art and so on so that the ship did not have to return empty.

--The losses to the British in the Falkland Islands war stood for a so-called loss of face for the meglomaniac military dictators so that in 1983 for the first time democratic elections were organized. Argentina is really still a young democracy….in December 2001 (period of the fall of the economy) there were in one month 4 presidents. ….. (which brings up) how is it doing in Belgium right now?

Placed by Geert on 28 January 2010
Labels: Steak, Paris, Boobs