Attending Rock Concerts in Buenos Aires
On Tuesday the scene outside the River stadium was complete chaos as ticket holders rushed to enter the stadium. At 9:45 PM, when the Rolling Stones started playing, the line to enter the stadium was still 10 blocks long. Many of the people waiting to get in were foreigners who had bought their tickets from scalpers, on Mercadolibre, etc.
The news showed despondent Chileans, who traveled all the way from Chile (since the Rolling Stones will not make a stop in Santiago) to hear the Stones perform in Buenos Aires, who said they'd paid $500 USD for their tickets and now had no way to enter the stadium. Most Argentines had shown up to the stadium at 5:00 or 6:00 PM, aware that they would need several hours just to get inside and find their seat.
The concert promoter decided not to hire the River stadium security apparatus and instead chose a private security firm to handle things. Clearly they couldn't handle the sold-out show.
Message to expat concert-goers: Just because you can walk-in to a concert 30 minutes before the show in your own country, don't assume anything in Argentina will be conducted with that level of efficiency. Argentina is the queue capital of the world and they will find a way to make you wait.
Labels: Buenos Aires, Living In Argentina
posted by SoyYo at 2/23/2006 03:48:00 PM
4 Comments:
Hello! I am an argentinian guy. I just found your Blog while searching for "argentina" in blogger.com.
I read some of your posts and I must say that there are things you must be aware of while in Argentina.
I agree with you that it may be very difficult for somebody who has grown up in the US or Europe to start living here. You should know that most argentinians think they are somehow better than they are(i.e. biiiig ego),
but some are not. I am sure you will find great people in here.
As for the kind of work you can do in here, it's true that most jobs are really underpaid when compared to US jobs, but consider that your expenses are lower too.
If you are having a hard time finding a suitable job here in argentina, I suggest you take a look at www.rentacoder.com, it's a US-based company that allows you to work as a freelancer writer or programmer, if you have the skills. I have been using their services and made some money, which I am sure I could multiply if I could focus on freelancing fulltime.
Anyways, here is an argentinian guy who welcomes you and wishes a smooth "transition" and a lot of success. If you have anything to ask about argentina, feel free to ask; just place a comment on any of my blogs (click my user name to find them). Good luck!
El Gordo.
Ahhhhh ahhhh, Argentina is a cluster. You guys can not even run a freaking concert correctly!!
The longer I am here the more I hate this country.
Perhaps it IS time for Anonymous to leave. Obviously he/she was not prepared to live outside of mommy and daddy's perfect home and experience another world. From your use of the word "cluster" I am going to assume you are an American. Anonymous is one Yanqui that I wish would go home (soy Norte Americano).
Of course this country has a myriad of problems and only a minority of them are ever addressed but for all it's faults there is no place I would rather live as an ex-pat. Your use of the words "you guys" shows me that you aren't trying to assimilate. If you live here and are committed to it then it is "WE" who cannot put on a concert. Like, you know, I bet you only seek out people who speak English as well.
BTW I would have to rate "running a concert" about the last thing on anyone's list of important things. Even so, I was there, we came early (because this is Argentina), we got our seats just fine and at the end of the night after walking a few blocks in the rain got a cab and left. What's the big deal? Not enough Evian? No one to pamper you? Obviously you are outside your comfort zone here.
But hey, I am just an old guy, que sé yo?
Mark, I see things I hate in Argentina all the time also. Does this mean I should leave too?
Perhaps it is YOU who need to take a step outside BA and leave YOUR comfort zone.
You should come to the northern provinces where you can see how kids are motivated to come to school because they are offered a free meal.
Perhaps then you could go to one of the public hospitals. So you can see some of the cases of malnutrition they bring in from the outlying villages first hand.
Or would that interfere in your busy BA nightlife?
But I'm just a yanqui in his 30's. "Que Se yo Y QUE ESPERABA."
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