1 – Driving: Staying in one lane (or on the correct side of the road) and traffic signals while driving is merely a suggestion.
2 – Native Argentine liquors – Gancia, which tastes like Sprite and vodka mixed, sipped out of a small glass. I think it has about the same about of alcohol as saki (17% – 20%, half that of hard alcohol, twice that of wine); Fernet, which is really bitter and is often mixed with Coca-Cola… it’s an acquired taste.
3 – There are dogs everywhere; they just inhabit the cities. They are nice and are used to humans, though.
4 – The people from Buenos Aires are called “los porteños”, which is actually meant to describe the people who live in any port city, but since the end of the 19th century, it is used to describe the people of Buenos Aires.
5 – Neighborhoods of Buenos Aires:
San Telmo – this is the more historic part of town. A lot of younger people live here, and this is where most of the hostels are. They have a market every Sunday called “La Feria”, where local artisans sell their goods – this is the best place to get inexpensive souvenirs.
Palermo – Palermo is split up into two smaller neighborhoods (Chico and Soho) and is where a lot of ex-pats and Brits live. It’s a little more expensive, clean, new, and posh, so there are a lot of more well-to-do “young professionals” here.
Puerto Madero – The port area of Buenos Aires is very posh. There are a lot of very new and international business office buildings here, as well as swanky hotels like the Hilton. Everything is built around the canal, and it’s the only place in the city that overlooks the water. There are tons of great restaurants here, but expect to pay more (white tablecloths included).
MicroCentro – I didn’t spend too much time here, but it’s more of the business area of the city. Most people who work in the corporate world work here, and most of the business-oriented hotels are in this areas.
6 – One of Argentina’s biggest commodities is cattle, so everything cow is very popular and cheap. Leather anything is great to buy down there; as with anywhere, there are varying levels of quality and price, ranging from US $8 all leather belts to US $300 jackets. The stores will have higher quality usually and cost more, but they can help with sizes and usually speak English; or, you can opt for a less expensive alternative in La Feria market on Sundays, where you can get a leather jacket for as low as US $50 or so.
Also, steak is HUGE, so vegetarians beware! They don’t eat a lot of veggies either, mostly steak and bread (also seafood like calamari and local fish) and plenty of unusuals like blood sausage and cow tongue, AKA “lengua” (no, I’m not kidding – it actually comes from the Portuguese, so blame it on them). You can still find a salad or two on the menu at most restaurants, so don’t panic yet.
7 – If you go to Buenos Aires during their summer (our winter), you MUST take a day trip to Colonia, Uruguay. You can actually go swimming off their sandy beaches, which is not available in Buenos Aires. The water is warm, clean, and fresh water, as it’s actually in the river and not the Atlantic Ocean. Rent a scooter or go-kart to get around town (US $10 or so an hour), and check out the historic district. If the weather is not beautiful, the town is not as great, as the beaches and quiet natural setting away from bustling B.A. is its appeal.
8 – Asado: Sunday afternoons are reserved for the “asado”, which means “grilled”, where ex-pats and portenos alike get together in someone’s home to grill meat, and lots of it, all day. Usually they’ll just have all sorts of kinds of meats that cook throughout the day and the host slaps it on the table and guests pick at it all day long. Of course local beer, most likely Quilmes, and cheap wine (isn’t all wine cheap in Argentina??) are drank all day, and often guests will sit down for a little jam sesh. Try and meet some people if you’re in Argentina, and if you’re there on a Sunday during summer, definitely try and get in on an asado – it’s well worth the cultural experience.
*All of the information shared here came from exploring the city and meeting incredible people, including several young ex-pats from Atlanta, young entreprenuers from Mexico, a middle-age French gentleman, una porteña from Mar del Plata, a British musician, a filmmaker from Philadelphia / Los Angeles, and several cab drivers.
If you have had the pleasure of going to or living in Argentina or have questions for me, please add them in the comments section! I have more coming too 
I had a conversation with a friend recently who is going through a period of trying to figure out what her next steps in life will be. She has been doing a little soul-searching to help her make these major decisions. Recently she went to visit some family in Wisconsin and discussed her potential next life moves with her 40-something year old aunt. “I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up”, her aunt said. Nooo!!, I thought. I understand that life is about the unexpected and how we deal with that, but I just don’t want to be “figuring it out” for the rest of my life.
