A Little Place Called...Budweiser

At this very moment we are 5,598 miles from Chicago. Yet part of me feels like I never left. I came to South America to learn a new language and see a new thing or two. The new language is coming along nicely. Classes are good, and the instructor is wonderful. Seeing new things, however, has been a little harder than expected, at least here in Buenos Aires. Within walking distance from our apartment, probably within walking distance of all 13 million Porteños (remember a person from Buenos Aires), is a McDonalds or a McCafe (a chain of coffee shops owned by McDonalds). Right outside my apartment window is a giant Motorola Razor ad that says, in English mind you, "not a bitch, just the jeans."


It might be a jeans ad combined with a Motorola ad. But still, try to explain that one. Two blocks from us is a well-known place in Buenos Aires called Plaza Serrano, where a bunch of bars and restaurants surround the plaza. One of the most popular bars has a 20 foot-long, red neon sign on the facade that reads "Budweiser."


I don't know the name of the bar so I just call it "The Budweiser Bar" because of the sign and because everyone drinks forties of Budweiser. Fords almost hit me in the streets. Converse shoes are everywhere. The only product I see more of is pictures of Tiger Woods's face. Everyone smokes Marlboros. This is not to say that there aren't Argentine products here, or Chinese, or French products, because there are. But most of those are recognizable too. The point being, it's getting a little harder to have different experiences, even this far from home.

There are positives and negatives to being able to get a Coca-Cola every half a block. For example, you can get a Coke every half block. But really, the more common experiences people share could mean less to disagree over, which hopefully will then mean less to fight about. But yet, it's a little disappointing or even a little sad that the day may be approaching where the only differences Porteños and Chicagoans, people who live five and a half thousand miles apart, have to talk about is the fact that they call it "Coca Light" and we call it "Diet Coke."