Hello there

Well I promised when I left the UK that I would do this and I've only been here (ummm.....) nine weeks. How time flies when you're having fun. Just to lay out some ground rules:

• this blog is aimed at my family and friends in an attempt to show that I'm still alive, healthy and enjoying myself even though I'm the other side of one of the bigger oceans from the above mentioned people (does that make any sense?) .
• even though I teach English for a living, I will not tolerate any comments, emails etc. on my use of punctuation, spelling or grammar (that would only embarrass me and make me sulk - and you wouldn't like me when I'm embarrassed and sulky)
• I'll update as and when I feel like it/have something to say (so don't nag me or assume I'm dead when I haven't written for a week)

So having laid down the law in this small part of the blogsphere, let me tell you some nice things. BsAs stands for Buenos Aires where I teach English as a foreign language. I'm very lucky and, even though I have to teach some teenage classes, all of my students are great. Really enthusiastic (albeit tired) and willing to do anything I ask of them (except perhaps run around the classroom - this being the second strongest threat I use). I work bloody hard and by Friday I'm exhausted. Having said that, I still find the energy to take a tango class on Friday evening... at which I'm crap!

As I sit here writing this post, BsAs seems to be having one of its regular lightning storms, which may be followed by a downpour but equally may not. We're coming into winter here (which is about the same as a British summer so far). It gets hot and humid during the week, building up until a storm explodes over the city. The lightning is beautiful, seeming to be more sheet lightning than the other kind (forked?) but I've just seen both and a wonderful purple sky. Fantastic!

So what can I tell you about BsAs? In all honesty it is just like any European city. I truly believe that if you didn't know you were in Argentina, you would think you were in Spain or possibly Italy. I'm told that once you're outside the city, you wouldn't be in any doubt but I haven't been there yet so I don't know. If you speak Spanish (Peter) you will notice some differences. The 'll' is pronounced 'sh' rather than 'ye' and the 'z' is 's' rather than 'th'. The main difference is the socialising. Most Portenos (the name Buenos Aires residents give themselves) won't even consider going out until 11pm and it's not unusual to meet up for a drink at 2am. Now I haven't done this yet, being new to the country and having to start work at 9:30am twice a week but I remember being astounded at how busy the place was while being driven from the airport to my flat on that first night.

So, to my flat. I have a spacious one bedroomed flat about two minutes walk from work. It's in an expensive part of town but it's all mine! I'm slowly customising it, adding pictures and corkboards etc but experience has taught me to keep things to a minimum. The one downside is that it doesn't have a washing machine. This is common and there are laundrettes on just about every corner. Unfortunately, expensive part of town equals expensive laundrette (which also dries my clothes at too high a temperature and then folds them badly). This being the second laundrette I've tried, I've decided to buy a washing machine (yes mum, you spoiled me). Hopefully sometime over the coming weekend that's going to happen.

I think that's about enough for a first post. I don't know whether I'll be posting details of the people I work with, I kind of want to protect their privacy but I'll ask around and maybe photos will follow. Once I get on top of the mechanics of doing this blogging malarky, I might try adding pictures and sound but don't hold your collective breaths.