Expanish Volunteer Blog

If you’re lucky enough to volunteer in South America, specifically in the vibrant city of Buenos Aires, there is a ten day festival you simply cannot miss. The Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente (BAFICI) is the most prestigious film event in Latin America, featuring edgy and innovative films from both Argentina and around the globe. While your volunteer projects in Buenos Aires are undoubtedly keeping you very busy, take a night off to catch one of the many films being shown on various screens across the city!

Attendance numbers have grown since the festivals inception in 1999, with over 245,000 people attending at least one of over one thousand screenings last year! In addition to movie screenings, the BAFICI offers animation workshops, screenings for children, and the Buenos Aires Lab, a workshop aimed at supporting, financing, and developing independent film production in Latin America.

Regardless of where you live in Buenos Aires, there is a cinema or screening near you. Along with the major movie theaters scattered about the city, films can be viewed at MALBA, Teatro San Martin, and more! For ticket and theater information and a list of the 2010 featured films, head to the BAFICI website.

If you’re spending some time working on a volunteer project in Argentina, or even thinking about it, take a look at the many other activities offered to Expanish volunteers!

If you are a volunteer in Argentina, you’re most likely aware of the upcoming Semana Santa (Easter Week). For those working on volunteer projects in Buenos Aires, you should be aware that offices and privately owned stores and cafes may begin to close their doors on April 1st, or Holy Thursday.

Many residents of Buenos Aires choose to spend Semana Santa outside of the bustling city, either out in the country, or at the beach, so you may notice the city quiets down a bit. Do not, however, expect the popular restaurants and cafes to be empty- Easter is easily one of the busiest days of the year for these establishments! As in most primarily Christian countries, businesses and attractions such as museums, national parks, schools, banks and post offices will be closed.

Taking advantage of volunteer opportunities in South America is an invaluable experience, however, being away from home during a holiday can be tough for some volunteers! If you’re looking for Easter services in your neighborhood, take a look at the Mass schedules at these churches and others you may happen to pass by:

Recoleta: Corazon Eucaristico de Jesus, Montevideo 1370

Palermo:  San Augustín, Las Heras 2560

San Telmo: Sagrado Corazon de Jesus, Cochabamba 1470

Monserrat: Del Nazareno, Independencia 1166

Belgrano: Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia, Avenida Cabildo 1333

Microcentro: Sagrado Corazon de Jesus, Carlos Pellegrini 1441

Stay connected to your faith while away from home working on a volunteer project in Argentina! There are plenty of churches scattered throughout the city, so be sure to check out one in your neighborhood! If you’re not celebrating the holiday, head outside in Buenos Aires this weekend- despite store closings, there is never a lack of outdoor activity in this city, especially on the weekends!

Learn more about volunteer projects in Buenos Aires offered through Expanish!

Let’s face it, it’s tough to live green when you’re traveling- just a flight to Buenos Aires leaves its mark on the environment…and its not a good one!

If you’re working on a volunteer project in Argentina, you’re undoubtedly here to make an impact.

While you’re supporting one of Expanish’s volunteer programs in Buenos Aires, take a moment to give back to our environment, and think about how you can live your life in Buenos Aires a bit greener. Here are a few simple tips that will help you to protect our environment while you’re traveling and volunteering!

- If you can manage it, don’t fly to your next destination—there are plenty of transportation options throughout Argentina. You can easily find a bus that will take you just about anywhere in South America!

- If you’re passing through Buenos Aires, try to stay in an Eco-Friendly hotel or hostel.

- Always remember to turn off the lights, fans, heaters, and air conditioners in your apartment or hostel when you are heading out!

- Bring your own toiletries from home, rather than using the disposable plastic ones provided by most hotels. Don’t request towels and sheets be washed or changed daily if your accommodations offer to provide that service.

- Do not purchase souvenirs made from plant or animal products.

- Support the local farming communities- buy locally grown fruits and vegetables.

- Do a little research when choosing tour operators and activities around Argentina. Look for those that express their support for staying as green as they can while still providing a great experience and run smaller tours—walking tours are a great alternative to a double-decker bus tour!

Expanish offers a volunteer project that places those interested in community outreach positions centered around educating others about the environment and recycling, creating green spaces throughout the city, and working together towards sustainability. Learn more about our Environment and Conservation Volunteer Program here!

There are plenty of volunteer opportunities in Argentina for you to take advantage of. While you’re enjoying your time in Buenos Aires, don’t forget about your surroundings! We should consider our impact on nature in everything we do!

Are you in Argentina taking advantage of the many volunteer opportunities in Buenos Aires that Expanish has to offer? Why not take a break from your volunteer project to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th!

International Women’s Day has been held across the globe for almost 100 years in celebration of women’s political, social, and economic achievements. Additionally, in many countries, it serves as a day for men to honor and appreciate the various women who have made an impact on their lives.

Head on down to Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires’ newest developed district, where you can find various monuments and memorials paying homage to women who have left a mark on the development and history of Buenos Aires. In fact, most every street in Puerto Madero is named after a woman!

Take a stroll over The Puente de la Mujer, or the Women’s Bridge. This pedestrian walkway was designed in 2001 to mimic the movement of a couple dancing tango. The bridges design and name is taken as a symbol of a new era and new millennium in Argentina.

Puerto Madero also offers an Audio Guide with Circuit Stops, which features the stories and voices of distinguished Argentine women, such as sculptor Lola Mora, politician Alicia Moreau de Justo, and comedian Niní Marshall.

Get out there on March 8th and let the women in your life know how much you appreciate them! While you’re taking part in volunteer programs in Buenos Aires through Expanish,  celebrating Dia de la Mujer is one of the many ways you can enhance your stay in South America!

Learn more about the volunteer projects in Buenos Aires offered through Expanish!

As most of you have heard by now, a massive 8.8 earthquake struck the country of Chile, taking the lives of hundreds and leaving thousands more homeless and in great need of resources. While you are Volunteering in Buenos Aires, don’t let distance leave you feeling helpless.

There are many ways for volunteers in Argentina to lend a hand to those in need in Chile. The organizations listed below can help to get you started helping the victims of this devastating earthquake.

Donate to the American Red Cross!

Donate to Oxfam!

Donate to the International Medical Corps!

Donate to World Vision!

Donate to Doctors Without Borders!

Donate to UNICEF!

It is difficult to understand the impact your small donation can have on such an overwhelming situation, but any amount of help is immeasurable to the people of Chile during this time. Take a break from your Volunteer program in Buenos Aires, and give a little to those in great need throughout the country of Chile.

Volunteering in Argentina?

Forget about your volunteer duties for one or two afternoons and check out Fashion Week in Buenos Aires!

http://www.bafweek.com

• Where: La Rural Predio Ferial de Buenos Aires.
• When: 24.25.26 of February 2010
• Who: Wanama, Prune, Cora Groppo, Puma, Uma, Rapsodia, Mariana Dappiano, Cook, Vicki Otero, Kostume, Como querias, que te quiera, y mas
• Why: It’s one of the biggest fashion events in Buenos Aires, and simply cannot be missed.

La Rural is the perfect place to hold this bigger than life fashion show that hits the city of Buenos Aires twice a year. Fashion lovers from all over the city come to view the latest in Latin American and world fashion, see next years inspirations, and get up and close personal with designers and local shops.

You only have three days to catch this cool event, so get together some friends, volunteer buddies, or roommates, and head to the fashion show!

Interested in volunteer programs in Buenos Aires? Check out our volunteer placements in Argentina!

Thinking about volunteering in Argentina? Want to learn more about the country, cities, people, and volunteer atmosphere there. Look no further, check out our fast facts below!

• Argentina is the second largest country in South America and the eighth largest country in the world
• The capital of Argentina is Buenos Aires
• The official religion of Argentina is Roman Catholicism
• The official language is Spanish
• European explorers entered Argentina in 1516
• The population of Argentina is about 40 million people, 1/3 of which live in Buenos Aires
• Argentina is home to the tallest waterfalls in the world, the Iguazu Falls
• 86% of Argentines are of European descent
• 14% of the population of Buenos Aires are below the poverty line
• Argentina has no formal recycling process, but instead relies on cartoneros (individuals finding recyclables and then trading it in for pesos) who are responsible for recycling in Buenos Aires.
• The majority of Argentine residents speak some English, if not, want to learn
• Argentina, and more specifically Buenos Aires, has one of the better medical practises in the world and welcomes in people from all over to have medical work done
• Buenos Aires has thousands of public hospitals that offer free or affordable medical aid to residents

If you are thinking about volunteering in Buenos Aires, check out our volunteer programs in Argentina!

Amongst us volunteers are those volunteers who are so selfless and are so eager to save the world that the rest of us have difficulties even trying to measure up to them – they are like the super heroes of volunteering.

Is this you?

4 ways to tell if you are the ultimate volunteer, willing to give it your all, every time around.

1. You have a deep and strong belief that you will be able to change the world if you just keep trying. You can’t even imagine giving up or not trying because you KNOW that your efforts will pay off, someday. 
2. You feel obligated to help and just can’t let that obligation slide, not even for a moment. You can’t let anything go, if you receive an email where just with one click you can donate .5cents to a worthy cause, you can’t possibly let it go. You must click!
3. You feel that it is your personal duty to help save the world and do not see any action as a sacrifice but rather as a calling and a duty that you are unable to ignore.
4. You know in your heart that you can make change and so can others. You do not see any situation as too big, too hopeless, or to difficult; you wholeheartedly believe that with enough strength, will, and determination, that people can make positive change and make it stick.

If you are the ultimate volunteer:

• Remember to always praise yourself on your efforts and never be hard on yourself. You can try to do the best you can every time, but sometimes, things are just not going to go the way you want them to. Don’t be hard on yourself, instead praise yourself on your hard work, and look for new ways to overcome challenges in the future.
• Remember to take time to breath, enjoy your life, and see the good in it all. Sometimes its easy for you to lose your head under all the challenges and responsibilities, don’t let that happen! You only have one life to live, so beyond your volunteer responsibilities, take time to enjoy your life!
• Everyone can only do the best they can, don’t ask for more. Take people as they are and appreciate them that way.

If you are not the ultimate volunteer:

• Continue to try your best and praise yourself on all of your accomplishments! You are doing great!
• Remember that everyone has a calling in their life, some are meant to devote themselves to helping others and other people are meant to do what they can, when they can. Don’t push yourself to be someone that you are not.
• Find time in your life to volunteer and help out a worthy cause but and also find time in your life to live your life. You only get one go, so live it up!

Interested in taking some time out to volunteer in South America? Check out our volunteer programs in Argentina and why volunteering in Buenos Aires is a great opportunity!

The majority of us will agree that one of the most important aspects of living abroad is the people that you meet. Often, you get to know people from different countries, traveling for different reasons, who have different interests, but you still find a connection based on the fact that you are both foreigners in a foreign country. Often, traveler’s are more social and more open when abroad than they are in their own country as they know they only are given certain chances to meet new people who will help them shape their experience, and vice versa.

Turning a travel experience into a volunteer experience brings even more dimensions into the mix as the people you meet while volunteering are not only foreigners like you but have also come abroad for the same reason, volunteering in the same cause, and going through the same experiences. These will be key people in your volunteer experience in Argentina.

3 Simple step to Make Friends on the Road! 

Be Nice – but I mean, really nice

Everyone likes nice people because they are nice to talk to. So when you are scouting out new friends, be nice to them, be genuinely interested in them, and use that skill called ‘listening’. Ask about their travel plans, their experiences, their interests, and anything else that you can also later expand on in order to make a connection. Again, if you are volunteering in Buenos Aires, you will most likely find volunteers that have a lot of the same interests and goals as you!

Be Yourself

The best way to make friends is to be yourself and attract people that are naturally attract to you. Don’t hide yourself away or try to go along with what someone else is saying because you are too nervous to express your ideas/opinions. If you are honest with who you are and show that to your new potential friends, you will find friends that are perfectly suited to you.

Positioning

Put yourself in the right places to meet the right types of friends. Don’t narrow your search down to only the hours when you are volunteering in Buenos Aires, but extend it to all times. Invite other volunteers to go to a local bar and watch live music, spend a Saturday at the park, etc. Invite others to bring their friends, this way, everyone gets to meet new people in the right situations. If you love wine tasting, invite some of your fellow volunteers to a wine tasting seminar and try to meet some new people there, at least you’ll know that you all love to try new wine!

Come Volunteer in Buenos Aires this 2010 with Expanish! Start your travels today!

Arriving in any new country and city is always a thrilling, unexpected, and very new experience.  From that first moment when you arrive outside from the airport, when you take your first breath of an unusual air, and feast your eyes on different style cars and people, you know you have arrived.

For those volunteers in Argentina who are arriving into this eclectic country of Tango, wine, and soccer fans, here is a list that can prepare you on What to Expect on Your First Visit to Buenos Aires.

1. If you are arriving between now and March, you can expect a warm gust of air to hit your face when you step out of the airport. Summer and Spring here see high temperatures in the 20’s and 30’s with humidity.

2. Traffic on the main highways is quick and intense ( city of 13 million people) and although it may seem slightly disorganized to a foreign eye, these people know exactly what they are doing.

3. Apartment buildings and high rises line the streets in Buenos Aires. If you are anywhere in central Buenos Aires, don’t expect to see a lot of low rise buildings or houses; this is a city of apartments and tall buildings, like Paris or New York, and all that low-rise stuff is found further outside of the city.

4. People of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Argentina has a strong Latin American influence as well as as strong European influence. You will find that some people have very dark skin, dark hair, and brown eyes, and then others are blonde, fair skinned, and blue eyed.

5. There are restaurants and cafes everywhere. Every where you look there are places to catch a bite to eat or a drink. The people of Buenos Aires love to dine out and do so for both lunch and dinner, the reason why the dining scene here is busy every night of the week.

6. There is a strong contrast between the lower class, middle class, and higher class areas. For example, if you visit Retiro neighborhood, a very expensive area, you will see that it borders a very poor area (shanty town), only separated by a train line. If you are hanging out in the central parts of Buenos Aires, it is easy to forget about the dozens of shanty towns located around the city. Check out volunteer programs in Buenos Aires that help local communities! 

7. Transportation is everywhere in the city. Buses, taxis, subways, and trains are available throughout the day and night, 7 days a week.

8. There is a lot of green space for a city that is so big. The people and government of Buenos Aires take their green spaces very seriously and put great efforts in keeping them clean and preserving them. If you are interested in the environment, ask our staff about Environmental Volunteer opportunities!

9. Argentina is pretty up-to-date with the rest of the world. Any sorts of gadgets, electronics, etc, can be found in Argentine. Occasionally, due to shipping distances, prices may be slightly higher than in other countries where mass quantities are ordered.

10. Buenos Aires is beautiful and full of life. The architecture, parks, plazas, avenues, cobblestone streets, daily life, night life, people, culture and traditions are all spectacular and sure to offer a great experience to anyone.

We guarantee that you will love Buenos Aires! Volunteer in Argentina 2010!