La Cabrera = Delicious

Nisha and I wandered back to Palermo Soho last night for another delicious meal at La Cabrera. The steak is absolutely amazing at this place and definitely my favorite (hence the second visit.) I even ordered my own so I could have leftovers as a mid-day snack.

The sides are equally as good and very unique. The best: mashed pumpkin with raisins. Coming in at a close second: seasoned fresh mozzarella with tomatoes. (I picked a hot and a cold one.) Even the bread and baked garlic they provide within the first five minutes you enter the place is incredible.

And even better -- my delicious meal, wine, and great service only cost us about $119 pesos or about $31 dollars each. Try and get that in DC!

Our Dedicated Tour Guide

Ok, more like unofficial tour guide, but Humberto (fellow MBA classmate, also from Honduras) has done an excellent job of helping those of us who speak poor Spanish (or no Spanish at all) communicate with the locals. He commented the first day of class that he would act as our tour guide and has done a nice job.

It has been tough as there are not too many people who speak fluent English. This makes me wish I had listened to the Spanish lesson podcast I put on my iPod, yes.

Above: A true moment of translation from Humberto at a local tango club.

Keith went public with his Spanish speaking issues in a recent blog post. Not all of us are admitting to this level of inability to speak with the locals…we appreciate Keith's honesty and Humberto's assistance.

When Do They Sleep? And More Insight from 3 BA Entrepreneurs

I really don’t know how the Argentine population does it. They go to work, then many work a second job - maybe out of fear for another financial crisis – then they eat dinner out around 10:00 pm, despite the rising costs and worries about looming inflation (the government is only predicting it at around 11% when it’s really looking like 21% in the next year). After a long day, they stay out until the early morning and repeat.

I guess the coffee is a little stronger.

Speaking of coffee, we had a few visitors to the Starbucks located near our meeting. But no great deal on the prices - it might be the $10,000 (USD) they are spending for this prime rental space in Palermo.

It appears to be an intense lifestyle and we were given further insight today about the differences between Argentina and the US from 3 ex-pats who are currently running their own businesses.

Joining us from the from several unique industries: Martin, Daniel, and Jed. Three businessmen, three different backgrounds and a two hour conversation full of stories, good and bad, issues they have run into and, of course, an attempted wine sale from Daniel. (He’s an entrepreneur, what can we expect?)

“Before we leave...does anyone want any wine? It’s a great Malbec, I will sell it to you for 40 pesos, you can’t get this stuff in the States. I will need the cash up front.”

...and if anyone has seen Andrew’s wine, please return it to him.

Daniel runs a shipping business to import limited-production wines from Argentina to visitors from the US, which is cheaper than shipping it back the old fashioned way.

Jed created a tourism website that goes above and beyond the tour guides you can buy or travel sites you have probably visited, and Martin (a former DC resident and GWU grad) owns a bar in the popular Palermo neighborhood and as a side gig founded Expat Connection, to connect (as the name implies) ex-pats in the area.

We really enjoyed the opportunity to casually interact with Daniel, Jed, and Martin.

Additionally, prior to our discussion we also heard separately from Andres Ruz, the Information Technology director for a specialty chemical company that focuses on oil and gas production problems, Champion Technologies, headquartered in BA.

Andres did a fantastic job filling us in on the differences he encounters in the regional area and an PEST (Political, Economic, Social, Technological) analysis for not just Argentina, but Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

Professor Dubois with Andres Ruz, Champion Technologies IT Regional Manager.

Company Visits and More Steak

Today our first visit was to Lear Corporation, about an hour outside of BA. We were all pretty exhausted when we met in the lobby around 8:45am (the tango show ended last night until around 12:30 am) but the coffee helped us with that problem.

Lear Corp. manufactures electronics for automobiles and their main customer is Ford, which has a plant close by and accounts for about 80% of their sales. After an in-depth company background, led by Plant Manager Roberto Sabatini, we discussed what was going on in the automotive industry and how this has affected Lear.

Recently the company declared bankruptcy, but sales through Ford are allowing them to continue to grow. A major issue the company is running into in Argentina is the price wars they are encountering between the buyers and suppliers. The presentation ended with a tour of the facility.

Side note: We noticed a particularly strong interest from Professor Dubois during this presentation; he really has a fascination with automotive repair and electronics.

Currently I’m writing this post on the bus as I’m listening to Andrea and Mike as they create plans for a copper company based in Chile. A lot of laughter is going on and but I think this is a serious venture. The plan is for Andrea to do the mining and sifting for copper and Mike remains in the states and collects the profits. We’re obviously learning a lot about building a strong company. But on a more serious note, everyone in the group is getting along great, sharing laughs and engaging in interesting discussions during our company visits.

Next up today: Bodega Norton. Bodega Norton was the first winery in Mendoza, Argentina. Unfortunately we are not visiting their actual winery in Mendoza (as it about a two-hour flight from BA) but meeting in their BA office for what we know will be some form of a steak lunch and insight about how they plan to further saturate the global market with their high-quality but low priced wine.

Pictured below are some photos from the visit, another steak lunch (it's starting to get out of hand as you can tell.) Unfortunately we didn't get any photos from Lear Corporation or the tour because our cameras were confiscated upon our arrival.

Tango, Steak and more!

I'm trying to catch up from the past few days, because I have a lot to share and we have to be back on the bus for our first company visit today in about 10 minutes.

Since Tuesday morning, we have stayed very busy and yesterday (Wednesday) was the first day of company visits (Kimberly Clark and AmCham), along with a tango show, lessons and -- of course -- a steak dinner. I'm adding some photos below from the past few days...

Steak. Enough said right there. This is lunch AND dinner, in portions that could feed a small family.

Last night's tango show was located at the Almacen, a historic landmark and famous site in Buenos Aires. Pictures from the show below!
We also had lessons before the show, I graduated and have the certificate to prove it. (Barely.)

The band during the show.

The group at dinner before the show. We worked up quite an appetite from the tango lessons!

La Boca, the colorful streets of Buenos Aires. I don't think you can take a bad photo in this area.

...And the lovely traffic. Think Wisconsin Avenue during rush hour, with drivers who do not believe in staying in their lanes.

AmCham visit and roundtable discussion was at the American Club in downtown Buenos Aires.

Professor Dubois presenting a gift to our guest speaker at AmCham, Professor J. Garcia Enciso.

Walking back from the AmCham visit, you can see the Obelisk and just one half of the 12-lane road in BA.

Avenue de Julio. Do not cross, I repeat, do not cross when you have a "don't walk" sign. Common sense I know, so actually, don't even stand on the edge of the sidewalk. I sound like I live on a farm with that comment, but the drivers here are definitely crazy.

More to come!

To Uruguay and Back

As I mentioned below, we took an overnight trip to Colonia, Uruguay via the Buquebus. It wouldn't be fair to call this a ferry, more like a cruise ship. OK... that might be a tiny bit of stretch, but I was very impressed by the service. The terminal in Argentina was just as impressive.

The trip was about an hour there and about two on the way home - larger boat, slower speed, with another hour time difference in there. Oh, and a suggestion: when you depart customs from Argentina, hold on to EVERYTHING they give you...even that small piece of paper...you know the one that was attached to your boarding pass and you didn't think you would ever need it again.

Overheard in the Uruguay customs office on Monday, December 14 around 6:00pm, a conversation went something like this:

Amanda: "$34 USDs because I forgot the irrelevant piece of paper?? Here's $40."
Customs Official: "No change."
Andrea: "Bite the bullet, Amanda. We need to get back to Buenos Aires."

Colonia is the oldest city in Uruguay; strolling around town, that was very apparent in the buildings and the roads. Their newly elected president, José Mujica, is interesting because he served jail time prior to his election. Check out some more info about Mujica in the article I linked to above.

Here's a photo from the boat ride back. It got a little chilly as we enjoyed the view from the upper deck with the breeze. (Plus we stole massive amounts of sunshine during the 84 degree day by the pool - a priceless souvenir - but I might have taken a little too much.) The sunset was amazing and the Buenos Aires skyline was equally beautiful.



Looking forward to this afternoon for the group to gather and the tour of Buenos Aires, as there is so much more to see!

Welcome to Buenos Aires

Well, we have officially been exposed to life in Buenos Aires (and a few of us have seen Colonia, Uruguay, too) for the past 24 hours. I can honestly say we are enjoying every moment.

After an on-time flight (thumbs up to American Airlines) from both DC to Miami and then Miami to Buenos Aires, I arrived in the city around 8:00 a.m. Sunday morning and as you will see pictured above, I happened to walk by this lovely galleria (recognize it?), and visited a local coffee shop across the street with my fellow classmate, Keith. (Who, by the way, was randomly assigned to seat 35B - I was in 35A...I still think it's pretty crazy that I was assigned to sit next to someone I actually KNEW. )

After a day of sunning and touring historic Colonia, we are scheduled to meet with the rest of the group as our orientation takes place at 11:00 a.m.

I have a few photos to post from our trip to Uruguay and will take care of that tomorrow since it's already 3:00 a.m. and I'm in need of sleep.

The First Arrival

We just received an email from one of our classmates, Nisha, as she just arrived in Buenos Aires. I thought I would post what she sent to the group.

Hi All,

Just wanted to let you know I finally reached Buenos Aires safe and sound after a one-day delayed travel due to weather on Wednesday night. It's a bit dreary and rainy here today but warm and humid. For those arriving this weekend--it's supposed to be hot and sunny! The people here are SO very nice!!!!

Just wanted to report back that there was no extra fee/charge at customs on the way in. With regards to exchanging money, we just took money out of the HSBC atm machine after clearing customs and getting our luggage. The driver told us that the best place to exchange money in the city is at an actual bank which will give you the best rate. It took a little over an hour to get from the airport to the Palermo because of rush hour traffic. The drive here was interesting--the driver was really nice, giving us tips on the local attractions, but I thought we may die on the drive over as people drive crazy! Currently staying in Palermo Soho and about to explore and get me a steak!

Hope you all have a safe trip out here and see you soon!

I'm glad to hear the extra fee of around $180 was not charged upon arrival in Argentina, a new tourist fee that is not supposed to go into effect until 2010, but we were warned might be collected prior.

Well, I will be able to check into my flight in a few hours and will be on my way in no time. I am excited to share photos, add more content and stories during the trip!

48 Hours Until Departure...and Yes, I Still Need to Pack

As I enter the 48 hour window before leaving the US, I still have a few minor details to take care of:

1. Buyer behavior final exam
2. International business take home exam (for the Argentina course)
3. A nice little to-do list at work
4. Oh yeah, and I need to pack.

But that's definitely not standing in the way of my excitement level continuing to grow.

So, what's the plan? The program officially kicks off with an orientation on Tuesday morning at the hotel and Kogod's International Programs Director at Kogod, Kari Lininger has been working away on the pre-departure details for the group. Last night we received our rooming assignments and further details about where to meet. Tuesday afternoon will be spent on a city tour including highlights such as Recoleta Cemetery, Recoletas crafts fair, Plaza de Mayo, Case Rosada Presidential Palace, the Obelisk and La Boca to name a few. Other plans for Tuesday night include a group dinner at La Cabrera (thanks to Margaret for organizing this!)

Wednesday kicks off our company visits starting with Kimberly Clark in the morning with a discussion about their experience in the region and opportunities in emerging markets. From there, we grab lunch and are off to Amcham and then the Argentine Rural Society. The night ends with a tango dinner show and lessons. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

But back up - I'm leaving in 48 hours so what's the plan for the first few days? Well, a fellow classmate of mine, Andrea and I are taking the Buquebus or otherwise known as a ferry to Colonia del Sacramento, the oldest town in Uruguay for a short 24-hour trip.

Just to think, last week at this time we were still in class and I was preparing to present with my classmate, Nisha, on the recommendations for a revival plan as the Argentine economy was collapsing. (The last and final chapter of the book we read for the course.) And now here I am in the 48 hour window!

Visit from the U.S. Commercial Service Regional Director

During our last class, we had a visitor from the U.S. Commerical Service speak to us about his experience working as the Commerical Counselor for Argentina and Uruguay at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires.

Brian Brisson, currently the Regional Director for the Western Hemisphere in the U.S. Commerical Service enthusiastically shared his experiences doing business with local Argentine companies and his role assisting American companies in this endeavor (and I mean enthusiastic for a 8:10pm class.) Aside from sharing numbers, financials, and current information about exports and imports to/from BA, he also provided further insight into the culture and experiences American executives have encountered in BA - overall a great presentation.

International Dimensions in Management is Underway

Well, I'm a few weeks behind (go figure) but the course, International Dimensions in Management, which complements our travel to Buenos Aires is well underway. Our coursework includes two readings - a book by Paul Blustein And the Money Kept Rolling in (and Out) as well as Doing Business in Argentina a guide to the rules and regs of conducting business as a resident or an entity abroad.

While we are busy preparing and presenting our findings and insight from the readings in our Thursday night meetings, we have all managed to finalize our travel arrangements for the trip.  I depart for BA on December 12 and plan on spending a few days sightseeing with a few of the others before we begin our site visits for the program on the 15th.

Visit to the Argentine Embassy

On Friday, November 13, Professor Dubois arranged for us to meet at the Argentine Embassy.

Located in downtown DC, the embassy is located only a few blocks from the Dupont metro stop. As we gathered outside of the embassy, which is barely visable due to the scaffolding covering most of the exterior, we weren't 100% sure what to expect during our meeting. However, after entering through the large wooden doors and passing through somewhat of a security checkpoint, we were greeted by Counselor Gustavo Lunazzi, who then presented us with a valuable overview of the country. We took a deeper look the Argentine economy and the movement in the past few years, discussed what current residents think of the female president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, and of course a little insight about life in BA.


Pictured above is most of our group, including Counselor Gustavo Lunazzi.

December is Summertime in Argentina

With about six months and around 10 credits left until I finish my MBA at Kogod, I made the decision this past summer to take advantage of a course that would require something I love so very much: travel.

In about a month, I'm heading to Buenos Aires, Argentina with 16 other AU students along with Kogod International Business Professor Frank Dubois. We have a lot of ground to cover in terms coursework and company research before we leave, but I know we will be enjoying summertime in December sooner than I think.

Our trip includes a great line up of company visits from industries across the board including Google Argentina, Wyeth Pharmaceutical, Bodegas Norton and Kimberly Clark to name a few, as well as activities such as kayaking in Tigre and a visit to La Candelaria, a traditional Argentine estancia.

Oh, and what would a visit to Argentina be with out a tango lesson or two and a traditional BBQ lunch? All on the agenda as well as steak dinners. From what I hear, BA's the steak capital of the world, cost effective and cooked to perfection.