Puzzling things I’ve noticed in Buenos Aires
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One of the benefits of studying abroad is the opportunity to discover the small but surprising differences that each city has to offer. Everyone will tell you about the mate culture or European architecture, but what about the subtle differences that often go overlooked? These are a few things I’ve noticed in Buenos Aires that someone just passing through for a weekend might miss.
The Mystery of the Es
While walking around the city, you might spot a small metal sheet cut into the shape of an uppercase E (shown below). This really confused me when I first arrived. Sometimes I’d see one lying by itself, while other times I’d find them scattered across the streets like confetti. They seemed to be everywhere, but for the longest time, I had no idea what they were.
After doing some digging, I discovered that they’re transformer-core laminations, components of electrical transformers that metal scrappers discard on the street after extracting the valuable copper.
These metal sheets are typically stacked on top of one another, which explains why so many tend to accumulate in the same area.
While I enjoyed solving the mystery of the Es, the truth reveals a more troubling reality: the economic disparity Buenos Aires faces. This litter is the aftermath of illegal metal scrapping, a practice that some people resort to for extra income in a city where the cost of living is high relative to typical wages.
The AI Craze
There have been so many times when I’ve stopped into a cute café and noticed something odd about the menu. The illustrations have lines that don’t quite look right, or the pictures of desserts appear impossibly smooth and glossy. AI-generated art seems to be everywhere in Buenos Aires, and I’ve noticed it most often in restaurant advertisements.
Personally, I think hand-drawn illustrations and real photos of menu items will always be better than AI-generated images, especially because the latter make me a little suspicious. If your food really looks that good, why not just take a picture instead of asking ChatGPT?
Cash Discounts
Another thing that surprised me when I first arrived was the signage advertising descuentos en efectivo (cash discounts). At cafés and restaurants, paying in cash can often get you a discount of 10 to 15 percent. It’s also interesting to see how different businesses frame the same price difference: some advertise a discount for paying in cash, while others warn customers that paying by card comes with an extra charge.
This difference is partly due to the processing fees that payment providers such as Visa and Mastercard charge merchants, which can add up and eat into small businesses’ profits.
I just wish someone had told me to bring more cash! I could’ve saved a fortune by the end of my time here.
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