The number of Argentines leaving the country is rising once again, a reversal of the trend since emigrations were lessening after the peak of the devaluation crisis.According to the Clarín, 37,502 Argentines have left the country this year, up from 28.572 in all of 2007 and 14,673 in 2006.The peak of Argentine immigration, of course, was soon after the peso crash, when in 2002 91,370 Argentines left the country.However, after 2002, numbers began to drop quickly and it wasn’t until 2006 that they began to rise again.Speculating on why, the report suggests that more and more Argentines are leaving to study abroad, to take advantage of career opportunities that may not be available in Argentina, and to escape fears about Argentina’s uncertain future.Scholars looking at these figures stress that they do include tourists and business travelers; not all are actually emigrants.

Read the rest of this entry »

The movie “Un novio para mi mujer,” has for the last two weeks been number one in the box offices of the nation.  It was ahead of blockbusters from the United States like Batman: The Dark Night, the third Mummy movie, and Momma Mia! which opened just this past Thurday. By besting these many cultural imports, this Argentine comedy by Juan Taratuto is doing Argentine cinema proud. The movie stars Adrián Suar and Valeria Bertuccelli, a couple in an unhappy marriage. The man wants to leave his wife but is too afraid of her to do it, so his friends start looking for a man to seduce his wife and give him grounds for divorce.According to the Clarín, in “Un novio’s” opening weekend, 40 percent of tickets sold in Argentina were to see that film, setting a record for sales of a national movie.

Read the rest of this entry »

On the last day of July, Cerro Catedral, Bariloche’s major ski slope, registered a record number of skiers in a single day: 13,023.These skiers are being heralded as the “true” start of the winter ski season, a refrain we have heard several times now as the snows keep coming and then not lasting.However, according to Diario Rio Negro, people in Bariloche are optimistic that the average number of skiers a day last year, 11,000, will begin to be met this year too.Another ski resort that is seeing its numbers improve is Chapelco, at San Martín de los Andes.Over the past weekend, number of skiers there exceeded the number they had last year by five percent.Skiing is a popular way for families to spend their winter vacations, and ski resorts can only hope that these excellent numbers continue throughout the month of August.

Read the rest of this entry »

Argentine tennis player Juan Martín Del Potro defeated Jürgen Melzer to move to the number 25 position in the ATP rankings.According the BBC, the Mercedes Cup, held in Stuttgart, Germany and on clay courts, is Potro’s first career title.The win makes Potro one of three Argentines in the top twenty; the other two are 7th ranked David Nalbandian and 19th ranked Juan Monaco.Only 19 years old, Potro said that he was thrilled to win a tournament, which had been a childhood dream.Along with the title, he won a new luxury convertible.If he wants to keep it looking nice, he better keep it off the streets of Buenos Aires!

Read the rest of this entry »