Argentine Gifts - Drink Edition

I'm running out of time but wanted to mention a few other uniquely Argentine gifts. If you've ever been to Argentina you probably recognize the bottle of Fernet Branca above. This tiny version was found at a wine store and will be much easier to lug home than a full bottle but it still gives the recipient the full Argentine experience. Read more about Fernet here. 

If you want to give a mate to someone who won't actually drink it, how about a keychain from Raices instead?

And finally, I've mentioned Inti Zen tea before, but it's worth a reminder. The variety box gives you 8 blends including yerba mate and dulce de leche. Happy Holidays from Argentina!

The Passion of The Soap

Before you rush home for Christmas/New Year/Whatnot you'll have to pick up some souvenirs from your beloved Argentina. Dulce de leche and Malbec are soooo overdone. I thought I would dedicate a few posts to Argentine souvenirs. 

I really love the soap from La Pasionaria (and no, they're not paying me to say so...though they should since I buy so much of it). And, they have several Argentine-themed soaps - perfect souvenirs!

Here's one from the Patriotic Scents line (which includes the three flowers considered in the contest for the national flower). The orange one (pictured below) is not the winner but is my favorite and is actually la passionaria.

And instead of taking home a tub of dulce de leche (which you can actually buy in the states), you can take an easy-to-pack bar of dulce de leche scented soap, which is oh so much easier for packing.

And in case you want to pass along Argentina's signature drink but don't want to have to smuggle all the gear and a package of yerba home, here's Yerba Mate soap! (Look - it even explains what it is in English on the package).

Wow, it seems that I have confessed my love for this exclusively Argentine brand but I couldn't help but get carried away - the soaps were just so photogenic. The shops are in various locations around the country and there are several in Rosario including a kiosk in both malls. Most soaps are sold in sets of three in addition in individual bars. There's a three-pack of red wine scents too. ¡Salud!

Permanent Residency Obtained

(FYI-You need a copy of the signed page in this book to apply for residency based on marriage)

We celebrated our one year wedding anniversary last week. Weeee! And yet, I still hadn't gotten notice from the immigration office regarding my residency. As a reminder, I've had to renew my temporary version of permanent residency every three months since we submitted all required information to immigration right after our wedding.

As a heads up to anyone who has to go to the immigration office in Rosario - they've decided that they will just give out a finite amount of numbers each day so you can't just go during open hours and expect to be helped. They were out of numbers before 11am yesterday.

So, here's something that they don't tell you: You can check the status of your residency application here - click Consulte Su Trámite de Residencia. This is how we learned that my permanent residency had come through and my papers were ready to be picked up as of November 1. However, the immigration office had told us to wait for a notice to come in the mail. Don't do that. It's December 1 and I haven't received a notice. Just go get your stuff. So, now I have some more papers (that don't even have my photo stapled to them this time), which allow me to apply for a DNI.

So, previously I had thought that a DNI was required for me to apply for an American residency visa on behalf of my spouse. However, after communication with the US embassy in Buenos Aires, it seems that an established residency (so, Residencia Precaria in my case) is sufficient. Then what could possibly be the benefit of applying for a DNI at this point? Well, I suppose that I'll be able to get a credit card from the grocery store now. Hmmmm. Question: is having a DNI overrated???