Me: “Great, I’ll take this one” (I point at the simplest thing they have, not wanting to fuss much about gadgets.)
Him: “Okay, let me just get a few forms…” (Reaches under his desk and takes out a few forms)
Him: “Your name?” (I give him my name.)
Him: “Do you have your passport with you?”
Me: “Erm…. passport? No, not with me.”
Him: “Do you know your passport number?”
Me: “Nope.”
Him: “Well, you can just make one up. This is Argentina.”
Me: “Ermm… okay.”
(He brings his colleague over and together they come up with a passport number for me.)
Him: “Now I just need you to sign here, and here, and here. And here. And here.”
(I sign here, and here, and here. And here. And here. I forget my “passport” number, so I make up another one in the space that asks for it. I should remember to check the Lotto numbers later tonight.)
Him (on the phone): “Yes, it’s me, from the store on Callao. Here is her name, the phone’s serial number, blah blah blah. Okay. Yes, I’m ready, what’s her new phone number? Ok, 11…. hola? Hollllaaaaa? HHOOOLLLAAAA?????” (He’s on a cell phone and the connection was lost. At the cell phone store.)
Him: “Well, in the meantime, I also need you to sign here….and here. And here, here….. here. And…… here. No, there. Yes, and here. And there. And your passport number again.”
(I realize that by the end of this visit, I will have 3 different passport numbers, none of which are mine.)
Him (on the phone): “Yes, it’s me again, at the store on Callao. The number again? Hello? What? Oh, okay. 11….HUH? EH? HOLA??!!!!” (The cell phone went out at the cell phone store again.)
Him (on the phone again): “Yes okay, now tell me the number again… wait I can’t here you!” (At this moment a marching band marches by the door, banging drums very loudly.)
Finally… (Him) “Okay, yes, hurry up, give the number to me: Ok, 11…..” (gets the number, hands me my copies of needless bureaucracy, and wishes me a good day, apologizing for the wait.)
Mind you, this is at a store of what I think is the biggest carrier.
Oh, and I wasn’t kidding about the marching band - it’s Fat Tuesday. Actually I wasn’t kidding about any of it. 
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9 users responded in this post
Brilliant. Just brilliant! I think I may have been at that same store
Ha, it took me less trouble to get one outside of Palermo Shopping mall. Just show him my NYS driver’s license. No forms, no signature. 40 peso for the sim, and 20 peso for the prepaid card.
I am always faking my passport number for this and that, for everything really. And you know what; I actually made copies of my passport for every purse I have, but I never seem to use them when needed.
LOL!
I usually put down my CA Driver’s License # as that one I can remember!
So, how DO you translate SIM card, anyway?
Everyone I know up here told me how easy is would be to set up my existing phone while there… all MSties (no offence intended), but it turned out not to be. My cellphone turned out to be the only accurate ‘clock’ that I had around wherever I was.
Next time, computer only, and email only….I mean, between dancing, dance lessons, and FOOD, who really needs a phone anyway.
scott
Hi Scott - well, it depends on how long you are staying and what kinds of things you like to do. I’m here for a good amount of time (a month or so) and have friends I keep in touch with here - so having a cell phone is really nice for plans, etc. It’s also nice for making reservations, etc.
That’s what locutorios are for 
If you find you’re okay without one, then why bother
By the way, you mentioned not knowing about the ice cream - remember this word “helado” and look for “helado artesanal” so you can have gooood house-made ice cream
hahaha
Well…I thought that Italy was crazy, but this time Argentina wins!
(well…ok..90% of Argentinians are Italian :-))
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