I am David Cummings, alias The English Gaucho. I am from London and now live in Argentina.

1. Why did you move abroad?
I like to live in different countries and experience different cultures. Some times it works out sometimes not. At the moment I have  been in Argentina for seven-  no wait, wow eight years – where does the time go – its worked out fine here luckily enough.

2. How do you make a living?
I was a musician and had the chance to travel around the world playing guitar and singing. Gave me the chance to live in some great countries such as Spain, Sweden and France and for short while the USA. I gave it up when I came here (lucky for the public he he) to run my estancia (www.estancialamargarita.com) . The estancia is open to the public and we grow soya and rear cows.

3. How often do you communicate with home and how?
I try to get back once a year by plane but always depends on the price  of tickets –London is a long way from where I live now in Argentina. I speak to them on Skype or by email.

4. What's your favorite thing about being an expat in  Argentina?
Loads of things here in Argentina. For a start it’s a lot warmer here than my country and I don’t like cold. That said it can get chilly here in winter but Brazil is not too far luckily enough! I also like the fact that there are few speed cameras here!

5. What’s the worst thing about being an expat in Argentina?
Wow that made me think cos I couldn’t think of any general things. That’s not to say it’s all good umm let me think. Well the worst thing for me is I can’t get my residency because they changed the rules. And that’s the thing here, they move the goal posts a lot so that makes  planning hard especially when you are in business so that probably the  worst thing for me – oh and the steak is great so I always eat too much  red meat  - got to stop that!

6. What do you miss most?
My family and marmite

7. What did you do to meet people and integrate in your new home?
When I first came here it was through things like Toastmasters and other organizations where I could attempt to  improve my bad Spanish. After I became the owner of La Margarita a whole
new world opened up for me. I meet loads of guest who come to visit us and in the small town where the estancia is located I have meet lots of Argentines who have become friends

8. What custom/ habits do you find most strange about your adopted culture?
At first when I came here it was the fact that everyone seemed to eat  really late – I was used to eating fairly late myself but eating at 10 – 11 seemed extreme. Now I am used to it and when I am in the UK its  really odd for me to eat early.

9. What is a myth about your adopted country?
I think it’s the fact that some people seem to think it’s dangerous  here. Sure there are places you wouldn’t take your granny to but normally Argentina is a safe country – just avoid the woman!

10. What advice would you give other expats?
Learn the language, don’t lose your temper driving and enjoy yourself

11. When and why did you start your blog?
I started it about 3 years to give people and insight of life here and about living on an estancia at the end of the world.

12.  How has the blog been beneficial?
It’s been great to see the number of readers grow and to hear the comments of guests who have come to the La Margarita after having read it and said that it helped them to get an ides of what they would find here.

David's blog, English Gaucho

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