I have to admit that when I first arrived in Argentina to stay for a year for work I knew very little of the gay life I would come across. Other than the widely familiar, mousse-haired stereotypes of tango dancers, I had heard of the Argentines being undeniably famous as hot Latin lovers (that in the context of old and cold Europe ), and of their most frightening weapon when it comes to making the rest of us fall into their trap: their swift and always ready ability of speech.

At first, among other things I was surprised at the use of varied terms by the local gay community to label me and themselves. All of a sudden I was named a ‘ Gallego ,' although I wasn't born in Galicia, and I became a ‘ puto ,' term that where I come from is reminiscent of prostitution rather than a sexual orientation –comparable to the difference in meaning between Spain's so recurrent and harmless term ‘ concha ' and its taboo Argentine counterpart signifying vagina.

Once I understood the value of words and their different meanings, I was presented with a country in which men (even the boldest Patagonic gauchos ) greet each other with cordial kisses, an occurrence I thanked for and which I had only witnessed in less Western countries.

Buenos Aires , city of contrasts, powerful and mundane, gradually showed me, through a number of cues, a plethora of codes of a large, diverse and ever more visible community. Argentina is much more than Buenos Aires , they would tell me, and geographically it certainly is. However, as far as this article is concerned, Buenos Aires ' weight in terms of activism and presence is great. The legislation in Buenos Aires , to the amazement of many foreigners, grants civil union to same-sex individuals, providing a legal framework that, although not matching Spain 's same-sex marriage, is a great advancement from the persecution and lack of legislation prevailing in many countries. The growing replevying and organizational role that I witnessed in the gay pride parade showcased a community strongly willing to do new things and claim their due place.

Meeting people from the ‘community' turned out to be spontaneous and casual –friends from all walks of life who showed me the Buenos Aires or Porteño idiosyncrasy with hospitality and generosity, helping me tell the good stuff from the fake. I learned with them to enjoy friendship irrespective of where you come from. Globalization goes beyond the Internet –it also involves finding your place thousands of miles from home.

Buenos Aires is an open and hedonist city, in which every neighborhood deserves a thousand adjectives. An ever more important destination in the world's gay travel map, clubs, restaurants, and theaters provide specialized leisure options that can hardly be paralleled. Among my Argentine findings are my friends at G maps, who systematize and present the Porteño (from Buenos Aires ) leisure activities in a practical and fun manner. Don't miss out on them –they'll show you a different Buenos Aires .

I encourage you to discover that ‘other' Buenos Aires –that which is yours and will make you feel at home and will certainly leave an imprint in you. It happened to me, almost a Porteño .