How to Hang with the Locals

This week's class really drove home the idea that Argentinians are very social people. During my sophomore year of undergraduate study, I studied abroad for a semester in Rouen, France. During the discussions and readings we had this week, I found myself comparing Argentinians to the French. Overall, it was refreshing to learn that Argentinians are open to meeting new people and believe in hospitality. Who knows, perhaps we'll get invited to a barbecue!

The best part about this chapter was about the "dos" and "don'ts" of physical gestures, behavior and topics of conversation. It was so easily to see how the Argentinian culture has been influenced by European, because much of what's considered acceptable behavior and what's considered taboo are the same. This includes the kiss on the cheek greeting, the body language and hand gestures, the lack of timekeeping, the social atmosphere of the café and the complete intolerance for public drunkenness.

I'm not much of a coffee drinker, although I did drink espresso in Europe occasionally, but I am really looking forward to trying many of the wines that are unique to the region, especially after learning so much about wine in France. Argentina and Chile produce some of the best wines of the world and are known for their Malbec wine. I will try them, but I'll just have to be sure to maintain my social dignity!

It's less than three weeks before we leave for our trip, to say I'm getting more and more excited by the day would be a vast understatement. So, I'm going to start blogging more often as the trip gets closer!

Gauchos, bombillas and truco, oh my!

This week's reading was my favorite so far. We read about some of the great foundations of Argentinian society and culture - the folklore. Not surprisingly, one portion of this reading was about gauchos. I consider them to be the equivalent of American cowboys in the wild, wild Western days. Gauchos still exist today, as do several items that are well known in Argentinian folklore, such as the facón and boleadoras. The facón is a knife that gauchos keep on them at all times and boleadoras are a weapon consisting of two or three balls tied to a rope. I'll be looking for these items while in Argentina but I doubt I can bring home any real ones on the plane!

I really enjoyed reading about truco, which is an Argentinian card game. I love playing cards, and this game seems like it would be a lot of fun. To play, teams of two players each play with Argentinian cards, consisting of 40 cards instead of 52. Each player can give gestures to try and tip off their teammate as to what cards they're holding. The author explained that a great deal of skill is involved and Argentinians are true pros. I'm going to study up on it and see if I can challenge some locals while I'm there!

Mate is something else I'm excited to try while in Argentina. It's a green infusion, sort of like green tea, and it has a very social element to it. In everyday life, Argentinians will share a mate between a group of people, all drinking through the same bombilla, which is like a straw but oftentimes made out of metal. That will be something different for us Americans who do not usually share our utensils! We'll also be visiting a mate plantation while there, so it will be really neat to see the production behind this cultural phenomenon.

On Friday, we'll be talking more about the social side of Argentinian culture - especially the "dos" and "don'ts"  of interacting with Argentinians. It promises to be a very helpful lesson!

Who are Argentinians?

Perhaps the most important thing to learn before traveling to Argentina and Chile is about the people I will be interacting with each day. This past week, we discussed the general values and attitudes of the Argentinean people, including their religious beliefs and work ethics. In Argentina, the family is highly valued. Family gatherings are frequent, the idea of having children is taken very seriously, elderly parents move in with their children, and many young Argentinians live with their families until they get married. Unlike many American teenagers, a majority of Argentinians choose to go to university near their home in order to keep the family unity. Although, I guess you could say I'm a bit Argentinian in my thinking since I attended university just 20 minutes away from my home!

When visiting some of the businesses and companies in Argentina, I will be looking out to see if what I've read is, in fact, true. The author of our book explains that teamwork in the workplace is not something that Argentinians are comfortable with just yet. I think this will be an opportunity for us to learn something from them and vice versa. It will also be interesting to see how the large, international corporations like HSBC and IBM (we'll be visiting both!) differ from the small, local businesses in this way.  

While in both Argentina and Chile, we will also have the opportunity to observe cultures that are more than 90% Roman Catholic. I'm looking forward to seeing some beautiful churches and seeing how the religion influences both cultures. Coming from America, where there are countless forms of religion and a real separation of church and state, it will be a great learning experience.

Class tomorrow should be interesting, as we'll be discussing Argentinian festivals, customs and folklore. I wonder if we'll try to tango!?