So Lu sent me this video that we watched in class today. She mentioned that she has been to Perito Moreno, but never while it has been cracking, and this is the best video she has ever seen on it happening. Enjoy friends!
Friday, March 2, 2012
One week!
Wow, it's hard to believe we're leaving for our trip in one week! I can hardly contain my excitement. Today we had out last official class before we leave. However, we will be having an informal "class" at Professor Lu's house on Tuesday night. She's going to cook some Argentinian food for us to really get us all in the spirit (not that we need it).
Today we watched a great short video on Perito Moreno, a glacier in Patagonia that expands over a river in Argentina over the course of 4-5 years and then, thanks to a lot of water pressure, cracks and falls apart. A few weeks ago, I actually gave a presentation on Patagonia for my class, so I know quite a bit about Perito Moreno at this point. The crashing of this glacier is supposed to be one of the most amazing sites in the world, and it just happened yesterday! Here is a photo of it:
After that, we talked about everything we have to remember for our trip. I started making a list about a week ago and I'm going to try and pack very lightly so that I can bring back some great souvenirs for my family and friends. Our flight leaves on Saturday, March 10th and we will arrive first in Santiago, Chile the next morning. Wish me luck!
Today we watched a great short video on Perito Moreno, a glacier in Patagonia that expands over a river in Argentina over the course of 4-5 years and then, thanks to a lot of water pressure, cracks and falls apart. A few weeks ago, I actually gave a presentation on Patagonia for my class, so I know quite a bit about Perito Moreno at this point. The crashing of this glacier is supposed to be one of the most amazing sites in the world, and it just happened yesterday! Here is a photo of it:
After that, we talked about everything we have to remember for our trip. I started making a list about a week ago and I'm going to try and pack very lightly so that I can bring back some great souvenirs for my family and friends. Our flight leaves on Saturday, March 10th and we will arrive first in Santiago, Chile the next morning. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
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!
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!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
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!
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!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
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!?
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!?
Monday, January 30, 2012
Learning the Basics
Hola friends!
This week, our class really took off. Before we depart for our trip, we are reading a book called Argentina Culture Smart: A Quick Guide to Customs & Culture. The first chapter was about Argentina's climate, geography, landscapes, history, government, economy and cultural influences. As I was reading before class, I couldn't help but constantly compare Argentina to the United States. I realized that the two countries have many similarities. For example, both have a large geographic region that spans a wide variety of climates. Also, both are heavily influenced by European countries and fought to gain their independence from those European nations. In fact, Argentina's constitution was modeled after the United States Constitution!
In class, we talked a lot about Chile's current economic situation and how it has changed over the years. Right now, Chile is considered a success as it's economy continues to improve. One thing I found particularly relevant to Clarkson was Chile's interest in entrepreneurship and innovation. The government has created a program called "Start Up Chile," which aims to attract high quality entrepreneurs to start their business in Chile. (http://www.startupchile.org/). We will actually be visiting Start Up Chile while we're in Santiago, even meeting with some of the entrepreneurs themselves. I'm definitely looking forward to that!
The last thing we did in class this week was to learn the Spanish alphabet and more importantly, the differences in pronunciation of letters and combinations of letters between Spain, Chile, and Argentina. It's fascinating how the language has changed over time and place, but it will certainly be a challenge to remember the different sounds!
Next week we're talking about the Argentinean people - their customs, religious beliefs, business ethics and more. Stay tuned!
This week, our class really took off. Before we depart for our trip, we are reading a book called Argentina Culture Smart: A Quick Guide to Customs & Culture. The first chapter was about Argentina's climate, geography, landscapes, history, government, economy and cultural influences. As I was reading before class, I couldn't help but constantly compare Argentina to the United States. I realized that the two countries have many similarities. For example, both have a large geographic region that spans a wide variety of climates. Also, both are heavily influenced by European countries and fought to gain their independence from those European nations. In fact, Argentina's constitution was modeled after the United States Constitution!
In class, we talked a lot about Chile's current economic situation and how it has changed over the years. Right now, Chile is considered a success as it's economy continues to improve. One thing I found particularly relevant to Clarkson was Chile's interest in entrepreneurship and innovation. The government has created a program called "Start Up Chile," which aims to attract high quality entrepreneurs to start their business in Chile. (http://www.startupchile.org/). We will actually be visiting Start Up Chile while we're in Santiago, even meeting with some of the entrepreneurs themselves. I'm definitely looking forward to that!
The last thing we did in class this week was to learn the Spanish alphabet and more importantly, the differences in pronunciation of letters and combinations of letters between Spain, Chile, and Argentina. It's fascinating how the language has changed over time and place, but it will certainly be a challenge to remember the different sounds!
Next week we're talking about the Argentinean people - their customs, religious beliefs, business ethics and more. Stay tuned!
Monday, January 16, 2012
We're Going to Argentina & Chile!
Although I have known for a few months that I will be traveling to Argentina and Chile in March, it really just sunk in during our first class last Friday. In order to prepare, we will have class once a week before the trip to learn about the culture, history, language, and business norms of both countries.
The group I will be traveling with is a total of 14 people - 13 MBA students and Professor Luciana Echazu (or "Lu" as we call her), an economist who teaches undergraduate and graduate courses at Clarkson. Lu has lead trips similar to this for undergraduate students several times and is a native Argentinian, so I know we are in great hands!
For our first class, we went over our trip's itinerary. If the other students are anything like me, they've been anxiously waiting to hear which cultural landmarks and businesses we will be visiting. I'm happy to report that we will be going to a wide variety of companies, including some local, family-owned businesses and some international corporations like IBM and HSBC. You'll all hear more about them later in the semester!
The second thing we did in class was talk about the language. Lu explained that while the official language in both Chile and Argentina is Spanish, each country has its own dialect, so things may be pronounced differently. We had a great teacher, Lu's daughter Isabella, to go over some basic phrases. It was a great start to the class and I look forward to learning more!
I'll be blogging every week leading up to our trip, so make sure to check back every Monday. Chao!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)