Thursday, March 26 2009 19:50
My house in Buenos Aires
I can’t believe that I leave Buenos Aires in less than 36 hours. It’s a very bittersweet feeling; although I’m so excited and curious about what life will be like in Perú, it’s sad to leave Buenos Aires, especially as I am becoming really accustomed to life here. I feel like there are so many things that I’m just discovering or experiencing but I have to pick up and start all over again. The past week I’ve finally been meeting more porteños and finding great places to go and it’s sad to think I can’t pursue those relationships or return to the locales. Nonetheless, I am looking forward to using this experience to help me settle into Perú quicker.
A few of my regrets:
1. My friends and I still don’t speak as much Spanish as I would like
2. I didn’t have the chance to develop relationships with many locals
3. I ran out of time to visit a couple places, such as the Japanese Gardens, the Zoological Gardens, Ecological Reserve, MALBA, Boca Juniors Stadium tour (I’m trying not to beat myself up too much over the things I missed in Buenos Aires, because I really have seen so much of the city, country, and surrounding countries in the two months that I was here, including all of the highlights and more. In any case, I have something to look forward to visiting when I come back to Buenos Aires some day)
My goals in Perú:
1. Speak the majority of my time in Spanish
2. Start meeting and talking to locals right away
3. Try to see most of the major sights towards the beginning of the trip
4. Continue everything else I’m doing already!
I figured I’d through in a last minute Culture Corner about Argentina for my last entry:
Unique Argentine Fashions
1.Trenzas: really colorful hair wraps around one strand of hair; here, the girls usually wear it at the nape of the neck. Even two of the Multisa girls got them. The guys here often have rat tails or maybe one random part of their hair that is longer and braided (of which I’m not really a fan)
2. Camel Toe Shoes: What we've dubbed the latest trend that we’ve noticed - a sneaker designed so that the big toe is separate from the rest of the toes (also not a fan of these). I’ve even seen Nike brands of them.
3.What we call genie pants, because they remind us of Jasmine from Aladdin. The best way to describe them is like the tights that are popular in the US except they are baggy around the legs and extend down to the ankle. You also have the option to pull the bottom part up so that it is tight around the calf. I just bought a pair of them myself today! They are sort of like trendy sweatpants because they are so comfy.There is also the “poopy diaper” variation, which are basically the same as described above except that the crotch hangs down to the knees, causing the droopy backs of the pants to appear as though it is, in fact, a diaper.
Other than these things that have stood out to me, most of the fashion is extremely similar to what is popular in the United States right now, including skinny jeans, converse, etc. Before coming to Argentina, I was told about how fashion-conscious they are, and while I definitely don’t see anyone wearing hoodies walking down the street, I don’t think it’s too extreme with everyone looking like they are walking down the runway (as I have so heard)
Glossary of Typical Argentine Food
Choripan: Sandwich made with Argentine sausage and served with chimicuri sauce made up of spices
Milanesa: Thin lightly breaded/fried piece of beef, often served as a sandwich
Dulce de Leche: “Sweet of Milk” and they do not lie about the sweet part. Basically like carmel, except they spread it on everything – crackers, cakes, bananas (my favorite), pastries…and if it’s not spread on it, it’s flavored: ice cream, oreos, liquor…they’ve even gone to the point that I’ve seen Dulce de Leche soap.
Mate: Popular hot drink comparable to tea: pour hot water over the yerba (herbs) and enjoy the bitterness! You seen people all the time carrying the thermos and mate (container made from gourd) and it’s very much a social science to drink mate.
Pizza: Absolutely pilled with cheese, even for a cheese fanatic like me, it’s a little much. I always see an option for double cheese on the menu and I’m afraid to see what it looks like.
Empanadas: essential to the Argentine diet. Hot pastries filled with different combinations. The most common are meat, ham and cheese, chicken, onion and cheese, and even a creamy corn one (called humita). They are perfect for a quick bite because they are small, cheep, and easy to eat. I don’t know why they haven’t caught on in the US, but I’m going to get into contact with McDonalds or someone when I get back.
Ice Cream: I’m not sure it’s possible to go a block without seeing an heladería, or ice cream shop, with its dozens of flavors and rich taste. Many Multisas are borderline obsessed (one of my friends gets at least one ice cream just about every day).
Galletinas: These are just crackers, either saltines or sweet. I include this on the list because I’ve OD’d on them thanks to their cheapness and easiness to bring on trips.
Licuado: Basically like a smoothie, I’m in love with them.
Alfajores: A type of sweet usually filled with dulce de leche in between two or three sponge-like cookies and covered in chocolate. I’m actually not too much of a fan of them in general because they are a little dry in my opinion, but the makers of the Havana brand know what they are doing.
Tortas: Not to be confused with tartas (rich and delicious pastries) tortas are like quiches, a flaky pastry crust filled with different options such as spinach, ham & cheese, egg, and many other combinations.
Asado: What other way to showcase “the best beef in the world” than the ever-popular social gathering to slab a whole cow (almost not a figure of speech) on the grill. Hope you like every type of meat because you’re going to get it! For those with expandable stomachs, there is the Tenedor Libre (“free fork”) buffet, usually in asado fashion.
I realized while re-reading the glossary of the book Culture Shock: Argentina that I have improved from knowing close to zero of the terms when I first arrived, to now knowing the majority of the words that refer to cultural aspects - que boludo (cool).
Other cultural encounters:
PDA (Public Displays of Affection): It apparently is very acceptable and commonplace to be glued to your “media naranja” (signifies “other half,” but literally translates to “half orange”) in public. This ranges from kissing passionately on the streets to straddling each other in intimate positions in parks and on benches.
Maids: Although I didn’t have a maid in my house (although I think there was a cleaning lady that might have come once a week), many of my friends did, ranging from cooks to full live-in maids. This seems to be a common thing in Argentina, though some of my friends have felt uncomfortable having other people wait on them.
Weight: Argentine culture places heavy emphasis on being stick thin, which is quite apparent when walking through the streets of Buenos Aires. Apparently, there are a lot of eating disorder problems because of this - it has gotten to the point that they even had to pass a law forcing stores to provide larger sizes of clothes.
Well, that summarizes everything I wanted to say about Argentina (though I could go on and on, obviously).
Peru, here I come! Coli
(AN: So I realize that I'm just now finishing up my posts for Argentina when I've been in Peru for so long - so sorry to keep you guys in the dark about my adventures here! The past few weeks have been insanity with my parents visiting me and flying back to the US for a day [I promise details in future posts] and I only have two weeks of my program left, but I'll do my best to get updates out faster in between final papers and goodbyes!)
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