Living in Argentina
It was quite a shock reading about Argentina from the Culture Shock, Argentina book written by Fiona Adams, and discovering just what Argentina is all a bout. Of course some ideas were the same the natives speak Spanish and Argentina is in South America. Language seemed to be the smallest barrier in the difference from the United States and Argentina. About 1/3 of the population resides in Buenos Aires, so when I say Argentina, that is basically what I am talking about. There are other areas that they call the Interior, which are more South American. These areas have modern day Gauchos and the southern siesta, but mainly Buenos Aires is where the base of the people and its culture reside. (Most of the people there are white and blonde and exquisitely beautiful.) I found three major culture barriers that are as follows, 1) the structure of the day and the cultural get together, 2) the regard to physical and mental appearance, and 3) how to keep safe.
First, living in Argentina could kill you if you are not able to adapt to everyday life. “Even for the novice, and the Portenos’ themselves this kind of life is exhausting” (Adams 35) They stay up all hours of the night and rarely sleep before beginning the next day. Rarely do they have dinner before midnight and Argentines never go alone. They love to socialize and always have something to say. When you want to speak you must speak very loudly if you want to be heard. Also they get very close to you, so do not back away or it will be considered offensive. Argentines love to flirt and it is common for a woman to be walking down the street and a man makes a remark to her. The polite thing to do is to say thank you, unlike America where a woman may slap a man for remarking or whistling at her on the street. One major get together is when they drink Mate. Mate is sort of bitter tea that gives you energy and speeds up metabolism. In Argentina you must know how to drink it to be part of the social realm. It is drunk at boiling point and at first may burn you. One mate is passed around in a group which a hostess will make for you. Each person is given some and must drink it fast and immediately. It is rude to deny any and usually you will be there many hours drinking mate and socializing. Mate is like drinking a lot of caffeine and it will pick you up. This could be the secret to staying up all night and partying for many Argentines.
Secondly, physical appearance is insanely important and psychiatrists are too highly regarded in Argentina. If you are a woman, you must be a size zero to get along in Argentina without a mental breakdown. Most of the women are anorexic and are a size zero. If you are overweight you will be made fun of and shopping will be a living nightmare. Most of the malls have too small of clothes for most American women. Because Argentines’ have so much food it is hard to believe that the women are so thin, but the truth is they do not have much of the food they just drink Mate and party.
It may be hard to keep a figure if you plan to move to Argentina and bye bye food for most women. Men must be macho and look very good while living in Argentina. Another odd thing is that all Argentineans have a psychiatrist. One of the best topics for conversation is what your psychoanalyst thinks about life. “Today in Buenos Aires there are reputedly more psychoanalysts per capita than anywhere else in the world, and three times more than in New York state”(Adams 67). It might be compelling for you to get one while living there just because of the pressure. This could be hard since most Americans see psychoanalysts as quacks or feel that if they need one there must be something really wrong with them.
Lastly, in Argentina most of the time you have to be on the look out to keep yourself out of trouble. The streets of Argentina are packed with bad drivers and bad manners. Driving down the road may be the biggest culture shock you have while in Argentina. Many people are in a hurry and will cut you off at all costs. Other drivers will yell and cuss at you, while you have to stand your ground or you will be worse off than you started. Basically driving is a fight and you will want to win. “On average 8,000 people die each year on Argentina’s roads—that’s about one death every hour”(Adams 195). All motorists by law must wear a seatbelt and have a first-aid-kit, a rigid crowbar, two warning triangles and a fire extinguisher. Although this is a law most do not, so be careful and very alert while driving in Argentina. Also if you park your car do not park close to the edge of the street or leave large gaps because your car will be in the middle of the road when you return. Another tip, is when attending a football game be aware of what colors to wear and go with a lot of friends. Football (soccer) is like a second religion in Argentina and it can be dangerous. Many people attend the game with knives and guns and will attempt to kill hou if you are wearing blue when the color is red. “Argentina is about the only country in the world where people are prepared to kill each other over a football game”(Adams 158). It is very customary to attend a football game so do it with your wits about you and you should have fun and be safe. Do not rely on the police, because most do not trust the police. It is thought that most of the police are part of the problem in Argentina and it may be your downfall to put to much trust in them.
Argentina is very beautiful and happening place to live, but there are a lot of things to get accustomed to. The culture is very different from our own even though the people may look the same.