La cultura

(The culture)

Note: Many of the things which I will be mentioning will include many cultural aspects. To some degree, this is a bit of a culture gram, but at the same time, it is what I see, what I feel, what I do or don´t understand, what I think is funny, what drives me up the wall, what causes me to think, and any other feeling or emotion that has been evoked in me.

Humo (smoke:)

Please pray for rain. Argentina is in desparite need of rain now. There are serious fires that are occurring in the campos (country/fields) and due to these fires, there is a lot of smoke. Buenos Aires is probably the most affected. I saw on the T.V. last night almost everyone wearing dusk masks to try to breathe okay. It is very hard to breathe for them. There is smoke here now in Rosario, but no fire. I am safe and sound as always, but the smoke from the flames are spreading. The only thing that can stop the fires now is rain, but it doesn´t look as if there will be rain any time soon. The bomberos (firefighters) are doing their best, but cannot contain the burnings. If this continues, there is a good chance that our weekend trip to Buenos Aires might be canceled, which would be a shame, for, the plan was to see several important sites in Buenos Aires. As for me, I just want the fires and the smoke to stop so that everyone can breathe and be safe.

¿De dónde sos? (Where are you from?)

Even though I have talked with cab drivers, had a local ask me for directions, and have been asked the time, I am almost always asked in a restaurant or in a negocios (like a store or some business) ¿de dónde sos? and it drives me crazy, ´cause as well as the other students, we all just want to ¨blend in" and to just talk with and befriend the locals. Although, one time when I was asked this by a lady at a farmacia, or something similar to it, I told her I was from the states and am here in Rosario as a student to study, she just got excited and started telling me about the different plazas I could visit, the streets I should walk down to look at the architechture of the buildings, the statues that I should go see. It was so cool to me, and yet it was strange, for nobody (outside the program) has ever done that.

La comida (food:)

Everyone loves food, and I have tried montones (vast amount) of foods. As many of you know, I don´t eat pizza, red meat, rarely eat ice cream, and stay away from sweets. Just to tease you as to what I´ve tried most of which I like, minus a select few, are: pizza (such as fugaza and muzzurela,) ice cream (some of which include: cheesecake, limón, frutilla, white chocolate, dulce de leche, and orange [of water],) about a half dozen different kinds of flavoured chocolates, panceta (baccon,) jamón (ham,) an insaine variety of cheeses (they serve just about everything with cheese, and thos things that contain cheese, they put more cheese on,) lomito (a certain cut of beef,) hamburgers, Oreos filled with dulce de leche, and countless flavours and brands of cereal bars. Now how is that for venturing out and trying new things? (This is just a short list by the way.) :o]

Productos (products:)

Colgate, Suave, M&Ms, addidas/nike/puma, fruit loops, and nerds....sound familiar? They all should, ´cause these are just a few of the many products that are both sold down here and in the states. I find it interesting how many products are the same or similar. I never realized how much influence the U.S. has had on other nations, especially in music. When I go to the gym, or when I was at a weekend program activity, much of the music played is that from the U.S. Even in the internet cafés and the supermercados (supermarkets.) I don´t know how much American music is sold, solely because I have´t been inside a music store yet, but I´m sure there is a fair number.)

Tango Show

It was what it says. This past Thursday, after classes, there was a tango show that we went to see, as part of the program. Upon arrival, it was just shocking to everyone. There was a "mini-bar" where there was someone to serve drinks, there were two balconys on either side of the room that were outside; one gave a veiw of the river and the island, and the other of the city of which the flag memorial is easily seen. Before dinner, there was time for chatting and eating appetizers. Once everyone was present, those who chose participated in a mini tango lesson. After this, we watched the couple who gave the lesson dance about three or four dances for us. It was incredible! Dinner followed and then we, our professors included, started dancing. It was the strangest thing to watch the professors dance and then to see them drag the students. I, too, danced. I know: it´s hard to believe, but many of the students afterwards came up to me and said, ´Oh my gosh Joanna! I didn´t know you could dance. You were really good out there. You were just breaking it out. I never knew you danced.´and other comments such as these. I do remember, though that there were photographers and I am sure they got pictures of me dancing. So if any of you have any doubts, ask the students/professors in the program and they all will testify that I was dancing, and dancing hard. I had a blast (and I wasn´t even intoxicated.....some students were.)

(See mom: I do go out in public dressed up!) ;o]

Un besito (a little kiss:)
A common cultural aspect is that of exchanging a little kiss. Adults do it, jovenes (young persons) do it, adolescence do it, and it doesn´t matter if you are male or female and you are greeting or saying good-bye to someone of the same or opposite sex. My dance instructor, the first time I met her, gave me a kiss. The gentleman who gave my class a tour of the city museum greeted my fellow (two) classmates and I with a kiss. The welcoming reception the first night we all arrived in Rosario, all of our professors introduced themselves and greeted us each with a kiss as we conversed amoungst ourselves. Even on the phone, I´ve heard people say, ´Un besito. Cao. Cao.´and then hang up. It doesn´t bother me, it is just strange to see that in no matter which position someone is in, and no matter who it is, it seems that the simple exchange of a kiss is done (relatively) everywhere. I do want to say, though that it is not done whenever nor everywhere. I am still learning when it is done. I also want to appologize to those of you of whom I might greet in this manner upon my arrival to the states. For, as quick as I feel I am adapting and absorbing the culture, I feel I will bring much of it back to the states.

Relajada (relaxed:)

As fast-paced as life can be down here, I somehow feel more relaxed. Maybe it is because I don´t have as many responsibilities as in the states, but I always seem to feel more relaxed and that there is no rush to go anywhere, do anything. I walk pretty much everywhere, and now, 9 blocks doesn´t seem far. In fact, 8/9/10 blocks is probably normal or average. Each block, from what I am guessing -haven´t asked yet, but I will- is 100 meters long, so one easily walks, taking into account how much they need to do that day, about 5 km easily each day....give or take. I hardly have ever felt rushed since I´ve been down here. It is such a nice feeling, and I will miss it greatly. Also, in all of my classes, the professors are not really much of professors...they are more of older ´students´it seems. We can ask them anything, we can talk about anything, and it is such a different atmosphere. The professors are just there to help us learn and grow and they adjust the course to meet the students´needs. I also take about an hour or hour and a half for lunch. I don´t take that long to eat, but just to sit and relax and chat afterwards is such a great feeling.

Trensas (braids:)

Apparently I look identical to María Luz´s friend or something, couldn´t quite catch who I looked like, but when I wear my hair in two braids and smile, I look like someone she knows. Every time I met a new member of the family, I was always asked to braid my hair and smile. It got bothersome, but I did it anyways ´cause who was it harming? Besides, it´s not every day that one sees an American who looks like an Argenine, no? Mariela and her siblings all think, now, that I have great ability with my hands because I can "braid my hair fast" and can make bracelets, which I have made about 6 or 7 for different members of the family combined. The other students in the program, too think I am amazing with my hands because I have made so many bracelets and have made them all so fast.

Extras (extras:)

It is the strangest concept for me to wrap my mind around: the more I think about what is being said, and the harder I try to "translate" what is said, the harder it is for me to understand. However, the more I just listen and not really think about what is being said, the easier it is for me to understand and converse. On a different note, there is a joke that goes around that the people of Argentina can´t live without three things: café (coffee,) dulce de leche (which is similar to caramel, but has its own distinct texture and flavour,) and mate (wich is similar to that of tea.) These three items are very popular and can be found pretty much anywhere and everywhere. Oh! And just a warning, once you buy something, there is no returning it. One can exchange it, but cannot return it. (I learned that the hard way.)

I´m pretty sure that is it for now. Thank you all for enduring this extra long expression of my past week. I could write a novel, I´m sure from just this one traveling experience, but I don´t have the time nor the energy right now. Ha ha ha ha! No: I wouldn´t do that. But I do have so many stories and memories to share. I pray this blog finds you all well. Oh! Here is a real view looking out of my window of my room.