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Cultural Variety

By quericolavida

Part of the reason I chose to study abroad in Buenos Aires was because I knew the cultural customs would be a bit different than in the US. Because of the European influence, which seems to come up in just about every blog post, the Argentine customs are more similar to those of the Europeans (especially Italians and Spanish) than other South American customs. A common and more noticeable cultural trait, is that the Argentines are often more open and emotional than the average American. They can sometimes be blunt, and very few topics are off limits; they will gladly talk about politics, relationships, scandal, etc. I definitely respect their ability to be very forward and honest.

The Argentines are also very warm people. For the most part, everybody has been very accommodating and willing to help out foreigners. They greet each other and say goodbye with a kiss on the cheek (even the men) which is something the Italians do as well (but the Italians kiss both cheeks whereas the Argentines usually just kiss the right cheek). Another sweet but subtle difference is that everyone always says goodbye to each person individually when leaving a group. I think that closeness and personal outreach among friends is something we could use a little more of in the old USA.

I get the feeling that most countries are losing the old-world sense of taking time to enjoy life in favor of productivity and ultimately more stress that we all see in our daily American lives, but Argentina definitely still has a good sense of the old way. Instead of getting coffee to-go and rushing to drink it on the way into the office, Argentines will sit down at a cafe and chat over their cafe con leche for a few hours. Waiters won’t rush to take your order and you have to ask for them to bring you the check. Some shops close during the day (especially outside of big cities) and dinner starts later and last longer, which means people stay out and go to bed a lot later. Sure, the people taking their time can be really frustrating if you are late for something and have to wait in a line where the cashier is chatting on their phone or with a co-worker, but it’s okay to be late here. In fact, being 15-30 minutes late is pretty much expected. Everyone drinks mate (traditional herb-tea beverage with plenty of caffeine) like it’s a job. And when I say people I mean everyone, young, old, poor, rich... everyone.
Best of all is that people here snack all thoughout the day, and I think that’s something we can all get used to.

-Giordano Sordoni