The "Open Society"

Well I guess my blogging has been slacking recently but I can’t say I’ve had anything crazy happen to me recently…or maybe I’ve been “Argentinized” and I’m out of touch with what is a crazy story.  Since I’ve been here though, I’ve obviously talked to my host mom, to her daughter, and in class about the culture, laws, and ways that Argentina is different from the US.  What I’ve found interesting is how I keep hearing about Argentina, the "open society."  There’s even a class offered at my university with that title, and from a lot of what I’ve seen, Argentina is definitely very open to some things other countries are not.

~People smoke pot here in fairly public places.  When we went to a boliche (late night dance club) a couple weeks ago, a complete stranger sat down at our table, got out some paper, pulled out a baggie of weed, poured a bit in, and rolled a joint  without even looking around to see if anyone was watching.  Also, we went to a small drum concert on Monday and people were of course smoking weed like in the US but when we went outside, there were street vendors selling bongs!!

~Gay marriage is legal here, and Argentina was the first (and I think still the only) South American country to legalize it.  There’s a rally coming up soon I think and I might have more to say about this then :)

~People drink in public…just yesterday I was sitting on the bus next to a regular-looking guy who was drinking a large can of beer.  Also might I add, beer is extremely cheap here!

~Several times a day, you will see some sort of wild clothing.  People here don't wear much bright clothing even though it's in the stores, but wildly patterned and bizzarre pants are very common.  My roommate and I just keep thinking some of the people have their old tights from the 80s or 90s.  

~Argentines don’t have the same ideas of personal space as we do in the US, and like most of the world they give a peck on the cheek to everyone unless it's very formal.   

~Piropos are a daily occurrence, as I've described, and it's not really frowned upon. 

With this “open society” though, what surprises me is how little people are to talking to strangers. If you’re on a bus or subway, people rarely are talking.  You can’t just start up a conversation with a stranger, and if you accidentally catch someone’s eye, don’t expect a quick smile…at least not in my experience…everyone here just looks away.  The looks (from men and women) that I get here on the streets are annoying, especially when people walking toward you literally stop in their tracks to stare at you.  BUT one of my professors brought up a good point as we were debating the “open society” that Argentina probably isn’t any more judgmental than most other countries, they just don’t feel obligated to be politically correct.  

Mendoza—A breath of fresh air

            Thanks to the holiday honoring San Martin (Argentina’s George Washington they call him haha), we got the chance to travel to Mendoza, Argentina.  If you look in any tour book, you’ll see that it’s known as the wine country.  It’s in the west of Argentina, close to Chile, and it’s a beautiful place to go to visit the Andes.  The entire trip was amazing, and I can’t count the number of times the expression “welcome to Argentina” ran through my head because that’s just seems like the best thing to say when something unexpected happens.

            First, Argentina has a complex bus system throughout the country.  Buses are much more economical than flights and based on the size of the bus terminal, I think more people use them than in the US.  We had in total a 14 hour bus ride each way, so sleeping wasn’t horrible but maybe not ideal.  In addition to Tea time, Dinner, and breakfast, the bus also included a game of Bingo.  As the “flight attendant” guy told us we were about to play bingo, we were all confused and Marco goes “En serio??” That was funny but not as funny as a couple minutes later, when he got a bingo and ran to the front of the bus screaming “Biiiiiiinnnnngooooo!!” only to find out that to get bingo here, you have to get a cover-all….We of course just had to laugh hysterically. 

            Friday Amy and I explored the city and slept while our other four friends went horseback riding.  Saturday, we got to go on our bike-wine tour which was beautiful. Even with all the vines completely bare, the vineyards looked gorgeous on the plains with the Andes in the background. J  We tasted wine at three wineries and I’d have to say it was the first time I’ve ever been able to taste the differences in wines, and I even could tell the difference between the different wineries we went to.  We got to taste Malbec (from a type of grape that can only grow in climates like that found in Mendoza) at each winery and got a tour of where and how the wines are made. 

            Sunday was an incredible experience: a 7 to 7 tour of the Andes Mountains.  I can’t describe most of the trip because the views are what really made the experience.  What I can say though is I don’t think any of us were expecting it to be so beautiful or to go up so high that it was snowing….we definitely hadn’t dressed for that!  We got to rent boots that came with plastic bags to put inside (“welcome to Argentina”).  We went to a small village with a cute market and got to see the hot springs with a natural bridge over a river, and finally the snow covered mountains where we went on a hour and a half hike/trek….i’d highly recommend looking at my facebook pics J

            Monday we decided to stay in the city of Mendoza and we went shopping and walked around the plaza.  The highlight of my day was going to the zoo.  The zoo was different than most of the zoos in the US in that you followed one specific path, so it was nice that you for sure got to see all the animals and you didn’t need a map to do it.  The zoo was different from ALL the zoos in the US in that you could definitely be mauled if you had a death wish.  First of all, what separated you from all the animals was merely a chain-linked fence.  Second, the animals here are dangerous ones. I’m not saying that only a chain link fence separated me from the llamas; I mean the chain link fence separated us from the 6 or 8 PUMAS at this zoo.  Again, “Welcome to Argentina.”  There was a single railing up to prevent people from accidentally getting too close to the fence but still, nothing like this would pass US safety standards.  The cool thing was that we got some great pictures.  In one I’m within inches of a sleeping puma…I swear I could’ve pet him if I wanted.  They also were selling cookies for the monkeys and I of course had to buy some.  It was a really cool experience feeding the cute little monkeys through the fence as they all reached out begging for a cookie.  It was sad though too since some of the males and larger ones were bullying the others.  Overall, it was quite different than any zoo I’ve ever been to but I’d have to say it was the best :D 

FAIL

I’m swallowing any pride and sharing these stories for all the world to see.  I hope you think these stories are half as funny as they were in real life J 

Finding the Medicine

This first story isn’t too embarrassing but shows a different side of medicine than you’d find in the US.  Since it is winter here, I of course got sick.  It was just a cold but I decided to visit Farmacity (like CVS) to get some tissues, antihistamines, travel tissues, and Zicam.  After standing in front of the cold isle looking at the shelves for 5 minutes, I finally found the antihistamines and went to the counter.  They looked at my English bottle of Zicam and gave me a packet that turned out to be something completely different but I was impressed that all together, my total was only $5 US!

The second pharmacy gave me the Zicam that I really had wanted or at least I thought that’s what it was.  I read bottle when I got home and it said vitamin A and Zinc with an orange flavor so sounds exactly what I already have from the US.  There were no instructions in the bottle or on the outside but the pills were wrapped up just like candy so I put it on my tongue and it just sizzled.  I accidentally shouted (only a tiny bit out of surprise), and was like no this can’t be right.  I mean the tablet in my hand was still sizzling too.  I finally realized it was to put in a cup of water and sure enough, it turned the glass into a sparkling orange Gatorade-like drink.  It’s just a good thing I didn’t try to eat it during class haha  I swear though, there are NO instructions on this bottle still looking at it now...In the US this would just be a lawsuit waiting to happen :P

Using the Bidet:

Before coming here, if someone had asked me what a Bidet was I don’t think I could’ve answered.  When I arrived and Lilian, my host mom, gave me a tour of my room, I looked in the bathroom and thought, “Oh crap, why are there two toilets?” but I definitely was not about to ask that even if I had known how to say it.  Thanks to my Argentine friend Nico in the US though, I was informed that the other toilet, the Bidet, was only a wash toilet so to say. 

So now, two and a half weeks in, as I talked to my friend Sarah on skype, I decided we needed to figure this thing out.  I promptly got onto Google and typed in “How to use a Bidet.”  And via WikiAnswers, this is what I found: 

1.   1

1.    Use the toilet first. The purpose of the bidet is to help clean off after toilet use. While some people believe that using a bidet is a hygienic substitute for toilet paper, many choose to use both.

2.    Straddle the bidet. On most standalone bidets you can either face the bidet's water controls or you can face away from them, as you would on a toilet. It is easier to control the flow and temperature of the water if you face the controls, but if you are wearing pants you will generally need to remove them in order to straddle the bidet in this manner. There are a variety of bidet designs, so the configuration of the jets and the area of your body that you wish to clean may dictate which way you need to face.

 Adjust the temperature and jet strengths for comfort.

o    3. Adjust the temperature and jet strengths for comfort. If the bidet has both hot and cold water controls, start by turning on the hot water. Once it's hot, add the cold water until you have a comfortable temperature. (In normally hot climates, such as the middle east, you should start with the cold water. The water will not need time to heat up and you may end up burning sensitive areas if you turn the hot water on first.)

Be very careful when turning on the water, as many bidets can produce a very high jet of water with only a slight turn of the control.

o    Be sure that you know where the water will be coming from ahead of time, or you could end up with a surprise shower. If your bidet does have a spray nozzle set in the bowl (unlikely in the UK due to regulations), place your hand above it to subdue any jet of water and then either press or pull the diverter lever between or immediately behind the taps.

o    You may find that you need to hold the control to keep the jets on.

3.   4

4.    Position yourself over the water jets so that the jets hit the desired area. For some bidets you can continue to hover above the bidet or you can sit down on it. Note that most bidets don't have seats, but are still meant to be sat upon; you just sit directly on the rim. Some bidets do not have jets, but instead simply have a faucet that fills the basin, as you would fill a sink basin.

5.    Clean anal area and/or genitals. Clean the desired area using your hands, as you would when taking a shower. If you wish to use soap, use only those that are unscented since perfumed ones are not recommended for use on the genitals. Rinse yourself well and turn off the water.

6

6.    Dry your skin. Some bidets have a built-in air dryer that you can use. For others, simply pat dry with toilet paper. Many bidets have a towel on a ring positioned next to the bidet. This is for drying the genitals or the hands but sometimes it is used for moping up any splashes around the rim after rinsing it.

 Rinse out the bidet.

7.    Rinse out the bidet. Once you are off the bidet, run the jets at very low pressure for a few seconds to rinse the basin and keep the bidet fresh.

8

8.    Wash your hands with soap and water, as you would any time after using the toilet.

9

9.    If you sit on the WC you can wash your feet too

I laughed pretty hard reading this, imagining trying to do any of these things.  Still, I went up and told my roommate we needed to try this.  So we walked into the bathroom, and I just looked at it thinking, “Be sure that you know where the water will be coming from ahead of time, or you could end up with a surprise shower.”  I had no idea where it was going to come out, and Kristen and I were just hysterically laughing at the whole situation.  So I knelt out of the way and tried to turn it on.  The ending of this story is sadly anticlimactic, but it was still a good laugh.  I tried turning all the knobs different ways and we got water to come out around the rim and around where I thought the water would come up but nothing ever sprayed like in pictures.  We just laughed more at the idea of asking our host mom how to use it.  I’m curious though now so I have a feeling I’ll end up asking…maybe once I know her a little better.  Haha  

FUN FACTS and TANGO!

My ongoing list of fun facts, things to know, and funny things we've seen.

~People from Buenos Aires are called Portenos. 

~People here drive like MANIACS, especially the bus drivers.

~ALWAYS be holding on while you’re on a bus unless you’re sitting down.  We were in some backwards-facing seats once and saw everyone on the bus suddenly come flying towards us when we almost hit the car in front of us. 

~The transportation people might go on strike at any time so be prepared.  Today, the subte (subway) people went on strike so the roads were busssy.  

~Even though the bus numbers go up to the hundreds, there are still multiple routes taken by a certain number so be careful which one you get on.

~Piropos are what Portenos call cat calls and any kind comments to women, and doing this is not frowned upon. 

~Dulce de Leche is more of a theme than just a food.

~You will often see the dog walkers with 7-14 dogs at a time…and I’m honestly not exaggerating. 

~The dogs here are often not on leashes.

~It is normal to see a dog poo on the sidewalk or sometimes right in the street.

~The people here don’t pick it up, so watch your step. 

~There are kioskos everywhere where you can add money to your phone, or buy candy or drinks.

~The Portenos don’t eat until nine or ten, so if you go out to eat dinner at 6 they might tell you the selection is limited because the kitchen isn’t open yet. 

~Food is expensive.

~Carbs and meat account for most of the meals here. 

~Quite often, all the food in a meal is just put into one dish and it will be delicious!!

~American food or brands are different here and usually not as good.

~Empanadas are cheap, delicious, and EVERYWHERE.

~There is a Chinatown here. 

~“Adios,”  isn’t really used here, just “Chau.”

~When you see someone you know, be ready to give them a kiss because if you're not, it could get awkward.  

~In July 2007, Buenos Aires had its first snowfall in 89 years, so it was the first time many Portenos saw snow.  They then got snow again a couple years later {global warming, cough cough}. 

~To get into the subway during rush hour, you literally just start pushing the crowd. 

~Windows open on the 19^th floor even. 

~Cleaning service twice a week is common…and really nice to come back to might I add. 

~Places that are extremely crowded with people and tourists during the day are not necessarily safe at night. 

~Buenos Aires is the Tango capital of the world. 

~I’ve learned how to tango….a bit J  So here’s what I have to say about it:

I’m not going to pretend that I’m a good dancer, BUT after taking one tango class with our group and one tango class at the University, I feel like dancing in front of someone in the US might actually look somewhat impressive.  We’ve learned 5 “moves/steps/paths” and it’s really cool how you can keep doing the same things but make it look like you have some amazing choreography.  The steps are surprisingly simple, but I still need a lot more practice.  By the end of this semester, I might even have to look into going somewhere in the US to practice!

            The funny thing about the tango is that the success of the dance really comes down to the skill of the guy.  Our professor said the first day of class, “If the dance is successful, it’s all thanks to the man; if the dance goes wrong, it’s all thanks to the man.”  That definitely put the pressure on for the whole 5 guys in our class with probably 20 girls.  The man always has to lead, and he is the one who decides what steps you’re going to take next.  The coolest part though is if you get put with a great leader and you barely know the steps, somehow you just move your feet naturally to the right steps.  

La Comida!

I know I’ve said this before, but the food here is riquisimo, so rich!  Between the fried food and the absurd amount of Dulce de Leche in everything, I don't understand how people here are not overweight.  At least every other block there seems to be a “Panaderia y Confiteria” which sells every type of bread, cake, empanadas, deserts and combinations of these things.  Empanadas are delicious here and super cheap…there’s a shop next door that sells them for 4 pesos, which is less than a dollar.  Between these and medialunas though, I might have a heart attack before I come back so I should probably start looking for a healthier alternative. 

Dulce de Leche- I don’t think I’ve gone a day without hearing someone talk about it, whether it be in class, at home, or on the bus.  The best thing I can compare it to is caramel and that’s practically all it is, but it’s so much richer and they eat it here like we eat chocolate (or they just eat it inside of chocolate).   My first day here, my host mom gave me a spoonful of it to try.  The people here love it so much that if you compare it too much to caramel (as my roommate did), they might get a bit offended.  Honestly, it seems like you can get almost anything with Dulce de Leche.  Dulce de Leche is a flavor of ice cream, you can put it on your flan, it’s always inside the churros sold on the streets (sooooo good), there are numerous pastries with it inside and I’m pretty sure you can get it in coffee.  Dulce de Leche is also inside these giant chocolates shaped like a hershey’s kiss.  (If you can imagine a chocolate chip enlarged so its base is about the size of a small cookie, that’s what these look like).  It’s inside cookies/treats called alfajores, and by inside, I actually mean there are two cake-like cookies with half and inch thick filling between them (often Dulce de Leche) and then the whole thing is covered in icing or chocolate.  These cookies are the richest sweets I think I’ve ever had, but they are soo good.  Our host mom keeps telling us that we are going to be fat before we leave and if we’re not careful, that could actually be true. :D

            Aside from all the new foods I’ve been eating, I’ve occasionally gone for something from home.  Surprisingly, Argentina is not as “Americanized” as you might expect.  Going into a grocery store, you don’t see shelves and shelves of every food you can imagine. The supermercados are just small stores that have most of the basic foods, but not necessarily the same ones you’d see in the US.  Or you might think you’re buying the same things but when you eat it, it’s not what you thought.  Yesterday, my roommate and I bought mini chocolate-covered donuts which tuned out to be hard cookies covered in chocolate.  We got name brand Oreos and Chips Ahoy Cookies (at least the chips ahoy cookie man picture) but they didn’t quite taste the same.  I feel guilty to admit this but we also tried McDonalds here….not quite as good as the US tho ;)