Actual Blog post 11-4

                  I am sure my sporadic blog posting must be confusing if not frustrating. I have become an opportunistic blogger; preying on WiFi whenever and wherever I find it. Among the questions that have been fielded I thought all of them were very good. I really enjoyed answering them because more than a few touched on aspects of life I have either just accepted mindlessly or have not even considered. Answering questions helps to reflect and brings about a mindful attitude going forward.   I almost forgot to post some pictures on my last post. I know that I keep referencing the WiFi issues, and to give you some idea of the sitch here, it took me 45 minutes to upload a 2 minute, 12mb video to YouTube for an assignment. This reality puts the speed of campus wide WiFi into perspective. However being without phone service and WiFi for most of the day helps to live in the moment which is something I did not expect to experience as a result of less wifi. 

             Something else that I failed to mention was my use of Spanish words interlaced with my English blog posts. I decided to do it because I wanted to show an experience of mine that cannot be expressed in just a description or a photo. On top of that, I am unable to give you the constant buzzing of mosquitoes that have colonized my bedroom. 

                      

             I also doubt that I can show you the puzzle of stacked items it takes to keep my travel adapter from falling out of the wall, which every day somehow requires a new combination. Unfortunately, showing you the armies of ants I face off every day in the kitchen is not an option either. The curiosity of itching a bug bite in the middle of the day trying to figure out if it is a bed bug bite or a mosquito bite is quite an experience I wish I didn't have so often. If these unique experiences were just to happen on one day instead of everyday basis, I don’t think I would be so grateful for and interested in differences between my old home and my new one. 

                   If anyone wants to experience my WiFi situation, turning your phone on airplane mode and then waiting for a change in the wind is the closest you can get. I would be surprised if my technique for getting WiFi--one footed, jumping, nose to the ground, phone to the skies--can be expressed by words much less pictures. 

                 All this to say, I wanted to share an experience in a different way. The way you read my blog posts and how you understand most everything, and then get to guess using context and knowledge of cognates for unknown words is the way I carry on daily conversation in all aspects of life here. I hope you found it frustrating because I sure do. 

               I used to strive to learn every word and write everything down like a good pupil as if knowing everything would be better. However, I have learned that this technique of educated guessing is far superior. Not only does it not require a pen and paper, but it either lends an accomplished feeling of a correct guess or a funny misinterpretation that makes everyone laugh. I will say that the majority of cases end in laughter though. Through this, I have learned that although the language barrier exists, you don’t always need a ladder to get over it; sometimes you can just go right through it. 

             I have shared some daily experiences that could be interpreted as negative by outsiders. When these experiences happen to me I am reminded that I am more than just a tourist, and I am achieving a level of immersion that is unique to me and my peers studying along with me. I want to share some objectively positive experiences to show an even coin.                

                

                  I will say that sharing mate, a tea that is unique to South America, with people is a highlight of everyday life as both a caffeine and conversation starter; it has proved to be quite the asset. My experiences greeting people in Spanish are much different than my experiences greeting people in English. One can be honest on how things are going with Spanish greetings and it is not taboo; which is another genuine breath of fresh air apart from the air of the Andes. While you would be hard pressed to find non-insect-burrowed fruit, the fruit here is all organic and is so fresh you can tell the difference. I will say that I have been eating plastic tomatoes most of my life and I never knew how tomatoes really should taste. I had real, fresh sea food and sushi for the first time in Chile, both experiences have made me question the integrity of the same foods offered at an unnamed cafeteria hahaha. The concept of sharing goes beyond just mate and reaches food as well. This experience will bring you closer, literally and metaphorically whether you like it or not, to the other people at the table. I will admit it did take some getting used to.

                 Being able to give someone the complement of "Your English is good" is a good way to get a smile and is a big compliment coming from a gringo. This is another reflection of the importance placed on English and the esteem given to the western way of life. I do not believe that western traditions necessarily deserve all the distinction especially when they replace or erase cultural traditions that define a people´s way of life. I am coming from the inside out on this phenomena, whereas most here are seeing it from the outside in. These are just a few of the many daily experiences that have made and continue to make my life here a daily routine of friends and laughter.

               While I may be at my peak with Spanish I am also peaking in charades abilities. This is because much like my debit card, my accent is not always accepted and so I resort to hand gestures and pointing which at times can slow down getting through border security. 

                   Here is a classic story of an educated guess gone wrong. In the small mountain city of Ushpallata I ordered an alfajore, a small divine desert eaten at all hours of the day here, and a submarino; what I believed to be a submarine sandwich. Well I got my alfajore, and along with it I got a cup of boiling milk and a dark chocolate bar. I asked the barista to make sure "Un submarino?" you can imagine my face filled with confusion. The barista nodded reassuring me and so I sat down to eat and to figure out where I went wrong. While I was thinking about it, I ate the dark chocolate and in my last bite I realized that the submarino was no sub sandwich, it was supposed to be an actual submarine. I should have dropped the dark chocolate into the boiling milk as if it was a submarine but by the time I realized it I had eaten it. I tried to achieve a similar effect with my alfajore but I couldn´t fit it into the cup. If anyone was wondering...boiling milk alone is not anything special. 

                     In my time so far, I have been traveling within the province of Mendoza and beyond with two trips to Chile visiting Santiago and Valparaiso. My next adventure will be in Bariloche where there are more trees than people. Here are some pictures.

The Argentine Embassy in Mendoza

View of  Potrerillos Dam

Rafting through a school program

Just about barfed on this one

Indiana Jones-esque bridge that was surprisingly stable

Un Camion that turned over on a 2 track road in the middle of the Andes. Our tour had to stop for an hour.  Two kilometers of backed up traffic.

Puente del Inca: I recomend reading into this

Example of Chilean Police, known for being highly militarized, by far the most respected police force I have ever been in contact with.

Abstract art at an art museum

Train at a outdoor train museum

The sports club for rowing, swimming and everything under the sun. 

Circus show that was in town. 

A Gringo squeezing oranges by hand in an interactive art museum

La moneda (treasury) building in Santiago, Chile

View from Valparaiso 

Parapentes in the Andes

Vendimia fest- celebrating the wine harvest with dance and rock and roll

Climing in the province of Cordoba

A snow tiger in Cordoba

A preserved grasshopper I found in a mountainside cave 

Answers?

Well I will try and do my best to answer a bunch of insightful questions. Wifi has been scarce as has been my free time.  I keep on getting notifications that the comment section may change and the contents may become deleted and so to play it safe I want to post these answers because these questions tug at fundamental causes to problems and phenomena in Argentina.

From my Earlier post in order
Shawnte 1. The food is delicious and cheap too. The peso is around 45 ARG pesos for 1 USD which is a 8 peso rise since I've been here. I have only heard the class system used or referenced among older locals. In this reference it was based on the type of people in la clase baja. The use of class is used in a more general sense to describe economic standing. In my experience this use of the phrase transcends age.

Jerod 2. The leniency unfortunately is only a custom on arrival time and does not always extend to assignments. That's for the best though, if I am honest.  If it is used as a way to build rapport with students that is news to me! I will pay attention and post a follow up answer.

Brittany 3. The classes are much different in the sense that the students drive the content. The professors maintain a broad list of topics to cover and the depth is at times left up to the student. That being said it is challenge by choice. If you don't challenge yourself you will get real bored real fast because the classes are normally 3 hours long. The atmosphere is interesting because all of the classes are small-less than 6 people-which requires an atmosphere of respect and understanding. The campus is small and it is in the center of the city. It has 5 floors with a cool rooftop view. They are too different to compare. But I will say that Gilman has got the cafe here beat haha. One of the biggest differences is the declaration of bias by professors. This is a new concept for me and I have yet to make up my mind about it. I am interested to hear what people back home think.

April 4. I think that my host family rolling with the mispronunciations is a key example of inclusion in the culture here. Beyond that, friends from a mentor and men-tee program have been integral in a higher level of immersion and fun. My family has included me in card games and afternoon mate which helps to fill voids of time and helps get to know my host family. The only professor not native to Mendoza is from New York ,who teaches Spanish and English literature. Outside of him, it is the students who bring diversity and different perspectives into the classroom from all over South America and Europe to my fellow gringos.



From most recent post
Shawnte 1.  I do feel like a westerner. Even after being assimilated into a Spanish and Portuguese speaking workplace and a Spanish speaking family I still, after 2 months, cannot help but feel different even in our best moments of "togetherness." In the past I have not been able to put my finger on it, but now I think a huge part of it has to do with some of my cultural traditions and by default subconscious expectations.
                     Everything from greeting all coworkers at work with maybe a hello back home, to now where it is a beso on the cheek. It has already been a month at work and it still feels very unnatural. From helping to make dinner at home to having dinner being made for me here-with this is a lack of independence in the kitchen but that is a story for another time-I feel like a honored house guest instead of the "host-son?" who lives upstairs.
                     The willingness of Americans from the United States to speak up about a situation is equaled by Argentine cultural, yet, in my two trips to Chile I found that the Chilean culture is a more passive one where friends in supermarket lines split up and whoever gets to the front of line first will call their friends over. While this happens the other Chileans in line may become angry but will not confront the skippers.
                  However, in the sense of true westerner like a cowboy, I have only experienced one time where I walked into a restaurant with shutter windows and as I stepped in all the heads turned my way. Outside of restaurants with shudder doors, I experience that pretty much every time...

Emily 2. Machismo is very real in Argentina. This idea is inherently present in the Spanish language which can be seen in phrases describing genders which label the group using "ellos" or the masculine plural pronoun. In terms of in the culture here, it is seen in catcalling, whistling and honking at women that is persistent from cars on the street and in restaurants. This is a trend that transcends age (according to several female classmates) with experiences of staring and whistling from elderly men too. Men also have more priority in higher positions in the workplace and there is a pay gap in positions of equal title (according to a professor).
          The majority of Argentine political figures are men, however Argentina has had two female presidents, Eva Peron and Cristina Kirchner, who have made leaps and bounds in women's rights. In the context of the male leaders here, the concept of one step forward and two steps backwards is not a totally inaccurate way to describe the political patterns of past presidents.
        All this being said, feminismo is a very well represented here. Of the three protests I have accidentally wandered into, the flags and drums of feminism and women's rights have been loud and well represented.
      One of the worst, best examples was watching the 1800 o clock news- (necessary context: a string of sexual violence against women in Buenos Aires)-when I saw a headline that read "Are women who dress promiscuously asking for for sexual violence." This is another example of the idea of Machismo and the persistent prevalence in Argentine culture.

Addie 3. From what has been described about the LMR theory I would agree in the given classification of ARG. From wine to petroleum to tourism and meat, they do it all here.

To take an unsolicited step forward to give ARG a feeling, I would say a lot of hurt right now. From economic crises that persist often putting them at the mercy of the U.S economy without much interaction in the context of trade. This is because the Argentine economy is backed up on the dollar instead of the gold standard.
                    Ever since a socialist administration privatized huge industries such as the petroleum industry and mining industries foreign investment is scarce. In order to draw in foreign investment the current administration, Macri, has had to make economic reparations to pay off debt in order to be in good standing with the IMF. This has been very polemic, and it is not a topic for casual conversation.

Kate 4. My boss is a very charismatic and has proven to breed loyal employees through personal and reward power. For example he has gifted me two free tours into the Andes in exchange for my work translating travel documents and creating brochures. He tells jokes in three languages and from the little Portuguese I understand he is upfront and honest with his coworkers.  Although he doesn't ride a horse to work, he is still a great leader.

Unknown 5. Yes I agree that relationship-oriented is a good way to describe the Argentinians who I have met. When they like someone it is most often a genuine like which is a stark contrast from Americans from the U.S. who have been described by multiple people as being superficial in their relationships.
                   Other examples of collectivism or lack thereof are interesting. Argentinians are not afraid to chase down people who don't pay the 18 peso fee on the bus. When it comes to speaking up about a ladron in your back pocket this bold nature is less common. The reasoning of safety must be understood, but nevertheless, I relate the two in the same context of post-conventional morality and am somewhat confuddled at this occurrence.
                      On a side note, I hope to visit Buenos Aires in the future with the intention of not just experiencing the unique city but also to form my own opinion. I have only heard bad things about the favelas and children under sixteen who rob locals and tourists alike without consequences from the police. I have heard several stories of packs of children around the age of 10 who first threaten people verbally, ask for their money, and then if met with resistance they do not hesitate to beat people up and mug them. It is such a hard situation to imagine much less understand.

Alex 6. Being the first or the best or at least to compete to do so. This is the true western-ism that is hardest to divorce for me. I find when I do it is always a rewarding experience. These experiences have included slower mountain hikes to talk to those in the back of the pack and not speaking up in class as much. In both occasions fellow gringos fill in and take my place which reaffirms me that it isn't just me who does this.
                  In my Spanish class where cultures from all over Europe and South America collide it is most always the gringos answering questions in class. This is partly due to the "dog eat dog" type of classroom set up where quiet and reserved people have little chance or requirement to speak up.
             The cultural approach to a family situation I have tried was speaking really loudly at the dinner table. Out in public everyone is discreet with conversation and conversations between westerners ring out loudest. However, in the home, at the table it most often is borderline shouting. A part of this could be contributed to the stereotypes of Italian families.

Dani 7. Well, one of the first and most often things I am corrected on is the term american. The term itself does not just refer to Estadounidenses but is a more general term to describe those from the Americas. This seems like a weird thing-I know-but I have to admit that it makes sense. This is a political correctness that is dependent on the audience, but in the wrong audience great offence can be taken. This is a paradox of the Argentinians of whom many have self-proclaimed to be politically incorrect. Most would agree this terms common usage by foreigners here politically incorrect. I guess this is a battle that the Argentine people chose, justly so, dealing with identity. The paradox comes in because this "we're politically incorrect" is a sad excuse for the racism and machismo that still exists, often without cultural taboo. Which is another paradox because Argentina is historically a country of immigrants. I digress...
                I have really realized how interconnected and isolated the world economy can be depending on the country you are in. I encourage everyone to look into the stark differences even between Argentina and the vecino to the west, Chile, in historic trade and diplomacy with the U.S.
                      I think that even though the global citizen mindset is not yet my mindset, it has developed into a frame of thinking to help describe differences culturally and to help explain why the bidet is not more common in the U.S.. I think by the end of the two months this answer will be different.

Chris 8. I would wholeheartedly agree that relationships are held closer when dealing with leader and followers. This results in a bit of a LMX double edged sword but in my experience that can be really good or really not good. The work ethic and expectation is much healthier and wholesome which at times can slow progress but in the long term, I have heard in anecdotes, yields more sustainable results.

Enzo! 9. The behavior of the past presidential administration (Kirchners) which turned out to be corrupt and stole a lot of money from the people here. This is confounding contrast to the love and desire to bring back that administration. The investigations are ongoing but according to my local friends dirty deeds were done but no thinks anyone will face justice.

Bryce 10. The nonverbals I experience pretty much say "No pasa nada" a case in point was today when my teacher arrived 30 minutes late and just began normal weekend conversation. However frustrating it may be, I must admit that I too take advantage of it. Last week I came an hour late which although extreme was still accepted; mostly due to my cool story on a cat and mouse chase of a drug trafficker and a team of smugglers and an unfortunate 30 pasengers along with myself stuck in the middle of the witch hunt.

Katie 11. That is an interesting metaphor for sure. The best application is seen with the economic elite whose names and legacies along with their supported economic policies and laws have stood tests of time. A good example of this is with the military regime in the 70s. That being said, the ship in the metaphor would be more accurate with 2 decks and a 15 foot ladder between them that only works half the time. Where after people fall the ladder is used to slowly regain control. All this to represent the fall but the common rebirth and rejuvenation of ideology and power that is problematic to the development and future of Argentina.


I appreciate everyone's insightful questions.
        It is necessary to realize bias and in my case on top of being a foreigner especially from the U.S. you should understand where my information on top of experiences are coming from. It is a short list of people which someone like me can just start up an open conversation about politics, economy and cultural differences including backwardness.
                     I turn to my host parents who in their seventies have traditional views of the world, but in the same moment, are very open minded about other countries. The other prominent source of information is my history professors who are young and progressive in their teachings and opinions. There is longer list of people in the middle of this spectrum I have described. But these two sources are the sides of which I swing like a pendulum as I form opinions about the inter workings of the political system and economy here.

Collectivism in Argentina

It has been a busy couple of weeks. Before I spill the beans I want to address a question that may get deleted with changes coming to Google/Blogger. The question was "if there were any differences in collectivism that have stuck out to me so far in comparison to the individualist tendencies back home." I will say that thus far we have gone hiking in the Andes mountain range twice and on both occasions it was an American to the top of the peak first. Meanwhile the others in our group, one time it was Mendocinans and the other time was Europeans (Austria and Germany), seemed like they valued the experience and company more than the "race to the top."

Outside of the group activities there are some things that at first I saw as backwards that I have come to appreciate. Instead of having a parking meter on the sides of streets, there are humans who do the job. It seemed a little antiquated at first but once I realized that they keep an eye out for ladrones and keep the cars safe while also waving in people to help parallel park it seemed superior to the way things are done in the U.S. I would classify this collectivist because it really is looking out for one another and the group.

Besides parking assistants, just called "Asistentes," taxes in some neighborhoods (mine) go to paying the salaries of security officers. The alternative would be a gate with a passcode--which they have those here too. These are by and large not ultra wealthy communities where these security officers are present. These officers just referred to as "Seguridad" talk to people about the weather, look for lost soccer balls, and have taught me a few soccer tricks. They are another example of a human touch where back home it would likely be a mechanical one.

With all of those examples in mind, it is dangerous to generalize because there are still some huge individualist examples present. One of which is a statue of San Martin. San Martin was in the "Army of the Andes" statue on my last post. That statue is great example of a collectivist perspective on the movement for independence here in Argentina. There are also two statues, one in San Rafael and another is near the center of the city, which show San Martin alone on horseback. I think this was probably done to give special recognition to San Martin outside of the military context. But nevertheless, a great example of a competing perspectives in the fight for independence from Spain.

That was a great question and I am sure I will run into examples in the future.

Wild Horse in Ushpallata

Part of the 360 degree vista of the hike to Aconcagua's base camp

San Martin alone in San Rafael. The hooves up in the air symbolizes that he died in battle but he really died of old age. 

Made it to the 10 day mark.
I am living with a Argentinean couple born and raised in Mendoza. It has been a great experience thus far and I have vastly improved my Spanish in the last week through dinner table conversations and questions on directions, food and what time dinner will be. One learns quickly when the fate of la cena is on the line.

 I wandered into the police who specialize with tourists and asked for directions to school on the morning of my first day. Although I managed to get lost before my first class I still made it on time.
In the heat and jumble of first day prep I forgot that class start times are close suggestions of when class should start with students and professors alike arriving sometimes 10-15 minutes later. This has been my experience so far and it is quite a contrast to the "if you are on time you are late" motto I have heard and sometimes lived by at Marietta.

Someone who was just as lost as I am asked for directions yesterday to the neighborhood I am in and I answered and not only did they understand the directions but they were also correct. It is the little wins in the sea of misunderstanding and misunderstood accentos that keep me afloat. There have been many mistakes so far but my host parents have helped me to understand them not as mistakes or errors but just as everyday life. This way you can keep discouragement at bay. It is quite a change in mindset that they recommend and has proved to be a daily struggle.

Although English and Spanish and the myriad of accents that accompany them can be misunderstood or mistaken, it seems laughter, food and Rock is universal here. In the last week, admittedly, a lot of the laughing has been at my expense. From mixing up the word for spoon and knife-it is cuchara and cuchillo for anyone wondering- to my horrendous skills with futbol that never fail to bring a peanut gallery of awe and laughter. More than anything, I have been reminded that I am not infallible and it has been a thorough lesson I doubt is over.

 I may not understand everything that my host family says to me and I doubt that they understand everything I say, but we share a roughly mutual understanding of dinnertime. I say rough because I am not quite sold on starting to make dinner at 9:30 and finishing around 12:00. This is something that is pretty normal and so I will have to adjust. However, the timing of dinner has little effect on the ability of dinner to bring out conversation and connection.

I have been quite surprised by the popularity of Rock. This week I was at a diner where a replay of the Queen's Live Aid performance was playing. "What is your favorite band?" was a cornerstone of Spanish conversation in highschool and in this first week I have propped up several conversations with it yielding answers like Lynyrd Skynyrd, ACDC and Queen.

The Superbowl was spent with my host family's extended family and it was a great time. Just in the last week I have traveled to an olive oil factory and the statue of the Army of the Andes in San Martin park I had my first "asado" which was amazing and topped off the week with the Jazz festival featuring Carrie Diane Ward who was so good. I have not been a big fan of Jazz in the past but it was hard to not enjoy the concert which took place on an illuminated island.

Olive oil spread and Asado photo from my friend Adam.

Asado 

Statue of the "Army of the Andes"

Jazz en el Lago

Different types of Olive oil in order from weakest to strongest flavor. 

This was my view from airport. And this is a street dog which can be found almost everywhere you go here.

There was a bit of a delay in posting because of spotty WiFi connection. Sorry for any confusion.
Tuesday Morning 8:00am Argentina Time

I made it to Mendoza this morning around 12:30. My flights went well, my eardrums didn't explode and it is always a great day when that doesn't happen. From Chicago to Houston to Panama and finally Mendoza. I went from about 10 degrees in Chicago to 75 degrees in Mendoza. The transition to here is quite literally "night and day"
           As far as things that are going well, my view right now is pretty awesome. Something that could have gone better would have been my checked bags not taking a siesta in Panama but at least they are not lost! I hope to get them tomorrow morning. I'm looking forward to meeting fellow study abroad students at orientation this afternoon and catching up on sleep. There were a few speed bumps along the way but I am just glad to be here.
         I will say how out of place I feel with clothes that I traveled in which are more fit for a cold Chicago delay than for the bustle of this hot airport. Jean shorts are very much alive here and I may have to hop on the "Jorts" train.
       Somethings I have noticed about differences in life at the airport from my 7 hours of wandering at O' Hare and my 6 hours and counting in a dazed state in Mendoza are that the airport goers I've seen are very intentional about whatever they are doing. In the cafe right now everyone is talking Spanish and I only catch about half of what they say. Which is a stark difference to the quiet cafe I was at in O' Hare where it was food and phones instead. I will be interested to see if this is a larger trend.

Still at home. There are 15 more days until I hop on the plane for the 20 hour flight. I expect to arrive sweaty and jet lagged. This will be the first plane ride I've been on in years. The last time I was on a plane was when I was 5. While on that plane, I was crippled by the fear of my ear drums exploding and so naturally, I ate two whole packs of Chiclets to help prevent this imminent catastrophe. I will be walking onto this plane ride with a different fear though, this time, it is a fear of boredom. Instead of gum it will be crossword puzzles and Sudoku to prevent the inevitable boredom; if not on the plane then at the stops along the way. It feels odd that my first post on my Argentina blog has little to do with Argentina. Some goals of mine are to challenge myself to only speak English during calls to my family and I also plan on learning the Tango.  I hope to engage both local students and fellow students studying abroad. I am incredibly excited while equally nervous. It is only since I have begun packing that this place I have talked about for almost a year has seemed more than a place on a map.