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.
Joe, first off, I hope you have an awesome time down there my man. Second, we recently read about leadership in a Latin American context and how it is much more collectivist than the American individualism we are accustomed to. Have there been any differences that have stuck out to you so far?
ReplyDeleteJoe,
ReplyDeleteThat food looks delicious! I hope you are having a blast. Have you noticed any social norms that are different from America throughout your trip? Also, we recently read about how prevalent the class system is, has that been apparent to you?
- Shawnte
Joe,
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned the fact that the professor is very laid back in terms of being on time. Would you say that he/she is more laid back in terms of due dates for assignments and meetings too? The leadership textbook Dr. McManus and Dr. Perruci wrote states that relationship building is a very important responsibility for leaders in a Latin American context. Would you say this leniency with time is a way for them to help build those relationships by respecting the time of the followers?
-Jerod
Joe,
ReplyDeleteYour experience so far seems incredible. It's interesting how laid back the culture is compared to American culture. How different are the classes there? It is about the same difficulty and how is the atmosphere of the school? Is it a pretty campus like Marietta or is it more bland?
Hope all is well,
Brittany
Hi Joe,
ReplyDeleteI hope you are enjoying your experience and getting once in a lifetime opportunities! I love the pictures and the stories that you are sharing with all of us. Recently in class, we have been learning about diversity and inclusion. I noticed you said your foster parents have been very good about taking the embarrassment out of your mistakes with the language and just interpreting it as everyday life because obviously it is a big challenge. Do you think that this is a way of including you into their culture? What other ways have you noticed your foster family or new friends including you into their culture? Also, how diverse are your classes there? Do you have professors from different parts of the world?
Enjoy your last few weeks,
April
Hi Joe!
ReplyDeleteI am glad to read in some of your later blog posts that you have begun to adjust to the lifestyle and make advances in using Spanish. Looking back on this post, 10 days into your trip, do you think that one of the differences between now and then is a better use or acknowledgement of your cultural filter? In his new book, Global Leadership: A Transnational Perspective, Dr. Perruci writes, “your next intercultural communication barrier to watch is the use/misuse of cultural filers. Even if two individuals are using the same language to communicate, their individual cultural backgrounds may interpret the words differently” (147). Essentially, the cultural filter is how someone interprets the information they are receiving, and can often contaminate a message’s original intent or meaning. I was wondering if you thought your filter had progressed or altered over time which allowed for better communication?
Enjoy your time left,
Katie Kitchen
Hi Joe!
ReplyDeleteI have been reading your blog posts recently and am enjoying all of them! I have taken three years of Spanish prior to college, and am actually taking a Spanish course online this summer, but I could not imagine having to put my (now limited) knowledge to use in the way you have been thrown into within your first couple weeks abroad!
On the topic of language and communication in your new home while studying abroad, I wanted to ask a quick question. What are some nonverbal communication differences you have noticed while being immersed in Spanish culture, compared to our commonly-used nonverbal cues in the English language in America? Do these differences make it more or less complicated when trying to hold conversations or ask questions to people who primarily/only speak Spanish?
I am interested to hear any feedback on these questions, and hope you are enjoying the rest of your time studying abroad! I look forward to reading future posts.
- Kylee McBride