A Traditional Country

In a city so rich with culture and history, of course comes many traditions from the people. After living here for two months I have picked up on a few of the traditions and norms that the locals follow. It has been a fascinating process of seeing the different customs and then becoming used to them as second nature. For instance, greetings are always accompanied by a kiss on the cheek. Men and women alike. In place of handshakes and hugs, the portenos give besos!

At home, we celebrate girls’ sweet 16 birthdays. Here in South America they celebrate the “Quinceanos”, or 15th birthday. It does not seem like such a difference, but after listening to the stories of the traditional Quinceanos fiestas, they are very different. My younger host sister, Macarena, has described to me the lavish blue gowns the girls wear and the mile high cakes for the birthday celebration. The party is usually at a club, and the more people the better! The quinceanos traditionally recognizes many birthday girls at the party instead of one birthday girl at one party like we do at home.

I have also had to adjust to the sleeping and eating patterns of Buenos Aires. On weekdays Argentines have a light breakfast, and when they come home from work around 5pm they have a late lunch and take a “seista” or nap. At 9pm, when they wake again, they have dinner. After dinner, they leave to meet friends at the cafes and bars for coffee and drinks. On weekends, they leave the bar around 1am or 2am and go to the boliches or dance clubs, generally not getting home until 6 in the morning. This typical week sounds exhausting, but a nice seista in the middle of the day breaks it up nicely.

The pace of the country is very slow, in comparison to the United States. Although it is a big city, the people are in no rush, apart from the taxis who swerve in between cars. A typical meal at a restaurant takes anywhere from 2 to 3 hours until you are able to call the waiter for the check. At school, the classes all start 10 minutes later than scheduled. It is relaxing to not be rushed, but frustrating at times when you are in a hurry.

We also have traditions in my house as well. Every Sunday afternoon for instance my family has raviolis for lunch. It has become a family gathering where we talk about our weekend and plans for the upcoming week. Also, we have gnocchis on the last day of each month. Gnocchis are delicious rolled up pastas which are very popular here in Buenos Aires.

The few little traditions I have picked out are amongst a whole culture of traditions and norms that I continue to explore and learn. Buenos Aires is rich with life and influence from Spain and Italy and North America as well. I can see similarities but I love learning all about the differences.

Food for Thought

In a literature class we talked about the significance of life, what life means, what it means to us, what is important and what is valued. This brought up a story of a man in the rural Pampas of Argentina who was approached by a “civilized” man of the city. The Pampas man was lying in the grass, enjoying the sun and the clear day when the city man asked what he was doing. The Pampas man explained he was resting. Confused at this remark, the city man asked why he had no work. He said to the Pampas man, “There must be something you can do.” He shrugged and asked, “What kind of work?” The city man replied, “You can grow things on a piece of land and sell them.” The Pampas man asked, “What for?” He said, “Well if you sell enough things you can buy more land for a farm and sell more products and become rich.” The Pampas man replied, “What will I do when I am rich?” The city man said, “Well when you are rich you can sell the land, buy a house and retire and lay in the sun all day.” The Pampas man said, “That’s what I was doing.”

This story shows that many of us value different things in life however, it is not always about monetary gains. Life should not be about getting ahead, or being the best; it is not a competition or race. Life is simply being you, and enjoying everyday as it is.

As I thought more about this story it is easy to apply this to being abroad. Very easily we can be swept up by the stress and anxiety of new places, customs and a new lifestyle, but if you remember to enjoy life and appreciate all the little things then being in a new place is a fun adventure.

Keeping a positive attitude and reminding yourself to do things that make you happy. Because, that is what life is all about!

Class in Belgrano

A semester's worth!

The Actual Studying of Study Abroad

After my first successful week of classes I am ready to begin this semester! At Merrimack College I study Communications and Elementary Education, here at the Universidad de Belgrano, I am taking five classes ranging from Argentina Literature to Arte Contemporaneo. The wide range of courses keeps learning interesting and I have the opportunity to receive class credit as well as learn more about this amazing country and it’s history!

It was a long process relaying messages between Belgrano and Merrimack to approve courses and get the right credits I would need to fulfill this semester, but after a few changes I finally have my permanent class schedule.

I take classes from Monday to Thursday, my earliest class starting at 1pm. I usually end classes at Belgrano around 6pm everyday. Before classes I have breakfast and lunch at home and read up on the day’s agenda for my classes. I have three courses on Monday and Wednesday and two on Tuesday and Thursday which gives me time to break up my homework and work on projects.

The books for the courses are much different from books at Merrimack or any other American university. In place of text books we use bound photocopied packets. This is helpful because we are able to share the copies and highlight without worrying about reselling our books at the end of the semester.

Also, at Belgrano we use a card attendance system. All the students have Belgrano identification cards that we use swipe into the doors of our classrooms which verifies our attendance for the day. We swipe before 1pm and after 1pm in a ten minute span, which makes having a class right at 1 o’clock difficult. Classes start later than scheduled, usually 10-15 minutes behind schedule so that cards can be swiped and changing of classes is not too hectic in the halls.

In class, the rooms are divided by rows of long wooden tables and swivel chairs nailed to the floor. All the classrooms use chalkboards although some professors use projectors for powerpoint presentations. The classes run for an hour and a half and immediately follow one another with only ten minutes to spare. It is a good thing all of our classes are only on two floors of the building.

In class, the students are composed of mainly American students. Many of the students are from the West coast, predominantly California. There are also few students from Europe and Canada. There are only a few programs, including API, which make up the mix of international students at Belgrano. Some very small and intimate like API, where others boast 70-80 students in their program. However, between classes students from all programs mix and mingle like a busy high school hallway.

I take three classes in English; History of Latin America, Argentina through Literature as well as Borges Culture and Knowledge. The remaining two classes I take in Spanish; Espanol Intermedio and Arte Argentino Contemporaneo. The professors are native to Buenos Aires, and enjoy helping the American students learn more about their history and culture. I find that the portenos are very proud of their home and truly enjoy sharing with us their heritage, inside and outside of the classroom.

After school, I grab an empanada or sandwich on my way home. I take the subte to school which gives me about a 30 minute commute both ways. At home, me and the kids do our homework together before dinner. Typically the homework is reading from the packets. I had a small homework assignment for Arte, which had me exploring a local museum and writing of the history of art through it’s many periods. We give small presentations in class on the material read, which is helpful for learning Spanish; being able to talk and present a project in Spanish.

I am enjoying all of my days in Buenos Aires, especially school days. Learning about this new culture and it’s rich history by means of academics is a great way to spend my day, and fulfill a semester!

Trying a little local flavor, Tango!

Castellano

What I have discovered about learning a new language in the language’s host country is that you actually learn more from your surroundings than you do studying for hours. Sitting in class helped me remember some of the tedious rules and conjugations, but it is walking the streets where I make connections to Latin roots and find myself much more comprehensive of the world I am in. It is fascinating to be able to grasp bits and pieces of conversations of the people on the subtes and in restaurants, where the white noise of conversation is no longer a white noise at all, it is a learning instrument, a tool for my benefit. Jumping into Argentina with little Spanish background was like stepping back in time 20 years. I feel I am at the same language level as child. Not being able to communicate as effectively by use of words I resort to pantomimes and small vocabulary. It is frustrating, but also incredibly fascinating to see the relay of a message passed from thoughts, to language, to gestures, back to language, then finally understanding the message. As Americans we do rely so heavily on people understanding us where ever we go. It is a comfort, and it is easy to speak your own language. Here, it is a luxury to accomplish a sentence, to communicate effectively, to speak with confidence. These are little things we take for granted in the comfort of our lives. When in fact, it can be a fun and eye opening experience to simply communicate. Studying both communications and education at Merrimack College I am somewhat more curious to the education and process of communication, but I think it is important to pass along. Think of all the convenience you have being able to talk and be understood. The genuine part of communication is that people take pride in their language, and love when the international students try to speak in Spanish, or the native Castellano. It may come out broken and incorrect, but because the effort was there, it is so much more appreciated. And that is what this is all about, giving a little extra effort to show someone you are appreciative of them and what they believe in. To show someone your attempts and in turn, recognizing theirs. Try something new, take a leap, because you may impress yourself with your own strength.