I've gotten some jibes over the last months about being in Argentina, which is basically about as European as Latin American can get (and they're proud of it). Especially compared to my friends who are living in the bush in Africa or doing similarly "out there" things, they have a point. "Isn't it basically the same as American culture...just in Spanish?"
Yes and no.
Plaza Armenia, the new park we've taken residence up in Palermo, is more Portlandia than Portland- more on that in a later post. The Simpsons reign yellowishly triumphant on TV. Fast food chains abound. Really arrogant comebacks. Meat and potatoes. Heck, sometimes I've even had a hard time telling people here what the most different thing about the US is (hint: breakfast).
And then there are times like last night, when the most Argentine thing ever happened. Never mind that the Pope's local radio interview was on repeat all morning or that the blue and white jerseys still are the base layer under most camperas during the day. This was quintessential Argentina.
It was about 1 am by the time we finished the movie (US: time to go to bed? Argentina: the night is young!), and so the guys and I went out for a walk to the park. Because parks in the wee hours of the morning are not sketchy places, we sat down in the skate ramps and drank mate. We sat talking and sharing jokes and stories for a while, watching a tatooed, Hawaiian shirted skater wipe out a few times in front of us. Then, he walked up to us.
"Hey, you got some beer?" he called, although the gesture implied that he'd happily accept something stronger. Besides a packet of yerba (tea) and a thermos of hot water, we had nothing of substance, but we offered him some mate anyhow. (I imagined how this would've gone down in the US- a guy wants a drink, so you give him tea? Right...)
"Yeah, dude, that'd be great". And he came over and had a few sips, asked us where we were from, talked a bit, and then went back to his skateboard.
Somehow, it struck me as one of the most Argentine moments ever. I'm not entirely sure why, but it had to do with being social past 2 in the morning and a random skater taking tea as an acceptable substitute for alcohol. Life here is funny that way.
Yes and no.
Plaza Armenia, the new park we've taken residence up in Palermo, is more Portlandia than Portland- more on that in a later post. The Simpsons reign yellowishly triumphant on TV. Fast food chains abound. Really arrogant comebacks. Meat and potatoes. Heck, sometimes I've even had a hard time telling people here what the most different thing about the US is (hint: breakfast).
And then there are times like last night, when the most Argentine thing ever happened. Never mind that the Pope's local radio interview was on repeat all morning or that the blue and white jerseys still are the base layer under most camperas during the day. This was quintessential Argentina.
It was about 1 am by the time we finished the movie (US: time to go to bed? Argentina: the night is young!), and so the guys and I went out for a walk to the park. Because parks in the wee hours of the morning are not sketchy places, we sat down in the skate ramps and drank mate. We sat talking and sharing jokes and stories for a while, watching a tatooed, Hawaiian shirted skater wipe out a few times in front of us. Then, he walked up to us.
"Hey, you got some beer?" he called, although the gesture implied that he'd happily accept something stronger. Besides a packet of yerba (tea) and a thermos of hot water, we had nothing of substance, but we offered him some mate anyhow. (I imagined how this would've gone down in the US- a guy wants a drink, so you give him tea? Right...)
"Yeah, dude, that'd be great". And he came over and had a few sips, asked us where we were from, talked a bit, and then went back to his skateboard.
Somehow, it struck me as one of the most Argentine moments ever. I'm not entirely sure why, but it had to do with being social past 2 in the morning and a random skater taking tea as an acceptable substitute for alcohol. Life here is funny that way.
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