La Cultura
So the title of this blog is "La Cultura", which doesn't have a direct translation in English that I can think of. About the last blog "Truths", I had fucking written gold, but for some reason it didn't publish correctly and all was lost. The information I shared will never be disclosed. Back to La Cultura: First, greetings in Argentina. I think I may have touched on this before but here's a refresher. You are expected to greet every single person in a group when you arrive/leave. If you are a girl you kiss everyone. Girls kiss girls, guys kiss girls, girls kiss guys. Guys have the option, which I like to exercise, of only kissing girls, and extending a hand to guys for a causal hand shake. Barack Obama pounds are not used. So, here's hypothetical you, you've just entered a room with many of your friends. You must greet all of them individually before you can think of doing anything else. It's rude not to. When I had to get my visa, I watched a woman who arrived to work greet 15 different co-workers with kisses, completely interupting them from their work; some were on the phone, some where filling out papers, some where dealing with clients. It didn't matter. It's a mono kiss by the way (not French style), always on the right cheek so there's no confusion. But not all guys exercise their right, nay obligation, against man-man kissing. At soccer practice today, at least half the team kissed the coach. That's pretty f'ing wierd. Mate: everyone here drinks mate (pronounced "mah-tay"). I still haven't tried it but I'm told it tastes like really strong green tea. It's consumed out of a wierd ornamental cup that is only used for mate and is enjoyed at all times during the day. It is the life blood of Argentina and there are even vending machines that dispense hot water for the mate for free. I haven't seen a single obese person in Argentina and I am told it is because mate allegedly supresses hunger. Anyone and everyone drinks mate and no moment is inappropriate. While we were running sprints today during soccer, the coach busted out his mate. Smoking: smoking is totally cool and a social activity. If you are drinking with your friends in a social environment, then you most likely are smoking as well. Everytime I go out I come back smelling like smoke. Seatbelts: Nobody uses them. They really should too because the driving is crazy down here. Pedestrians are targets and cross walks are little more than paint. That's all the "Cultura"I can think of for now.
There are three generally accepted principles that govern the universe. 1) Time is relative 2) 90% of the universe is comprised of unobservable, yet detectable, Dark Matter, and finally 3) It is impossible to finish a chapstick or pen without first losing it. I am on the verge of breaking the third principle. I know what you're thinking, there is no way you finished a chapstick. You're right, I have never nor ever will do this, but I am on the cusp of finishing all the ink in my pen. I bought a fresh pen three weeks ago, and in my extended hours of reading for Contemporary International Relations, I have almost used up a pen in notes alone. While I haven't yet done it, I wanted everyone to be aware of my progress. The reading for my international relations class is a joke. I have 4 course packs that are each about 2 inches thick. On each page is two pages (4 front and back), so it's really like having 4 course packs that are 4 inches thick. That's like reading a stack of papers that is 16 inches high. To put that in perspective that's .004444 football fields (you can check my calculations, I dare you). So anyway, I have so much reading I am figuratively using up pens by the day (not literally, many people confuse this term with figuratively). I had soccer and basketball practice today, and they were both pretty good. Argentineans are incredibly nice when it comes to giving rides. I got a ride from soccer to basketball, and a ride from basketball home. This probably saved me around an hour of travel. I've already said how much San Andres is like high school but I think it needs to be reinforced. I have to wake up hella early for class, classes are no more than 30 people, at lunch I eat with all my friends in the cafeteria, the school has 1600 students, the students look younger than they are so it's kind of like high school that way (everybody is sitting at around 18 or so), I can't drive, I live far away from the school, I have class everyday, I see the same people around school and in my classes, I have to pack a lunch, I have soccer and basketball practice after school, I get home pretty late most days, I have to take a bus to school (and a train I suppose); alright, that's pretty much everything but that's quite a bit. I'm not complaining is just unbelievable dejavu. It's pretty interesting how much my university is like highschool when juxtaposed to my life in the apartment which is more closely tied to post-college (3 flat mates, I have to do all my cooking/cleaning, etc.) To put a metaphor to the situation I am straddling a chasm that is university with my left foot planted in highschool and my right foot planted in post-college. Ok, that's all for me. chao.
There are three generally accepted principles that govern the universe. 1) Time is relative 2) 90% of the universe is comprised of unobservable, yet detectable, Dark Matter, and finally 3) It is impossible to finish a chapstick or pen without first losing it. I am on the verge of breaking the third principle. I know what you're thinking, there is no way you finished a chapstick. You're right, I have never nor ever will do this, but I am on the cusp of finishing all the ink in my pen. I bought a fresh pen three weeks ago, and in my extended hours of reading for Contemporary International Relations, I have almost used up a pen in notes alone. While I haven't yet done it, I wanted everyone to be aware of my progress. The reading for my international relations class is a joke. I have 4 course packs that are each about 2 inches thick. On each page is two pages (4 front and back), so it's really like having 4 course packs that are 4 inches thick. That's like reading a stack of papers that is 16 inches high. To put that in perspective that's .004444 football fields (you can check my calculations, I dare you). So anyway, I have so much reading I am figuratively using up pens by the day (not literally, many people confuse this term with figuratively). I had soccer and basketball practice today, and they were both pretty good. Argentineans are incredibly nice when it comes to giving rides. I got a ride from soccer to basketball, and a ride from basketball home. This probably saved me around an hour of travel. I've already said how much San Andres is like high school but I think it needs to be reinforced. I have to wake up hella early for class, classes are no more than 30 people, at lunch I eat with all my friends in the cafeteria, the school has 1600 students, the students look younger than they are so it's kind of like high school that way (everybody is sitting at around 18 or so), I can't drive, I live far away from the school, I have class everyday, I see the same people around school and in my classes, I have to pack a lunch, I have soccer and basketball practice after school, I get home pretty late most days, I have to take a bus to school (and a train I suppose); alright, that's pretty much everything but that's quite a bit. I'm not complaining is just unbelievable dejavu. It's pretty interesting how much my university is like highschool when juxtaposed to my life in the apartment which is more closely tied to post-college (3 flat mates, I have to do all my cooking/cleaning, etc.) To put a metaphor to the situation I am straddling a chasm that is university with my left foot planted in highschool and my right foot planted in post-college. Ok, that's all for me. chao.
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