So what are you cooking tonight Mariele? The owner of the carniceria, the butcher says. I was cooking a simple pasta with some meat. He does not yet believe that I am Mexican I showed him my passport today. He laughed and said that I only say one word in Mexican Spanish. I do and I say it a lot.
No, there is no IKEA here, I have not seen a Walmart yet buuuuut there is Carrefour!!!! As I was walking to see Plaza de Mayo, I saw Carrefour, and I smiled. I went in thinking perfect I am so going to find some Mexican brands and cook or maybe I can find this or that. WRONG AGAIN. I naively thought Carrefour would be like in France or in Mexico. I went back to the hostel and some Americans were complaining about the same thing, I heard them saying exactly what I thought... supermarkets in Argentina suck. But when I was listening to them I realized how stupid my anger to Carrefour was and how mistaken I am. They don't suck, I do. I do for assuming that everyone in Latin America will consume Mexican products, that I will find what I have found in France or in Toronto. Why would Argentines like what I like?, and why should I get so annoying about a supermarket? I do my groceries in the little family-owned supermarket, they have spicy sauce from Mexico... go figure.
People from Buenos Aires are called Porteños. One of my friends told me that they were rather unique characters. So far I have not been able to relate to them, specially the girls. My Argentine friends are not Porteños they are from somewhere else, and I am in love with them. Two weekends ago we went to a little town outside Buenos Aires called La Plata, it is only one hour away and people are so different. I had the best time there. However, after living 4 years in a country where parties start at 10pm and end at 3am I have noticed that I have been Torontonized. Here dinner starts around 10pm going to a bar is 12pm, going to the club is around 2 or 3am... want to know at what time does it end? We went back home two Sundays ago at 11am. ¡Vaya Fiesta!... I don't understand how people do it. I guess I will have to learn or drink (more) coffee at La Havana -an Argentine coffee chain and more Alfajores to have more energy... Maybe I should eat less Mexican hot sauce and more chimichurri...
Went home at 11 am?????? I'm sooo jealous!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI am doing my internship in mexico right now- I am not in a big city, more like a smaller pueblo, however when I visited Guadalajara a week ago it struck me how crazy Mexico has been north americanized...Your absolutely right about mexico wanting to be a ´wanna-be´...its weird...it feels latin americanish yet its also very north americanish.
ReplyDeletep.s. I also thought it was going to be easy doing this internship in another latin american country because i am from Colombia, however I am coming to realize that maybe for those who do have these ´similar´ roots doing an internship in a ´similar´ country can have many unexpected surprises...I have had a few of mine indeed...
Hey Maria, I forgot to bring the list of email addresses we exchanged (of course, typical) but I have a question for you about Buenos Aires because my friend is looking into studying there. Can you send me an email at cmwille@gmail.com? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteDinner starts at 10:00am?!? That is about the time I am crawling into bed!
ReplyDeleteSo what is it that makes Porteños different?
Che Maria!
ReplyDeleteComo anadas! It´s so great to read about your experience in Buenos Aires. I´m having some similar and some very different experiences in Córdoba. Yes, everyone has an image of the typical Porteño but I don´t think I´ve met one yet... People in Unquillo (a small town 45 minutes outside of Córdoba) are some of the kindest and most generous people I´ve ever met. Small town Argentina is VERY different than Córdoba Captial or Buenos Aires. We don´t have any Carrefour. Everything closes for the afternoon siesta (EVERYTHING). I was irritated by this at first - what if I need to buy something in the afternoon?! But really, it´s a question of convenience. Why do I think it´s better to have a store open all day? So I can go whenever I want. Convenient for me. Not for the storekeeper. Here, pepole go home for lunch with their families, siesta, and pick up work in the evenings. And yeah, why not? Hope you´re very well in Buenos Aires. Un besito. Chau!
I can't even find an accurate adjective for Porteños. I would like to say bipolar, self-centred and know and then neurotic, specially the girls. I understand it is a big city and usually people in centralized systems tend to think that the important things happen only in the capital, but it seems to me that they take it too far. It seems to me that they don't care about anyone else who is around them They are not as opened as the people from outside. As Miriam, I have met amazing people. I have not found an amazing porteño yet, I have not given up my hopes though... I know I will find one.
ReplyDelete