Two Months in Argentina

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It isn´t too long away till I reach the two month anniversary of my exchange in Argentina, so I thought it would be a good idea to share a bit of what life has been like so far. There are so many things I could talk about, and so much has happened in that time, but I´m afraid I´ll only be able to touch on the main aspects in this post.



School

This has definitely been one of the biggest changes I´ve had to adapt to. My school in Rosario is co-ed and has students that enter at 3 years-old for preschool, and leave at 18 to attend to Uni. What with all the different years, the student body is enourmous compared with my old school back in NZ. Instead of the morning prayer that I´ve gotten used to over the years, school days here are commenced with all us students lining up in files according to age and gender to listen to the Ode to the Flag. (On the topic of the flag; it´s a lot more common here to see it displayed in everyday life than in Nz. The flag pops up on apartment balconies, water bottles, mate flasks, t-shirts, grafitti, monuments, businesses,etc.)

School days vary a lot in Argentina, and it usually depends on whether or not they are run through a University. I know a lot of exchange students who only have morning classes, or who only start school after lunch. I wish I had it that easy. In my school, the ode to the flag starts at 7:40, with classes right after, and classes finish at 4pm (except for Tuesdays and Thursdays, when they finish at 4:30). Three days a week we have English in the afternoon, which stretches on for three hour-long sessions after lunch, with breaks in between. The classes here tend to be quite long, but there are 15-minute breaks between each block. There are three subject streams: Humanities, Economics, and Biology. I was placed in the humanities course and so, other than English and Gym, I study Philosophy, Statistics, Geography, History, Politics and Law, Literature, and Cinema. Although I can usually understand quite a bit of what´s being said, I´m not exactly much help when it comes to group projects. After school, there´s still quite a bit of time to go to the gym, study, or do a sport, and so I´ve taken up rowing at a club on the Parana River.

I´ve learnt that student conduct is done quite differently here than what I´m used to. Classes are a bit rowdy, to say the least. It´s a bit sad to see that the fight between teachers and phones is pretty much as bad here as in NZ. At the same time, though, the school has some fairly old-fashioned rules when it comes to things like going to the bathroom or (to my surprise) drinking water during class.

The school year here starts around February and ends at the beginning of December, with winter holidays in between. At the moment, everybody in my year group is signing up for university. There are a ton of institutes in Rosario, like in most large cities here, and so the majority of students tend to stay in Rosario and live with their parents. Public universities are free in Argentina, even to foreigners, and so there are a lot of people who come to study from neighbouring countries like Brazil. There are also private universities, but for these there are fees. University courses here are more like picking a career than in NZ. Instead of choosing a mix of subjects, you get to choose between, for example: Law, Engineering, Medicine, Outdoor Education, Accounting, Architecture, etc. It´s also very uncommon to do a gap year



Driving; more dangerous than drugs

Before coming to Argentina, whenever anybody found out where I was going for my exchange, I was often asked the following questions: "But aren't you scared?" "Don't they have heaps of drug problems?", or they very kindly expressed concern for my safety with a "I hope you don't get mugged...you probably will though." I suppose they meant well.

The truth is that living here isn't as dangerous as lots of people assume it is, as long as you adjust your behaviour and safety precautions accordingly. No, you won't necessarily be mugged if you step out onto the street at night, but it is better to be in a group. No, it isn't likely you're going to get kidnapped by your taxi driver, but it's best to send the driver's info to a loved one. It's perfectly fine to go walking through the town, but it's recommended to share your location with someone on WhatsApp. Don't flash your phone around in public, don't leave valued items in back pockets, and do keep a look out for dodgy situations or places.

But above all else, the thing that will most affect you, much more than the very small chance of being involved in muggings or shootings, is the traffic. Watch out for cars. Watch out for buses. If you need to use the crossing, be prepared to lose everything in the act. They stop for no man, woman, or child, as a rule, so get prepared to forget about the human behind the wheel. You pray for a gap, you take it, and you dodge the stream of people movers barrelling towards you. Yes, there may be drug problems and gang rivalries, but you're much more likely to be in a car accident than anything too exciting. Don't get your hopes up.

It's also good to be aware that painted lanes mean little, indicators are optional, and if there isn't a park where you need one, that's what double parking and hazard lights are for. Driving is chaotic, crash-prone, and an exciting addition to the day.



A typical weekend

Where during the week the days are long and there´s lots to be done, weekends are generally very chilled and slow-paced. Saturday is the day to get together with friends and go to one of the many parks by the river to drink mate and eat porrorro, or to head out to drink beers or go to a boliche (a club). Beer is a really popular drink, typiclly drunk ice-cold, and you can find a beer lounge on almost every block. Going to clubs here involves a lot of dancing, and a lot of cumbia. They generally don´t check IDs for alcohol (or cigarettes, as I found out with the Italian exchange students). They do check to let you in to the boliche but that is more of a formality, and most people borrow IDs from siblings or friends, even when there is no similarity whatsoever. Other than beer and mate, the iconic drink here is Fernet with Coke. Going to the boliche isn´t limited to the weekends, and it´s not uncommon to hear of people going out three nights in a row. The hard part is that, like most things in Argentina, clubbing starts very late. Normal times to go out are 12 for a pre-drink, 1am to go to the club, and then 4 or 5am to go home. Although some house parties go on till 6am, and that´s not counting afterparties which can end around 10am.

While Saturdays are generally long and hectic, Sundays are a welcome relief and a peaceful close to the week. It's almost an expectation for everybody to sleep in, but of course to be awake for the big, slow-paced family lunch: asado (the best roasted meat you could find), bread, roast vegetables, salad, etc. Sundays here always remind me a bit of Christmas. The vital ingredient that makes Sunday a Sunday is the time spent with family. What with all the cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents living within the same barrio (not uncommon in Argentina), we tend to see a lot of family.

After the habitual asado, the combination of food fatigue and early-afternoon heat tends to call for a siesta. In truth, a siesta can mean anything from a five-minute lie down to a 3-hour sleep (in the case of a really bad hangover). Although there's no clear defined time, siestas usually last between 20-40 minutes, and so there is still plenty of time in the day to get things done, however rarely anything heavy-duty. Maybe a bit of studying, a walk down along the river, sharing mate, playing an instrument...anything to pass the time and get well-rested for the long week ahead.



A new home, a new family

Whilst being an exchange student has been an incredible opportunity to make friends from both around the world and Argentina, and experiencing life in a different culture, the most valuable aspect of this experience has been living with a host family. Naturally, living in the same house and sharing a routine means that you get to know each other better than you would your classmates or other exchange students. I feel like they already know me really well: my sense of humour, my mannerisms, my poor sense of direction - all the important things. As I mentioned before, family life is essential in Argentina. Weekends are built around spending time together, and even living spaces are built to be shared. Bedroom doors are rarely closed, and only when necessary. It's virtually impossible to close yourself away in your room like is common in some NZ houses. Like Argentineans themselves, houses are open and welcoming.

Although I do miss my family back in NZ with all my heart, I really do love my family here too. My childhood dream of having a sister has finally been realised (three times over). With three sisters aged 11, 17, and 20, it's impossible to feel bored or lonely. Both parents work full-time in the city; the mother as a doctor specialising in diabetes, and the father as a partner in an office. It's a new experience sharing a room, and also having a sibling so young. Whoever says that having sisters is the same thing as having brothers is definitely mistaken; although both are wonderful. I was worried at first that sharing a room would be a bit of a tricky adjustment and a bit conflict-prone, but it really just feels like an extended sleepover with a friend.

I feel really lucky that AFS matched me up with a family so well the first time round and that I knew who they were for a long time before arriving. This doesn't always happen, and in quite a few cases people have to change families (possibly various times) or that they don't get a permanent family until right before, or even weeks after arriving.

It really is lovely knowing that my family has gotten that much bigger, and it doesn't just feel like being a guest. 'Host sisters' are sisters and 'host family' is family. (I feel like I'm about to start quoting Lilo and Stich with the whole 'ohana means family' talk). Also, they have a gorgeous dog called Puma who has really been a blessing as I've learnt that separation from pets back home is just as bad (if not worse) than separation from family, because dogs may be smart but they're not exactly Skype-savvy.



Stuff that grows and things that bite

Flora and fauna here is a bit of an adjustment. After having lived in a country with mainly harmless birds (except in the odd case of dive-bombing magpies) and very few dangerous creepy crawlies, it came as a bit of a shock early one morning when I woke up to find a scorpion on the bedroom floor. Not to worry though, they don't have enough poison to kill; only enough to make you want to die. And as far as scorpions go, these ones are like the travel-size versions. Small enough to come up through the bath plug when the real heat comes in summer. They're a bit like spiders in that they're a nuisance, they pop up occasionally to give you a fright, and sometimes they manage to make their way onto your bed. This is what happens when you live too near the river. Living in the city, we avoid the coming across the worst of the wild. Or at least, for the most part. On a short overnight stay on the grandad's farm in the country, I had the pleasant surprise of learning that we were sharing the house with a slightly peeved-off, very massive, tarantula. In the country big bugs are more common, as well as large lizards, snakes, birds of prey, and all the typical farm animals. Like the weather, the appearance of nasty insects and all those sorts gets more extreme in the summer. More visits from oversized spiders to come. Lots to look forward to...

Argentina shares the same seasons as NZ, so we're in spring at the moment and the city streets are jam-packed with flowers. Being such a big city, I wouldn't have guessed how green Rosario can be. There is a huge variety of trees in the streets, but one of the most common, and in my opinion the most beautiful, is the lapucho which has two varieties: the yellow, and the pink-flowered. Rosario has the greatest area of green space per capita in Argentina, and it really shows. There's no shortage of parks - the majority of which lie alongside the river, and provide a way to meet up to drink mate with friends with a gorgeous view of the island across the way. On Sundays and Saturdays it seems like half the city has come out for a picnic.



Eating (and drinking) like a local

When talking about Argentinean food, the most iconic foods that come up are the empanadas, dulce de leche, and lots and lots of asado (meat roasted on a special grill over a fire). I should probably say it now: yes, I did eat the meat. Considering the fact that practically every family has at least one weekly asado, it´s very hard to live here without feeling the pressure to try it. In my time here I only think I´ve met one vegetarian who is actually from Argentina. The meat is such a big part of the national identity, that it´s almost insulting to flat-out say that you won´t try it. Even though I don´t eat it normally and don´t plan to eat it again, people seem a lot more content knowing that I´ve experienced it atleast once. They´re just very passionate about their meat and they want you to know how good it is too. And really, if anyone does meat well it´s Argentina.

Argentina was a country built on immigration from Europe, predominantly from Italy and Spain. The large Italian influence has had a lot of lasting effects, one of which being the cuisine. Pizza, pasta, ice cream, and an endless stream of milanesa. Rosario is the Argentinean capital of artisanal ice cream, with at least one heladería always within walking distance. For the summer months, in the times when the heat isn´t too bad to leave the house, this will be a blessing. Pasta and pizza are absolute staples, although pizza toppings are usually a lot more loaded than their Italian counterparts (I haven´t really gotten used to eggs on pizza yet), and the Italian exchange students are absolutely adamant that both foods are done better in Italy. The jury is still out, though, on who does the best milanesa. Milanesa is a type of breaded meat, similar to schnitzel, that is really popular in both Itraly and Argentina. If you add meñted cheese, you get milanesa napolitana. Ive basically been living off of the soy version of milanesa for the past 2 months, and we always have a large supply stored away in the freezer.

One food that is definitely done well , though, are the empanadas. Like ice creams, there is an endless variety of empanada types, and luckily not all of them have meat. Empanadas are wholesome, filling, and great for when you´re on a budget or in a hurry. They can be whomemade, but this is usually quite a time-consuming process, especially if you´re making your own pastry. It makes a lot more sense to just order them, and make use of the great food delivery apps (Pedidos Ya is my new best friend).

Typical drinks include: mate (a traditional tea-like drink that is shared out of the same cup), coffee, beer (alway served ice-cold, otherwise it´s considered not worth drinking), wine, fernet, and soda water. Practically every house either has a metal soda water dispenser or a plastic dispenser that gets collected and replaced. Not sure what the origin of this love for soda water is, but it´s certainly popular.

Other than meat, what Argentineans do a lot of are sweets. Pasta frolla, croissants, facturas, chocotorta, alfajores, torta rogel, flan, turron de quaker, chocolates, anything with pastry, and anything with dulce de leche. You can add dulce de leche to almost anything and it immediately becomes a regrettable but delicious dessert. An iconic combination is with banana. Creamy, satisfying, unbelievably sweet, and sickening after a few bites. The best use of dulce de leche I´ve found is in chocotorta, alternating layers of choclate-like (but not choclate) biscuits and a mix of dulce de leche and cream cheese. Sounds a bit odd, but served cold at birthdays, it´s delicious. Croissants here generally tend to be a lot heavier than their French counterparts, and can come in sweet or savoury. If i were to pick one Argentinean dessert that is hard to tire of and not overwhelming ir dulce con queso. There are two varieties of dulce (a sweet paste): membrillo (a variety of pear), and batata (sweet potato). A slice of dulce is paired with a slice of soft or neutral cheese. Dulce de membrillo is quite a bit sweeter and is used in pastries. With cheese, I would say that the dulce de batata is best, although opinions vary.



I hope this summary helps to give a bit of an idea about what life is like here in Argentina, although it only really touches on the basics. I haven´t gone into talking about the economic crisis or the politics, because I still struggle to understand them myself so I don´t feel qualified to talk about them in depth. Lots has happened since I arrived, and I´m so grateful for all the people I´ve met so far. Other exchange students are great fun, and all the Argentineans have been extremely welcoming, curious about New Zealand, and keen to share their culture. Almost two months down, and I don´t want to think about leaving. Looking forward to more to come.

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Photos

All the AFS students and host siblings
At our house for the arrival orientation

First lunch with all the family
The pavlova was popular and it will make a comeback for Christmas