Hello from Argentina
First updates and impressions from my new home abroad.
Hola chiques!
It's me! Live, from Argentina. Two weeks in, it's tempting to start my very first post by apologizing for the lack of updates so far or for how long this one turned out, but I'm not going to. Like everything here, we’re going with the flow, including my dropping photos and audio snippets into this email like it’s a scrapbook.
So let’s get into it!
Why am I in Argentina?
I was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study wildfires here in Argentina. That means I have funding and a visa to spend nine months here doing research on my own schedule, however I want. I have chosen to take a journalistic approach to the project, aiming to do a bunch of interviews and absorb as much as I can in the hopes of publishing on the topic at some point in the future.
But according to the U.S. government, my main job here as a “little ‘a’ ambassador” is to ~foster cultural exchange~ which is exactly what I tell myself as I stay out until midnight most nights socializing instead of doing my research.
Where am I living?
I am here in Córdoba, the second-largest city in Argentina, for the first four months, after which I will be moving to Rosario (birthplace of two Argentine icons, Leo Messi and Che Guevara) for two months, then to the pristine Patagonian town of Bariloche for the final two months.
After a whirlwind week of Fulbright’s orientation in the 90-plus-degree heat of Buenos Aires, including a visit to Ambassador Marc Stanley’s house, so far Córdoba has felt wonderfully mid-sized, with a bit of a college town vibe. ¡Qué onda! as the Argentines say.
My research is supported by the Catholic University of Córdoba, where I meet with an adviser once per week. Also here in Córdoba is another Fulbright grantee named Mary McCall who has been a critical and wonderful companion these first few weeks. And I live in a gorgeous apartment with two Argentines and one Belgian student, each of whom I enjoy immensely.
Oh yeah, and while in Buenos Aires, I went to the three-day Lollapalooza Argentina festival, where I got to see some very cool artists, like Argentine pop star María Becerra.
What’s it like here?
Disclaimer: This and future posts are going to include a lot of generalizations about Argentines. Obviously not all of it applies to everyone, everywhere, all at once, but alas, I am a human and here are my thoughts.
Argentines are so nice, so welcoming and so social. I am a fairly social person, but I have been overwhelmed by the kindness and the seemingly endless social batteries of the people of Argentina. Socializing is nonstop, and unless you physically extract yourself from a conversation, you will find yourself, hours later, still knee deep in discussion. I love it, but it can be exhausting.
This social-forward values system definitely extends to how things work logistically, here in Argentina. Nearly everything is best (or most cheaply) accomplished by word of mouth or having some sort of “in.” And Argentines will go the extra mile to help you find out about it, like the stranger we met at Lollapalooza who recognized us the next morning at the bus terminal and helped us figure out how to pay for our bags. It reminds me of the immediate and unconditional kindness I received from strangers while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.
Here is a list of things that have stood out to me these past two weeks:
The United States has only about a 40% approval rate among Argentines (understandably), but everyone is nice to us anyways.
Palo borracho (translation: drunk stick) is the name of a very pretty tree here with purple flowers, supposedly named because the trunk looks like a wine bottle. There are SO many trees here, on every street, which I love.
The economic situation here is a bit dire. Inflation is up by more than 100% over the last year, but the official exchange rate isn’t keeping pace, so instead of pulling out cash from an ATM, anyone with U.S. dollars exchanges them on what is essentially the black market to get double the Argentine pesos for each dollar. That means something like a taxi ride home from a night out ends up costing, at maximum, just a few bucks. It also means asking around to find someone interested in trading $100 bills for wads of pesos like I’m doing a drug deal.
There is seemingly a big cultural distinction here between all things “porteño,” ie, from Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (CABA for short) and things of the “interior” or “the provinces” meaning literally the rest of the country that isn’t Buenos Aires. Here in my province, things are definitely more chill.
The infrastructure here is really good, but safety is somewhat of an issue. Robbery and armed robbery is really common, so it’s not safe to walk alone at night or with your phone out. Even during the day, sticking to major streets is advised.
Argentines love to stay up late and sleep in, with dinner starting around 10 p.m., bars that get hopping around midnight, and clubs that stay open all the way to the morning.
The rock climbing gym here in Córdoba doesn’t have any routes or grades, which is still a bit confounding. More research needed on this one.
This year, the United States and Argentina are celebrating 200 years of bilateral relations. To me that celebration rings a little bit hollow, as the two countries aren’t exactly known for being the most peaceful, but I’ll take it as an opportunity to reflect on both the good and the bad. In that vein, I hope to have many more opportunities to learn the nitty gritty political stuff while I’m here (it is a presidential election year), but for now, one statement I heard that really got me thinking was this: While Argentina had six military coups in the 20th century, that also means it found its way back to democracy six times. I find that pretty profound and hopeful.
Me introducing myself to U.S. ambassador to Argentina Marc Stanley. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Argentina.
Any existential musings so far?
Of course! This newsletter wouldn’t be mine if I didn’t confess all the times I’ve cried so far (once, and out of happiness) or try to sort through my big feelings in writing.
So, as has become tradition, an excerpt from my journal: (this time accompanied by some ambient audio)
My housemate Delfina was playing the guitar tonight up in her room while the crickets chirped after a day of much-needed rain. All of my clothes hanging on the clothesline are wet, but I don’t care. I feel so welcome and at home here despite the near-constant struggles with language, with my house keys and with always forgetting to weigh my produce before checking out at the grocery store.
Today I realized how freeing it feels to have no shame, to simply say it out loud when I don’t understand someone in Spanish, and to simply apologize for a mistake and move on. There have been a million mistakes this week, but I am still here.
In just a few handfuls of days, as many people here have offered their help, their friendship, and answers to my millions of questions. Today, for example, I learned how to use a new style of can opener and how light an oven. I’ve also been trying to keep track of some of the new words I’m learning, but they come in the dozens, so it’s hard to remember.
At the same time, sometimes I’m forgetting English words mid-sentence or writing in a construction that feels very Spanish. I honestly can’t believe how quickly it’s all come to pass. I forgot the word for sourdough yesterday as I was trying to ask where to buy some.
Things, of course, feel strangely normal, and it’s easy to forget where I am. That is, until I don’t know how to work the oven. While I am on guard for things like safety, in general everything feels so inconsequential in the best way. I’m not stressed about getting lost or forgetting something or misunderstanding someone because I know all three of those things plus 100 other problems will happen in a day, and I’ve simply given up worrying about it.
I think it won’t be long before I fall into my routine and find my spots, and eventually to uncover the city’s gems. But so far the gem has been the quiet, the peace, the comfort, the warmth, and the sense that we’re all just buzzing around down here on the other side of the globe.
Tastes of Argentina
This is the part where I show you the things I have been eating. Desserts abound, most main dishes consist of meat, and the pasta is amazing. Not on my list of favorites was this espresso with seltzer water and lemon.
I love your observations and I am so excited for further installments!
Thank you for starting to share your journey with us! Can't wait to hear more about everything!