Editor’s Picks

1. The Northern Clemency		2. Hurry Down Sunshine		3. Nixonland		4. The Forever War		5. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
6. The Likeness		7. Serena		8. So Brave, Young, and Handsome		9. The Lazarus Project		10. The Ten-Cent Plague

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Reader’s Picks

1. Breaking Dawn		2. The Last Lecture		3. Brisingr		4. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle		5. The Tales of Beedle the Bard
6. The Appeal		7. When You Are Engulfed in Flames		8. In Defense of Food		9. The Revolution		10. The Host

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For the full lists visit the Best Books of 2008 page.

Being here in Argentina during this presidential campaign has given me a more global perspective on our country, on how our actions affect so many people worldwide, and how more people are watching us than we may realize. This perspective is valuable, and I hope that all Americans living abroad can appreciate that feeling.

I suppose the reason is partly cultural and partly practical. Americans are not accustomed to having a mid-day nap after lunch. We eat a small breakfast, a lunch that is larger than breakfast, and dinner is traditionally the biggest meal of the day, after which we sleep through the night. We are accustomed to eating lunch out during the typical 9-5 workday instead of going all the way home to eat (which would take much longer), and we’re used to working throughout the day instead of having a long break in the middle. We go shopping and run errands at whatever time of day is most convenient for us, instead of scheduling our days around the hours that stores are open. Stores in the U.S. are commonly open for ten or 12 hours per day, if not 14 or even 24 hours. The fewer hours a store is open, the smaller its window to generate revenue. This may explain why larger cities in Latin America have a shorter siesta, or none at all. Buenos Aires cannot shut down for four, five, or six hours everyday; there’s too much commerce to be lost and the bustling porteños would be irritated at having fewer chances to run their errands, or not being able to eat lunch out in a café.

In the small town of Colón, Argentina, home to 25,000 people, siesta lasts about four hours during high tourist season in the summer (around 1 PM to 5 PM), and during the winter it’s intolerably long (around noon until 6:30 PM or later). To clarify, during siesta almost everything is closed, including grocery stores, banks, the post office, the library, pharmacies, laundromats, restaurants, and all types of shops, except the hospital and maybe a small handful of places that choose to remain open, for example one pharmacy stays open on rotation in case someone needs medication. Businesses often don’t post their hours; they open and close as they please and are typically open for a total of six or eight hours a day. The residents of this town understand the unspoken system; outsiders may find it confounding. Young people in Colón will often go to school for a few hours in the morning, eat and nap all afternoon, work (or waste time, as young people often do) for a few hours in the evening, nap again after dinner until 2 AM, then hit the local club until 9 AM, then start all over again.

As an English teacher, I came to Colón bursting with ideas and energy, and I hit a brick wall when I realized that the school was not going to kick into high gear and help me start my projects. In truth, my life in New York City was a bit hysterical. I ran around with coffee to-go, ate lunch at my computer, and sprinted around the office with deadlines constantly looming over my head. This is a frantic way to work, but I was extremely productive and am proud of everything I accomplished for that company. Here in Colón, I spend more time trying to get people interested in my ideas (workshops, lectures, projects, etc.) than I do actually implementing them, but this is a challenge for anyone who works in a place that doesn’t welcome change with open arms. Change and growth are not Colón’s forte, but this “tranquilo” lifestyle might be healthier in some ways. Though it’s difficult to feel productive when things develop at a snail’s pace, at least people don’t burn out so quickly and leave their jobs every two or three years because they can’t tolerate the stress.

To siesta or not to siesta is seemingly a matter of small towns versus big cities, rather than the difference between the U.S. and Latin America. Small-town Texas (where I grew up) has no siesta, but life moves just as slowly there as it does in small-town Argentina. Both lifestyles have their advantages and disadvantages, but if you enjoy the big-city pace of life, you’ll hit that brick wall in a small town no matter where in the world you go.

I was once, long ago in Santo Domingo, told by a more experienced expat; that TEFL for survival is a path many have taken in their early years in country. For a while now, after four years as a TEFL, I have been considering my options. Translation work with my wife is always a good business, when we get it. But sensing that we needed more and on the prompting of a blog friend, I followed an ad to a teaching job in a large office park, looking for opportunities. Within two weeks I was discussing a job offer with a publishing company.

After one month at the new job, now that my Spanish is good enough to exist in a Spanish-speaking environment, I see that I can function and contribute in an office, once again. Once you can communicate you can bring your skills and experience to the bargain. As an older expat (50) with a variety of business and life experiences, I am finding that I can provide unique perspective for the company.

My Spanish is by no means fluent and I have found an office with an international market, which means a lot of the work is done in English. The money might actually work out to about the same rate per hour as teaching, but this is a steady monthly salary and full-time. The worst part of TEFL for me was the way the schedule was always changing, even in Institutes, commitments can disappear and get scaled down. And of course, the early mornings and late evenings, Saturday classes, and cancelled classes…

I think my transition to a regular job took a little longer than usual. I came close to alternative employment a couple of times in my TEFL career. While teaching at an NGO I was in discussions about working as a grant writer. Lesson learned: Never let your boss know that you’re going to work for a client, especially before you get the job. He nixed the job and our relationship changed. Another client, offered me a position at her company at a call center; an expat option that is an alternative to teaching, I saw that as more of a lateral move and declined.

Learning from past mistakes, and recognizing that good opportunities don’t come along every day, so grab them if they do, I did. The challenge now is to improve my language fluency. My osmotic belief that I will speak Spanish someday, may have been hampering my progress with the language, but it is working with time. I’m hoping someday soon to reach a critical mass of language proficiency, and just take off with it. One hopes. Good luck those who would follow this path, TEFL can get you through and keep you alive in a foreign country, probably anywhere in the non-English speaking world and if you like people, it can be fun. - Ken

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

Colón is largely frequented by domestic tourists during the busy summer months, many from Buenos Aires. While Colón barely maintains its pulse during the winter, with its regular population of 25,000 and two traffic lights, it’s an excellent town for getting off the international tourist track and connecting a little bit with the provinces. Argentina is increasingly tourist-friendly and accessible, meaning that the major destinations are bursting with hostels, English-speakers, and aggressive tourism agencies trying to sell you a $500 trip to the greatest natural wonders on earth. While these major destinations are amazing and beautiful, they are heavily visited and the tourists have increasingly left their footprints and Clif Bar wrappers behind. Colón is indeed a tourist destination, but a locally-minded one, effectively marrying the concepts of accessibility and tranquility.

Eating & Shopping
Many hometown joints concentrate on the ubiquitous pizza, sandwiches, and empanadas, but if you’d rather die than eat another ham-and-cheese, Entre Ríos is also great for fish (surubí, pacú, boga, and dorado swim nearby) and the classic Argentine asado (BBQ). You’ll find that most restaurants are basically the same, but north of downtown on San Martín is an Argentine parrilla called Parrilla Tranquera. Go inside to pick a table and start at the salad bar, offering basic salad fixings and potato salads, then proceed outside to choose your cuts straight from the grill, including beef, chicken, pork, chorizo (sausage), morcilla (blood sausage), or chinchulín (cow intestine). If you don’t know which is which, or if you’ve forgotten your cow vocabulary, just point without being obnoxious and they’ll help you out. For empanadas, go straight to El Sabrosón (Urquiza near J.J. Paso). Shopping in Colón isn’t exhilarating, but there are many stores along 12 de Abril for souvenirs, regional specialties, some clothing and house wares, etc. Check out the combination store and artist workshop La Casona for handcrafted jewelry, semi-precious stones, woven goods, and various artistic creations, plus the cash register is often run by local artists (12 de Abril at the corner of Plaza San Martín). El Sótano de Quesos (follow Gauchon to the waterfront and make a left) is also popular with locals and visitors alike, offering cheeses, cured meats, dulce de leche, jellies and jams, and jalea real (a jelly with supposedly healthful and restorative qualities made exclusively from the queen bee, $4 per small container, which must be kept on ice). The helpful, perhaps overly attentive staff will assault you the moment you walk in to offer cheese samples. Think before buying wine here; Entre Ríos has its own wines, but locals would rather try a Malbec from Mendoza. For wine, head to the local “wine boutique” Yuca (San Martín at Balcarce), which coincidentally also has excellent dulce de leche.

Music & Art
If you’ve come to Colón for music and art, you’ve taken a wrong turn, or you appreciate the challenge of finding water in the central Sahara. This tiny hamlet technically has a theater and museum, but both are largely inactive. Colón’s community theater is the Teatro Centenario, built in 1925, which was at one time a combination theater and movie house, and now is used for occasional live theater, classes, and events (12 de Abril near Maipú). The Museo Histórico Regional de Colón also provides some local insight, though this author has visited several times during their posted hours and it’s always closed (Moreno at Laprida, 30 cents, open only M–F, 9–11:30 AM). La Casona occasionally has a small exhibit upstairs, but this depends on your walking by at the exact moment that they are both open AND have something to exhibit. Colón’s real claim to artistic fame is their annual Festival Nacional de la Artesanía in Parque Quiros, held every February, featuring a different artistic theme each year, attracting enormous crowds and talented artists from all over the country and beyond.

Nightlife
Colón is sadly struggling in this area. There is one true bar (sort of) called Moment on 12 de Abril, though a stiff Fernet and coke or a Quilmes can be had at practically any local restaurant. The only club open year-round is El Mediterraneo by the river, though the age minimum is only 15, which means that its population of 13-year-olds is steadily rising, which in turn means that Colón’s population of pregnant 14 year-olds is also soaring out of control. The other club is called Kaiman, which is similar to El Mediterraneo but open only during the summer, located also on the river but further south. These are your choices; don’t feel pressured to explore them.

Accommodations
Colón’s Piedras Coloradas campgrounds are located along the riverfront near Parque Quiros, plus some camping and bungalows outside of town. Many residents of Colón rent their apartments or spare rooms out to tourists; this is an option, but exercise caution before you wander into someone’s living room and unpack. There is also a marked difference between local and foreigner prices. To the residents of Colón, the term “foreigner” also includes those snobby, coffee-to-go drinking, highly fashionable city folk from Buenos Aires, without whom the economy of Colón would be in shambles. Colón boasts a five-star hotel right on the waterfront called Hotel Quirinale Internacional, which overlooks the Río Uruguay and is mere steps from the costanera, beach, and 12 de Abril. The hotel includes spa services, a restaurant, a casino next door, and free wireless internet. The building itself is rather old and aging, but is still an institution of Colón. For an unbeatable central location, try Hotel Plaza located on the edge of Plaza San Martín. Currently being remodeled, this hotel is still open for business and provides rooms starting at $33/night on the off season, $40/night during the peak months of summer. Rooms facing the plaza have a view and all come with breakfast, A/C and heat, cable TV, access to the hotel pool (though who needs this when you’re two blocks from the beach), plus extra services are available, including a sauna, Finnish baths, and a gym. There is also a lovely and homey Hostería on the corner of Gauchón and Peyret near the river, next to the only vegetarian restaurant in town, Verde Gourmet.

Transportation and Basics
There is no public transportation system, but the town is very walkable and there are a few remise (taxi) companies, which are also available at the bus station. You can also rent a bike to explore the town; two useful bike shops are located on San Martín near Pra. Junta and on Bolivar near Salta (prices and availability vary). Concerning basic amenities, Colón has two ATMs and a Correo Argentino (post office) along the main drag 12 de Abril. This main street also has most of the shops and restaurants, and quite a few internet cafes. The visitor’s center is next to the port, in a beautiful building that was originally the customs house, built by General Urquiza. Here you can pick up helpful maps and information, though the bus station also has maps and information, plus they can help in finding accommodation and generally getting situated. As Colón has no airport, most visitors will arrive at the bus station, which has many departures to Buenos Aires and other towns in the area.

Nearby
Colón connects to Paysandú, Uruguay by international bridge and a bus ride across the border takes about 45 minutes (unless the bridge is closed for protesting). This is an easy way to cross over into Uruguay and explore the Uruguayan interior (Paysandú is about five hours from Montevideo), much simpler than the ferry ride from Buenos Aires to Montevideo or Colonia del Sacramento. One political note about this area concerns the paper factories down the river near Gualeguaychú. These factories (located in Uruguay but owned by European companies) have been polluting the Río Uruguay and entrerrianos have been protesting its presence (you’ll notice signs, t-shirts, and bumper stickers that say “Si a la vida, No a las papeleras!” or other versions thereof). This may interrupt bus service; inquire before purchasing a ticket. The small town of San José is very close to Colón, about eight kilometers down the road, which makes it an excellent afternoon trip. Palacio San José, former residence of General Urquiza, is also close, but not so easily reachable by bus directly from Colón. Try going to Concepción del Uruguay first or joining a tour. Parque Nacional El Palmar, home of the ancient yatay palm trees, is only 45 minutes north, almost halfway to Concordia.