Tag Archives: Argentina
- October 21, 2008
- Siesta and the Pace of Life– also tagged siesta
When I first arrived in Argentina, some younger students asked me if we have siesta in the U.S. When I said no, I could see pity on their faces, and they asked “Why not?” The answer I usually give is that it’s just not part of our “American lifestyle.” I suppose the reason is partly [...]
- October 6, 2008
- Colón, Entre Ríos, Argentina– also tagged Colón, Living Abroad
Colón is the sort of place where you could just lay around on the sand fanning yourself with palm leaves, though not glamorous enough to simultaneously eat grapes off the vine one by one. It’s one of the loveliest small towns in the Argentine province of Entre Ríos, mostly popular for its riverside beaches and [...]
- September 12, 2008
- Esteros del Iberá, Argentina– also tagged Esteros del Iberá
The Esteros del Iberá are a seemingly endless expanse of marshes, lagoons, floating islands, lush vegetation, and diverse wildlife, comprising roughly 14% of Corrientes province. The appeal of this gorgeous nature reserve largely comes from being unspoiled by rampant tourism. If you’ve ever envisioned rowing your own canoe into a lagoon teeming with hungry caimans, [...]
- September 10, 2008
- “Free” Education in Argentina?– also tagged Education, Socialism
Does the U.S. really want free education at the university level? Many Americans would have a knee-jerk reaction and say “yes, I’m swimming in debt from my child’s pre-school bills already, not to mention the $100 list of mandatory school supplies.” Free university education would relieve the American public of a rapidly increasing financial burden, [...]
- September 3, 2008
- Old Mate Man– also tagged instincts, Yerba Mate
“How are you doing today?” This question comes from a short, pudgy old man standing in his yard by the sidewalk, his final tufts of hair thinning as he speaks. He wears ordinary clothes, sandals that have seen better days, and only a few good teeth. His german shepherd, the size of a small bear, [...]
- August 31, 2008
- Silent Conversations
The indications of my nationality are not erasable, despite efforts to be inconspicuous. I’m the only foreigner in a small Argentine town with “USA” practically tattooed on my forehead, evident from the way I walk too fast while drinking a soda to the way I make strained eye contact to better understand people. Every day [...]
- August 27, 2008
- “What happened to all of your indigenous people?”– also tagged Teaching
… asked a 10-year-old boy at a primary school in rural Argentina about Native Americans. (I was in the middle of a presentation in Spanish about the U.S. to a roomful of kids.) This is a very astute question, but not one I expected. I was prepared to answer all kinds of inquires about regional [...]
