Argentine Mysteries

[John.St]

more Argentine mysteries...

4) why people keep voting the same politicians over and over again?? I have seen the same faces for over 15 years at least.

It is a result of the encomienda system all over Spanish speaking South America - the 100 families (or 14 or 12) and their clients who make up the elite.

 

[John.St]

Two things that really puzzles me about Argentinos is the way they burst out from e.g. shops into the street as if they were all alone in the world.

The second puzzling behavior - or rather non-behavior - is that many Argentinos seem to be unable to see things. These two may be related.

I have often been sitting in a car or bus with Argentino friends, and say "Did you see that ñandú (or Ford TinLizzy vintage car, or a man in green polka dot coat, or ..) and they haven't noticed it.

One day I was carrying a beam (una viga) home on my shoulder. Its dimensions is 220 x 25 x 7 cm and it is white, easily visible half a mile away, and yet a local man banged his head into it as if it was invisible.

I have a feeling that a stray white elephant with large red bulls eyes painted on its sides, roaming the streets, wouldn't be noticed either.

At first I thought this might be a genetic trait, but giving the phenomenon some thought I realized, that not only were some 60% af the population born elsewhere in the world only 4 generations back (not enough time for a genetic trait to spread to a large part of the population), but also that I experienced exactly the same in Turkey 20-25 years ago.

Any ideas?

 

[tomdesigns]

Two things that really puzzles me about Argentinos is the way they burst out from e.g. shops into the street as if they were all alone in the world.

The second puzzling behavior - or rather non-behavior - is that many Argentinos seem to be unable to see things. These two may be related.

I have often been sitting in a car or bus with Argentino friends, and say "Did you see that ñandú (or Ford TinLizzy vintage car, or a man in green polka dot coat, or ..) and they haven't noticed it.

One day I was carrying a beam (una viga) home on my shoulder. Its dimensions is 220 x 25 x 7 cm and it is white, easily visible half a mile away, and yet a local man banged his head into it as if it was invisible.

I have a feeling that a stray white elephant with large red bulls eyes painted on its sides, roaming the streets, wouldn't be noticed either.

At first I thought this might be a genetic trait, but giving the phenomenon some thought I realized, that not only were some 60% af the population born elsewhere in the world only 4 generations back (not enough time for a genetic trait to spread to a large part of the population), but also that I experienced exactly the same in Turkey 20-25 years ago.

Any ideas?

Yeah I have notices this too.. my only theory is that due to the late night and all night social life here many of the people are in a state of sleep deprivation. Even though they are awake they are just not with it.

 

[citygirl]

I just assume that is the argentine pride at work. People just assume that others will get out of their way and they have the right of way. So they burst out of the store without looking, go speeding onto the highway without checking for oncoming traffic, walk down the street without noticing fellow pedestrians, etc. Of course when everyone assumes the same thing and no one moves - well, that might explain the number of car accidents, people running into you, etc

 

[tomdesigns]

I find this to be especially prelivent in the night clubs.. Peopla banging into me all night with no regaurd for personal space what so ever. I have gotten used to it now, but the first few times I went out.. I was like, what is with these people? I remember thinking... are they trying to start a fight with me or something?

 

[cruizes]

Two things that really puzzles me about Argentinos is the way they burst out from e.g. shops into the street as if they were all alone in the world.

The second puzzling behavior - or rather non-behavior - is that many Argentinos seem to be unable to see things. These two may be related.

Thank god for this post! I started thinking that it was my imagination!

 

[marksoc]

Personal space is an American or maybe Anglo concept. We don´t die here if we bump into somebody. Touching people is ok, deal with it.

 

[John.St]

Personal space is an American or maybe Anglo concept. We don´t die here if we bump into somebody. Touching people is ok, deal with it.

That's right.

South Amercans are the Japanese of the west when it comes (lack of) intimosphere. Up north the proper conversation distance is as if you placed your hand on the other's shoulder, here it's 8-10 cm, 3-4 inches

 

[John.St]

Another thing that puzzles me:

Now and then I receive letters addressed to people who lived here ages ago (not so strange).
I then return them to sender with a "se mudó, no sé a donde, no sé cuando".

A few weeks later I receive yet another letter to the same person from the same sender (that is strange).

One could wonder if poverty in Argentina is the result of wasting money on stamps and writing letters to persons, whom you know have moved elsewhere