It's an Expat Thing: Unsolved Mysteries

[victoria]

Why do taxis move faster than ambulances?

Why do restaurants display old typewriters for ambience?

Why is Peter Capusotto so damn funny when I don't even understand a word?

Why can't I stop drinking malbec?

Who takes the cat dishes from my front porch every night?

When do Portenos manage to sleep?

Why do workers come at 3 or 4 a.m. to put up billboards on the wall across from my house? Does paper adhere better late at night?


I don't necessarily want answers--though unsnarky ones are welcome--these are just some unsolved mysteries for me (except why do I drink wine every night .... it's sooo good and so reasonable). And if you're the person taking my cat dishes, what do you do with them?

Anyone else have some similar mysteries?

 

[Futboljunkie]

Why do taxis move faster than ambulances? Because nobody respect taxi's

Why do restaurants display old typewriters for ambience? Because it looks nice

Why is Peter Capusotto so damn funny when I don't even understand a word? Because he is

Why can't I stop drinking malbec? Because you have nothing better to do

Who takes the cat dishes from my front porch every night? The cat

When do Portenos manage to sleep? The 28 days they don't go out

Why do workers come at 3 or 4 a.m. to put up billboards on the wall across from my house? Does paper adhere better late at night? To bother nobody

Hopefully it was helpfull

 

[argsteve]

Somebody answer.. what is the deal with the walking???..I thought it was just me... But, people will not move or give you room when you walk down the street... normally if you see someone walking towards you ... you sort of move to the left or right... People here will just walk into you or just walk and almost knock you over or stop in front of you and will not move a little so you can walk by... .. it is very strange.. a small thing... but strange...... sort of zombie like..... I thought it was just me.. but a friend who was visiting after a week asked me...."what is the deal with the walking" so it isnt just me!!!

 

[nikad]

Somebody answer.. what is the deal with the walking???..I thought it was just me... But, people will not move or give you room when you walk down the street... normally if you see someone walking towards you ... you sort of move to the left or right... People here will just walk into you or just walk and almost knock you over or stop in front of you and will not move a little so you can walk by... .. it is very strange.. a small thing... but strange...... sort of zombie like..... I thought it was just me.. but a friend who was visiting after a week asked me...."what is the deal with the walking" so it isnt just me!!!

The idea of personal space is very different to American´s or European´s. You will also notice people are touchy and kissy, etc. It is cultural and nobody minds a bit of body contact

 

[elhombresinnombre]

The idea of personal space is very different to American´s or European´s. You will also notice people are touchy and kissy, etc. It is cultural and nobody minds a bit of body contact

Yes but I wonder if it goes even deeper than that? Maybe the signals we've learned from a very early age about moving in crowded places are just different from place to place and we each just don't read the other's intentions so well. Watch a throng of pedestrians in London or Bs As and they seem to negotiate movement through the crowd instinctively but throw a couple of Londoners onto Corrientes or Porteños onto Oxford Street and it all seems to come to pieces (for the foreigner)

 

[nikad]

Yes but I wonder if it goes even deeper than that? Maybe the signals we've learned from a very early age about moving in crowded places are just different from place to place and we each just don't read the other's intentions so well. Watch a throng of pedestrians in London or Bs As and they seem to negotiate movement through the crowd instinctively but throw a couple of Londoners onto Corrientes or Porteños onto Oxford Street and it all seems to come to pieces (for the foreigner)

that is a good point indeed. However, I believe Argentine in London would be really lost between movement negotiation and drivers going on the wrong side of the road

 

[arty]

Somebody answer.. what is the deal with the walking???..I thought it was just me... But, people will not move or give you room when you walk down the street... normally if you see someone walking towards you ... you sort of move to the left or right... People here will just walk into you or just walk and almost knock you over or stop in front of you and will not move a little so you can walk by... .. it is very strange.. a small thing... but strange...... sort of zombie like..... I thought it was just me.. but a friend who was visiting after a week asked me...."what is the deal with the walking" so it isnt just me!!!

What is even stranger is when you are walking and someone is in front of you, when you get closer to pass on one side they seem to start to drift in your direction.

 

[victoria]

I noticed that thing about walking too ... thought perhaps in South America one doesn't walk as a pedestrian, to the right, but to the left? Am I not yielding in the right direction?

Noticed this mode of walking in Australia, where they drive on the left and one walks to the left, but why in Argentina where they drive on the right?

 

[jp]

Random fact of the day....

People traditionally walked on the left (and later drove on the left) because when you passed people on the road in ye olden days, you passed them with your right side, so that you could offer them your right hand in friendship, or defend yourself with your sword.

Not sure how relevant that is here though. Generally I find walking more of a obstacle course, trying to stay in the shade and avoid broken pavements and dog crap.

Not sure on the sleeping thing. Judging by my friends, they don't sleep much, and substitute sleep for complaining about being tired all the time. Maybe the sun energizes?

 

[citygirl]

What is even stranger is when you are walking and someone is in front of you, when you get closer to pass on one side they seem to start to drift in your direction.

Maybe they just want to be close to you

It is true though and elhombresinombre brought up a really good point - are there different "signals"? Do locals have the same problem? It happens to me all the time and I just assumed it was standard but maybe I'm passing on the wrong side?