So effing rude!

[Hache]

Unless something has changed recently, the most astonishing example of government employees who don't speak foreign languages are the ladies who are in charge of the prorrogas de permencia at migraciones.

At least they don't get you killed. Have you watched the movie "Fuerza Aerea S.A."? Any first grader here speaks English better than our air traffic controllers.

 

[Hache]

My first few months in Argentina, I accidentally went around asking everyone -- little old ladies, burly construction men, young mothers -- if they enjoyed anal sex (when I first arrived, a woman in Farmacity had asked me, "Haces cola?" So from then on, whenever I wanted to know if a person was standing in line at the grocery store, bus stop, etc, I repeated that, but as, "Haces la cola?") My accent is good, so I always wondered why I got so many startled looks, especially since no one ever bothered to correct me!

Both "hacer cola" and "Hacer la cola" mean standing in line. Your question wasn't wrong. "Hacer la cola" means entering from behind too (actually, it's hacerle or hacerme), but it's not the main meaning of the term and will never be, unless you are standing by the condoms section.

Good anecdote!!!

 

[Hache]

Sick of government plebs who complain they can't understand my accent. Talking about the Registro Civil today...

No my accent's not great on the phone, fine, but I could tell the girl switched off as soon as she answered the phone and heard an "extranjero" - ugh how they hate extranjeros, I could tell she was holding the phone away from her ear in distaste.....they don't listen, don't try to understand....
today the girl laughed very rudely and said, well you'd better come down here because I can't understand a word you're saying! Of course when I asked why can't you understand a word of what I'm saying? she managed to laugh again and answer, so she understood that much!!!
They just hate foreigners and I'm sick of it....

In my country, we make an effort and if we don't, we get the sack....

They don't hate extranjeros, they hate working. Do you think they treat me better? Take it easy and ignore them.

 

[Hache]

What's a local?

Does that mean that you are a citizen of Argentina?

If not, how long have you lived here?

And how long does Celia have to live here before she can also be considered a local?

Perhaps I should ask how many babies she has to "produce" on Argentine soil before she achieves that distinction as well.

This is a very interesting point. To me, a local is someone who's integrated to a place in its entirety. From a social point of view, a mutual feeling of belonging between the individual and the collective group must be reached. Personal characteristics such as place of birth, language, religion or idiosyncrasy may or may not have an influence on this symbiotic agreement. I'm sure time plays a big role.

 

[syngirl]

They don't hate extranjeros, they hate working. Do you think they treat me better? Take it easy and ignore them.

On top of that they get yelled at by people 24 hrs a day... I'd hate to work in any sort of customer service here in Argentina (be it govt or god forbid, fibertel!) -- rather than getting worked up about things you'll get much further being kind -- ie when I got my DNI we hadn't translated my passport, I was ready to explode because the guy was going to make us request a new appointment etc -- my husband was just very very nice to the guy and asked if there was anyway he'd be able to hold a spot for us if we went and got the translation done today... the guy ended up giving us 72 hrs to come back, and promised that we wouldn't even have to make the line again (which we didn't, he recognised us no problem). Had I exploded on the guy we would have had to wait another month for the turno.

 

[fifs2]

They don't hate extranjeros, they hate working. Do you think they treat me better? Take it easy and ignore them.

This reminds me of a line from Bill Bryson about why airport staff in New Yorks JFK are so rude - it`s because if they have to work,we`re stopping them from eating.