The Secrets to Thriving in Argentina.....

Mira Vos! said:
Thankful I'm a huge Futbol fan. To the point that if possible (might need a DNI card which I don't have) I would be interested in becoming a socio (which is a way to buy season tickets for home games).

After months of research my team is River Plate (who play tonight). I'm sure months of listening to commentary, listening to analysis, and watching games will help me get ready for July if things are better by then
Click to expand...
RP: Excellent choice!! ;)
 
Alby said:
Not so much a program. I am just saying, formal language learning only takes us so far. Unless we get to the point where we can apply the formal learning to the things (beyond universals like love, death, and taxes) that get discussed by people where the language is spoken, we can only communicate with people in our new language on the universals and never go beyond that.

So, for example, its not much good learning a language variety, like say River Plate Spanish--the topic of another thread--by only focussing on the oddities of pronunciation and vocabulary. Unless we know enough about the topics unique to this part of the world that we can converse with the locals, our "vos" and our "ll" won't get much of a work out and if they don't get much of a workout, we don't improve very quickly or very much.

But the trick is getting interested enough in those local topics to begin with. And that requires, I believe, disengaging somewhat from their equivalents in our own original language and geographic location. When talking to people at home these days, it amazes me how illiterate I have become in the current affairs of my own country. Intentionally or unintentionally, I checked out several years ago. Yet I am very literate in the current affairs of the countries I have since lived in: that new knowledge, and the new language that goes with that new knowledge, have been mutually reinforcing.
Click to expand...
Well, I would like to share something with you Alby ...

I have done pretty much the same thing beginning about 5+ years ago. I have no idea what is going on anymore at the local, state or nationall level with respect to just about anything you could name. I don't engage anything in my native language that is on the radio, TV, internet, print or in conversation if I can avoid it. (One exception, I follow the financial markets in my native language through a strict and selected stream of information providers via the internet.)

It is not my intention, but I frustrate everyone around me because I have about 5% awareness of what others have full knowledge of. (I say 5% because it is impossible not to let it seep in. Information seeps in from dealing with other people or just being close enough to hear what they are talking about. But I manage it well and keep it to a minimum.) When someone engages me in conversation, I have very little to offer.

Having said that, I am following news and things of interest in my target language. It does provide me with a wealth of things to discuss with other people who live in the Argentine culture and speak my target language.

All in all, this is the way to go. It works wonders for a person to accelerate their learning and understanding in general.
 
EL_TIGRE_de_Tigre said:
Well, I would like to share something with you Alby ...

I have done pretty much the same thing beginning about 5+ years ago. I have no idea what is going on anymore at the local, state or nationall level with respect to just about anything you could name. I don't engage anything in my native language that is on the radio, TV, internet, print or in conversation if I can avoid it. (One exception, I follow the financial markets in my native language through a strict and selected stream of information providers via the internet.)

It is not my intention, but I frustrate everyone around me because I have about 5% awareness of what others have full knowledge of. (I say 5% because it is impossible not to let it seep in. Information seeps in from dealing with other people or just being close enough to hear what they are talking about. But I manage it well and keep it to a minimum.) When someone engages me in conversation, I have very little to offer.

Having said that, I am following news and things of interest in my target language. It does provide me with a wealth of things to discuss with other people who live in the Argentine culture and speak my target language.

All in all, this is the way to go. It works wonders for a person to accelerate their learning and understanding in general.
Click to expand...
Exactly. And what is the ultimate consequence of all this? You can never go back... Because you've discovered a whole knew parallel universe (or series of parallel universes if you get to live in more than one country). Every non-universal thing that we have at have at home exists in each country, just in a different language and with different personalities and histories. And once you've discovered these parallel universes and personalities and histories, and can engage with other people on them (or just silently in your own head, in lockdown for example), the universe back home seems rather dreary. And going back to it (even discussing it with friends and family) seems like what it might be like to take the (impossible) step of going backwards to primary school from high school.
 
Alby said:
Exactly. And what is the ultimate consequence of all this? You can never go back... Because you've discovered a whole knew parallel universe (or series of parallel universes if you get to live in more than one country). Every non-universal thing that we have at have at home exists in each country, just in a different language and with different personalities and histories. And once you've discovered these parallel universes and personalities and histories, and can engage with other people on them (or just silently in your own head, in lockdown for example), the universe back home seems rather dreary. And going back to it (even discussing it with friends and family) seems like what it might be like to take the (impossible) step of going backwards to primary school from high school.
Click to expand...
It's funny you should say that because that has been my exact experience.

I look at it as if I have access to a worm hole / time portal to step through at will and I am the only one who can use it. Regardless of which side of the parallel universe I am on, the other side (even though I am aware of it and understand it) is completely unknown and unimaginable to the inhabitants of the opposite universe.

Speaking of never going back, I have become so captivated by it all, it became my long range plan, for better or worse to permanently stay in the other parallel universe as soon as I am able because I enjoy it there so much. I am quite unhappy and unfulfilled in the one I am from. And I have to tell you, there are very many people who are quite upset about this on my end. It's like I will have to cut off my leg to save the rest of my self.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread starter Similar threads Forum Replies Date
MilHojas Secrets of "Señora 5," the woman who manages Argentina’s spies Articles 0
nikad Classifieds Section Secrets? Expat Life 1
Bairesgirl Victorias Secrets body lotions/mists, Bath & Body lotions, mists Expat Life 8
Bairesgirl Victorias Secrets body lotions/mists, Bath & Body lotions, mists,sopas Expat Life 23
S Ugh, why are Argentines selling our nuclear secrets to Venezeula... Articles 7
Similar threads
Secrets of "Señora 5," the woman who manages Argentina’s spies
Classifieds Section Secrets?
Victorias Secrets body lotions/mists, Bath & Body lotions, mists
Victorias Secrets body lotions/mists, Bath & Body lotions, mists,sopas
Ugh, why are Argentines selling our nuclear secrets to Venezeula...
Back
Top