Observations

One of the purposes of this journal is supposed to be cultural comparison and reflection. So, in that spirit, here are some things you may or may not have known/guessed about this wonderful city and it's culture:

1. Mullet-Mania
One of the striking things about Argentina right off the bat is how infused it is with American culture. American movies play in the theaters, released only shortly after their release in the U.S. Familiar music plays in bars and cafes. This is enjoyable, because the most commonly-heard American music is from the 80's era and is thus very nostalgic. Walks down the street bring pieces of songs by The Police to your ears - it's fantastic. However, another 80's trend has also endured, and that is the mullet. Guys, girls...everyone. They're everywhere. It's awful. And tragic! You see, the Argentines are naturally a very beautiful people. General European descent tosses the occasional pair of bright blue eyes into the usual mix of dark hair and golden skin. As a female, the number of attractive men around makes it difficult to focus your attention in any one direction or on any one task. But chances are, at least 75% of these lovely individuals will be sporting a mullet. One of the guys in the program compared it (aptly, I thought) to the Plague.

2. Going to the Movies.
I don't have much to say on this topic because I have not yet been. This is because I only today figured out how going to the movies works here. It's nothing like the informal affair it is in the U.S. - sure, teenagers descend en-masse on the weekends, but did you know you have to buy tickets in advance? And that they won't allow you into the theater after the starting time of the film? And that on your ticket prints out an assigned seat? It's true! From what I understand, I'd compare it more to going to the Symphony than to the movies. I have to admit that now that I'm aware of these differences, I think I approve.

3. Not Service-Oriented.
But not necessarily in a bad way! Unless you're interested in experimenting with the "fast" food - something that I'm convinced is an absolute complete myth. I made an attempt at McDonalds and was completely confounded. There seems to be little to no order involved. Lines are ambiguous, cashiers are slow, and the whole thing probably entailed at least 20 minutes of waiting. It's confusing, because everyone behind the counter is definitely working very quickly. They run - yes literally run - back and forth, they whip trays out like lightning, everyone seems extremely busy, but it just doesn't come together. Not that I'd ever recommend fast food outside the realm of when serious comfort food is needed, but I definitely do not recommend it here.
In real restaurants, the experience is also completely different than that in the States. The usual (as I've found so far) is to walk into a bar or cafe and seat yourself. It might be a good idea to acknowledge one of the staff as you're sitting, but in my experience I'd say it's not necessary. Relatively quickly, a waiter (camarero/a) will be over with menus. If you already know what you want to drink, you can order right away, or you can take time to peruse the wine list. But after the initial delivery of the menus, you pretty much run the show. In the States, it's normal for the waiter to come and take your order at their discretion. They bring you the food, they check in to see how things are going, they refill your drinks (no free refills in my experience here so far - everything here, even the water, is bottled), they check about dessert, and then they bring the check. Here you need to wave the waiter over to order or if you want anything at all - they're not going to check in with you. I think the idea here is to let you enjoy your meal, which is typically a very social custom, with minimal intrusion. There is no delivery of the check to rush you out of the restaurant, you ask for the check when you're ready. Pretty much any meal I've had out here has lasted around 2 hours, often more. One of my favorite aspects of the culture here so far, for sure.

4. Watch Your Step!
All of the sidewalks are made from tiles around 1x1.5 ft in dimension, and there isn't really a widespread effort to fix the sidewalks if these tiles are missing or broken. Those of you who know me well probably don't need to hear me say that this is a bit of a hazard for me, but seriously haha, it's treacherous. Add to that the fact that Buenos Aires is FULL of dogs. They're everywhere, always very tame and friendly, but usually without leashes and often without any distinguishable owner. And I'm assuming there aren't any laws about cleaning up after your dog - if so, it's apparently not enforced.

5. When people warn vegetarians about Argentina, they're not kidding.
These people put meat in EVERYTHING. Even with burgers - just the beef isn't enough, they put a good deal of ham (jamon) on it as well. My residence is in an extremely Jewish neighborhood, so you would think maybe this would be less apparent, but not so. You can order a sandwich or hamburguesa sin jamon, but guaranteed you'll get a more or less puzzled look for it.

6. When do these people sleep???
Clubs typically do not open until 2 AM. Bars open earlier, so that people can prepare themselves for the clubs, but seriously - don't clubs close at 2 in Boston? I got in at 5:30 AM last night, and clubs were still going strong. From what I hear, this is because most clubs have a "juniors" period from 10 or 11 until 1, when kids aged from like 11 upwards are able to go out and enjoy themselves. Then the clubs close, clean up, and open up again at 2 for the real people. Crazy. 11-year-olds in clubs.

7. PDA to the EXTREME.
You know how some people in the states feel awkward if they're hanging out with a couple and they're constantly holding hands or playing with each other's hair or giving each other little pecks of affection? Yeah, thats nothing. My definition of "sucking face" has reached a whole new level. And it's EVERYWHERE! Cafes, parks, all over the place, in broad daylight and in full view of everyone. I'm pretty sure I've seen things get as intense as they possibly can while the perpetrators are still clothed. Maybe eventually I'll get used to it, but for now my jaw still drops when people start making out when they're standing in front of me in line, or when I can see people's tongues in action from across the street.

Those are all the reflections I have for now. Miss you guys :)