I’ve been here in Argentina on my AFS student exchange for about 2 and a half months now, and life is starting to settle down. Argentinian life is more relaxed than New Zealand, and food is very important. A common drink here is mate (pronounced maht-tae), which is hot water poured into a cup full of a type of leaf called yerba (pronounced ‘sher-ba’). It’s drunk through a metal straw called a bombilla, and is passed around the group. A different type of the drink is tereré, where the hot water is replaced with juice. It’s very common to see people walking around with a thermos and a cup full of yerba. I’ve become a huge fan of mate.
A bag of churros. My favourite type of churro now is with dulce de leche, which is like caramelised condensed milk.
Recently, I had my birthday! I had a small day party with a few of my friends from school and nearby, and it was really fun. I made a New Zealand cake (pavlova) for it. I’ve made a few other dishes from New Zealand, but mostly I’m learning how to cook Argentinian recipes. One of my favourites is milanesa, a type of meat covered in a layer of bread crumbs.
A few of my school friends and a cousin at my 16th birthday party. In Argentina, parties normally occur from about 11pm till dawn, but I decided to have an afternoon party as I didn’t feel up to hosting an all-night party just yet. The cake in front of me is a pavlova – a traditional New Zealand cake made of eggs.
It’s autumn here, and quickly getting colder. The leaves are all changing as well, which is new to me as it’s not something that normally occurs in New Zealand. It’s also colder here than I’m used to in NZ – in winter here it’s normally around 5°C or 6°C.
A street in the city of Santa Fe, Argentina, where I’m living for the year. The streets are designed to be square, making it hard to get lost.
Sunrise over the Laguna Setúbal, the river alongside Santa Fe city. At the time this photo was taken the sun rose at 7:35am. With winter getting closer the temperatures early in the morning are normally around 12°C, with a cold snap a few weeks ago going as low as 6°C or 8°C.
Argentinian life style, along with being relaxed, is about family and friends. Public places around the city have been made for people to be able to gather, whether to drink mate or just talk. While siestas are beginning to lose their influence as Latin America starts to take on more of Western Culture, most stores close between about 1pm and 5pm, and the streets are also deserted around this time. Parties here start around 11pm or midnight, and last till the next morning, and on weekends everyone stays up late. It’s common to see 6-and 7-year-olds awake at 2 or 3am. Dinner is eaten around 10pm, and lunch is the largest meal of the day.
Santa Fe is situated along a river, and there is a walking path that runs along the costanera. Normally, people on it can be found jogging, walking with friends, or sitting on the railing and drinking mate.
El Centro, or the city centre of Santa Fe is a several-street-long boulevard with shops and cafes. It’s easy to see the Argentinian life style here as many of the shops close in the afternoon for siesta, and open again in the evening.
The Redonda is a local gathering centre in Santa Fe city. Made from an old train station, it now houses a variety of activities for kids and areas where people can get together, drink mate, and chat.
Kiosks, small dairies, are very common in the street. They normally sell a host of different types of snacks.
Argentina is also very catholic, which influences the culture in a variety of ways.
The Basílica de Guadalupe is a local catholic church. Much of Argentina is catholic, and the influence of the religion can be seen everywhere.
School here occurs in two segments – in the morning, or in the afternoon. Some schools have both. For my school, the students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade go in the morning from 7:45am to 12:45pm, and the students in 1st and 2nd grade go in the afternoon from 1pm to 6pm. We also have gym for an hour in the afternoon on Tuesday and Thursday.
My classroom at school. I go to a public school and am in a humanistic course, which means I have subjects like physiology and science of communication.
Hats on display at a street market stall. Street markets are common here, especially on the weekends, and normally sell things such as clothing, art, trinkets, and toys.
What do you think about Argentinian life? How does it compare with your own culture?
How interesting Sarah. The leaves are definitely changing here in Dunedin. Maybe our temperatures are similar to Argentina xo
I’m sad to learn that siestas are going out of fashion. I’ve often thought one of the biggest things wrong with western culture is that we don’t do siestas. The natural rhythm is to rest in the afternoon. How much more productive might we be if we took a long break after lunch? Wonderful photos. Thank you for sharing your immersion in Argentine culture with us.
I love these pics, Sarah! Your party looks fun, and I don’t blame you for having it early. 11 seems very late to start a party… What a great idea to turn an old train station into a community center for kids and activities! More places should do that. Thanks for sharing!