Cultural Observations of Argentina & Chile

For most of our group, this Sophomore International Experience was the first time any of us had been to South America. And for some (including myself), this was even the first time being out of the United States! That being the case, our time in South America was accompanied by culture shock, as any traveling is. During our week in both country, my classmates and I were able to observe some pretty distinct cultural differences to the US.

Argentina:
1. Driving:
a. “Highway Tailgating”- in the fields next to the highways under the shade of the trees, you’d see cars parked under them with families enjoying the cooler weather

b. “Road Lanes are Suggestions”- on large, one way boulevards with dashed lines, drivers would straddle the lines and create their own lanes; very exciting/nerve-racking to watch while in a taxi!

c. Street Lights- since the majority of cars were stick shift (and require shifting), when at a red light (prior to the light turning green), the yellow light would turn on, showing both the red and yellow lights before turning green

2. Food:
a. They LOVE Cheese (Queso)- whether on a cheeseburger or a pizza, there was no shortage of the cheese

b. Favorite Meal- Bife de Chorizo con Papas Fritas (Steak with French Fries), beef was especially popular due to their large cattle population

3. Misc.:
a. Siestas (Afternoon Naps)- their days almost always included a 5 hour nap from 5:00-10:00 PM , with an 11:00 PM start time for dinner, 1:00 AM time for the bar, 2:00 AM clubbing time, and finally crashing into bed from 4:00-8:00 AM

b. Obsession with the American Dollar- the official exchange rate is 1 USD for 8.5 Argentine Pesos, our hotel gave us a 1:11 rate, and many restaurants and shops would accept our dollars at a 1:13 or 1:14 rate, since the American dollar is more valuable and more importantly more stable

c. Street Beggars/Salesmen- while eating outside people of all ages would be asking for money or try to sell you small products to make a quick buck

Chile:
1. Agriculture- being the 2nd biggest industry (behind copper) their menus are filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, and also do NOT even consider importing any agricultural products because you will be stopped and questioned at Chilean customs

2. Terrain:
a. “Island Feel”- Chileans are not necessarily used to foreigners due to the difficulty of getting into their country; Atacma Desert in the north, Patagonian Glaciers in the south, Andes Mountains in the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west

b. Isolated Villages- most of their citizens live in cities but between these cities are sometimes organized, dense villages you could see from the highway traveling from one city to another

3. Misc.
a. PDA- parks would be filled with young couples “enjoying” their significant other’s company being all snuggled up on the grass in the open for everyone to see

b. Non Obsession with the American Dollar- Our USDs were not accepted anywhere, the only thing accepted is the Chilean Peso, which had a consistent exchange rate of 1 USD to 600 Chilean Pesos (which led to some seemingly very expensive purchases)

c. Pay for Bathroom- in some establishments (such as malls), you’d have to pay to use the facilities; these were much cleaner and well-kept then the free public bathrooms