Just like any new culture, there are going to be some things that are very different here than at home, so this is just a list of 10 things that I've noticed in the time that I've been here...
1. People told me that everyone drinks Yerba Mate here, but what I didn't realize is that Everyone. Drinks. Mate. They are OBSESSED with this stuff. Seriously. It's very common in many South American countries, but is most common in the Rio de la Plata region (Uruguay and Argentina). They drink it out of a gourd (called the Mate), fill it up with the Yerba, and gradually sip on it throughout the day, refilling the water when they run out. It's also very common to share a Mate with friends and family, but you have to make sure not to move the metal straw (bombilla). Moving the straw is very disrespectful because it's basically saying you know what tastes best and whoever offered the mate to you is wrong.
Here are all the parts laid out a little more:
2. Everyone is so clean! Well, they make sure everything is clean. At my university, La Universidad de ORT, I probably see people cleaning windows at least five times a day. Similarly, my host mom does a deep clean of the house multiple times per week. The streets are pretty beat up, but you still see people cleaning the streets, trying to make everything as pristine as possible.
3. Even though we are in a capital city, everyone is so chill and easy-going in addition to being the nicest people I've ever met. No one is in a rush (except the busses, but we'll get to that) and they are always willing to stop and help foreigners. Because it's such a small country, about the size of WA, they don't really get that many visitors other than people from Argentina. Apparently people from Brazil don't even come super often. Because of this, when I tell people I'm from the United States, they are so curious and excited to talk to someone from so far away.
4. Taking the bus took a minute to get used to... It's not the same as in the U.S. at all. First of all, you have to run on and off the bus. They will stop fully for about .5 seconds so sometimes I feel like I literally have to jump off the bus. Yikes! They also don't have the handy little yellow string to pull. You can either get off the bus by going to the back and pushing a button above the door, or you can stand on the steps at the front, which signals to the bus driver that you want to get off.
5. Everybody knows English! I have been so surprised at this and honestly it's been a little bit frustrating. If I'm getting a coffee or something and the barista can tell that I'm struggling a little bit they'll just start talking to me in English. I thought that since I came to the middle of South America that no one would know english, but I was so wrong. I never really thought about it, but a lot of the TV shows, movies and music that they watch and listen to is in English. One of my friend's host brother learned English just from watching American TV shows! Wow.
6. Everyone is late. This took me a minute to get used to. I've always been paranoid about being on time, but no one else here is like that. If you say to come over for dinner at 8, they'll be there at 10. Even for my classes, sometimes my professors won't even show up until 10 minutes after class is supposed to start. Also, when they go out here on the weekends, it's not unusual to stay out until 6 or 7 in the morning. CRAZY!!
7. They are crazy drivers here! They also all have teeny tiny cars. Nothing like in the U.S. They drive around like maniacs, but are all constantly aware of what's going on, so car accidents aren't very common, which is interesting.
8. Maybe one of my favorite parts of the culture here is they way they greet people. No one shakes hands. That's suuuper professional. Whether you're meeting friends or someone new, you always greet them with a kiss on the cheek. Even when there's a big group of 15 or 20 people, you still go around and say hi with a kiss on the cheek. I love it.
9. This one is something that only people that know the language a little will understand, but they use the vos form all the time. It's basically an informal way to talk to "you." Even more informal than "tú." When I learned spanish, I learned Mexican spanish for the most part, where they don't use this form. and before coming here, I had no idea that it existed! We learned about vosotros, which is used in Spain, but I had never learned of vos. Luckily, it's super easy to learn, but I was confused for a week or so when I heard people pronouncing words differently than I had heard before.
10. For my last point I want to talk about the food. Uruguay is known especially for their meat, mate, dulce de leche, chivito, and milanesa. Of course they have other amazing dishes, but these are the ones that I've come across the most so far. The meat here is on another level. Uruguayans are known for their asado, which is basically the best barbecue that you will ever eat. I don't know how to explain it. You just have to come try it. Similarly to mate, they are also obsessed with dulce de leche, which is basically a thick caramel sauce that they put on everything. It goes with everything sweet, or in coffee. They love it. A chivito is basically a giant sandwich that has whatever kinds of meat, eggs, lettuce, tomato, cheese, mayo, mustard, and whatever else you want to put on it. Last, but not least is a milanesa. This is just breaded meat, but they make it into sandwiches, or just eat it plain. It's so simple, but so good.
Almost two months down and I'm loving it so much! We are headed to Buenos Aires for 5 days next week, which I am so looking forward to! I love this city, but I'm so excited to explore other parts of the Rio de la Plata region!
