7 Unavoidable Buenos Aires Experiences

Connect-123 intern and guest blogger Catherine Ternes is a junior at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. She is currently finishing up her 5 month long stay in Buenos Aires, where she has been working as a research assistant for two different non-profit human rights organizations. Read all about Catherine’s adventures in Buenos Aires on her blog! Here’s her take on 7 things that are unavoidable in Buenos Aires.

Feriados
I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a country that has as many feriados (holidays) as Argentina. In the United States, you typically get one day off a month, with a few exceptions. Here, you get AT LEAST one day off, and it isn’t unheard of to have two or sometimes three. Argentines also make no attempt to move the holidays to the weekend, so there are far more Wednesday or Tuesday holidays than are the norm in the Northern Hemisphere (based on my experience). But enjoy them! It’s typical Argentina to take a break in the middle of the work week, so relax and drink some mate.

Medialunas
Technically they are just croissants. And unfortunately not every one you eat will be earth-shakingly good. But there are a few places (thankfully near my house) that have food that truly deserves to be called medialunas instead of croissants. The difference here is that Argentines have no fear of sugar. So medialunas are much stickier, sweetier, and doughy-er than their French counterparts. And since medialunas and coffee are the typical Argentine breakfast/lunch/snack, they’re an integral part of life that you will, without a doubt, try them.

Platform flip flops
Or just platforms in general. Despite the amazingly creative and varied sense of fashion that thrives in Buenos Aires, for some reason the platform shoe is also considered de moda (stylish). I honestly could never get into it the way they do here – I just keep having flashbacks to the Spice Girls circa 1999 – but you should be forewarned, because Argentines love them. Don’t be surprised when no one laughs with you if you snicker as they teeter by. In fact, the Argentine women are probably thinking how jealous they are of such gorgeous shoes. It seems like a small part of life here, but it’s one particularly unique, so I couldn’t help but mention it.

Protests/Strikes
Every week, there is a new protest or set of strikes. Not in a way you should be afraid of, but in a way that will most definitely affect you nonetheless. Your bus or subway line might be shut down. You might *gasp* have to take a taxi to work. When they are planned protests or strikes, it’s actually interesting because you can head downtown and spend some hours in the thick of it. What I personally find so captivating about the protests and strikes here is that despite the frequency in which they occur, the enthusiasm and passion for the issues never wane. Each cause is close to the protestors’ hearts, and you can see it in their dedication to making their voices heard.

Monedas
Ah, the struggle for the monedas (coins). Your first experience with monedas will probably be when you purchase something, and the cashier will ask you if you have the exact change. Coming from the United States, this was a completely foreign idea to me, but it turns out there is a pressing need for actual coins here. In fact, Argentina has a black market for coins. So when the cashier asks you for change, you should actually try to see if you have it, or at the very least be sincerely apologetic that you don’t. The other way monedas will appear in daily life is through the bus system. Ironically, in spite of the black market, Argentine buses only accept coins as payment. Which means although you’re supposed to be spending your coins at the supermarket or shopping mall, you also need to be constantly saving them in case you want to take the bus (which believe me, you will). Welcome to Argentina!

Jamón
This goes in the same category as the platform shoes: an oddity that seems to be a core Argentine principle. Jamón (ham) is included on EVERYTHING. And I mean everything. So I mention it because you should always double and triple check to make sure your pizza/medialuna/hamburger/salad does not have jamón listed if you aren’t in the mood for ham, because there’s always about a 50% chance it’s included. If you, by chance, love ham, then you will be thrilled. But I’m assuming that’s a small portion of the population, so watch out!

What are some other unavoidable elements of Argentine society?  Leave your comments below!

Protest photo credit – Medialuna photo credit – Jamón photo credit