Culture tips - Argentina Video Transcripts
Video 1 Transcript
Okay, so probably one of the biggest things is mate. So mate is this herbal drink that kind of looks like grass, and they usually have it like in this little cup, and they pour hot water and sugar, so it's kind of like a tea, except more grassy, and they have a straw, they sip it, and then they like pour some more water, and then pass it on to the next person, or like whoever's like their whoever they're talking with, and it's something that you share. It's very much so part of like their culture, how they like show that they're friends with someone, and something that they have literally all the time, like for breakfast, for lunch, for dinner, for snacks, like literally all the time, like that's like the one food that every household will have, like no matter how poor or rich they are.
Video 2 Transcript
Argentinian culture is very warm. There are people with a lot of passion and a lot of emotion and they're very welcoming and kind, if you are kind to them. And one thing I remember being shocked about when I first got there in the airport, I saw two men like lean in to hug each other and they like kissed each other on the cheek, which sounds totally weird, but that's how the culture is in Argentina. Men give each other, and women also, women to women and men to men, when they greet each other, they give each other a kiss on the cheek and sometimes men to other women that aren't their wives. That's just part of the culture that I got really used to. So I think just being aware of that and open to these people and loving them and loving their culture and you'll develop some of the most amazing friendships with them.
Video 3 Transcript
The culture in Argentina is so sweet and loving. Everyone treats each other like family, for the most part. And you always say hi to people with a hug and a kiss. Another thing is mate, that they will always offer you mate. It's just a local drink. And it's a huge part of their culture that it's very kind of hard to say no to, because it's such an intimate thing for them to share mate together. But it's fun.
Video 4 Transcript
In Latin America, something that's not too common here is when a woman and when the baby's hungry, the woman will nurse right then and there. Pretty weird for us, but pretty normal for them down there, so don't get psyched out. That was probably the biggest culture shock for me. I would just brush up on some soccer. Soccer's big down there, especially Messi. If you want to get along with people, just say Messi's good, or Messi's the greatest because he's actually the greatest.
Video 5 Transcript
First off, soccer. You gotta know about soccer. You gotta know what the teams are, who the best team is, River, remember that. And you know the rules, just basic rules of soccer and how to play and practice a little bit of dribbling because soccer is everything down there. Secondly, family. Family is huge. You've got grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters, everyone living in these same houses. Focus on the family, focus on their main sport, the love that they have, which is soccer. And then be willing to learn and adapt. Ask them questions about it. They will love to answer them, especially Argentines. They love to tell you about their culture.
Video 6 Transcript
They're very loving people. Every time you go over to someone's house, you know, they'd always give you like food or water or juice or soda, just any anything like they could give you. And some other things that are kind of different is mate. Now mate is kind of like a drink that everyone drinks, and so it's kind of like a friendship type of thing. Like they respect you and so they want you to drink mate with them.
Video 7 Transcript
So Argentines are pretty blunt. Oftentimes they'll address people according to like their skin color. So like if you're like darker they'll call you like blacky or if you're like paler paler they'll call you like whitey. But in a sense of endearment if you're skinny they'll call you like hey skinny girl. It's all meant to be endearing and loving not to be mean or hurtful to you or to offend you in any way. So everyone in Argentina is crazy about soccer or football and so the two main teams that um people like have huge rivalries between are River and Boca and so I mean if you just like want to be in with the culture right away you can like do some research on that and like decide on which team you like and then have an opinion when they ask you Boca or River you know.
Video 8 Transcript
You need to get used to the bitter flavor of mate because everyone there drinks it pretty much 24-7, at any hour of the day. They all share one cup, they just pass it around and it's kind of like an herbal tea and actually studies have shown that it stimulates your brain and helps you think better and remember things better.
Video 9 Transcript
They like to kiss on both cheeks, especially when you go to church, you they will greet you and you kiss them on both cheeks and it's kind of interesting because we don't do that here in the United States and it took a little bit of getting used to but in the end it was good because I felt like I really got to connect with the people because I'd go and I would talk to them like a church or whatever I felt like it helped you kind of become more familiar with them and just kind of break the barriers and break the silence that kind of is there when you like meet somebody so that was kind of interesting and they think that all people from the United States have a lot of money which is kind of interesting but nothing too weird in the culture
Video 10 Transcript
People there are very blunt. I had a lady ask me if my companion was pregnant. Which you know in our culture would be really awkward and rude, but they're just like oh, okay. They don't really care. I mean they'll call each other a little fatty or old person or ugly. It's just just describing the person to them. So I feel because of that you could also be pretty direct with them which made it easier to have to like tiptoe around things. You just come up and be friendly and introduce yourself and tell them what you're about and that was fine. You clap at doors. You don't ring doorbells. It's pretty much the only differences I can think of. Other than that be yourself. They're just people.
Video 11 Transcript
They are so awesome. They have so much energy all the time. They're so loving. People you don't even know will just come up to you and give you a hug and kiss you on the cheek. So that's something to be aware of. Don't be freaked out if you get down there and everyone starts kissing you on the cheek because it's totally normal. It's just how they do things down there. You will never feel so loved. They seriously love it. And they love their soccer, which is just so fun. It's such a fun, energetic culture to be a part of. I love it.
Video 12 Transcript
I think the best culture tip I could give would be to just love their culture for what it is. You'll get kind of Argentinian improving Bolivian culture and you can just win people's love and trust quickly by embracing it and loving it. You know, talk about how warm and friendly and inviting they are and they'll love it. Talk about how amazing their food is and they'll love it. Talk about how much you love, how they love soccer and they'll love you for it. Just, you know, try not to have this attitude that American culture is better than South America culture. If you do the opposite and try to make it sound like their culture is even better than what you're used to, they'll just love you for it.
