Most of Argentineans are descendents from European immigrants. They brought with them the architectures, clothing, and traditions with them from Europe. In the large cities these immigrants merge the traditions of their ancestors with the customs of the local Indians, which over the years, have developed into a unique lifestyle.
Argentineans' occupations normally require them to arrive by nine A.M., sometimes later. They will work throughout the day until the lunch hour, where they will normally return home for lunch and rest, occasionally they will visit a local cafe. After they return to work, they may take breaks in the local cafe for a European custom of tea in the afternoon, or coffee. In the cafe, they will talk about various topics, art, music, sports - the favorite being soccer, or football - politics, and life as an Argentinean. Returning to work, they stay until seven pm or longer, sometimes they do not leave until ten P.M. Argentineans will eat an extremely late supper when they return from work. It is common to eat at a restaurant for dinner past twelve A.M. In fact, some restaurants do not even open until midnight.
The nightlife is when Argentina comes alive. It is very safe to travel in a large city like, Buenos Aries (the capital), until the wee hours of the morning. Most Argentineans do. They shop, eat, socialize, dance, listen to music, and sing in local cafes with friends and many other small activities out on the town. It is surprising to foreigners how Argentineans can run on such little sleep, but the slow breaks throughout the day help, and the mattè does not hurt.
Mattè is a caffeinated tea drunk from a gourd with a metal straw. The straw sifts the loose tealeaves so that the partaker does not get a mouthful of bitter leaves. This straw emits a loud slurping sound. Most of the time people drink the tea without sugar, however sometimes people will add a bit to cut down on the bitter flavor.
Mattè is something both the city people and the Indians have in common. There are few Indians left, only about twenty percent, but those live mostly in the rural parts of Argentina. Here they farm, ranch (as gauchos or cowboys), and try to retain some part of their distant history.
There has always been a tension between the European immigrants and the Indians. There used to be riots and violent clashes that caused much heartbreak in Argentina. Now both groups of people recognize that they are different and that they need each other. They still try to keep their distance from one another and find the other's lifestyle odd, but violence has become less frequent.
Both the Indians and the immigrants’ lifestyles are fascinating with some allure. To live in the beautiful rural Argentina and tend the cows, feed alligators (like ducks), listen to the hawks, and live life sounds amazing. While the fast paced, and yet slow, life of the city dwelling Argentinean sounds interesting in its own right. The philosophical discussions over a cup of tea, the long nights out on the town listening to music and discussing what it means to live in Argentina sounds stimulating.
If I lived in Argentina I would not quite know what to choose, but I have a similar decision to make in America. As I am getting ready to go to college, do I want to pursue a life that entails the stimulating inspiring city, or the peaceful country? Nowhere is perfect, and maybe in our vast country there is a place where the two merge. If they do not yet, with a little changing of our personal customs maybe we could incorporate both. Slow down our hustle and bustle of everyday life; put away the cell phones for a minute. Sit next to someone at a coffee shop and talk to him or her. Really, talk. The first step in getting a community of people is talking, sharing, and stepping out of the comfort zone, even in a large city. That is what Argentina has most, community.
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