Adventures in South America

Random Observations

Just a few more random observations.

The Subte system here is pretty efficient. A few things to note about it:
*They have SUBTE TV in the stations. Ever 10 feet or so there is a TV that is suspended from the ceiling so you are entertained while waiting for the train :-). There are clips of music videos, information clips and commercials. It also provides estimates of how often the train lines are running
*THE TRAINS ARE HOT AND CROWDED! It is definitely not the most pleasant way of getting around the city. The trains are ALWAYS packed... its pretty unbelievable, regardless of the time. The only time I recall it being somewhat empty was when I rode it at about 10am on a Sunday morning. To make matters worse, there is no AC in the trains. It is hot and stifling. The summertime is worse, but not that fall has begun, the temp has not improved much.
*There is always SOMETHING being passed out in the subway cars by kids or adults who make a living this way. These items can range from magazines, pencils, batteries, pens, candy, toys, pamphlets, you name it. I am used to the NY way of trying to sell these items - someone walks through the car, announces what they have for sale as they make their way down the trains in an attempt to entice buyers. Here, the items for sale are placed on each passengers lap regardless of whether you want it there are not. The vendor will make their way through the whole car placing the item on the rider's lap. Once they have canvassed the train car, they will return to retrieve the item (usually about 3-5 min later). This process works, because some people do actually buy the items. Seth and I purchased our Guia T Booklets (the bus system guides) this way.

Another Random Observation - people do not drink tap water here! It is not offered in restaurants unless you specifically ask for it (I don't recall ever seeing someone drinking tap water). People instead drink bottled water. The main brands are Villavicencio, Villa Sur and Eco. To Seth and I Villavicencio and Villa Sur taste kindof gross. I think this may have to do with the fact that there is sodium in the water, more than we are used to. Our brand of choice is Eco, it tastes the most like our beloved NYC tap water. Apparently most of these brands of water comes from the melted snow of the Andes mountain range. The bottled water is also pretty reasonably priced at the supermarkets - about $1.50 pesos for a 2 liter bottle. For the record, according to our friends, about 10 years or so ago everyone used to drink tap water. Apparently there was some sort of scare that there was some bacteria found in the water and everyone that could afford to began to drink only bottled water. The water is safe to drink (we brush our teeth with it and I have drank the water before) but the media scare has endured and it is extremely common to see bottled water on tables in restaurants.

This is one of my favorite random observations, Argentine Kissing! As in many European countries, Argentines kiss one another in greeting. Here its one kiss, usually administered and received on the right side of the face. And the kisses are very liberal - you kiss someone when you first meet them, you kiss an old friend in greeting and you kiss them goodbye. Even in the work environment (which surprised me when I went to Endeavor for my interview!). It is common for my coworkers to kiss me in greeting.

What I find the most interesting about Argentine kissing is that even men kiss eachother here. At first, Seth had a hard time adjusting to this, but he is now used to it. I think it is a wonderful display of affection! It is very common for two male friends to kiss on the cheek in greeting. Americans can be so concerned about maintaining their personal space and are definitely not as touchy feely as people here are. People here don't seem to be as concerned about personal space, which can be very evident when you are waiting in line for something and the person behind you is a half inch behind you!

posted by Kathy T @ 11:29 AM