4 AM Reflections

So today/tonight/this morning/ right now at 4 AM, after spending the night listening to Argentine Jazz, which is a mix of bob marley, blaring trumpets, and a solid bass line, I realized that with all that focusing on breathing or lack of breathing I forgot I was in Argentina; a country completely different from home; a place filled with differences I want to remember. Because if nothing else I am here to realize the differences; the differences in the country, in the people and in myself.

Argentine-ness
1. Argentines talk a lot and always with their hands. They don't breathe or pause but then are confused when you don't talk. Argentine conversations are like their streets: one way.
2. Psychologists are really popular here. Everyone goes to one and nobody has qualms about it. A very popular expression is "I have to leave work early to see my psychologist."
3. Street lights are not mandatory; they are a luxury. One group of Argentines waited 20 years to get a street light put in front of the school in their neighborhood. 20 years.
4. There is plenty of man love in this machismo culture. The mixture of cheek kisses and sexist comments makes me laugh with happiness and anger at the same time.
5. Couples rule the country. There are not individuals, there are not groups, there are couples; one boy and one girl. It is impossible for a (American) girl to be friends with a (Argentine) boy. It is almost impossible for a (American) girl to make friends with other (Argentine) girls. It is too possible for a (American) girl to find a (Argentine) boyfriend.
6. Everything is "rock;" from Avril Laveign to Red Hot Chili Peppers to Green Day; it is all rock. And they love it all. Argentines love music. Every boy is in a band and has played an instrument since he was 5.
7. Sometimes Subte ticket sellers just tell people to go through without paying because the line is too long. And the people go without thinking it is weird.

There of course is more and will always be more. And, to be honest, right now is the first time I am excited to discover more differences instead of searching fruitlessly for the comfort of similarities.