Note: This is from Monday, April 20.
I get SO frustrated when I go to the grocery store. It’s not so much the old ladies hitting me with their carts. Or even the fact that I have to reach over 3 people to get to the yogurt. It’s more that no one, EVER, says “sorry.” Well, that’s not 100% true, but today it felt like it.
This morning I slept in (FINALLY!!!) and then lazed about watching TV, filing my nails, and completing other important tasks. When I did get dressed and out the door – around 11am – I stopped by ABLE, the Spanish school where Mark & Dan are taking classes. I’m going to start individual classes this afternoon.
Afterward, I headed to grab a few things from the grocery. A little note: my throat hasn’t been feeling good for a few days. The rest of me feels fine, but my throat is having an “I hate Sarah” party. So, when I get into the store and am bumped and bustled and shoved, my patience is about as thick as a well-made milanesa (aka: thin).
The first trip we made to Argentina, I said “perdon” or “disculpa” or some other apologetic phrase every 3 minutes. It didn’t take long for me to realize that NO ONE else was saying it back. No one. With the exception of other Americans, I guess. This cultural phenomenon generally doesn’t phase me. Latin culture is not very concerned with impeding on one’s personal space. This goes for walking down the sidewalk, sitting in the movie theater and even driving. Drivers rarely honk at each other even though the traffic is so crazy because, as one taxi driver told us, ‘it’s probably my fault anyway.’ Wow. Back home, hitting someone’s cart in the grocery, let alone cutting someone off on the freeway, are legitimate reasons to start a physical altercation. Not here.
And generally, I like that. I like that people here are laid back and don’t fuss over every little encroachment into personal space. But today was not generally. Today was sore-throat-and-all-I-want-is-that-yogurt-you-really-don’t-need-to-hit-me-with-your-cart-in-the-store. I guess rude is relative, huh?
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En Castellano – el version corto - de 20 de Abril, el lunes
(Nota: es muy dificil para usar los accentos, entonces no voy a usar. Ademas, mi Castellano es malo y muy simple. Lo siento!)
Me encanta Argentina, obvio. J Pero no me gusta que la gente nunca dice “perdon” cuando tropeaza con mi. Entiendo que es una diference entre nuestras culturas, pero cuando siento mal (como hoy, estoy un poco enferma), es mas dificil para abordar.
La primera vez que estaba aca en Argentina, decia “disculpame” o “perdon” todo el tiempo, hasta di se cuenta que nadie dice. Me parece que es lo mismo cuando alguien esta manejando o caminando. Un chauffer (de taxi) dijo que personas en sus autos no se enoja cuando el transito es loco porque, el dice “probablamente, es mi culpa”. Wow, en EE.UU. no es lo mismo!
