CultureShock! Argentina , livre ebook

MarshallCavendishM - Fiona Adams

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174 pages

English

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CultureShock! Argentina brings you more than a few steps closer to the country, the people and the culture. Most importantly, it is your survival guide to living there. Argentina is more than just footballer Diego Maradona or beautiful Buenos Aires which is often featured in travel brochures and magazines. The author goes to the heart of this South American nation and shares her encounters with Argentines as well as providing all the practical tips such as finding accommodation, getting around and generally settling down in the country. Read about the Argentines' unbridled passion and worship of soccer as well as their high sense of fashion consciousness. Learn how to dance the tango and discover why the gauchos who live on the grasslands of the pampas lead a hard life. CultureShock! Argentina is the essential guide to enable you to enjoy your stay in the country.

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Argentina

Argentine

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Publié par	MarshallCavendishM
Date de parution	01 février 2011
Nombre de lectures	1
EAN13	9789814346771
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0520€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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About This Guide

Fiona Adams

Culture shock is a state of disorientation that can come over anyone who has been thrust into unknown surroundings, away from one’s comfort zone. CultureShock! is a series of trusted and reputed guides which has, for decades, been helping expatriates and long-term visitors to cushion the impact of culture shock whenever they move to a new country.
Written by people who have lived in the country and experienced culture shock themselves, the authors share all the information necessary for anyone to cope with these feelings of disorientation more effectively. The guides are written in a style that is easy to read and covers a range of topics that will arm readers with enough advice, hints and tips to make their lives as normal as possible again.
Each guide is structured in the same manner. It begins with the first impressions that visitors will have of that city or country. To understand a culture, one must first understand the people where they came from, who they are, the values and traditions they live by, as well as their customs and etiquette. This is covered in the first half of the guide.
Then on with the practical aspects how to settle in with the greatest of ease. Authors walk readers through topics such as how to find accommodation, get the utilities and telecommunications up and running, enrol the children in school and keep in the pink of health. But that’s not all. Once the essentials are out of the way, venture out and try the food, enjoy more of the culture and travel to other areas. Then be immersed in the language of the country before discovering more about the business side of things.
To round off, snippets of basic information are offered before readers are ‘tested’ on customs and etiquette of the country. Useful words and phrases, a comprehensive resource guide and list of books for further research are also included for easy reference.
About the Author
Fiona Adams was born in London in 1973 and has a degree in Archaeology and Anthropology and a Master’s in Latin American Studies.
She worked as a journalist in Bolivia and Argentina and now lives in the Scottish Highlands with her husband Jamie and young son Tom.
Acknowledgements
My special thanks go to Jamie Grant for the wonderful photos and everything else. Also enormous thanks to Rodolfo ‘Yoyo’ de Los Santos, Nico Busch, Santi Norris and Daniela Volker for patiently helping me with hours of research. Thanks as well to Charlie Froggatt for his insights on polo and Katya Lamerton Viegas for long discussions on the tango. I’d also like to thank the ‘gang’ in San Telmo Uri, Anim, Diego, Fernando, Chino, Shannen and DJ for being such lovely flatmates; Federico and Veronica D’Angelo in Ushuaia; Mark Cramer, Dan Buck, Dereck Foster, Richard Cunningham, Joe Oppenheimer and my parents, Jean and Roger, for their support and encouragement. And finally, many thanks to the hundreds of others who have helped along the way and without whom this book would not have been possible.
To my viejos , with love.
Imprint
This 4th edition published in 2011 by:
Marshall Cavendish Corporation 99 White Plains Road Tarrytown, NY 10591-9001 www.marshallcavendish.us
App development and production by www.GuideGecko.com . App copyright © 2011 by Net Gecko Pte Ltd. All rights reserved.
E-mail: info@guidegecko.com
Content copyright © 2007, 2011 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited. All rights reserved.
First published in 2000 by Times Media Pte Ltd; 2nd edition published in 2001; 3rd edition published by Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited in 2007, reprinted 2008.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Request for permission should be addressed to the Publisher, Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited, 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196. Tel: (65) 6213 9300, fax: (65) 6285 4871.
E-mail: genref@sg.marshallcavendish.com
The publisher makes no representation or warranties with respect to the contents of this book, and specifically disclaims any implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose, and shall in no event be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
Other Marshall Cavendish Offices:
Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited. 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196 n Marshall Cavendish International. PO Box 65829, London EC1P 1NY, UK n Marshall Cavendish International (Thailand) Co Ltd. 253 Asoke, 12th Flr, Sukhumvit 21 Road, Klongtoey Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand n Marshall Cavendish (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Times Subang, Lot 46, Subang Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Batu Tiga, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Marshall Cavendish is a trademark of Times Publishing Limited.
eISBN: 978 981 4346 77 1
Credits
All black and white photos by the author except original pages 18 (AFP); 3, 4, 9, 12–13, 20, 34, 40, 44, 48, 67, 72, 87, 92–93, 105, 117, 134, 137, 149, 162 (Photolibrary); page 54–55 (Getty Images). All colour photos from Photolibrary except page p (Inmagine.com). Cover photo: Getty Images
All illustrations by TRIGG.
The maps in this guide are copyrighted by OpenStreetMap contributors, and licensed under the Creative Commons license CC-BY-SA.

Introduction

Street dancers performing the tango on a sidewalk in Buenos Aires.

Argentina has always been the odd one out in South America. Taking up practically the entire bottom half of that continent, it is second in size only to Brazil. It includes territories as diverse as the frozen lands of Tierra del Fuego, the fertile plains of the pampas, subtropical rainforest and the sweeping Atlantic coastline. But it’s the people and not just the fabulous geography that makes Argentina such an extraordinary country.
If you choose to stay or seek your fortune in Argentina, you won’t be alone. The country is a nation of immigrants who have generated a fiery blend of European sophistication and Latin passion in the heart of South America. The happy result of this blend is that everyone has brought along their own slice of culture, be it dashing British polo or divine Italian pizza. Yet at the same time something unique has emerged in Argentina. You can hear it in the fast lunfardo slang spoken on the streets of Buenos Aires, you can see it in the erotic embrace of the tango dancers and you can taste it in the mouth-watering steaks.
Maybe the Argentines’ reputation for arrogance is well deserved. After all, when you think of it, they have an awful lot to be arrogant about. Steak and good looks aside, Argentina can boast a share of the world’s most spectacular waterfall, the highest mountain this side of the Himalayas and one of the most sophisticated cities on earth. Culturally, it’s a dream and continues to churn out writers of extraordinary calibre, cutting-edge cinema, lively theatre and of course the tango. There aren’t many other dances in the world that can make the bold claim of being ‘the closest thing you’ll find to a vertical expression of horizontal desire’.
Argentines are a boisterous lot. If you enjoy being the centre of attention you’re in for considerable competition. In the cities, there is a constant background noise of revving engines, screeching brakes, televised football matches and the happy clatter of packed restaurants. This is a nation that loves to talk and will do so loudly at every available opportunity. Spontaneous debates spring up on street corners, in bank queues and on buses. Eavesdroppers will be in heaven.
In Argentina you go out at all hours and you go out to be seen. It is not unusual to finish dinner at midnight or grab breakfast on your way back from an exhausting night on the tiles before heading straight to work. Argentines are certainly not wallflowers, and they won’t expect you to be one either. But if you really want to get the most out of your stay in Argentina, you may have to revamp your sleeping habits. This is the perfect place for insomniacs. Whether it’s the result of an unrivalled caffeine intake, the simple fact that they can never pass up an opportunity to socialise or sheer willpower alone, Argentines seem to spend less time asleep than other nationalities.
This is also the land of svelte models and ravishing polo players so come fashionably prepared. They are a sophisticated bunch and Buenos Aires has put in a lot of hard work to be known as the Paris of South America. Life in the countryside may be more relaxed and a welcome respite from the frantic city pace, but even here things are done with style.
You have also chosen a relatively safe country, provided you don’t get inside a car (Argentines are some of the most aggressive drivers in the world). Forget any preconceived notions about South America. Down here you can eat the salad and drink the tap water. People still walk around the streets at three in the morning actually they’re probably just on their way out to a party. There are no really nasty bugs; few terrorist attacks and even the generals a key feature in the country’s political history have taken a back seat since the return to democracy in 1983. Meanwhile, the economy, which was so badly hit in the 2001 crisis has, in true Argentine style, bounded back.
Despite its enormous size and European feel, Argentina retains a remarkably intimate atmosphere. Argentines are the most courteous of people and you will always find yourself drawn into conversation. It can be safely said that wherever you come from in the world, no one will raise an eyebrow or call you a gringo straight off. If you’re really lucky you may even be stop