As this passion post comes to a close I wanted to do a final post encouraging everyone to reflect wholistically on what I have been able to share within it. If anyone has been reading along you’ll hopefully have gained a better understanding of cultural aspects and how they vary around the world and then also specifically more about the beautiful country of Argentina. And if nothing more I hope you all at least had your minds opened to the possibility of studying abroad yourself or even travelling more to gain a better global perspective.

In the modern world we live in, the globe is more connected than ever before and more easy to navigate then it has ever been. Although still not inexpensive, travelling is more of a possibility now that planes have become such common use and nations are ‘generally’ more open to one another. Still one of the most simple and accesible ways to travel, specifically for university aged students like most of ourselves, is via a study abroad progam. So I thought I would introduce a few of the common ones that offer millions of dollars in scholarships every year to send American students around the world.

The first well known and reputable program is the Institute for the International Education of Students, or IES, which partners with universities around the world including Penn State to send college students anywhere from Morocco to Japan to the Netherlands. If your interested in studying abroad, IES will be at your abroad fair and will be happy to get you connected.

Another famous and reputable program is that of the Fulbright Scholarship. This established source of sending U.S. students abroad is directly tied to the United States Department of State. Recieving a fulbright grant is no easy application but most definitely worth looking into more if you are serious about studying abroad. The U.S. Department of State sends students all over the world from El Salvador to Uzbekistan and nearly everywhere in between.

If neither of those programs perk your interest there are always the numerous Penn State programs and invidual foreign institutes exchanges. Penn State has partnerships with hundreds of colleges around the world and professors and researches who are always looking for some dedicated students who are excited to travel and learn. Check out Penn State’s Global Programs search if you get the chance!

Thanks for following along everyone! Now go somewhere!

Where? With who? For how long? How? Is your phone hidden?

All of these questions are just the beginning ones that needed answered whenever I wanted to do anything or go anywhere while living in Rosario, Argentina.

My host parents were extremely protective, but to a large extent they had a right to b so. As a foreigner and teenage girl who could hardly speak the language it was scary for them allowing me to roam free in such a large city, especially a city like Rosario. It’s a city of over 2 million people and one of the most dangerous cities in all of South America, although its reputation has been improving over the last few years. It is a large drug capital and is also known for high mugging rates. I was fortunate enough and acted safely enough during my time there that I never faced any serious issues but the fear was real, as was the threat.

Rosario was known to be ruled by a number of competing drug cartels, and to a much smaller extent still is, but over the last few years the government has come down on these groups forcefully and many of the cartel leaders are now behind bars. But with Rosario’s port and sheer size it is no surprise that the drug trade was so large there.

What’s more the police in Argentina are known to be somewhat corrupt and most citizens there fear the police rather than feel protected by them. As a foreigner, I knew that if I were to go to the police I would be protected due to any fear of international incidents, but my friends and family in Argentina weren’t so sure about themselves. Police are most locally accredited for breaking up parties or political protests, two very common events on the day to day basis in Argentina, and therefore their reputation is even worse.

Two memories come to mind of nerve-wracking incidents surrounding safety while abroad. I played soccer with a club team only a block away from my house, but by the time practice ended one night it was dark out so my host dad came to walk me home. He was clearly on edge the whole time and kept telling me to walk faster even though we were only walking for two minutes at most. When we got home he showed me that he had had a metal stick up his sleeve in case someone attacked us and told me I was never to walk alone at night anywhere in Argentina. I was always very punctual getting home from then on.

The other memory is from a block party with my school. It was outside at night with over 100 people, but all of my friends stressed the importance of staying in a group of three or more and that we shouldn’t even get near the end of the block away from the music and lights. They were terrified of getting mugged or kidnapped! These fears were real and they all knew how to remain safe.

When going to another country you need to be more aware of the culture and conditions of the place where you are. I became used to not using my phone unless in a building and getting home before dark and not making eye contact with men while walking about the city by myself. These small actions were hard to get used to but they made it safer for me to live in such a city and avoid dangerous situations. So next time you travel, make sure you consider the safety of where you are going so that you too can have a safe and enjoyable trip!

 

One of the most incredible parts of my time abroad in Argentina were all the wonderful friends I made while abroad, both with Argentinians and other exchanges students from around the world who lived there at the same time as me. Although I discovered that even the friendships were different abroad in many different ways that I hadn’t completely expected, largely due to many other cultural aspects.

It was very challenging to make friends with some of my classmates, especially in the beginning of the year as I was learning to speak the language. As the only exchange student in a very small school, I was always seemingly on show as the foreigner and often the butt of jokes as I couldn’t understand much for a while. This group of girls above were really helpful as I learned the school dynamics and their language, they were patient, kind, and welcoming but becoming a real friend was challenging as they saw me as just a special visitor for 11 months in many ways. I wasn’t always able to invite them over to come hang out due to my small house and the challenging communication barriers, both with them and my host family. And due to the natural dangers of the city, hanging out outside of homes was challenging for five young girls because whatever we did, we’d need to be home before dark and in a safe area, off the streets. I also found it challenging to connect with them because most young people in Rosario, Argentina didn’t make their closest friends from their school. Many would hang with their friends from sports or clubs that they were a part of outside of school or family friends or relatives. School friends were fun, and they liked to party with one another, but as far as close friendships, they weren’t made so readily in the school settings.

I was then so grateful for the other exchange students and found myself becoming fast friends with many of them. The first image above is one of the girls that I connected most with, Charlotte who came from Belgium but was able to speak English as well as Flamenco and she was learning Spanish too! We were able to learn the language together as well as the Rosario bus system and how to get our host parents to allow us to adventure and explore more. Charlotte was only abroad for 3 months but when she left I found myself drawing nearer to other students as well.

Above are a few more of my wonderful friends that I became so close with in Argentina. We were able to become tighter knit as we bonded over mutual experiences and struggles, and somehow we all became friends in Spanish and were able to understand one another better than most locals. My friendships with the other exchange students better reflected those that I’ve had at home. Both those friendships and my Argentinian friendships are very dear to my heart and I am so grateful knowing that anytime I go back to Argentina or many other places around the world, I will have somewhere to crash!

The political sphere is a highly turbulent and largely debated one no matte which country you are in and Argentina is no exception. Immersing yourself in a new country is an intensive process in some regards, and learning and understanding the political system that surrounds it is a large part of that process. Learning about the technical rules and aspects behind the system is interesting, but a larger part of it, that contributes more to the culture of the nation, is the public opinion surrounding the governmental system in place and the their politicians. And that takes time and careful listening to a number of people with diverse views.

But first, the technical clear understanding. The Argentine government specifically, is much like that of the United States although much less stable and the socio-economic situation that interwines with it is much worse off. When argentina was establishing their independent government they actually based a lot of it off of how the U.S. government is, so there is an executive, legislative, and judiciary branch. Their current president who is voted in, is named Mauricio Macri (more about him later). They have a senate and a second part of their congress that is similar to the house of representatives. And then they have a supreme court and many national judges. They have a decleration of independence, similar to our own, and hold presidential elections every four years. One big difference between their government and our own is that voting is obligatory for all citizens older than 18 years old, and from the ages of 16-18 you may vote if you want to. This dramatically changes the political landscape, largely because people are forced to vote or are fined, but this leads to uneducated voters who vote for whichever name they like better or solely basing their vote on the billboard outside their apartment. And if they choose not to vote, or are unable to go and vote, the cycle of poverty is reinforced, as a large group of their population lives in poverty.

This fact plays a role in the large level of political discontent that exists in Argentina. There is a large divide between the wealthy and the poor within Argentina, and a very large ‘middle’ class that sits just above the poverty level. This socioeconomic environment sows seeds of clashing political opinions. There is also a sadly high level of governmental corruption and distrust. The argentine citizens believe that each of their presidents manipulate the nation and steal funds from the national government, which already doesn’t have enough money to support the nation.

There are two large and main political parties that have existed in Argentina through the years, but unlike the U.S., there seem to be new political parties each election cycle and these parties have just as large a chance to win as any other. The two main ones are the Justicialist Party or Peronist Party which was started by Juan Peron in 1945 and the Radical Civic Union (Union Civica Radical UCR) which was founded in 1891. Macri is from the PRO party, the Republican Proposal Party and is a newer party. His largest opposer is Cristina, who was the last president and largely more liked.

Now all of this information just brushes the surface of the political situation in Argentina, but when you live abroad there or anywhere you pick up on what the system looks like and how it appears in the public eye. And then in turn you are often asked about your own country. I was an unofficial ambassador of the U.S. while abroad, as are each of us when we travel, and the perception that we give off is important, especially under a system that we don’t always support. Just something to keep in mind the next time you talk to a foreigner or travel.

 

One U.S. dollar is equivalent to 37.22 Argentina pesos.

37! To give any of you a reference point, when I first arrived in Argentina in August of 2017, the ratio was 1 dollar to 17 pesos, meaning that over the last year the Argentina peso has depreciated in value to half its original worth!

As citizens of the United States we often find things to complain about in terms of our nation; our government, our school systems, or lawmakers, and often our economy. And although some of these complaints may be warranted we often forget to put our circumstances in context and be grateful for the level of stability we do have.

While in Argentina my host father accumulated U.S. dollars whenever the exchange rate was slightly more beneficial because he knew that having their savings in dollars was safer than simply allowing their wealth to depreciate each time the Argentine poilitical and economic system shifted. Due to government debt and instability as well as the poverty and unemployment rate, the economy is in seriously poor condition for such a somewhat developed country like Argentina. Over 27% of the population lives in poverty, the majority focused in largely urban areas and the job market is not strong enough to combat this statistic, neither is the level of education and necessary learning support available.

These realities result in slum neighborhoods such as what is shown above where generally health and violence statistics are not favorable, and the conditions create a cycle. My house while in Argentina, was roughly 10 blocks away from a neighborhood very similar to the one shown above. And the economic level of my host family was very different from my family back here in the U.S. Honestly though, I never gave it much thought, I saw it as simply another part of the new culture that I would assimilate into and was excited to get to know my new Argentine family in close quarters. The would always say, “Nuestra casa es chiquita pero nuestros corazones son grandes(Our house is small but our hearts are big).” Their kindness and love made me feel so welcomed and we quickly became close. But living at a different level of the socioeconomic ladder, especially in a foreign country, helped me to better understand national economic situations and appreciate that of the U.S. a little bit more.

My host sister recently visite me here in the States and she had a hard time adapting to our way of life here in the U.S., the space we have and the money we spend. The awareness this gift of cross cultural relationships has given me is invaluable…in any economy.

Most college students graduate from their undergraduate program in 4 (or more) years, most of whom are then drowning in debt as they head into a largely favorable job search. Most college students live in a dormitory and join clubs and activities within their campus life.

But these trends are largely western ones and when studying abroad, whether in high school or more directly, in college, you will notice that universities abroad are very different.

Starting with the terminalogy, the word “college”is a very American term and one that is not used as much even in Europe, but obviously not in South America. One, because the language is Spanish of course but, two, because the preferred term is university or “la universidad.” In Rosario, my stationed city, it was referred to as the “facultad” (relating to our word ”faculty”) but shorthand, or amongst friends, they would simply refer to it as the “facu.” It took me a while to get all these terms straight and to remember that if I tried to say the word “college” in spanish they immediately thought I was talking about a high school.

Rosario was a large university city so there were a number of universities throughout the region, but the universities were not completely separate, they were devoted to different fields of study all under the term “UNR” the public university system that exists in Argentina. You see, a college education in Argentina is completely free! All of the universities are publicly funded by the government and students simply need to enroll and maintian the grades to get their college education. So they could enroll in their medical school, law school, engineering school, communications school, etc. to pursue the degree they wanted without paying a cent. Many needed apartments or had to move from smaller surrounding towns so their cost of living was high but those from Rosario would simply live with their parents until they would graduate and begin to make their own money.

The obvious upside to this system is the government funding which makes universities free, but this in turn creates many faults in their system. Because Argentina is one of the few countries to do this, people flock there from other south american countries to study and a large portion of the internal population enrolls in the universities, this creates a supply and demand problem, as there are too many students and not enough resources to educate them all well. Every year in Rosario as the new medical students flood in they need to get to class an hour early to get a desk and half an hour early to get standing room in the back of the class, and as exams roll around many of them need to drop out as they have not been taught well and are unfamiliar on how to teach themselves via textbooks because of their somewhat poor high school education. What’s more the teacher’s themselves are not prepared to teach that many students well and are not getting paid anywhere near enough to motivate them to better their teaching. Strikes are frequent and long and the government isn’t stable enough to provide more funding. The faults are undeniable and causing Argentina to be in a loop where they need educated citizens to contribute positively to their infastructure and better their governmental system but with their current systems in place they are unable to produce those citizens.

Although many people in the U.S. believe that college education should be free, the issue is much more complex than what it seems and the funding required from the government to put such a system in place is intensive. In the U.S. we have a wholistic college experience with dormitories and clubs, football games and homework sessions, tutors and the HUB. In Argentina, going to college is trying to get into class, working your butt off to teach yourself and then hoping that you enroll in what you actually want to study, otherwise you have to wait a year to change what you study.

I don’t love paying tuition, but I do love the college experience in the U.S.

As I mentioned in my last post, schools in Argentina are different from those in the U.S. in the sense that they don’t include clubs and sports teams within their academic sphere. But that is not the only difference between these aspects of society.

While abroad I attended the small catholic school in Rosario known as Santo Domingo Savio, it is named after a saint and holds religious services during the school days at times. I am christian but it was so interesting to see catholic perspectives and customs within a different culture. Not all of the students were catholic but all who were accepted had to have relatively good school marks and maintain them to continue their academic career there.

As in the U.S. the schools in Argentina vary greatly between private and public schools and the schedules and academic expectations are quite different. So I can speak for my personal experience and the differences that I saw but I am hesitant to assume that these differences apply to all other schools in Argentina, yet they likely apply to most. My school day would start at 7:20 in the morning and would be made up of 5 different classes until 1:10 in the afternoon. Although within this time there were three recesses that were supposably only 10 minutes long but always lasted between 25 mins to a half an hour. That is to say that the general work ethic of Argentinians and attention to time deadlines is rather relaxed. One aspect of the schooling which I liked and which many U.S. schools are beginning to apply, is that of learning academies, or specified paths to lead students down more of career paths within their high school experience. My school had a “sociales” (or social sciences) path and an “economia” (economics) path. I was enrolled in the social sciences path and took classes like sociology and psychology along with basic math, writing, and history courses. Outside of the 7:20 – 1:10 we would also then have a computer class and gym class once a week, at some point in the afternoon so we would head home after one to get lunch and then walk back for another class if necessary.

Another aspect that differs within the school system in Argentina and the U.S., is the fact that students in Argentina have a very comfortable, close relationship with their teachers and call them by their first name. I know that a number of schools in the U.S. take this practice as well but very few in comparison to the commonplace that exists in Argentina. Students will often have their professors’ phone numbers and it wouldn’t be uncommon for students to get coffee with a teacher or hang out with them during recess.

A fact that could be gathered from the short school days and large breaks, is that the level of education recieved in Argentina is much lower than that in the U.S. United States public schools are generally very good and the expected level of understanding in most subjects for high school graduates is much higher than those of Argentine students. As a senior student in my school I was learning basic algebra in math and basic chemistry in my science course. Less is expected of the students in terms of homework and in general the grades reflect a lack of enthusiasm and effort by the students. Rather than letter grades they recieve a mark between 1-10. A C average is truly the norm with the majority of students recieving 7s and many scraping by with 5s and 6s.

Being in a foreign country was revealing as I became more aware of how education differs around the world. I found a new appreciation for our level and method of education here in the U.S., but with that being said it would also be very interesting to compare this to other countries. My friend from France goes to school all day and for six days a week, I can imagine that going from that to Argentinian school was a huge culture shock. The school is such central part of societies in different nations and I believe it would be beneficial for everyone to adventure and be exposed to a different form of learning.

The vast majority of people from the U.S. would characterize their high school experiences by the clubs they were involved in and the sports that they played. Going to a public or private high school in the U.S. is not solely comprised of academics but rather seen as the whole high school experience.

This is not the case around the world. When students visit the U.S. as exchange students it is often very easy for them to assimilate themselves in the student body by joining clubs or sports teams, these organizations are instant ways to meet new people and future friends. But often when U.S. students go to other countries, they find it challenging to join into groups without the aid of these social groups.

But outside of the typical school settings there are often other options for teens to get involved and find a group of friends with common interests. In Argentina, the by far largest option of these is joining a sports club. There are several famous clubs within Argentina but generally there are two or three per large cities and there are huge rivalries within cities. The city where I was at had two large clubs that were primarily focused on soccer, as are most, and were huge rivalries. The two clubs in Rosario are called the Newells Old Boys and Rosario Central. My host family members are huge Central fans and so if I had even thought about being a Newells fan I think they would have made me move out of their house!

The loyalties to these two clubs really are intense. My host aunt is a Newells fan while my host family, as I mentioned, are huge Central fans. In my first month in Argentina when I hardly understood any Spanish and was still figuring out how things work down there, I met my aunt for the first time at a family barbecue. She was so friendly, and despite her not knowing any English, she made me feel welcomed. She has a large and loud personality, just over all she is a very passionate person. She gave me a black and red bracelet which I thought was simply a kind welcoming gesture, little did I know that the Newells’ team colors were black and red. My host mom immediately stepped in to tell her to back off and my host dad took the bracelet from me as they both began to get into a friendly yelling fight about their two teams. In the end I was explained in detail that Rosario Central is the best club from Rosario and that I could keep the bracelet but not ever wear it at home. The whole affair was so confusing as I didn’t understand Spanish and everyone around me was yelling and laughing but looking back on the experience it is so humorous.

I ended up joining a girls’ basketball team at the Rosario Central Club and that was one of the ways that I made friends down in Argentina, despite the language barrier. Many other high schoolers and college students join the clubs for sports teams or social groups, so despite the fact that schools don’t have these organization directly within their infrastructures, the students still have opportunities within their communities to get involved and make friends with similar interests.

One of the most life changing parts of being abroad is the ability to see the world from another point of view. This easily understandable truth that is easy to overlook when hearing about abroad experiences, but the gift of seeing other nations and issues from another country is an eye-opening privilege.

What’s more, especially as a citizen of the United States, I was able to view the profound impact that the U.S. has on other cultures. Our politics and economics, but even more so our pop-culture flows out to the rest of the world and causes a beautifully sad ripple.

Beautiful in the sense that it is so clear how two countries histories and cultures can merge together as people are connected via technology and other people. But also sad in the fact that so much of U.S. culture overpowers that of small countries and the rich history and vibrant culture of a smaller nation is often overshadowed and underappreciated in the view of U.S. “glamour.”

When I arrived in Argentina, I was shocked by how much Argentinians thought they knew about the U.S., as well as what they were expecting from me. Most people my age, imagined that I would be some glamorous model straight out of the movie “mean girls,” a drama queen who cared more about her shade of lip gloss than the person sitting next to her, sad really. While my teachers were expecting someone ready to slack off in school and party whenever possible. My host mom was very nervous to say the least and just hoped I would be some sort of good role model for her 15-year-old daughter. So, when I arrived, I had some expectations to break before building relationships. I had to show people that I couldn’t care less about how my hair looked but I was eager to get to know everyone, despite the language barrier. I had to earn the respect and trust of my teachers as I showed them I would put in the extra time to understand and complete my homework, I was ready to be put to work. And I had to prove to my host mom that I could earn her trust and love her children as my own siblings. Other nationalities view the U.S. in a way I had never thought too much of, but suddenly I was faced with stereotypes I never expected.

Due to the U.S. undeniably being a global superpower, its presence is seen in every country around the world, both positively and negatively. Whether there are facts or opinions, there is always a narrative. When in another country it is refreshing to be exposed to so many new ideas and perceptions, a new narrative.

Sometimes all it takes to grow as an individual is learn from different individuals. To go to another place where they believe different things and are from different backgrounds, and whether you want to or not you find you own perspective changing.

I encourage everyone to go abroad, and if it isn’t possible for you, go somewhere or in a community that makes you uncomfortable, somewhere that challenges you, and go into it with the mindset that you always have something to learn.

The United States is unique in the fact that it is illegal to consume alcohol under the age of 21. But most other places in the world have the legal drinking age set at 18, and some places even at 16. This has raised the discussion as to the debate about lowering the drinking age within the U.S., but it does not seem that that argument will be making head way anytime soon as we are too often reminded of the abuse of alcohol within our society.

The culture surrounding alcohol is one unique to itself and impacts the daily life in every national culture. In Argentina the drinking age is 18, I turned 18 after being there for one month. It was legal for me to drink alcohol and my program simply constrained that right by saying I was not allowed to abuse alcohol… no worries there.

With the legal drinking age being set at 18, teenagers, and specifically underage drinking, is different than the culture that exists in the U.S.

Clubs thrive in Argentina. Teenagers begin spending late nights out dancing and drinking as young as 13 and use fake ids or ids of cousins or older friends to get into clubs and drink. It is a planned-out event how to memorize the facts of your borrowed document and get to the club early so you have a better chance of slipping by the bouncers. This culture of drinking and going out is prominent in Argentina and in turn it affects different aspects of Argentine life.

A typical Argentine club…little crazy!

With teenagers drinking and partying at a younger age they are grown from within the alcohol culture and are paced through steps of life faster than American teens. Turning 21 in the U.S. is a rite of passage to adulthood and next steps of life, although everyone is aware that drinking takes place before that step. Whereas in Argentina, your first night out at 13, 14, or 15 years old is your rite of passage and suddenly you seem more outwardly mature than the teens in the U.S. who are likely at a sports practice or having a sleepover on their Saturday night.

I’m not going to lie, going out from time to time with my friends or host sister wasn’t all that fun in Argentina, and I never struggled with the rule about not abusing alcohol. But it was enjoyable to try alcohol with my host family and see what sorts I liked. Having a beer at family gatherings or wine at dinners with my host family was fun and served to bond me with my host parents. They could have a little fun exposing me to more typical drinks and ones they especially liked. Argentina has a number of vineyards and the wines there are exquisite, the Malbec is especially great. These were exciting discoveries for me to make and sort of encouraged me to feel more like an adult and more independent than I had ever felt previously in the U.S.

But now being back in the U.S., it is once again illegal for me to drink or go out to clubs, and I’m not missing much. It’s fun to astound my parents here when I know what kind of wine I like or share my favorite artisanal beer, but I have no problem adapting back to U.S. alcohol culture and waiting another two years.