From Argentina to the US: Interview with Carolina Part I

Carolina

Little did I know that spending just a few days in the company of Carolina in what was a new city for both of us would lead me to a friendship that transcends boundaries even amidst this pandemic. She is from Buenos Aires, Argentina and works in five-star hotels. 

Mariya: What brought you to Los Angeles last summer?

Carolina: I have a friend who lived, but not anymore, in San Francisco, so I decided to go to visit her. She was working by the time I arrived to California, so I decided first to go to LA, then meet her in San Diego, then go to San Francisco with her. So I decided to go mainly to visit her, but I haven't visited the United States for many years, so I thought it was a really good option to go back and go to California again because it was the state I loved the most in the US. I love to travel and that is usually my goal is to save money just to travel around the world if I can. 

M: What did you like most about your trip?

C: I did know California from before. I found it even more exciting than what I thought it was going to be. For example, when I went to LA a few years ago, I liked it, but not that much. And then I found it very interesting. The people, I thought, were beautiful and warm, and I didn't expect that. I don't know exactly why. Actually, for my flight, which was to and from LA, I had to go back there from San Francisco in order to get my flight back to Argentina. I thought, "Maybe I'll go back one day earlier to catch my flight," but then I decided to go back five days earlier in order to visit a few more things. 

M: Wow, so it sounds like you really enjoyed LA a lot!

C: Yes, and I didn't expect that at all! People told me about San Francisco and that San Diego was beautiful and I would fall in love with [it], and I did, but I didn't expect that LA was going to be that fun.

M: Did you find that coming to the US was a culture shock?

C: I guess, not that much for two reasons. One: because I had been there before. Second: I had been in Japan and Thailand, so I found that a culture shock. Still, I did find a lot of things that I think it's very different from Argentina, and sometimes I find little details that make things easier for people in the US than here. For example, I found it very interesting that you have Uber spot so that the Uber [driver] can find you. Of course! That is a good idea, but we don't have that here. Also, I don't know how to explain it, but every time I open a snack, this is very silly, but it's easier than the snacks in Argentina. 

M: Interesting! I would never have thought about that! Did you find that there was anything in particular that was similar to Argentinian culture?

C: I did find that the people, when you talk to them, and even when I sometimes don't understand everything because of the language, I still found that the kinds of jokes and humor were the same. Sometimes I didn't understand what they were saying, but I did understand when they were laughing between them it's the same as us in Argentina. 

You know how when you touch someone's shoulder but then you run around the person from the other side? I saw this a few times and it's the same in my country too. We do that to each other. It felt like warm, like brothers!

M: So similar sense of humor. Nice! And I'm curious to know more about Argentina because I've never been there. What is something about your country that you think would be surprising or intriguing to people?

C: There are a few tourist spots that I was thinking about. For example, in the north of the country we have Iguazu Falls that we share the [water]falls with Brazil. Those falls are 100% natural. I was reading about the different falls you can find in the world, and I'm not sure if this is the only one that we have, but other falls might have concrete [structures] to keep them flowing. The ones that we have are 100% natural.

Another thing that is interesting is that in the south we have a place we call "The End of the World" because when you reach Ushuaia, which is the last city that we have, it's kind of the end of the world because there is nothing else more south. That's a beautiful place, and it's completely different to the north. People are also completely different, even the way they look. In the north, people are shorter. 

M: Huh! Really? It's that noticeable that you would go south after being in the north and see that the people were much taller?

C: Yes.

M: I really want to go there now when it's safe to travel again.

C: But first you have to make a stop in Buenos Aires!

M: Yes, definitely! I know we've also talked about Argentinian Spanish. Could you share some of the unique modern day aspects of it?

C: Since the Spanish language is not an inclusive language, usually the plural is a male word, let's say. For example, if we have a meeting and even if you have more women than men, and you ask, "Is everybody here?" "Estamos todos?" You would say "todos" instead of "todas." Even if it's only one man! Since feminism has become more popular so has the "lenguaje inclusivo." Women were trying to depart from the language also. 

A variation of that is we have changed a few words as well. We have a few words that are male that have always been like that. Let's say "cuerpo," body. It's always "cuerpo" no matter if it's a male or female body. So we women decided to call it "cuerpa." That's something that's very new, and probably if you go outside Buenos Aires or if you go to a small town, they probably won't know what you are talking about. I think what we are trying to do is to show men that we can be part of the language as well. In Buenos Aires we have the Obelisco tower, which is like our Eiffel Tower, but much smaller. If you go to the center, to downtown Buenos Aires, you must take a picture with the Obelisco. That's the name, Obelisco, but sometimes we say, "We will meet at the Obelisca." We create new female words with the words that already exist.  

M: That's really cool! Is this something that only women will do? Or have some men also taken to this language?

C: Usually it's women and maybe the LGBT community will use it too...and sometimes a few men to be warm. Actually, another thing we talked about I wasn't sure if it was even international was the "e" ending.

M: Yeah, like the pronoun "elle" instead of "ella" or "el." 

C: Exactly! Because you don't know if a person can feel as a male, female, or not any of those. So you don't have to talk about them as a woman or a man.

M: Yeah, maybe they're non-binary.

C: Exactly. So we start talking with the "e" instead of "ella" or "el."  For example, our president the other day was talking, when they referred to everybody, he said, "todos, todas, y todes." It doesn't matter who you feel you are, you will be included. 

M: Wow, that's awesome that he does that! Here in the US, there are some places that are very open to the LGBT community and some that are more closed off. Even when you think about using the pronoun "they/them" instead of "he/she" it causes so many problems for people. That's really cool that your president did that.

C: I think he did that because his son is from the community, so he can feel it from the inside of his own home. Otherwise I don't know if there is another president would could do something like that. 

M: That's true. It does make a difference to know somebody personally. 

C: But it did make a huge thing to talk about. If the president is saying something like that, then it's like "wow," and the LGBT community is like "yay!"

Stay tuned for Part II of the interview in which Carolina shares how the pandemic has shaped her and her city.