COVID Response Argentina vs. US: Interview with Carolina Part II

In the first part of her interview, Carolina shared a bit about her Argentinian culture and language as well as how she fell in love with California. Our conversation then turned, as it inevitably does these days, to the effects of the pandemic on us and our communities. Getting a first-hand description of how different countries are handling this crisis brings to light the values inherent in each government.

Note: If you'd like to watch/listen the full interview, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hee0DmZU54 

Mariya: Since COVID-19, it’s obviously been much more difficult to travel, which can be hard especially for the hospitality business in which you work. I’m curious to know how has your work been affected and how has your daily life been impacted?

Carolina: The hotel that I work for is closed now. We do have a few hotels that are working with the government that are hospital hotels in case you have COVID, but if it's not dangerous for you, then maybe you can stay to quarantine at the hotel. My hotel has been closed since the end of March. Fortunately, because of the law in Argentina, they are still paying my salary and everybody's salary at the hotel. We did take a reduction in salary, but still I can afford to pay my bills. We do have a few meetings by Zoom. What we are doing is working on new ways and new protocols and standards that we are going to use when we reopen the hotel. So we do have people who are going to the department of engineering. For example, they do go to the hotel, and they are preparing some things for us for when we do go back. Let's say they put a glass in front of the desk. When you go to do check in, you have a glass between the front desk agent and you. We are working on the protocols of cleaning for the rooms and they say we are trying mix what the company tells us to do and the government. For example, when someone checks out of the room, you have to leave the room for at least 10 hours by itself and then you can go in and clean it. Something like that. Then we will see if it's rentable or not. For now, we think we can open in October.

M: OK, that's pretty soon!

C: Yes, but we've been pushing the date. I don't actually know if this is going to happen. But in August, we are going to open one of the restaurants to buy food to go and to do delivery. So some of the employees can work - probably the ones that live close to the hotel so that they don't have to use public transport. Here public transport can only be used if you work for essential jobs. So only if you work in a supermarket or in medicine. Otherwise, you cannot use public transport.

M: How do they check to make sure that only those people are using it?

C: The drivers. You have to show a permission of circulation because not everyone can work. I'm not allowed - I don't have a permit to circulate - so I can't be around the city doing nothing. When you ask for the permission online, you have to put where you work, what you do, and they match your details, so they say, "OK, you can work because you work in the hospital" for example, and then your permission will say that you work in the hospital.

M: Wow, that is very strict!

C: Yes, it is strict, but also the police stop all the cars that are traveling into the city from surrounding areas. A lot of people that work in the city come from outside of the city. That's the main problem we are having that the crossing of people are making them all contagious and spreading infection. Usually I don't go out or visit friends, but actually I have to say that I did. If I go, I go by bike. For example, the other day I went to see my brother and stayed in his apartment for 2 or 3 days, and then I came back with my bicycle, and then I was waiting to see if something happened. Like [my brother and I agreed] let's wait 15 days to check that we're both OK, and not see anyone until we know that we are both OK.

M: Yeah, that's kind of been the approach of people here. If they want to visit family or friends for home visits, they recommend quarantining 2 weeks before you go, and then just to be sure, do it again when you come back. Though people will meet outside in the park or something staying 6 feet apart or more.

And so what have you done, other than visiting your brother the one time, to keep busy, take care of yourself, and still feel connected to your friends, coworkers, and family?

C: In order for me to be mentally healthy, I have been exercising in the apartment, yoga, and I started meditating every day. I think it changed me a lot and kept me in good mental health. Also, what I do is I keep in touch with my friends with my cell phone, with my messages, sometimes we speak over a video call. And what I do is I help an old lady who lives here in this building. She is more than 65 years old. Usually when I go out to buy my groceries, I ask her if she wants me to buy her anything. Then she started asking me for other things like post a few pictures on the internet. I go to her place and she does knitting. She made gloves for me, and she made a few more things, and she said she wants to sell them. So we took a few pictures and we posted it in Marketplace on Facebook.

M: She should make an Etsy shop! Do you know what that is?

C: No, what is that?

M: It's an online shop where people sell their handmade crafts like knitting, sewing, artwork, all sorts of things. You could help her create an Etsy shop, help her come up with a name for it, you post the pictures, you post the price, and people can purchase through there. Yeah, just a suggestion if she's serious about selling her stuff. That's so nice that you help her so much!

C: Yeah, I have a lot time!

M: You're making good use of your time. My last question for you is: When it's safe to travel again, would you consider coming to the US again? If so, where would you like to go?

C: Of course, I would love to visit the United States again, but I don't know exactly where. I usually prefer to go to places I don't know so that I can experience something new. I don't think I want to go to California again even though it's my favorite state.

M: Which cities have you been to in the US?

C: I've been to Las Vegas, Indianapolis, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Oh, I've also been to New York and Washington DC.

M: Oh, so you haven't been to the northeast in Boston! That should be your next trip.

C: [Laughs] Definitely!

M: Well, thank you for sharing your experience and a bit about your country.

C: Thank you! I'm really glad we met in Hollywood!

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. 

One Summer Ago in the City of Angels

Since traveling this summer is an unsafe option, let me take you back to a simpler and more carefree time when I joined two of my high school friends on a trip to Los Angeles, California for a week. It was the farthest west I had ever travelled in the United States up until then, and I was excited to experience the West Coast! My friends had already booked their Airbnb, and I decided to opt for a hostel since I was joining in fairly last minute. I found one aptly named "Walk of Fame" right on Hollywood Boulevard in the middle of all the action. Hostels are great if you want something affordable and you don't plan to spend too much time in the room. It definitely caters more towards a young professionals and college student crowd. Most of the rooms contain bunk beds and each person is generally expected to put their own sheets on the bed as well as remove them at the end of the trip rather than getting regular room service the way you would in a hotel. This particular one also had a few separate rooms with regular beds available for families for a slightly higher price. 

After getting acquainted with the space and rules pertaining to it, I entered my room of 6 bunk beds to find that some of the women there already knew each other. I wasn't expecting to get to know any of them over the course of a single week in this city. However, one of the young ladies who had been staying there for some time already said hello and made an effort to get to know me. Rianne had been travelling from her home country of England around the US for a couple weeks already learning the lay of the land and meeting new people regularly. She eagerly shared stories of her travels with me both in and outside of LA. Knowing that this city was the hotspot for meeting celebrities and seeing where they lived, Rianne had done her research on where she should go to meet her favorite stars. After visiting one of the many film studios in the LA area for a tour, she shared that she had the chance to briefly meet Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia who are cast members of one of her favorite shows, This Is Us. She was just gushing about them! I was also impressed with how detailed and thorough her plans were. She did not want to waste a minute of her time, and I admired that about her. 

The Walk of Fame Hostel offered free or low cost tourist trips around the city for those who were staying in the hostel, and the guide let my friends staying at another place join as well. The Griffith Observatory is a beautiful lookout point in Griffith Park in LA that also has a science museum inside the main building and a couple of old telescopes you can peek at. On the way there, we took a train and a bus, which gave us plenty of time to connect with others in the group. We started chatting with Carolina, who works in Hyatt Hotels in Argentina. My friend, Yaniza, is a native Spanish speaker, so they quickly bonded over their common language background. My friend, Kevin, had studied abroad for a month in Bueno Aires, so he was able to share his stories with her, too. My knowledge of Argentinian culture was limited to the language and dance of Argentinian Tango, which for those who are familiar with ballroom lingo, is distinctly different from International or American Tango. Over the course of that excursion, we established ourselves as acquaintances with Carolina and hoped to see her again. 

Santa Monica Pier
(Left to Right: Carolina, Rianne, Kevin, Yaniza, me)

Rianne and Carolina both joined me for breakfast (independently of each other) in the hostel the day following the Griffith Observatory trip. Yaniza, Kevin, and I had planned a beach day seeing as this is California and the summertime. I invited them both to accompany us, and they were happy to do so! We started out our walk down Hollywood Blvd. taking pictures of us next to some of our favorite stars, and after some time realized that the restaurant where we agreed to meet my friends was a short distance by car, but not on foot. We quickly hopped in a Lyft and made our way to an early lunch/brunch at a place called "Egg Sl*t." Yes, that really was the name of the place. Then we ordered another car that got us to the Santa Monica beach where the driver shared that he is from the middle east leading us to all reveal the various countries we each come from - we were an international car! At the beach, I learned from Carolina the tradition of drinking maté, a strongly caffeinated drink that is the national beverage of Argentina. We talked about our lives, our beliefs, politics, and so much more. There is something so freeing about sharing deep and meaningful conversations with acquaintances that you meet in a new place. 

Celebrating after Yaniza's show

Later that day, I let the ladies know about the main reason we came to LA in the first place. Yaniza is a singer-songwriter who was on tour, and she had a performance scheduled for that same day in a restaurant. After getting back to the hostel and changing, Rianne and Carolina accompanied me to the restaurant before the show for dinner. We then watched Yaniza's spectacular performance and Rianne was so moved that she bought Yaniza's CD that she had for sale. 

After that day, one by one we said goodbye to one another as each departed for different destinations: Yaniza and Kevin went to the next tour destination in Nashville, Tennessee; Rianne and Carolina were off to other parts of the country. Meanwhile, I flew back home to Boston. We vowed to stay in touch after the trip through WhatsApp. Here we are one year later continuing to share insights about our lives especially in the era of COVID-19, politics, language, and more. I look forward to the day where we can travel and be in each others' company again.  

Note: Real names were used with permission.