It’s been 10 years! 10 YEARS since we left the States and
moved to Argentina. HOLY COW! That’s such a huge chunk of our lives. We
actually reached this milestone back in June, but I’ve been a little behind on
my blog. So sorry about that.
Now, some of my fellow expats would say that their
time in Argentina was well spent. A couple of them have found love, gotten married and
started a family. Others came, spent a few months here, and left feeling enriched
by the experience.
We’re not one of those people.
As far as I’m concerned, the last 10 years have been a
complete waste of time. We gave up everything we had back home to make this
move possible, making it virtually impossible to head back, and for what?! I don’t know. I wanted to start a career. Maybe open up a business. Instead, I spent seven of the last 10 years being used by a parasite that paid me scraps in exchange
for my writing skills. Luckily, I no longer work for her and have moved on to teaching and writing for someone else.
But what's really upsetting is that we’re virtually prisoners in our own house because we
can’t risk home invaders breaking into our property.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s not all bad down here. For one thing, life
in Argentina has been pretty peaceful. By this I mean, we don’t have to worry
about some psycho gunman shooting up a mall or a school for no good reason. Not
that there’s ever a reason to go on a shooting spree. And with the exception of locals who are dissatisfied with the government and the plummeting economy, severe cases of civil unrest is virtually unheard of in these parts.
It doesn’t mean Argentina is a crime-free zone because as I mentioned earlier, CRIME HAPPENS! Theft has been on the rise, especially in
recent years. And sadly, the police aren't doing a thing to crack down on these hoodlums.
As far as forming a bond with the locals, I’m here to
tell you that it’s not easy. We’ve made one or two friends for life whom
we consider family. But in general, friendship with Argentines has been
difficult because of their views towards America and other parts of the world.
For instance, a lot of the Argentines we’ve spoken to
claim that the U.S. is conspiring with the U.K. to colonize them. We only want to coexist peacefully with you. There's no sinister motive.
Then there’s the war in the Ukraine. Don’t expect much sympathy from an Argentine in regards to this topic, at least, not the ones I’ve spoken to. I've gotten different reasons behind their disregard for the Ukrainian people’s pain and suffering. Some claim that it's because the Ukrainian President is Jewish. Argentines (in general) aren’t fond of Jews. Others have told me that there are two sides to every story, but wouldn't clarify what they meant by that. In other cases, I've had Argentines tell me that they have no feelings whatsoever about the situation.
Oh, and when Queen Elizabeth passed away, one member of the
Argentine news media behaved in a way that was truly disgusting. The anchor was rejoicing over the death of the U.K.’s beloved leader, and it honestly boiled my blood to see how ignorant this guy was. But while some Argentines praised the anchor for his words, others called him out for his deplorable behavior. I haven't dared approach an Argentine with this topic, but I have overheard conversations on the streets that mirror similar feelings to those of the news anchor.
I’m not saying
that this is the mentality of every Argentine. There are some who are quite
enlightened, open-minded, and sympathetic to the world’s problems.
But things like those that I mentioned are generally the reason why
the hubs and I remain cautious when it comes to socializing with the locals. We’ve
concluded that our cultures are just too different and will likely never see eye
to eye.
Instead, we focus on making the best of the situation
by doing things that make us happy, like throwing a Christmas party in June.
I
know what you’re thinking. We must be nuts, but hear me out. December is in the
middle of the Argentine summer, so turning the oven on turns our home into a
sauna. So, we’ve been experimenting with doing Christmas in June when it’s
winter for the last two years. And besides, cold weather and Christmas go together
like a hand and glove. So why not?
I also celebrated my 45th birthday in July. Anyone who knows me should not be surprised that there was a spooky theme to the party.
Also, as you can see from these photos, we’ve started opening
our doors to house guests post-pandemic, and hope to invite two more in the near future.
Speaking of Covid…
The pandemic is under control in
Argentina. That DOES NOT mean it’s over. One week in September had over 6,000 Covid cases nationwide, but that’s still a fairly small number. This has lulled
the locals into a false sense of security, which is why indoor masks are no
longer required. Not that this is a big deal for them. It was a struggle to get them
to put their masks on when people were dying left and right last year. The hubs and I
still put our masks on whenever we go out just to be on the safe side. Once the
number of weekly cases drop to 10, then we’ll consider taking our masks off. Actually, we probably won't because even without the pandemic, the Argentines cough, sneeze and yawn without covering their mouths. So we'll probably keep using our masks to avoid catching anyone's cold or flu.
Alright! That’s enough for this post. I will be
posting again soon. There’s a lot I want to share, and I hope you’ll continue
following my journey.
Until next time.
