I think there is a misperception about the people of Buenos Aires. The first thing of note is that it is primarily made up of Spanish and Italian immigrants. Italian food - pizza and pasta - is the overwhelming food choice around the city. Half of the people look "white", or what we, in the US think of as such.
Another perception is that the people of Buenos Aires are poor. Although the US dollar goes a long way, the people are not poor. I noticed this most in their love of pets, especially dogs. The people of Buenos Aires LOVE their dogs and you see them walking them along the streets at all hours. Poor countries don't keep dogs as pets and certainly don't hire dogwalkers.
The streets are crowded with both pedestrians and drivers (mostly taxis). People get OUT into their neighborhoods and their children play with one another in parks. You don't have to pay to have your kid play a sport. They don't need a special jersey. They just go to any park and pick up a game.
I believe people are out and about due to Buenos Aires being a city of apartments. There are no houses. Think San Francisco. The families don't want to stay couped up in their apartment and they don't take heed to gameboys and xboxs. They instead are out in the world mingling with one another, enjoying the outdoors in a very simple way. I was at first taken aback by people standing aimlessly on their store stoops. It seemed menacing. It's not. The weather is beautiful and they like to breathe fresh air. Imagine that.
When I first arrived in Buenos Aires on my taxi ride I saw a city of graffiti, cramped living, busy streets, vagrants and traffic. It only took a day to see the city and its people in a new light; the kindness, sense of family, community, culture and welcoming nature. They are not people who smile often but who are physically intertwined. Their gestures show their intent not the look on their face.
I thought about my neighborhood. It is beautiful and looks safe, with nice cars, landscaped lawns and organized sports... but I question what lives inside this facade - it seems hollow and lost. The sense of family and community, lost.
Remember when you were dating and you met a really nice, kind, family-type guy (girl) but they weren't attractive? You might have passed them up for the better looking option only to find this option wasn't smart and was highly self-absorbed? That's what I feel about the difference between BA and LA. We look pretty from the outside but what do we really have to offer one another? When was the last time you talked to your neighbors? When has the whole family gone out and had fun that didn't cost money? Maybe you're the exception but I'm thinking graffiti looks pretty good.
Another perception is that the people of Buenos Aires are poor. Although the US dollar goes a long way, the people are not poor. I noticed this most in their love of pets, especially dogs. The people of Buenos Aires LOVE their dogs and you see them walking them along the streets at all hours. Poor countries don't keep dogs as pets and certainly don't hire dogwalkers.
The streets are crowded with both pedestrians and drivers (mostly taxis). People get OUT into their neighborhoods and their children play with one another in parks. You don't have to pay to have your kid play a sport. They don't need a special jersey. They just go to any park and pick up a game.
I believe people are out and about due to Buenos Aires being a city of apartments. There are no houses. Think San Francisco. The families don't want to stay couped up in their apartment and they don't take heed to gameboys and xboxs. They instead are out in the world mingling with one another, enjoying the outdoors in a very simple way. I was at first taken aback by people standing aimlessly on their store stoops. It seemed menacing. It's not. The weather is beautiful and they like to breathe fresh air. Imagine that.
When I first arrived in Buenos Aires on my taxi ride I saw a city of graffiti, cramped living, busy streets, vagrants and traffic. It only took a day to see the city and its people in a new light; the kindness, sense of family, community, culture and welcoming nature. They are not people who smile often but who are physically intertwined. Their gestures show their intent not the look on their face.
I thought about my neighborhood. It is beautiful and looks safe, with nice cars, landscaped lawns and organized sports... but I question what lives inside this facade - it seems hollow and lost. The sense of family and community, lost.
Remember when you were dating and you met a really nice, kind, family-type guy (girl) but they weren't attractive? You might have passed them up for the better looking option only to find this option wasn't smart and was highly self-absorbed? That's what I feel about the difference between BA and LA. We look pretty from the outside but what do we really have to offer one another? When was the last time you talked to your neighbors? When has the whole family gone out and had fun that didn't cost money? Maybe you're the exception but I'm thinking graffiti looks pretty good.
No comments:
Post a Comment