1. It is OK to drink the water.
2. The Italian influence is strong here, which makes the Italian food, especially the pizza, delicious.
3. Coca Cola often comes in glass bottles and is always super cold. It tastes great.
4. Public universities, which are dominant, are free to attend. Therefore, a college education is free.
5. Stray dogs roam the streets everywhere.
6. Siesta time begins at 1pm and usually ends around 5pm. During this time, almost everything in the city shuts down.
7. Dinner is not usually eaten until at least 10pm.
8. When greeting, a kiss on the cheek is common. Lower classes usually kiss on both cheeks.
9. If you want your check at a restaurant, you have to ask for it. Otherwise, you will be waiting forever.
10. Stay away from the Chinese buffet (tenedor libre).
11. A good meal, lunch AND dinner for two, only costs around $US 5-10. That’s with a drink!
12. Asado (grilled beef), is usually cooked with wood chips rather than charcoal or propane.
13. The Internet is mostly accessed in 'internet cafes'. Though very cheap (about $US .08 every 15 minutes), the PCs are antique and it is often difficult to access certain sites.
14. The orange juice ordered in restaurants is always freshly squeezed and tastes great.
15. I can’t find any Mountain Dew!
16. United States culture (movies, TV, music) is evident everywhere -Scrubs, the Office, Grey´s Anatomy, the Transformers - it’s all here and many times in English.
17. Most vehicles are older models. FORD Falcons are prevalent. Other models not sold in the U.S., such as Renault and Peugeot, are most common. There are also different models of newer FORDs and CHEVYs not found in our country.
18. Everything tastes differently - the milk, the juice, the ham, the Coca Cola - todos!
19. Las tiendas (the shops) are owned independently instead of the common 'chain stores' in the US, like Wal-mart or Home Depot. This is good in a sense, because more people own their own businesses. On the other hand, we often have to go to several different stores to get everything we want.
20. Wal-Mart is still here, just not nearly as prevalent. (yet?)
21. Field hockey is very popular here. The women recently won the world championship.
22. Copyright laws don’t exist, or at least no one cares. Bootleg DVD’s, CD´s, and even photocopied books are for sale everywhere. Even the schools use them. They are called ‘truchos’.
23. Many items are more expensive than in the U.S. For example, almost anything made of plastic – hangers, garbage cans, etc. Electronics - cameras, DVD players, etc. This is because they are imported.
24. Yerba Mate, the national caffeinated drink, is shared among a group. It is a little bitter without sugar, but with just a small amount (gringo style), it tastes great.
25. Recycling is almost non-existent, unless you count returning glass bottles to the grocery store for a few pesos.
26. Get used to everything smaller - apartments, coffee, meal portions - todos!
27. Argentina is the 5th largest producer of wine in the world. The country consumes 90% of the wine it produces.
28. Argentines speak 'castellano', not español.
29. Never have I seen more psychologists. I bet there is 1 for every 10 people.
30. Ironically, Buenos Aires ('good air' in English) has a horrible smog problem. Even smaller cities, such as San Juan with 100,000 personas, have a big smog problem. The sad thing is Sanjuaninos claim their air is better than other cities.
31. Laundry cost $1 peso per item, big or small (about .33 cents). This may sound cheap, but it adds up quick if you do not own a washer or dryer.
32. The 'Litro' is quite common for drinks - beers sodas, etc. At about the size of a 40 ounce, 'Litro' is my new nickname (for drinking the sodas of course). It is very common for a group of people to buy a litro and share it.
33. Though the steak is delicious, it is often tough and very seldom do they give you anything to cut it with besides a butter knife.
34. Malbec, a French grape increasing popular in Argentina wine, makes a great vino tinto.
35. Pedestrians do NOT have the right of way. ¡Ciudate!
36. Un 'cafe cortado' is a coffee w/ only a little milk. Un 'cafe con leche' is half coffee, half milk.
37. In the universities, after the students complete a course, they have 2 years to take the exam. During these 2 years they can take it as many times as they like until they pass. The exam covers similar material, but is different every time.
38. Students are charged for 'fotocopias' of their exams, tests, and other assignments. Either the teacher makes copies of homework, tests, etc., and the students reimburse them, or they pick up the fotocopias in the closest fotocopia shop.
39. El Zonda is a dry, warm wind that raises the temperature around 20 C during the fall and winter. Storms from the Pacific Ocean blow eastward, hit the Andes, drop their moisture and come down the slopes, picking up heat as they go. One day it may be 0 C (32 F) and the next 20 C (68 F).
40. Gold, silver, and many other minerals are mined near San Juan. This is a source of much contention. Some believe that it creates jobs and adds money to the economy. Many others (who frequently protest in the streets) believe it is damaging the environment. Maybe the water is not safe to drink after all!
41. MercoSur is a free trade agreement between Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, y Uruguay. Hugo Chávez has been on the news recently complaining because Venezuela´s entry into the agreement has been postponed. Guess who he blames?
42. Telesur is the Latin American CNN. Chávez is frequently found on the station giving speeches against 'el imperialismo'. The station seems to have an 'anti-American' tinge to it.
43. The Argentina fútbol team (soccer) has won two World Cups - 1978 & 1986
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