One of the first things you learn is the importance of the kiss!! Un beso. Every time you meet someone it's one kiss-cheek to cheek and even if you only chat for two minutes you kiss the same way to say Good bye. The expression that I love and you pick up very quickly is Chau which everyone seems to use to say, see you!
Mate is a very important part of the culture and some Argentineans seem to drink it continuously. They have a special container and a special pipe-like metal straw. The mate powder is put into the container, usually with sugar and then hot(not boiling) water is poured on to it. The unusual part for us is that it is a communal activity and the mate container is passed around from person to person. This can go on when riding in the car, in school, at work or just when sitting around in the afternoon. When you have had enough and don't want to be offered any more, then you say Gracias or Thank you.
Meal time are very different here. We start with breakfast or desayuno about 7.30am, it is usually a couple of pieces of french bread toasted, crackers, jam, cheese and coffee. In many places they also have pastries for breakfast.
Most people have a two or three hour siesta or break in the middle of the day, so lunch is quite important, we have had pasta and empanadas so far, both served with salad. Empanadas are delicious, basically a light pastry filled with chopped up beef with onion and other bits and pieces, or ham and cheese.
Dinner is served anywhere between 8.30 and 11.00pm!! It can be a variety of things, chicken, meat, potato chips, often followed by fruit.
The late meals do take a bit of getting used to!! My host, Maria lives a few kilometers out of town so I don't go home for lunch or siesta, I ahve been going to Vicky's, she is an AFS volunteer who has a Russian student, Jono the kiwi student often seems to be around as well.
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