Entender cómo funciona un país que convive entre dos culturas, fue la consigna que mantuvimos con nuestra entrevistada de Puerto Rico, en la cual nos contó que a pesar de la fuerte influencia cultural de los Estados Unidos desde su rol gobernante, los puertorriqueños mantienen sus características culturales propias como el idioma, costumbres e identidad con su lugar de origen.
Su situación histórica de territorio dominado por otro país ha conservado despiertos sentimientos de patriotismo que en la práctica se ven limitados por su condición legal de ciudadanos de los Estados Unidos, esto por ejemplo no les permite tener representación propia como selección en alguna disciplina deportiva, teniendo que siempre adherirse a lo que rige su ciudadanía.
En aspectos culturales como celebración de festividades, es más fácil poder adaptar la cultura impuesta con las manifestaciones locales, como el caso de el Día de Acción de Gracias que se celebra con comidas típicas boricuas.
El marco legal estadounidense puede ser aprovechado como en la educación que funciona en dos idiomas (español, inglés), o la facilidad de residir legalmente en ambos territorios. Sin embargo, algunos derechos otorgados por los Estados Unidos, como el portar armas, consecuentemente ha propiciado problemáticas sociales como el incremento de la delincuencia.
Entonces podemos decir que no se puede convivir con una cultura y ciudadanía impuesta cuando esta se encuentra en un marco legal que no contempla el contexto, las características culturales, ni respeta la identidad patriótica del territorio, en este caso Puerto Rico.
3 temas musicales de Puerto Rico:
Género: Bomba
Intérprete: Los Hermanos Ayala
Título: María Luisa
Género: Plena
Intérprete: Grupo Paracumbé
Título: Sueño, sueño
Género: Salsa
Intérprete: El Gran Combo
Título: Sin salsa no hay paraíso
Escucha el audio del programa completo aquí
Para entender y reflexionar sobre las culturas de diferentes países del mundo, escuche nuestro programa radial “Con Otro Acento”, los jueves a las 8pm por FM Riachuelo.
Sìga las novedades en nuestro Facebook https://www.facebook.com/conotroacento
I am a sociologist at the University of New Hampshire in the USA. I normally don’t teach in the summer. Instead, I devote most of my time to research and writing. But this summer (winter in Argentina) I did something quite different -- I worked as a volunteer at a community soup kitchen in Buenos Aires.
I had little idea of what to expect when I contacted Voluntario Global, a locally-based organization that arranged my volunteer work. I knew that I would be much older than my fellow volunteers, most of whom would be in their early 20s. Since my Spanish was limited, I was a bit concerned about the language barrier and signed up for Spanish lessons in the afternoons, after my work in the kitchen. These lessons turned out to be a valuable part of my experience in Buenos Aires and in doing so helped me to build close relationships with the people that I worked with in the kitchen.
The kitchen is in a neighborhood where many residents, including immigrants from elsewhere in South America, struggle financially and otherwise. The cooks are an amazing group of women who live in or near the community and provide warm meals everyday to their less fortunate neighbors.
I worked alongside volunteers from North America and Western Europe. All were a lot younger than me. Many were college students, the type of young people I teach in the US. While the soup kitchen is not a formal classroom, I discovered that it is a place where people learn in ways that are not possible in a traditional school.
Of course, we learned how to help prepare large quantities of food, but more valuable was what we learned about the women’s lives, the community in which they live, and the people they serve. This is what educators call Experiential Learning and as a teacher, not only was I enriched by my experience taking on the role of a “student” in this unconventional “classroom”, I came to see that such learning is invaluable and will encourage, if not demand, that my students consider volunteer work in parts of the world much different than their own.
Recently, many of Voluntario Global’s volunteers and coordinators ventured to Suarez where they would build a sustainable garden at a health center. The event, otherwise known as The Big Dig, had been planned for weeks. Anticipation and excitement could be both felt and seen on the faces of the volunteers and coordinators as the event site neared. The purpose of building a sustainable garden was to create a garden that could be sustained yearly and provide a social setting for the community. The produce consisted of broccoli, purple lettuce, cabbage, and chard.
A sustainable garden in Suarez is particularly significant because much of the soil in the town is polluted; growing crops, plants, and other sorts of natural products in the area is incredibly challenging thereby making this project even more important. While the garden cannot provide produce for the whole community, it serves as a perfect meeting spot for people to come together and interact with each other. Community projects such as the building of a sustainable garden help to grow a community and create a sense of common purpose as people come together to work for a shared goal.
On arrival to the site, the backyard of a medical center, the volunteers and coordinators immediately began to dig and cultivate three beds that would serve as the foundation for the garden. Mothers and children within the facility initially watched the volunteers work from the safety of the windows inside the center. While many community members were at first reluctant to come and participate, some eventually did, including a young boy. The boy helped to plant a seed that would one day blossom. As he planted the seed it was apparent that he too was a seed himself; his experience and confidence in helping with the project would soon inspire him to positively influence other kids to participate in community projects like the garden.
Though the work was strenuous, many laughs were shared and time flew by. As the beds began to look like an actual garden, more people from the community began to come out and see what was going on. Both social workers and community members helped to plant seeds that would soon transform into fresh produce. At the end of the day, with help from the community and the volunteers, two beds were completed. There is still much work to be done in this garden and, hopefully, many more like it will be completed in the near future. The goal is to encourage community participation, like working alongside volunteers and coordinators, in the construction of similar projects.
Projects like the organic garden in Suarez serve as great reminders of the necessity of including the community in volunteering projects. Even more, these inclusive activities are great stepping stones in overcoming both language and cultural barriers. In Suarez, it was apparent that the volunteers and coordinators gained much more by working with the community than simply for it.
Cruzar la frontera de La Quiaca desde La Boca, Buenos Aires implicarìa recorrer 1893 Km. Mejor nos trasladamos de inmediato a Bolivia, escuchando estos tres temas musicales que dicen mucho de la cultura, historia y tradiciones bolivianas:
See how an empty yard behind a health center is transformed into an OrganicGarden when volunteers and the local community work together.
Last Friday, Voluntario Global hosted it’s monthly meeting where laundry cooperative workers, volunteers, and coordinators came together to discuss a number of topics. On this occasion, local Buenos Aries artist Román, came to the meeting as a special guest to talk about his various art projects that can be found throughout the city of Buenos Aires and the rest of the country.
During the day he works at a cultural center where he both teaches art and engages with the local community by teaching a profession to youngsters in recovery. Román works hard to pass on his knowledge of art on to others, he even gives lessons free of charge. The only thing that he asks, is for people to bring in renewable materials to use for the projects.
During the meeting Román explained the ways in which he creates his art. He does not go to an art shop to buy supplies, instead he uses local scraps or what others regard as trash. Common items such as bottles, scrap metal, and things of a similar sort are all fair game. One of his more remarkable quotes was “Art needs to stop being exclusive, to be more inclusive”
Roman uses past experiences and the local richness to draw inspiration for his creations. An example of this is how he created a llama out of some given material.
A number of pictures where shared that highlighted Román projects in many public places throughout the city. At the end of the talk, all who attended the meeting feasted in what was a very delicious meal. A dish that featured vegetables, chicken, rice, and potatoes was served along with vegetables empanadas. Chef and former coordinator Nadi, was responsible for serving the magnificent meal.
“Hay quienes sostienen que el fútbol no tiene nada que ver con la vida del hombre, con sus cosas más esenciales; desconozco cuánto sabe la gente de la vida, pero de algo estoy seguro: no saben nada de fútbol.”
– Eduardo Sacheri, escritor argentino.
“Some argue that football has nothing to do with the most essential things in life; I don’t know how much these people know about life, but I’m certain of one thing: they know nothing about football.”
– Eduardo Sacheri, Argentine writer.
Every single day, people all over the world watch football and play football. We talk about it at work, we talk about it in school. You can see it on TV, you can read about it in the newspapers. For many aficionados, it is a sport which has the ability to transcend mere entertainment. Football is more than just a game for them, it becomes a way of life.
It’s easy to laugh at this idea if you’re not the kind of person who eagerly awaits the weekend in anticipation of your next footballing fix. But by scratching beneath the green grass surface, it’s easy to see how life can be exactly like a game of football.
Think about it, the aim of the game is to score as many goals as possible. Life is much the same. We set ourselves targets to achieve and we celebrate when we reach those goals. Sometimes we push ourselves too hard and overcomplicate matters, just as footballers add clever tricks and fancy footwork to their game. But this doesn’t always pay off; sometimes it’s better to stay focused and keep things simple. Occasionally, we can suffer unexpected setbacks along the way, just as footballers do when they get injured. But we brush them off, and we work hard to get back to our peak. Whatever direction life takes us in, and whatever the final score, when the referee blows his whistle signalling the end of the game, we want to be able to look back and know that we tried our best.
That said, football does more than just provide a convenient metaphor for life. There are many things we can learn from within the four corners of a pitch. Indeed, the beautiful game produces many beautiful values that we can apply to life itself.
Teamwork
One of the most obvious values, given football’s position as a group sport, is teamwork. No squad of players will win a game unless they work together. In this age of bank-breaking transfer price tags, we often see a club made up of expensive ‘celebrity’ players who are outperformed by a team of players perhaps less individually talented. In life, communication and interaction is vital in our work, in our studies, and in our relationships too. It breaks down boundaries and motivates us all to work for the good of the group.
Discipline and Perseverance
Other key values instilled in footballers are discipline and perseverance. To get to the top of their game, they have to train hard, practise, and remain focused. To have successful careers, people have to adopt a similar attitude. What’s more, everybody seems to have this idea in their heads of how they want their life to be, but reality doesn’t always work like that. We will suffer setbacks and we will come across unexpected obstacles that will require perseverance to get over.
Fair play
Football governing bodies such as FIFA and UEFA often come under a great deal of scrutiny, particularly in the press, but the fair play ethic that they often stress is another value that is fittingly applicable to life. The world is full of many people of different ages, genders, races, and religions. In order to coexist happily, it’s important to treat each other with care and respect even though we are all leading very different lives. Furthermore, pulling all these various groups together through the means of teamwork can lead to greatness that otherwise might have been overlooked.
Fan Loyalty
There’s also something to be said for fan loyalty. It’s quite amazing how football fans remain by their team’s side, win or lose. Many other aspects of life can become quite trivial, and we often lose interest when things aren’t going so well. But applying this kind of commitment to our work, hobbies, and social lives could really reap rewards.
As Eduardo Sacheri suggests, people who think that football is something trivial know very little about the importance of the game. For many people, football runs deep in their veins and is often passed down through families like genetics. As ridiculous as this may sound, it cannot be denied that football appears to have many parallels with life in general. Seriously, it’s more than just game!
One of the most important things about football is its ability to bring people together and to provide an escape from daily life. Almost the entire world has been infected with football fever thanks to the 2014 World Cup, and volunteers from Voluntario Global have been no exception! They’ve made several trips to Plaza San Martín in Buenos Aires to join the many porteños getting behind the Argentina national team! For a city that is often so divided by local teams such as Boca Juniors, River Plate, Racing and Independiente, it’s amazing to see everybody united, jumping up and down, dancing, singing, beating drums, and cheering altogether whenever their beloved country scores a goal.
Did you know that among a hosts of other projects, Voluntario Global also has a radio show? Beth, a communications volunteer, originally from the UK, and our most current radio star, works weekly at the station. The program has a new focus every week on the cultures, customs, traditions, and current events of other countries. The aim of the broadcast is to engage the larger Buenos Aires community and the rest of the world in exploring cultural difference. Beth, a communications volunteer, also participates in this weekly airing from a community center in La Boca.
After spending several months abroad to complete her degree, Beth currently volunteers at Voluntario Global in Buenos Aires. She works from welcoming our new volunteers, to writing posts for our blog, The Volunteer Magazine, to even interviewing locals at the World Cup matches San Martin Plaza. Beth and the other volunteers on the communications team at Voluntario Global have a jack-of-all-trades mentality and constantly seek to promote our organization in all different sorts of venues. By now you have likely become fan of us on Facebook, followed us on Twitter, and liked our Instagram posts, but what do you know about the radio show? We sat down with Beth to get the full scoop on what happens at the station.
What is the aim of this radio broadcast?
The radio shows are basically all about foreign cultures. We interview a different nationality each week and ask them about their native country in castellano – the customs and traditions, the education system, the political system. It changes every week! We also play various traditional music from the countries to provide an in-depth coverage of that country. So, the radio shows are basically a great way of putting the local community in touch with the wider world. Additionally, we also look at Buenos Aires locals from different parts of the city to get a feel for their culture that is right in our backyard.
Who have you interviewed/what countries are they from?
We’ve interviewed so many people! They tend to be foreigners who are living in Buenos Aires for study or work purposes, so it’s really interesting to discover their reasons for coming to Argentina. The interviewees have come from all over; from Latin American countries such as Columbia and Peru, to Canada and the United States, as well as from many European countries such as Holland, France and Spain.
What is your role at the broadcast?
At the station, I’m also on air and I ask questions to the interviewees and facilitate the conversation. I also work a lot beforehand on preparing the questions, researching both the person that we plan to interview, and also about their host country. Not only have I learned a lot about other countries but I have also massively developed my spoken Spanish. As a non-native speaker, being put on the spot at time to continue the dialogue has pushed me to grow in my speaking abilities.
Who else works at the broadcast and what do they do?
Fortunately, I’m not left alone to conduct the broadcast. There are several other team members who help to get our talk show out on the air. Mayra and Meche, Voluntario Global coordinators, are co-interviewerers; they contact the participants and organize the show. Manuel works behind the scenes and runs the sound board.
How does the radio broadcast contribute to Voluntario Global?
The radio show is affiliated with Voluntario Global – the presenters and the volunteers are all a part of the organisation, and sometimes the interviewees are the ones volunteering. In that way, the show is able to inform the local people about Voluntario Global and its projects, as well as providing the volunteers that go to the radio station with the chance to learn even more about Buenos Aires and its citizens; it’s a real cultural exchange!
What’s your favorite part of working in the radio station?
By far my favourite part is getting to learn all about the different nationalities in the interviews. As a student of Modern Languages, I’m so passionate about travelling and different cultures, so it’s quite amazing for me to be able to come to Argentina and manage to delve into the culture of several other countries at the same time! I also love everyone at the radio station; they’re all so friendly and welcoming and we have a right laugh!
How can others get involved?
Getting involved is easy. You can like our fan page on Facebook where you can keep up-to-date with the latest news and broadcasts, and of course you can listen to the show too! If that’s not enough, then you’ll simply have to come and volunteer!
Where can you listen to the radio show?
If you want to listen to the show, just head online to http://www.fmriachuelo.com.ar/ where you can listen live from anywhere in the world!
Don’t just listen though, get in front of the microphone yourself! Come volunteer in Buenos Aires with Voluntario Global.
Relocating to a foreign country can be challenging; whether you plan on spending just a few weeks or several months, you want to make your transition and stay as comfortable as possible. Even more, you’ll likely be trying to fit in as best you can with the locals. No one wants to look or act like a tourist, but how can you prepare to best blend in before you leave home? The volunteers at Voluntario Global have created a list of dos and don’ts for assimilating in Buenos Aires!
DON’T: Wear bright colored clothing.
DO: Pack neutrals, blacks, and dark colored clothing.
Much like the fashion of other large cities, dark colors are always in vogue. You’ll be sure to stand out if you’re wearing something bright! Additionally, for women, be sure to leave the heavy makeup at home. Most Argentine girls wear little to none during the day, but a little bit more when going out at night.
DON’T: Eat empanadas with cutlery. Eat pizza with your hands.
DO: Let the delicious empanada juice and cheese cover your face. Pick up the fork for a slice of mozzarella.
Empanadas come in a variety of flavors, from pollo, carne, jamon y queso, caprese, to so much more, they are a definite must-eat in Argentina. But, be sure to eat these juicy treats as a finger food! Conversely, although you may be used to picking up a slice of pizza, be sure to use a knife and fork to eat it when you’re in Argentina. Even more, don’t expect dinner until 9PM or later!
DON’T: Forget to close both doors to the elevator.
DO: Take the elevator to whatever floor, even the second.
You’ll be hard pressed to find an automatic elevator in Buenos Aires. Rather, they are old-fashioned, featuring the dual sliding door. You’ll need to pull both doors tightly closed to ensure you’ll be able to move. Be sure to close both once you’re done, too! And, although Argentines are exercise aficionados, everyone avoids the stairs and takes the lift.
DON’T: Take a cup of coffee to go…especially from Starbucks.
DO: Sit, relax, and enjoy a cafe con leche in one of the many corner cafes.
Starbucks has become a recognised coffee chain all over the world which many people like to frequent to get their caffeine fix on the run. Argentines, however, are more likely to sit down and enjoy every sip rather than take on “para llevar”.
DON’T: Drink directly from a water bottle.
DO: Use the straw you are given during the purchase.
Going to a kiosco guarantees you anything you need. They can be found on almost every corner, so you’ll never have to search too far for somewhere to charge your sube card, grab an alfajor or quench your thirst. Portenos don’t tend to drink straight from the bottle, however. So if you’re picking up a drink, expect the friendly vendor to give you a straw as well as a smile with your new purchase!
DON’T: Cut the line when you’re waiting for the bus.
DO: Queue up patiently with the rest of the portenos.
The bus system, or los colectivos, is the one of the most popular and cheapest ways of getting around this bustling city. It’s extremely expensive with many companies and many lines, so it’s important to stay organised. Locals help by organising themselves in perfect queues that often stretch along the sidewalk. If you’re waiting for a bus, be sure to head to the end of the line instead of cutting in and a bus should be along every five minutes. This rule completely changes once you descend underground; it is more of a free-for-all when you want to hop aboard the underground train.
DON’T: Try to greet someone with a handshake.
DO: Kiss the right cheek of anyone you meet and anyone else in the room both at your arrival and departure. This goes for men, too!
Kissing the right cheek is the accepted greeting in Argentina. You may not know their name, but be sure to give everyone a peck! Leave sticking out your hand behind and enjoy the warmness of an Argentine embrace. Additionally, be sure to adapt to the unique accent and styles of Argentine Spanish; the double L and Y converts to a “shh” sound and the “tu” form is replaced by “vos.” These changes can be somewhat confusing at first but you’ll be sure to catch on quickly enough!
DON’T: Take one sip of mate and pass it on.
DO: Finish it all so the next person can fill it up with hot water.
Mate is a traditional drink of herbs and hot water which Argentines go crazy for! You won’t be able to walk down the street without seeing someone strolling along with their flask, gourd and bombilla. It’s very popular to share a cup amongst a group of friends, but be sure to drink all of the water before passing it on to the next person as it is considered rude to just take one sip.
Every country in the world has its own unique quirks; you can’t be expected to learn them all from travel books and guides. The only real way to drop the tourist persona is by adopting a ‘trial and error’ attitude. As daunting as this might seem at first, just dive right into Argentine culture with these handy tips and you should be off to a great start!
Despite already being deep in the 21st century, there remains a worldwide trend associated with volunteering. As you scour the internet for volunteer opportunities, you will undoubtedly come across an image of a smiling 20-something girl with a child in her arms. While there is nothing wrong with a twenty-year-old girl, fresh out of school, embarking on an adventure and benefiting the lives of others, it's important in this day and age to break down this stereotype. Volunteering will only ever reach its key objectives if a wider range of people participate, bringing their diverse skills and experiences to make a difference to a community. In this way, it will be possible to break down the barriers that exist in certain communities as well breaking the barriers which plague the current stereotype surrounding volunteering, all while entering into a new age of diversity .
One of Voluntario Global's most significant projects is currently helping to change this situation. Functioning as a kindergarten, an organic garden, and a soup kitchen – three very important components for a happy and healthy community - it welcomes volunteers from all over the world, boys and girls, young and old, to work in each area of the project. Today’s focus is on two volunteers, James and Paul, who are going to provide an insight into the wonderful world of the soup kitchens!
They may be from opposite sides of the Atlantic (James is from the USA, and Paul is from Ireland), but here in Buenos Aires they are working side by side as part of the soup kitchen team to supply meals to the local community as well as to those who are homeless. Every day they work with a group of about ten ladies who are from various provinces in Argentina as well as countries such as Paraguay and Bolivia, so it’s always an interesting mix! In fact, one of Paul's favourite things about the soup kitchen is the energy that everybody brings! What's great about the project is the diversity of the women in the kitchen and the diversity of the volunteers too. Despite being different nationalities, Paul and James also belong to different generations, so they arrive to the kitchen each morning with different ideas about how best to approach the day.
This is vital for the ladies in the soup kitchen, because no day is the same and the tasks are constantly changing. They have to cut, chop, clean, peel, slice, wash, dry, serve... the jobs are endless! Every task has to be completed to ensure the smooth running of the project, so the women welcome a variety of volunteers with open arms. Diversity is essential for them!
Here, James is working hard peeling potatoes. It might not seem that difficult, but tonnes and tonnes of potatoes are to be peeled, so it becomes almost a workout for him!
Paul worked so hard on his first day in the kitchen that he managed to break a potato peeler! Today, he was in charge of measuring out quantities of food to give to the locals so that they could cook it later in their own homes. It’s a great way for them to be sustainable, and this is just one example of how important the soup kitchens are to the community.
But the volunteer's work does not just stay within the walls of the kitchen. Some people like to eat in the dining hall at the project, so it's important to set up all the many tables and chairs before they arrive.
Throughout the day, the volunteers have to keep on top of the washing up and drying up as well. Since there is so much food to cook for so many people, it’s vital that there is a constant supply of clean pots, pans, plates and cutlery! Once all the hard work is done, the volunteers and the ladies are able to take a well-earned break! They all sit around together and tuck into a hearty meal – today’s menu included soup, fried eggs, a lentil and meat stew, a filling pasta dish, and a rich chocolate dessert. Lunchtime is a great opportunity for the ladies to quiz the volunteers on their lives, and in turn the volunteers are able to learn about the ladies’ lives. It’s a great cultural exchange and the perfect opportunity for the boys to practice their Spanish as the women in the kitchen speak very little English. According to James, the language barrier isn't a problem in the slightest because "laughter is the universal language" in the soup kitchens!
Both Paul and James point to the energy, laughter and relaxed atmosphere as being some of the best parts about participating in the soup kitchen project, so it's evident that they're really enjoying their time here as volunteers! In return, the women greatly appreciate the time that the boys dedicate to helping them. Volunteering organisations need diverse volunteers like Paul and James. They also need 20-something girls who have just finished education. Essentially, anybody who is dreaming of volunteering should apply to volunteer! If you are already in that mindset, you are exactly what projects need. Age, gender, language and nationality are completely irrelevant - the only requirement is a willingness to help, share, and ultimately make a difference.
VOLUNTARIO GLOBAL
Voluntario Global helps local communities by being available to discuss anything that local organizations need, and offering ideas for further change and development.
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CONTACT
Location: General Pacheco. Buenos Aires. Argentina
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