“Don’t cry for me, Olivia” -Argentina
One thing that took me a while to get used to in Buenos Aires was not being able to flush toilet paper down the toilet. It has become an instinctual habit to just throw toilet paper into the bowl and flush after using the bathroom, but in almost every restroom I have used in this city, this is not allowed. In the school I take my classes at and in every restaurant where I have eaten, place I have shopped, or museum I have toured, there is always a sign that reads, “Por favor, tire el papel higiénico en el cesto.” Patrons are asked to throw their toilet paper in the trash can instead of the toilet bowl because the plumbing system in Buenos Aires is subpar and if toilet paper is continuously flushed, the pipes will clog and overflow. This happened quite a few times at Bridge, the school we attended for our Spanish lessons, and we were constantly reminded by not only the signs but also the maintenance workers to throw our toilet paper away and not flush it down.
After breaking my “bad” habit and learning to throw toilet paper in the trash, I was basically a Porteña. But in all seriousness, it did take me a while to reach a point where I felt comfortable in Buenos Aires. I honestly never thought I would be one to experience culture shock- it’s always something you always hear about but think “no, that is not going to happen to me.” But culture shock is very real and it all began on my first day in the big city.
Nicola and I met our host mother, Rita, when the bus dropped us off from the airport at her apartment. We unpacked our belongings in our temporary home then Rita released us into the wild to find an ATM and get ourselves lunch. First, Nicola and I couldn’t find an open ATM because the day we arrived happened to be July 9th, Argentina’s Independence Day. After a good deal of frantic searching fueled by hunger, we found an open ATM, but I was unable to take cash out of the machine. Nicola was able to take pesos out but I, for no good reason, could not get the machine to accept my card and give me cash. After trying two more ATMs I realized that my bank must have blocked the transaction even though I had called them months before to let them know I would be traveling abroad. So there I was, stuck on a Saturday afternoon in a foreign land with no way get cash or to contact my bank until the following Monday, no pesos to my name, and minimal knowledge of Spanish at my disposal.
Whenever we attempted to talk to the locals, our inability to comprehend what they were saying with their heavy accents and to us, foreign pronunciation, added to my feelings of disorientation and discomfort.
Navigation became an issue on that first day as well, as Nicola and I struggled to find free Wi-Fi to map a route back to Rita’s apartment. Though dinner that night was comforting-we discussed our families, our stories, and our interests- I went to bed with the longing to be home speaking the language I was accustomed to and sleeping in my own bed with my cat curled by my side.
With the progression of days, I worked out the issues with my bank and finally acquired the pesos I lacked, started to gather my bearings and understand the city around me, and began picking up on the Porteño accents that had at first overwhelmed me. At points I felt homesick and lonely, but as I developed close relationships with other Northeastern students and opened my eyes wide to the wonder of Buenos Aires, I started to relax and feel not only comfort but also excitement about the days to come.
If you are traveling abroad and experiencing culture shock like I was, remember: while it can seem like everything is not as it should be and that you are all alone in a foreign land, remember to take a deep breath and a step back. You are so lucky to have this opportunity to be somewhere new! Enjoy the fleeting moments, take as many pictures as you can, befriend those traveling with you and as many locals as possible. It’s okay to feel frazzled and upset at first, the moment will pass as you learn to appreciate your surroundings. As they say in Spanish, “tranquila,” meaning “relax.” Todo va estar bien – Everything is going to be alright.
