I thought alot about Argentina while I was there and spent a good two hours sitting at one of the sidewalk cafes watching the people and observing the culture. I noticed a few differences between Chile and Argentina. (Disclaimer: the majority of my observations of Chile are made from a six week stay in La Serena and the observations of Argentina are made completely from a two day stay in a small but urban city called Mendoza. My observations may not be accurate of the culture as a whole, but they are my observations.)
Argentina´s good and services are considerably less expensive than Chile (about 1/2 the price in most cirsumstances)
The women of chile are much more protective adn possessive of their men.
There is a ridiculously higher level of Public display of Affection (PDA) in Chile. Anywhere you go you can find couples kissing, but in Argentina it is much more conservative.
The people look physically more diverse in Argentina. i could not describe for you what an Argentinian looks like. There was so much diversity in physical appearance, but in Chile this is not the case. While there is a little amount of diversity in Chile, there is a very distinct Chilean look, especially for the women.
Argentinians were also much more diverse in style. I am sure in Santiago that there is more diversity than there is in La Serena, but in general, Chileans dress alike.
In Chile you can find groups of two or three school girls (anywhere from 14 to 18 years old) still in their school uniforms wandering around the town, giggling at the boys and enjoying some helado (ice cream). I saw nothing even close to this in Argentina.
Argentinians in general are MUCH better at speaking Engliah. Chileans try, but can´t seem to master the language.
These are just some examples of differences I found. In general, Argentina is VERY European, with a very strong Italian influence. Chile on the other hand, espeically in the north seems to be closer to its indigenous roots. Most of the extanjeros I have met down here prefer Argentina to Chile. It seems to be a higher class of society. But I thought about all of this and realized that this is one of those circumstances when persoanl preferences come into play. There is no right or wrong answer here. Every person must choose which culture fits THEM. And after realizing this adn journaling for quite some time, I realized that I choose Chile. I like the fact that they don´t speak proper Spanish. I like the oldfashioned slow moving society that I have found in the north. And I like the ridiculously overdone national pride (especially for their football teams who are horible (not a spelling mistake, but a spanish word, mom).
So when vacation time comes and I am in the mood for a fast paced, materistic, beautifully diverse city, I will take the 8 hour bus over to Mndoza Argentina. But I think I will so my best to plant my feet, for now at least, in this beautiful old land called Chile.
Argentina´s good and services are considerably less expensive than Chile (about 1/2 the price in most cirsumstances)
The women of chile are much more protective adn possessive of their men.
There is a ridiculously higher level of Public display of Affection (PDA) in Chile. Anywhere you go you can find couples kissing, but in Argentina it is much more conservative.
The people look physically more diverse in Argentina. i could not describe for you what an Argentinian looks like. There was so much diversity in physical appearance, but in Chile this is not the case. While there is a little amount of diversity in Chile, there is a very distinct Chilean look, especially for the women.
Argentinians were also much more diverse in style. I am sure in Santiago that there is more diversity than there is in La Serena, but in general, Chileans dress alike.
In Chile you can find groups of two or three school girls (anywhere from 14 to 18 years old) still in their school uniforms wandering around the town, giggling at the boys and enjoying some helado (ice cream). I saw nothing even close to this in Argentina.
Argentinians in general are MUCH better at speaking Engliah. Chileans try, but can´t seem to master the language.
These are just some examples of differences I found. In general, Argentina is VERY European, with a very strong Italian influence. Chile on the other hand, espeically in the north seems to be closer to its indigenous roots. Most of the extanjeros I have met down here prefer Argentina to Chile. It seems to be a higher class of society. But I thought about all of this and realized that this is one of those circumstances when persoanl preferences come into play. There is no right or wrong answer here. Every person must choose which culture fits THEM. And after realizing this adn journaling for quite some time, I realized that I choose Chile. I like the fact that they don´t speak proper Spanish. I like the oldfashioned slow moving society that I have found in the north. And I like the ridiculously overdone national pride (especially for their football teams who are horible (not a spelling mistake, but a spanish word, mom).
So when vacation time comes and I am in the mood for a fast paced, materistic, beautifully diverse city, I will take the 8 hour bus over to Mndoza Argentina. But I think I will so my best to plant my feet, for now at least, in this beautiful old land called Chile.
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love, mom