Wednesday, 7 December 2016

The Interview

  As my time here comes to a close, I saw it fit to attempt (key word) to try and initiate some sort of cultural exchange. I wanted to try and share some of what I've experienced with the Argentinean people here with people back at home. Now I could've put some serious effort into this and initially ideas were booming...
  •  Organising and link with my old secondary school and the school I'm currently working at. 
  •   Doing a spread of interviews with a range of different people that I've met here of all ages and sizes. 
  •   Getting in touch with local English press. 
  Stardom was on the horizon...

  But, in reality, I just got tired listing those things let alone putting them into place; so subsequently it was traded for a Facebook post and getting five teenagers at school come and talk to me for 20 minutes in a break time. An equal substitution if you ask me. Also I thought putting something on Facebook would get a quality, sophisticated response. After all, I'd seen everyone's opinions and political analysis on Brexit and Donald Trump. Well...


 Looked like we were going for more of a James Franco to Kim Jong-Un approach to this 'cutting edge' interview. Either way, you've got to give the people what they want so I wrote up a list of questions including a mix of my own and my friends' inquisitions. Inevitably, on the day, I left the list at home so I pressed record with a blank page and just my own mind to carry me by. Always dangerous. 

  Luckily I was joined by some great kids, and their enthusiasm fused the interview and made it somewhat publishable! My guests for the day were (left to right) Diana, Ana, Mile Camila and Facundo - five of the school's 3rd grade of secondary (Year 10 equivalent I think). I allowed them to do the interview to be done in Spanish (semi-bribery on my part) and subsequently everything you're about to read has been translated and para-phrased (like my very own dictatorship...) but I've made sure to keep it as close to the original answers as possible. So here we go, enjoy! 


So guys welcome to the interview. Firstly, how has the experience of having English people working in your school been for you? 

Facundo: For me, I've loved it because I love interacting with people that speak English. As natives they have different perspectives to our teachers and different knowledge of daily life. 

Mile: I like it and it's good, because I understand you when you speak and it makes me realise that my English isn't as bad as I thought it was. 

(Facu: Yeah it is...) 

Ana: For me I like the experience because the native English people are always 'buena onda' (good vibes) and we can make friends with them and they're more like friends to us than the teachers. We always miss them a lot when they go because they always care for us a lot and look out for us. 



When you think of England and English people, what things come to mind? 

Everyone: Drink tea, educated, serious, organised. 

Mile: The English people we've met have been 'buena onda' (they use this a lot) but the stereotype is that they are very serious and stuck-up. The guys we've met have been different to this though. 



And Jack..? (Couldn't help myself) 

Mile: Very 'buena onda' (again..) and a really good guy. 

Diana: You're very 'buena onda' (again...) and we'll miss you. 

Camila: We'll miss you because you became our friend. 

Mile: Every English person that has come has left as a special person to us, despite having different characteristics and not being the same, but have left equally important to us. 



Okay enough of the ego boost, who are the best looking English people or Argentinean? 

Everyone: English, english, english... .

Diana: The English boys the best looking, the Argentinean girls the best looking.

Facu: All English are better looking than Argentineans, boys and girls. 



Would you like to visit England in the future?

Everyone: Yes. 

Cami: To get to know the culture more.

Ana: I'd like to go and study there.

Facu: I'd prefer to go to the USA. 

                                      


Facundo, why do you prefer the USA to England? 

Facu: The American culture is more interesting for me and the American English is more natural. 



No Comment, next question. In reality do the Argentineans hate the English? Whether it be football or politically related, we've fought in the past so what do you really think of us...? 

Mile: Before meeting English people, everything English sat badly with me because of the Malvinas (Falklands Islands) conflict. And this is the same for people that don't know or haven't met any English people, there is bad blood there.

Facu: But it's not about the Malvinas. That's just a typification... 

Mile: Yes because why else would we hate them? My Dad can't see past that he hates them. 

Facu: Yes true but it's not the same for everyone. 

Diana: We cant put the blame on them (young English people) because they weren't around when it happened so why is there the bad blood? People say they'd hate you because you're English but you had nothing to do with the war and it's in no way your fault. 

*General agreement that they don't hate the English* 



And football...?

Ana: In football Argentineans hate the English. 

Facu: There's all the tension about Maradona scoring with his hand and cheating.

Mile: In football for me the biggest enemy is Brazil, not England. I don't understand why we would be enemies in football.





Tell me about a typical Argentinean night out, when you go out, what you drink, the music etc. 

Mile: It's very different in terms of schedule to your nights in England. For example at the time you are leaving the nightclub, we are entering (about 3am). Nightclubs here are expensive and drinks cost a lot so we do pre-drinks, starting at about 11/12 at night. There we play games like Never Have I Ever. We go to the nightclub at about 2/3am and leave at 6/7am. There's many traditional drinks here like Fernet and Gancia (spirits) and we drink a lot of beer as well.

  
Fernet - a beautiful and dangerous thing. 


What music do you listen to here? 

Facu: The most popular music among the standard Argentinean is cumbia, reggaeton and all the music in Spanish. The music that more educated, clever and experimental people listen to... 

Everyone else: Stop Facundo. 

Facu: Okay well I listen to pop and music in English. 

Ana: It depends more on ages than social classes. 

Mile: The older people listen to more traditional music like folklore and 80's music, but nowadays people listen to cumbia, reggaeton and pop more than anything else. 

Diana: It depends what you put on the radio, you can hear anything you want these days.

Ana: We don't dance to classic music but we'd dance to the remixes of songs and stuff like this. 



What has surprised me is that there are songs like Turn Down For What that kids go crazy for, even though it was released 3 or 4 years ago. Why are songs like this still so popular? 

Facu: It's all about what's trending and what's in fashion. What's on YouTube and what has come out from the USA. Everything arrives here later too so it appears to last longer but it's just arrived later. Gangnam Style was another example of that. 

Mile: We've only just started listening to songs that came out nearly 2 years ago so things become popular here when they've already become old news in other countries. It's weird. 

Cami: Turn Down For What stuck with the younger kids that don't care about when it was released. 

Ana: It all comes as part of one with the 'bottle challenge', dabbing and phrases like 'I am the one, the one'.



Okay, now for some questions from my friends of Facebook (here we go...). First up, would you rather be chased by a horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses? 

Everyone: 100 duck-sized horses.

Mile: It would be easier, they're tiny and if you brought me a horse sized duck it'd scare me. 

*Much untranslatable chit-chat discussing the matter* 

Facundo: I'd prefer a horse-sized duck. 


                                     


What do you think of Messi? Is he a hero here or a role model?

Everyone: No. 

Diana: For people that like football, Messi is a big deal. 

Cami: Lots of people criticise him but without any substancial foundation or reasoning. 

Facu: He's hated by the press here in Argentina. Many people don't like him because they don't think he's the best player in the world - and this is true for me too, Cristiano Ronaldo is the best - but people here feel angry that in some matches for Argentina he never does anything. This is the perception of many people. 

*Mile shows clear disagreement* 

Messi - Hero or Villain
Mile: The thing is that we rely on Messi to score goals and do everything for Argentina, but it's a football team. If he doesn't have people around him to help him and pass him the ball, he's never going to be able to score against a 5 man defence. It depends on the team and who's on side. For example at the moment people say that Sergio Aguero and Messi don't get on, and what we need is people working together and players that will help Messi, not work against him. For me it's terrible, hate him or love him,  he's the best player in the world and he's Argentinean.

Cami: There are people that change their opinion. When he scores he's the best player in the world and if he doesn't he's a player that doesn't do anything. Everyone demands a lot from him but none of them could be in his place. 

Diana: When we lose everyone has a go at him and when we win everyone thanks him and shows gratitude. 

Mile: People don't accept that he left Newell's Old Boys and went to Barcelona but they were the only ones that offered to pay for his treatments. The problem with us is we always want more, more, more and we never value what we have. For me, I'm proud that he's the best player in the World and he's from Argentina. But he's still behind Maradona, obviously, because he was the most important player for Argentina. 



To finish, I'm going to ask each one of you what your favourite Argentinean place or thing (culture, people, food etc.)... 

Facu: I have two favourite places in Argentina. One is Buenos Aires, the capital, and the other is Villa General Belgrano. The second is a German colonial town, where they eat German food and it feels like you're in Germany. It's very interesting. 

Ana: I have two as well. Firstly, the centre of Buenos Aires - Palermo and areas like this - and the second is Parana in Entre RĂ­os because I love that town. 

Mile: I love Buenos Aires, and all the caminitos that show the history of folklore and Argentinean culture. I also like Concordia, Parana and Concepcion de Uruguay where the people are very humble. Also Ushuaia because it's always interested me to go there.

Cami: I love Buenos Aires and the Caminito because of the culture, the tango and it's a very colourful part of town. I also love Palermo and the centre of the city. 

Diana: I like the Caballito area of Buenos Aires because it's the most typical area of capital and where it's always been. 

Buenos Aires - The People's Choice

Thanks guys you were great, appreciate you doing the interview... 

Everyone: Put our Instagrams in the blog. 

  So here we go as my side of the deal... 

Diana - @diani_ts
Mile - @mileeepiaggio 
Facundo - @facunog_
Ana - @ana_foxalessi
Camila - @camiiavendano

  They're absolutely great guys and gals, and as you may have noticed they speak well above their age (14/15) and are very mature in their opinions. I've had a great time teaching them and become good friends with them all, and I'm glad I could share a bit of the refreshment I get from chatting with people from a different cultural background. Always do it if you get the chance. 

  I hope you found that interesting too and took a little bit of new Argentinean perspective out of it. Essentially the point is despite being on the other side of the world we're really not that different, especially young people, and a lot of our opinions are very similar despite what the media and stereotypes imply. 

Nearly the end now, the blog is on its final legs... rejoice! 

Thanks for reading. 

Mile, Diana, Cami, Ana and Facu with the peacemaker of British/Argentinean relations

1 comment:

  1. I was kidding when I said that the American culture is more interesting than the British, they are just different... I wanted to make ya angry ��

    ReplyDelete

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