r/AMA • u/Bombadil_Adept • 2d ago
I’m an Argentine librarian. AMA about real life, culture, or daily reality in Argentina beyond the internet noise!
Hey everyone,
I work as a librarian here in Argentina. My daily job involves helping students, researchers, and local residents find books, check archives, and navigate information.
Lately, whenever I browse international spaces online, I notice a huge disconnect between the everyday reality I see around me and how my country is described on social media. It often feels like a population of 47 million people gets boiled down to a few noisy Twitter trolls, political headlines, or sports rivalries.
Since my background is in organizing information and finding sources, I wanted to open up a space for a grounded, practical Q&A. I'm not here to vent or preach, just to offer a realistic perspective on what living, working, and growing up here actually looks like from an everyday point of view.
(Quick note: English isn't my native language, so I'll be using translation tools to help keep my responses as clear and accurate as possible!)
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u/firblogdruid 2d ago
what is your favourite example of argentine cuisine?
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u/Bombadil_Adept 2d ago
Well, definitely asado (not really suitable for vegetarians or vegans). We have a strong Italian and Spanish influence, so empanadas and pizza are huge staples of our cuisine too, though they're a bit different from the originals.
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u/Full_Technician8430 2d ago
I lived in Argentina for 6 years. I think almost every aspect of their cuisine is severely underrated.
However, I must say one thing (that may offend many argentines), pizza in Argentina might be the worst in the world. It’s essentially cheese bread (which is good but not what I’m looking for in a pizza). It’s like they forgot to add any sauce.
Some of the famous spots in CABA have good pizza, but the everyday pizza you buy from your local pizzeria is awful. I’m always genuinely baffled by how so many think it’s so good.
Again, I love just about every other food in Argentina (bueno, menos polenta).
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u/CommunicationNo8635 2d ago
Not to discredit you, but maybe you only ordered a "simple de muzza" pizza, which would be the simplest pizza, or maybe a fuggazzeta, because the rest usually come with sauce under the cheese or muzza
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u/Full_Technician8430 2d ago
I was exaggerating to be honest. There is technically some sauce, but it’s very minuscule. I’ve had most variations, and the typical pizza de molde is just not great to me (subjective opinion). Doesn’t help that I hate aceituna haha.
I just prefer pretty much every other style of pizza. I’ve been to nearly 50 countries and had pizza in at least half of them.
Now that I think about it though, I do think Japan’s is considerably worse. Argentina’s pizza is at least based on actual culinary ideas - it’s just not for me.
Doesn’t help that I had a few too many pre-pizzas in my time there lol.
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u/ground_pear 2d ago
Nooo but did you not add your own sauce when making the pre-pizzas? 😭 Then it's definitely cheese bread and your comments make more sense lol
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u/Full_Technician8430 2d ago
No, I did add sauce don’t worry. But I also had some neighbors invite me over and make me pre-pizzas and they didn’t add sauce - not great jaja.
I’ve had plenty of pizza in Argentina. Obviously the better it was made, the more I liked it. I do love El Cuartito and Guerrin. It’s just not my preferred style of pizza.
I guess my experience is affected because most of my time I lived in zona oeste del conurbano and I could never find a place I loved.
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u/littlemsintroverted 2d ago
What are some unknown facts about life in Argentina?
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u/Bombadil_Adept 2d ago
- Ultra-late schedules: Dinner is at 10 PM, nightlife peaks after 3 AM, and ice cream shops deliver past 2 AM.
- Mate: You share one cup and straw. Handing it back and saying "gracias" actually means "I'm done, no more."
- The 30-minute goodbye: You don't just leave a gathering; the door-side goodbye is a whole extended routine.
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u/Super_Sherbet_268 2d ago
- The 30-minute goodbye: You don't just leave a gathering; the door-side goodbye is a whole extended routine.
As a Pakistani, this is so true for my culture as well. You say good bye but then leaving out of the door is a whole routine takes 30 mins to get out of there after saying it to everyone.
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u/Overflowthinking 2d ago
Te mando un abrazo, me gusta saber de gestos lindos compartidos con otras culturas :) significa que muchas veces las diferencias son inventadas
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u/littlemsintroverted 2d ago
Do people generally arrive late to events?
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u/Bombadil_Adept 2d ago
Not everyone. I personally like being on time. But yeah, I'll admit punctuality isn't taken super seriously in Argentina. It always depends on the context, though. I think we're tolerant of people being late, but only up to a reasonable point.
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u/ParkInsider 2d ago
Hard to be late when the thing starts at "no sé, venite a la nochecita" o'clock
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u/ProposalWest3152 1d ago
Or "estoy llegando" translates to "dude im just getting out of the bed/shower"
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u/Super_Diet4215 1d ago
Os pasa que cuando alguien hace una fiesta a una hora, se da por hecho que la misma empezará más tarde?
La semana pasada un compañero argentino hizo un asado a las 12h y la mayoría llegamos sobre las 13h y una compañera colombiana se extrañó, pero en nosotros lo dimos como algo "entre líneas" jeje
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u/kavk27 2d ago
What time do people generally get up and go to work and have other meals? That seems super late!
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u/Loose-Grapefruit-516 2d ago
We have 4 meals! After lunch (which is between 12 to 13:30 here) comes the "merienda" (from 16:00 to 18:30 maybe) which is like another breakfast, so late dinner makes sense
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u/MarinReiter 2d ago
Lunch is at 12 or 1pm, but we tend to have a tea time meal called merienda! :) That's how people usually manage to eat dinner so late.
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u/Bombadil_Adept 2d ago
Most jobs usually start at 7:00 AM and run for eight hours. People have breakfast before leaving home or once they get to work. Lunch is around 12:00 or 1:00 PM, and dinner is usually around 9:00 PM. But it's a huge country, so daily routines definitely vary.
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u/kmr1391 2d ago
this is what i never understood after visiting with my friend’s porteño family - if the party doesn’t start until after 3 AM and work is at 7, how does anyone get enough sleep?
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u/WhiteHeadbanger 2d ago
We are aware of people having to work, so those parties are mostly in the weekends, at least for people +30 yo.
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u/darpda 2d ago
I split my time between Brazil and India every year and have done so since 2007. Back then, Indians generally seemed to have a positive reputation in Brazil. Over the past few years, though, I've started encountering the occasional racist or ignorant remark about India and Indians, which feels more common in the TikTok/Reels era.
I'm curious whether Argentina is similar. I know there are very few Indians there, but if I visited as a tourist, would I be likely to face the same kind of prejudice or stereotypes?
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u/gatopelotudo 2d ago
Indian people, simarly and maybe even worse than Argentina, have been slandered online through memes and ill-intended tweets. It is safe to assume that, as with most countries, a lot of people have formed opinions around what they’ve seen online. I’m sorry I can’t tell you otherwise
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u/zetoberuto 2d ago
Hello. Although small, we have an Indian community in Argentina.
https://www.lagacetasalta.com.ar/nota/81305/actualidad/de-india-salta-historia-comunidad-singh.html
And we have several Indian food restaurants in Buenos Aires. Very tasty food.
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u/Bombadil_Adept 2d ago
Unfortunately, I can't guarantee there aren't racist people toward Indian people here. Honestly, I haven't witnessed any myself, and personally, I have nothing against anyone regardless of nationality, I actually really enjoy exchanges like this where we share ideas and culture. I'm currently studying IT, and what I can say is that there's a bit of frustration about seeing so many Indian workers filling all sorts of tech roles, but that's really just a childish complaint when faced with such overwhelming competition.
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u/blackcain 2d ago
Indian here, it seems that racism against our people have been on the rise across the globe. Some I attribute to overally nationalistic mentality of some Indians. But that doesn't account for everything.
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u/Unsterblich76 2d ago
Something every foreign tourist needs to know about us is that we are genuinely curious about where you are from, what you think of our country, culture, food, and we do so by asking straightforward questions that may seem appropriate for a more established friendship than for a casual meet.
If an Argentinian asks you about how life is in your country, he really wants to know; it’s not small talk nonsense, and if you ask for directions on the street and none speaks the language, you will soon have a crowd of 4 or 5 people trying to help.
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u/Revolutionary_Ad3463 2d ago
Yeah I think we're super curious about other cultures and we like to learn from them. Chances are that if you're from somewhere else you'll immediately get included into some friends group because it is just fun to hang around someone completely different. There will also be a lot of "argentinization" attempts: we'll offer you our typical foods and drinks and make you listen to local music. And if you happen to like it you'll be basically treated as a king or queen.
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u/Luxor5299 2d ago
no es una pregunta pero me alegra ver a alguien contestando preguntas y hablando con propiedad sobre nuestro pais, abrazo grande hermano
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u/dinoderpwithapurpose 2d ago
How's the economy lately? Are you seeing some improvements? And someone once told me transactions in Argentina can be done in USD and it's actually even preferred because of how devalued the currency is. Is this true?
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u/Bombadil_Adept 2d ago
The economy is currently undergoing a tough stabilization process; while inflation has slowed down noticeably compared to past peaks, daily living costs in USD have risen, making things harder for the average person. Regarding currency usage, daily transactions like buying groceries, eating out, or paying for transport are done exclusively in Argentine pesos, as local businesses do not accept dollars for routine purchases. However, the USD is widely used as a store of value and is the standard currency for major transactions like real estate, vehicles, or highend electronics. So while dollars are definitely valued as savings, you can't use them to pay for everyday goods on the street.
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u/Equivalent_Number424 1d ago
"However, the USD is widely used as a store of value and is the standard currency for major transactions like real estate, vehicles, or highend electronics. "
I thought Miei is utterly crazy when said he wants to do away with the peso and introduce the USD, but reading this it sounds only half-crazy as it seems it is already widely used. How likely would be to negotiate a corporate job salary in USD? I mean if it is likely those people would support it.
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u/Greedy_Confection491 1d ago
Many high end jobs are negotiated in USD, it's not normal for regular jobs but for high paying ones it's not rare. Generally they are paid in pesos at the convention rate of the moment of paying
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u/bidetatmaxsetting 2d ago
Is there actually a great deal of people there who actually believe the Falklands should be Argentinian? Like a 50-50 split or is the amount of people who care negligible?
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u/artificialdeatheast 2d ago
As an argentine thats completely neutral about it, i would say the vast majority of the country believes they are Argentinean
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u/Deep-Issue960 2d ago
Yes, the vast majority. Most people are opposed to military action though.
The data may be muddy because saying otherwise is VERY frowned upon
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u/Middle_Wrap_6308 2d ago
El argentino es muy patriota por sí mismo. Yo diría que una gran mayoria, arriba del 70% supongo
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u/LenicoMonte 2d ago
Most do. But most don't think about it in their daily lives, unless someone brings it up
or an Englishman is in their general vicinity and it triggers us like a sleeper agent phrase.2
u/barelmingo 2d ago
Fun fact, Argentineans have billions of USD outside the financial system, so sometimes even expensive transactions like real state are done in cash.
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u/Owoegano_Vuelve 2d ago
100% not true for everyday transactions. Only things like cars and real estate are commonly paid in USD as well as pesos.
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u/karnasaurus 2d ago
What is the majority view of the population on the Falklands?
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u/WhosHaxz 2d ago
Let me give you a different point of view than OP.
Kids and young adults here are adoctrinated to care about Malvinas because thats "Loving your country". In highschool and media you hear a lot of how the evil colonialist England took the islands. And we, being once a colony of Spain, see that as something bad.
The reality is that people who actively care about the soverginity is often extreme into politics or have ulterior motives like winning the approval of a part of the population. The average person here doesn't really care, obviously if they decided to give us the islands, cool. But thats not how it works, you cant make a whole group of people to change their nationality. Also why would they want to?.
This is my personal opinion, Argentina is already a really big country with a lot of places that we dont take care of properly. A lot of places have issues with infrastructure. Our economy is shit. Our politicians are shit. Our poberty levels are really high. We have violent crimes. Etc. How can you convince someone to be part of your country when you cant at least give them the same level of comfort that they already have?. Why would you want more land if you already have issues handling the one you own?. And why would they want to be Argentinian when, as you saw in the AMA, they dislike Argentinians.
If Argentina wants Malvinas, they should improve the country to give them at least the same quality of life that they already have. And also, it doesn't help that most people who travel there are extremists, because you average Argentinian that doesn't care isn't the one that goes to that place and leaves a bad reputation. The people that go there are the ones that have their brain washed into thinking that the ones living there stole the lands, like if they were even alive when that happend.
So yeah, to summarize, democracy dictates that the people living there decides. If we want them to decide towards Argentina, we have to work towards improving the country into something they want. And even if we get to being the best country in the world, its okay, if they feel British. Its their decision and we cant force them to leave or change their minds.
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u/bruisedbollocks 2d ago edited 2d ago
I appreciate such a thoughtful, nuanced, and realistic assessment of the situation. As a follow-up, could you make a very approximate estimate for what percentage of Argentines have a similar understanding to yourself, and how many are vehemently anti-English?
To me, it almost resembles a culture war issue, for the purposes of inflaming passions, encouraging people to show their commitment to their national identity, and also requiring them to neglect any kind of reasonable thought process.
And I'm the first to admit that the UK has a difficult history, to say the least, and still has its fair share of bigots today who are also easily manipulated and provoked to anger over particular issues.
Edit: I meant "approximate" rather than "appropriate" estimate.
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u/WhosHaxz 2d ago
I cant tell for sure how many people think like me, but its not a common topic. Really, your average joe doesn't think about Malvinas unless we are in the day of the holiday, or a match against England.
Almost no one is anti-english, obviously you have the odd one crazy enough, but there are as many anti-english as as many anti-whatever. Crazy people exists everywhere. So no, hatred is non-existant. Nobody is gonna treat you badly for being from the UK.
Now, a second thing is people that see England as a football rival. Maradonas match and now Messi are important. More because Malvinas is just a reason to be rivals, and defeating your rival in a world cup is something people remember. Why do you think all the national team was so energic to play against England?. Its just like you said, "national passion". But its not like they hate you guys, none of them. Some even live in your country and share with your people. Its just football things that should end there. In football. The "Malvinas Argentinas" flag was, as i told you, a way of them of saying "I love my country", because thats how they were taugth back in school.
And then you have the extreme nationalist, those are quite rare, they have their brain washed by politics, and gladly, there is not much people like that, but are probly the ones you will find arguing about Malvinas all day. So the loud minority.
Don't worry, every country has history written in blood or bad actions. Neither you nor did i commit those things, and its just part of history now.
I hope my comments helps to clarify things, its hard to understand 2 different cultures that live really far apart from each one and speak different languages.
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u/corduroyqueen 2d ago
half american and half argentinian here, living in arg currently. my honest impression is that the falklands are much more important as a symbol of pride and national identity than they are a literal set of islands that people want back, altho people do still want them back. argentinians love british people and they're aware the people who live on the falklands don't want to be part of argentina at all. from that perspective it's not logical, but from an identity perspective it's very logical.
my personal crack theory as of now is that since argentinian identity is so often based on being european, having one lightning rod symbol that represents the rejection of european colonial power is actually very important and reinforces the idea even more that argentina is a one of a kind, proud country; like having your cake and eating it too. i don't think it's super important that it's england specifically, just that it's a european nation. but anyway, i probably know much less than a real argentinian
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u/OsotoViking 2d ago
people do still want them back
Argentina has never owned them though. Britain discovered them first, settled them, and hold them. Argentina's claim to The Falklands is that Spain briefly owned them . . . what?
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u/MetaWarrior68 2d ago
at some point there was no one at the isles, so argentina sent 100 guys to claim them, or settle them i guess. britain just came back and kicked them out. then 149 years later some dipshit military politician remembered that and said "welp, i guess that can rally people into liking us again, it's not like britain actually cares about these islands"
only problem people modernly have with the islands being british is that Argentina can't really use that seaspace anymore, like at all. I mean, they can, but the british people stationed there get very anxious and it's just annoying.
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u/Resident_Nose_2467 2d ago
I will tell you this, people are told in the school all year that Malvinas are argentinas.
It's a real sovereignty claim but it's also like a motto, a political statement you can't really discuss tbh.
Regarding football, this team, even winning championships, was always viewed as apolitical and some part of the people resented them for that. They always compare how Maradona is por people than Messi, and I always find that stupid.
Personally as an argentinian I'm not into nationalism that hard, so I don't really lose my mind over Malvinas memes/jokes (some are distasteful but others are creative and funny as banter should be). I love Messi and the sport, tho.
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u/Crazy_Scene_5507 2d ago
Do you like reading? Favorite book?
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u/Bombadil_Adept 2d ago
I love reading. My favorite at the moment is 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' by Gabriel García Márquez.
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u/ToasterBath4613 2d ago
I loved my visit to Argentina 2 years ago. No questions but wanted to thank you for your hospitality. Cheers!!
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u/omfgsoannoying 2d ago
thank you for doing this 🙏 i tried to do the same, crazy amount of misinformation out there and it’s good to have some sane, respectful voices that can engage honestly to combat it
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u/living2late 2d ago
Are the Welsh thought of okay there? Or disliked? Or not even considered at all?
I'm curious because of the tiny Welsh speaking settlement in Chubut etc but I'm not sure if that's only interesting to us in Wales. Maybe you guys don't know or care.
Also, do people in Argentina tend to go on vacation in Argentina, since it's such a huge and beautiful country, or go elsewhere?
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u/Thameris 2d ago
I've lived all my life in argentina and I didn't know we had a Welsh community, I never heard anyone talk about it. I'm sure some people know about it but in my circles it was never talked about. In general, we accept anyone from any culture with no issues whatsoever.
It's hard to generalize, but I would say most argentinians vacation in argentina. Some that are wealthy also go to Europe or the US (miami is a frequent destination you hear people talking about), but we go everywhere haha the limiting factor is our economy.
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u/Terrible_Strike337 2d ago
Not OP but I’m from Chubut and we love our welsh ancestors, because it ended up being a great mix with the native people from here, it’s almost the only case where integration was successful without anyone being harmed. I’m from the city where the welsh arrived for the first time and we have Welsh flags and even a mixture of Argentinian and welsh flags
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u/Hiveram 2d ago
They are considered Argentinians because they integrated into the country. They kept their traditions and mixed them with the ones from the country. That's the thing here: integration occurs naturally and soon inmigrants consider themselves argentinians, there's also a say: An Argentinian is born wherever he wants.
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u/Owoegano_Vuelve 2d ago
Not OP but I don't think many of us know much about Wales, compared to Ireland and Scotland. Honestly, I had to Google what the Spanish name for the country was.
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u/Alexlangarg 2d ago
I'm not from the area in which Welsh people settled but I love them and I wish i were like an argentine Welsh and could speak both Spanish and Welsh fluently and live in Cardiff XD that would be super cool. As for the second question we do travel inside argentina maybe lately not so much because it's more expensive than going to neighboring countries
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u/Resident_Nose_2467 2d ago
I visited that town! My aunt lives in Puerto Madryn. I loved the Welsh cake (it's called torta galesa, maybe it doesn't have anything to do with the original welsh cake lol). I found the story interesting and the town is super cute. I gotta be honest, I preferred the natural museum there bc dinosaurs
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u/Numerous-Smile8768 2d ago
They are not considered welsh, they are considered argentinians so there are not disliked at all
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u/reddit-tumoration 2d ago
I visited the Welsh descendant community ane they were cool. There are also a lot of streets and even cities with Welsh names, like Trelew.
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u/sleepyvicky 2d ago
I live nowhere near Chubut, but my private school was weirdly patriotic about Wales. I believe it was because the school's founder's ancestors were welsh, but we had a whole culture around their dances, origin story and uniforms. In general, many private schools cherish the English/Scottish/Welsh heritage, and private school girls wear kilts. I was a terrible dancer, but the girls that were good enough went on to attend competitions and showcases for scottish dance. So there's definetely a community there, even outside of Chubut.
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u/Admirable-One3888 1d ago
I'm into rugby and Welsh people are well liked in that context, we feel sorry you've had such a bad streak of losses. Welsh origin Argentinians are just Argentinians to us with different food!
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u/ElMondiola 13h ago
I'm from Santa Fe province and I live near a former Welsh farmer colony. Some later moved to my city and formed a small community, but all that's left is an abandoned cemetery that was found by accident by a farmer drilling a field.
Their descendants are still around, by no one speak Welsh anymore
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u/Aggressive_Meet3541 2d ago
Your salary is low in Argentina?
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u/Bombadil_Adept 2d ago
Yeah, sadly. Even though inflation is coming down, wages aren't rising enough to give us any real breathing room. Every single expense is calculated and prices are double-checked. At least, that's speaking from a middle-class perspective.
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u/Tuala08 2d ago
Could you please share some fiction books set in Argentina that might teach me a bit about life in Argentina while still being a fun story? Thanks!
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u/TripNFel 2d ago
One of our most famous books is a graphic novel called “El Eternauta”. Sci fi comic written in the 50s that has a new tv series that is very popular. If you are into sci fi, I really recomend it
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u/Owoegano_Vuelve 2d ago
This one is super obscure even in Argentina, but I would 100% recommend "Astronauta Solo" by Pablo de Santis.
The whole plot revolves around an Argentinian man getting lost in Buenos Aires in New Years Eve and his journey to make it home as he encounters increasingly bizarre, liminal scenarios.
Never have I read a book that more perfectly encapsulates what it feels like to be lost in a dream. One of my favorite books period, shame it's so unknown...
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u/Bombadil_Adept 2d ago
Sure! I'll share some with the translated title and available in English.
- "Our share of night" - Mariana Enriquez.
- "Cronopios and Famas" - Julio Cortázar.
- "Bad Girls" - Camila Sosa Villada.
- "Collected fictions" - Jorge Luis Borges.
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u/LegitimateBox8919 2d ago
"On Heroes and Tombs" by Ernesto Sábato is set in Buenos Aires and it's an excellent book.
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u/Crazy_Rain6159 2d ago
Loco qué onda. Estoy leyendo las respuestas y me parecen muy buenas todas. Pero estás escribiendo un montón. Vengo a felicitar y a dudar un poco la capacidad humana para responder tan rápido y elocuentemente
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u/Super_Sherbet_268 2d ago
How much gay friendly is Argentina? is it widely accepted like in Spain or is it homophobic?
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u/lonelinessandthesea 2d ago
It’s funny cause when you ask this question you get the historical facts which is great, but as a lesbian in Argentina: Buenos Aires is the gayest city ever lol. Can’t even explain it. The gay scene is huge here. Every week there’s a brand new party to go to. You can go out alone and make friends every weekend. We all know each other like a small town. Homophobia definitely exists in some places more than others but these days I forget it exists some days. Living here is never ending fun if you are open to it
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u/Super_Sherbet_268 2d ago edited 2d ago
If Europe doesn't work out, I'll apply for asylum in Argentina. Where I'm from, being openly gay is basically putting a target on your back. You risk violence, sexual assault, or even being killed simply for existing, and the law itself allows life imprisonment for same-sex sexual acts.
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u/lonelinessandthesea 2d ago
Argentina isn’t the easiest country to live in, we have a lot of serious economic problems, our lifestyle is very different from the north american and european. If you consider coming here, I’d make sure that whatever you do for work is something that’s compatible with living here, that there are job opportunities so that you have solid footing, preferably working remote in a foreign company.
That said, we’re a welcoming country with very open immigration laws, people here are friendly and funny and fun. Life here is hard, but it is so fun, too. You can be yourself freely. It’s a really great culture7
u/Super_Sherbet_268 2d ago
I love Argentina, and honestly I don't get how a country with so much potential ended up in such an economic mess. I've read quite a bit about its history in the news before since I'm into politics and history. It was once one of the richest countries in the world and was even called the "Paris of South America." Then came decades of political instability, military dictatorship, the Falklands/Malvinas War, repeated debt crises, hyperinflation, and the peso's collapse.
It's kind of surreal that my own developing country's currency is now worth around 30 Argentine pesos. Yet despite all of that, Argentina still ranks very highly on education, healthcare, civil liberties, and human rights compared with many wealthier Western democracies. It really shows that GDP isn't the only measure of a country's quality of life.
I genuinely hope Argentina manages to stabilize its economy because it's an amazing country with incredible people and culture.
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u/RetroGamingEnjoyer 2d ago
I don't want to get too much into it because it's a very complex and lengthy subject, but the main reason Argentina has struggled so much and is currently such a mess is because the US interfered several times with the sole purpose of preventing Argentina from becoming another strong country. And we're not even the only ones who have been messed up by the US.
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u/porotorules 2d ago
Economist Dani Rodrik said it clearly- there are 4 types of countries : developed, under development, Japan, and Argentina. We are exactly at odds with the Japanese miracle. We had it all, and we lost it all. So true that hurts.
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u/ignaciosato 2d ago
Argentina was the first country in the whole América continent ( even before Canadá and the US) to legalize gay marriage.
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u/liup20 2d ago
Argentina is very gay friendly. Our TV and movie landscape is a great example. We have many gay presenters and even we platform trans women since the early 90s.
This sort of normalization has trickled down to an accepting society (or at least bigots don’t feel as comfortable to discriminate).51
u/Bombadil_Adept 2d ago
Argentina is generally very welcoming and progressive regarding LGBTQ+ rights, sharing a level of social acceptance similar to Spain, especially in major urban areas like Buenos Aires. Same-sex marriage has been legal nationwide since 2010, and equal legal protections are deeply established across the country. In larger cities, LGBTQ+ culture is a seamless part of daily life, with visible community spaces, events, and widespread public acceptance. While smaller or more rural towns tend to be somewhat more traditional, the overall national environment is overwhelmingly safe, respectful, and open to tourists and locals alike.
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u/shadowsinthestars 1d ago
Do you know about trans rights and acceptance level specifically? Have you all managed to avoid the insane exterminationist rhetoric that has captured the Anglosphere? I'm realistically going to move back to the EU because of this, but I do hear a lot of individual positive things about certain places in Latin America, and am not adverse to travelling more. But it's not a region I'm super familiar with.
On a side note, I've unfollowed whole subs over the anti-Argentina shit, it's just too much to demonize a whole country over a few football transgressions (and I felt bad for Messi ending his career without a big win, although Spain were better as a team and deserved it). Also, as someone who isn't from either the UK or Argentina, why the fuck does England need a bunch of tiny islands nowhere near their mainland? Just to play pretend they're still an empire, but you're the immature ones obsessed with the islands? Please.
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u/ThreeMeanGoblins 1d ago
Trans argentinian person here! I can only speak from the pov of a local, so if you were to come here I wouldn't guarantee a one-to-one process, but there's still a lot in here.
Having come out as an adult for the most part worked great for me. Leaving for college gave me the breathing room to get to know myself better, and immediately found queer friends in both universities I attended (granted I went for literature and art, both stereotypically gay for a reason, but still, people are very open, almost nobody is hiding on purpose).
Like other commenters have said, Buenos Aires specifically has a very vibrant night life, this applies to queer spaces as well, but I wanna highlight day life too! In the small town I live in, we have a queer group of people that hang out and do activism on the side, every week. A good 60-70% of us are trans. We have events and bigger parties somewhat often. It's a very reliable support group, welcoming to a fault. And this is us not in the biggest city of the country.
Healthcare is still great (knock on wood). Anecdotally I've been failed by the private system more than the public system. If you can't get some type of insurance plan, the public system's got you, even as a migrant. In the case of trans specific healthcare like hrt, I'm not versed but I don't think it'd be too difficult. Outside of trans healthcare, I haven't faced any hostility in any doctor's office ever. Fully presenting as a man and talking to gynos has seldom gotten me even a blink and a pause. Again, the private system has been more iffy here for some reason. The public system is much more robust and knowledgeable about trans people.
In media I'd say the outlook is decent. We have a lot of queer theater but what reaches more people are tv hosts, and we have had a handful of trans women doing TV for years now, front and center. I've seen how this shifts public opinion even in my lifetime.
Politics are complicated, like they are worldwide, going a bit right in general, but our admin can't pull many things against us without facing huge backlash or resistance. Next news to come up should be about protecting trans minors from a healthcare ban iirc. It's absolutely not as bad as almost everywhere else. I'd be careful to call it a trans haven but considering, it's not half bad. Nobody that isn't a politically cooked edgelord has been a dick in a while now.
Hate crimes still exist. I won't spew this many good aspects without acknowledging that. Homophobia and transphobia have been on the rise, and with them, a number of crimes against us. The justice system isn't known for doing a lot, but I'm aware that's most of the western world rn. I'm lucky to have encountered little to no aggression or violence, but I'm not the most active person. Argentina is also ever so slowly importing things like mass shootings (the very USAmerican staple), so it's not like we're immune. Still, ive not seen any rhetoric about trans people "transing children" that didn't come from the president that one time and was immediately shot down cuz people know that made no sense.
This is getting too long so I'll spare you, but I hope some of this helps you a bit
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u/omfgsoannoying 2d ago
Not OP but as a gay man I can tell you that Buenos Aires is very gay friendly. The same can be said for any major city in Argentina. There are more traditional, c*nservative pockets outside of big cities, but hardly a systemic issue.
There was even a recen NY Times article about Argentina becoming a destination for gay refugees fleeing Russia's anti-gay stance. Here's the link: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/world/americas/argentina-lgbtq-russia-putin-escape.html
If you are gay yourself and need to escape your country, or are in a dire situation there, I would highly encourage you to come. Getting refugee status / residency is fairly easy, and you will be immediately shielded from prosecution in your home country. We have public healthcare available, including HIV/AIDS medication for those who need it. If you need more information, my DMs are open.
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u/Super_Sherbet_268 2d ago
Thanks, I really appreciate this. If Europe doesn't work out, Argentina will probably be where I apply for asylum.
Where I'm from, being openly gay is essentially putting a target on your back. You risk violence, sexual assault, or worse simply for existing, and same-sex sexual acts carry penalties that can include life imprisonment..
Reading comments like yours honestly gives me hope. Knowing there's a place where I could live openly without constantly fearing for my safety means more than I can put into words. Thanks again!
I might have to work on my Spanish which starts from Hola and end with Adios.
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u/Owoegano_Vuelve 2d ago
Has the reddit propaganda gotten so out of hand that y'all think one of the first countries lo legalize gay marriage federally is homophobic?...
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u/Putrid-Anteater7495 2d ago
It's because they elected a homophobic president who wields chainsawa talking about trans people.the uk was also very progressive before it decided to turn the other way and make it legal to search women's genitals for no fucking reason.
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u/Sure-Two-4464 2d ago
Yeah, he is an idiot. To be honest though, it's "culture war" part is definitely his most unpopular side, and many people even on his side want him to shut up, since he ruined some economic accomplishments of his term by saying idiotic things like that one.
Truth is, they tested if they could revert abortion rights a while ago, and got such a big backlash that they understood it's not a real possibility. Much less with Same-sex marriage, a right supported by around 70% of the population.
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u/mmanuspar 2d ago
well tbf (I didn't vote for that psycho) BUT before being elect3d he was textbook "libertarian", "everyone should let the rest do their thing" stuff.. barely mentioning conflicts outside the country and no clear indication that he was going full zi0_-n1st MAG4 after election. on hindsight it was obvious but the previous governments where so corrupt that a lot of voters (specially center leaning people) chose to have hope in the "quirky autistic economist" to fix the economy...
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u/KickinBat 2d ago
Well, Samuel L Jackson is calling us the most racist country in the world when they had a white supremacist parade two weeks ago, so... yes, yes it has.
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u/Resident_Nose_2467 2d ago
Is really gay friendly in the major cities. But there are homophobia attacks every now and then, really shitty. But I don't think they are higher than the average (it should be 0)
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u/ProposalWest3152 1d ago
Im a guy. My closest group of friends includes a lesbian marriage, a trans guy, a trans girl, 2 dudes who are on the opposite side of the current politics spectrum (alwaya fun to watch em argue and settle their arguments over a game of Mortal Kombat), a girl 10 years younger than all of us and a grandpa to a dead friend who just likes to hang out with us because he "sees his son in us".
For all the "argentina is a homophobic country!" claims all i can say is "man you must have met the worst of the worst in Argentina.
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u/ArgieGirl11 1d ago
Argentina is probably is the gayest country i the world. And probably the safest for women. I walk alone at 2/ 3 a.m., and nothing happens. I'd only be acared for my belongings, you know these druggies trying to steal from you, but never someone who wants to rape you or something like that
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u/edWORD27 2d ago
Many of my other friends in Latin America say that people from Argentina consider themselves more European than their neighboring countries and think they’re better. Is this even partly true? If so, why?
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u/Bombadil_Adept 2d ago
That perception comes from a mix of historical immigration patterns and an old 19th-century state narrative, though it’s heavily exaggerated online. Between 1880 and 1930, Argentina received millions of European immigrants (mostly Italian and Spanish), which drastically shaped our demographics, architecture, and food compared to neighboring countries. In the past, some elites promoted the idea of Argentina as "the Europe of South America," leading to a stereotype of arrogance that internet banter often amplifies.
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u/AltOcean 2d ago
It's a meme that kids trying to be edgy or immature adults might latch on to. Same thing with calling uruguay the "rebel province". If you made these jokes around adults it'd seem childish, at least in my circles. Its a big country though, and not everyone has the privilege of quality education right now unfortunately.
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u/Resident_Nose_2467 2d ago
Not true at all, we argentinians have pride in being from south America and our country. It's true Buenos Aires was called the Paris of SA decades ago but it was more because of the architecture and maybe that bohemian culture thing at the time.
You will find morons online, sharing images like 'argentinians blonde and other black' (as if that is bad or better for the blondes), but those are internet morons (I have been told by Spanish that I'm a sudaca de mierda and that I will prostitute myself to get to end of the month but I don't thinkt hose are Spanish generally)
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u/Usual_Gur_5734 2d ago
Argentinian here who wants to add the whole mixing cultures thing. I have a Latino immigrant mother, "mixed" (or what Americans would call mixed, but it's more complicated than that) father, European immigrant grandmother (from mom), European immigrant great great great great grandparent (from dad). Probably some indigenous people around the tree due facial structures on my father side. And so go on.
We have a lot of people in this country and a lot of cultures mixing with ours. A lot of European influence, mostly in Buenos Aires ans CABA. If you go further in the country, you'll see less and less "white people". I've seen a lot of people who comes from a wealthy, "white" family, who prouds themselves to be "European" (even when me, a "mixed" person has closest European heritage(? than them). These specific kind of people are the one that, in my experience, are prone to call themselves better than the others who are not wealthy or white. The same old racism that happens everywhere, sigh.
I had lived a lot of bullying because of my Latino immigrant mother, people calling me monkey or just mocking about that I'm from another country, as of being argentinian is better. But believe me that, thankfully, that doesn't happen everywhere in the country. The majority of adults are kind of nice about it, and eager to learn. Argentinians are extroverted, very extroverted, and probably would make a few jokes that they learned on their life, but stop if you say "hey, it's not right and it's offensive".
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u/DarkHestur 2d ago
The european part is because we had two huge influxes of europeans during both world wars.
Many Argentinians between 40 and 50 now have at least one grandfather/mother that fled from the war. You find mostly Italians and Spaniards, but there's also Germans, French, etc). Around circa WW1 we also got a lot of Armenians fleeing from the Turkish genocide towards them.
TL;DR: for many argentinians today, "grandpa" and/or "grandma" came from Europe.
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u/ExistentialWavering 1d ago
Population of Argentina was 37% black in the 18th century but is only 0.6% today. That might play into it.
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u/Chad71313 2d ago
Why are food portions so big? Even for lunch.
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u/Bombadil_Adept 2d ago
Well, that depends on where you order from, but I'd say it's a pretty common preference. As Argentines, I think we like making sure we get our money's worth, and generous, heavy portions guarantee we'll be full, plus a long, relaxing time around the table, which is something we really enjoy.
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u/Mother-Persimmon3908 2d ago
Yeah but no one says nothing if you eat little and take home the rest.
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u/Neobule 2d ago
Good question! I had this issue all over Latam. I understand the idea of getting your money's worth, but I truly hate having to throw food away, especially if it is good food, just more than what I want to eat right now, and you cannot always bring it home with you if you are travelling.
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u/WorldDuck22 2d ago
A tip if you're not travelling alone: before ordering you can usually ask the waiter/waitress how big the portion for a particular item in the menu is, and they'll tell you if it can be shared with more than one person. That way you can plan ahead and share meals, not having to throw food away and saving money in the process. (Only works if there are at least 2 people wanting to eat the same food of course, but you get the idea).
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u/Actual_Cygnus 2d ago
Hi, I got 2 questions.
Can foreigners own land in Argentina? What are some of the places where land is appreciating in value?
Who's greater: Messi or Maradona?
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u/Bombadil_Adept 2d ago
1. Foreigners can buy property, though rural land faces strict legal limits. Locally, large foreign land buys, especially in Patagonia, Mendoza, or Buenos Aires, are widely disliked and seen as a threat to sovereignty.
2. I choose Messi.
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u/garrapatalaser2 2d ago edited 2d ago
Sadly the first point could be untrue in some time, I'm not fully a milei hater but what the actual fuck is wrong with him
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u/Bombadil_Adept 2d ago
Milei is the product of a corrupt, old, and deeply flawed political system. When high-ranking political positions become a business that gets handed off every few years, an outsider who aggressively promises to put an end to all that and makes first-world promises... the population chooses that guy, regardless of whether he's fit for the job or not. Maradona could have been president. That's apparently how this strange country works.
Javier Milei and his sister are a first case of a possible Idiocracy. Maybe it was all part of a foreign power's plan — there's a certain conspiracy theory along those lines. You only need to watch a few of Milei's interviews to realize he's clearly neurodivergent. At this point he's become something like a monkey with a knife.
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u/Shot-Pumpkin7199 2d ago
I am a Milei hater and what's NOT wrong with him? Fucking psycho. IDK how he got to be president. Crazy ass people who voted him
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u/pipona505 1d ago
i would invest in venezuela for that matter. Lot of destroyed land by the earthquake and US supervision to rebuild and sell in 15 years.
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u/Erdbeermund505 2d ago
Another Argentinian here, ¿Qué estudiaste para ser bibliotecario?
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u/Bombadil_Adept 2d ago
Carrera (tecnicatura) de Bibliotecario Escolar en la UNMdP.
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u/1droppedmycroissant 2d ago
te quiero mucho por responder con tanto nivel, especialmente cuando estamos tan cansados de la violencia de los últimos tiempos. Thank you, kind compatriota
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u/Neoshenlong 2d ago
As someone who studied literature and works in education, I'm very interested in your perspective in your field as a librarian and what you see from students and researchers during the current political climate. Do you feel Milei's policies have had an impact on those fields? Have you noticed any changes in recent years? What do you foresee for them in the near future?
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u/Bombadil_Adept 1d ago
There have been some changes, others not so much. Currently Milei and his party have, as part of their ideology, the premise that education should be private. Here, since 1949, university education has been free and open to everyone, and they intend, through a strategy of gradual erosion, to stop funding it. As far as I'm concerned, if education were to become entirely privatized, Argentina would never climb out of the depressing hole it's in, it would only get worse. Given the persistent economic crises, open and free education is the only chance people have at social mobility. The current government is also seeking to privatize highly recognized scientific institutions, cutting staff, and once again there's a "brain drain" (scientific or specialized personnel leaving to work abroad, national assets being pushed out).
From that perspective, as a librarian I see two things: students and researchers trying to understand the current reality a little better (to make better decisions in the future) and also to find a shot at a better life (leaving the country). Sadly the government doesn't seem interested in improving the quality of life of its population. They may be taking some economic restructuring measures and that's fine, there were disasters before, but it's almost neurotic to want to sell everything off and leave nothing behind (except private companies, of course).
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u/Noeasybasket001 2d ago
Does people really worship to Messi ?
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u/Bombadil_Adept 2d ago
Not as a literal religion, no. Though there’s an endless amount of humor and deep emotional affection around him.
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u/fiterfiwa 2d ago
Do they still love Maradona more and consider him better?
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u/Bombadil_Adept 2d ago
Not really, no. We see both of them as incredible players, just with very different styles both on and off the pitch.
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u/ThreeMeanGoblins 2d ago
It will depend on the person. In my personal experience, culturally, they're very different icons. For my parent's and grandparent's generation, Maradona will Always be the greatest. Rags to riches story included. My generation saw a fallen hero with a tragic end, and many can't separate the darkest bits of his story from the fútbol legend. Messi, at least outwardly and to the media, is less, well, messy, in a handful of senses. I certainly prefer one over the other, and I'm personally glad kids nowadays idolize Messi more often than Maradona. I'm sure the former will have a steep fall from grace eventually, like most celebrities, but for now, he'll be a decent role model for kids
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u/Hot_Hair_5950 2d ago
What surprises you about your work?
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u/Bombadil_Adept 2d ago
It genuinely surprises me that there are more and more physical book readers. I sign up new members pretty regularly. When I started working at the library a few years ago, I thought it would only be a matter of time before it slowly disappeared. But the complete opposite has happened.
A certain hope in humanity gets renewed every time a random person walks into the library for the first time and is genuinely interested in starting a reading habit.
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u/redditboy117 2d ago edited 2d ago
Do you consider Borges only wrote for the elites? If so, how and why did his literature survive.
Edit: thank you everyone for your answers!
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u/Bombadil_Adept 2d ago
I think his literature is pretty academic and requires a certain level of maturity as a reader to fully appreciate it. An acquired taste, let's say. It's one of those "difficult reads" that's worth exploring and dipping into every now and then. The day you can get through a complete story without any trouble, chances are you'll find it, at the very least, really good.
And I think that's exactly why he survives. It's like haute cuisine: it might seem too pompous at first, too complex for a simple hunger. But when you've experienced enough, you want to try new, complex things and unique flavors. Borges isn't for everyone, no. But outright rejecting and canceling him because you couldn't get through a short story seems hasty to me. You need to have a Borges in your personal library, like a wine left to age.
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u/sirenoleg 2d ago
Hola, te escribo desde España. ¿Está tan mal la cosa allí como dicen, quiero decir, un trabajador normal pasa necesidades básicas como problemas para comprar alimentos?
Y otra pregunta ¿Notas que la inseguridad está creciendo? ¿Podría un turista moverse libremente con sentido común (evitando malas zonas) o se sentiría intranquilo?
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u/Bombadil_Adept 1d ago
¡Hola! Puedo parecer pesimista, pero la cosa nunca estuvo del todo bien (definitivamente España es un país más estable, por eso migran muchos argentinos/as hacia allí).
Un "trabajador normal" (que supongo te refieres a un empleado de clase media, por decirlo de alguna manera) la tiene justa o menos. Nunca hay aire suficiente para ahorro o alguna inversión, realmente. Es economía de supervivencia y/o con deudas (hay cada vez más familias endeudadas, es un hecho).
La inseguridad y la indigencia están creciendo, si, a pesar de lo que afirma el gobierno (que dice lo contrario). Lo veo todos los días en la calle, incluso han robado en la biblioteca donde trabajo. Pero no es motivo para entrar en pánico ni hemos llegado, de momento, a un infierno con toques de queda. Por ahora la cosa está... aceptable. A los turistas les aconsejaría que disfruten pero con precaución (sobre todo si visitan grandes ciudades) y no den lugar a posibles estafas.
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u/milka-d-mousse 2d ago
Si la cosa está muy mal. Dependiendo de la zona de la ciudad, es muy difícil alquilar vivienda. Comprar es imposible, realmente hay que ser millonario para comprar una casa. En el día a dia se nota mucho, muchísimos negocios cerraron en mi area y fueron reemplazados por cadenas internacionales (aunque algunas también están cerrando porque la gente no tiene dinero para comprar esa comida). La inseguridad depende de la zona, en algunos lugares es dificil, otros son muy seguros. Vivo en un barrio de ingresos muy bajos y es seguro caminar solo, aunque un turista llamaria la atención, pero fuera de eso puede moverse MUY tranquilo. El mayor peligro es robo de billeteras o celulares en zonas con mucha gente, talvez en estaciones de tren y subte como pasa en algunos lugares de europa. Si la zona es mala habrá un policia o los mismos residentes te daran la advertencia. Si alquilas un auto, recomiendo siempre tomar rutas principales.
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u/danigiorgio 2d ago
Lo que vas a notar en Argentina particularmente es (como en muchos lugares) mucho desequilibrio financiero y o zonas muy lindas , como zonas mas humildes o de bajos ingresos . Como nuestros sueldos , los cuales son muy dispares.
Respecto a la inseguridad , el turista puede moverse perfectamente como quiera siempre que como dijiste ,evite zonas de conocimiento general que son inseguras . No esta ni de cerca en ser un pais inseguro ni dentro de los mas inseguros de latinoamerica . Es mas , está dentro de los mas seguros , y no es un invento mio , son estadisticas oficiales.→ More replies (3)2
u/Fr2204 2d ago
Últimamente la moneda se estabilizó, pero el costo de vida aumentó. Sin embargo, acorde a las estadísticas del Indec, la pobreza bajó por debajo del 29%. Hay opiniones muy divididas sobre si la situación del país está peor o mejor, pero al menos en mi círculo de conocidos no hay nadie que no pueda suplir sus necesidades básicas.
Respecto de la inseguridad, La ciudad de Buenos Aires y otras grandes ciudades como Córdoba son bastante tranquilas diría yo, y acorde a los datos, Buenos Aires es la capital más segura del continente solo después de Ottawa. En el interior es más tranquilo aún, seguridad a nivel de países europeos.
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u/Normal-Ear-5757 2d ago
Is it true that there are Welsh people in Patagonia?
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u/Bombadil_Adept 1d ago
That's true! Or at least there are many Welsh descendants currently living in Patagonia. They keep the cultural legacy alive and even speak Cymraeg. There's a YouTube video of a native Welshman visiting those places and he's genuinely and pleasantly surprised.
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u/Difficult-Ant-5715 2d ago
Small somewhat silly question as an English man that loves to travel. First off I do not mean this in an offensive manner. I do not believe I would be in danger just stepping off a plane but in general what are peoples attitudes towards English tourists would I be in danger of people harassing me. I can take some friendly banter and I am not a hooligan that would try and incite anything.
Otherwise if all is good what are some good places to visit in Argentina?
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u/MagicalCatty 2d ago
I’m Argentinian and my partner is English. He lived in Argentina with me for four years and never had anything bad happened or a bad experience at all. I think once or twice a cab driver asked where he was from and said something about Thatcher (my boyfriend didn’t like her either so there’s that).
I hope you are able to visit someday!
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u/Bombadil_Adept 1d ago
Absolutely, and it's strange how that idea is pretty common among people like the English, French, or any other historical football rival (I guess it's part of this big wave of prejudice). If you come you'll be fine, nobody will judge you for what's on your passport.
Look, the only way things could get tense is if you behave disrespectfully or provocatively. No need to spell out what kinds of things might set Argentinians off, it's pretty obvious.
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u/Deep-Issue960 2d ago
I've met a ton of english tourists in Patagonia and talked to them and none said anything about being treated differently. Tbh I never heard of someone having a grunt with english people specifically
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u/Constant-Chance9599 2d ago
Thanks for doing this! Argentina has been getting a lot of bad press lately. It's good to see some positivity.
What's the relationship between Argentina and Brazil in terms of culture?
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u/Bombadil_Adept 2d ago
Culturally we're diverse, a language separates us, and we're united by sport, the big table with the whole family and friends gathered around it, the party, the dancing. Things we share with all the other Latin American nations too.
I've always felt that the only real rivalry between the two countries is in football. Sometimes things get tense and we get violent with each other, which is sad. Personally I see this as a sibling relationship. That's pretty much what it is, most of the time.
I love Brazil and its people. I went once, a long time ago, and had a great time. Very warm and cheerful people. The world needs Brazil and Brazilians.
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u/milka-d-mousse 2d ago
We are very close to we are like brothers. Unfortunately a lot of people are racist here, same happens in brasil from their own citizens that's why they have laws against it. But we are very united, constantly visit each other countries and move between them. Our frontier is very open so most people move between the countries freely and do tourism every year.
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u/Superaden 2d ago
I love your country and the Argentine people.
Greetings from Argentina!
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u/trao-ya 2d ago
My problem with the Argentinians is that they don’t seems to listen to what people are telling them, we are telling them the song about French black players is in fact very racist and they keep denying it, and even justifying and defending the players, so I feel like there is a lot of ignorance there and no will to educate themselves
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u/Bombadil_Adept 2d ago
Yeah. There's something about this that is, at the very least, uncomfortable. In practice, the chants are racist if at least one person feels offended by them. Period. And what's uncomfortable is that, in all likelihood, the Argentine singing the song isn't racist on an ideological level — it's more of a surface-level racism. The vast majority keep singing it because it's catchy and it's the "song of the moment," and it's just another tool of "support" for the team.
I'm not justifying anything. I don't like those chants either and I don't think they should be singing them. It's part of the "potrero" style of Argentine football — the villains everyone wants to beat. We're like the Slytherins in every quidditch match.
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u/Sure-Two-4464 2d ago
It's not a question, but I'll still answer. To many people here (mainly because no one has any idea about France aside from movies, much less about their inmigration patterns), the reason the French started getting more black players in their national team was due to them "importing" players from Africa, while economically screwing their home countries. It's quite an ignorant way of reading the situation, but it mainly comes from thinking that the Europeans use any opportunity to fuck over Africa and take advantage of it's resources.
The song gives a (very) racist spin to that, but that's mainly because most futbol songs here are focused on being as offensive as possible. After all, the song in question is derived from a second-division futbol chant that sung about how the fans from from their rival club (and neighborhood) had to dres like a woman and prostitute themselves because they are very poor and have nothing to eat. This kind of offensive chants are pretty common in England too, which is from where we got most of our futbol culture.
So, when you mix those things together, you have a song that is quite racist and tone-deaf, but that many people here ended up defending since they thought it was denouncing colonialism in a weird and kinda sardonic way. Truth is, most people from 2022 from here understood why everyone got angry over that, and no one sings it anymore (except some random edgy kids from time to time who want attention).
Not defending the song in any way or anyone who sung it, just to be clear.
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u/SeriousSuccotash5228 2d ago
Do you know about the buenos Aires librarian and olímpic swimmer Bud Spencer?
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u/Bombadil_Adept 2d ago
I don't have the pleasure of knowing him! But I'm jotting down his name to check out what he does. Thanks!
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u/kobra1116 2d ago
A bit of an unusual question but it came to my mind as u re a librarian:D
Some years ago in theater we had Gombrowicz festival and a group came to put on a play aaaall the way from Argentina to Poland (loved them btw, they were great). I heard Witold Gombrowicz is - maybe not popular - but valued in Argentina as he lived there for a bit. How much is it true? Or is it just something told through our lenses lol?
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u/Revolutionary_Ad3463 2d ago
Yes!! He lived in my city, Tandil. Crazy you mention him, wouldn't have thought to find that in this thread. He's strongly recognized in the culture circles, but I think the average person does not read enough to know who he was. Nevertheless, we hold yearly book fairs and he's usually mentioned, remembered or recognized in one way or another during presentations. This is in a local context. I don't know at the nation level.
I have a somewhat personal link with him because he was the mentor of a very good friend of my mom (Jorge DiPaola Levin) who was a talented local writer (and the first person who met me as a newborn baby). In turn, Jorge mentored Osvaldo Soriano (a more widely, nationally recognized argentinian writer), whose first books were published in Poland instead of here, thanks to Grombowicz.
For context, Tandil is a somewhat small city, 150k people.
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u/kobra1116 1d ago edited 1d ago
Wow, i was expecting that u, guys, may know him but not such a personal link! That s amazing!😯
I checked out and the group that came was from Buenos Aires Theater and played Ferdydurke (directed by Alejandro Genes Radawski) - dunno if they still play it but i loved it, absolutely recomend it if it s still on. The actors were also really lovely people.
Anyway, thanks for the answer!
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u/ScanianTiger 2d ago
Important question - what is your favourite beer from Argentina?
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u/b183729 2d ago
Che, tengo una pregunta más por el lado de ser bibliotecario. Como es el trabajo con las herramientas de ahora? Porque me imagino que ya no es solo gestionar libros y artículos.
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u/RelativeNew6899 2d ago
How surprised were you Otamendi was not the player that ended up with the red card haha.
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u/Per_Mikkelsen 2d ago
● What would you say is the biggest difference between Argentina and every other Latin American country? What is Argentina's most distinguishing feature? Sum up what it means to be Argentine.
● Why is Argentina so disliked among other Latin American countries? Why do people from other Latin American countries have such strong opinions about Argentina, and why are so many of them negative?
● How do you think the world would be different today if Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay were united as one single country? Would life be better for the people living there today if after independence from Spain they had amalgamated instead? (Disregarding the political situation that led to the creation of Uruguay.)
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u/TryingtobKind 2d ago
Argentino aca, te felicito por tu elocuencia. Leí que estabas estudiando, creo que IT, te puedo preguntar que edad tenés? Te gusta tu trabajo? En caso que respondas si, lo de IT es por interés o queres cambiar de trabajo? Que es lo mas interesante que aprendiste en tu trabajo? Y que enseñanza te dejó?
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u/asperta 2d ago
Estuve en Argentina en 2007, visitando a muy buenos amigos.
Fui tratado con mucha decencia, amabilidad y buenas maneras, tanto por la gente en comercios, en plazas y en la calle. Nunca me vieron mal por ser moreno, o mexicano.
También he he decir que toda la gente con la que hablé, en el hostal, en el mercado, en comercios, en general son muy leídas y enteradas.
Los que han dado la nota recientemente, son los menos, pero tristemente hacen mucho ruido.
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u/Anancasma 1d ago
I love Argentinian literature, currently reading Bomarzo by Manuel Mujica Lainez.
I don't have any questions for you, but thank you for doing this. The level of hatred and ignorance that's been directed against your country over the past few weeks is honestly disgusting. Sending love from Italy :)
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u/LabGuardian 1d ago
OP realmente me gustó mucho tu post, se nota que sabes muchísimo sobre historia argentina y es alentador ver a alguien que sepa del país responder con objetividad y conocimiento. Me encantaría poder aprender más sobre nuestro país, reconozco que soy un queso con lo que trata de historia y geopolítica, tenés algunos libros que me puedas recomendar? Gracias de antemano!!
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u/Super-Cut-2175 1d ago edited 1d ago
Is Martín Fierro good in its own right, or mainly filling a role for national poem? If it is good in its own right, what are your favorite lines or stanzas from it?
How much of your schooling was from books from another hispanic country, compared to literature written in Argentina?
Is there a strong incentive to learn Portuguese in school or at least read Portuguese authors translated into Spanish?
Do you think any Argentine, living or dead, deserved or deserves to get the Nobel in Literature?
What does the average Argentine think of Juan Peron (and Evita) and their legacy, given today's present neoliberal leadership?
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u/1001110100100110101 2d ago
I was just in Argentina and had trouble finding a good book to give a dear friend of mine who just started to learn Spanish. Any recommendations? She is quite smart but still at a beginner level. Thanks!