Hey guys!
A lot of what I did today was exactly like yesterday so I'm going to tell you about all of the cultural differences here at EARTH and how I tend to stick out like a sore thumb.
The first thing I learned about latin and african culture is that people are very touchy-feely. In the US, we often greet each other with a wave, a smile, a handshake, or a hug if you know the person really well. Here at EARTH, every greeting is a kiss on the cheek. Even when that person's a stranger. I keep getting caught off guard with this one.I try to keep a good distance while simultaneously trying to not offend the person, but usually I end up getting a weird look. Thankfully people are very understanding when I explain to them that I'm from America, the north part of the country where we do our best to abstain from physical contact. Lina and Paula found it funny when I was greeted by a man from Africa and I instinctively flinched away from him. He was lovely and very nice, but I'm not one to get up close and personal with a stranger.
The second thing I've learned is that latin people are very expressive. A lot of people sing to themselves without any shame. People laugh loudly, are open about their feelings, and willingly state their intentions. This can be a double edged sword. It's nice when people are friendly and are more than willing to talk to you, but it's not that great when you're getting pursued. Cecelia told us that latin men are very persistent and I have seen it happen.
On that note, there's another interesting EARTH custom. When a girl and a guy are walking together or sitting alone in the cafeteria there's an unspoken rule to hit your glass with your spoon and cheer. These guys get really into it and find it really funny. People shout out "AMOR!" and other things at the couple (whether or not they're a couple). People usually shrug it off or ignore it, but some of the guys have fun with it. One guy even took a bow as he sat down next to a girl.
Another cafeteria custom is to have coffee after every meal.There's even a coffee machine in the farm's outdoor kitchen that we use during breaks! This is a cultural difference that I came over really quickly. Hey, when you wake up every morning at the crack of dawn to do manual labor a little coffee doesn't kill you! The coffee here is amazing. It's not as bitter as American coffee and is a lot smoother. I can take it black, but lately I've been drinking it with milk and sugar like a lot of the other students here. I want to see if I can bring some coffee back home with me, they sell it at the gift shop so I might be able to!
Enough about the cafeteria, here's another cultural difference. When I took spanish classes I thought the proper way to address someone is to call them Senor and Senora. When I originally came here I addressed some of the farm workers as Senor or Senora. Profe Villalobos (my spanish teacher) explained to me that this is a way to address people the most often used honorific is Don or Dona. In addition to that, here at EARTH roommates are Dons and Donas. Donas are female roommates and Dons are male roommates. This doesn't apply at any other university so it's another unique thing about EARTH.
When you step into a culture that's different than your own you often don't know when you're being impolite or rude. During my last year of spanish class we were told the phrase "No me importa" was the spanish translation of "It doesn't matter". We used it all the time and I thought that was the way you say when a person gives you two options and either works for you. Come to find out it's a rude phrase. It's the equivalent of "I don't care" which, when you think of it, is a little rude. I had been saying this phrase for a good week until Profe Villalobos explained to me that it was an impolite phrase and taught me the proper way to say "Whatever works for you". Now I'm starting to say "Cual quiere es igual para me". I'm glad I found out that it was rude before I accidentally offended someone.
Other than these few slip ups and differences, EARTH and Latin American culture isn't too different from my culture. Sure, I stick out and am occasionally called a Gringa (which, to be fair, I am) but EARTH is so diverse that one different person isn't different at all.
Hopefully I'll adapt to most of these differences and blend in a little more.
Have a good night guys!
-Allie
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