Encontramos este post en internet. Es de un blog que se llama «A Gringo in Buenos Aires». Ahí vas a encontrar consejos, trucos que pueden facilitarte la vida en esta ciudad y evitarte poblemas.
¡Mirá las 10 cosas que NO tenés que decirle a un porteño!
A Gringo in Buenos Aires provides tips and tricks that make life easier here in Buenos Aires, along with special day trip ideas outside of the city. Along with general lessons about the Porteño, you’ll also understand how locals eat, drink, and play.
When we’re in our own country, and speaking in our native language, tactfulness and saying what we mean are things that come naturally to us (…well, most of us). But expat life in Argentina is a whole different kettle of fish!
To help you navigate these treacherous waters, here are 10 things that you shouldn’t say while you’re in Buenos Aires. Some of them are culturally offensive; some are mistranslations that Spanish speakers will find puzzling and/or hilarious, and some just reflect a mindset that will prevent you from having as good a time in Buenos Aires as you otherwise might. #1: “I don’t eat red meat”
A perfectly cooked bife de chorizo and a glass of Malbec is the best dinner in Buenos Aires. Period. Yes there are fancier dinner options, and yes there are decent restaurants serving international cuisines. But the price-to-eating-enjoyment ratio of Argentine carne is simply impossible to surpass. It’s not surprising that a lot of expats living in Buenos Aires make an effort to eat it as often as possible before they’re forced to return home and eat inferior meat for the rest of their days. The bottom line is that if you’re living in Buenos Aires and you don’t eat red meat, the best advice is this: start.
#2: Tengo mierda
Miedo = fear, but mierda? It’s what dogs leave on the sidewalks all over Buenos Aires. Yes, that’s right. Shit. Now, saying “I have shit” in a tone that makes it clear that you’re afraid might actually get your point across! But not exactly how you meant to, so try to remember the difference.
#3: “Why don’t Argentineans travel more?”
A bit of sensitivity is called for here. Since the end of the dollar-peso peg and the subsequent financial crisis in 2002, the Argentine peso has been worth very little in exchange for the US dollar or the euro. Argentineans are in general a worldly people, and many of them would love to travel to Europe and North America. But saving for an overseas trip costing thousands of dollars when you’re earning the equivalent of US$600 per month is really not feasible. In a similar vein, you should refrain from walking around saying “wow, everything is so cheap here!” because for locals and those earning local wages, it’s not.
#4: Soy Americano
Expect to hear yo también in a snarky tone of voice a lot if you walk around saying this. Saying you’re American when you really mean you’re from the United States amounts to acting like all of South America, Central America and Canada don’t exist, so it’s a bit rude. If you’re from the United States and you want to communicate where you’re from, go with soy norteamericano. Soy de los Estados Unidos is the other way to put it, but it’s a bit of a mouthful for something you’ll have to say every day.
#5: “I hate how it’s so dirty here/the food is so tasteless/there’s no Wal-Mart… (etc.)”
Ah, complaining. It’s what expats do! And really that’s no wonder: it’s normal to miss the things that you know and love back home but can’t get where you’re currently living. Everyone does it – rest assured that right now, thousands of Argentinean expats in countries across the world (including yours) are doing exactly the same thing. Just try to keep it to a minimum, and don’t let locals hear you doing it. Also, if you really don’t like it here, go. Don’t stay and harsh everyone else’s buzz.
#6: Voy a coger un taxi
There are a couple of reasons that you might say this. First, you might say it if you learnt your Castellano in Spain and you mean to say (in English) “I’m going to take a taxi.” It’s a perfectly correct translation of that in Spain. Or, you might know that the meaning of coger is different in Latin America, but actually mean to say “I’m going to f*ck a taxi.” If you fall into the first category you should substitute the verb tomar for coger and say voy a tomar un taxi instead. And if you fall into the second category? Seek professional help.
#7: “I don’t like staying out late”
Bzzzt! Did you miss the fact that restaurants are empty until 9pm and quiet until 10pm? That boliches (nightclubs) don’t get going until 2am? That nothing is open before 10am on a weekday? If there’s one thing that Porteños share to a man (and a woman), it’s a love of being out when it’s late. If you don’t join in on the act you’ll surely miss a lot of good times. If you can’t get by on 5-6hrs of sleep per day do what the locals do and take a short nap before you go out at night.
#8: Me gusta Juan/María
In relation to things and activities, me gusta means “I like,” or more accurately “he/she/it is pleasing to me.” Me gusta carne, for example, is perfect for expressing your affection for red meat. When it comes to people though, things are a little different. Me gusta Juan goes beyond mere liking and instead means something like “I fancy Juan.” So unless you really like Juan (or María) you should instead use Juan/María me cae bien. This literally translates as “Juan/María falls well to me,” but the meaning is much closer to what we mean when we casually say “Juan’s a good guy” or “María’s a cool chick.”
#9: Anything about las Islas Malvinas (the Falkland Islands)
People tend to get touchy about wars their country lost. Really, that shouldn’t come as a big surprise! To add insult to injury in the case of the Falklands, the Argentine government still impotently claims the Falklands as sovereign territory to this day, and it really is a lot closer to Argentina than it is to the United Kingdom. There are plenty of other things to talk about, so just avoid the whole topic.
#10: Estoy embarazado/a
This may be the single most famous Spanglish error in the world and no list of “what not to say” for native English speakers living in Spanish-speaking countries would be complete without it. It means, of course, “I’m pregnant” and not “I’m embarrassed.” But that what does one say when one is merely embarrassed as opposed to ‘with child?’ That would be me da vergüenza for “I’m embarrassed,” and ¡Qué vergüenza! for “how embarrassing!”
It’s a popular myth from Mexico that can also be found in almost all Latin American countries. With variations, the story is almost always the same: a young mother has lost her children in a tragic way and her troubled soul is condemned to wander in the night screaming, «Oh, mis hijos!». In most versions it is said that the woman was deceived and repudiated by the father of her children, and she, in a fit of madness, has drowned them in the river before committing suicide. In other versions, she is a young woman who is raped, then kills her own child out of shame, or she loses her children because her indecent behavior. According to story, La Llorona wanders the deserted streets and frequents the places where there is water, such as ponds, rivers, wells or water tanks, taking victims to replace her lost children: She robs babies, confusing them with own own children, or she pursues men to avenge her shame. In the distinctive, Chilean version of the story, La Llorona is called Pucullén. It is said that she forever cries because her son was taken from her arms at an early age. She is a ghostly presence in white, who can only see people who are near death and animals that have more acute senses, such as dogs, that in her presence howl plaintively. Some say that if you rub your eyes with the tears of a dog, you can see La Llorona, but if your heart is not firm, the vision will be awful. There are several ways to protect oneself from an attack by La llorona. It is said that La Llorona is very tricky and can deceive her victims to take their lives , so when you listen to her closely, she’s actually far away, and vice versa. Also, if you hear her cry, you should try to move and not stay frozen in terror; you must run away before hearing the third cry, or La Llorona will take you. It is said that La Llorona strikes mainly people with underwear on backwards because she believes that this is the practice of men who lead an evil life. A man haunted by La Llorona can be saved if a woman takes his hand, because the specter only attacks lonely men, or men who have treated women badly.
So, if you walk alone at night, and especially if you are a men who has broken the heart of a girl, be very careful with La Llorona
La llorona according to Chespirito
(Chespirito is a mexican comedian of the 70’s and 80’s well-known across Latin America. Their programs -supposedly for children but they make laugh at all- are broadcasted on argentine television still now, and are always a hit with audiences).
Es un mito muy popular originario de méxico pero que puede encontrarse en casi todos los países de Latinoamérica. Con variantes, la historia es casi siempre la misma: una joven madre ha perdido a sus hijos de una forma trágica y su alma en pena es condenada a vagar por las noches gritando «¡Ay, mis hijos!». En la mayoría de las versiones se cuenta que la mujer fue engañada o repudiada por el padre de los niños y en un ataque de locura mató a sus propios hijos ahogándolos en el rio y después se suicidó. En otras versiones, las mujeres son jóvenes violadas que matan a sus hijos por vergüenza o que perdieron a sus hijos por tener costumbres poco decentes . Según la tradición, la llorona pasea por las calles solitarias y frecuenta los lugares donde hay agua, como piletas, ríos, fuentes o tanques y en algunas busca víctimas para remplazar sus pérdidas: roba niños que confunde con sus propios hijos o persigue hombres para vengar su afrenta.
En la versión distintiva de la tradición chilena, la Llorona se llama la Pucullén. Se dice que llora eternamente porque le quitaron a su hijo de sus brazos a muy corta edad. Es una presencia fantasmal vestida de blanco, a la que sólo puede ver la gente que está cercana a la muerte y los animales que tienen los sentidos más agudos, por eso los perros lanzan lastimeros aullidos cuando perciben su presencia. Algunos cuentan que si uno se frota los ojos con lágrimas de perro, podrá verla; pero si el corazón del que observa no es firme, la imagen será espantosa.
Hay varias maneras de protegerse del ataque de la llorona. Dicen que la llorona es muy tramposa y engaña a sus víctimas para quedarse con sus vidas, por eso cuando se la escucha cerca, en realidad está muy lejos, y viceversa. También se cuenta que si uno escucha el grito debe tratar de moverse y no quedarse congelado por el pavor, la persona tiene que huir antes de escuchar el tercer grito, o la Llorona se la llevará. Se dice que la llorona ataca sobre todo a las personas que tienen la ropa interior al revés porque cree que esta es una marca de hombres de mala vida, y que un hombre acechado por la Llorona se salvará si una mujer le toma de la mano, pues el espectro sólo ataca a hombres solitarios o que hayan tratado mal a las mujeres.
O sea que, si andan por las noches solos y, especialmente, si son hombres que han roto el corazón de alguna chica. Tengan mucho cuidado con la llorona.
La llorona según Chespitito (Chespirito es un comediante mexicano de los años 70 y 80 muy famoso en toda latinoamérica. Sus programs (supuestamente para niños pero que hacen reir a todo) siguen emitiéndose en la televisión argentina aún hoy y son siempre un éxito de público).
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