Editor’s note: From August to December, Costigan is living in Argentina studying, writing columns, appearing on a radio show, traveling and playing in a band.
The clock reads 3:30 a.m.
Reggae music blares in the midst of a 200-person crowd. A monitor shows retro flashbacks of ’90s music videos. The head bartender pumps both hands in the air, synchronized with the beat, nodding his head to customers in approval.
Garret McAleese shuffles around busy coworkers, clutching two fifths of Fernet Branca and a liter of soda. A group of Argentine woman wave him down.
“Podemos tener cuatro vodka y Red Bulls, por favor?” they ask rapidly under the crowd’s chatter.
He tilts his head in confusion. Their drink order was clear, except for the Red Bull. He reiterates the order and confirms their request.
For an expatriate such as McAleese, often the most difficult words to understand are the English-turned-Spanglish brands and labels.
He works until the crowd clears out. He often returns home with the sunrise at six or seven in the morning. His nightly paycheck is 100 pesos (the equivalent of $25) and is always in the form of cash. With the exception of a few managers, most employees in the Argentine hospitality industry work “in the black.”
McAleese used to make up to $200 a night in a Portland bar. Despite the language barrier, the long hours and the lower pay, he prefers life here in Argentina.
While his fascination with South American culture started with mission trips to Nicaragua and a three-month exchange program in Rosario, his motivation to return had roots in a will for permanent change.
“I was in the states for six months after I finished studying here,” McAleese said. “I was finishing up my degree, tired of Eugene and the routine I had settled into. I wanted life. I wanted adventure. By the time I graduated, I knew I had to start a new chapter outside of the United States and what I was comfortable with.”
Interestingly enough, he is not the only Oregonian-turned-expatriate residing in Rosario. In fact, there is even an “expats” club that has weekly meetings. One of the members had similar rationales for their one-way departure from the States.
“After being here for three months and assimilating into a foreign culture for the first time — I was hooked,” said Georgia Etheridge, a former University student and resident of Rosario. “After graduating I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. I felt that a foreign country was a better place to make my own decisions and know that I made them and not someone else. I prefer the lifestyle and the culture down here. I feel comfortable with their society.”
Both McAleese and Etheridge prefer the slow pace and tight-knit urban community to the American lifestyle.
“A really cool aspect of their culture is sharing,” McAleese said. “You share a mate in the park. You share a beer with your friends. Here it is more expensive to buy a can of beer than a liter. So you buy liters and share. Anything you buy in the ‘kioscos’ is made to share and made to go. Even their Gatorade ad on TV showcases a liter that is made to share.”
McAleese claims that his change in mentality originated from a “cocky hatred for inconvenience.” When he returned to the States for two weeks, a trip to Target yielded him 10 pairs of socks, groceries and other necessities. Here in Rosario, McAleese must visit six or seven stores to finish his shopping. While he originally considered the task a nuisance, he now thinks that diversification in urban businesses is integral to the sustainability in a community.
“We have completely mechanized our way of living,” McAleese said. “You pick everything out at one department store. You put it your cart. You walk towards generic checker ‘A’ and hand over your credit card. In Rosario, the local kiosk owners are my friends. I go out with them all the time.”
It’s not only a preference that motivated McAleese and Etheridge to move out of the United States. Both expatriates said that people are more informed of the ‘real’ history here and are not afraid to take direct action. They have multiple political parties to represent the diverse ideas of their populace.
“In the United States you either need to be a Democrat or Republican for your vote to count, you know?” McAleese said. “I was back in Oregon for a couple weeks and they were talking about the primaries. Everyone was arguing who was going to win — Democrat or Republican. The entire time I thought ‘isn’t there anyone else we can talk about?”
“Here they tell it how it is,” Etheridge said. “My human rights class in Argentina was the first time I ever heard ‘And that’s when the United States lost the Vietnam War.’”
Both McAleese and Etheridge do not plan on returning to the States. They say that if they find stable careers, their temporary residency in Rosario could become permanent.
“I love the U.S.A. and everything it has given me,” said McAleese. “But here? I could see myself opening up a business here. Here, I live life.”
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Costigan: Expatriates enjoy reality of Argentine life
Daily Emerald
October 28, 2010
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