What’s Your Fix?

Wrapping up this year here in Buenos Aires is making me feel rather nostalgic. As I look back on previous blog posts, photos, and thoughts I can’t help but reflect over the realizations (including an epiphany or two) that I have come to this year. I have focused, particularly, on the social norms and culture of this country and have confirmed that those aspects are intricately tied into the every day life of every single human being. There are too many events, people, places, and personal shocks to list, but I know that being a part of this culture has changed my view on life and even some of my values. I am definitely not the same as I was when I left home and I wonder how my new insights and appreciation for various things will affect my life in Canada.

Although I have decided to stay longer than the usual year, my Canadian friends have their plane tickets bought and are leaving within a matter of days. When they first started to talk about leaving, their thoughts and especially their fears, I can’t help but also start to wonder the same things. In what ways have I so drastically changed? What do I value now? What culture do I fit in? Do I fit in anywhere or am I a mix of both? Ultimately it comes down to the fundamental philosophical questions of life, of which I don’t think anyone has been able to figure out and put into words.

The main question that has frequently popped into my head is: “what’s your fix?” The slang word “fix” can mean many different things depending on the person. For me it includes the following:

• What makes you tick
• What do you enjoy the most
• What do you wake up some days and crave or long for
• What is most important to you
• What is it you try to put first before everything else
• What is it you strive to achieve or accomplish

Ultimately these questions all sum up to: What makes you feel happy or satisfied when a piece of your own personal puzzle is complete?

I think these are all questions that each individual person is asking themselves and that these questions and their responses are greatly effected by the society, environment, and culture. And in turn those three things also effect what a person will consider most important to them. An example for each one might be:

Society: Sitting in a park having a drink of tea or alcohol and greeting your friends with a kiss on the cheek is normal to you. Or maybe not normal?

Culture: Is God or whatever your religion the most important thing to you? Does your culture, with possibly a deep rooted belief in Catholicism, make you more likely to be a catholic?

Environment: Is what you are surrounded with determine your potential? Are you more likely to stay poor if you were born poor, do you value family more if you are living in a one-bedroom house with them?

This isn’t to say that a person is completely trapped or dictated for life by their society, environment, and culture. Those three things, right from birth, shape the way that you think and whether you choose to follow and believe what you are shown and taught. Or you choose to not follow and not believe. There are always exceptions to the majority.

Amongst travelers the topic of culture and social norms is always a popular topic. Trying to sum up a particular society in a few words is actually really difficult to do. For Canada, I’ve heard that we are very respectful yet distant and cold. We have a lot of trust with our neighbours (not locking doors and letting cars run in the winter to heat up), but also that we do not reveal instantly personal details about our lives, history, jobs, or family. I’m always interested in our country’s stereotype and I must say it is refreshing to hear that people know we don’t live in igloos and not everyone plays hockey. I’m a little shy to make a general assumption about Argentines… so I think I will let you decide.

For this blog/research project, there are still so many things I would like to discuss and think about. The obsession with cell phones, the public university system, why people have 3 hour lunches, how everyone stays out until at least 3am on weekends, why everyone takes to the streets to protest for any reason at all, the after-affects of the Dirty War and the economic crash of 2001, the role that Italy, Portugal, and Spain have played in shaping the culture, and many more ideas. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to touch on all of those topics, but now that I have mentioned them maybe you will be inspired to research them for yourself.

Ultimately, it has been quite the wild ride and there are still days where I’m frustrated by something or other that is completely normal for people who have been born and raised here. What I’m curious to find out is if, one day, I will stop noticing the differences and accept them as the norm like a local would. It’s been a blast. Wish me luck!

Cuidate. Take Care.