Random Weirdness

I'm quickly becoming a futbol fan...but I have a lot to learn!



At the beginning of the game between Independiente (CAI) and Boca yesterday, the CAI fans threw hamburger rolls on the field in front of Boca’s keeper. The game was delayed ten minutes while facility staff picked up all the rolls – yet even as they were picking them up, fan continued to throw rolls on the field. Later in the game, another round of rolls rained down while the keeper complained. Strange. I asked our neighbor what it meant, and he didn’t know, but said that it was significant. He suggested reading online news.

Turns out it’s pretty offensive, but since this isn’t my culture, I don’t feel it. These rolls are representing a racist attack on the fans of Boca, those who are Bolivians and Paraguayans. I guess there were songs sung and signs displayed that were equally offensive and racist. I know that Argentines are very discriminatory towards people from these two countries (among all the other countries that touch the borders), I’ve seen the discrimination, heard the venom and hatred in their voices, their irrational slander and put downs. Yet I can’t feel the hatred, thank God.

There isn’t a people group on earth that doesn’t hate another people group. When I see it in my own culture, I cringe, knowing exactly what is being implied, or said, or demonstrated. I know the insulting words, phrases and gestures that I wouldn’t want my children learning, let alone using. I’ve learned some that are used here in Argentina, but they don’t carry the same feelings for me because this is not my passport culture. My children will learn them here, and will hopefully be offended by them, not use them, and will always choose to show love rather than hatred.

Onto other weirdness…

Wednesday is Census Day.  That means that the country closes down for the day. No business is to open until 5pm, and only then if the census taker has been by. Everyone is to stay in their homes, waiting for the census taker to come by.

These census takers are school teachers, which means that there will be no school on Thursday, so as to give these said teachers a day of rest after counting their fellow countrymen.

We were here for the census in 2001, I remember a young gal stopping by and asking us questions – having to repeat them twice so we could understand them – and it didn’t seem that big a deal. But when you start to consider what it means for all business to be closed for the day – does that really truly mean everyone stays home from work? What about the television stations – no one reports the news? Are all radio stations reverting to muzak for the day? What about the guards in the booths on every corner – will they be there to guard us? Are all buses, taxis, trains, subways shut down for the day? Will no one be at the utility companies to make sure everyone still has electricity, water, gas? How about farmers – are they not to take care of their crops and animals that day? Will all politicians stay at home, waiting to give their information? Does the president sit at her kitchen table, waiting for the doorbell to ring? What about all the rich families that have house help – how will they survive the day without having their meals cooked, floors washed, beds made? And I’m sure there are many other jobs that I’m not thinking of now…wait, what about all the thieves, robbers, and crooks – hasn’t it occurred to them to pose as a census taker in order to get into some of these homes? Or will they take the day off, and sit around waiting for their census taker to stop by?

It is absolutely incredulous that they take a count in this way…even more incredulous is the Argentine who looked at my North American friend with shock on her face and said, “What? This isn’t how you take a census in your country? How else would you do it??” Pulll-lllease!!!!