so you want to be argentine...

FIVE STEPS TO BEING THE COOLEST ARGENTINIAN COPY-CAT

1. buy bombachas de campo and alpargatas. ¨The bombachas de campo are made in different colours, styles and designs but the most popular colours are still the traditional: khaki, black, white, dark blue and dark green. These trousers are immediately identifiable because of the button they have at the ankle which is used to narrow them.¨ (www.try2cook.com/gaucho.html) Alpargatas are a canvas shoe with a rope sole. My uncle Fede has an alpargata factory. If you can´t get any imported, you can always opt for http://www.tomsshoes.com/. This website sells shoes that were inspired by alpargatas, and for every pair you buy, they give one pair away to a child in need.

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2. Drink maté. If you´ve read my blog before, you´ve heard about maté. Since pictures speak louder than words:

TRADITIONAL MATÉ

TRADITIONAL MATÉ FACE

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3. Chill to really good music. Dance to really good music. Listen to viejos borrachos singing really good music. And if you´re anything like me, learn the lyrics to some really good music everyday... but don´t ask what they mean. Oh awesome! you want to illegally download/search some songs? here´s a few to get you started

• ¨Fotografia¨ - Juanes ft. Nelly Furtado
• ¨En el Muelle de San Blas¨- Maná
• ¨Me Vas a Extrañar¨- Se Te Pega
• "El Sensei" - Las Pastillas del Abuelos
• "Mi Dulce Niña" - El Chili
• "Ella" - Damas Gratis (favorite song of my little brother :X )

Popular cantantes : Ricardo Arjona, Andres Calamaro, Intoxicados, Joaquin Sabina, Miranda, Bersuit Vergarabat, Fito Paez, CHARLY GARCIA, Shakira, Maná, Las Pastillas del Abuelos...

But do you know who is the most popular? AVRIL LAVIGNE. seriouslyyyyyy.

Andddd, if you want to hear something truly scum-tastic, try ¨Nena, a tu cola le falta crema" by El Empuje. I went to a concert of theirs! hahaha.

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4. Learn some sweet Argentine slang. to begin with...

Che - you can use this like soooo or heyyyy or hey you! ¨cheeeeee, laura.... querés ____?" is a common usage.

Boludo/a - This is like "stupid face" but it is as harsh as calling someone silly. "boludo, porque no llevaste más cerveza?" Sometimes it is pronounced b´ludo, without the first o, to optimize efficiency in saying it many times in a sentece. "B´luda, donde estás... ehh callate b´luda y venga. venis, b´luda?"

WITH THESE TWO WORDS YOU CAN NOW MAKE THE MOST FAMOUS OF ALL ARGENTINIAN GREETINGS:

CHE BOLUDO!

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5. Get sideswept bangs or really long hair, put on your converses, and go out at the break of dawn!

From primaveraaaa

...and get a really sweet nickname! above we have... delfina (delfi), josefina (jose), laura (lau, laurita, lauri, lora, lo, lor, lorita, malala, loravi), la pipi (i don´t even know her real name)

GOOD LUCK!
SUERTE!