This february I return once again to Argentina, my excitement increasing as the days go by. When I first went back 3 years ago I felt a bit like a kid which of course I was when I emigrated to the UK all those years ago. I visited the barrio where I spent my childhood and the school where I did my años. Both have changed remarkably but my house and the street I lived on have been transformed to such an extent I could barely recognise them. What was once a fairly humble neighbourhood is now quite upmarket. One sombre note, though, was the presence of guards on every corner. It seems kidnappings are a bit of a problem which made me feel sad.
I didnt want to go with any critical feelings and dont wish to now prefering to look for positives but if there is one thing I dislike is the extent of poverty out there and the gap between rich and poor which to me is unacceptable. Beggars abound everywhere- mothers carrying children, handicapped individuals and several elderly people with outstretched hands. Its too depressing for words. Its one of the things that make me feel relieved I live in the Uk for that would not be tolerated here.We have a welfare programme which means people dot have to fall through the safety net. Apart from that my experiences have been nothing but positive.
My own cultural change? . I have lived so long here that I talk like a Brit and live like one. Going back I try to remember things as they were but realise that it is pointless as much is different. Better to be just as I am - a curious ingles with some argentino in him absorbing the atmosphere round him. My family out there speak to me in English although I do have some second cousins I have never met who only speak Spanish.
I dont have any great sense of patriotism prefering to see myself as a citizen of the world. Nationalistic sentiments I find both distasteful and rather scary.As a child my attitude was very different, though, for I felt a great sense of pride in being Britiish. I would look at a world atlas and marvel at all the pink areas that comprised the Empire. History books had a certain fascination but only those which involved "my country"Debacles like the loss of the American colonies, 1066, and whatever other miltary defeat we may have suffered, I saw as major irritants which I yearned to put right.Thankfully I lost that patrioterismo within the first few years of living here.
I felt no sense of superiority towards Argentines at all and dont wherever I go for that is disrespectful and insulting in my view not to say delusional. I always try to adopt a humble attitude when I go there particularly as I find Argentines so simpatico and generous.I find arrogance a particularly unpleasant human attribute.Human beings make all sorts of judgements of each other which are usually very shallow.
I cannot say my attitude changed much over all the time I spent there. Maybe I have been lucky as I experienced nothing that would make feel anything but pleased to be there.There was one occasion which was somewhat alarming when my wife and I were being taken back to the airport and the cab driver insisted on telling me he was once a marine and that if he had been posted to the Falklands that war would have gone much longer.I tried to humour him as much as possible.
Naturally my experiences were different every time I went there particulalry as I visited very different locations each time From a highly cosmopolitan Buenos Aires,to a humid tropical Iguazu, to the breathtaking serenity of the lake district perched beneath snow covered mountains, to the arid mountains and indigenous culture in the north West and the awesome maginitude of the glaciers right to the south of Patagonia. Each offered something very different.
This time my destinations are Mendoza, Salta the Humahuaca carnival and of course BA. I take two friends with me and I very much hope they will share in my enjoyment. I still have desire to visit Santiago del Estero for there is where my grandmother spent her childhood. Her first languages were Spanish and Quechua because she had been raised by an indigenous maid.
Sometims I think it would be nice to have a small pied'a terre there to stay in.Mmm maybe one day. Trouble is its so far from here. The journey there takes all of 16 hrs
Nah!
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