In between the main course and dessert, we learned some fun Argentine hand gestures. Oh, did I mention that the staff had been keeping our wine glasses full of delicious Malbec? So at this point, we're all full, happy, laughing a lot and totally ready to do something silly. First, was "que se yo." The Argentine equivalent to a shrug, you put both hands under your chin and then move them away from your body with a confused look on your face. It means that you don't know the answer to the question. Next, you hold one hand flat and pretend like you're holding something in the other, then insistently slap the open hand with the closed. It does not mean "let's have sex", which a Brazilian couple informed us that a very similar gesture means in Brazil. It means "Pay and leave", and waiters would use it if you and a group of rowdy friends are at the bar, buy one drink and then stay forever being loud and obnoxious. Although honestly, I have a hard time seeing this happening as I have had
to work hard to get my waiter's attention after each meal when I want to pay, and once Lindsay and I
got one drink each at a bar and when we were still there talking two hours (and no additional drinks) later they had still not asked us to pay.
to work hard to get my waiter's attention after each meal when I want to pay, and once Lindsay and I
got one drink each at a bar and when we were still there talking two hours (and no additional drinks) later they had still not asked us to pay.
Next was one we already knew, but that is very useful. You touch your face below your eye and say "Ojito" or "ojo" and it means either be careful (for example a kind passerby tells you ojito and points to your open purse on the Subte, or watch out/watch it/I'm watching you (think the gesture the ex-CIA dad does in Meet the Parents). The next gesture is "la posta", which basically means the best. If, for example, the waiter came by and asked me how I liked my amazing steak, I would make an "ok" sign with my hand at shoulder level and lower my forearm quickly, once. The next gesture, "don't be chicken", involves handing out your hand, palm up, and then touching and opening your fingers, and it could be used if someone is backing out of a bet. You might use "Cataño", the next gesture, if you and a friend have both bought rounds of drinks at the bar, and then it's time for the third friend to buy a round of drinks and they try to sneak away. You bend your arm so the hand is at your shoulder, and then hit your elbow with the other hand. It means you're being cheap, and the gesture comes from having arms that aren't long enough to reach your pockets, kind of like a T-Rex.
The next will be quite familiar to any South Park fans. For "Estás rompiendo mis pelotas", you position your hands palms up like you're holding *ahem* something and move them up and down. You do it when someone is frustrating you, especially by interrupting your plans with something boring.
The last one was my favorite, and it's one that Lindsay and I have started incorporating into daily life. You bring your fingers of one hand together and shake your hand at someone while saying "¿Que te pasa?" It's great for when a taxi driver tries to run you over while you're legally crossing the street, and also for the dumb drunk person who spills some of their drink on you at the bar. It can vary in intensity by the amount of elbow extension: if you're just a little miffed, small extension; and if you're really pissed you can extend your arm all the way.
Now that we were all laughing and feeling like friends with the people at our table, it was time for dessert and mate (ma-tay). Mate is a traditional tea drink common in Latin American countries like Argentina and Uruguay. You drink mate in a small cup that may be made out of a gourd, ceramic, or some other material, and that cup is also called a mate. You fill the mate with Yerba (tea-like herbs) 3/4 full. Then, you place your hand over the top of the mate and shake it upside down a few times to get out the powder because that is the most bitter part. The, you pour a little bit of hot water (but not boiling water, otherwise you will burn the Yerba and the mate will taste even more bitter) into the mate and then insert the bombillo (a special metal straw with a filter at the bottom). Once the bombillo is in place, you can not move it. It maybe tempting to try to stir the mate, or treat the bombillo like a regular straw, but you need to leave it be otherwise the bombillo will clog with leaves and you'll have to start all over. You then fill the mate completely with water, wait a few seconds for the water/bombillo to cool down, and take a sip. My favorite thing about mate is what comes next. Mate is a tradition from the indigenous cultures of South America, where the conception of power is that you can only show that you are powerful if you share all the things you have. So back in the day, making and sharing mate was a way to show your power and wealth. It no longer has the power and wealth connotation, but mate is meant to be shared. You fill it with water, drink the mate (and the first fill will be pretty bitter, but it gets better and by the third or fourth fill I really like it) fill it with water again, and pass it to the next person. If you make mate at home with your family, you all share one. If you go get mate with your three best friends, you all share one. If you and ten classmates go get mate after class, you all share one. I think this idea and tendency toward sharing is very Argentinian; in the two weeks that I've been here I've had multiple Argentines offer to share food, drinks, whatever (and not in a creepy way, although that happens too). It's very nice given how much I like to share and try new things.
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