Dia de Amigo

"Feliz dia de amigo" scrawls mercilessly across the news feeds of my facebook account. Complete with poems from girls, gushing soliloquies of personal memories, and vague whimsical compliments, you immediately realize that for Argentines this day is a big deal. And although it does have a sort of hallmark-esque cheesiness to it, the sentiment is dead serious. But to fully understand why, you need to understand the concept of friendship through the eyes of an Argentine.

Argentines, as you may have read in previous posts, are extremely passionate people. And the camaraderie between friends and family is no exception. For starters, look at how they greet each other. A hug and a kiss on one cheek. And that's for EVERYONE. Whether it's your first time meeting someone, or saying hi to an old friend, that's how it works. And it's very important. In fact, at times it's pretty annoying. When you walk into a room, you often have to go around kissing and hugging 10 or more people. But if you don't, it's insulting. Guys, girls, doesn't matter. That's how you greet. Even if you are busy doing something, you stop, and greet everyone. A hand wave or a thumbs up just don't cut it.

Now, I do realize that friendship as a general term is universal, but there's something about the depth and seriousness of how people treat friends here that is unique. Look at the tradition of drinking Yerba Mate, an Argentine staple beverage. The routine is simple. One person serves the mate and passes it in one direction, much like a joint, until the recipient finishes the entire cup. When it's done, it gets passed back to the server, refilled, and passed to the next one up. This goes on for the entire process, sometimes hours. It's a basic concept of sharing that really identifies the concept of Argentine friendship. And it's the same way with food, booze, weed, whatever. If you eat in front of someone without food, you offer them some, ALWAYS.

Taking the concept even further, many Argentines extend the same sharing concept as far as to let you stay in their house, borrow something from them, or help you find a job. And you don't even really need to know someone that well to get these courtesies. I've so far crashed about 3 times at the house of a security officer who works next door to me because we went out for beers and the train to my house wasn't running yet. But it's not like he tossed me a blanket and told me to hit the floor. No. All 3 times, the guy has set me up in the bed in his son's room, moved his son to the couch, and even went so far as to have his wife prepare full-scale roasted chicken feasts when I woke up. I don't even know the guy's last name, but I'm a guest of honor after a few late night beers. The crazy thing is, down here, that's the norm.

It's not to say that there aren't the same universal issues with friendship down here. Sure, there's betrayal, phonies, acting distant, being a douche and ditching your buddies for your lame girlfriend. All that happens here just like anywhere else. True friendship, however, runs deeper than the Rio de la Plata, and it's a big factor that makes Argentina a beautiful place to live. I mean shit, how else would you be able to get through the hyper-inflation, crazy hot chicks, low wages, and corrupt political system if it weren't for the strong bond of friendship.

I like this holiday, and you should too, even if you're not down here. So do yourself a favor, tell your friends you love them, buy the first round tonight, and plant a hug and a kiss on your co-worker, even if it's awkward. I'm going to hug some Argenhots, write a few sappy text messages, and spend time with my adopted family of crazy locals. Gringo. Out.