Report: Spanish language and culture in South America

the Manzana jesuítica  - Photo: ©Eloise Partridge

Thanks to the generosity of the Gerry Grimstone Award, I spent six weeks this summer volunteering in Argentina and Paraguay, improving my spoken Spanish and learning about local history.

I started off working in Córdoba, Argentina.  The job I had secured involved spending twenty hours a week cleaning and manning the front desk of the hostel where I was staying, giving me plenty of time to explore the city and discover Argentinian culture — particular highlights being several long discussions about Argentinian geography, a trip to the Manzana jesuítica (Jesuit block) in the city centre, and even attending a tabletop role-playing game event, successfully participating despite my slightly wobbly Spanish! I also visited the Museo de la memoria (Museum of Memory), where I spent an eye-opening morning learning about those who disappeared during Videla’s dictatorship from 1976-81.

The local parrot - Photo: ©Eloise Partridge

In Córdoba, I also fell in love with Argentinian food — particularly alfajores maicenas (shortbread biscuits sandwiched with dulce de leche, a caramel made from milk, and rolled in coconut) and empanadas (described by everyone I sent pictures to as mini Cornish pasties, but with very different fillings!) Some of my best memories from the hostel involved sharing Argentinian, British and even Venezuelan recipes — and, of course, sharing mate, a herbal tea so ubiquitous that, on the bus back to Buenos Aires at the end of my trip, the conductor handed out refills en route!

After two weeks, I moved on to Santa María de Fe, Paraguay, where I taught English with the Santa María Education Fund, living in the home of a local resident and immersing myself in community life (even befriending my host’s talking parrot, Paquito Perico Martínez!)

Sunset at Jesús de Tavarangüe  - Photo: ©Eloise Partridge

Living in a local home meant that I spoke Spanish the vast majority of the time (including, sometimes, in lessons, as teaching very new students also had to be done in Spanish – the realisation that I was more or less successfully managing a class of 30 8–12-year-olds in my second language was a particularly proud one!) During my stay, I also picked up a handful of words in Guaraní, Paraguay’s other official language. I experienced a wide variety of aspects of local life, from climbing the local cerro (hill) to “beach” volleyball — which I wasn’t nearly so bad at as I’d assumed I’d be! — and more-or-less accidentally joining a Bible study group for National Children’s Day! I had failed to realise that “small gathering” meant more than just “gathering,” not helped by the fact that it had been organised in equal parts Guaraní and Spanish.

Empanada-making - Photo: ©Eloise Partridge

Again, food formed a significant part of my experience in Paraguay, as I managed to endear myself to my host with my enthusiastic appreciation of pretty much everything I tried (with mbejú, something like a pancake made of manioc, cheese and corn, and sopa paraguaya, which isn’t actually a soup at all but a kind of cornbread, being particular favourites!) I was also taught to make Paraguayan empanadas during the preparations for Children’s Day, with three of us working together to produce over 80 of them! These differ from the Argentinian variety in that they are fried instead of baked and even smaller; my overall verdict was that they were equally delicious.