No Comprendo?

There's a lot of things in Argentina that I just don't understand. So I've spent some more time thinking about these, and did some research, and now some of them actually make sense, or I've formed a theory for the answer. Others remain a mystery...

1. Why don't Argentinians refrigerate their eggs??
Answer: Because eggs naturally shouldn't have to be refrigerated. They actually have a natural protective coating that keeps the eggs good for up to a couple months. The US power washes off the protective coating because of food regulations, so they need to be refrigerated, but it's actually normal in a lot of countries to leave eggs out for weeks.

2. Why do my neighbors spend hours every day sweeping and mopping their section of the tile sidewalk? It's so dry here it will just get covered in dust within a few hours.
My theory: Mendoza is supposedly one of the cleanest cities in Argentina, and the Mendocinians are very proud people so maybe that's why they are always sweeping their sidewalks.

3. What's up with the Tom Cruise obsession on the buses? I've seen three Tom Cruise movies during my long bus rides. Its either that or a bloody and violent action movie.
No answer: its a mystery.

4. Why does a small city like Mendoza, where the majority of the city is residential, need one way streets throughout the city?
Answer: I read online that because there are frequent earthquakes in Mendoza, the streets were built some of the widest in South America for evacuation purposes. Maybe this has something to do with it?

5. How do Argentine women handle not ever having toilet paper in public restrooms. I guess this is common for a lot of countries outside the US, but its just so unhygienic.
Answer based on experience: Simple, just bring your own toilet paper. I see a lot of girls carrying around Kleenex packs. It just sucks when you forget.

6.Why are all of the house keys here the same type of style? They all seem so old fashioned!

Answer: These types of lever keys used to unlock a deadbolt are more secure than the types of keys that are more popular in the US.










7. How are there not more car accidents when there are so many intersections without stop signs or traffic lights?
Answer based on observation: The drivers somehow somewhat cordially take turns. Four or 5 cars going one direction will keep going through the intersection until one hesitates or slows down and the other direction of traffic will butt in, let 5 cars through, then switch again. I think it's some kind of unspoken agreement just to take "turns."

8. I always see really long lines forming outside of ATMS and banks.. There will be 30 or more people lined up outside. Why?

Answer: It is difficult for Argentinians to take out pesos from the banks here. Because the 100 peso bill (equivalent to around 20 US dollars officially) is the highest denomination, there is a bill shortage and the Argentinians often have to wait a really long time for money to be available in the ATMS, and often times can't even pull out money. The ATMs are also limited to how much you can pull out at once, so it takes longer to get the money you need.



9. When I'm walking on the sidewalks here and someone or a group of people are walking towards me, I always encounter that awkward situation where you can't get past each other because you move in the wrong direction, and you have to struggle past each other eventually. I don't know why this happens to me more here than anywhere I've ever been.
My theory: Maybe its me, but I've noticed that the Argentine pedestrians never move over out of the way to let people through. They walk slow and in a line across the sidewalk, and it makes it very awkward to pass.  I think it has to do with the differences between importance of time in Argentina verses the US. Time isn't as important here, for example there are less expectations for punctuality. People enjoy their leisure more, so it isn't as important to try to get past somebody on the sidewalk right away.