Uruguayans and Foreigners

Gaba sent me an article today about a venezuelan who 8 years ago moved to live in Uruguay. It’s only in spanish, but it’s really funny. It goes in to what Uruguayans think of their own country, and how they relate to people who move there. See Uruguay used to be a country where everybody came from somewhere else. There were italians, spanish, galcians, basque, italians, lithuanians, chezch, chinese, bolivians, italians, catalans, did i mention italians? But sometime around 30 to 40 years ago the waves of immigrants stopped. Then with the dictatorship in the 70’s and 80’s the flow went the other way. Now a days uruguayans are spread over the world from New York to Cambodia.

Leila, the venezuelan, ends her article with an experience which is very similar to mine. A conversation you have every single day if you are an extranjero living in in Uruguay. It’s they why on earth are you here conversation. From activist friends, to the guy at the pizza parlor, the immigration agent, people on the bus… it’s why would you move here.

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• Some mint gum please.
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• Where are you from?
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• Venezuela, and a pack of Marlboro lights.
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• And you live here?
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• Yeah, and that’s
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• And why’d you come here?
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• Because i like it here.
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• How can you like it? just like that?
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• Yep, just like that, how much is it?
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• And why do you like it here?
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• Dunno, i like it. How much is it?
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• But things are so difficult in Uruguay.
\x0A

I had one person ask me, why do you like it here in Uruguay. It’s so boring. Nothing happens. And she was right on some level. When Uruguayans have a general strike it’s considered a day to stay home with your family and drink mate. On sunday you can walk down the middle of the main avenue of Montevideo, 18 de Julio, at midday without much concern for traffic. All the stores are closed and few people are out.

There is something really nice though about lazy days on the rambla, drinking mate, eating gramajo in the boliches, and the street markets. It’s a more humane pace of life.