USA

Ana’s Multicultural Household: Argentine and British Couple Living in Dallas, Texas

Meet Ana from Argentina! Ana, shown below at the historic train station of the town of Capilla del Señor in the province of Buenos Aires, is from Argentina but currently lives in Dallas, Texas with her British husband. Talk about lots of very different cultural experiences! Ana is a contributing editor here at Pocket Cultures, and also writes her own blog too, Ana Travels.

Where do you live? Where are you from? If those are different, can you tell us a little about what inspired your move?

I’m currently living in Dallas, Texas, which is very different from where I grew up, Argentina. We moved to the US because of my husband’s job in the fields of telecommunications.

If you would describe yourself as multi-cultural, tell us a bit about what culture you most identify with and why.

We definitely have a multicultural household since I’m Argentinean and my husband is British. And we live in the US, which is a whole different culture from either of ours. We managed to blend some of our customs and create new ones but sometimes there are glitches in communication. I most definitely identify with my own culture.

Why did you decide to become a Pocket Cultures contributor?

I thought it would be a great way to clear some misunderstandings about my country and share different aspects of our culture.

Can you describe a typical day for you?

When we’re not travelling, I’m a full-time housewife so I don’t think readers will be interested in how many times a week I do laundry or what we have for lunch! I’m also on a tennis team and compete locally, and I spend some time editing and writing for PocketCultures and my own blogs.

What is the best part of living in your country? The worst?

It’s difficult to be objective here. I love my family and lifelong friends, so being close to them is very important to me, it partly defines who I am. The worst part of living in Argentina is probably the economic instability.

What books or films would you recommend someone who’d like to know more about your country?

Here’s a PC post I wrote a while ago about Argentinean films: http://pocketcultures.com/topicsoftheworld/2011/07/06/argentina-through-film-2/

What’s something that visitors are often surprised by when getting to know your country/culture?

The European influence on architecture, food, way of life and even the way we look is something that surprises visitors. Also, the mix of European and Latin American sometimes takes them unawares.

 

Chili con carne, the official dish of the state of Texas

Chili con carne is a spicy stew not without controversy. The basic ingredients are ground or chopped beef, garlic, onions, cumin and chili peppers. Sometimes tomatoes and beans are added. Here ‘s the first controversy: many people say “there ain’t no beans in chili”. Personally, I like my chili with kidney beans.

The second controversy is about the origins of this dish. Was it the Spanish who introduced it -or at least the ingredients? (more…)

PocketCultures world tour: best of 2011

Happy New Year! Our roundup of 2011 begins with a reminder that 1st January is not the beginning of a new year throughout the world. Carla wrote that Brazilians consider the year to start after February’s carnival, and Anu wrote about new year celebrations which take place at different times in different parts of India. Of course many parts of the world do celebrate the start of the New Year on January 1st, and Sandra’s post explained all about new year celebrations in Portugal.

Bolo Rei – part of the New Year celebrations in Portugal. Credit.

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Picture Postcards: Cowboy boots in Texas

This week’s clothing photo has been sent to us by our contributing editor Ana. She says these boots were spotted in Sheplers Western Store in Texas, USA.

Jason: Working Hard in Marin County, California

Today, we hear from Jason, our regional Pocket Cultures contributor from the USA. Jason and his family currently live in the US, but recently spent a year travelling around the world with his family, chronicling his adventures on http://alpaca-suitcase.blogspot.com/

Where do you live? Where are you from? If those are different, can you tell us a little about what inspired your move?

I live in Marin County, California, just north of San Francisco.  I grew up in California, but have lived in Japan, New York and Cusco, Peru.  My latest move was back home; the kids are in high school and college is looming so I’m hanging up my traveling shoes and putting on my corporate shoes for a few years.

If you would describe yourself as multi-cultural, tell us a bit about what culture you most identify with and why. If you have kids, what culture do they most associate with?

I’m an American and so are my kids.  We have traveled a lot but have never lived anywhere else for over a year, so we’ve retained our “american-ness” and hopefully some perspective.

Why did you decide to become a Pocket Cultures contributor?

Can you describe a typical day for you?

Well, right now I just took on a challenging job in San Francisco so it feels like all I do is work.

What is the best part of living in your country? The worst?

Best part is that anything is possible.  Worst part is that it’s not true for everybody.

What books or films would you recommend someone who’d like to know more about your country?

Films: Blue Velvet, American Beauty

What’s something that visitors are often surprised by when getting to know your country/culture?

How religious we are and how optimistic we are.

Picture Postcards: Sweet iced tea from Alabama, USA

Our contributing editor, Anna, has sent in this photo of a refreshing cup of sweet iced tea. She says,

“Iced tea is a very popular and refreshing drink in South of the United States. This photo was taken in Alabama, where they serve the iced tea very sweet and in tin mugs. “

Read more:
What surprised you most about the US?
A Taiwanese Student in the USA
How to Become a Cultural Insider