The love of lines

I have found there is one thing that my dad, Duke students, and people in Salta have in common. They all love lines. They just love standing in line. Even if they don’t know its purpose, they don’t bother to question, they just stand there—often for hours, standing, waiting. Anyone who knows my father or goes to Duke is completely aware of this phenomenon.
People in Salta have the same obsession.

This morning I went to the bank to trade in traveler’s checks. As I get closer downtown, there is a line filed out of every single bank, as well as an internet/computer store, a bus ticket station place, and a few other stores that I couldn’t label. I go to my bank, and sure enough, there were at least 4 different lines. One to use the ATMs, another to meet with a banker, another to meet with customer services, and another on the second floor for people with checks, travelers checks, and what not. On the lower floor you even had to take a number like at the DMV and wait to be called.

I didn’t have time to wait in a line, so I left, and every single line I had passed earlier was longer, and no one had moved! There were lines at the mall, at a Visa stand, there were lines at the meat section of the grocery store, and the line I waited in to pay at the grocery store took forever!

Valeria, my HelpArgentina contact in Salta, told me that today is the day most people get their salary checks from the government. Also, supposedly, at the mall, if you spend a certain amount of money, you get a gift (such as a bottle of wine). Also, there might be discounts around for Father’s Day this Sunday. Although there are reasons, I am beginning to believe it’s simply a love of lines.

And one more quick note…they love being pregnant and having kids. The amount of pregnant women here would astonish anyone whose culture does not run on the schedule of “at the age of 20 or a little older or a little younger you need to have LOTS of kids.” And the worst part is, according to Valeria, the poorer the family, the more kids they have!