Pshoo

matéComparing the experiences I'm having now to past travel, I sort of see this whole semester as an effort to get into Goffman's "back region." In my mind, that has always been the point of study abroad--an opportunity to actually live in a place rather than just pass through it. Whether or not I'm achieving this now seems impossible to decipher, because I can only know so much and to such a degree. This issue of only knowing as much as you do seems problematic for MacCannel's argument. He definitely talks about it, but the undefinable nature of reality--back region or front--diminishes his main points (in my opinion). Even though I don't think these lines can be clear, there are certain marked experiences I've had which for one reason or another, seem genuinely "back region."

The most obvious example is my homestay, since I live with an Argentine woman who speaks no English. I know about her daily life, activities, diet, basically everything she does. This is undeniable "back region" in many senses, but then I come up with question like "is this experience normal?" "is she normal?" "are we eating the way natives eat?" And the answer to all of these is "yes," but it could also be "no" since there isn't a rule for "normal," or native diet, or any culture/place-specific aspect.

I realize I might be problematizing this more than I need to, and could continue forever. Nonetheless, there are some things which stand out which are more generally specific to people in Buenos Aires, including my hostmother. One example of this is yerba maté, which is a very strong type of tea made from coca leaves. Here they drink it all the time, out of a gourd or some similar type of cup, filled nearly all the way with the tea leaves. That's why it's so strong. They also use a decorative metal straw to drink it, and carry the whole kit around to parks, etc., with a thermos, to keep adding hot water. This is an activity which tourists can easily involve themselves in, which also exists in the back region; a part of daily life. While a tourist might try a maté in Argentina, most natives drink it often, and own all the necessary supplies.
Ohh, I meant to give an example of back region only, but here it is again; maté can fit in both perfectly. I think my small issues with this article have to do with the fact that I don't like generalizations. I know they're irresistible, but on this topic, I feel like tourist experiences with native customs are just too case-by-case.