In Portland, Oregon, where my home is in the United States, I am known as Holly Murphy: a sophomore at the University of Oregon hoping to graduate in the School of Journalism. Here in Cordoba, Argentina, I am known as a lost foreign student writing about my visits to the various cities that this country has to offer. I have only been here two days, but culture shock has already begun to hit me pretty hard.



As I walked into the fruit and vegetable stand yesterday, I was not shocked by the service or cleanliness or even the prices. Rather, I was surprised to see that everything was sold individually and that the selection was not exactly plentiful. In contrast to the emphasis of abundance and excess in my home in the United States where produce and food in general is sold in packages, Argentina has shed a new light on what it means to live in moderation. This has been my first foreign surprise here in Cordoba, Argentina.



This notion of living modestly is applied to all aspects of the culture: in the size of the cars, the width of the streets, the height of the buildings. It is a notion that is necessary to experience and possibly develop in ostentatious cultures.



Aside from the distinction of other cultures, Cordoba is a unique city illuminated with the bright lights of culture. Thus far, I´m somewhat apprehensive to where this city will take me next. It has predictably been very foreign, however, I still have two more months to experience what else is in store for anymore foreign surprises.

All this was accessible from the http://www.easygolanguages.com/study-abroad/Spanish/Argentina/Cordoba/"> Spanish Language Program in Cordoba, Argentina