07.07.2023
Tranquila and mañana: how time feels in Argentina.
This morning I showed up for a doctor's appointment at the wrong address — and only realized it at the door. The place I actually needed was 40 minutes away in traffic, and the appointment started in five. "Eh, whatever, no big deal, I'll get there, and it's surely already running behind before I even show up," I thought. And that's exactly how it turned out. I apologized a little, but I don't think anyone was even surprised.
Argentines have two important concepts: tranquila (calm) and mañana (someday, but not now).
Tranquila is the Argentine baseline. If you radiate calm, your character gets +100 to luck, a metaphorical cup of mate in hand, and everything sorts itself out somehow. But if you fuss and scramble, then it's -100500 and nothing's going to work.
Tranquila, says the doctor, somehow squeezing me into the schedule. Tranquila, says the museum that's technically already closed, but you came from so far that maybe it'll open. Tranquila, says the landlord replying to a message about a lost key. Tranquila, says the bureaucratic office where, over a couple of months, the paperwork hasn't budged a single step. Why?
Because besides tranquila, there's also mañana. It's like yin and yang: everything will work out somehow, someday.
Someday.
Meaning: not today.
Literally, mañana translates to "tomorrow." In practice it means "definitely not now, but no, I'm not going to tell you when, so maybe tomorrow — meaning in roughly an eternity, or even never." Mañana is a polite, socially acceptable way to tell you to piss off.
So what do you do with it? Whatever you do, don't push (see tranquila), but a couple of times, very politely, rephrase your request in different words: if it turns out to be easier for them to just do the thing than to sit through your pathetic Spanish a sixth time, then maybe something will actually happen. And if not? Then tranquila, and come back mañana! 😁3⚡2👎1