Argentina Summer of 2008

Another of the families we visited in Argentina last summer showed what we're capable of when we have little in the way of personal possessions. These children were part of a three generation household where sisters, their husbands and children lived in a small house with grandma just off of a dirt road.

This family was well off compared to some of the others we met. While we were there, they had a watermelon cooking on the stove top filling the room with a wonderful aroma.

Thin walls separated the families, sometimes made up of a blanket. The parents and children typically wore what we'd call "sweat suits" or "warm ups" since they keep you warm in the cold and relatively cool in the summer.

Where ever we went, houses were neat and clean as were the people. Most houses were open to the outside and it was easy for dust and dirt to be blown into the house ever time the wind blew.

What amazed me was their ability to adapt to their circumstance. The lack of possessions and the need to conserve brought families closer together. The small space caused them to interact constantly with each other by playing, reading or just enjoying mate socially.