Uruguay

host families

As in every other country in the world, every family is different, so you must be open minded about what kind of family you will live with. As we say in YFU Uruguay: “It may not be better, it will not be worse. It is just different”. 

In Uruguay, family life is very important, so you must try to communicate with them as often as you can. They are also very affectionate, so don’t find it strange if your mom hugs you a lot; Uruguayan families are very warm! Expect your host family to have different rules from your own family. You may find it to be more conservative than yours, but keep in mind that these people are opening their home to you and they will be very protective of your safety for the first few months, as you will not know much about their culture at first. 

You will be expected to help with household chores -just like you are back home- such as washing dishes, preparing food, vacuuming, taking care of your own room and your own clothes. This is because you will become a part of their family and you must act accordingly so. Of course, chores may vary from family to family, as it happens in every part of the world. It is recommended though to always offer your help and ask your host parent what you can do to help them. 

School

In Uruguay there are public and private schools. Students generally attend the same high school as their siblings. In some public schools, students can wear their own clothes, but in private schools they must usually wear a uniform. There are many factors involved in deciding what kind of school you will attend, such as location, your host family’s opinion, etc. 

All YFU students must go to class every day during their stay. You will be expected to take the same number of subjects as your Uruguayan classmates, so you must study hard. 

In Uruguay, it’s not very common to have exchange student as classmates, so you will be asked a lot of questions, and most important, other kids will be very excited about getting to know more about you and your country. Uruguayans are in general really friendly and outgoing and like to make plans with you and invite you to go places with them from the beginning. It’s simply a part of their culture, so don’t worry about not knowing anybody at first, because you will have many friends in no time.

ingredients

4 cups milk 
1 1/4 cups sugar 
1/4 teaspoon baking soda 
1 teaspoon vanilla 

preparation

Stir together 4 cups milk, 1 1/4 cups sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and thickened, about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Transfer to a bowl to cool. 

history

Uruguay was inhabited by the Charrúa people approximately 4000 years before the Portuguese established Colonia del Sacramento in 1680, one of the oldest European settlements in the country. Montevideo was founded as a military stronghold by the Spanish democratic constitutional republic, with a president who serves both as head of state and as head of government.

climate

The weather in Uruguay is fairly uniform nationwide, since the country is located entirely within one temperate zone. Seasonal variations are pronounced, but extremes in temperature are rare. The average temperature in summer is 24°C (75°F) and it’s very bright and sunny. In winter, temperatures drop to an average of 9°C (48°F), but although it may be windy and rainy, it never snows. Keep in mind that Uruguayan homes don’t usually have central heating, so people wear clothes indoors as well.

Spanish is the official language of Uruguay and the most commonly spoken one. Uruguayan Spanish is pretty different from other sorts of Spanish. Even though they can perfectly understand other styles, they use words and verbs that don’t exist in the rest of the world. Also, certain letters are pronounced differently than in other Spanish speaking countries. Those who live close to the Brazilian border also speak “Portuñol”, which is a mixture of Spanish and Portugese. 

After your arrival and once you are feeling settled at your new home, you will take approximately 40 hours of Spanish classes in order to learn the language.

If you have never learnt any Spanish at school before, don’t worry! You will learn it soon enough! Usually by the third month of the exchange year, students can already communicate in Spanish, so leave your fears behind and be assured that you will rapidly learn the language.

What is very important to remember is that the least you speak in your native language, the fastest you will learn a new one. So keep in mind that this experience is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in a completely new culture, so embrace it!

The song The cafe 'La Giralda' occupies a special place in Tango history. It was in Montevideo, Uruguay, the year 1917, that a young Gerardo Matos Rodriguez wrote a tango for the orchestra of Roberto Firpo to play for the first time. Gerardo (17 years old) wanted to stay anonymous. Was it modesty? Shyness? Fear of ridicule? Who knows why he wanted to remain anonymous?

He, Gerardo, was barely making it as a student in the faculty of Architecture in Montevideo. Firpo only knew that the name of the young composer was Gerardo. It was only later that the full identity of the author was known. He was young, educated, well mannered and sensible. He was also a bit naive. He sold his rights of authorship to the Breyer publishing house for 20 pesos. After some moderate success, the composition was forgotten. 

Seven years later, in 1924, Gerardo was living in Paris and he met Francisco Canaro, who had just arrived with his orchestra. That's when he found out that La Cumparsita was a major hit. The tango lyricists Enrique Maroni and Pascual Contursi had added words to the tango and renamed it 'Si Supieras'- If you knew. All of Buenos Aires was hearing, dancing, and demanding to buy the score for the tango that was seemingly everywhere in shows, recordings, and broadcasts.

Shortly after, La Cumparsita arrived in Paris where, in the full grip of the roaring 20's, people danced Charleston, shimmies, one-steps, bostons, and when the crowd asked for a tango, they danced La Cumparsita. La Cumparsita spread from Paris to the corners of the world and has since and forever after become associated with Tango.