Rosario, Argentina: Where are you from and what are you doing?

Action
Since arriving in Rosario, we’ve been going to quite a few meetings. When we’re introduced to new people, they invariably start with the most difficult questions:
“Where are you from?” and “What are you doing?”

Our answers have evolved over the weeks. I now respond by saying, “I’m from the United States and Canada. We’re in the middle of a year of what we call ‘self-managed education’.”

These responses usually elicit more questions.
- “So where do you live?”
- “Well, I’ve been living in Toronto for the past two years, but I’m living in Rosario now, and when I leave Rosario I’ll be living in New York.”
- “But where were you born?”
- “Michigan.”
- “And that’s where you grew up?”
- “No, I grew up in Baltimore.”
- “Ok, so you’re from a university?”
- “I’m actually between universities now.”
- “But you’re here on behalf of some organization, right?”
- “Not really. I’m on the board of Planners Network and am working with Educating Cities here in Rosario, but we’re mostly working and researching independently.”
- “And what are you doing down here?”
- “Well, we’ve been traveling, studying, working, and researching our way through Latin America since September, and now we’re in Rosario for 6 months to work with and learn from organizations here…”
- “So you’re students?”
- “Of a sort, but not formally.”
- “But you have some kind of fellowship or grant?”
- “No, we’re self-financed. But we’re accepting donations if you’re interested.”

Reflection
Why are these basic questions so difficult to answer? “Where are you from?” is tough for me because there’s no one place or organization that I’m from. Most people assume that I’m Canadian because I’m using a Canadian email account and am coming from Toronto. Usually I try to correct them, but sometimes it doesn’t seem worth the confusion. When I do have to claim some point of origin, I feel most comfortable saying I’m from multiple countries (US, Canada) and cities (Baltimore, Toronto, New York) – global citizens of the world unite!

Likewise, my identity isn’t tied to any one organization. Sometimes I’m acting on behalf of Planners Network or Educating Cities or the Transformative Learning Centre or Project for Public Spaces, but I’m not technically employed by any of those organizations, nor am I currently enrolled at any school. Even if I was employed by or enrolled in a particular institution, would that necessarily be “where I was from”?

“What are you doing in Rosario?” is easier to respond to, but just as difficult to answer definitively. I’m doing lots of things in Rosario. I’m researching the city’s participatory budgeting programs, learning how Educating Cities works, learning about the city government’s many progressive programs, improving my Spanish, teaching English, developing an international participatory budgeting network, learning and practicing popular education techniques, maintaining a travel blog, becoming familiar with the social sciences literature of Argentina and Latin America, improving my cooking and trying out new recipes, meeting new friends, writing to old friends, getting to know a new city and culture, reading about the histories of the Americas, developing connections between progressive planners in North and South America, writing articles, exploring the Argentinean music scene, and living everyday life with Renate. So which of these activities best answers the question?

Question
Where are you from and what are you doing?