During late November and early December, many people from southern countries and Europe arrive in the Lake Tahoe area to work and experience our winter season. They travel to the United States searching for a mountain town, snow to ride and ski, a place to practice and learn English, while they enjoy the beauty of the Lake and the uniqueness of the mountains surrounding it. Although the (lack of) snow this season might not be what they expected, we hope Mother Nature gives them their days of powder before they have to head back home.
I decided to ask seasonal workers from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, New Zealand, Romania and Switzerland, about their experience in the area. What do they think Tahoe? What are the cultural differences and similarities between their countries and the U.S.? What do they miss from home? What do they recommend to other international seasonal workers?
Biborka Xantus (31), from Romania, Transylvania, works at Northstar as a snowboard instructor for the third time this season. ‘I never want to leave this place. I think I am going to live in Tahoe forever. It is unique to find a place in the world where there are so many ski resorts all in such short distance one to the other,’ she said. ‘When you are here you should snowboard, telemark, ski, do cross-country, experience as many outdoor sports as you can.’
‘I love the mountain people, open-minded, natural,’ she said.
Josh Briscoe (25), from National Park, New Zealand, is also in Tahoe for the first time this winter season. On a previous job experience in the U.S., he spent five months in Colorado, and this is his first time working as a snowboard and ski instructor at Northstar.
He said, ‘At home I have been teaching ski and snowboard lessons to children for five years. They are great at the half pipe. I come here to improve my skills, and then go back to our winter and continue teaching over there.’
‘I miss my friends and family, but it is great to be here,’ he said. ‘I would tell the people that are coming to Tahoe for the first time not to expect a lot of snow.’
In terms of similarities and differences between and the U.S. and New Zealand, he said, ‘California is the same size of my whole country. I sometimes feel I am stepping into a movie, with the shops and the places I have watched on television back in New Zealand.’
‘Here, I believe, food has more sugar and is much more processed,’ he said.
‘Also, although we do have a lot of American television programs and the American music is huge at home, although we speak the same language, there are some words that have different meanings. What would you give me if I told you I need a torch?’ I answered, ‘a lighter,’ Josh said, ‘we use the word torch for what here they call a flashlight.’
Although he would like to check out all the resorts in the area, he said his favorite mountain is Rüapehu, in New Zealand.
Victorio Fontana (23), from Buenos Aires, Argentina, came to the United States, and to Tahoe for the first time this winter season. His sister has been in Colorado and recommended he come here. ‘Many people told my sister that this place was beautiful, with a unique lake, and good mountains, so when I went to the job fair in Argentina, I searched for a job in Tahoe,’ Victorio said.
He studies Graphic Design in the University of Buenos Aires, and used to work at a call center before coming here. Now he works as a ski instructor in Homewood. ‘I love Buenos Aires. Of course I miss my friends, my family and my dog, China, but this is an incredible experience. Other people that come to Tahoe for the first time should not see this as an economic opportunity, instead they should open their minds and enjoy the place. They should feel it as a holiday from their countries,’ Victorio said.
‘The people whom I work with here are half from South America and half from the U.S., I like the intercultural experience,’ Victorio said.
‘Americans are curious, they are used to South Americans, they treat you very well. Some of them expect all the Latinos are like the Mexicans. Some think my friends and I are Italians, because of our looks,’ Victorio said. He hopes he can visit San Francisco when his job is over.
Letizia Scorpioni Mettifogo (19), from Londrina, Province of Parana, in Brazil, works at Wildflour Baking Company, at Squaw Valley. This is her first winter season in Tahoe. She said, ‘I chose this mountain town because I really wanted to go to a ski station, also this place is said to be very nice for foreigners and has beautiful views.’ As most of the seasonal workers, Letizia contacted her American employer at a job fair in her country. She now lives in Lake Forest, in Tahoe City, ‘I contacted the owner of the house by email months before from my arrival,’ she said.
Letizia has never skied before coming to work to Squaw. She does not miss her country, ‘I am always traveling, so I am used to being far away from home.’
‘To the people that are coming to Tahoe for the first time, I would tell them that this is a place with very nice people, where it is easy to hitch-hike, and I really like the fact that there are people from all around the world, the cultural exchange,’ she said.
‘Comparing my town in Brazil and Tahoe I would say that in both places people are friendly, very talkative, and willing to help. The difference is that here crossing the street is not dangerous, and all the food seems to come in huge amounts,’ Letizia said.
She also hopes to visit San Francisco before getting back to Brazil.
Alfonso Neyra (23), from Lima, Peru, came to Tahoe in December 2006, for the first time. He is working at Guest Services at Alpine Meadows. He said, ‘Some friends told me about this place, and at the job fair in Lima I chose a job here.’ He studies Business Administration back in his country, and does not work in Peru. He said it was really difficult to him to get a house when he just arrived, so he decided to stay at a hotel in Tahoe City. ‘I wished I had tried to get a house when I was still in Peru, I would tell future seasonal workers to do so before they come.’
Alfonso misses the food from home and his family. He said about Tahoe, ‘I like it very much because I am in constant contact with nature.’
When I asked him about similarities and differences Alfonso said, ‘In a small town in Peru you would never find the big supermarkets they have here.’
‘I think the Americans are very nice people, although they are a little close when you try to get to know them a little more than a greeting. The nationalist feeling from the American is much stronger than the Peruvians,’ he said.
Alexandra Barnes (28), from Zurich, Switzerland, works at Guest Services at Squaw Valley. She lives in Reno, and decided to work at the ski resort to enjoy the ski and ‘because there is nothing sunnier than here.’ ‘In Tahoe the culture is pretty laid back, but I really like it. I also like that they start talking to you right away. In Zurich they keep more to themselves, they are not so open,’ she said.
Gonzalo Mora (21), from Tembuco, Chile, is here in Tahoe for the second time. The first season he worked at Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows, and this season he works as a Snowboard Instructor at Homewood. He said, ‘Since this is a smaller resort they treat you better.’
‘I chose Tahoe because here there is a lot of sun!’ Gonzalo said, ‘I want to have winter all year round. I came back, and I do not want to return to Chile. I would like to try to go snowboarding to other ski resorts like Mammoth, Park City, Aspen.’ If he had to choose his favorite mountain in the area, he chose Squaw Valley. His advice to seasonal workers that hit Tahoe for the first time: ‘Do not let your employers take advantage of you. Here we are the lower class, but they should never take advantage of that. Last year I hurt my clavicle, and the health insurance did not pay for it.’
Gonzalo said, ‘Americans are very different to the Chileans, some are kind of crazy, but that is what I like most!’
