The gesture in this photo is pretty common here, you put your thumb and fingers together and, while pursing your lips you move your hand up and down a little, maybe mouthing "que haces?" (can be used for what are you doing, where are you off to, what do they think they're up to and who the hell do they think they are?)... the title is from Roy, click on the photo and scroll down to see the comments for additional meanings.

Anyway, that's just an excuse to put the picture here because I don't have any photos of mornings in an Argentine office.

One of my students didn't show up for his class (it happens, particularly at the 8am classes, that's an hour before they normally start). I give that class in his office so when I'm waiting for him (which is every time, he usually arrives after 8:30, but, like the Argentine stereotype of a Brit, I always arrive one time on the off chance t hat he'll have not gone to sleep the night before (probably the only way he'd be in at 8)) I wait in the reception part of the office, which is a big open plan place.... mornings go like this.

8:00 One lone computer guy is doing something on the other side of the office, he wears headphones and plays no further part

8:10 Tall balding chap (chap A) comes in, says Buen dia... makes himself a coffee

8:30 A woman (woman B) comes in, says Buen dia, says buen dia to chap A.

8:35 A waiter from the cafe downstairs comes in, says buen dia to A and B, delivers a cafe con leche (white coffee) to woman A.

8:40 Man C and Man D enter say buen dia, que tal, como le va (morning, how are you, how's it going), they kiss everyone they meet, it takes a few minutes, all very friendly.

8:50 Receptionist comes in. Says buen dia, goes off to make a cup of coffee, says buen dia, hola, que tal, como le va, como andas to everyone she meets, comes back in ten minutes.

8:55 Man C spends ten minutes preparing his mate

8:57 Man D spends ten minutes preparing mate

9:00 As each new person enters the office they do the same, greet almost everyone, then catch up, then make their mate. For the people who arrive late it takes them half an hour to reach their desks.

9:10 My student phones to say he can't make it. I leave. I have been told that the process for leaving at the end of the day is almost the same only without making the mate.... which, given the obligatory one and a half hour lunch, leaves about four hours a day to do any work. Which is about what I do.  ¶ 2:02 AM