Guardopolvo

On my first afternoon in Buenos Aires, I was walking around and noticed that almost every child of schooling age was wearing a white coat, just like the ones that medical students wear. This seemed kind off odd to me. It didn't exactly seem like a school uniform. I couldn't figure out what the deal was. And I was definitely a little upset that all of these kids were running around in white coats. I take pride in my white coat. It makes me feel special. And then, I come to a city where every kid, even the really little ones, are running around in these same white coats. If I were to don my white coats(which I didn't bring I promise) in Buenos Aires, people wouldn't even give me a second look. I would blend in. So what's the deal. Is every kid a medical student?

My teacher, Danielle, cleared up the confusion. Apparently, these white coats are called guardopolvos. Every child who is in public school in Buenos Aires must wear one to class. The reasons for these white coats are two-fold: (1) so that the kids have a jacket to wear over their normal clothes — so that their normal clothes don't get dirty, and (2) to make the kids feel special and kinda professional, as if they were little doctors, which is in fact what they are called when they're wearing their guardopolvos ( doctores chiquitas en espanol). Where the enyay on this computer?