I suppose the following aren't necessarily bad to do in Chile, but these are a few of the things my host family has told me while I am here that make it painfully obvious I have little conception of Chilean etiquette. In other words, it screams European or American; which I suppose isn't that bad, but a little undesirable. When in Rome, if you know what I mean.
Don't eat that sandwich with your hands. Chileans think eating sandwiches with your hands an act of unkemptness, bad manners and social sloth. Don't be the one guy at the party grossing everyone out by accident - use the fork and knife they gave you. This goes for pizza too.
When you get your food, start eating. Maybe in higher, richer circles Chileans have a conception of waiting for everyone to be served, but I have seen none of it. Of the three families I have sat down with at the dinner table, and the countless times I've gone to a resteraunt with Chilean friends, at no point did anyone wait for the rest to be served. What are you waiting for? The food's getting cold. Plow in.
Wear dark colors. I wore my light blue sweater the other day and I think I was the only one without black, dark brown or navy on. Chileans certainly have good fashion sense, but their senses have gone way darker in shade than ours. A good way for a white guy like me to stick out is to wear something light colored in a crowd (which I have done). Nothing screams foreigner quite like that. Then again, if you happen to be like me and don't care what other Chileans think about your fashion sense as long as it's not commiting a crime, go ahead and wear what you want.
Alright, I'm peacing out. Bye.
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2 comments:
is not necessary to eat sandwiches with fork and knife, the thing is that sometimes the sometimes is so big the sandwich that is necessary to eat it like that...and sometimes is just because you order a sandwich in a "fancy" restaurant (here "fancy" restaurants serves sandwiches) so you feel like out of place eating it with your hands when a guy on your side is eating lobster... but if in your host house they force you to eat it with forks..maybe they're posing..
in my house i eat sandwiches whatever i want...
the dark colours is true..but i think is in line with a very austere way of life, a moderate way of thinking... here ostentation is not a good thing to do...for me at least, you have to stay cool (or cold)... moderate in fashion and colours...
HEY..but you have to do your things..you don't have to change because of the way chileans acts...i see you got that point of view too and is perfectly fine... if i'm going to a country where everyone wear bright colours..i probably keep wearing dark colours...that's the beauty of travelling and knowing another culture, you don't have to take it..and even if you're inside that culture you can always be different
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