Today, I think I've probably seen the single most stoopidest thing in my life. Naturally a Chilean was involved. Well, the odds are against them. I like how New Yorkers pronounce 'stupid'. It gives it an extra resonance.If you've lived in this city for any length of time, you can't help but notice how much cleaning goes on by the local authorities. They are pissing against the wind here as Chileans are litter bugs and they wouldn't think twice about tossing a wrapper on the ground regardless of who's watching. In and around the city centre and eastern suburbs their are armies of jump-suited pensioners with pans and brushes. When they aren't sweeping up they are watering concrete (that's a whole other rant).
Clean, clean, clean. Sweep, sweep, sweep. These industrious little, leather-skinned Oompa Loompas never seem to stop.
Santiago city centre is, to put it bluntly, a shit hole. I shudder to imagine what it would be like if the street technicians didn't do their thing (Washington DC, perhaps). It not easy maintaining Santiago's level of squalor but these guys and gals (the sweeping up profession is blind to gender) diligently go about their business.
My twice-weekly, early morning class in the city centre has me waiting for my student outside his place of work. Today, I got there ten minutes early. I amused myself by guessing what the level of crude comments thrown at passing ladies would be by the pot-bellied delivery men who were also killing time waiting on shop owners to open up. I was thrown off my game by a gentle Permiso. It was one of those nice street cleaning folk. Normally, I wouldn't think twice in this situation. Normally I'd give a si po, step out of the way and let him get on with it. This morning, however, I was distracted. Looking down where I had expected to see a sweeping brush or broom, I saw a mop! A mop? But we're outside. Perhaps, it was a new type of brush but new technology doesn't usually pass me by. Then I saw the bucket! 80% full with what could only be water. Black water. Was it paint? Evidently not. I moved out of his way and closed my gaping mouth.
He carried on down the pavement schlopping and mopping throwing buen día's at the delivery men who now seemed to be busying themselves with smoking cigarettes and scratching their genitals. My eyes stayed on him till he disappeared out of sight around the corner. I don't know how long my student was there.
'Teacher. Teacher? How long time are you waiting?'
- 'Um, not long', I mumbled.
'Is that good? How long time?'
- 'He-he was mopping the pavement.
'Sorry?'
- 'He was mopping the pavement.' I said snapping out of my daze.
'Pavement?'
- 'Pavement', I said, pointing downwards. 'Mopping', I demonstrated with the international mime for mopping (which is vastly different from the one for sweeping.
'Ahh, sí. Mopping. How much time is good o no?'
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7 comments:
Haha, efficiency and technological advancements haven't exactly hit the Chilean street-sweeping world (or most of Chile for that matter). That said, I like seeing people, usually older men, sweeping the gravel paths in parks with palm fronds...it seems to work just as well as any other method, and I like that they haven't bought some special brush just because it exists, as I think they would have done in the US. And watering the sidewalks is a total waste of water, but on a hot day it feels so nice to enjoy the cool air rising from a damp sidewalk.
Sharky! Two things we agree on! I hate hate hate Santiago Centro (well, not so much Barrio Brasil, but everywhere else with a firey passion) and watering the sidewalks has always been a puzzle to me. I´ve never seen anyone mop the sidewalks, though.
Abby, you are quite right to demand evidence. I'll see what I can do.
I was extremely puzzled by the whole sidewalk watering concept. Does it really get the sidewalks that much cleaner than sweeping? And even it the water does get them cleaner, do sidewalks really *need* to be that spotless?
And then I asked a Chilean about it. He was just as puzzled by my question as I was by the deed. I never asked again.
I saw a lady in a Providencia uniform once in Bellavista with a bucket, mop, and garbage can. I guess I thought she was sort of crazy because she came up to me and asked me if my mom's name was Pamela. I never even questioned the mop, but I think that's the only time I've seen one. Maybe someone had thrown up? That's the most likely conclusion in Bellavista. I give up. There is no reason. One of the many unsolved mysteries about Chile. Oh Chile...
There's actually a good reason for watering the sidewalks! A couple of them even...
Sweeping stirs up dust. In a smog-filled city that reaches crisis proportions with alarming regularity, people have been asked to refrain from sweeping and water instead, which makes the dirt stick to the ground.
And in the summer it has the added benefit of cooling the hot-hot pavement.
Okay. Let's get a couple of things clear here.
Firstly, I am not talking about watering the pavement. This anciano was mopping. He had a mop and he had a bucket of water on wheels. He was mopping.
Secondly, I have seen the pavement watering being referred to and have also have heard the theory about it keeping dust at bay. I don't subscribe to it. In the morning the Pocuro cycle path is constantly watered. I don't have mudguards on my bicycle. Why would I? Santiago is a desert after all. Unless I avoid these puddles (as well as the moronic joggers), I end up with splash marks on my clothes, bag and face.....and my face is my fortune!
The pavement I refer to is one of those ceramic tiled types. If it was indoors it would definitely be mopping material but outside it's so full of chewing gum and God knows what.
I just don't understand the logic of paying a native to do something that has no effect. If anything, he's putting more dirt down than taking up not to mention the fact that he's creating slippery surface.
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