Thursday 28 January 2010

How can you tell when a Chilean is lying?

Their lips are moving.

Harsh? Perhaps. Untrue? I'm afraid not. The opinion of a belligerent Gringo? Well, yes. But also of the Chileans themselves. Chileans just don't trust Chileans.

There are fewer unpatriotic places in the world than Chile. People here don't puff out their chests and proudly proclaim who they are. Sure, they go nuts when the national football team does well but they go equally nuts when their own league team does well. That's more of a football thing. And of course you won't find a sober native during the Fiestas Patrias. That's more of a beer thing.

Some Chileans are almost embarrassed to call themselves Chilean. Obviously, they can't deny it if they were born here and willingly carry Chilean passports and ID cards. This is more evident in the affluent parts of Santiago. Many of them would not consider themselves Chilean and reading the telephone directory they may have a point when you see the glut of Germanic and English surnames. It's a class thing too.


Chileans have a reputation and the stereotype is not flattering. What stereotype is? The reason why the Chilean stereotype is so tragic is that they have bestowed it on themselves.

Usually stereotypes are gifts from your neighbours. For example, the US might refer to their northern neighbours as a bunch of plaid wearing moose-humpers who can't stop apologising. Conversely, a Canadian might refer to the southerners as a crowd of inbred, gun toting, pick up truck driving warmongers.

Discussing stereotypes in class makes great fodder for discussion. It's also really interesting. I always make sure that I phrase my question correctly. I ask that what a typical Chilean is according to Chileans and not what other nations think it is. The results are shocking. The students struggle to find the English translations for perezoso, de poca confianza and ladrón. What? You're a bunch of lazy, untrustworthy thieves?

I certainly concur with the lazy tag. Untrustworthy? I'm not sure but they do try to cheat in tests and the men are extremely unfaithful to their wives/girlfriends.

The thief tag I struggle to comprehend as I don't have any empirical evidence. Sure, there are pickpockets who prey on the idiots who let themselves get robbed but that is not unique to Santiago.

Shoplifting is obviously a major problem here. All stores employ security guards. Even the pharmacies have security guards. Some supermarkets keep their toiletries under lock and key. If you want a pack of disposable razors you need to hunt down a broom pushing gimp that isn't fiddling with their mobile phone to help you.

Perhaps you buy your toiletries monthly. In that case, you would go to PreUnic. These are large toiletry discount stores. The trouble is, despite the floors being full of merchandise, the stuff you really want is all behind the counter. In PreUnic somebody 'attends' to you. You find the person in a uniform who looks the least miserable to be there and she gets you what you need. This may require her going all over the store and coming back each time with an algo más?. While this personal service is not totally unappreciated, I could do it myself in half the time. But it's not a personal service, it's a security measure. This system is also employed in large stationery and electronic stores. It's infuriating that Chileans seem to be thieving bastards. If it's not bolted down, it's as good as gone.

The vast majority of apartment blocks have conserjes. Visitors are often announced and then have to sign in. Good security? Well they don't have to prove who they are.

At a recent residents' meeting there was a lot of dissatisfaction surrounding the laundry facilities in the building. It was felt that there weren't enough machines for the number of residents. To wash (& dry) your clothes in my building you go to reception buy your tokens and get the key. This is the only key. The next person can only use the facilities when the key has been returned. A wash takes 32 minutes and an average drying session is one hour. The conserje gives you two hours to do what you need to do. When I pointed out at the meeting that the solution is not more machines but rather leaving the door open all the time they were at first puzzled.

Look guys, a wash takes 32 minutes. That means that people only have to wait a maximum of 32 minutes and not two hours.

They laughed me down.

What's so funny.

What about security, they asked.

Security? What can happen? Someone takes your boxer shorts?

Exactly, they said in unison.

25 comments:

Marmo said...

Interesting. In the building where my girlfriend lives, they leave the laundry doors open always. There´s no missing socks or something like that, that we know about. They even use $500 coins directly, an no one has tried to break the machine to get the coins.
The mistrust issue is stronger in Santiago than other cities, maybe is a bigger city thing.
If you also consider that santiaguinos think of themselves as the only population in Chile, you get another point of view.
Here in the south at least, I think our own stereotype is different.
Good to read you again.

Anonymous said...

Interesting observations.

Before attending high school in Temuco, I asked one of my Chilean friends what he thought about Chilean people, and he essentially stated the same thing.

Amongst my friends in Chile, the consensus also varied between flojo and ladrón.

On an individual level, I found that this was not the case.

I believe a big problem is that many Chileans have been taught to adore the gringo and to look at the Chilean identity as substandard.

My friends always embarrassed me by talking down on Chileans in front of other gringos. I never understood the self-hate.

A Canuck said...

A good topic. And legitimate concern in that hole, er, city. I can't say that I saw too many cases of lying...except for the strangely Latino technique of making up directions to someplace when they actually don't know where the place is. I have always assumed that this is about not wanting to look unhelpful.


Chileans don't seem to trust each other at all...and this doesn't seem to be a new thing. Almost every business is set up in a way where the employees are not in a position to accept money or make change. All of this happens with a person sitting in a walled off booth. It's understandable, I guess. Stealing is like a passtime in Santiago. In my time there, I saw four cases of shoplifting. I reported one, where a guy was using his nine year old daughter as a lookout while he stuffed chocolate bars in his pants. The security guard shrugged. Looked "mean" at the guy for a second, and then went back to wandering around aimlessly.

At my local watering hole, I was there when a guy came in complaining that someone stole his new fancy phone. He railed at someone who would do this. I was there, a day later, when a guy came in trying to sell a new IPhone that he'd obviously pinched. The victim of the other cell crime bought it. Making himself and accomplice in someone else's misfortune.

I dropped a little mp3 player on the stairs coming out of Bilbao one rush hour morning. Noticed it about four seconds later. I turned to get it. One of the roughly three hundred people behind me on the stairs had grabbed it, tucked it away, and resumed walking by then. Hard to stop 300 people for an interrogation.

My bosses backback was stolen by a group of kids while it was between her feet at a restaurant. Smooth operators, those ones.

In my year in Santiago, I knew at least a dozen people who had been pickpocketed on the Metro.

I tried not to exit a bus from the middle doors because I hated to allow the fuckers to jump in from there without paying.

I have been to many rough places in the world. I have never seen the kind of bullshit that goes on in supposedly safe and clean Santiago. It is just rampant in your city. It's pathetic, really.

This is not to mention the vandalism, which seems to be another pass time. I wondered why the companies bothered replacing the glass in those ad pillars, only to have it broken again the next night. Said it before, and I'll say it again. Glad I'm out.

Keep 'em coming, Shark.

Anonymous said...

I am a Chilean who was raised in the US. I traveled back this year (I travel to Chile yearly) after the February 27, 2010 earthquake to help my parents (who also live abroad) with some properties they own here in Chile; travel between Santiago and Concepcion has been exhausting. This is the longest I have stayed in Chile since I was four years old. I am the only member of my family who has refused to give the [citizenship] oath for loyalty and love for my country however, that has changed.

Although I have traveled throughout most of Santiago, I too have witnessed theft in Santiago, thankfully not to as great an extent as you. What I have witnessed however is a migration problem and aggressive, hostile reaction Chileans have to Peruvians; who obviously travel here for better work and pay.

Many things about my Chilean compatriots upset me to the nth.

Firstly, the classism in this country is striking and absurd; a great show of social immaturity and backwardness. I feel as if I were stuck in a Jane Austin novel minus the romantic ending. These people care more about last names than about being productive professional sociable contributing beings. They are greedy, envious, bureaucratic idiots. Above all, many of the low to middle classes are extremely complacent.

My parents own properties in upper-socioeconomic neighborhoods which has helped. However, I have rejected special treatment and let an elderly man of obviously lower-economic means go before me just as I have been shunned by people who display their wealth vulgarly.

Chileans are, outside of their own family nucleus, anti-social, useless and envious people. They steal from each other in more ways than simply pick-pocketing; companies are corrupt. Look up Banco Santander’s history in Chile and not only will you understand what I mean, you’ll never put a penny in there so long as you’re in Chile.

Inside their family nucleus though, Chilean are joyful, have an admirable sense of humor [truly], and are loving.

I could go on forever but won't. The point I really wanted to make is that I have run into a characteristic that I have not been able to pinpoint. Perhaps you have witnessed this too and could offer some advice. Although Chilean upon first sight seem incompetent or indifferent to their employment, many times it turns out that if they dislike you, they will bend over backwards to screw you over in such a way you won’t realize it; unless of course you are savvier than me at sniffing crud like this out. Many people say Chileans are not aggressive but they are wrong, wrong, wrong.

The worst things you could come across is a passive-aggressive Chilean. These people will shit all over your last meal if they could just to get satisfaction. Revenge is a guarantee if thanks to you they ever they had to lift a finger more than they wanted or needed to. What is the best way to deal with this? I have yet to learn how and thankfully, flying back home to the US next week and doubt I'll be back here for years to come.

Anonymous said...

I am a Chilean who was raised in the US. I traveled back this year (I travel to Chile yearly) after the February 27, 2010 earthquake to help my parents (who also live abroad) with some properties they own here in Chile; travel between Santiago and Concepcion has been exhausting. This is the longest I have stayed in Chile since I was four years old. I am the only member of my family who has refused to give the [citizenship] oath for loyalty and love for my country however, that has changed.

Many things about my Chilean compatriots upset me to the nth.

Firstly, the classism in this country is striking and absurd; a great show of social immaturity and backwardness. I feel as if I were stuck in a Jane Austin novel minus the romantic ending. These people care more about last names than about being productive professional sociable contributing beings. They are greedy, envious, bureaucratic idiots. Above all, many of the low to middle classes are extremely complacent.

My parents own properties in upper-socioeconomic neighborhoods which has helped. However, I have rejected special treatment and let an elderly man of obviously lower-economic means go before me just as I have been shunned by people who display their wealth vulgarly.

Chileans are, outside of their own family nucleus, anti-social, useless and envious people. They steal from each other in more ways than simply pick-pocketing; companies are corrupt. Look up Banco Santander’s history in Chile and not only will you understand what I mean, you’ll never put a penny in there so long as you’re in Chile.

Inside their family nucleus though, Chilean are joyful, have an admirable sense of humor [truly], and are loving.

I could go on forever but won't. The point I really wanted to make is that I have run into a characteristic that I have not been able to pinpoint. Perhaps you have witnessed this too and could offer some advice. Although Chilean upon first sight seem incompetent or indifferent to their employment, many times it turns out that if they dislike you, they will bend over backwards to screw you over in such a way you won’t realize it; unless of course you are savvier than me at sniffing crud like this out. Many people say Chileans are not aggressive but they are wrong, wrong, wrong.

The worst things you could come across is a passive-aggressive Chilean. These people will shit all over your last meal if they could just to get satisfaction. Revenge is a guarantee if thanks to you they ever they had to lift a finger more than they wanted or needed to. What is the best way to deal with this? I have yet to learn how and thankfully, flying back home to the US next week and doubt I'll be back here for years to come.

Anonymous said...

I am a Chilean who was raised in the US. I traveled back this year (I travel to Chile yearly) after the February 27, 2010 earthquake. This is the longest I have stayed in Chile since I was four years old. I am the only member of my family who has refused to give the [citizenship] oath for loyalty and love for my country however, that has changed.

Many things about my Chilean compatriots upset me to the nth.

Firstly, the classism in this country is striking and absurd; a great show of social immaturity and backwardness. I feel as if I were stuck in a Jane Austin novel minus the romantic ending. These people care more about last names than about being productive professional sociable contributing beings. They are greedy, envious, bureaucratic idiots. Above all, many of the low to middle classes are extremely complacent.

Chileans are, outside of their own family nucleus, anti-social, useless and envious people. They steal from each other in more ways than simply pick-pocketing; companies are corrupt. Look up Banco Santander’s history in Chile and not only will you understand what I mean, you’ll never put a penny in there so long as you’re in Chile.

Inside their family nucleus though, Chilean are joyful, have an admirable sense of humor [truly], and are loving.

The point I really wanted to make is that I have run into a characteristic that I have not been able to pinpoint. Perhaps you have witnessed this too and could offer some advice. Although Chilean upon first sight seem incompetent or indifferent to their employment, many times it turns out that if they dislike you, they will bend over backwards to screw you over in such a way you won’t realize it; unless of course you are savvier than me at sniffing crud like this out. Many people say Chileans are not aggressive but they are wrong, wrong, wrong.

The worst things you could come across is a passive-aggressive Chilean. These people will shit all over your last meal if they could just to get satisfaction. Revenge is a guarantee if thanks to you they ever they had to lift a finger more than they wanted or needed to. What is the best way to deal with this? I have yet to learn how and thankfully, flying back home to the US next week and doubt I'll be back here for years to come.

Anonymous said...

I am a Chilean who was raised in the US. I traveled back this year (I travel to Chile yearly) after the February 27, 2010 earthquake. This is the longest I have stayed in Chile since I was four years old. I am the only member of my family who has refused to give the [citizenship] oath for loyalty and love for my country however, that has changed.

Many things about my Chilean compatriots upset me to the nth.

Firstly, the classism in this country is striking and absurd; a great show of social immaturity and backwardness. I feel as if I were stuck in a Jane Austin novel minus the romantic ending. These people care more about last names than about being productive professional sociable contributing beings. They are greedy, envious, bureaucratic idiots. Above all, many of the low to middle classes are extremely complacent.

Chileans are, outside of their own family nucleus, anti-social, useless and envious people. They steal from each other in more ways than simply pick-pocketing; companies are corrupt. Look up Banco Santander’s history in Chile and not only will you understand what I mean, you’ll never put a penny in there so long as you’re in Chile.

Inside their family nucleus though, Chilean are joyful, have an admirable sense of humor [truly], and are loving.

The point I really wanted to make is that I have run into a characteristic that I have not been able to pinpoint. Perhaps you have witnessed this too and could offer some advice. Although Chilean upon first sight seem incompetent or indifferent to their employment, many times it turns out that if they dislike you, they will bend over backwards to screw you over in such a way you won’t realize it; unless of course you are savvier than me at sniffing crud like this out. Many people say Chileans are not aggressive but they are wrong, wrong, wrong.

The worst things you could come across is a passive-aggressive Chilean. These people will shit all over your last meal if they could just to get satisfaction. Revenge is a guarantee if thanks to you they ever they had to lift a finger more than they wanted or needed to. What is the best way to deal with this? I have yet to learn how and thankfully, flying back home to the US next week and doubt I'll be back here for years to come.

Anonymous said...

I am a Chilean who was raised in the US. I traveled back this year (I travel to Chile yearly) after the February 27, 2010 earthquake. This is the longest I have stayed in Chile since I was four years old. I am the only member of my family who has refused to give the [citizenship] oath for loyalty and love for my country however, that has changed.

Many things about my Chilean compatriots upset me to the nth.

Firstly, the classism in this country is striking and absurd; a great show of social immaturity and backwardness. I feel as if I were stuck in a Jane Austin novel minus the romantic ending. These people care more about last names than about being productive professional sociable contributing beings. They are greedy, envious, bureaucratic idiots. Above all, many of the low to middle classes are extremely complacent.

Chileans are, outside of their own family nucleus, anti-social, useless and envious people. They steal from each other in more ways than simply pick-pocketing; companies are corrupt. Look up Banco Santander’s history in Chile and not only will you understand what I mean, you’ll never put a penny in there so long as you’re in Chile.

Inside their family nucleus though, Chilean are joyful, have an admirable sense of humor [truly], and are loving.

The worst things you could come across is a passive-aggressive Chilean. These people will shit all over your last meal if they could just to get satisfaction. Revenge is a guarantee if thanks to you they ever they had to lift a finger more than they wanted or needed to. What is the best way to deal with this? I have yet to learn how and thankfully, flying back home to the US next week and doubt I'll be back here for years to come.

Anonymous said...

Technical prob, repost overload. Sorry. Feel free to delete.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I’m Chilean and I will give you a less biased point of view. First I would like to know, where in Santiago did you live? I have traveled a lot but not as a tourist (tourist can’t fully see reality) I have lived in many countries like Switzerland, Brazil, USA and even communist Cuba and of course Chile.
Pocket pickers can be spotted mostly in downtown Santiago (centro) but just like every city. If you live in New York, I don’t think it would be a good idea to walk alone at night in Brooklyn. I remember in Geneva my neighbor’s car got stolen 3 times. But what make Santiago different from other major cities is that thiefs are less professional than they are in the USA or Mexico. In Santiago if you are not careful you might lose a cellphone but it is highly unlikely that they steal large amounts of money that would make it into the top 20 biggest robberies of all time.
The supermarket in my neighborhood, which I worked at for about a year, never had any incidents.
When I lived in Chile I had to go to school by the public transport (transantiago) and I only witnessed one man who tried and failed to rob a girl’s cellphone. My School was located in Providencia and I lived in Las Condes, it took 1 hour on bus. I never lost a single item.
When I lived in Maryland, USA I saw 2 different attempt of robbery at the local mall, something I never saw in Santiago. And someone took my bike which I never saw again.
I remember also when there was a sniper attack in Maryland in the USA and we practically couldn’t go outside to do sports because the sniper was on the loose. This has never happened in Santiago due to the lack of guns available to the public (its illegal).
In Sao Paulo, Brazil my father’s friend got shot and killed by some gang in the middle of the street as they were trying to get his car.
Now the people in Santiago are very aggressive when driving and they are somewhat lazy (comparing to Cuba and Brazil there are not) But very competitive and individualist.
Despite the above, Chilenos are generous which can be seen during “La Teleton” which raises funds by donations to disabled kids.
If you compare Santiago to the rest of South America I say by far Santiago is the most developed and safest city in Latin America.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I’m Chilean and I will give you a less biased point of view. First I would like to know, where in Santiago did you live? I have traveled a lot but not as a tourist (tourist can’t fully see reality) I have lived in many countries like Switzerland, Brazil, USA and even communist Cuba and of course Chile.
Pocket pickers can be spotted mostly in downtown Santiago (centro) but just like every city. If you live in New York, I don’t think it would be a good idea to walk alone at night in Brooklyn. I remember in Geneva my neighbor’s car got stolen 3 times. But what make Santiago different from other major cities is that thiefs are less professional than they are in the USA or Mexico. In Santiago if you are not careful you might lose a cellphone but it is highly unlikely that they steal large amounts of money that would make it into the top 20 biggest robberies of all time.
The supermarket in my neighborhood, which I worked at for about a year, never had any incidents.
When I lived in Chile I had to go to school by the public transport (transantiago) and I only witnessed one man who tried and failed to rob a girl’s cellphone. My School was located in Providencia and I lived in Las Condes, it took 1 hour on bus. I never lost a single item.
When I lived in Maryland, USA I saw 2 different attempt of robbery at the local mall, something I never saw in Santiago. And someone took my bike which I never saw again.
I remember also when there was a sniper attack in Maryland in the USA and we practically couldn’t go outside to do sports because the sniper was on the loose. This has never happened in Santiago due to the lack of guns available to the public (its illegal).
In Sao Paulo, Brazil my father’s friend got shot and killed by some gang in the middle of the street as they were trying to get his car.
Now the people in Santiago are very aggressive when driving and they are somewhat lazy (comparing to Cuba and Brazil there are not) But very competitive and individualist.
Despite the above, Chilenos are generous which can be seen during “La Teleton” which raises funds by donations to disabled kids.
If you compare Santiago to the rest of South America I say by far Santiago is the most developed and safest city in Latin America.

Anonymous said...

Well, I'm Bolivian and,contrary to what you said, in my opinion Chileans are very patriotic and nationalistic. The ones I've come across at least (of course I'm generalizing and I've only been to Chile as a tourist) think of Chile as being much better than the rest of South America. They believe they have a better, richer culture than their other less developed neighbours. I really hate nationalism and patriotism and as far as Chileans are concerned I think it's not only love of their country, but a feeling of superiority and that they, as a country, should always get their way, like their national motto says, "by reason or strength".

Anonymous said...

How can you really dare to say that students struggle looking in dictionaries for words in English when in the US (I'm a teacher in a public school here)students don't even know how to write properly in their own language? In my country (CHILE), there are no policemen in schools. We don't need them. In the US, students steal their teachers and also their cars. Students in CHILE are not taken handcuffed out of school.
You speak about men cheating wives and girlfriends.....LOL I'm a woman and I have lived here enough to say that in the US, men DO cheat their women and they show themselves as respectful husbands, men and parents. What a terrible lie you live as an American.
Your stereotype of an American citizen is very far from what you are showing to the rest of the world.
About classism.....here in the US....my goodness....you can see it everywhere you go and also RACISM which is something you can not see in my country very often.
And tell me something....how come that in the US people are asked by their race as soon as they get to the airport? I believe we are all only one human being race....that's it....That's why you find Germans, English, Black, Indians, Chinese and whoever you want to name in CHILE.
I don't have more time to continue telling you a lot of other things, but maybe in a few more days I will do it again.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I'm Chilean and I'm really amazed at reading some stereotypes about us. The sad thing is, many foreign visitors would spend just a few days here, so any good or bad experience will make most of their perception of us, so they would leave with a black/white snapshot of our country, with no shades of grey.
The chances of having a good time here or being robbed, raped, killed or kidnapped, are just the same than in Brooklyn, Colombia or Russia.

Chileans are pretty aware of the social/cultural differences between us. We learn to tell the good from the bad Chileans. Most of us are loyal, hardworking and warm folks, but there are also the stinking, filthy, uneducated dumbasses I'd be glad to kick their asses out of here.
Foreigners cannot see that, they just think we're all from the same pack. Maybe that's because of our complexion, language, etc. But if you like to pet dogs, and you can't tell a german shepherd from a wolf, be prepared for the consequences.

I know that talking about race or classism is not right, but here it can make a BIG difference in your next story about Chile for your friends back home.
Most Chileans would hang me from a tree for saying this, but if you come to Santiago, you MUST stay around Las Condes, Vitacura or Providencia districts. The rest of the City is crowded with poor, less educated people, very few of them have never left the city. If you pay attention, you will be able to tell the difference in trait by yourself.
Just think of Santiago like of Rio or Sao Paulo or China: you can walk a few blocks and come across the nicest neighborhoods or the worst favelas.

Mia Hodges said...

Heh, its really sad you have such a bad idea of chileans. First of all, I really think you need to take a rest and relax if you have a blog about hating something.

I am a chilean student who lives in La Serena in the northern zone of the center of Chile. First of all you have to make a very big difference between cities, what can you expect of the capital?, of course its crowded, like most of the world's capitals, its a place for work and business, dont expect to go there and relax in the center of the city.
Its true that chileans are opportunist people, but is not that we are searching for oportunities to rob, probabbly if we find a purse with money we will keep it instead of bringing it to the police station.

But out of Santiago things are very different, so much relaxed and quiet. About chileans we are very warm and always try to help even when its few, its true that for those who live in Santiago, theres no more Chile out of Santiago (most of news are all about Santiago), chileans arent open about sexuality, we like to party and we drink strong alcoholic drinks (compared to other countries), we arent punctual, and always find a way to get what we want, I could say the chilean is witty.

About patriotism, we are very proud of Chile in the zone, compared to Latin America we feel like the best thing, chilean soccer fan feels its even better than Argentina or Brazil before the matches (lol), but compared to Europe and the north of America, most of chileans will feel inferior, its true the "gringos" are very celebrated.


But about crime, Chile isn't different from any other country, of course there are dangerous and safe places, even when I was in London I saw notes about being carefull with thieves, and in Brazil with Favelas or any place.

If you come to Chile, ask chileans about simply security meassures and you wont have problems, outsiders are very naive. But you cant judge chileans knowing just Santiago.

Xtian said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Xtian said...

Yup - you're pretty much on the money as far as I can tell in Santiago. Born of Chilean parents, raised & lived in the US (mostly San Francisco) for 40 years, I returned to Chile 6 months ago and am absolutely flabbergasted at the provincialism and dishonesty. Granted, this is the first time I've been here so long, and have been pretty stuck in Vitacura the whole time, but I have to say that the best breath of fresh air all week is hanging out in Recoleta & shopping in La Vega.

The tawdry new-money vulgarity of wealthy Chileans, the economic apartheid, relative incompetence, seething class-hatred, and absolutely staggering dishonesty & denial, are soul-crushing. As you aptly mentioned, people are exceptionally warm & charming in their family circle, but outside, it is a hole.

One has to be very careful, though. Santiaginos identify themselves as Chilean to others, and as the society is quite primitive - stuck in 18th-century ideologies would not be entirely unfair - through repetition, this 'truth', as many others here, can become embedded. If you just keep in mind that Chileans are stuck in this time where they honestly believe they exist to serve the state & not vice-versa, where politicians are seen as bosses rather than representatives, human rights are apportioned according to capital, not humanity, and homosexuality is a disease, then it's not as frustrating.
The trouble is that in their insecurity, they sell an image of progressive thinking, human rights, and erudition backed up by nothing but social-climbing aspiration and a cultural belief that everything can be accomplished through fakery and short-cuts. Tall glass buildings with masking-tape insulated wiring. Caveat emptor.

Proud CHILENO said...

You clearly do not know who the Chilean people are! Your entire post is incorrect and ignorant! I am Chileno and proud to be one! I grew up with a lot of my own people, and I have yet to find one that is not proud to say that they are Chilean. And about Lazy and thief! That's a very strong stereotypical of Chileans, same stereotype that apparently other South Americans have been labeled with such as Peru etc. And ofcourse not true! Every nation has lazy people and thieves, just look at the USA, aren't you the biggest thieves in the world, trying to steal other nations property?! I am a successful business man who has worked hard for everything I have (a corporation) and that is not something that a lazy person can do!! So please before you come with your ignorant propaganda, make sure that you have accurate facts, because articles such as yours are what we Chileans have to face from idiots who think they know us better than ourselves.

Proud CHILENO said...

Oh and on top of that, laziness is something that every nation has including yours! As I mentioned above, I have a corporation, not a sole proprietorship or LLC (and yes I am Chilean NOT AMERICAN!), which should be proof that I am not lazy! And I created this company while doing my undergraduate studies (dual degree with highest honor by the way)! How many Americans do you know that has done the same thing! None in my University! So before you take your hatred towards us Chileans, you should look at yourself and your people!

Anonymous said...

I have lived in six countries and also I have visited many countries.
Without any doubt Chile is the worst place I've ever been. As somebody in the forum said, passive aggressive people, thieves, hypocritical, racists, envious; ok the list goes on and on.

I have seen how some chilean guys attacked and brutally hit to a peruvian man, without any provocation or reason (if could exist one to be treated like that). What is surprising, the aggressors were middle class people, but they behaved like criminals. I am still schock, there were many witnesses, but they did nothing. It is supposed to be a safety place but certainly it is not; at least some other countries are not considered safety as this one.

Policemen din't care and they did nothing when they arrived. They could've caught those guys and take them in jail, but it didnt happened.

I have been in Chile three times, during two weeks each time. Not all my experiece are bad, but I can say I have had more bad experiece in Chile during few weeks than during four years in Germany,(even with the attitud of many germans) Spain, Argentina, Peru and Italy. This is not the only factual story that I know, but I dont want to extend myself seeming too negative.



Unknown said...

This blog is right on the money, in my five years here I have yet to meet an honest person.... BTW I married a Chilean whom I gave ample time to change..... Yeah still a liar, in church... Liars.... Government..... Liard

Unknown said...

And the thievery.. Someone mentioned there are thieves in every country, yeah not on this scale.

Unknown said...

You know as well as I do that Chile is more población than well educated people. La Pintana, San Bernardo, Puente Alto, Maipú etc. The list goes on and on there is a very small part of Santiago that is a nice neighborhood and as a Chilean you should damn well know THAT FACT.

Unknown said...

Bull shit that the chances of getting robbed are those of anywhere else. You can and will get taken advantage of here. And by the way don't even get me started on the joke of trying to educate my children here. My kids have been bullied, robbed, and offered drugs inside the colegios subvencionados. Don't even get me started on what it would cost to give them a half way decent education and you would have to be a God Damn millionaire to send them to an English speaking school.... Case closed, it is what it is.

Anonymous said...

I can also attest to the Chilean liar. I was married to one for 10 years. The son of a rather famous persecuted SJW from Valparaiso. He was a pathological liar (and I mean he lied about everything) who eventually left me virtually overnight to date his quite young former step daughter- as a grotesque 50 yro man.