How to Alienate a Gringo

I'm following Heather's and Abeja's lead on how to alienate a gringo. Since we offend easily, this could be an endless list but I'm keeping it short and Chile-specific:

1. Say you don't understand their Spanish
This is certainly true sometimes, but come on, you reallllly can't understand that she just said hola? I can always call the moment a cashier or taxi driver is going to quadruple the speed at which he speaks (yes, this is Chileno-specific) and the number of chilenismos he uses. Lots of Chilenos LOVE when Gringos don't understand them and Gringos, of course, hate it.

2. Ask, "are you all really as cold/unfriendly as you seem in movies"?

This question itself doesn't bother me at all, it's just the number of times I've had to answer it.


3. Cut in line

short Chilena with her empty shoulder bag pushes in front of you in line to cargar her Bip--nuff said

4. Give your children bebida when they say they´re thirsty

This one's obvious, but it gets to me more and more as I see the children drinking coke getting younger and younger (think a baby who can't walk yet drinking it from his/her bottle)

5. Make Jote(wine + coke = gross) out of the nice bottle of wine they brought for you

i may have to continue this one but that's all I've got for now...

Debates, debates, debates!!

ok, so I'm just a blogging machine today after my blogging hiatus.  As I've read in some other blogs, people are as excited or riled up about this year's presidential election in the U.S. as I am and the VP debates (If they don't pull Palin off the campaign) are this Thursday at 9pm.  Basic Bar in ñuñoa is having a debates night because they have a satellite and a big projector (not to mention delicious salads, pizzas, french fries, and tacos).  There will be drink specials for all Gringos with proof of gringoness and I think a few newspapers there interviewing expats.  All in all, I think it will be a great place for anyone without a satellite to watch the debates.  I'll be there with my mom, Italo, and Jessica from I left my heart in Santiago.  I hope other people can make it out there!