Comments on Chileno - Living in Santiago, Chile Travel Blog: How To Say Sorry

Mike those apartments are just as crummy as the li...

2007-08-08T15:21:00.000-07:00

Mike those apartments are just as crummy as the little shacks built in the shanty towns during "las toma" era of the early 1970's. Would you live in either of those two places? And I did not stereotype Chile; the sad thing is there are an overwhelming amount of people who do fit that description. If you read some of the other posts I told Will about the little genteel milieu of Santiaguinos who have had to share their high society space with all the new military money. Or how there was a bit more diverse types of people before the Pinochet Era. Before he brainwashed people into mini Pinobots.

Chile is a small town. Therefore, small town issu...

2007-08-07T13:58:00.000-07:00

Chile is a small town. Therefore, small town issues become national issues. There is absolutely no perspective.

It's strange to ponder because the only "city" in Chile is Santiago, and it's large population wise but culturally it's a small town. There is some culture, as any small town has some. But overall, it's really provincial, conservative, ridiculously formal. And it's home to close to 40% of Chile.

So the president is really just an elevated soccer mom, she gets her whole cabinet together at her place, convinced they would beat Argentina and lost face when her little boys lost. Got on TV and said, "we love you anyway!" And then they proceeded to attack the Toronto police, according to some versions of the story.

Beck-ham, sure. If you say so. I don't know anything about soccer.

It's funny to see the actual president jumping on ...

2007-08-07T11:40:00.000-07:00

It's funny to see the actual president jumping on that wagon. I kind of expect that from somebody like...Carlos Menem, so fucking tacky. A president taking on a fan role, if that is the person who's steering the country...wow.
I have not read or heard anything about Harper asking for an apology, perhaps he does give a fuck about soccer and bottom line, it's a provincial issue, even further, a city issue, not a nacional issue, I think.
I mean, we(Canada)got guys fucking dying in Afganistan trying to protect the interest of others. I think we got more deep shit to take care of than fucking soccer...then again, maybe it's just me...
By the way, Beck-ham is a fucking joke.

Chileno, thanks for the link. I like the article, ...

2007-08-04T15:28:00.000-07:00

Chileno, thanks for the link.

I like the article, it is very true what Tomás says. I know because I have been in those apartments myself. However, every Chilean I personally know is happy with they way they live, even those in the apartments, it's nothing to be ''humiliated'' of in my opinion.

Santiago has little space for urban sprawl, so the buildings are designed to fit in as many apartments as possible for the lowest possible cost, making a lot be of poor quality. Not everyone lives in the centre of Santiago, however. What faithful lurker said, was in a way, stereotyping all Chileans.

Should Chile feel honored that you regarded it as ...

2007-08-04T14:55:00.000-07:00

Should Chile feel honored that you regarded it as having a flat ass? Flat asses are a very common "white" attribute. Chile should embrace the term flat ass.

Mike, here's a good place to start. Santiago, The...

2007-08-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

Mike, here's a good place to start.

Santiago, The Ghetto of the Future

-by Tomás Dinges, dual Chilean/United States citizen, journalist.

''They are already humiliated with their living co...

2007-08-04T14:40:00.000-07:00

''They are already humiliated with their living conditions''. Their living conditions? What are you implying here? Can you please specify and give examples?

I don't know what idea you have in your mind about Chile. Maybe you imagine every city as a slum? For your information, in Chile, as in almost every other country in the world, there are different classes of people, some wealthier than others. Yes, in Chile there are slums, and there is poverty, but many people are also well-off and are living to a very good standard.

It would be fantastic if that football team blew a...

2007-08-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

It would be fantastic if that football team blew away the pascua lama thing, too bad the argies were not in the fight :-)

This pretending to be "of the people" has to stop....

2007-08-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

This pretending to be "of the people" has to stop. B!chtelet does not exude fiery. Seriously, Michele Bachelet went to school in Bethesda Maryland,(a wealthy and highly educated suburd) in the early 60's when her father was stationed to work at the Chilean Embassy in DC. She is very aware of the diplomatic temperament expressed by Europeans and the North Americans elites. What she needs to do is fire her advisors and hire a more polished team of advisors. Bachelet is in dire need of presenting herself in a more dignified manner. Epecially when dealing with other heads of states and the international press. It says a great deal about Chile when la presidenta jumps the gun so quickly. In more "civilized" countries, the practice is to always have the president's mouthpiece face the press with the nuetral "No comment at this time". Once the situation has been thoroughly analyzied, then they go on the record in getting their point cross, without saying something that can come back to haunt the country in the future. All she is doing is trying to make "her people" feel warm and fuzzy. They are already humiliatied with their living conditions. Hopefully this little blunder does not come back to bite Chile in its flat ass.