http://current.com/items/89198765_thai_is_the_new_latin_flavor

People get scared when you say, “You’ll have to physically remove me because I’m not moving from the front of this line until you do your job and get what I want done.”

I TOTALLY disagree with this. If you’re working somewhere, it’s actually a little thing called YOUR JOB to stress out to serve me. I mean ok, I hope that you can serve me, the customer, with minimal stress considering that’s kind of the most basic thing you’re supposed to do, but if making me happy (within reason, obviously) causes you stress, then deal. My job is kind of stressful too, that’s why it’s called my “job” and not my “vacation.”

I’ve learned that treating people like crap and acting like I’m better than I am gets me a long way in customer service. It’s horrible but true. Many Chileans, especially those working in low-paid service positions, are used to the traditionally classist mentality that the only people who deserve decent treatment are people who are above them in the pecking order. Obviously I’m making a sweeping generalization right now, but my experience supports me on this one. If you go in there dressed nicely, acting like you can’t believe this person is wasting your time when you so clearly have better things to do, you’ll probably get results faster than if you’re wearing sweats and being friendly. This is actually a major conflict I have about living in Chile because I feel like I have to act in a way that I totally disagree with in order to make my life function a tiny bit more smoothly – and where’s the balance between something being a bad person with some results and being a good person who never gets decent treatment?

Funny note: Now that Ester and Fran and here in America, they can’t get over how huge the glasses are at restaurants. Ester like has to share a drink with someone or gives it to Fran after she has 2 sips because she thinks the drinks are gigantic!