August 31, 2008
The catcalls, the hissing, the blowing kisses, the marriage proposals…Gringas and Chilenas alike are tortured on the streets by the macho little boys who think women are nothing more than pieces of meat for them to oggle.
There have actually been debates though, in respected newspapers in this country on whether or not the harassment on the street is harmless. In the comment section, when El Mercurio, I believe it was, wrote an article, many women even commented on how they love the “piropos,” and all women should just enjoy them while they’re still getting them. Honestly, that attitude makes me feel a little sick inside. But, moving on, whether they’re Ok or not isn’t actually the topic I wanted to discuss.
What I wanted to talk about is when it’s appropriate to respond. Emily, as many of you already know, was robbed. This has made her slightly angrier and much more untrusting of this country in general…which in turn has her yelling back insults at any guy who dares make a creepy remark in her direction. Understandable.
This is something I do on occassion as well. No, I don’t respond back to every man who has the nerve to say something slimy, but depending on my mood, who I’m with, and where I am, I often feel the need to tell the guy off too. This has caused me problems a few times, like once when I retaliated to a guy making obscene gestures, we got into a yelling fight on the street and I told him I wanted his entire generation to die.
Some of our other friends say they never do this. One doesn’t live in the best neighborhood and is worried she’ll get into problems too. Another just wears her earphones everywhere she goes, which for the most part, I now do too.
Sometimes, I feel really good after I let a dirtbag have it. And other times I wonder if all that rage is unhealthy. In all honesty I know that one gringa saying, “Fuck off you dirty old man,” doesn’t change much in the grand scheme of things. But, not saying anything ever feels wrong!
When we all got to talking about it, I was actually surprised by most of my girlfriends’ responses. I assumed that all gringas who know enough Spanish to retaliate, do. Turns out, the ones I know usually don’t.
So what are your thoughts on this? To respond, or not to respond, that is the question of the day…
August 29, 2008
A few nights ago I walked outside and the weather was downright balmy — which is not an adjective frequently heard when describing Santiago. If I had closed my eyes and not breathed (as soon as you take a gulp of fresh air the smog definitely let’s you know right where you are) I could have sworn that I was in Tampa on a winter evening.
Lately I’ve been missing Tampa a LOT — although never in the, “I want to move back there,” way. Just in the, “I wish we weren’t saving all our money and I wasn’t petrified of flying so I could go back and visit more,” way.
If there is one downfall of being an expat, it’s that you will always be missing somewhere or something. That doesn’t mean you’re homesick and crying yourself to sleep every night. It just means that places you’ve previously inhabited and people that you used to know still live on inside you.
If you’re an expat, whether you’re leaving or arriving “home,” (and when you’re an expat the definition of the word home is definitely murky) you’re most likely saying goodbye to someone important in your life — whether it be your husband’s family because you’re leaving his home, your own family and friends because you’re leaving the country you were born in, or maybe just friends you have made in a random place you’ve chosen to set up residency. You’re always leaving behind loved ones and cities with memories whether you’re coming or going. Goodbye is no longer just a word, it’s now the inevitable.
PS. Don’t forget to vote. The topics have been narrowed down with a first round of votes and now we’re doing the second round to decide what we’ll actually write about for our next group blogging experiment a week from today!
August 28, 2008
Ok, the choices have been narrowed down so go ahead and vote for whatever you want to write about (or want to see us write about) next Friday.
Also, the lovely Florencia just did a very interesting post on Chilean weddings, if you want to check it out…and hopefully she’ll be able to participate in our group blogging topic for next Friday. It’s always good to hear the Chilean perspective on what we’re talking abotu!
August 26, 2008
With the Olympic games coming to a close and Michelle Obama’s incredibly moving speech at the Democratic Convention (watched it today, cried like a baby…see if you can resist doing the same) U.S. patriotism is in the air.
Jayna just posted on why she loves the Oh-lympics — because the contingent of athletes shows off just how diverse a nation we truly are. I couldn’t agree more. That’s definitely an aspect of my country that I really ache for sometimes.
One day while watching the Games, S. tried to get me riled up and started heckling me because the U.S. was behind in the medal count. I snidely replied, “Four little words, baby. Michael mother-effing Phelps. We don’t need anybody else…BOO YA!”
Ok, so maybe the “BOO YA,” at the end was a little unnecessary. Out pops my U.S.A.’ian arrogance — or is it sense of pride? The two are easily confused, or maybe interchangeable.
Don’t get me wrong, the stereotype of the arrogant American bastard is very much alive and kicking, and I hate it. But, I do long for that certain je ne sais quoi that many people from my country seem to have. My mom would probably call it a “can do attitude.” It’s a sense of you-just-can’t-get-us-down.
Some might call it a superiority complex, and when done wrong, I think that’s exactly what it is. But in most people, I believe it’s more of a sense of optimism than anything else.
I love that about “mi gente,” and I miss it.
Alright, time to vote on the next group blogging post, which will be, not this Friday, next. I would like to vote and choose the topic now so I can start thinking about my post. Unlike some of you, I can’t just whip something up at the last minute. I’m a nerd and my blogging is all carefully calculated. 
This list is pretty long so maybe we can use this poll to narrow it down to three or four topics and then do another poll to choose between those. Also, obviously we can continue group blogging for as long as everybody still likes the idea so I think we’ll have plenty of time to get to most of these topics!
If for some reason I didn’t put your topic in there, I’m sorry. I’ll have to put them in the poll for next time. I may have missed a few because topic suggestions were spread out in the comments over quite a few posts. Also if the topic says, Chilean something, feel free to substitute Ecuadorian something or U.S. something or whatever to relate the topic you’re living so you can participate from anywhere!
Please vote for only topic even though I think it allows you to choose multiple answers. I’m technologically retarded and couldn’t figure out how to change that.
And if you haven’t been back to the original Chilean men post, you should check it out again, because I’ve added a couple new late joiners who also chimed in on the subject!
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- @dregonzrob, hahaha, eating wall paper, that's a new one. Dog whisperer dato coming your way :)
- @lanapuckett, when we get back I'll have to introduce you to @gabrielrodriguez, @sebamilla and @sebastiankaulen!
- @dregonzrob, you need the dog whisperer!!!
- Brian McBride is announcing his retirement from the game today. He will go down in history for me as my favorite U.S. player ever. LOVE him.
- Caroline and Tommy should probably stop being this hot or somebody's going to catch on fire. http://tinyurl.com/2feozcy
- Writing w/ @imnotobsessed tomorrow early! Love catching people up on their daily dose of gossip and I <3 @inosherry, my online co-worker :)
