Fotografo de Bodas, Santiago

October 11, 2010

Have you heard of the website, Stuff White People Like? Some of the stuff is hilarious but true, some of it is just hilarious and some of it is reaching, but you have to give them credit for trying.

My friend told Seba we should start a Stuff Chilean People Like blog to see if it blows up. I decided I’d at least do a post.

Later one when talking to Seba about it, I said, “I need to write a blog. What’s some stuff that Chilean people like?”

Without missing a beat, he replied, “Homeless people! They like homeless people!”

I particularly like how he refers to Chileans as “they” and not “we,” but that’s a different story for a different day.

Because he’s right, Chileans do like homeless people. Chilean television has done specials on how the “homeless” beggars in certain spots are actually making really decent money off of sitting there with a cup in their hand, to the point that they do it because they make way more money begging than they would in any kind of regular job. They have no problem getting their compatriots to stop and drop a couple of coins in their hands on their way down into the metro. I’m always amazed at how generous the lower and middle classes in Chile are with the homeless (and the Teleton, which could be another great Stuff Chilean People Like post).

Whenever I’m waiting to meet someone at the metro, I’ll always watch if there’s a homeless person sitting there begging, to see how many people give them money. I’d say most of the time it’s 1 out of 4 people that pass by and if it’s raining, fuggetaboutit. Then it’s probably more like 1 out of 2. If you stay in one spot for a while you’ll see the homeless people pocket the coins so their cup appears empty and people feel sorrier for them. I have never stopped in one spot long enough to watch this same phenomenon in NYC but at a glance I feel like waaaaay less than 1 in 4 New Yorkers stop to give their homeless some change.

I wonder if this is because in the U.S. a lot of folks already donate to organized charities. We’re consistently one of the nations with the highest percent of people that donate both time and money to charity. So we think our consciences are all set since in our minds we’ve already done enough. In Chile, giving to organized charities is a concept that isn’t mainstream yet. I don’t have any stats to back this up because I’m too lazy, but as a cultural observation, it seems to me like Chileans don’t give much to many organized charities other than the Teleton or the people at the supermarket that practically force you to donate your spare change. People don’t trust organizations enough to give their money away, so I think they’d rather give it to an individual on the street, even if he/she’s probably scamming them to, with a fake baby.

Maybe that’s why Homeless People rank high on the list. Other things I considered writing about for Stuff Chilean People Like include, Bielsa, Feeling Superior to Argentineans, Peruvian Nannies, Peruvian Food, Anything Peruvian Except Actual Peruvian Immigrants in Chile (unless she’s your Peruvian Nanny), Canceling Scheduled Responsibilities Because of the Rain, Street Dogs, Mayonnaise, Drinking Coke Cola (alternatively titled Not Drinking Water, Ever or Being Dehydrated All the Time), Irresponsible Pet Ownership, Asados and Protesting.

I’m sure there’s tons more that I’m missing right now, but I’m too sleepy!

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20 Comments

“Anything Peruvian Except Actual Peruvian Immigrants in Chile (unless sheâ€™s your Peruvian Nanny)”

I laughed out loud! It’s so true. And the canceling things because of the rain is also very true, but considering no one went to class at UCLA when it was raining, I feel like I can’t laugh too hard at that one

Comment by Emily — October 11, 2010 @ 7:39 am

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Canceling Scheduled Responsibilities Because of the Rain, Street Dogs, Irresponsible Pet Ownership xD ahahah es cierto me riÃ³ por lo de la lluvia no lo de los perritos !!! Cuando estuvimos con Adrian le extraÃ±o justamente que tuviÃ©ramos que darle dinero a todo el mundo, los pesos al supermercado, a los chicos que te lo meten en bolsas … pero lo que encontrÃ³ sin sentido es tener que pagar por ocupar el baÃ±o …

Comment by Cynthia — October 11, 2010 @ 11:03 am

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OMG- Coke and not water…I thought it was just my husband didn’t realize it was a Chilean thing. It used to gross me out thinking about how much pop he drank and no water. I think his bad habit has rubbed off on me here in the US because I’m drinking more pop than I ever have before. I think they also like the parking guys as much as they won’t admit it. I know this because if I don’t like something and I have control over it I don’t do it. I understand if you park in the same area every day and the guy knows your car you are better off paying than suffer the consequences of what will happen to your car. What I DON’T get is when you are in a store at the beach where you will never see the guy again you pay him on your way out. I can’t figure this out but I know he wouldn’t be getting a single peso from me.

Comment by Cincinnati Chile — October 11, 2010 @ 11:23 am

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Oh- and you forgot the #1 thing- BLONDES!! (this is the first thing my husband said when I asked him what Chileans like and also very blonde of me not to remember )

Comment by Cincinnati Chile — October 11, 2010 @ 11:46 am

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Sorry for 3 comments but this got me thinking and even though I haven’t lived there I came up with a few- Strange bureaucratic processes, lines, onions, tomatoes, salt, 80′s music, mullets, finders keepers (aka STEALING), seafood (even if it’s something that tastes like you are taking a bite out of the ocean floor), parrilladas, mama’s boys, living with their parents until they are 30, warm milk, not using a clothes dryer and hanging things to dry (S claims this is not because they like it but that it’s too expensive which I understand but I argue that they had one in their apt building and didn’t use it and he also could have afforded one and didn’t have it), cleaning dishes by hand (same argument for dish washer as dryer), pan tostado on a tostador, hot pots, good cheap wine, tiny trash bags (aka plastic grocery bags for the family trash), Rumpi, SUVs…

Comment by Cincinnati Chile — October 11, 2010 @ 12:23 pm

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Hmm, seems those folks on the other side of the Andes aren’t so different after all.

Stuff ARGENTINE People Like

Feeling Superior to CHILEANS (and pretty much the rest of Latin America – ha!)
Street Dogs
Mayonnaise (not as much as Chileans, but it ranks up there)
Drinking MATE
Irresponsible Pet Ownership
Asados
Protesting

Comment by Katie — October 11, 2010 @ 2:19 pm

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Boycott mayonnaise!

Comment by Kai Heeringa — October 11, 2010 @ 2:22 pm

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Ironing creases in jeans! What is that all about? Chileans seem to love that. My maid tried it once, wow was she read the riot act

Comment by matt — October 11, 2010 @ 4:18 pm

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youghurt! Or dairy in general. This is what spanish people like but I know we have agreed that the chilenos are the same with their love of dairy.

x

Comment by Kristy — October 11, 2010 @ 4:37 pm

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@ Kristy, I would not agree that Chileans love dairy. The milk is all long life and the cheeses are revolting!

Comment by matt — October 11, 2010 @ 5:12 pm

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Matt, the dairy might be bad…but they definitely still love it.

Comment by kyle — October 11, 2010 @ 6:26 pm

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i had a few more, but my nightly ambien is kicking in so i don’t remember all of them. here’s what i have now:
1. drinking yogurt directly out of the container
2. Donating money to the teleton and hogar de cristo y serÃa
3. finding famous Chileans who are working on various cool projects(be that physics, law, acting even) throughout the world to then say, “see, there’s a Chilean under every rock”
4. layering their beds with 6 or 7 blankets in the wintertime to stay warm with out heat or a down comfortable (i’ve come to love this)

Comment by Isabel — October 11, 2010 @ 7:38 pm

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I can’t believe that no one has thought of this one yet…. modismos! Milk! Miami! In laws! Snail themed stuff for kids! Hot dogs at birthday parties! Giving you as many plastic bags as possible! Natural remedies!

Now you’ve gone and made me miss Chile….

Comment by Allie — October 11, 2010 @ 11:28 pm

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Chileans LOVE being ill: Every slight sickness being called something serious-itis e.g. a stomach ache (or hangover) being ‘gastroentiritis’, taking a pill for everything, even being tired, and having scans left right and centre so that they can relax safe in the knowledge that there is definitely something wrong

Comment by Ray — October 12, 2010 @ 1:29 am

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That is SO funny! I so want to visit Chile, I feel like I know what it’ll be like already from reading your blog, but I want to experience it for myself!

Comment by Eliza — October 12, 2010 @ 5:13 am

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@Kyle, yes point taken. How much more would they love it, if it had a good taste?

Comment by matt — October 12, 2010 @ 7:32 am

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Dam this is a retarted article especially coming from a responsible I want to believe “educated” adult

Comment by Poptarts — October 12, 2010 @ 8:59 pm

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Hi Kyle!!! I can contribute with other things we like (I loved your post ).
We love pan con palta, everything with palta. Outside the capital, we like to have “once” instead of dinner. We love to celebrate in Plaza Italia when something good happens, although this celebrations cause so much damage in public property. Also journalists love to ask foreigners “What do you think about Chile??”.

Comment by Barbara S — October 13, 2010 @ 6:33 pm

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Hmm… I think they must like saying theyÂ´re tired. Because when I run into someone and ask “How are you doing?” most of them answer me: ” Fine… but sooooo tired… con sueeeeÃ±oo…” Heheh… I think IÂ´m starting to say it too…

Comment by dalila — October 18, 2010 @ 5:33 pm

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We dont like dairy, we love Nescafe(fake coffee) for breakfast, and a toasted bread with butter, if you can afford you have avocado(with salt and oil)instead or with butter. But usually note even breakfast, just the coffe and most of the time at the office while you begin your work of the day. About coca cola we love it more than water but is expensive. And we love Blonde gringas, I have own btw(wife). And we don’t love homeless people we are a empathic country. You never know how your future can change or your children’s and grand children’s future, we give because is a way to protect ourself s from been like that or someone we love.
We don’t trust big charities handled by rich thief’s, not even hogar the Cristo . Teleton is in different spot because you can see the progress with your own eyes even if 20%of the money get to the children, is the only way to help with this world full of rich thief’s in the name of good for people with necessities(I am to old to buy their lies)

thanks i like this blog forum thingy

Comment by Felipe Ruiz Del Pozo — December 26, 2010 @ 9:51 am

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