Chilean culture

Hmmph. I think I have finally mastered the bus thing and, along with it, the system of who gives up their seat to whom: men almost always give it to adult women of any kind, men and women give it up to other women who have children in tow and both men and women ALWAYS give up their seat to an elderly person, without question. So after seeing a woman today on the bus offer her seat to a little old lady, I was thinking that I’d now mastered the etiquette system and was officially a pro on Chilean culture. I clearly needed to be knocked down a peg. And, sure enough, not 10 minutes later, a woman offered her seat to… ME! Me, with no kiddos straggling behind. So that only leaves one category for me to fit into: she must have thought I was too old to endure the bus ride standing up! After suppressing my urge to slap her, I politely declined and decided that it was best for all involved if I chalked it up in my own mind to her being gracious to an obvious foreigner. Uh huh.

Some other tidbits I’ve gathered in my first week here:

• On a public street, it is perfectly acceptable to run into another person and not offer any sort of apology. The first couple of days I was constantly offering up “excuse me”, “pardon me” and “I’m sorry” until I realized that no one else was doing the same. Since finding out it’s cultural and not considered rude in the least (my understanding is that the Chileans don’t even notice how often they get bumped and shoved), I have been bumping with abandon!
• There is a Metro system here. But no maps for said system other than the one large wall map at each station. Guess you have to have a good memory! I have asked at every Metro station if they have a pocket version and have only been met with quizzical stares, as in “Maps? Why would we have maps? Silly gringa.”.
• And while, yes, there is a relatively newly revamped bus system here, there is NO timetable for it. I kid you not, the first time I asked somebody what time the 501 bus came, they laughed at me. Out loud. I have since been told that “The bus comes when it comes”. I have personally witnessed times when 3 will come consecutively and then not another one for 20 minutes. Sometimes 5, sometimes 15. Gotta love the South American concept of time! (Actually, I do)
• Speaking of time, if you were to invite a person to your home at, say, 8 pm for dinner, it is EXPECTED that they will not show up before 8:30. It is actually considered rude to show up any earlier than that as then the host will not be prepared.

Unrelated side note: Maria was sick for the second day with a migraine so, once again, dinner was up to Edgar. And, you guessed it, Alphabet Soup again! Men.