Culture tips - Chile Video Transcripts
Video 1 Transcript
One cultural suggestion I can make is that Chile, while they do speak Spanish, they kind of speak their own Spanish. They're very known for speaking poorly. I guess you could say what they have a lot of slang words. And one thing that they really like is when especially an American comes and uses their slang words, they think it's hilarious. Obviously, you have to watch out. You don't want to say anything crude or inappropriate, but there are certain slang words that aren't. If you can learn some before going, it'd be kind of a good icebreaker with some of the people you meet.
Video 2 Transcript
You know Chileans, they love to joke around, they love to make fun of you, to just have a good time. So definitely, they're really like outgoing that way, love soccer, they love their food and their bread. So definitely eat up on the bread when they offer it to you. It's really good, but it'll make you fat, so be careful about that. But yeah, they do love their food, they love when you eat their food. They love to just chat and hang out, so be friendly in that manner. It really went over their hearts.
Video 3 Transcript
I think this is mostly geared to, again, those of us leaving from the United States. Definitely here, we enjoy a certain amount of personal space in our culture. That may not necessarily be the case in Asorno or in Chile. People are, what they use, cariñoso, or they're very close, personal.
Video 4 Transcript
People will kind of make fun of you for being American, for not speaking Spanish very well. You're just, just roll with it. Like, don't get defensive. Don't pretend that you know more Spanish than you do. Just, just laugh along with them. If you can be happy, and if you can joke along with them, then they're gonna like you, and they're gonna want to help you out a little more, and and you're gonna be friends.
Video 5 Transcript
Culture tip number one, eat all the food. If you want to get confidence with the Chileans, you eat their food, no matter what. Just eat it, and they will love you. I don't know why, but they love everyone that eats their food. And they think that all the people from the United States eat a lot of food, so eat it. Other tips, there's a lot of definite differences in culture between what we have here and what is there, so you kind of just have to go and be ready to adapt. You really just have to go in with that attitude that you want to really love the people and love their culture, everything about it. Play a lot of soccer.
Video 6 Transcript
In Chile, do not toss things to people. In the United States, it's cool if somebody asks you for something, for you to toss it to them, but in Chile, if you toss something to them, it's an insult. You need to get up, walk it across the floor to them, and hand it to them, or you're insulting them. Also, you never ask somebody to come here by going like this, okay, because that's how you call a cat or a dog. This is how you call somebody to come here, like this, upside down with your hand. Also, never give somebody a compliment like we do here in the United States, where you say, I love your dress, because they will give you their dress.
Video 7 Transcript
For dinner, you don't start eating your food until everybody's got their food. And you don't... Like, when you're at the dinner table, you never put your hands below the table. You always keep them above the table. Elbows off, hands above. And before you do almost anything in anybody's house, you say permiso. Before you enter in, you say permiso. Before you sit down, you say permiso. Before you start eating, you say permiso. It's just something that you gotta get used to.
Video 8 Transcript
The Chilean greeting, I guess, at least for guys, is to give them a handshake, and then a hug, and then a handshake. Everybody else is like, sometimes they'll like do a kiss on the cheek. Also, instead of knocking at a door, everybody has gates. So instead, you have to yell at their gate so that they'll open you. So everybody just kind of yells, alo, instead of, you know, knocking or ringing a doorbell, because most people don't have those.
Video 9 Transcript
So you will love the Chilean culture. It is a lot of fun. South America in general is a lot of fun. You're gonna love Chile. Some cultural advice from the get-go. You should know that you should finish the food they give you. You really do need to eat all of it, and if you can't, you obviously can't, but you just need to come up with some kind of excuse. Say that you're sick, that you're not feeling well. They'll probably make a big deal out of it, but don't worry about it. It's better than not eating everything. Just reassure them that it was extremely delicious and the best thing you've ever had in your life. Basically every meal, but especially if you can't finish the food for whatever reason, that's probably the biggest piece of cultural advice that I can give. Just be friendly, be warm, and finish your food.
Video 10 Transcript
It is very common for people to try to give you kisses on the cheek.
Video 11 Transcript
Chilean people are what they like to call de piel. They're pretty sensitive, they're just very close and intimate. They hug each other and kiss each other when they see each other and greet each other. So be prepared for that. Just try to love them and don't be afraid to express your love for them. Another thing, Chileans are very patriotic. They've got some pretty cool Independence Day rituals and games that they do. There's a dance called la cueca that they'll dance. They also like to eat lots of meat on those days. So learn to love that part of the culture. And soccer is another huge part of the culture. So even if you don't know how to play, get to know some of the names of the players.
Video 12 Transcript
Chileans are really sweet people. There's been a lot of cultural challenges and governmental challenges that they've had, and so they can come off very cold at first, but the sign that a Chilean trusts you is that they let you into their house. Typically if they let you into their house that means they trust you.
Video 13 Transcript
You never want to, like, with your finger flick the food onto the spoon. If you can't scoop it up, you want to take like a piece of bread and put it on the spoon or the fork. You don't want to stretch at the table. You always want to speak politely, unless you have confidence, and then you can be a little bit more friendly. Use Chilean verbiage and words. That usually gains people's trust and respect, if you can speak like them. So spend a lot of time practicing that. And you always want to be very thankful, because Chileans, like a lot of people, will give you food or give you resources that they can't afford to give you, but they'll do it anyways, just because they want to love you. So just be very respectful and gracious.
Video 14 Transcript
Chileans, they're very aware that the United States may have a better economic situation or style of life than they do, so never boast about what you have back home. You can share like, oh, my family, we have a boat, we like to go boating, but don't try and put down anything that they have because they'll get very defensive and they'll shut their hearts off to you. Also, they're very protective of the dogs. There's a lot of dogs in the street, okay, but treat them like you would dogs. Even though they're strays, be nice to them or the Chileans will become angry with you. Also, just appreciate what they have and say, you know, Chile's a beautiful country and they will open up to you as well. For the most part, Chileans, they're also very, I guess you could say, partying people. They like to sing, they like to dance, they like to go out with friends. Pasarlo bien. You're going to hear that so much. That's like, basically, have a good time. They love to go on carretes, which is just like going out to dance and party and stuff.
Video 15 Transcript
Okay, so very important tip for the culture is really just making sure that you're very open, very loving, very warm because I see our culture is very cold. They are very much people that love to hug and to kiss and to be close to. There's a lot that you can do with your body language and with the way that you talk just to make yourself more warm instead of cold and distant. That's a very big part of their culture. Other things are they care a lot about family, they care a lot about food, they have some crazy holidays that they get really excited for.
Video 16 Transcript
It is bad manners to put your elbows on the table when you're eating. Don't put your elbows on the table. Also, it's bad manners to point at people with your finger like this. So you don't point at people with your finger. Normally they gesture at people with their lips like this. Point at people with their lips because it's bad manners to point. A couple tips for you.
