Chile is not Switzerland

[camberiu]

Chilean people are more dishonest than Argentinians and that is a fact know by all South Americans. Try catching a taxi in Santiago and you will be thinking that Buenos Aires has the best and most honest taxi drivers in the world.

As someone who was born and raised in South America, I never knew of this "fact".

 

[camberiu]

I am an expat and I wrote what I believe.

Regarding classism, yes, it is an issue in BA as well, but you really don't know how bad it is in Santiago. I know both cities quite well, I know what I say. The Chilean high society is very small and narrow-minded, leftovers from the colonial past. BA had more immigration, it is much more cosmopolitan.

Santiago is a modern sterile boring city. Other cities in Chile are much nicer.

The classism I saw here so far has not appeared to be any worse than the classism I saw in Brazil while growing up. For South American standars, class relations in chile do not appear to be particularly bad. I saw MUCH worse in northeastern Brazil.

 

[Santiago F]

The classism: Tell me that in Recoleta you don't see that in leaps and bounds. If you are in doubt, ask any darker skinned Latino or even an African American friend to stroll around Patio Bullrich or Libertador and see the types of looks they get. Porteños are known to talk down to anyone working in service industries and act like they are there specifically to help them and do not ¨mix¨ with people in service industries like we are known to do in the US/Europe. Generally, classism is an issue in all of Latam.

That's a sweeping generalization regarding porteños talking down people in service industries. You're taking Recoleta chetos to represent all porteños and that's far from the truth. Come to the barrios and you'll see how porteños mix with people in the service industries.

And to be honest, it's the first time I hear that people in the US/Europe ARE KNOWN to "mix" with people in service industries.

The culture: Chileans are more respectful and prudent than Porteños. This is also why the city is cleaner and its the second safest city in all of Latam. (Another huge selling point if you ask me) Chileans obey laws/rules because they respect the law and are genuinely concerned with fines and the legal repercussion if they do not. Not the case in BA where its a free for all for everyone's dog to go poo poo anywhere and its walk at your own risk crossing the streets.

Well yes, in this I agree. In general they obey the rules more than we do.
Anyway, even though Chile is doing much better than many years ago, it isn't the wonderland that many depict it is. I've been in 92 and 07 and, while I saw big improvements in infrastructure and other aspects, I still saw the same amount of homeless on the streets.

 

[Mano Negra]

Chilean people are more dishonest than Argentinians and that is a fact know by all South Americans. Try catching a taxi in Santiago and you will be thinking that Buenos Aires has the best and most honest taxi drivers in the world.

Sadly my experience as well.

 

[Mano Negra]

Porteños are known to talk down to anyone working in service industries and act like they are there specifically to help them and do not ¨mix¨ with people in service industries like we are known to do in the US/Europe. Generally, classism is an issue in all of Latam.

Not exactly true in my experience. There is enormous respect for the old fashioned style of career waiter for instance. Its actually a thing that may still exist in France or Spain but no longer in the UK or US. When you become a regular in a good restaurant here you have to kiss an inordinate amount of people just to get to your table! At least they pore you a proper measure once you arrive though!!!

 

[Napoleon]

Good is the Andes background, which can be seen...before the smog ruins it all at ca. 10 am.

This happens in city next to mountains (or surrounded by them) that also has a lot of motorized vehicles. Denver, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City all say "hi".

 

[expatinowncountry]

Ah, another version of the old "if you don't like it, leave it" response.

Wave that Argentine flag all you want, the bottom line is that Chile has a much more stable economy than Argentina. I know that is something most Argentinos can't handle.

At some point, it may come to that being a deciding factor. It would be much easier to transfer to Chile than to Switzerland, if that's what you mean by "what it takes."

You got it all wrong, including my nationality... I do not wear an Argentine flag. As an economist, I believe in what people do and not in what people say. That applies to government officials telling how bad is to buy dollars (and buying them) but also to people saying how every place is better than the place they are now but do nothing about it.

And yes, the Chilean economy is far more stable than the Argentine economy. If that is your deciding factor go for it and good luck in your future move across the Andes. My experience as a long term expat who has lived in many countries is that there is not such a thing as a perfect place or even a better place. Countries that are great for vacations (including Italy and Argentina) have many drawbacks when you actually have to live there and deal for instance with the local bureaucracy and poor work ethics. When I cannot take it in a longer, in my case I can easily relocate. If that is not the case for you, I am sorry for you... so close but so far from wonderland Chile.

I really do not think Argentinean care about Chile economic success. I never heard any Argentine talking about Chile, except on the days around a football match involving Chile. Do you ever read any news in Clarin about Chile? Argentinean look far more to big brother Brazil and feel somehow jealous of the international status of Brazil as an emerging economy (whatever is a real status or somehow inflated by the international press).

Now, on a more serious note and without sarcasm, I understand your mood about Argentina. This is my second spell as an Expat here and I am so disappointed with this country... so much potential and so little achieved in practice. I really do not know how expats on a local salary can cope with the economic disasters of this administration.

 

[sleslie23]

And yes, the Chilean economy is far more stable than the Argentine economy. If that is your deciding factor go for it and good luck in your future move across the Andes.

That was my original point, though stated somewhat vaguely and sarcastically. If that were my deciding factor, I certainly would have never moved here. It's just that it's becoming economic suicide to stay here.

But in all honesty, if I do make the move, it won't be to Chile. I never said it's a wonderland or anything similar. All I said was that I would rather be paid in Chilean pesos than the worthless Argentine peso. I don't think there is any disagreement there.

You may not wear an Argentine flag, but you sure seem to be waving one around. Regarding Chile and Argentina, you should do a little test with your Argentine friends and say something nice about Chile. See how they respond.

 

[expatinowncountry]

That was my original point, though stated somewhat vaguely and sarcastically. If that were my deciding factor, I certainly would have never moved here. It's just that it's becoming economic suicide to stay here.

But in all honesty, if I do make the move, it won't be to Chile. I never said it's a wonderland or anything similar. All I said was that I would rather be paid in Chilean pesos than the worthless Argentine peso. I don't think there is any disagreement there.

You may not wear an Argentine flag, but you sure seem to be waving one around. Regarding Chile and Argentina, you should do a little test with your Argentine friends and say something nice about Chile. See how they respond.

No disagreement regarding the Argentine vs Chilean peso. I am lucky to only have a small part of my earning in Argentinean pesos and use that to pay cablevision, the utilities and a few other things.

I have done the test as I visited Chile for work and had some positive comments about work ethic there when I came back here. Yes Argentinean do not like Chileans at all something they share with Bolivians or Peruvians (well, they had a war with Chile). The difference is that for most Argentinean "Chile NO existe" while they spend a good time talking about Brazil, my point.

 

[Santiago F]

I want to point that while it's true that many Argentines hate Chileans, it's not the case with me. I particulary like Chile and that's why I visited there twice.