Culture Quiz 245If you are unable to keep calm for , and want to stay
out of trouble, then is the best exit out of a thorny
situation.
SITUATION FIVE
A close Chilean friend whom you haven’t seen in several
months invites you over for once. Upon arrival, as she kisses
you on the cheek, your friend exclaims, “My God, how you
have gained weight! You look so fat!” You can:
Grimace, force back the tears, and tell your friend that
you are considering liposuction.
Glare and decide to never call this person again.
Smile and remark on your friend’s appearance.
Comments
is a normal response to what seems like a very cutting
comment. Chilean honesty in matters of appearance takes
some getting accustomed to.
would be a mistake, as this Chilean is not a bad person,
just someone who has been raised in Chilean society, where
comments that you consider to be cruel are not meant to be
so. Giving a false opinion of someone’s appearance would,
for a Chilean, be viewed as unnecessary. So take this remark
as a sign of intimacy with your friend.
is the best response, once you are able to go against
your fi rst instinct of being insulted.
SITUATION SIX
You become friendly with the landlady who owns your
apartment. She obviously has some Mapuche or other
Amerindian blood from her skin tone and features. You start
talking about your upcoming trip to the Lake District. When
you ask if anyone in her family still speaks Mapuche, the
landlady becomes visibly offended, mutters an excuse, and
leaves quickly. What happened?
The landlady hates the Mapuche.
The landlady is offended by a personal question.
The landlady is insulted that you consider her to be
part Mapuche.