80 CultureShock! Chile
an evening with you. They most likely have a very legitimate
reason for not attending, but in their minds, it is better to
tell a few half-truths than to be honest.Nightlife
Instead of a quiet dinner, you might want to explore
the nightlife scene. There are discos, bars and clubs for
different ages and music tastes in every city. In Santiago
there are several very good spots. A familiar neighbourhood
is Bellavista, a trendy, bohemian area with restaurants,
theatres, discos and bars, some with live bands. The Suecia
area in Providencia offers much of the same, but is not
as artsy. There are huge discos hidden on the outskirts of
Santiago. The more underground, cutting edge discos are
in industrial areas or warehouses and you need to know
the right people to find out the locations. You have to be
a night owl to put on your dancing shoes since the discos
open around midnight and stay open until 5:00 am!A Changing Scene
As recently as a few years ago, women would not venture
out to the bars or discos if not in the company of a man,
whether as part of a couple or group. Women did not even
go out on the town alone in large numbers because this
was viewed as scandalous and inappropriate behaviour.
However, this has changed and you will now see groups
of women out on the town. Along with this new sense of
independence, there is a growing demand for respect and
equality. In a well-publicised case five women successfully
sued a restaurant for discrimination.
In spite of the social changes, chivalry is alive and well.
When women and men go out for the evening, whether
as friends or as a couple, the women are often escorted
home. Santiago is no less safe than most large cities, so this
is not done purely for safety reasons, it is just considered
gentlemanly behaviour, like opening doors. When women
and men go out together in groups as friends, the women
may or may not be expected to pay for themselves. If a
woman is invited out on a date with a man, she will not