Things to Avoid

1. Getting the giggles while riding solo on the bus.*

2. Riding the bus between the hours of 7:00-10:00, 11:00-13:00, 17:00-21:00, M-F.

3. Speaking in English on the Metro.**

4. Expecting any semblance of organization in the workplace.***

5. Wearing impractical shoes.

6. Expecting that the internet connection will work when I want it to.

7. Empanadas con pino.

8. Expecting advanced notice.****

9. Touching the photocopiers around the Institute and/or requesting to make too many copies.*****

*In the middle of raging traffic, of course everybody is honking like crazy. Somebody tooted the horn twice, and the bus responded with a toooot tooooot! And I thought to myself
Car: "Come ON!"
Bus: "Iiii KNOW!!"
And then, I couldn't help but repeat the dialogue in my head over and over. Fantastic way of attracting attention.

**I met a British guy on the bus who is also an English teacher at another institute in Santiago. He kept talking very softly and I was so irritated, because the bus is very loud. When we got on the metro, he looked at me, leaned over, and said, "We'll have to whisper so as not to attract attention with our English." ... Heaven forbid we be foreigners.

***Including that which would foster timely payment.

****That's okay. I don't enjoy giving it, anyway. I think I may have a planning disorder.

*****Chileans are very concerned about saving paper. ...nothing else, though.