Just writing all that stuff about Santiago made me notice some other things to tell.
Santiaguinos smoke like chimneys. I think some of the younger physics professors don’t, but pretty much everyone does. You can also smoke in many other places that you wouldn’t expect, like any restaurant, public space in academic buildings, and government buildings. I was in a bank past closing time because I was waiting for a fax from the US, and as soon as the customers left, all the employees started smoking in the bank!
They are also very shy in Santiago. Everyone seems lost in thought on the metro and they don’t even acknowledge invasions of personal space or bump-ins. I got many mystified looks when apologizing for bumping into someone, or hitting them with my elbow, etc.
The Metro is brand new, very clean, and very crowded. You can tell the mtero is new, becuase the Santiaguinos donīt seemd to have figured out the proper way to board and exit the train. They often try to get on before everyone has left so that there is a big jam at the entrance, and it ends up taking even longer. Oftentimes, there are situations where the train is full but plenty of people are waiting to get on. Then the metro station becomes a shoving match, with the people on the train bracing themselves to avoid being crushed by onslaught of people being pushed from behind into the train. Eventually equilibrium is reached, and the doors slide closed, slicing a thin line between the lucky and the unlucky.
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