Briefly addressing the title: not sure if it's right, but what I meant to say was "The Chilean party culture". Moving along...
I spent all of six nights in Santiago, Chile, in December 2013. I hope I return. I really, really do. I want to. It was fun. And I really like this city of 6 million people, with it's world-class metro*, easy-going atmosphere, and dangerously potent drinks. But it took me only six nights innately understand, or at least get a taste of, real Chilean party culture.
At some point on that 6th night, I drunkenly sent myself and then discovered the next day an e-mail titled "Chilean culture". The body of the e-mail read "Damn the torpedoes full speed ahead". I knew this was uttered by somebody in a war and has been one of my favorite quotes of all time, not just among my favorite war quotes. A quick Google search tells me it was uttered by none other than David Farragut**, admiral in the United States navy during the American Civil War. He did during the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864. The Union won the day. It is unclear the impact the quote had on the battle but it is clear how memorable the quote is. To me, without further explanation, even knowing no context, it perfectly captures and explains Chilean party culture. You go on, you go ahead and do what you're going to do, balls to the wall***, perfectly brazen, and you enjoy the hell out of yourself. Chile and I were friends before this night, but I believe you don't really know anyone until you've gotten blasted with them. Chile and I are bros now.
I am sure part of the reason I partied so much in Santiago was because I was there for only a week. I had to make the most of it. YOLO, right? It seems like every time I went out, people went HARD. I mean hard. Real hard. Hard hard. Like, it's 4 AM and you're still drinking pisco like it's water hard. Yeah. Basically, that's all I really have to say here. Lots of cultures have fun with it but in my limited experience in partying in Chile, they almost take it seriously. It's like "we're gonna get blasted END OF STORY." Now, of course, not everyone does this. But from what I saw, plenty of people do. And it was glorious.
Rock on, Chile.
*That is no exaggeration. If there's better metro anywhere in the world, I challenge you to find it.
**In the 2009 movie "Star Trek", one of the ships is named the Farragut. Any idea if it is after this man? If so, it's ironic as it's one of the ones destroyed by that massive Klingon ship that did not speak for the empire.
***TO DA WALL!
I spent all of six nights in Santiago, Chile, in December 2013. I hope I return. I really, really do. I want to. It was fun. And I really like this city of 6 million people, with it's world-class metro*, easy-going atmosphere, and dangerously potent drinks. But it took me only six nights innately understand, or at least get a taste of, real Chilean party culture.
At some point on that 6th night, I drunkenly sent myself and then discovered the next day an e-mail titled "Chilean culture". The body of the e-mail read "Damn the torpedoes full speed ahead". I knew this was uttered by somebody in a war and has been one of my favorite quotes of all time, not just among my favorite war quotes. A quick Google search tells me it was uttered by none other than David Farragut**, admiral in the United States navy during the American Civil War. He did during the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864. The Union won the day. It is unclear the impact the quote had on the battle but it is clear how memorable the quote is. To me, without further explanation, even knowing no context, it perfectly captures and explains Chilean party culture. You go on, you go ahead and do what you're going to do, balls to the wall***, perfectly brazen, and you enjoy the hell out of yourself. Chile and I were friends before this night, but I believe you don't really know anyone until you've gotten blasted with them. Chile and I are bros now.
I am sure part of the reason I partied so much in Santiago was because I was there for only a week. I had to make the most of it. YOLO, right? It seems like every time I went out, people went HARD. I mean hard. Real hard. Hard hard. Like, it's 4 AM and you're still drinking pisco like it's water hard. Yeah. Basically, that's all I really have to say here. Lots of cultures have fun with it but in my limited experience in partying in Chile, they almost take it seriously. It's like "we're gonna get blasted END OF STORY." Now, of course, not everyone does this. But from what I saw, plenty of people do. And it was glorious.
Rock on, Chile.
*That is no exaggeration. If there's better metro anywhere in the world, I challenge you to find it.
**In the 2009 movie "Star Trek", one of the ships is named the Farragut. Any idea if it is after this man? If so, it's ironic as it's one of the ones destroyed by that massive Klingon ship that did not speak for the empire.
***TO DA WALL!
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