Paco's Anticlimactic Public Debut

I have come to the conclusion that Chileans take themselves too seriously. Admittedly, they are nowhere near as cold and stuffy as Russians, but they are remarkably void of a sense of humor (at least in public). They don't call this place the England of South America for nothing.

But let me justify that statement. Today I had to take Paco, my giant stuffed llama, with me to school because some students needed him for a presentation. Paco is anything but inconspicuous, as he is three feet tall and not easy to conceal. I was not thrilled about having to carry him with me downtown and into the metro, but I didn't want to let my friends down. I sat at home this morning, trying to think of a way to get Paco to the university without hurting my pride. I considered taking a taxi but decided against it given the extra cost. I considered calling my friend and telling her to come pick up Paco, but that was too inconvenient. Finally I resolved to muster up the confidence and head out the door with Paco under my arm, wearing my sunglasses so that people could not look me in the eyes with their penetrating, judgmental gazes. I also wore a particularly bitchy look on my face to balance out the ridiculousness of the stuffed llama under my arm, so that people would think twice if they wanted to criticize or judge the gringa with the llama.

Sure enough, it appears that no one judged or criticized. In fact, I don't think anyone even noticed. But that's impossible. In a crowded metro, how could one not notice? My conclusion is that the Chileans did notice, but they take themselves entirely too seriously to laugh, break a smile, or even acknowledge anything out of the ordinary. Or maybe they could feel my embarrassment and decided to give me a break by pretending they didn't notice how stupid I looked carrying a giant stuffed llama onto the metro. Either way, in the United States the public reaction to such a spectacle would have been much more varied and interesting. I must admit I was a little disappointed at the Chileans' lack of interest. I thought that at least the experience would provide me with some good blog material. But ex post facto, I realize that I should not have been so afraid to carry the llama in public. I could walk around with a leg growing out of my head and Chileans wouldn't notice.