-2020 update: Had to remove photos due to technical issue (site where I had uploaded them went down)- will try to restore -
Some say it is not a good idea to compare everything to India when we go abroad. Nevertheless, sharing some simple observations from Chile visit.
In India, buying bug LCD/LED TV is family celebration. Dealer would arrange for door delivery, offer freebees like DTH, TV stand etc. In Chile, I found people loading LCD TVs on their shopping carts and taking it home, without much fanfare, as if it is just another small household item.
Cycling on footpaths and inside parks is common. Cyclist go almost everywhere
Metro has near zero security. You pay for entering the station- the charges are fixed- 560 Pesos, irrespective of which station you board and get down. Once in, you’re free to go anywhere you wish, till the last station. No one will check tickets while exiting. It is possible for cunning people to misuse this system, but people here won’t.
Vehicles are relatively cheaper than India. Nissan X-trail that costs about 20 lakhs in India costs about 10 lakhs in Chile (Refer Ad below). Similarly for other vehicles. The reason obviously is tax regime. In india tax rates differ based on length of the vehicle, engine capacity, price band, whether it is manufactured here or assembled here (from CKDs) or totally imported and other factors. Due to this higher end cars get even more expensive. Chile doesn’t seem to have such rules. Because of not so strict tax rules, it is easy for car manufacturers to import and sell cars in Chile (Or Srilanka for that matter) without having to worry about numbers.
This holds good for Srilanka also. But then, I don’t think I should be complaining about expensive cars in India, because our food price is cheaper here, than Srilanka or Chile. In India, for about 100 Rs one can have decent food for a day (2 meals and a breakfast in a not so bad hotel), while a sandwich costs about 300 Rs in Chile. Even in Srilanka a plate of fried rice would cost about 100 Rs in INR.
A sample menu at a restaurant in Andes mountains, Chile is shown below. Note that cost doesn’t indicate 14.5 US $, it is 14500 Chilean Pesos or 1450 INR approx
In general people were friendly, but it is hard to find English speaking people. Once 2 people attempted to trick me into donating some money- A gentleman and his assistant who spoke decent English introduced themselves to me and talked about an education fund they’re building, because they said education is very expensive in Chile. They asked me to donate any amount I feel like- I didn’t find their motive and approach convincing and said a clear NO. They immediately snatched away a flyer they’d given me and when on to hunt for next pray.
In another incident an old lady approached me asking for a cigarette. When I said I’ve none, she asked for money. I gently walked away from the scene
Didn’t spot any street dogs in residential areas. Near the beach there were a few. Those who bring their dogs for a walk are required to collect any waste and put it in the box dedicated for the purpose.
Thanks. Read more Chile related posts below:
Toy train service in Santiago * Ceremony at the Palace * Santiago city views * Valparaiso city views * Cats in Valparaiso * Mercado Centre * Srilankan Posts *
In India, buying bug LCD/LED TV is family celebration. Dealer would arrange for door delivery, offer freebees like DTH, TV stand etc. In Chile, I found people loading LCD TVs on their shopping carts and taking it home, without much fanfare, as if it is just another small household item.
Cycling on footpaths and inside parks is common. Cyclist go almost everywhere
Metro has near zero security. You pay for entering the station- the charges are fixed- 560 Pesos, irrespective of which station you board and get down. Once in, you’re free to go anywhere you wish, till the last station. No one will check tickets while exiting. It is possible for cunning people to misuse this system, but people here won’t.
Vehicles are relatively cheaper than India. Nissan X-trail that costs about 20 lakhs in India costs about 10 lakhs in Chile (Refer Ad below). Similarly for other vehicles. The reason obviously is tax regime. In india tax rates differ based on length of the vehicle, engine capacity, price band, whether it is manufactured here or assembled here (from CKDs) or totally imported and other factors. Due to this higher end cars get even more expensive. Chile doesn’t seem to have such rules. Because of not so strict tax rules, it is easy for car manufacturers to import and sell cars in Chile (Or Srilanka for that matter) without having to worry about numbers.
This holds good for Srilanka also. But then, I don’t think I should be complaining about expensive cars in India, because our food price is cheaper here, than Srilanka or Chile. In India, for about 100 Rs one can have decent food for a day (2 meals and a breakfast in a not so bad hotel), while a sandwich costs about 300 Rs in Chile. Even in Srilanka a plate of fried rice would cost about 100 Rs in INR.
A sample menu at a restaurant in Andes mountains, Chile is shown below. Note that cost doesn’t indicate 14.5 US $, it is 14500 Chilean Pesos or 1450 INR approx
In general people were friendly, but it is hard to find English speaking people. Once 2 people attempted to trick me into donating some money- A gentleman and his assistant who spoke decent English introduced themselves to me and talked about an education fund they’re building, because they said education is very expensive in Chile. They asked me to donate any amount I feel like- I didn’t find their motive and approach convincing and said a clear NO. They immediately snatched away a flyer they’d given me and when on to hunt for next pray.
In another incident an old lady approached me asking for a cigarette. When I said I’ve none, she asked for money. I gently walked away from the scene
Didn’t spot any street dogs in residential areas. Near the beach there were a few. Those who bring their dogs for a walk are required to collect any waste and put it in the box dedicated for the purpose.
Thanks. Read more Chile related posts below:
Toy train service in Santiago * Ceremony at the Palace * Santiago city views * Valparaiso city views * Cats in Valparaiso * Mercado Centre * Srilankan Posts *
taking the tv in the shopping cart looks very cool :-) i wish we could do that so nonchalantly in India
ReplyDelete:)
ReplyDeleteCostco in the US had a big screen tv sale where people were loading 2-3 big LCD and LED tvs because prices were so low.
ReplyDeleteI think the cultural difference is such that in India a person may feel "let the servant lift my tv. Why should an important engineer/director/manager like me load it and push the cart? when I ma paying 50k Rs" .
And while this will be a major once in a lifetime purchase for an Indian, such purchases are routine in other countries and upgrades will be frequent and constant.
Thanks Ms S...
ReplyDeleteThat's good thinking