Starbucks in Chile

STARBUCKS....there are few here in Chile, but one happened to open in Vina del Mar, very close to my home in Renaca. Attempting to ride by bike from Renaca to Valparaiso on saturday was a comical affair, although I did not get a flat tire, the inter-tube came out and luckily I hadn't gotten very far. Trying to explain this occurrence over the telephone in spanish is no easy task especially when I don't have my dictionary in front of me. Thank goodness for body language, after I got the bike back to my apartment, my roomate finally understood me, but did not have the tool to fix the tire. So...I continued my journey on foot, passing by the beautiful Sea with my ipod in my ear turned out to be just what I needed that day. Feeling a little blue, I noticed the newly opened Starbucks, and couldn't help but give in to my American tendencies and take advantage of a little guilty pleasure. One has to admire how a company such as Starbucks adapts to its' cultural surroundings, by having "manjar" (a chilean dessert) and an outside patio for smoking, they definitely do there homework. One thing that struck me as quite odd, is that you had to pay extra to add milk to your coffee, because every Starbucks in the states and in Europe have a small table where you can choose from 3 different kinds of milk for your coffee. I have to admit, it was quite lovely to sit and sip my coffee with my book and my journal in hand and observe all the unusual social behavior. I guess making out in Starbucks is just as acceptable as making out in the subway, in the streets, in the clubs, just about any public place is ideal to suck face!