Comments from a 'friend'

[hospitaller]

Originally from Chile, i've been living in the US since 1999 and thanks to Facebook, I've been able to get in touch with old friends, family, etc. left in Chile.

So, yesterday morning and old female 'friend' found me in Facebook, send me the 'friendship' request to which I replied of course as soon as I received it.

Well this morning I log in to catch up with messages, notifications and the like and I find that she has left me a nice 'great to find you and lets stay in touch' message and a couple of comments in some of my photos.

Of course, some of them are of me in kilt. And as you can see it coming she commented in one of them.

Literally translated from spanish, she wrote this:

"What is going on Hector? I did not know this side of you...wearing skirts? Please tell me this is a costume...it is, right?"

So, as of right now im still debating whether to reply to her comment, to send her a message informing her what a kilt is, or simply to remind her that my mother's side of the family is Scottish and just leave it at that.

Since I will never see her again anyway, it does'nt really matter one way or another, but it is strange that so far my only negative comment comes from a woman.

oh well, she needs some learnin' to be done

[duchessofnc]

Ok. To be fair, let's assume she is ignorant of Scottish Heritage and what the garment meant. It is quite possible that she really doesn't know and would of course make the conclusion that it was a "skirt".

At which point it might be worth the effort to explain the cultural heritage behind the kilt. If after a polite explanation it still bothers her, you have at least tried and it is her choice to remain blinded to other cultures.

[Yaish]

Yeah, it seems she is more ignorant of the idea than deliberately being condescending. Educate her first, let her know what it is all about, and then ultimately, remember her opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it.

[Nighthawk]

Ok. To be fair, let's assume she is ignorant of Scottish Heritage and what the garment meant. It is quite possible that she really doesn't know and would of course make the conclusion that it was a "skirt".

At which point it might be worth the effort to explain the cultural heritage behind the kilt. If after a polite explanation it still bothers her, you have at least tried and it is her choice to remain blinded to other cultures.

What she said.

[hospitaller]

yeah it is clear to me that it is more a matter of ignorance than anything else, as I mentioned in a different post, there are scottish families in Chile but there has never been any organized attempts at introducing our culture/traditions to the country.

So, their only understanding of Scotland is thru pipe bands and the stereotypical image of a piper major.

So a simple man in a kilt is completely beyond their collective grasp.

I will reply with a short but informative bit.

[macwilkin]

yeah it is clear to me that it is more a matter of ignorance than anything else, as I mentioned in a different post, there are scottish families in Chile but there has never been any organized attempts at introducing our culture/traditions to the country.

So, their only understanding of Scotland is thru pipe bands and the stereotypical image of a piper major.

So a simple man in a kilt is completely beyond their collective grasp.

I will reply with a short but informative bit.

Hector,

What do you mean by "organized attempts"? Would you not consider a St. Andrew's/Caledonian Society an organized attempt? I know Valparaiso had a St. Andrew's Society at one time, and I believe Santiago might have as well.

There is a fairly active society in neighbouring Argentina that seems to do a good job in promoting Scottish heritage and cuture:

http://www.scotlandinargentina.com.ar/indexeningles.htm

Perhaps in your message to your friend you could mention all of the facts you included about Chile's Scottish connections.

Todd

[BEEDEE]

Hector - refer your friend to this page: http://www.andeshighlanders.cl/

Brian

[gilmore]

If it was me, I would just tell her I had become a transevestite and let it go at that.

[hospitaller]

Hector,

What do you mean by "organized attempts"?

Exactly that. No organized attempts at anything. No Clans, no Highland Games, no Saint Andrew celebration, nothing.

Would you not consider a St. Andrew's/Caledonian Society an organized attempt? I know Valparaiso had a St. Andrew's Society at one time, and I believe Santiago might have as well.

That society was more about wealthy families getting together and publicizing their scottish ancestry. It is sadly, a common situation in Chile, where if your family has a 'foreign' surname, somehow makes it worthy of respect and advancement. I know because I lived there for 30 years.

There is a fairly active society in neighbouring Argentina that seems to do a good job in promoting Scottish heritage and cuture:

http://www.scotlandinargentina.com.ar/indexeningles.htm

That's correct. But that is Argentina, not Chile.

Perhaps in your message to your friend you could mention all of the facts you included about Chile's Scottish connections.

Todd

Those are taught in Chilean history in school, but again, somehow the connection between scotsmen and kilts is not made....because there has never been a highland game, or festival or a clan gathering as such to promote and educate the chilean population about it.

[hospitaller]

Hector - refer your friend to this page: http://www.andeshighlanders.cl/

Brian

I have, good thing is they do exist.
Sad thing is they are fairly new (2-3 years old) and again, since there are no Scot events to go to and promote...all they do is mostly travel abroad and maybe go to Valparaiso once a year to the Navy monument.

This is by the way something I am actively pursuing, organize the Youngs in Chile and start the chilean chapter of the Clan, and then maybe next year organize the first Highland Games ever in Chile.

Now that would be an education for Chile and chileans.