Slow Service!

So, at the (almost) two-week mark, I have visited both Buenos Aires and Santiago. Two different cities, yet one thing remains the same: both have very slow service in restaurants!

I was caught totally unawares several times as I rushed to grab a bite to eat in a corner café in Buenos Aires, only to find that even the simplest order would take the whole hour allotted for my lunch break. Frustrated as I was, it gave me quite a bit to reflect on. How much had I become accustomed to eating and running in America? How much had I gotten used to the fast-paced American society, obsessed with time?

In America, fast food reigns supreme. In less than a minute, you can order yourself a meal that would take yourself 30 minutes to prepare. Sit-down restaurants easily take less than 40 minutes to complete a meal. With such a passion for speed, is it any surprise that the assembly line was invented in America?

I think that we Americans like speedy service and demand everything quick because we believe that by getting everything done faster, we will, in the end, have more time to relax. But what ends up happening is that we just get handed new assignments faster, and thus work harder. I think the Argentines and Chileans have the right idea, taking it slower and mixing relaxation and work, getting it done at a more leisurely and less stressful rate. In the end, who wins out? I think I like the Latin model of taking things slowly, and eliminating unnecessary worries and stresses.