an important lesson

I went to the grocery store yesterday after being out of town for a few days, so I needed to stock up on a decent amount of items.  It was very busy in the store so I was happy when I found an oddly short line.  After loading my many items onto the belt to be checked out an old Chilean woman began yelling and waving her arms at me.  The Chilean accent is difficult enough to understand as it is, but with this woman’s rage it was impossible to make out her words and next thing I knew she had cut in front of me in line and the checker was scanning her items!  I asked the checker what was going on and she pointed to a sign hanging above the line that said it was reserved for customers in their tercera edad, which literally translates to “third life”.  I was confused about what that meant until I looked at the now long line behind me and saw only senior citizens, all glaring at me.  Apparently tercera edad is the polite way for saying viejos or elderly people.  One by one they proceeded to cut me in line but all my things were already on the belt and I did not want to move it all to another.  After the seventh viejo passed me in line I was finally able to pay for my things and be on my way.  I’ve never had so many old people mad at me in my life!  At least I now know how to politely refer to senior citizens in Spanish.  

The Chilean soccer team is playing a game as I write this blog.  It is not on in my house because I live with the only Chilean male who would rather nap than watch a soccer game (which is perhaps why we get along so well) but it does not matter because every few minutes I hear the reactions of the whole neighborhood from outside my window as Chile scores or makes a bad play.  Based on the excited cheers it sounds like Chile must be having a good game!