Funny experience at Chef Pepper in santiago

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sayanora

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Feb 22, 2012
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So my wife and I decided to have dinner at chef pepper in santiago and had an interesting discussion with a random couple.

The guy looks over to me and says fairly loudly to his wife in spanish .. "Who comes to a fancy restaurant at night wearing shorts and sandals, must be American..?" so she just shrugs and I respond to him, "Who goes out to eat and bothers looking at another dudes legs and feet?" and his wife just bursts out laughing at him since I guess he assumed I was American.. Afterwards I talked to my wife about it and I guess I can understand where some people come from on their view of how to dress in certain situations.. For some people going out to chef pepper's is a special occasion which they may have had to save up months just to do so dressing up is appropriate for them, for me going to chef pepper is just like a regular chain restaurant like TGIF or chilis in the states so its not really a big deal.. The decor of the place is so light there's no way I would ever feel like it was a "fancy" restaurant, just because the food is overpriced doesn't necessary make it a fancy restaurant does it?

i guess i just had to make a rant about how idiotic some people can be when living on a TROPICAL island..

i think a poster here said it best when someone asked "How do I dress like a Dominican?" and they responded "Just pretend like it's not hot"
 

Redscot

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Dec 10, 2004
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Chef Pepper's is about equal to McDonald's in atmosphere.

Agreed. Pero aqui en Santiago eso es la norma de gente "decente". Shorts and sandals are a faux pas in most environments. I am not here to judge the merits of that, just saying it is what it is and if you are choosing to relocate here you will have to adapt to some degree. Many of the private schools here wouldn't let you through the door to pick up your kids dressed as such. For doing business, unless it is a very informal business, forget about it. Food shopping, ball game etc. etc.
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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miesposo sometimes says i get away with many things because i am a gringa. no doubt about it. i use flip flops all the time, to all types of social occasions. including trips to santiago or SD, especially if i need to do lots of walking.
i have never really heard anyone say anything about my looks and if i did i would loudly comment how only pretentious chops would dress up for such a special "occasion" as eating in a chain restaurant. mala educacion? certainly. but guess what, i don't care.
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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I used to wear sandals until I got turned away from a bank. Now I wear what's considered normal. Also, except for maybe a month it really doesn't get too bad here however this year which was a little longer than most. Sometimes I'll go out in shorts to the local colmado but I instantly am sorry after the mosquitos eat me up. I expect before long you'll be wearing pants and nice shoes and maybe even a fedora - it's called aplatanandose. :)
 

sayanora

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Feb 22, 2012
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Agreed. Pero aqui en Santiago eso es la norma de gente "decente". Shorts and sandals are a faux pas in most environments. I am not here to judge the merits of that, just saying it is what it is and if you are choosing to relocate here you will have to adapt to some degree. Many of the private schools here wouldn't let you through the door to pick up your kids dressed as such. For doing business, unless it is a very informal business, forget about it. Food shopping, ball game etc. etc.

food shopping, ball game, I've been faux pasing it up for the past 2 years now haha.. I seriously doubt that I will change after having come here 3-4 months a year for my entire life and living here the last 2 full time.. I just can't see myself wearing long pants and closed leather shoes when its like 90 degrees outside and humid as hell.. i guess it's a good thing I don't need to actually do any business here, never had a problem at banks though, maybe it's just the relationship.. i love when people say I can get away with it because I have money.. I just think to myself.. what happens if you don't have money and dress this way? Do they send you to jail or something.. lol.. funny vanity! (no wonder fake ferragamo shoes sell so well in La Sirena) :)
 

CaptnGlenn

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Mar 29, 2010
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I used to wear sandals until I got turned away from a bank. Now I wear what's considered normal. Also, except for maybe a month it really doesn't get too bad here however this year which was a little longer than most. Sometimes I'll go out in shorts to the local colmado but I instantly am sorry after the mosquitos eat me up. I expect before long you'll be wearing pants and nice shoes and maybe even a fedora - it's called aplatanandose. :)

I LIKE the fedora... can I wear it with my cargo shorts and raggety looking sandals???? LOL It would make an interesting replacement for a ball cap. LOL

Everyone tells me how well I blend when I'm in the D.R. Pretty amazing for a fair skinned freckled redhead. (Yes... I'm kidding.)
 

CaptnGlenn

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Mar 29, 2010
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thinking about FEDORAS.... brings back some great memories. KOJAK... made fedoras and BALD cool. lol

"Who loves ya', baby???" LOL OH... back on topic... I've eaten many times in Chef Peppers in Punta Cana dressed in my shorts and sandals... BUT Kojak would NEVER go into a restaurant dressed in shorts and sandals ... not even Chef Peppers. LOL

[video=youtube;1xaVdkfj_8M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xaVdkfj_8M[/video]
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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Only Dominican Yorks and gringos use shorts a lot here and they do stand out. As for your dress at Chef Pepper, well that is up to you as a "tourist"....

Like Chip said, the mosquitoes usually make the point of getting people to wear long pants and socks.


Whatever.


HB
 

curious29

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Sep 20, 2012
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its funny how they could judge on the way how you dress, and five minutes later they leave plastic bottle/bag/whatever on street/playa/wherever. How about they learn to use zafacons and later judge others people's clothes ;-) ?

pathetic
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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its funny how they could judge on the way how you dress, and five minutes later they leave plastic bottle/bag/whatever on street/playa/wherever. How about they learn to use zafacons and later judge others people's clothes ;-) ?

pathetic

I wouldn't call people throwing trash on the ground pathetic only ignorant of the long term consequences.
 

curious29

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it's pathetic how they do that and later look down on you because you have short pants.

+ I really doubt that you have to be prophet to predict "long term" consequences of throwing trash.......
 

Chip

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it's pathetic how they do that and later look down on you because you have short pants.

+ I really doubt that you have to be prophet to predict "long term" consequences of throwing trash.......

Why don't you learn a little more about the Dominican culture instead of making sweeping generalizations? One person making a comment about someone in shorts at a nice restaurant does not a country make.

As far as businesses requiring proper dress maybe a lot of countries could use that advice given that one gets tired of seeing kids walking around showing their britches. Dominicans generally also don't think it's right for a women to go topless at a beach either.
 

curious29

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got no problem with DR culture, i only don't like stupidity....and I don't wear short pants to go to iglesia/ holy place por ejemplo....peace !
Why don't you learn a little more about the Dominican culture instead of making sweeping generalizations? One person making a comment about someone in shorts at a nice restaurant does not a country make.

As far as businesses requiring proper dress maybe a lot of countries could use that advice given that one gets tired of seeing kids walking around showing their britches. Dominicans generally also don't think it's right for a women to go topless at a beach either.
 

hammerdown

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Apr 29, 2005
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got no problem with DR culture, i only don't like stupidity....and I don't wear short pants to go to iglesia/ holy place por ejemplo....peace !

Curious, you have to learn the culture, DR culture is ALL about image, if you don't look like something, you are not.....its not stupidity on their part, only on yours.......as for the OP, the woman wasn't laughing with you, she was laughin AT YOU.....that's DR culture, like it or not, it is what it is....
 

curious29

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if it's all about image why would they put trash on beautiful playas/streets ? it looks better with plastic bag and beer bottles on it ?
por favor...
and I'm totally familiar with cultural norm forcing people to wear long pants and shirts - it's actually present in most world's countries except so called West.....In Africa, Asia and South America it's the same :)
Curious, you have to learn the culture, DR culture is ALL about image, if you don't look like something, you are not.....its not stupidity on their part, only on yours.......as for the OP, the woman wasn't laughing with you, she was laughin AT YOU.....that's DR culture, like it or not, it is what it is....
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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Dominicans generally also don't think it's right for a women to go topless at a beach either.

and i oppose to that as well. i would love to see some nice sets of tits on the beach, even at the price of having to search through wrinkles and saggy sets to find a decent par of cans. it's well worth it!
 

keepcoming

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May 25, 2011
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Chef Pepper is similar to TGIF, Applebees's, Chili's, etc... Shorts are acceptable as dress. However in DR they would like to make these eateries into something there are not, fine dining. Go to one these places in the US during the warm summer months and see how many men or women are in long pants..none.
 
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