I Ought To Be Ashamed Of Myself!

So we arrived in Valparaiso, Chile last night after spending a ridiculous amount of time on buses and in bus stations. I really like Valparaiso, you can def see the European influence on the city. So the neighborhood we're staying at is called the Cerro Alegera (I think I spelled it right), it's known for all of the street graffiti. It's not graffiti like the ugly tagging you see in the rough neighborhoods in Los Angeles, but rather there is beautiful and strange murals scrolled all over the walls. I spent the day walking around the city taking in the sights. I was so focused on looking at all the art and buildings and everything that I got a little twisted around. I found myself in a very residential area and I felt rather out of place. Without knowing which direction to walk, I stopped an older woman and asked her for directions. I was incredibly surprised when she responded in English and asked me how old I was. I thought it was a strange thing to ask, seeing as I was asking directions, but I answered her. To further my state of shock she irately shouted that I ought to be ashamed of myself. I stood there with my mouth open totally confused. I figure she was offended by my awful Spanish. I think I stammered "why" and she angerly shouted "asking for money at your age!" This made laugh a little, and then I explained that I didn't need money I needed directions. The woman was so embarrassed that she must have apologize a thousand times. She ended up helping me get directions back to my hostel and walking with me for a good part of my walk home. After she understood I wasn't asking for money, she was really friendly. I learned that she is an English teacher for local High School and she had a granddaughter going to College in Nevada. The experience turned out to be one of my favorite experiences in South America.