Jesse: Welcome back to Coffee with Gringos. Brought to you by Dynamic English. I'm your host, Jesse Andrews Maxwell. And today I am joined by Jacinta Torres. Jacinta, welcome to the program.
Jacinta: Hi. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for having me.
Jesse: So, Jacinta, you are an actress and an English teacher.
Jacinta: Yeah, I'm an actress and English teacher, and side-hustle, hand model.
Jesse: Part time hand model. Nice, I like it.
Jacinta: Part time hand model.
Jesse: Now, Jacinta, you are Chilean?
Jacinta: Yes, I am Chilean, but I was born in Peru.
Jesse: Okay. So wouldn't that make you Peruvian?
Jacinta: No. Technically, yes, but in my case, no, because I was born in a diplomatic family. And when you're born in a diplomatic family, you're whatever, wherever your dad is from, that's where you're from. It doesn't matter where you were born.
Jesse: I see. Okay. So your father was an ambassador?
Jacinta: Yes, my dad was an ambassador.
Jesse: A Chilean ambassador?
Jacinta: Yes.
Jesse: Okay. And what countries was he an ambassador to?
Jacinta: He was an ambassador for New Zealand, and Copenhagen, Denmark. And then a diplomat, which is different to an ambassador.
Jesse: Okay.
Jacinta: And in the States. In England and Peru and Vienna, Chile. And. Yeah.
Jesse: Wow. Okay. Now, of all of those places that you've just mentioned to me, did you also live in all of those places?
Jacinta: No. I lived in Peru and Chile, of course. And London, England, and the States and in New Zealand. And in Copenhagen.
Jesse: That's a pretty long list.
Jacinta: Yeah, it’s confusing.
Jesse: So using if you've lived in all of those different countries, what was that experience like growing up and maybe changing schools so often as a child?
Jacinta: I mean, it's bizarre because you're constantly moving even though you're there for a long period, three or two years in one place. It's bizarre because you adapt to each country, and especially as a kid, you adapt really fast to places. But it was bizarre because you adapt to one place and then sooner or later it becomes your home. You start feeling that you’re home and then you have to leave.
Jesse: Right.
Jacinta: But the experience in and of itself was super, like, I'm super grateful because I got to experience a lot of culture, to meet people from around the world, learn, learn how to adapt, learn how to move, be flexible, you know?
Jesse: Absolutely. I've lived only in the United States and Chile, but I know just moving to Chile was a big, big adjustment for me. So, of all of those countries that you've lived in, what country would you say was the most difficult for you to adjust to?
Jacinta: The most difficult one? I would actually say my own country, Chile.
Jesse: Okay.
Jacinta: Yeah, it was difficult because if you don't grow up where you're from and then you come back to your country, doesn't matter where, you're always going to feel a little bit like a stranger in your own place because you have this perception of things like you're not fully Chilean, but you are Chilean, and there's certain cultural, cultural backgrounds and things that you do differently and you think differently. And that, for me, moving to Chile was a little bit hard at the beginning because there are many things that I was not used to.
Jesse: Right. Okay. Well, and I can identify with that because I've lived in Chile now for nine years total. And whenever I return to the United States, I feel out of place. I feel like the United States is not my country really anymore. I feel closer identified with Chile, to be honest. So I can understand that, that feeling. What advice would you give someone considering moving to Chile?
Jacinta: Oh, what advice? I think, I'm going to be so honest. Specifically with Santiago as the capital. Santiago, it's an awesome city, but you have to go and find activities or like, you have to go and find ways to stimulate yourself. You know, it's not like in New York, we're talking about where you walk down the streets and you're constantly stimulated by things. So I think my advice that I'd give for anybody moving to Chile, is to join different workshops, do something out of your comfort zone. If you're not a dancer, join a dance class. Just try it out so you can make friends from there. You know, Santiago specifically is very into sports. Like, there's a lot of, like, outdoor gyms. Rock climbing is a huge thing.
Jesse: So, yeah, the parks and the trekking that, you know, one of the really good things about Santiago. But in my personal experience of living here in Santiago, it can be a difficult place to live.
Jacinta: Totally.
Jesse: I mean, there's a certain attitude, I think, with a lot of people in Santiago, those Santiaguinos that are very sort of crude, very, well, not happy, always having problems, everything is a problem. So, depending, if you're if you're a bright, bubbly personality like yourself or me, sometimes people come across, as we say here in Chile, very pesimo, pesimo. Which, to those watching or listening, pesimo means, how would we describe pesimo? Pesimo is more like, I don't know, rude, unhappy.
Jacinta: Is it? This is my first time hearing this.
Jesse: Yeah. And you know, if something is very pesimo, it's like, yeah, it's not fun. It's. Yeah. So, I think Santiago, yeah, can be a difficult place, but you're correct, it can be a really fun city to live in.
Jacinta: I mean, sorry. I do want to say, and I was talking to a friend today and I said Chileans, and I include myself in this as well. In general, it's kind of like the “peach culture”. What do I mean by peach culture? It’s like if you think about the peach as the fruit, it's super soft on the outside and then in the middle, there's this huge seed, and it's like as a foreigner, when you come to Chile, people are super friendly, they can be super nice, they can be super welcoming.
But the moment you come into their intimacy or getting to know their family or friends or their home, it's like the seed. It's not easy.
Jesse: Well, and it's funny that you mention a peach, because one of the most popular desserts here in Chile is mote con huesillo, which is barley, oats and a dried peach pip.
Jacinta: So, oh, my God, I didn't even think about that.
Jesse: So there you go. Maybe you just need to put that peach pit in some mote, that huesillo, sweeten it up a little bit.
Jacinta: Yeah.
Jesse: So, Jacinta, in all of the countries that you've lived in, what would you say was your favorite to live in?
Jacinta: New Zealand. New Zealand for sure.
Jesse: Why?
Jacinta: I grew up there. I was there from 13 to 18 years old. So it was great timing. Yeah. To be a teenager. I did my high school there. But, New Zealand culture, it's so “lacked”. That's the word that they use. They're pretty chilled. Sweet-ass lacked. Which is a culture, it's a country that they're sincerely super charismatic, super warm and welcoming. And they do invite you into their intimacy. And they're like, I just think the country, it's a small island with 5 to 6 million people.
Jesse: There's more people in Santiago than there are in all of New Zealand.
Jacinta: Actually in New Zealand, there's more sheep than people. But it's a quality country, like there's a quality life to it. The weather, I love the weather. A lot of nature. And people know how to interact with nature, like -.
Jesse: Well, it's supposedly one of the most naturally beautiful countries in the world.
Jacinta: No, it's breathtaking.
Jesse: I just think Lord of the Rings, I don't know. Does Lord of the Rings do the scenery of New Zealand justice?
Jacinta: Actually, it does. It does. Like I swear it does.
Jesse: Fascinating. Well, and I just personally have to say, I am a big fan of the Prime Minister.
Jacinta: Jacinda.
Jesse: Jacinda. Jacinda, go.
Jacinta: Jacinda.
Jesse: Yeah, I often joke with friends that I think that if we elected a world president, that Jacinda needs to be the world's president, not just prime minister of New Zealand.
Jacinta: I agree.
Jesse: Nice. So as an actress, let's change topics here. What are the main types of roles that you play?
Jacinta: So it's funny because that depends on the country I live in.
Jesse: Okay.
Jacinta: So I did most of my schooling in New York. And it's funny because there I was, I was stigmatized or categorized as la Latina, la Latina or the drug dealer. Maybe because I smoked a lot of pot, I still do. But I would always, like, the roles that I will always be invited to audition or the ones that I booked, one or two, let's say. It was always like the girl who was like the hustler, the bad, the rebel.
Jesse: So, I know you personally, but I know you're not that hustler, rebel bad girl. So as an actress, where do you draw that inspiration for those characters?
Jacinta: I mean, I do have it.
Jesse: I understand. I always say that you have hutzpah, but she has hutzpah. But I know you're not a gang banger, you know. So, if you're going to play that character, that's really hard and really, you know, gangster, where do you get that creative motivation?
Jacinta: Probably from growing up. I mean, when you have to move, when you're a kid and you have to move from country to country, and be the new girl, each time you get to learn. You got to learn to be street smart fast. Yeah. It doesn't matter where you are. Like, you got to learn because you could be confronting yourself. You could walk into a school where, you know, like, I don't know, it's not your culture, it's not your language, but you've got to adapt.
Jesse: And we say in the US, I don't know if you would say this, but you have to have a thick skin.
Jacinta: Thick, yeah, thick skin. Thick skin. So I think, and I was always, since I was a kid, I loved the streets, not in the sense of the hood. I mean, in the sense of like, my parents taught me to get to know the place where you're at. So walk the streets, go into museums, go into places, where you know, that you don't know.
Jacinta: That's the only way to get into society, is to literally integrate with people. And that's what gave me hutzpah.
Jesse: Right. Well, but unfortunately, not everyone is as adaptable as maybe you are. And so. All right. So as an actress, do you have maybe a favorite actress that you just absolutely adore everything that they do?
Jacinta: Yes, I do. Al Pacino or Adrien Brody. And then for me, for females, I have, I was going to say Wynona Ryder. But Florence Poo. Poo, that’s how you pronounce her name. She's young, she's my age. She's new into the business. She's like 26, 25 years old. She's blond. She was in Midsummer’s with Sofia Coppola.
Jesse: No, I'm not aware of that.
Jacinta: No, she's cool. She's super dynamic. She's versatile. She knows how to act.
Jesse: I'll have to look her up. Now on that note, if you could act alongside anybody famous, who are you going to pick?
Jacinta: Oh, my God. That's hard, man. I would probably pick Adam Sandler as my dad.
Jesse: Okay, so you're going to cast Adam Sandler as your father?
Jacinta: Yeah, I would love to do that.
Jesse: So, Adam, if you’re watching, if you're listening, we've got your daughter here.
Jacinta: Yeah. Okay. Adam Sandler or - damn, that’s a hard question. Shit, in terms of female. What's her name? What's her name?
Jesse: Well, she must not be that inspirational to you if you can't remember her name.
Jacinta: Fuck, sorry.
Jesse: All right, so maybe Adam Sandler will just be a single father in this film. You can be his rebel gangster pot smoking daughter.
Jacinta: Okay, Emma Stone. Emma Stone, Emma Stone.
Jesse: Emma Stone's fine. She’s not old enough to play your mother, though.
Jacinta: No, she's not.
Jesse: You’re the same age, basically.
Jacinta: But no Emma Stone. And why not Emma Stone?
Jesse: Yeah, she's a good one. Yeah, I mean, she is Cruella, so. All right, so Jacinta, I want to ask you a few questions. We're going to play a couple of games here. The first one, I'm going to take five questions and this game is called “First Response.”
Jacinta: Okay.
Jesse: First response. So I'm going to ask you five random questions and I want your honest first response. Who was your biggest childhood celebrity crush?
Jacinta: Tila Tequila.
Jesse: Tila Tequila.
Jacinta: Tila Tequila. And whoever is watching this is probably going to think, why did her parents let her watch this when she was seven years old?
Jesse: Okay. Yeah.
Jacinta: Tila Tequila.
Jesse: All right. What is your favorite food?
Jacinta: I love all foods, but my favorite food is, shit, croissants. Croissants. Croissants.
Jesse: So here in Chile, we actually call those half moons or media lunas. I don't know why. Yeah, but it’s a croissant. All right. If you go to jail today, what crime did you commit?
Jacinta: Probably smuggling drugs from one country to another.
Jesse: Okay, so you picked up some things as your father being a diplomat, you have the diplomatic immunity card.
Jacinta: Yes. Yeah, I do. It expired not so long ago, so I don't have it anymore. But absolutely.
Jesse: Now, are diplomats kids the same as maybe a preacher's kid? That they're all terrible?
Jacinta: Oh, I don't know. No, no. Some are super, I mean, it's a snobby culture. Diplomat kids can be snobby because it's a snobby world that you're in. It's very elite.
Jesse: Were you snobby?
Jacinta: No.
Jesse: Well, we talked to one of your ex-boyfriends and that’s not what he said. I’m kidding.
Jacinta: Says him.
Jesse: All right. So let's continue with your other two questions for First Response. What is your favorite flower?
Jacinta: Jacinta.
Jesse: A Jacinta.
Jacinta: Oh, what a narcissist. No sunflowers.
Jesse: Sunflower sunflowers. Okay. What is your dream job?
Jacinta: Dream job? Well, I'm making it happen, which is acting. But another dream job would be, probably, directing long term.
Jesse: Okay. Excellent. And finally, for First Response, what is your favorite Chilean curse word?
Jacinta: Culiao.
Jesse: Oh, that's my favorite, too. Yeah, I thought for sure you would say concha su madre.
Jacinta: Tambien.
Jesse: Culiao, culiao. It's the best one. So culiao. All right. And we're going to finish up here with rapid fire questions in a game we like to call, “Pick One”. So the idea of this, you have to pick one. There are no skips, there are no passes. You have to pick one. So, let’s put 30 seconds on the clock and let's go.
Jesse: Strawberry or raspberry?
Jacinta: Raspberries.
Jesse: Tequila or vodka?
Jacinta: Vodka.
Jesse: Star Wars or Star Trek?
Jacinta: Star Wars.
Jesse: Sugary food or salty food?
Jacinta: Sugary foods.
Jesse: Beach or mountains?
Jacinta: Beach.
Jesse: Forest or desert?
Jacinta: Forest.
Jesse: Winter or summer?
Jacinta: Summer.
Jesse: Beer or wine?
Jacinta: Wine.
Jesse: McDonald's or Burger King?
Jacinta: McDonald's.
Jesse: Coca-Cola or Pepsi?
Jacinta: Coca-Cola.
Jesse: Hamburgers or pizza?
Jacinta: Shit, pizza.
Jesse: Okay. Travel by car or by plane?
Jacinta: Plane.
Jesse: City life or country life?
Jacinta: City life.
Jesse: All right. Excellent. But maybe not necessarily in Santiago because we talked about it. Because it’s not a nice place to live.
Jacinta: No, it’s hard.
Jesse: Because eventually, you're going to run out of finding activities to do.
Jacinta: Honestly, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I do escape a lot to the beach, though.
Jesse: Okay, well, that's the good thing about living in Chile. One of the skinniest countries in the world is Chile. And never more than, what, 2 hours from the beach in Chile.
Jacinta: Depending on who's the driver.
Jesse: If I was driving, I drive very cautious, so we would probably get there in two and a half hours. So. Well, excellent. Thank you, Jacinta. It's been a real pleasure speaking to you. Thank you all for watching. Thank you for listening. And be sure to tune in next time with another guest. See you next time.
Jacinta: See ya.
Key vocabulary, phrases and slang:
Side hustle (noun): a side job
Example: Translating is my side hustle.
Hustler (noun): a person who is ambitious and works hard to succeed, usually under difficult circumstances
Example: He has done well in life, he is a real hustler.
Out of place (phrase): when you feel like you don’t fit in
Example: I feel out of place at work because I don’t know anyone.
Come across as (phrasal verb): to seem to be
Example: When you meet him, he comes across as quiet.
To swear (verb): to promise
Example: I didn’t steal the cookie, I swear!
Pot (noun): slang or informal word for marihuana.
Example: Joe smokes pot on weekends.
Hutzpah (adjective): extreme self-confidence or audacity.
Example: She isn’t afraid to speak in public, she has real hutzpah.
Thick skin (noun and idiom): a person who is not easily offended or affected by what other people say or do
Example: If you want to be a celebrity, you need to have thick skin.
Snobby (adjective): a person who acts like they are from the higher class and only likes people and things from the higher class (negative connotation).
Example: I don’t think she’ll volunteer because she is snobby.
Pick (something) up / Pick up (something) (phrasal verb): to learn a new skill from another person or place
Example: When I went to Europe, I picked up French and decided to start taking French classes.