This is a kissy country on a kissy continent. It is standard when you enter a get together to greet everybody there with a kiss. And then you kiss everyone again when you leave. I really kinda like it, its nice to acknowledge everyone, and it brings everyone close together. It takes forever (no wonder their parties take so long!) but its a neat practice that I wish I could integrate into my own culture in the states. But I've decided it is also the cause for the staring. Maybe they just do not greet long distance. if you are not greeting each other properly, why acknowledge each other all? In Utah, grownups generally avoid eye contact with strangers, and if they catch one another's' eye, they just smile in greeting or quickly look away. Not here. I haven't seen one person embarrassed to be staring at me. Its quite boggling for me to smile at people and have them just keep looking me up and down, strait-faced. But if I'm right, then its actually because there is a wall between us and until we break it with a proper greeting, we have no rules of etiquette toward to one another. What do you think? Sound reasonable? Or, you know, they could also be looking to see if that is where the smell is coming from. One or the other.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Sure, I'm a stranger in a strange land. But stranger than what?
Strangers are always staring at me here. I'm not sure if its because I'm often looking a little scroungy, or because I don't wear a coat when its "cold" out, or maybe because I am just plain weird looking. My first real thought is that they are trying to decide whether I am a foreigner or not (sigh. ah, The Foreigner: great show). I am extremely white, but honestly the skin colors vary a lot here. And on first look, people tend to assume that I am Bolivian, or perhaps Argentinean. Which is nice, I don't like to stick out too much. So although its still pretty possible they are staring because I'm white, I have come up with an alternate theory:
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5 comments:
they look at you because you are hot!!!;D
I suggest you give them the same stare back, and see what happens. Curious thing is, that is a part of Lydia's heritage she was born with. Remember when she was small and would give everyone "the stare." Maybe it is just instinct for a bolivian. After all why smile at a stranger. If they aren't kissing you, they are probably dangerous.
Hmmm . . . You could ask your MIL or someone close to you. I would guess it's the whiteness.
Yeah, I got very used to kissy kissy in Portugal too, & probably shocked some relatives when I got back. Shaking hands w/ my family doesn't feel right any more though.
As far as all the staring people go, if you've checked yr zipper, or yr slip isn't hanging lower than yr skirt, then you might just say "Buenos dias".
You don't wear those opaque sunglasses like the cops do do you?
Maybe they think yr secret police or something.
I think its the smell thing
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