Breaking news! Last night, in an effort to avoid the mountain of homework I have, I decided to roll up my sleeves and make dinner with my host mom. She asked me to come up with something different for them to try so I went to the store and picked up a few less than common ingredients. We made a delicious stir fry with tons of vegetables and.....tofu. My mom seemed to really like it but the first impression of tofu for my dad and sister.... not so much.
This week I wanted to share what I've learned about, well... boys and girls. Portland is a fairly progressive and liberal city, especially in regards to gender roles. We've come a long way from the 50's house wife family model. What I've encountered in Spain is very different from what you may find in Portland. So whats normal in Spain?
The way people dress here is much different than in Portland. Walking down the street it is almost impossible to avoid the click clack noise of 4 inch heels that a vast majority of the girls sport here.
Me and some friends going out for the night! I decided to trade in my t-shirt and beanie for a dress and some heels!
I learned quickly that my birkenstocks were a little frumpy to wear out and about. Spanish women have a distinct demanor about them. They carry themselves with a certain elegance and pride. Rarely do I note women goofing off or laughing loudly; clearly I am not Spanish. It very common to hear countless "cat calls" like "ayyee guapa" from men to women on the street but never do you see a response. Women here keep very quiet in public especially if they don't appreciate attention. Some of my american guy friends have a hard time understanding this seemingly snobby attitude. Striking up a friendly conversation with a Spanish girl is almost always one sided. If she doesn't want to talk to you... she won't.
Spanish boys are quite interesting. I'm sure you guys are familiar with the characters from the Jersey Shore (as horrible as it is... their fame is unavoidable). Well imagine "Pauly D" or "The situation" but Spanish. Yes my friends. There are countless tight polos, faded jeans, ridiculous sun glasses, leather shoes, and the hair gel...OOHHH the hair gel!!
....I think I made my point.
Now this doesn't cover the entire male population but its definitely the style. Like any city there are the "indie kids" or the "hippies". One thing I have never seen before that is everywhere here is the dreaded mullet. Sure we've seen mullets and we've seen dread locks. They have taken it to a new level here and created a business front with a rasta back. Despite the sometimes seemingly femenine style, men here are very masculine. They take pride in their male qualities, bringing a new meaning the the word "macho." They have no problem declaring their love or attraction to a female passerby, day or night.
Onto the dating world. Girls and boys don't socialize together as much as americans do. At home I have many close male friends but here that is much less common. In class the boys and girls are always segregated as if they each have coodies. Whenever I see the two sexes together it is almost always in a date-like setting. Spanish couples are very affectionate. PDA may be an understatement here. Almost everyone here lives with their parents until they get married. This forces any romantic practices outside the privacy of the home. You can imagine how seeing such blatant, in your face, mushy gooshy, baby talk etc.. might be a little weird for someone who is unfamiliar with this cultural norm.
Living in such a different environment in which the sexes are so segregated has been challenging for me at times. I've become accostomed to the strange looks and comments I receive when I go for an evening jog. My host mom explained to me that women don't really exercise here. I thought this was strange. She explained that it isn't very lady like to sweat in public. So I've been trying to take the scenic routes. Its been difficult to find a balance between respecting the culture while living the Spanish life style and staying true to my interests and personal beliefs about gender roles. Can you guys think of other challenges someone might face in this environment? What major social differences do you see between Alicante and Portland?
