day 313: hey girl, can i have yo number?

'scue me, can I talk to you fo a minute?

'SCUE ME, can I talk to you fo a minute? 

I just wanted to let you know, the back o yo head is redikulus.

where's yo boyfriend? where yo boyfriend at? 

so listen, I was wonderin, can I have yo numba? can I have it? can I have yo numba?

SUP AMIGITOS

So that there was an excerpt of one of my favorite madtv sketches of all time:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTFZyl7hfBw 

Seriously. Watch it. You will love it. 

But I found this sketch to be particularly poignant as of late as the usual rate of men annoying me has increased in the past few weeks. See, my site isn't that big. Well, it's kind of large but has this general small town feel to it. For that reason, I usually see people who know me or whom I am familiar with whenever I'm out running about. Lately, I've gotten rather busy (kind of why I haven't updated in so long... sorry!) and have found myself running around my community during random hours all day in the afternoon, and returning back to my house later than usual (not like late late, but anytime after the sun goes down is pretty late for me). 

For this reason, I've been out more often and more of the community has randomly been given a chance to realize there is a volunteer running around this site. What has this lead to? 

Well, the kind of harassment I usually get from stranger men on the streets isn't what other volunteers usually get. Usually, you typically find men whistling at you or throwing 'piropos' aka catcalls or these really kind of gross loud kissy noises in your direction. Sure, I get this at times (it's particularly frustrating when it's men I know and they do it as a joke, but I'll talk about that in a bit) but the majority of annoyance I get here is actually really awkward. 

The situation, and the men. 

I'm pretty good at ignoring the whistles, the kissy noises, the catcalling, and a lot of times, I actually phase them out so much that I actually don't realize they're calling me. It's a useful trick. The last few times, however, have involved men being seriously strange and I just don't know how to react... so I don't and I keep walking away with a concerned look on my face. 

Here's an example:

Me: walking down the main street, about to cross on to the other side so I can get home.

Man: dressed in what appears to be painter's clothes or something mildly torn up and covered in paint, walking with a friend and heading the opposite direction from me. 

I'm walking past this man, looking at the street in case there are cars, when this man passes me by. He's staring, but I'm ignoring, when he suddenly stops just as I pass by and starts blabbering. "Señorita, hello, excuse me, you're so very beautiful. You are so gorgeous, how pretty you are. You are so pretty and beautiful. Señorita, you are extremely beautiful." 

Wtf?

This man is literally just standing by the side of the road, talking to me as I'm quickly walking away, and his friend hasn't even realized he's stopped yet. This is weird, and seriously awkward. What does this guy want?? Does he think standing there, staring at me, and blabbering about how pretty he thinks I am... does he think that's somehow going to make me turn right around and chat with him? Give him my number? Go out with him? Wtf, seriously awkward. I had no idea how to react but I had turned to him (because what else do you do when someone calls your attention with 'hello, excuse me' ?) so I gave him a quick wane smile and hurried along my way, shaking me head. 

Here's another example:

Me: walking by the market, chatting on the phone in english

Man: dressed like a hipster who hasn't quite figured out just how tight his jeans and shirt should be, playing with a phone in his hand as he walks by. 

I tend to be a friendly person in my site. I say hello to almost everyone I see, or at least give a quick smile (especially when I'm on the phone). I know that this is a fault of mine that seems to invite unwanted attention, and I'm in the process of working on it... but it's sometimes difficult to do. At least I got my winking under control. I miss winking :c but I don't do it anymore and I make a conscious decision not to! 

Anyway, I'm chatting on the phone and this guy turns the corner. He looks up as I step slightly to the left to give him room to pass. I'm still chatting and walking, minding my own business. His head goes back to the phone when he does a double take and looks me in the eye. I presume this to mean that we may have met at some point in my last 7 months in site (I don't know all the people I've met! There are have just been too many, it's also probably why I say hello to everyone- a lot of people know who I am, I hardly know anyone's names) so while I'm on the phone, I give him a quick smile and a hello before returning to my conversation. 

He takes this to mean, yes- please talk to me, go ahead, I do want to listen to you discuss what you think about me, Mr. Awkward Stranger Man. Go right on with your chatty self while I continue to hold this phone conversation. 

As he passes me by, this guy starts making random small talk. He's not even walking in my direction, he's just spitting out comments as I walk past him. It's really weird. "Hello señorita, good afternoon, you are a very beautiful woman, did you know that? We should go out because you are very attractive; you have a very pretty smile." 

WTF dude, I'm on the phone, who the eff are you? Go away from me. I respond, "good afternoon" and continue with my convo on the phone, completely ignoring this guy who isn't following me or anything, he literally talks to me as we pass by and as I'm walking away before he goes on his way.

I don't get what's with people these days. 

Finally, there are the men who I actually do know, have conversed with, and know the names of who continue to hit on me whenever they see me. It's always jokingly, friendly, and everyone else who knows about their comments always mock them for me shooting them down, but it gets kind of annoying. 

One such man works in the municipality. I see him pretty often, usually whenever I'm in the muni, but sometimes during public events and such. He's already asked for my hand in marriage a few times, has informed people in the muni that I will one day take him back to the states with me, and he has been mocked mercilessly by others in the office, informing him that he isn't good enough for me. It's all in jest, though, and I'm well aware of this. I don't really care, to be honest, as he gets everything I ask him to do done and he's pretty good at connecting me to the person I need to talk to for whatever project I'm working on. Plus, I'm pretty good at holding my own when he's flirting with me and the joking is all in good fun. What I don't like, however, is when he's passing me by on the street in a car or motorcycle and throws me a kissy noise, calling out "my love!" as he zooms by. Mostly because I can't do anything about it except respond to the fact that I know him by waving, which feels like I'm acknowledging that I am, in fact, his amor. 

Bah! LIES! 

But at least it's harmless. He never jokes around when I'm working on my projects in the muni, and he never bothers me if I'm alone- only if there are others around and he can make a mild fool of himself, which is why I've never talked to him and asked him to stop. He tries to make it very clear that he's just fooling around. But god, I hate that gross kissy noise thing. 

So, men. I am rather fond of the men in my life, but I'm starting to grow tired of the strange ones around me. Why can't they all just be like the ones who whistle at me across the street or something? Those seem to be more normal. What's up with this breed of men who are just awkward? They should figure out that I'm pretty awkward too... if and when they interact with me, it's just going to get super awkward and then we'll have to just awkwardly ignore each other for the rest of our lives. 

I mean, come on. It's one thing to grow a pair and talk to a girl, it's another to do it all creepy and awkward and make me unconsciously ball my hands up in a fist around my house keys. But that's my life right now! 

I'm complaining about this, but mostly it's because of this sudden increase as of late. I never had too much of a problem with this before in my site, but again, it's probably because I've just been out and about more often. 

Besides that, I haven't got much to report! I'm starting to look into a few grants for my projects, I've applied to join the peer support network, and I'm still training to run the half marathon. Since I ended p90x, my weight has increased an appalling amount but that may also be because my snacking has once again, gotten out of control. I'm working on it though, so no worries. 

I am also rewatching arrested development. This show is the shiznit. I highly suggest it! And finally, I read The Book Thief and it may be one of my favorite books that I've read so far in Peru. GO READ IT. 

Miss you and love you all, 

please keep sending me letters and ecstasy inducing care packages. 

Peace and Love <3