This is different...

I remember a conversation I had in college with my then-boyfriend. We mused about how different life must be for someone who is extremely good-looking. What would it be like to stand out in the crowd? Living in the U.S., I have always blended into the population. In the few months I have been here in Mexico, I have gotten a little taste of what is it like to look different. And I'm not sure what to think about it...

It's not that I have gotten better looking, or have been doing anything different in recent months; it's that Mexico City has a very homogeneous population. Virtually everyone here is Mexican with the stereotypical dark-brown eyes, black hair, and tan skin. There is not a lot of ethnic diversity. I am a blue-eyed, brown-haired, pink-skinned American freak who also happens to be 4 or 5 inches taller than the average Mexican woman. As a result of this, I garner a lot of attention from Mexican men. Every day as I walk to work, men on the street openly stare. Some try to talk to me. (It's probably better that I don't understand what they are saying...) Cab drivers honk "wolf-whistle" horns. (No, not kidding!) At the Starbucks in my building, every guy working there knows me, knows what drink I want, and will usually stamp my frequent-flyer card twice when I am paying. The three men who work at my hotel know me by name, and I am fairly certain one of them wants to date me. Then there was that occasion where I had to keep removing a coworker's hand from my knee at a happy hour.

At first, I was really offended by the open stares on the street, and a little put off by some of the other attention I was getting. Then I found it amusing. Now I hardly even notice. Sadly, it is easy to get used to this kind of attention (however creepy it may be). Each time I return to Dallas, I get a reality check. It is a bit deflating to have a man look right through me or let a door slam in my face. So, I guess I'll 'enjoy' the novelty here in Mexico as long as it lasts!

Mexican men are paying attention!