What Did You Just Call Me?

“¡Hola mamacita guapa, que chica más linda, uuuyi!”

Translation: “Hey hot little mama, such a pretty girl, ooowee!”

That’s a typical shout an American girl hears while walking down a busy street. It’s often accompanied by whistles, or a sound like “tsss tsss tsss” to get her attention. It can be quite annoying at times and if not taken into context, offensive. It was one of the toughest things for me to get used to about Costa Rica. The men have no reservations about yelling out cat calls to women. We Americans tend to take offense to it, but that’s because in our own culture, it’s considered rude and obnoxious. Men might stare at women a little and check them out, maybe smile at them, but they don’t shout incessantly. Well, here they do, some more than others.

I’m not saying it doesn’t bother me, because sometimes it does. Like when I want to lie out on the beach and some guy parks himself on a bench nearby with a clear view so he can watch me – that’s just not okay. But if I’m just walking down the street and they want to whistle and say something, I’ve come to the point where I find it amusing, and even take it as a complement (though it’s really not saying much, considering how the guys here pretty much stop in their tracks for anything with breasts, blond hair and blue eyes).

Many of the girls from the second semester of USAC, after being in Costa Rica for 3 months still aren’t used to it and it is driving them crazy. Well, I figure you can let it drive you crazy, or you can just get over it and take it in stride. Getting mad at them only riles them up even more anyway. You’re much better off just accepting the culture and not stressing yourself out about it – that’s what I’ve learned to do.

Besides, can you really complain when all the guys in town seem to thing you’re gorgeous?