staring

Thought I'd continue this thread under the STARING concept. Notice how STARE is a negative word in English, and there is NO WORD for STARE in Spanish: it is mirar fijamente. (look fixedly). But you don't say that. You say, que me miras? What are you looking at me for? but like i said, people don't STARE in spanish! they "mirar"!

"HEY!!! ARE YOU LOOKIN' AT ME??" shouted the 'I'm an American!', ego-inflated student on his summer-to-Spain-trip with the Spanish class, directed towards a 'vertically-challenged' older gentleman wearing a little black beret. The older man continued staring, but his eyes widened as if the "American" was going to whip out a pistola and shoot him dead "just like in all those "American" movies."

Hey, MM, as oneof my bilingual friends puns, tu me agrietas arriba!! That vertically old man was probably staring at the hot vertically challanged lady behind the gringo!

Did the American shoot? Ja, ja, ja

We Canadians know that all Americans carry guns, so he probably did shoot!!

rgf - Que significa "tu me agrietas arriba"?

Eso, que significa?

Tu me agrietas arriba is a LITERAL and funny translation of YOU CRACK ME UP.

This thread is perfect timing because JUST TODAY I spent 4-hours in a Sexual Harassment training session/orientation as a work-related requirement for everyone.

One of the points was that it WAS SEXUAL HARASSMENT if one stares at another person long enough to make the receiver of those stares uncomfortable. I thought, "WOW!! This could never be a 'law' in Spain!" Not to mention no cat-calls, whistles, or "¡Ay! ¡Tio Bueno!" type remarks. And also, that no one should touch, hug, or kiss another person because it was inappropriate behavior in the workplace. How many Spaniards have you seen kissing each other on the cheeks upon seeing one another. We are two VERY different cultures to be sure! And sadly, I might add.

[for the record, MadridMan in no way condones nor practices sexual harassment in any form]

Saludos, MadridMan

Right, and MM doesn't condone sexual harassment so he keeps himself MOSTLY clothed (except for the bare chest shots!) on his live webcam!!! Yes, gringo culture and the extremes to which we've gone w/ sexual harassment is an amazing contrast w/ Spain. And yet, ask women workers in Spain: some of the forms of sexual harassment are very alive and unchallenged there. Sure, the beso-beso and staring is no problem, but how about the usual forms of sexual harassment? They go deeper than the cultural differences of which we speak. Which is to say: like with all matters, the FORM in which a problem will manifest may differ; the problem, when analyzed, is often of similar dimensions. You can tell my classes start next week. I've begun to profess! carajo!

Okay! SO STOP STARING AT MY BARE CHEST on MadridMan's Live Cam ! But hey, if it made me uncomfortable to be watched WHILE I was summer-barechested on my live cam I wouldn't do it.

Well, MM, maybe you should take your bare chest to your favorite... fountain! Speaking of bare chests (!), notice how in Amerika you might occasionally spot bare chested men (teens) walking around cities? Now THAT is something I have NEVER seen in Spain, ever, que yo recuerde!

Very true, rgf. Imagine the stares then! But then, I'm sure if their mothers found out that their son was NAKED (read: bare-chested) in public they would be punished severely! hehehee..

Saludos, MadridMan

[originally posted by JanetP]

Hi!
I've never really posted before but have been reading for a LONG time. This topic has been I think mentioned before under a different title but I just wanted to comment on it. Nuria, I read a post you wrote a long time ago about the way people here in the US look away when you make eye contact and seem to stare anywhere but at a person and totally agree! Its an old topic I know but its just that I saw the post today. I was born in New Jersey but my mom is Spanish so we travel, thankfully , to Espana quite frequently. But that, the making eye contact, smiling at people who are passing you by on the sidewalk , is part of what makes me love Spain so much, the fact that people are so , I don't know ...open, maybe?! I wonder if anyone else has noticed this as well or feels the same way.... Hope to hear what some of you think

rfg, I worked in a newspaper in Madrid for 3 years. I was the only girl there. My co-workers used to tell me if I looked nice, if I would like to go with them for some drinks, the main joke was that I don't use skirts so they said that I should wear them to add some spice to the office. I went alone with some of them to have some drinks (just friends) and most of them keep contact with me after almost 2 years. I bet that if some American women hear that kind of stuff from a guy she will claim sexual harrasment. I believe that if you co-worker has a sexy screen saver you can go to HR and complain. My opinion? If you really feel uncomfortable you should tell that person, not to the HR (unless the guy doesn't listen to you). I don't feel ofended is I coworker tells me I look good or even sexy, I don't care if my co-worker has the picture of Sharon Stone half naked in his computer, I am not offended if a co-worker puts his hand on my shoulder... why should I? I have a co-worker here who is an old, sweet guy who kiss me in the cheek every morning when I get to work, and you know what? I love it because it is very sweet and because he feels comfortable with me. Now most of you might think that I am a "easy" girl and I don't respect myself or something, but I have beautiful memories of my co-workers in Spain and when I change jobs I will allways remeber that sweet old guy that used to work with me and kissed me every single day.
Besos (unless you feel ofended ) Nuria

NEVER offended by a beso from you, Nuria! I used to keep pictures from some Spanish revista on my desk at work, of Madonna in her early teen days when she was pre-nose job/boob job, just a teen half naked for the camera. Then one day I realized that it wasn't the best choice of desk options.... I think all forms of affection, comments, etc are great as long as they are welcome and mutual (that is, no power games going on that put some people at a disadvantage). I have an older colega who always wants to give me a kiss as a greeting and i DONT like it because he is a creep (and goes after all the young women, which I am not anymore!). It creeps me out and there's not much to do except avoid.

All the Americans I've met were allways smiling and I keep thinking that even if I criticize them or tell them nasty things they will continue to smile at me it's impossible for me to guess what they're thinking. There is a habit, perhaps my conationals would feel like they're being laughed at. The true is that we have different values for different things and all depends on aour tastes, for example maybe a colleague likes porn so he would like to see a naked woman/man on the screen saver. Or maybe a subordinate loves his/her boss so he/she would love him/her to make a pass on her/him. But the rules are made to be broken, aren't they?