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?