Jaime, I was surprised to read that Spanish women obsess over their weight. I really didn't know that! It seems...from non-Spanish eyes...that men and women in Spain pretty much eat what they want when they want it. I assumed they stayed slim because of all the walking and because they don't seem to eat the truckloads of chips and other munchies that we do. I guess I also figured they had magic genes that enabled a person to eat and not gain weight!

I also wondered if what we call rudeness is just cultural. When I was young (and dinosaurs ruled the earth), it was not uncommon to have someone carry a nickname like Fats or Sticks based on some physical characteristic. This is still very true in Mexico and among Native American populations. I'd be taking attendance the first day of school and call "Antonio" only to have Antonio say "That's me, but I go by Gordo". The worst was a girl with hard core acne who was called Pil-Pil. Kids told me that's what they call those little round, white sprinkles on candy! Anyway, I never know for sure if I am dealing with rudeness or just having a choque de cultura.