My First Visitors

Last week was a great week because I finally had my first visitors, my sister and her friends. It was nice to see familiar faces…it’s been too long. It was also great because they caught me up on all the things I’ve missed in America – gossip, new music that doesn’t involve Rihanna, new trends, etc. They also brought me some American goodies. Thanks to my wonderful family, I got the summer clothes I couldn’t fit in my suitcase when I moved here, some seasonings I can use to make Mexican food, a huge bottle of honey mustard, a giant jar of Peanut Butter, and some current American movies!

Having them here also made me realize how long it’s been since I’ve been surrounded with girls. I forgot what it was like to wait for the bathroom for a long time; to constantly hear “OH MY GOD” or “So cute!”; to constantly talk about clothes and shoes; and, to have someone comment with after seeing/checking out a hot boy. It made me realize how badly I need woman friends in Madrid.

As expected, the week was super busy. We tried our best to do and see as much as we can in Madrid. We also did a lot of damage in our pockets every time we went into a Zara or in Topshop. The best was when we went out to the clubs/bars. I’ve always been curious about how Spanish men would react to a bunch of American girls. I always had this theory that when in a foreign country, American girls attract a lot of attention from the men. As far as my experiences and for most people I’ve talked to, it is very common for foreign men to be very forward - some might even propose marriage! - to American women. I don’t know if it’s because of all the American movies or the fact that us, American girls, perpetuate this notion of American women being “easy”…I think it’s both. I really haven’t had any of this reaction with the Spanish men. Probably because I don’t look like the typical “American”, or maybe because I am constantly accompanied by boys and a gay man. I was finally glad to test this with my sisters and her friends.

The verdict: my theory still stands correct. My sister and her friends were constantly surrounded by men. I guess men will always be men. But in the spectrum of male aggression, I have to say the Spanish men are not as aggressive. Yes, they flocked, but they weren’t as forward as other men from other countries (i.e. Argentinians, Italians). At least the Spaniards only get aggressive in the bars!

Well, now my first set of visitors are gone and I’m back to being alone again. It was very hard to say goodbye to them (I really need to get over this saying goodbye thing!). But it was better to see them for a little bit than nothing at all. I can’t wait for my next visitors next month and in May. Yay!

My First Visitors