"Dime, guapa"

"I've never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful." ~Author Unknown

Guapa\o- adjective- good looking; woman- beautiful, pretty; man- handsome


If I have been reminded of anything since being back in Spain, it's how much the Spanish find beauty in every single person. The word guapo or guapa is an adjective that you hear about 10812038107081 times a day in Spain. Whether you are greeting friends or complete strangers, 9 times out of 10 you are greeted with this word. When ordering food, standing in line at the market, or even greeting my colleagues and students at school, I am always greeted with, "Hola guapa!" Hearing this simple word all the time makes me feel really special, and the Spaniards are really good at making someone feel valued and beautiful.

Being American, my values of beauty are (sadly) strongly influenced by what the media portrays. Myself, and millions of other girls, compare ourselves to models and actresses thinking that only this is what is accepted as beautiful. Being in Spain makes you feel like the most beautiful person in the world. I didn't even realize the need for this kind of affirmation all of the time simply because I'm just not use to hearing it. It may be a cultural thing but it still makes me feel pretty darn special. Can you imagine if everyone in America started to greet by saying, "hello gorgeous!" even if by a complete stranger? Talk about starting someone's day off right.

On the flip side, the malagueños sure know how to dress- everyone in Málaga dresses up all the time! The only time you see someone in sweats is if they are on their way to or from the gym. Girls wear heels or boots throughout the day. When going out, almost all of the girls wear heels and dressy dresses. The boys all wear nice pants, dress shoes, and mostly collared shirts. In order to get into the discotecas here you have to be dressed appropriately, meaning heels for girls and dress shoes for boys. Lets just sum it up by saying malagueños are always put together quite nicely.

While I'm adjusting nicely to being called beautiful all the time, dressing the part is somewhat challenging. Sometimes I don't feel like getting dressed up just to go to the market. Sometimes I just want to wear my gym shorts and tee shirt if I'm only walking down the street. Nonetheless, I am still being challenged and learning every single day.

Missing and thinking of you all. Hasta pronto.

KA