Friday, May 09, 2008

short hair vs. long hair

"Hola, Kitty," Luis says as I approach him on the stoop where he is basking in the sun, enjoying a few quiet moments before work.

"Hola, como estas?" I say.

"Bien, bien," he says. "Y Tu?" Then gasps -- "Oh! Kitty, what did you do? What happened to your hair?"

Funny, Tony, the Brazilian drag queen/busser who used to call me Barbie said the exact same thing when I dyed my hair dark brown last winter. Whereas Luis' voice is low-pitched and gravely, Tony screamed out his sentiments like a lady who'd seen a mouse. In any case, I didn't expect to hear the same thing, verbatim, from the very straight, very masculine Colombian waiter Luis.

His reaction did, however, offer me an interesting new data point to plug into my theory about what Latin American men like best: not only does Luis prefer blondes, or monas, he also prefers long haired monas.

I also find it interesting that the Colombians I know have no qualms about telling you when they don't like how you've changed your look. I don't think Americans are as honest in this regard, at least not to a person's face. I'm just saying, no American has come right out and told me: your hair looked better long. Not yet, anyway.

I challenge which ever one of you who'd like to mess with me next to write THAT on a charge slip next time I wait on you at Toro. Then I will truly have been had.

2 comments:

pete said...

I love the short blonde bob hairstyle on women. get me going everytime. but I suspect that I'm in the minority

Noemie said...

it's true, in latin american countries people are more blunt. i know from experience. they will tell you that you've gained weight and that you look fat. they'll tell you that you're too skinny and if you packed on 10 lbs you'd be beautiful. in the u.s. you never tell a girl she looks fat. unless you want her to go home and cry.