Celebrity weighs heavily on me
I'm used to being something of a freak in Latin America—being over 6 feet and light-skinned can, especially in areas off the tourist track, make you acutely aware of your own appearance. However, walking the streets of Guatemala city has really been something different.
"Hey Good Looking!" women shout. "What a beautiful face!" the girls swoon. "What a cute fatty!" (Okay, I could do without that one) I'm constantly having to acknowledge these catcalls with a gracious smile and a "gracias". It's exhausting. We came to order tortillas at a tortilla store, and the tortilla girls practically collapsed into a collective giggle/swoon.
For some reason, Sam in his backpack carrier evokes the strongest reactions from people and I'm not sure why. I've seen other (Guatemalan) babies, and they don't get the reaction Sam does. Maybe it's partly it's because he's light skinned ("Ay que blanco!" is a common exclamation), and I guess the image of him mounted on me like a pack mule is something of a novelty.
But it's an odd sensation from my perspective, like carrying Harrison Ford on your back. I can't see Sam when I'm porting him around, so the impression is of people constantly yelling at me, smiling at me, blowing kisses. As his curator, I feel compelled to turn so that people can see him, and to acknowledge compliments on his behalf. Harrison Ford's personal assistant, handler, as well as his driver. And when he is physically able to cause more damage, maybe also his lawyer.
I tell Sam, "Enjoy it while you can."
"Hey Good Looking!" women shout. "What a beautiful face!" the girls swoon. "What a cute fatty!" (Okay, I could do without that one) I'm constantly having to acknowledge these catcalls with a gracious smile and a "gracias". It's exhausting. We came to order tortillas at a tortilla store, and the tortilla girls practically collapsed into a collective giggle/swoon.
For some reason, Sam in his backpack carrier evokes the strongest reactions from people and I'm not sure why. I've seen other (Guatemalan) babies, and they don't get the reaction Sam does. Maybe it's partly it's because he's light skinned ("Ay que blanco!" is a common exclamation), and I guess the image of him mounted on me like a pack mule is something of a novelty.
But it's an odd sensation from my perspective, like carrying Harrison Ford on your back. I can't see Sam when I'm porting him around, so the impression is of people constantly yelling at me, smiling at me, blowing kisses. As his curator, I feel compelled to turn so that people can see him, and to acknowledge compliments on his behalf. Harrison Ford's personal assistant, handler, as well as his driver. And when he is physically able to cause more damage, maybe also his lawyer.
I tell Sam, "Enjoy it while you can."
posted by GT at 9:40 AM
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