Friday, January 15, 2010

Two Observations about Spaniards

1. They're really, really fashionable. All of Madrid, especially at night, looks like an H&M catalog. Almost everyone dresses in black, with various sorts of coats and scarves. Many men seem to wear scarves, especially with suites. There's also a pretty sizable portion of punks. I can't tell if they're ahead of the times, behind the times, or both. They wear goofy haircuts (often like mohawks, but not quite as defined, and sometimes with the top bleached), lots of piercings, and more sleek fashionable black clothing. I feel under-dressed all the time.

2. They're surprisingly affectionate. My step-grandmother told me that when she visited under Franco, kissing in a public park could put you in jail. Now, in addition to every couple being firmly attached to their significant other (I mean seriously attached - it's like a pose rather than a sign of affection), I've seen quite a few overt displays of sexuality in the streets. On Gran Via (the main street), I saw a guy repeatedly slapping his girlfriend's ass while walking. She didn't seem offended or even embarrassed. In another incident, I saw a guy basically manhandle a girl in an archway. It seems a bit strange to me, but perhaps I'm old fashioned.

2 comments:

  1. Could have said slapping butt.
    but please think BEFORE you get pierced!

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  2. Evan, Gran Vía is where you pick up prostitutes! They were probably hookers Evan...

    ReplyDelete