People watching

So many times, when we are outside, we end up people watching. With close to nine million people here, in México City alone, there are plenty to see.

They come in every shape, size, color, and, creed. Tall, short, thin, heavy, black, brown, and a few of us “güeras”, (pronounced gwehr-ahs). That is what I am considered. And there are not many of us here.

A couple of weeks ago, we were walking through Zapamundi, the mall that houses Soriana, our favorite grocery store. As we passed this group of people, who were waiting to get into the Asian restaurant, a woman, about my age, with the same color skin, and, hair, turned around, and smiled at me. I smiled in return. We both had to be thinking the same thing- “nice to see another güera, for goodness sake”.

Fortunately, I have had no trouble adjusting to a different culture, this time. When we moved to Houston, I was twenty seven, and there were enough güeros to get by. But, in nineteen eighty six, we moved to Laredo, TX – I was done for. I cried for the first six months we were there. The culture shock was more than I could manage.

Not anymore. Now, we enjoy going out, sitting on a short wall, say, while our car is being washed, just watching what people are doing. It is so much more fun, now that I have so much more life experience. I cannot get enough.