Does that really work on the ladies?

If I haven't already mentioned, catcalling here is ridiculous. Catcalling, or when guys whistle/holler/make noises at women as they walk by, is very common here.

Yes, you may see it in the city, or even in the suburbs I hear the occasional drive-by catcall. But what is more common in the states is just staring. Guys simply stare at the women.

But the Spaniards love to make it a little more verbal. Thank goodness I am not blonde, where the catcalling is a little more ridiculous since they all know you aren't a native Spaniard. Being brunette has helped it be less of the "you're a foreigner so I will make you super uncomfortable" type catcalling.

So, what exactly do they say/do? Well, the most common is "hola chica" (hey girl) or "guapa!" (beautiful girl)

Or, in the case of my Granada trip last year, in the area called Little India, the storeowners said "por favor! Quiero saber tu nombre! Solamente tu nombre!" (I just want to know your name! Just your name!)

Or, in the case of Carly while waiting at the bus station to go to San Sebastian last weekend, a homeless man, in English, said "I LOVE YOUUU"


But they also make sounds. They whistle sometimes, but what's more common is random noises, like kissing sounds, this hissing "SSSSTTT" noise, or this odd sucking noise you make to get peanut butter off the roof of your mouth. Except I think they do it to attract women. Ew.

I have the unfortunate walking route between my internship and school that goes right through road construction. That, of course, means there are construction workers, the most infamous catcallers. I usually ignore them and act like I don't hear them at all. I especially try not to smile, even though it's hard not to when they say such ridiculous things.

Today, however, I couldn't help myself.

I walked by the construction site and hear a group of guys yell "guapa! chica! ey! ey! guapa!" at me, but one voice strains to stay above the rest, reciting a whole paragraph of things...
"hola! Chica guapa! Que tienes mi corazon en tus manos! Mira! Te quiero! Que quiero casarme contigo! Podemos tener una vida maravillosa! Guapa! Por favor!" (Beautiful girl! You have my heart in your hands! Look! I love you! I want to marry you! We can have a wonderful life together! Beauty! Please!)

After the first couple sentences I was biting my lip not to smile because it was so weird. Then I just full on broke out laughing and smiling, but still kept looking straight ignoring whoever was talking. His friends started laughing at him as he continued his rant.