🤗 If anyone lives in a place where they don't have friendly encounters with neighbours when they step outside, please take a greeting:
1) Off to work? The energy rolling off you is *incredible*. I hope it carries you through a wonderful day.
2) Hey! That is a smashing colour on you. The fabric looks super comfortable, too. Rock on, you stylish beast.
3) What a gift to see your face again! It's been a bit, hasn't it? Hope everything's going great with the fam--and say hello to your dog for me!
Although I had a lovely round of chats coming back from the run, I also had one fellow who rushed from friendly chat around the tinto vendor to trying to get my number.
The trick with this type is that they're not all ill-intentioned. Many are just so unused to being seen that they don't have a fuller range of scripts. Ah! Feminized person talking to me! Must pursue!
I politely decline but keep the group chat going. Most then get over the initial brain spaz & everyone goes away feeling good. 👌
@MLClark Would you say the Colombian culture is more "macho" than Canada or U.S.?
Tough call!
I definitely got harassed in Canada plenty, and many toxic expectations and attitudes around gender show up even among Westerners with all the right political vocab. Also, even the gym bro culture on display here, in a climate that makes outdoor gym equipment free and abundant, isn't that different from gym bros up north.
Also... I just checked the feminicide rate in Canada and Colombia: both 0.48 / 100,000 in 2020! 🤯 (I had to double-check the stats to believe it!)
@WordsmithFL
One problem with the stats is that some outlets conflate overall female deaths with feminicide, which has a very specific meaning.
I will say that there's a culture of "romantic" engagement with women here that sharpens the disconnect between the reality of how many men view women as objects / take issue with women who aren't interested in marriage/babies.
Western fellows may also get unduly interested in a woman's personal business, but... without the grand romantic displays. 🙃