Looking like a Gringo in Colombia

Everyday from the moment I step out of my door to the moment that I step back inside I am very aware that I am a minority.  I hardly ever see someone else that looks like me.  I have blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin and that is just unusual for Medellin.  Dale has it even worse because he sticks out at least a foot taller then anyone else he has blondish hair (it’s really brown but in Colombia anyone who doesn’t have black hair is blonde) and blue eyes.  Needless to say when we walk down a street we are noticed. We stand out and no one has any problem pointing out just how much we don’t look like we belong.  Some people are very nice and in their typical Paisa way they muster up a few words in English for us “Welcome to Medellin.”  Although I understand that these people are only being friendly and nice after living here for almost a year and still being welcomed to the city is a little discouraging.  How much can a place feel like home if you are constantly reminded that you don’t belong there?  One thing that people do here that only seems to bother me more and more is all the staring.  As soon as I open my mouth to talk to Dale as we walk down the street heads turn in every direction to stare at the gringos.  Walking through my usual commute people just stare.  On the Metro people stare and in every normal routine I do people stare and stare and stare.  I think that I now know somewhat what it must feel like to be a famous actor or something.  To be noticed everywhere you go and to get unwanted attention in every aspect of your daily life; it can get to you.  People even go as far as to yell English taglines at us.  Any English words that they may know is just fine “hello-how-are-you-fine” “I love you” or just “hellllllllooooooooo”.  If only I had made as much money off of being the only person to ever say “hello-how-are-you-fine” as Tom Cruise did for “show me the money” maybe I could tolerate this a little better.