How does s/he touch you?
We were standing in Plaza San Antonio when a statuesque woman from Seville asked me if I knew where the casino was – oddly enough I had passed a building that said casino on one of my walks and told her as much, but I couldn’t remember exactly where it was. Tatjana and Tin were with me and the woman lingered, talking, her boyfriend was working at the soon to be open larger than life parador down the street by the sea. She said, “Como te tocas?” Which literally means how does she touch you referring to Tatjana.
But I had never heard the expression before. Tatjana walked up and said we are partners and this is our son. The woman continued to talk and then our friends arrived and we went off to join them.
She had a folder with a list of goings on in Cadiz and she was off to do one of those many splendor things. Us, we are doing what the Spaniards do, hanging at cafes in plazas and chatting away with tinto de veranos in our hand.
Today, I took Tin for a get lost stroll after he woke from his nap (NOT); well he didn’t nap, but I got him up after listening to him pound the walls and sing and start a train with zebra and booty kitty and cow and was going out of my mind. We purposefully went on a get lost stroll and headed out to the sea wall where we haven’t been and towards Plaza Santa Maria to check it out. I could see high from the sea wall that the beaches were crowded thick with weekenders all enjoying the rather warm day.
Then we turned back in towards town and just followed the narrow streets along. There is something very remarkable about Spaniards and their love of children; it is instilled in them from birth I think because I see the young boys as loving towards children as the older men in the streets who stop Tin and say, “Hola guapo,” and touch his head or ask for a kiss. You rarely see this kind of affection coming from men in the United States towards kids but here it is very up close and personal.
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:50 am
The photo with Tin and the dancer = SUPERB.
And good for the men who aren’t afraid of showing affection! But because it’s so not common in the States — and Canada too, for that matter — Tin has to beware of the not-so-loving touches some men might want to… well, you know. Ugly world, at times. But I’m sure you’ll guide him well.
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:37 pm
The thought unfortunately comes up too often in my mind – how to be loving but protective at the same time. Everyone wants to kiss him but he scoffs a lot – good or bad – it’s hard to know when it is safe and when it is not and so now start the conversation about what is yours, private, you decide, you allow – even at 3 these conversations are going on.
July 23rd, 2012 at 9:07 pm
Better for him to scoff than to be too open, I say. He’s developing his instincts and *feels* your vibes, just like wild animals do. With all the attention he’s getting from you and Tatjana, I’m not worried about his defence mechanisms!
But yeah, lots of conversations… you’ll do fine 🙂