A simple hello

One thing I like about being here is the way I am addressed. Gone are the days of the averted gaze and the ipod-concentration-generation. I no longer have to avoid all the girls I went to school with and their prams, and my name is no longer shouted across the street by the undesirable teenagers I used to work with.

Now, I am greeted in a number of different ways, all equally pleasing to the ear. Some greetings depend on the time of day; buenos dias (good morning), buenos tardes (good afternoon) and buenos noches (good evening). Or their “buen” equivalent – “buen dia” for example. I prefer the “buenos” versions, with these not only am I being wished a good day/afternoon/evening but the implication is that all my days/afternoons/evenings will be good. What could be nicer? I appreciate this gesture at any time, however late or early. As the old man next to me moves up to make room for 3 of us in the front seat of the car, I smile as we exchange greetings, not caring that my knees are up to my chest and one of my elbows has no place to go but out of the window.

I think what I like about these greetings is the acknowledgment they represent, the surprising fact is (and I wish it wasn’t so surprising): people here don’t go around ignoring each other. “What?” I hear you say “How could this be? Aren’t people too wrapped up in themselves to possibly stop to say hello? Aren’t they thinking about what they need to buy, where they need to go and what their next facebook status will be? In fact, aren’t they updating their facebook status as we speak?- sorry, as we don’t speak?!”

The answer is no, they are not wrapped up in themselves, they are not on facebook and they are not in a rush. The altitude here makes it counterproductive to rush anywhere and the truth is I don’t know if people here know, or even care about facebook. (However,  I must add that when it comes to ignoring each other and rushing the road is one place where such rules do not apply. In fact I think the rule is that there are no rules. I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone was on facebook whilst driving the amount of attention they pay to other vehicles and pedestrians. Perhaps an appropriate status update would be: “Jose is about to kill several people whilst overtaking on a blind corner of a cliff edge with 6 people, 3 children and a llama in his car”)

Anyway, enough of facebook and being ignored, and back to greetings. I am also greeted as “señorita”. This sometimes surprises me as I wonder who is being addressed. I often cannot resist a grin, it’s pleasing to know they are referring to me: the young and single female. How charming it is to be reminded of this 20 times a day.

The women here are “señora”, the men “señor”, both are very respectable terms, though I am not looking forward to the day I am called “señora” (note to self: I must leave before then). My 31 year old friend also delights in being called “joven” (young person), I imagine he too likes to be reminded of his youth, or at least his youthful appearance.

I also get called “mamita”, an affectionate term which means “little mum”. I wasn`t sure that I liked this one at first but it`s definitely grown on me.

The final way in which I am addressed is by my students, to them I am not “Miss Hilder”, nor am I “Miss” or even “Rosie”. They call me “teacher”. How annoying, one might imagine, to be called by such a generic term. Indeed, I do not reciprocate and call my students “student” and feel I may not be so popular if I did.

There’s something about being called “teacher” that I find inherently pleasing, in fact I imagine it has a capital letter: “Teacher”.  It says, yes, I am the Teacher, and therefore know something that you don’t. It says, if you’d only sit down and listen I can tell you these things that you don’t know, so that you may know them, and use them too. And miraculously they do sit down and listen, and miraculously, they do learn.

Perhaps that is what I love so much about all these greetings, it is not only the acknowledgment of each other that I enjoy, it is the reminder of where I am, and who I am. I, Rosie Hilder, am here, in La Paz, Bolivia. I am a young, single female, the day, afternoon and evening is a good one, as will be all days, afternoons and evenings spent here. I am a teacher, who is trained in her profession and I am a Native speaker of English. If you ask me (payment also helps) I can teach you English, for whatever reason it is you wish to learn. I can help you communicate better with others, gain a promotion in your job, or simply understand the words to pop songs or sitcoms.

Overall, one might argue that these are all pretty desirable characteristics. It is no wonder I revel in being reminded of them, several times a day, with a simple hello.