So I learned something a little disturbing this week. I’m a blond. I was sitting in class with my professor and came across the word ‘rubia’ in what we were reading. To explain it me she said, “It means light-complexion, like you. I’m moreno (dark complexion) and you’re rubio.” And though I know she meant the whole skin color and eye color combo, but basically she called me a blond. To be fair I do still have my blond highlights from summer in the front but I would definitely have categorized myself closer to moreno, just for the record.

It’s actually a little fun to be more exotic-looking here though. I don’t stand out as much as the 6-foot bleach-blond haired traveler from Holland we met but I’m just different enough for people to give me an extra look on the street. It’s nothing like the wide-mouth stares we received in Africa however. Besides the beggars who get really excited when we walk by, no one really seems to treat us that differently here.

There was one funny occurrence yesterday when we were at this fair/expo with the daughter and son of the family we’re staying with.   The fair was like a county fair and had booths from lots of companies.   When we walked past the Bolivian Airlines booth the women walked right past the two Bolivians we were with and shoved fliers into our hands.   She was thinking “Those look like people that ride airplanes.”  I thought it was funny .