I've noticed that men in Mexico whistle a lot. Sweet, melodic tunes. Be it the gardener, the man who sells corn (elote) on the corner every afternoon or someone needing to stop a truck or a taxi. They all whistle.
Yesterday while getting gas put in the Pathfinder, the Pemex service station attendant was whistling while cleanng my windshield (limpio mi ventanas, por favor). I just sat back and listened with a little smile on my face. It was lovely. No particular tune but he was enjoying whatever it was.
When he came over to the pump to turn it off, I asked him how to say whistle in Spanish. He told me and I told him how much I enjoyed his music. I told him that men in the USA,( estado de unidos ), don't whistle much anymore like my dad and granddad did many years ago. He asked me why and I said I guessed it was that they were in too much of a hurry and too stressed to whistle. He smiled at me. Took the nozzle out of the tank. We completed our transaction.
As I drove off and he went to service another car, he was whistling. This time a little louder and a little happier, I think.
I smiled all the way home thinking of our conversation - most in Spanish! - and his happy tune.
3 comments:
You forgot to mention the whistle I hear most often -- the wolf whistle. Mexican men put my whistler to shame. I am more of a hummer.
Check my post today. Did I get the name of the giant puppets correct?
How nice! And well done with the Spanish!
Steve, I've never heard a wolf whistle in Mexico but did hear that a lot in the USA!
Yes, you did get the mojigangas right. In fact, I left a post on it on your blog.
Thanks Shannon!
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