Do you ever get the feeling you are being watched? Me too. Every. Second. Of. My. Life.
In the States, we are used to some casual voyeurism - the nosy neighbor without a job, the skinny greasy cubical mate, your best friend's dad - but these voyeurists usually act with caution, and keep their distance accordingly.
Hondurans know no such boundaries and thus this is what I, and the other gringos, are subjected to each day
But really, this is what it feels like...
Oh yes, I know. We are white and different and everyone always looks at what they think is different, but what gets me is the longevity of the eye contact. I mean, these people must have the wettest eyes, because their lids are not blinking.
The other day while Emily and I were getting coffee, this man who was 6 inches away from me (seriously, I need to write another blog about personal space) was staring at me so hard from the side I could feel the hole being bore into the side of my head. I turned to look and make eye contact thinking that he would shy away (LIKE MOST PEOPLE DO) but he just held my eyes with his in the most intense non-sexual staring game of my life. We're talking a solid 9 seconds. The Staring Game should have its spot in the Olympics and Hondurans would kick ass.
Do you remember Will Ferrell's Robert Goulet skit where he has a staring contest with the plastic ram and the ram wins (he always does)? No. A Honduran would beat that ram. Every time.
Now, I've been talking about the "Honduran" stare, but as it turns out, some of us gringos have caught on to quite a bit of the skill. Take for example Chris Valdes
Look at that form! Now, while judging this I initially gave him a 7.5 because I thought at first that he was smirking a little, but upon further examination, this is just staring gold. Intense, deep, unwavering, terrifying. 9.9. Bravo.
I don't know about you guys, but I'm feeling a Chris v. Ram showdown. Winner plays the Honduran coffee-line patron.
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