Piropos on a Tuesday morning

Un piropo is a small thing a man says or does to make a woman smile or blush. It’s an important element of the Spanish culture. The Spanish Academy Award winner Javier Bardem is said to be the king of piropos. This was when he still played in B-porn movies. The average Spaniard, however, knows his tricks as well and it’s fun to be witness of some quality piropos, especially on a Tuesday morning.

In metro 2 (the red line), at Banco de España a young blond girl and an old grey man get in. Accidentally they end up on other sides of the train. The old man smiles to the young girl and the young girl smiles back. Then the old man gets a little paper from one of his pockets, probably a receipt of some kind. He starts folding. The young girl watches what the man is doing. By the time the metro stops in Sevilla the old man had finished his origami and he hands the young girl a little white bird. When the girl says “gracias” he takes his hat off for her. Beautiful.

In bus 34, just an hour or so later, three girls get in. Brazilians, probably, considering their shapes and strange language that sounds so much more tropical than the dirty Spanish. The next stop a well-dressed man (suit, tie, cellphone glued to his ear) gets in. He finishes his call and sits down in the fourseater with the girls. It is important to understand the bus is almost empty. “I think business can wait for three beauties like you.” He says. Ten minutes later the four of them get out, the business man gently patting the behinds of one of the Brazilians, without protest. Nice.

When I get out I end up walking next to a Latina girl about my age. “Hola.” I say. “Hola.” She says. And I think that it would have been so nice if I had known what to do and say and to have some skills in piropos as well. “Como estas?” I ask. She giggles. Just another hundred metres to my house and I’m already out of lines. She turns right, I cross the street. “Ciao.” She says, and “Hasta luego.” And I say “ciao” and write this little post in my head. Whatever.