media agresiva

Bit by little bit Peru, or grocery shopping experiences in Peru rather, have been turning me from my passive ways and a little more aggressive each day. I haven't figured out yet if that is a good thing. 


I'm really not a pushy person, and I am quite content waiting for what I want/need. Until it comes to the 3rd person in a row pushing in front of me to get in their order to the guy at the fish counter, then I start to get impatient. 


The first year I quietly looked on in shock. The second year I turned to giving the person dirty looks. This year... I've started speaking up.


And I have been surprised over and over again at how many people just look at me as though they haven't done anything wrong. Or like today when I told the impatient woman behind me in the check-out line that she was stepping on my foot and could she stop? She didn't say "sorry" she said... oh... "y como cocinas esa zapallito??" I started to get agitated and I caught myself catching her use the form "tu" instead of "usted" with me and all I could think was... excuse me? you don't know me and you've been stepping on my foot? what makes you think we are buddies? show some respect! 


I think it is time for me to spend some time in the jungle now, and get away from the city.