Girls in Croatia.

My hrvatski progresses. At the internet cafe where I am writing this, the hostess/administrator commented that my hrvatski was good and that I was the only Americiki that she had met who had spoken so much hrvatski. I have decided to buy this book to translate at night or when I'm hanging out on one of the many beaches in Croatia. If grandma is reading this, relax. I also decided to finnally read the bible, and have purchased one for just that purchase. I figure this book and that balance out nicely.
We have finally exhausted our week at the Pavlovic's in Split proper, and are now heading to one of the nearby islands of Supetar to try our hands at camping. We scouted out Supetar before and found many secluded forests, abandoned buildings, and other clever little nooks that we might use for a campsite. Its so hot here that I don't think we'll even use our sleeping bags. I'm not sure how readily we'll be able to use the Internet, but I should be able to update every once in awhile.
Split has been interesting. Their weren't as many people that spoke english as I'd hoped, a discovery that was one of the impetusus (i? That's classic latin. Maybe impeti. Is Acci reading this blog?) for learning hrvatski. But with my limited grammar and vocab, I cannot... speak so good. No... more. I have not made as many aquaintances here as I'd hoped to... but it has been relaxing. It has been nice to be sedentary. And enlightening. I learned a lot. About girls especially. Let me tell you about that.
I had been expecting to see this. I have known a few american girls that went to Europe and returned home with horror stories about aggressive European men. So perhaps there is a little bit of "finding it because I'm looking for it syndrome" going on here. I am a fat white donut eating cop stopping black guys in nice cars, except that... I'm a gentle American boy (me, gentle. Ha!) documenting vicious European sexual predators. Even if I am expecting to see it, though, I have not had a hard time finding aggresive european boys. Objectifying women, and men too for that matter, is par for the course over here. Worse than America? I would say so. But, I did not think of how this would affect the girls, but it makes perfect logical sense.
They have very very thick skins.
I have noticed this about American girls as they get older, but to a lesser degree. Its a simple equation. The more male attention a girl gets, the less she values it. That makes sense to me, anyway. If I had girls pinching my butt in crowded subways, hollering at me on the street, approaching me at cafes and buying me drinks and telling me I was the most beautiful thing they'd ever seen, I'd eventually think I was pretty damn hot and value such attention much less. I guess you don't really know if you're attractive until you attract.
So if I look at a girl here and smile, or approach her to ask for directions, I often get immediately shunned. They assume I'm trying moves. Its like they know who I am! But this time, I'm not doing anything wrong. I promise! I'm getting punished for crimes I have not committed. Or even intended to commit! Its infuriating. I know that many of your mental images, with the exception I hope of my mom, probably just conjured a grinning, winking Rhys sidling furtively to the side of a croatian girl and saying (literal hrvatski translation):
"Hey, How doing you do, at babies? Are looking you very beautifuller, tommorow. Signs is what yours?"
I forgive you. There is a large, easily accessible palette that you may draw upon to paint this picture. Regardless, I really am just asking for directions. I have mostly stopped approaching girls to ask for directions or help because of the experiences it leads to. Young males my age (my historic rivals and enemies!) are surprisingly the most helpful, and also speak the best English. A close second is elderly females, with young children of both sexes coming in a distant third. But of girls, really, unless the girl is trying to sell me something, she is not out to help me.
Anyway, I'll bet I'm doing something wrong. Also, it cannot help that I'm sweating a lot and my feet smell. Girls the whole world over probably understand what that means.

Rhys