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It took me a few minutes to figure out where this was taking place. They have a page on Facebook if you’d like to see some stills. Search on Reinado Nacional del Arroz 2016.
The “Casas” of Medellin
I’m not talking about ordinary houses here, I’m sure you know. Now there are a few that actually call themselves “massage parlors” or “spas” but the general idea is that there are a number of ladies inside these places waiting for a guy like you (or unlike you if you don’t show up) to engage her in some hanky panky in exchange for a modest sum.
They tend to be somewhat clustered in the Candelaria district of central Medellin, though a few others are scattered about the city… in Laureles, Belen, Itagui and such. Most gringos prefer the downtown casas because they are concentrated in a nice small area and you can easily visit 5 places in a walk of a couple of blocks.
Normally, the guys have a favorite place or two, though there are some who enjoy scouting out multiple places, looking for new “faces,” or maybe not faces? Whatever,
The traditional way things are done here is that when you enter and sit down (or not) the manager will call for a “presentation,” which consists of every unoccupied girl in the place coming out and introducing themselves. Normally this includes the girl giving you a cursory hand shake and telling you her name. This seems quite simple, but the trick is remembering who it was you liked best, her name, that is. I remember a guy who used to go on daytime talk shows, Harry Loraine, who used to be able to memorize everybody in the audience’s name at one go. I’m guessing that’s not you. It sure ain’t me.
My method is to only attempt to remember a name when the chica is more appealing than all those before her. That way you only have to really remember one name at a time.
So there you go, pro tip of the week.
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Queen of Somewhere Contest
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Some kind of competition in some Spanish speaking country. The photography is high quality and the music is about as cheesy as I have heard. I trust you don’t SERIOUSLY care about the music.
Horticulture
I heard a joke, told by a University professor (of horticulture) that went like this: You can lead a horticulture, but you can’t make her think. At the time, I thought it was just a clever pun. But that was back before I knew any actual ‘hors.’
Like most other broad generalizations, there are exceptions. I have corresponded with some of the women involved in the ‘sex workers rights’ movement, and without exception they are well read, intelligent and articulate. And I have met a few who were serious students and just working their way through the university. I met one in Prague who was studying to be a veterinarian. I recently met a beautiful streetwalker in Mayorista who was studying psychology, as well as having an online business selling assorted clothes, jewelry and such. On the other hand, these ladies are not the typical chica you are going to meet at a San Jose Massage parlor or a Medellin Casa or Night Club.
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Strictly speaking, everybody on the planet has a ‘culture.’ But in the common way we use the word, saying someone is ‘cultured’ or ‘uncultured’ refers to how engaged and aware that person is with the wide world around him. Someone with a grade school education whose main entertainment is watching soap operas is considered less cultured than someone who speaks 3 languages, can quote Shakespeare and has season tickets to the local symphony.
But to (finally) get to the point, there is usually a pretty wide gulf between you and your companion of the moment. This matters little if your activities consist only of going to a massage parlor or casa, picking a girl from the lineup, going back and getting your rocks off. Nothing wrong with that, but if your interactions are less limited, the culture gulf is there and has to be dealt with in some way or other.
Some communication is necessary for even the most basic things. If you meet a working girl in a bar somewhere in Latin America, you will have to settle on a price and be able to say ‘let’s go’ at the very least, or hope the chica knows enough English to understand you.
Some mongers are eager to learn as much Spanish as they can and learn as much about the ‘culture’ as they are able. At the other extreme are those who don’t want to engage in the local culture any more than necessary in order to satisfy their itches. Personally, I am in the former group, and it has it’s rewards and drawbacks. Every monger engages in the other culture as he sees fit, and there’s no right or wrong way.
As the hippies used to say, ‘do your own thing.’