Woman’s Voice from the Scrap Metal Truck October 21
There are people who go around neighborhoods in Cuernavaca buying scrap metal that they then resell to recyclers. One of my neighbors has a bunch of scrap out where the sidewalk would normally be in front of his house. He also has the hulking, rusting body of a classic American - made gas hog that he believes he will some day restore and drive down the highway, wind ruffling his now gray hair. Needless to say, all the scrap metal guys come down our street and shout extra loud, “!Fierro Viejo que vendan!” (”Scrap metal that you want to sell!”)
It’s always men. The other day, a pickup truck equipped with a speaker on it came down the street. I’ve heard this one before, but this time it was a woman’s voice calling out. I was so surprised that I surprised myself.
I’ve been in Mexico so long that I’ve become accustomed to the traditional sex roles. The other day I saw a man with long hair and thought he was a woman for quite a while! Again, I surprised my own self. When I was in college I would never have believed that some day I would think that someone was a woman just because they had long hair. I had plenty of male friends with long hair at the time. I think 6 years in Mexico may be too much!