MEN HERE SHAVE, EVERYWHERE. No joke. I discovered this yesterday, when Nancy, Juan and I were sitting around the kitchen table after eating the best chocolate cake I've had in a LONG time. (From this place that is conveniently located right around the corner from my house, but I only just discovered it yesterday. I can't tell if it will be a blessing, or seriously bad news for my wallet/thighs.) We were talking about how well-kept Colombians are - they have the nicest teeth and finger/toe nails I've ever seen. And Nancy just casually drops in the fact that the men are really careful about their body hair too. AS IF men shaving all their body hair is casual. Obviously this led to me demanding that Juan show us his shaved body hair, and it is true: armpits, chest hair, happy trail, NIPPLES, facial hair, down south (although he didn't show us this), but not the legs. The legs are left hairy, interestingly...

The explanation for the shaving is that it is cleaner, and less smelly. More sanitary. Most young men here do it. Juan thought it was really strange that I was so shocked to learn of these shaving habits. I still think it's hilarious, so today at work I asked another friend Hector about it, and he lifted up his shirt to show me his stubble! And when I proceeded to make fun of him, he got really serious about how he thought all men in the whole world should shave. He thinks the only reason men in the U.S. don't shave is because they are insecure about their masculinity, and that shaving your body hair is a way to show that you care about your girlfriend and are willing to invest energy in making yourself look good for her. Oh and yes, he thinks it is a HUGE turn off if girls don't shave all their body hair, or don't take care of themselves in other ways, like failing to get regular manicures and pedicures. The thing about it though, is that Hector is not at all wealthy; the high importance he places on body image is not born out of an excess of money to spend on personal grooming, it really is cultural preference.

Moral of the story is that Colombians must think I am disgusting, walking around in the same pair of jeans every day, with prickly legs and dirt under my toe nails.