How to be a Guatemalan Rockstar

I am a rockstar as I walk down the streets here in Quetzaltenango. The women are all literally gawking at me and giving me flirtatious smiles. Men are pointing at me and heads are turning as I become the topic of conversation. I swear they are about to stop and ask for a photo with me or an autograph. At first I’m a bit mystified wondering if maybe I have my fly unzipped or am wearing my shirt backwards. Later I asked a local at my Spanish school why people are looking at me like I’m a freak and discover it is because I’m what they call ‘estrange’. Apparently there are multiple factors that make me practically a freak show here.

1. Being six foot six inches tall (when average Mayan male is 4’6″ and Latino man 5’2″)
2. Having spiky blond hair
3. Wearing funky sun glasses
4. Speaking a foreign language