Personal Space

Oh how I love my space.  In college, I was the PSI police (personal space invader).  I have a rather large bubble around me that I like to think belongs just to me.  I don't like close talkers, I don't like huggers until I'm comfortable, and I don't like to be touched without permission.  I think this goes pretty well unsaid, again to those of you reading who know me well.  Well, that's one of those cultural things that I had to just adjust to.  I imagine I will still be adjusting in July 09 when I'm boarding the plane to come home.

On the bus, they are supposed to only get enough passengers to fill the seats.  Of course they fill up but still pick up standing room only passengers (for which I'm thankful...there are those times you need on the bus in a semi-Mexican-hurry and it's full so you have to stand, but you're happy to stand because you're on your way).  While on the bus, no matter where you are, seated, standing, wherever, people are in your space.  Arms touching arms, rear ends in your face, etc.  And there's no "excuse me" or "I'm sorry" because there's no way around it, and it's totally acceptable.

The kiss greeting, which is so cultural and I'm beginning to love yet is hard to teach to K-2 students, is another space invasion.

Here's my thing.  Primarily I don't like people in my space because of me, not because of them.  That is to say, I don't want them THAT close to my face to see the imperfections (time for a little confession/reflexion), that close to me to smell me if I stink (and I never know if I don't since I can't smell, etc.  You get the point.  I don't love being that close to anyone else to see their flaws, but mostly it's because of mine.  So, when they do the kiss greeting here, when they are sitting very close on the bus, arm-to-arm, when they are dancing in a club, everyone is hot hot hot.  Everyone is sweaty.  Everyone.  There's no way around it.  So the greeting kisses: sweaty.  Bus situation: sweaty.  Club situation: sweaty.

I don't love to sweat unless I'm in Hot Yoga and even then I wish it could be avoided.

But when I'm sweaty, at least from yoga, I know that I'm going home to take a quick shower and be clean.  There's not a lot of being clean here.  I foresee many ruined clothes because sweaty hour after sweaty hour takes its toll.