"The Gringo´s Falling Over!"

I preface this anecdote with a quick cultural note: the term "gringo" is not derogatory here in Peru, as it may be perceived in the U.S. Here, people call each other by descriptive names that make it easy to identify who they are talking to or about. It is not uncommon to hear someone say affectionately, "hey gorda!" meaning "hey fatty!" The gorda would not be offended but rather might respond with a "hey gringito!" meaning "hey little white guy" and all would be happy and merry. So that being said, on to my anecdote...

Every day here seems to be a new story. Just yesterday I was doing some stretching out in the street, preparing for a jog, when a concerned neighbor began to yell "Oh no, he's going to fall over! The gringo´s going to fall! Watch out!" It sounded like a "timber!" shout. She thought that I was dizzy or perhaps tipsy from an all-night fiesta. Our host family, who is accustomed now to my running routine, had to explain to the neighbor that "No, it's ok, this is what they do in the U.S. They stretch like that and then go running for their health." I laughed at the situation and thought, "I should put that up on the blog."