I noticed shortly after I moved here that Mexicans yell “jóven!” when they want a waiter’s attention. The word means “young person.” But people do it even if the waiter is 90 years old.
I watched a Mexican friend do it a few times and thought something was lost in translation. So I asked her to clarify: “Um — do you really call people jóven if they’re older than you are?” She nodded at me, like, DUH.
Since then I’ve noticed people use it in the grocery store — “Jóven, will you help me reach this carton of milk on the top shelf?” — and at department stores. “Jóven, where are the women’s shoes?”
I never used it because it just felt weird. Why would I call someone older than me “young person”? That seems derogatory.
Yesterday, we went to the cantina around the corner from our house, because it was thunderstorming and we didn’t want to walk too far. I wanted a beer. But I couldn’t catch any of the waiters’ eyes. One was watching the soccer game. Another stood behind the bar, staring off into the middle distance. This is normal, by the way. It’s always hard to catch a waiter’s eye here — they’re either walking too fast, or staring straight ahead, or… watching the soccer game.
I fidgeted a bit. Should I or shouldn’t I? Well, I have to do it with authority, if I did do it. None of this meek “jóven…?” business. It must be a strong, clear “jóven.” A jóven that says, “I am the boss.”
I took a deep breath.
“Jóven!” I yelled.
The waiter staring into the middle distance quickly looked over.
“Sí señorita?”
“Otra cerveza, por favor.”
“Sí, cómo no.”
I smiled, a big smile. Couldn’t help myself.
