"What´s up with that?" is a question that we often ask here in Xela when we don´t understand some aspect of Guatemalan culture. Some examples:
Honking Horns
It seems that every driver here honks the horn at every possible opportunity, and the streets ring with the honking of all types, ranges, and volumes of horns. Any delay in passage along the street calls for constant blaring of the horn for no apparent reason and with no apparent result. A long line of stalled traffic - caused by a stop light or a sign - will produce a constant honking, even when the line starts to move. For some reason that we don´t understand, there seems to be an assumption that honking will result in a faster flow of traffic.
This happens at other times, as well - when we are crossing the street, when the driver spots a young woman, when another car is slowing down, or just randomly for no apparent reason that we can detect. The only time when horns are not honking is when the traffic is moving rapidly with no obstructions, a rarity here in crowded Xela.
Music and Loud Noise
On the streets, in shops, and in our house, it seems that the volume of every possible electronic device must be at its highest level. The shops often have huge speakers blaring loud, ear-splitting music in an attempt, I guess, to attract customers, but it seems to have the opposite effect - at least on us. In our host family, the radio is on at all times, often with the news or other programs, but it makes it almost impossible to have a conversation at the table. On the streets, we spot a number of trucks with large loud speakers on their roofs blaring advertisements, announcements, news and music as they move through the city.
Combined with the constant rumble of trucks without mufflers, motorcycles, bus conductors yelling destinations, this makes for a constant noise level that is something we find unfamiliar. This is common in other parts of Latin America, too, but it takes some getting used to. However, it does lend a certain dynamism to life here.
Boys and their mothers
We were puzzled after observing one of the women in our host family cutting food on the plate of her 17 year old son. She waited on him hand and foot - running to the tienda next door to buy him a coke, fetching him food, serving him from the bowl, cutting his meat, and removing his dishes - everything but feeding him the food. We found this uncomfortable and wondered what was going on and why he was being treated with such deference. The kid did absolutely nothing in the family and had his mother and two aunts to wait on him. A week later, a ten-year old grandson arrived, and he was treated exactly the same way.
I asked my teacher about this, and she assured me that it was normal practice in Guatemala where the gender roles are very strict and rigid. Males, of all ages, are treated with great deference by the females, who are expected to wait on them hand and foot. The women do all the work around the house, and men do virtually nothing - their role is limited to earning money outside the home but even that seems to break down at times. My teacher is a young woman with a 6-year old son, and she is trying to raise him differently but, since they live with her traditional family, the boy has the expectation that the women in the home are going to do all the work. Very strange.
Security
It is very common to see security guards everywhere, most armed with huge 10-gauge shot guns and outfitted with bandoliers of ammunition strapped across their chests. We might expect them at banks, but they are also at coffee shops, farmacias, restaurants and even small shops. It is similar to seeing security guards at the Maine Mall but multiplied a thousand times, with heavy armor. We have never seen a robbery attempt but we are told that these are not uncommon - thus the need for security.
We are very aware of security issues, given all the warnings about such things here. We are advised to get home before 9 PM or take a cab, so we try to be inside before 7 - with occasional later weekend times. All the homes seem to be built with high walls, secure locks, and metal bars on all the lower windows. Some homes even have razor wire, barbed wire, and broken bottles embedded in cement on the tops of surrounding walls. Some of these houses have loud aggressive dogs posted on the roof terraces to deter criminals. This is common in many parts of the world but a far cry from our life in Gorham.
Dynamic Markets
In contrast to the ordered stores and marketplaces of home, the markets here are huge, colorful, loud, and dynamic. The market closest to us is a warren of small shops selling everything imaginable. Mayan women, squatting on blankets, are surrounded by colorful vegetables for sale. Men wander the area selling belts and crying out to get customers. Buses and trucks weave through the chaos, honking horns and blaring music. Vendors sell food from smoking grills or large pots of boiling oil. Loud music is playing from shops selling cell phones, computers, ice cream, shoes, or anything possible. Shoeshine boys are snagging customers, Mayan women are selling fabric goods, food vendors are selling cotton candy, peanuts, fruit, or pastries.
This is unlike any experience that we´ve had at home or on our travels to Europe, where things are much more controlled and ordered. Here, it seems, anything goes. There is a certain dynamism and excitement that accompany the chaos.
There are other examples but this covers some of the main things that we have observed thus far - more to come. Hasta mañana!
Honking Horns
It seems that every driver here honks the horn at every possible opportunity, and the streets ring with the honking of all types, ranges, and volumes of horns. Any delay in passage along the street calls for constant blaring of the horn for no apparent reason and with no apparent result. A long line of stalled traffic - caused by a stop light or a sign - will produce a constant honking, even when the line starts to move. For some reason that we don´t understand, there seems to be an assumption that honking will result in a faster flow of traffic.
This happens at other times, as well - when we are crossing the street, when the driver spots a young woman, when another car is slowing down, or just randomly for no apparent reason that we can detect. The only time when horns are not honking is when the traffic is moving rapidly with no obstructions, a rarity here in crowded Xela.
Music and Loud Noise
On the streets, in shops, and in our house, it seems that the volume of every possible electronic device must be at its highest level. The shops often have huge speakers blaring loud, ear-splitting music in an attempt, I guess, to attract customers, but it seems to have the opposite effect - at least on us. In our host family, the radio is on at all times, often with the news or other programs, but it makes it almost impossible to have a conversation at the table. On the streets, we spot a number of trucks with large loud speakers on their roofs blaring advertisements, announcements, news and music as they move through the city.
Combined with the constant rumble of trucks without mufflers, motorcycles, bus conductors yelling destinations, this makes for a constant noise level that is something we find unfamiliar. This is common in other parts of Latin America, too, but it takes some getting used to. However, it does lend a certain dynamism to life here.
Boys and their mothers
We were puzzled after observing one of the women in our host family cutting food on the plate of her 17 year old son. She waited on him hand and foot - running to the tienda next door to buy him a coke, fetching him food, serving him from the bowl, cutting his meat, and removing his dishes - everything but feeding him the food. We found this uncomfortable and wondered what was going on and why he was being treated with such deference. The kid did absolutely nothing in the family and had his mother and two aunts to wait on him. A week later, a ten-year old grandson arrived, and he was treated exactly the same way.
I asked my teacher about this, and she assured me that it was normal practice in Guatemala where the gender roles are very strict and rigid. Males, of all ages, are treated with great deference by the females, who are expected to wait on them hand and foot. The women do all the work around the house, and men do virtually nothing - their role is limited to earning money outside the home but even that seems to break down at times. My teacher is a young woman with a 6-year old son, and she is trying to raise him differently but, since they live with her traditional family, the boy has the expectation that the women in the home are going to do all the work. Very strange.
Security
It is very common to see security guards everywhere, most armed with huge 10-gauge shot guns and outfitted with bandoliers of ammunition strapped across their chests. We might expect them at banks, but they are also at coffee shops, farmacias, restaurants and even small shops. It is similar to seeing security guards at the Maine Mall but multiplied a thousand times, with heavy armor. We have never seen a robbery attempt but we are told that these are not uncommon - thus the need for security.
We are very aware of security issues, given all the warnings about such things here. We are advised to get home before 9 PM or take a cab, so we try to be inside before 7 - with occasional later weekend times. All the homes seem to be built with high walls, secure locks, and metal bars on all the lower windows. Some homes even have razor wire, barbed wire, and broken bottles embedded in cement on the tops of surrounding walls. Some of these houses have loud aggressive dogs posted on the roof terraces to deter criminals. This is common in many parts of the world but a far cry from our life in Gorham.
Dynamic Markets
In contrast to the ordered stores and marketplaces of home, the markets here are huge, colorful, loud, and dynamic. The market closest to us is a warren of small shops selling everything imaginable. Mayan women, squatting on blankets, are surrounded by colorful vegetables for sale. Men wander the area selling belts and crying out to get customers. Buses and trucks weave through the chaos, honking horns and blaring music. Vendors sell food from smoking grills or large pots of boiling oil. Loud music is playing from shops selling cell phones, computers, ice cream, shoes, or anything possible. Shoeshine boys are snagging customers, Mayan women are selling fabric goods, food vendors are selling cotton candy, peanuts, fruit, or pastries.
This is unlike any experience that we´ve had at home or on our travels to Europe, where things are much more controlled and ordered. Here, it seems, anything goes. There is a certain dynamism and excitement that accompany the chaos.
There are other examples but this covers some of the main things that we have observed thus far - more to come. Hasta mañana!
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