The People of Guatemala
I know it`s tricky to make blanket statements about a group of people but I am inspired to write about the people of Guatemala. As in many things here, there are great contrasts between people. In general, the folks that we have encountered here are gentle, kind, and friendly - among the nicest people that we have met in our travels – a strong statement given our love of the New Zealanders.
One example of this warmth is the custom of friendly greetings that occur frequently between total strangers. On our first weekend in Xela we ate in an Italian restaurant and were greeted by people as they came in an out of the place. Greetings of Buenes Tardes and Buen Provecho (bon appetite) occurred frequently as people passed by our table. It is common, when walking down the street, to hear greetings and good wishes from total strangers – something that is rare in our experience at home. It is common here that people will greet one another with a hug and a peck on the cheek – even with a new acquaintance. Everyone seems to have a smile and a greeting for us which makes it very easy to feel comfortable here.
The other side of this story is the ever present anxiety about being robbed or assaulted. Personal security is something that we have to think about constantly which seems at odds with the warmth of the people. The high rate of extreme poverty here, currently at 55%, creates a situation where relatively wealthy tourists are “targets of opportunity” for any knucklehead with a gun or knife . While there is the ever present fear of robbery, merchants, waiters, and other people that we meet in commercial relationships are friendly and helpful – even with the language differences. We have never once been short changed or felt cheated in any transaction. I accidentally dropped a hundred Q bill (about $12.50) on the sidewalk one afternoon and a young Mayan woman came running after me with the bill. I am sure she could have used it so I was especially impressed with her honesty.
Robberies are common – in fact, four of our fellow volunteers have been robbed in the past few weeks and two members of the Safe Passage staff were stuck up at gun point by two guys in front of the school at 2 in the afternoon. The school is in the roughest neighborhood in the city. Luckily, no one was hurt but property was stolen. We feel that we need to be constantly on guard – especially after dark – but at all times. The country has one of the highest murder rates in the world, and violence is not uncommon. We have not yet been victims but it seems more of a real possibility than at home so we practice defensive measures.
Domestic violence is a real problem in many families, and the rate of child abuse is quite high. This dark underside of the culture seems so dramatic in light of the outward warmth and gentle nature of the people that we meet in our daily routines. I suspect that a large factor in this is the profound poverty that impacts so many of the people as they desperately try to care for their families under difficult conditions.
Families seem to be very important and to support each other. Children seem to be cherished even when there isn’t a lot of money to spend on material things. We are told that this is partly because there are no government programs – social security, medical care, or other support services to help out in a time of need. Everyone is essentially on their own to provide for their needs and that families are the really the only support system available in the country.
The racial mix is interesting in that there is little diversity. About 65 percent of the people are indigenous Mayan – with handsome features, dark black hair, brown skin, high cheekbones and short stature. Another 10 percent is Ladino or of Spanish origin with lighter features and greater height and the remaining 25 percent is a mixture of the two groups.
Appearance seems especially important here in Guatemala. In Xela, we were struck by the large number of small clothing stores, the many barber shops and beauty salons, and shoe stores. On our way to classes, we were impressed by the “spit shined” kids on their way to school who all looked, clean, neat, alert and well cared for. We noticed these children emerging from some fairly run down houses and wondered how they could look so good – coming from such poor surroundings. We were told that every child has two uniforms, one for wearing while the second one is cleaned.
The men, and boys as young as 4, seem to get weekly haircuts and sport some very creative hair structures – slicked straight forward or back, piled high in the middle, or swooped into soaring pompadours – all held rigidly in place with copious amounts of industrial strength hair gel sold in huge tubs at every little tienda. We encounter few scruffy looking people – except for the Americans and Germans.
The women tend to be very stylish in their tight jeans, plunging necklines, brown eyes and a fondness for high heels and painted nails. The younger women wear their hair in long pony tails or in a bun. The older women are well coiffed by frequent visits to the numerous beauty salons. We spot a lot of shops with fancy dresses that must be used on formal occasions but seldom seen in public events. The Mayan women are especially attractive in their colorful dresses, belts and blouses which are worn as everyday dress.
This is a conservative Catholic country and the people are especially devout practitioners. In Antigua, there are dozens of churches - many in ruins, having been destroyed by earthquakes, but many are in full operation with lots of people active in the congregation. We have spotted several large processions in honor of various saints or virgins - we’re never sure. These processions seem very ancient - with band music, drums, incense, swaying groups of men carrying large edifices with coffins of saints, spouting fountains, and lighted displays. There is even an electrical generator pulled behind the procession to power the float, and men with large sticks to lift power lines before the edifice passes.
In addition, there are festivals to honor the dead, numerous saints days, and even a burn-the-devil day. Now, as Christmas approaches, the town is getting more intense in its rituals, with more processions, fireworks, concerts, street entertainment, and lights. We are told that Semana Santa - or Easter Week, is even wilder, with the entire town given over to various processions and ceremonies. Some folks say that it is wise to avoid this because of the crowds, but it might be fun to see - at least once.
As our trip to Guate ends, we are looking forward to getting back to Maine but will miss the people of Guatemala. We trust that our experience here has made a bit of difference, albeit small, in the lives of the Guatemalan people, as it has enriched ours.
I know it`s tricky to make blanket statements about a group of people but I am inspired to write about the people of Guatemala. As in many things here, there are great contrasts between people. In general, the folks that we have encountered here are gentle, kind, and friendly - among the nicest people that we have met in our travels – a strong statement given our love of the New Zealanders.
One example of this warmth is the custom of friendly greetings that occur frequently between total strangers. On our first weekend in Xela we ate in an Italian restaurant and were greeted by people as they came in an out of the place. Greetings of Buenes Tardes and Buen Provecho (bon appetite) occurred frequently as people passed by our table. It is common, when walking down the street, to hear greetings and good wishes from total strangers – something that is rare in our experience at home. It is common here that people will greet one another with a hug and a peck on the cheek – even with a new acquaintance. Everyone seems to have a smile and a greeting for us which makes it very easy to feel comfortable here.
The other side of this story is the ever present anxiety about being robbed or assaulted. Personal security is something that we have to think about constantly which seems at odds with the warmth of the people. The high rate of extreme poverty here, currently at 55%, creates a situation where relatively wealthy tourists are “targets of opportunity” for any knucklehead with a gun or knife . While there is the ever present fear of robbery, merchants, waiters, and other people that we meet in commercial relationships are friendly and helpful – even with the language differences. We have never once been short changed or felt cheated in any transaction. I accidentally dropped a hundred Q bill (about $12.50) on the sidewalk one afternoon and a young Mayan woman came running after me with the bill. I am sure she could have used it so I was especially impressed with her honesty.
Robberies are common – in fact, four of our fellow volunteers have been robbed in the past few weeks and two members of the Safe Passage staff were stuck up at gun point by two guys in front of the school at 2 in the afternoon. The school is in the roughest neighborhood in the city. Luckily, no one was hurt but property was stolen. We feel that we need to be constantly on guard – especially after dark – but at all times. The country has one of the highest murder rates in the world, and violence is not uncommon. We have not yet been victims but it seems more of a real possibility than at home so we practice defensive measures.
Domestic violence is a real problem in many families, and the rate of child abuse is quite high. This dark underside of the culture seems so dramatic in light of the outward warmth and gentle nature of the people that we meet in our daily routines. I suspect that a large factor in this is the profound poverty that impacts so many of the people as they desperately try to care for their families under difficult conditions.
Families seem to be very important and to support each other. Children seem to be cherished even when there isn’t a lot of money to spend on material things. We are told that this is partly because there are no government programs – social security, medical care, or other support services to help out in a time of need. Everyone is essentially on their own to provide for their needs and that families are the really the only support system available in the country.
The racial mix is interesting in that there is little diversity. About 65 percent of the people are indigenous Mayan – with handsome features, dark black hair, brown skin, high cheekbones and short stature. Another 10 percent is Ladino or of Spanish origin with lighter features and greater height and the remaining 25 percent is a mixture of the two groups.
Appearance seems especially important here in Guatemala. In Xela, we were struck by the large number of small clothing stores, the many barber shops and beauty salons, and shoe stores. On our way to classes, we were impressed by the “spit shined” kids on their way to school who all looked, clean, neat, alert and well cared for. We noticed these children emerging from some fairly run down houses and wondered how they could look so good – coming from such poor surroundings. We were told that every child has two uniforms, one for wearing while the second one is cleaned.
The men, and boys as young as 4, seem to get weekly haircuts and sport some very creative hair structures – slicked straight forward or back, piled high in the middle, or swooped into soaring pompadours – all held rigidly in place with copious amounts of industrial strength hair gel sold in huge tubs at every little tienda. We encounter few scruffy looking people – except for the Americans and Germans.
The women tend to be very stylish in their tight jeans, plunging necklines, brown eyes and a fondness for high heels and painted nails. The younger women wear their hair in long pony tails or in a bun. The older women are well coiffed by frequent visits to the numerous beauty salons. We spot a lot of shops with fancy dresses that must be used on formal occasions but seldom seen in public events. The Mayan women are especially attractive in their colorful dresses, belts and blouses which are worn as everyday dress.
This is a conservative Catholic country and the people are especially devout practitioners. In Antigua, there are dozens of churches - many in ruins, having been destroyed by earthquakes, but many are in full operation with lots of people active in the congregation. We have spotted several large processions in honor of various saints or virgins - we’re never sure. These processions seem very ancient - with band music, drums, incense, swaying groups of men carrying large edifices with coffins of saints, spouting fountains, and lighted displays. There is even an electrical generator pulled behind the procession to power the float, and men with large sticks to lift power lines before the edifice passes.
In addition, there are festivals to honor the dead, numerous saints days, and even a burn-the-devil day. Now, as Christmas approaches, the town is getting more intense in its rituals, with more processions, fireworks, concerts, street entertainment, and lights. We are told that Semana Santa - or Easter Week, is even wilder, with the entire town given over to various processions and ceremonies. Some folks say that it is wise to avoid this because of the crowds, but it might be fun to see - at least once.
As our trip to Guate ends, we are looking forward to getting back to Maine but will miss the people of Guatemala. We trust that our experience here has made a bit of difference, albeit small, in the lives of the Guatemalan people, as it has enriched ours.
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