Comments on: More Curiousity from the Maid

By: gblued

gblued — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:12:39 +0000

Interesting points, John. I don’t know that I will ever get used to the fat thing. As for geography, it seems that if the country is not an important part of the World Cup, it doesn’t register. lol

By: John P. Lofreddo

John P. Lofreddo — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:54:03 +0000

I have come to accept “Gordito Mio” as a term of endearment from my Wife. However, it is sometimes difficult for her to remember that not everyone here in the US (especially my daughters) will feel the same way about being called fat. What a shame that we, in the first world, have been conditioned to believe that fat is not acceptable. Being fat myself, I like this a lot about Guatemalan people.
Geography outside of Central America is apparently not an important subject in Guatemalan schools. No concept at all of the largeness of other countries with states, counties/provinces and cities, it must all be very confusing. Yet, La Capital is Guatemala City in the province of Guatemala and the country is Guatemala. There are how many different cities named San Antonio de ___ or San Juan de ____? This is too confusing even for me.
The reluctance to accept banking is the result of so many banks in the past closing and the executives running off to Miami to live la vida buena with other peoples money. It’s no wonder that banking is not widely understood and accepted. Buy property use cash and don’t go near a bank.

By: gblued

gblued — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 02:13:17 +0000

I think I gained a little more than you did, Mark . . . definitely more per kid!

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:48:05 +0000

Genesis, having kids made me fat too. Before I married my wife, I was 6′1″ and 170lbs. Now I’m 6′1″ and 230lbs. What more proof does one need?

By: gblued

gblued — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:20:57 +0000

Yup, when I worked in the bar in Antigua, the cooks were always feeding me stuff because I was “too thin”. Then when I left for a few months and came back, they exclaimed over how fat I was (I´d put on maybe 15 lbs) and were quite excited and pleased! I never got over the feeling that it´s an insult, but it really is cultural conditioning!

By: gblued

gblued — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:19:36 +0000

Interesting statistics. I suppose I just assume that people will know that banks accept money, but I probably shouldn´t assume anything!

By: gblued

gblued — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:18:09 +0000

I know people here don´t all have the same knowledge, but it did surprise me that she thought Canada was a city, though I suppose it makes sense. Most people know about the US because everyone goes there to work, but Canada isn´t as common! It´s definitely interesting to see where the maid is coming from, but it also makes me sad. Kids growing up without education have virtually no future. I look at my kids and they have the world open to them, yet just across the street there is a family with kids the same age who will probably just be laborers in a field and never be able to do anything else even if they wanted to.

By: expat

expat — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 07:07:39 +0000

Many from developed nations take for granted our luxuries… like banks, like electricity and running water (that you can drink from the tap), like running barefoot safely for fun… not because you have no shoes or choice, even appliances. Our last maid grew up in a one-room grass hut on a beach … they kept their food in a pot tied to the ceiling to keep the cats out. Whereas our smaller family has a regular freezer/fridge as well as a full upright deep-freeze. I like my ’stuff’, but I’ve had my eyes opened long ago. Now when we have someone come work for us, I do not assume anything. I teach about my home.. rather than leaving it to them to figure out or be scared of. Still, our last maid took nearly 3 years to lose her fear of dusting near the computers!

By: kathy

kathy — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:02:21 +0000

In some places where there is a good deal of poverty skinny connotes “poorly fed” and fat is not a bad thing.

I am not surprised that your maid has no concept of banking. In the U.S. where I live, about 9% of the population is “unbanked” in urban Mexico City 76% and one can imagine it is much higher in rural areas. I’ve no idea what the percentage of people is in Guatemala who do not use banks however my guess would be the majority of the population.

(Didn’t find great #’s for Canada but one source suggests that estimates are from 3-5% of Canadians are unbanked with the #’s being higher in low-income communities, norther territories, and another source suggested: first peoples.)

By: Allison

Allison — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:39:41 +0000

New reader I had heard that “fat” is not an insult in some areas! Interesting how one word can carry such offense in one language.