Everyday living

As I was getting some lunch today I thought you might be intersted in some tidbits about how one goes about daily tasks.

Kitchen

Rule one is the local water is not safe. So that means that anything you drink is either made with purified water ( there is an agua pura container in every kitchen where there is the money to afford the purified water) or you boil it before you eat it.

Rule two is that you never use dishes, cutlery, pots or cooking utensils that are not dry, if they have been washed in local water.

Rule three is that you cook on gas burners and with gas ovens. The ovens have no temperature controls so there is some guess work in your cookies and cakes.

Rule four is there is lots of fruits and vegetables all the time at very good prices so its easy to be a vegetarian.

Rule five - at least for me - is an avacodo a day keeps a smile on my face! At about $.30 I am smiling alot!

Bedroom

Rule one is very night before you go to bed you check to see an scorpian has snuck into your bed.

Rule number two is if you are bitten by a scorpian you eat a teaspoon of sugar and put some sugar on the bit - it takes away the skin.

Rule number three is that even though the days are warm with temperatures of about 75F or 25 C the evenings are cool so you can always get a good night's sleep.

Rule number four is you have to be able to ignore dogs barking and roosters crowing because they always do at all times of the day, and night.

Bathroom

Rule number one is you never put toilet paper in the bowl because the plumbing systems cannot handle it.

Rule number two is don't swollow any water while showering - see Rule number one in Kitchen

Rule number three is use agua pura to brush your teeth.

Rule number four is agua caliente is available almost everywhere so showing is great.

Rule number five is if you are living in Pana ( and I am) and you get your water from a well ( which we do ), you have to conserve water in April becuase the well might to dry any day.

Life in general

Rule number one is slow down, the pace of life is different. Time has a different meaning than in the North.

Rule number two is expect things to change. I am not sure if this is because I am a gringo or if this true for Guatemaltecans as well but it is really a fact of daily life.

Rule number three is expect to learn lots of new things every day.

Rule number four is expect to meet at least one interesting expat every day. Today I met Tina who is Danish born, living here in Pana with her husband and son, fluent in Spanish and providing counselling services. On Sunday it was Dave, a fellow I was meant to meeting today do to some volunteer work with. We were both traveling to the beach with mutual friends

Rule number five is expect the unexpected! Today I am going to a late afternoon yoga class where after class I will have the opportunity to enjoy natural hotsprings while sipping tea.

Adios
Colina