Week Three: Culture Shock.... Sort of.

It's nearing the end of Week 3, and I want to talk a little bit about culture shock.  I've been to South America, so I didn't expect any kind of culture shock here in Belize after that. The national language is English, they were going to celebrate Halloween with trick-or-treating our first weekend here, and the people were said to be very friendly. But I have had culture shock.... sort of.

The first thing I noticed upon arriving in Belize was the vast difference in architecture of the homes and other buildings here in Belize versus the States.  We flew into Belize City and had a two hour drive from the airport to San Ignacio.  The typical home that we have seen here in Belize is bright-colored, open-air, and small regardless of the size of family living there.  Some homes are built of stone, some of wood or bamboo, and some of sheet metal.  Many homes, even homes that are quite far inland, are built up on stilts for precautionary measures during hurricane season.  In 1961, Hurricane Hattie hit Belize City, devastating nearly half of the city and causing the relocation of the nation's capital to Belmopan due to it's safer, more inland location. If not for their signage, buildings such as stores, schools, and police stations are sometimes unrecognizable by American standards. Below are some pictures of the architecture we've seen in Belize. In order, there is a home, a library, a supermarket, and a police station.

My next bit of culture shock came from the laid-back, slow-pace of lifestyle here.  Burns Avenue is the main drag for tourists here in San Ignacio.  We walk down Burns Avenue multiple times each day.  It's our way to and from school and the majority of shops and restaurants are located here.  We see the same faces every day, some of them workers at the restaurants and shops and others are locals who just hang out there all day, everyday.  No one ever seems to be in a rush.  Nothing starts on time.  If an event is supposed to start at 6 p.m., it may start at 6:05 p.m. or it may start at 6:33 p.m.  Now, I'm not saying this is a bad thing.  In fact, I needed a little of this laid-back, slow-pace atmosphere in my life.  It's just been an adjustment.  And we have adjusted quicker than I thought... going home and speeding back up may be the challenge now!  Here's a couple of pictures of Burns Avenue.

And a random fact..  Due to flooding problems, the dead here are buried above ground!  Here are some pictures of the cemetery just around the corner from St. Andrew's Anglican School, where I teach.

Probably this biggest contributor to my culture shock here in Belize has been the amount of stray and/or loose animals on the streets.  It is impossible to walk outside here and not see stray dogs.  Some of these strays are fairly healthy while others are skinny and mangy.  It is clear that spaying and neutering is not a very common practice in Belize.  Maybe because many people can't afford to take their pets to the vet?  There is a Humane Society here in Belize, but it is relatively new to the country.  It was founded in 1996 by two local Belizeans and two Peace Corps volunteers who were concerned about the growing problem of stray animals in Belize.  For many years, the government has taken part in controversial dog eradication in Belize.  Once a year, they put out food laced with strychnine, an aggressive poison, to try and control the stray dog population.  We are extremely thankful we won't be here during that time...

On a slightly lighter note, we have seen several horses and donkeys on the side of the road and even at the park.  Apparently, their owners don't necessarily keep them fenced in pastures.  It's not uncommon to see them grazing on the side of the street tied to a post while their owners go about their business.  Here's a couple of pictures. Note: the second picture is of a horse just feet away from a street sign.

 

 

One of the best things about Belize are the people who live here.  Belizeans are some of the friendliest, liveliest, most interesting people I've ever met.  Staying here for an entire month has allowed us to connect with some people here.  We see several of the same, smiling faces every day.  Here's a picture with our friend David and his brother and a picture and link to a video of Anthony Pitts, a flute-playing street performer who has been outside our balcony almost every night we've been here!  I requested Happy Birthday and he played it so that I could send it back to my little sister for her birthday.

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152391592906540&l=5513888582939303950

 

 

While we've had slight culture shock, I think we have all adjusted to the Belizean lifestyle pretty well.  Going home will be an adjustment!

Until next time! :)