First Week

I know no one actually cares but I feel a little weird about never finishing posts from the last trip.

I find myself in Guate, with bad wifi.

Today I went to the big grocery store.
It had everything you would normally find in a grocery store, but my favorite part was that the people giving samples had moveable tables and would kind of seek you out. Also there were people who were not giving samples, but nonetheless trying to sell a product that was on sale. There were also people stocking the shelves. All in all this meant that there were sometimes 2-3 workers per aisle.

JOBS!!! 

When you go around Guatemala there is no doubt the country is poor, but it feels like the people do alright because everyone is working. Every business has like 5 extra people working. At restaurants three different waiters will serve you. At the office store 5 different people will ask if you want help. At my school it feels like there are 50 workers who do maintenance, clean and monitor the buses. Outside our building there are two armed guards. There are usually 2-3 people at the security desk inside, and someone a guy at the door who will open the door for you. Are you picking up what I am throwing down?  I am sure the pay is low, but holy crap do they find ways to give people jobs in this country. 

MALLS

I worked in a mall for 5 years. I have a love hate relationship with malls. I love the people watching, the colors and lighting, the scenery that is a modern day market, but not always what the advertising or the products stand for...  normally I just try to ignore it all, and then it turns out ok. 

When I am traveling I LOVE going to malls. Its such an easy way to get to know a culture. In Paraguay we kept going into these run down, weird hodge podgy malls. It wasn't that they were terrible, horrible malls, just felt not quite put together... just like Paraguay.

In Zone 10 of Guate, there are at least 4 malls. I have been going to 1-2 a day because there isn't much else to do except walk around the swanky commercial area and check out the various kinds of shops. I don't really buy anything. Sometimes check prices. But its more to see what the people are into, what the different classes buy, what items appeal to who. 

The other night I went to a movie with some of my new coworkers, potential new friends (yea). We walked into the Oakland mall, and immediately I knew I'd been there before. This was the mall where I deliberated getting Pizza hut, and seeing a movie. In my memory it was on the other side of the street, but the layout was the same. It means nothing and yet provided such a feeling of familiarity, like much of this area. 

Next week we will head to Antigua, and I am sure it will strike me in the same way. That familiarity, that comfort mixed with the jazz fireworks of realizing your memory is a little off, and this is a new experience... a new moment.