Utente:PaivaLamont834
We were enjoying our meal at a popular open-air restaurant on the main tourist drag in Panajachel, Guatemala, when some tourists about our age walked slowly by. Billy says "Hey, the food's great here, why don't you give it a go?"
The person looked interested, the woman looked horrified.
I chimed in with "Order the Amuerzo Economico and you'll pay half the marked menu prices."
The man took two seconds to select this great deal, making a proceed to spend time at a table next to ours.
Spousal opposition
"We're going to eat here?" The wife questioned.
Clearly she held resistance to entering this clean, brightly decorated eating establishment.
I'm suggesting it was no dump. There is a flat screen TV on the wall and lively Salsa music around the stereo system. Clean handwoven Guatemalan tablecloths covered every table that also supported fresh flowers. Original indigenous artwork adorned the walls.
The woman, who was noticeably beautiful and well-kept, had her hesitation distinctly written throughout her scrunched up face.
"I hope they speak English here," she said with an audible sigh as she flopped down.
"I desire a Coke. Have you got Coke? What do you need to drink here?" She demanded in rapid-fire English. The bilingual waiter kept up together with her rush of questions pretty well.
"You have chicken or pork? I'll go ahead and take pork. Honey, they've chicken or pork."
Meanwhile, the husband and Billy were chatting away about retirement, finance and travel, using a grand ol' time.
The drama darkens
Bottles of Coke and empty glasses promptly reached the table and again, this poor woman looked stricken. Simply appalled.
I couldn't imagine exactly what the problem was, so I attempted to catch her reactions from the side of my attention.
Mrs. Visitor had personal drama happening and I thought it was mesmerizing. Apparently some of the syrup had released at the top of the Coke bottle, causing a tiny dark sticky blob to look.
She checked out her husband, then at me, then at the bottle, then at her husband, then at me, on the other hand at the bottle. She disgustingly ran her finger towards the top of the bottle and today she had that tiny sweet dollop on her behalf finger. She again looked at her husband (who had been ignoring her right now), then at me, then at her finger, then at her husband, then at me, then again at her finger!
Right now I am thinking "She doesn't have Kleenex in her purse? If she's been blown off target by this small and common occurrence, what is she doing traveling in america?"
If this innocent ooze of syrup upset her a lot how her meal would go?
No disrespect intended
Since nobody was rushing to her rescue to provide her a warm, clean, wet, soapy cloth or whisk her away to a Five star restaurant complete with apologies, eventually Mrs. Visitor looked to her left, then to her right, and rather guiltily, wiped the syrup off around the tablecloth. I don't imagine it ever occurred to her to inquire about the waiter for any napkin.
Part of me felt badly for not coming to her deliverance. She was afraid and out of her element, and I often see her frustration towards her husband to take her here to Guatemala. Lost in desperation with no help from her spouse, this well-groomed woman was face-to-face with the edge of her safe place... and it was not pretty.
I was both stunned and completely transfixed. I'd forgotten that my twenty-two many years of world travel had trained me to place a tissue in my purse for unexpected events exactly like it.
So here are a few quick survival strategies for travel that I hope you find useful:
Bring baby wipes. Ladies have babies all over the world. If you are someplace that has some semblance of civilization, you'll find baby wipes in the supermarkets. Go to the baby section, find the wipes. Insert them in your purse. When you travel on buses, wish to sit inside a chair which has strawberry syrup onto it or discover that you need toilet tissue in the bathroom, you've got a clean wipe arrive at your aid.
Put napkin or wipes down soda bottle necks. If you're eating outside in warm weather and therefore are using a soda, flies or bees often gather for the sugary syrup. Place napkins or said wipes on the bottle neck and you may avoid a nasty creature falling to your pop. When traveling overseas, it's commonplace to wipe from the mouth of beer and soda bottles even in upscale locations.
Use sliced limes to wash your fingers. Platters of fish or shrimp are often served whole at the beach and eating seafood can leave your fingers messy. Utilizing a thin napkin at your table can be unsatisfying. Use the sliced limes first then utilize your napkin. In this way you won't have tiny bits of paper stuck for your fingers to annoy you further.
Say "Provecho!" When entering or leaving a restaurant in Latin America, say "Provecho!" with other diners. This basically means "Enjoy your meal" and it's a really socially polite aspect to say. It implies that you're an experienced traveler and that you are an all-around-nice person.
Don't let your safe place limit you. Every day life is for living. Grab a bite and relish it. Situations and circumstances aren't always just like they're "back home" and that is not necessarily a bad thing. So what if one makes a mistake? What exactly if one lunch wasn't your favorite? A smile goes quite a distance for all those around you even though you're at it give one for yourself.