Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Simone Angel in Belize

Funny Aliens

My husband Andy and I had only recently arrived from the UK to Belize, Central America, and were trying to figure out how to make friends here. Inviting one or two local cowboys to a movie night seemed like a good way to us. That evening, as Andy was putting some bowls of popcorn on the table, I was scanning our rather extensive DVD collection. All of our stuff had arrived from London a few days before, and we were getting to grips with how much stuff we had. The unpacking of the 20-foot container had been a rather embarrassing experience. All the Mayan families had gathered around our house to watch us unpack. With each item that was lifted out of the box, they let out a loud "Ooh!" and "Ah!" I had never felt filthy rich before, but I did then. Out of shame, I ended up giving away several things. The families grabbed anything we didn't want. Down to the boxes themselves, which they apparently turned into wardrobes.

"So, babe, do you think they will like The Fifth Element or The Matrix ? Or will those movies be too far out for them? We don't have any John Wayne movies, do we?" I just didn't know what DVD to pick.

Before Andy had a chance to answer, the cowboys arrived, and they hadn't come alone; our deck was filled with what appeared to be a Mayan village. There were the cowboys, their wives, their wives' parents, their children (lots of them), their nieces and nephews, babies suckling the exposed breasts of young women, even their dogs had come along. This wasn't what we had been expecting. And they all looked as if they were going to a wedding, with the little girls in frilly white dresses and the little boys in shirts and pants with freshly washed hair that their moms had glued to their heads in tight side-partings. Looking at these clean, proud Mayans, I felt like a total slob. To me, movie night meant T-shirt, sweatpants, no make-up. Obviously, things were different here.

Sponsored
Sponsored

"I'm sorry," I said, as everybody poured through the door in near silence. "We don't seem to have enough chairs for everyone." But nobody seemed bothered about the lack of chairs; they squeezed as many people on the sofas as possible. Nursing mums and grandparents sat on the comfortable seats, and the kids sat down wherever. The grandmother looked ancient, dignified. I thought that she was at least 80 or 90, but found out later that she was 57. I guess the years of hard labor, the Guatemalan war, and the many children she had had taken their toll.

While I was attempting to be a host to the women and children, Andy and the guys had taken control of choosing the night's movie. Soon they reappeared with their choice of the night: The Godfather .

I blocked the guys from moving toward the DVD player, saying, "No way! We can't watch that. That's way too violent for these children." Andy shrugged his shoulders. "They said it was okay with them."

"No, no, I'm not having that." I snatched the DVD out of Andy's hands and walked back to the rest of our collection, followed closely by the cowboys. "We don't mind. Our kids watch movies like this at home."

I wouldn't budge and asked them to choose again. They picked Die Hard . I said no. They picked The End of Days , and I said no again. I picked Peter Pan . They said no. I picked The Wizard of Oz . They didn't respond.

Andy was getting annoyed with me. "Simone, what's your problem? They don't care about their kids watching violent movies, so why do you?"

"Well, whatever the policy is in their house is their problem. I can't change the policies in my house. And my policies are no violent movies for young kids."

We eventually settled (against my better judgment) on Star Wars. They got their bits of violence, and I hoped that the kids would at least enjoy the funny aliens.

So this was one of our first introductions into Central American culture, and it taught us two important things:

1. Be cautious when inviting people in Central America to your home. In the U.S. or Europe you may invite 200 people to a wedding and expect 100 of those to show up. In Belize you invite 50 and can expect 200. It's the way things are here. Invitations are a kind of free for all, and people love to bring their extended families along.

2. Even though the Mayan community seems very friendly, innocent, and peaceful, they do expose their young children to violent movies, and the children's play often reflects that. They may run around with fake Ninja knives and pretend to slash each other's throats. But in the midst of their throat-slashing sessions, they will wave at you and smile the sweet, innocent smiles.

http://simonesbelizeblog.blogspot.com

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Croome Brothers Trio, Jack Tempchin, Ricky, Swami & the Bed Of Nails, Kahlil Nash

Acoustic and electric in Del Mar, La Jolla, Little Italy, and City Heights
Next Article

Reader Music Issue short takes

Obervatory's mosh pit, frenetic Rafael Payare, Lemonhead chaos, bleedforthescene, Coronado Tasting Room

Funny Aliens

My husband Andy and I had only recently arrived from the UK to Belize, Central America, and were trying to figure out how to make friends here. Inviting one or two local cowboys to a movie night seemed like a good way to us. That evening, as Andy was putting some bowls of popcorn on the table, I was scanning our rather extensive DVD collection. All of our stuff had arrived from London a few days before, and we were getting to grips with how much stuff we had. The unpacking of the 20-foot container had been a rather embarrassing experience. All the Mayan families had gathered around our house to watch us unpack. With each item that was lifted out of the box, they let out a loud "Ooh!" and "Ah!" I had never felt filthy rich before, but I did then. Out of shame, I ended up giving away several things. The families grabbed anything we didn't want. Down to the boxes themselves, which they apparently turned into wardrobes.

"So, babe, do you think they will like The Fifth Element or The Matrix ? Or will those movies be too far out for them? We don't have any John Wayne movies, do we?" I just didn't know what DVD to pick.

Before Andy had a chance to answer, the cowboys arrived, and they hadn't come alone; our deck was filled with what appeared to be a Mayan village. There were the cowboys, their wives, their wives' parents, their children (lots of them), their nieces and nephews, babies suckling the exposed breasts of young women, even their dogs had come along. This wasn't what we had been expecting. And they all looked as if they were going to a wedding, with the little girls in frilly white dresses and the little boys in shirts and pants with freshly washed hair that their moms had glued to their heads in tight side-partings. Looking at these clean, proud Mayans, I felt like a total slob. To me, movie night meant T-shirt, sweatpants, no make-up. Obviously, things were different here.

Sponsored
Sponsored

"I'm sorry," I said, as everybody poured through the door in near silence. "We don't seem to have enough chairs for everyone." But nobody seemed bothered about the lack of chairs; they squeezed as many people on the sofas as possible. Nursing mums and grandparents sat on the comfortable seats, and the kids sat down wherever. The grandmother looked ancient, dignified. I thought that she was at least 80 or 90, but found out later that she was 57. I guess the years of hard labor, the Guatemalan war, and the many children she had had taken their toll.

While I was attempting to be a host to the women and children, Andy and the guys had taken control of choosing the night's movie. Soon they reappeared with their choice of the night: The Godfather .

I blocked the guys from moving toward the DVD player, saying, "No way! We can't watch that. That's way too violent for these children." Andy shrugged his shoulders. "They said it was okay with them."

"No, no, I'm not having that." I snatched the DVD out of Andy's hands and walked back to the rest of our collection, followed closely by the cowboys. "We don't mind. Our kids watch movies like this at home."

I wouldn't budge and asked them to choose again. They picked Die Hard . I said no. They picked The End of Days , and I said no again. I picked Peter Pan . They said no. I picked The Wizard of Oz . They didn't respond.

Andy was getting annoyed with me. "Simone, what's your problem? They don't care about their kids watching violent movies, so why do you?"

"Well, whatever the policy is in their house is their problem. I can't change the policies in my house. And my policies are no violent movies for young kids."

We eventually settled (against my better judgment) on Star Wars. They got their bits of violence, and I hoped that the kids would at least enjoy the funny aliens.

So this was one of our first introductions into Central American culture, and it taught us two important things:

1. Be cautious when inviting people in Central America to your home. In the U.S. or Europe you may invite 200 people to a wedding and expect 100 of those to show up. In Belize you invite 50 and can expect 200. It's the way things are here. Invitations are a kind of free for all, and people love to bring their extended families along.

2. Even though the Mayan community seems very friendly, innocent, and peaceful, they do expose their young children to violent movies, and the children's play often reflects that. They may run around with fake Ninja knives and pretend to slash each other's throats. But in the midst of their throat-slashing sessions, they will wave at you and smile the sweet, innocent smiles.

http://simonesbelizeblog.blogspot.com

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

2024 continues to impress with yellowfin much closer to San Diego than they should be

New rockfish regulations coming this week as opener approaches
Next Article

Angry Pete’s goes from pop-up to drive-thru

Detroit Pizza sidles into the husk of a shuttered Taco Bell
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.