Poca a Poca

So this is a favorite Guatemalan saying, and it drives me absolutely insane. Whenever I want to know something, or am dissatisfied with my language/cultural progress and express my need to know everything immediately I am told “poca a poca”.

The peace corps has been really amazing about being aware and helping us be aware of our needs and strengths and weaknesses and struggles so I will share some here.

•       I am a fucking control freak. I like to be in charge of me and maybe everyone else too. This however is not possible here. I no longer have a say of when or what I eat, or in some respects even how much. Going off the control freakdom, I am perpetually lost, and I hate not knowing where I am, it drives me crazy.  
•       Sometimes people are really quiet, and then I assume that we are having an awkward silence so I feel the need to fill it with my awful Spanglish. You’re welcome Guate.
•       Assimilating without appropriating, there are so many complex fragments to this that it deserves, and will have, its own post soon.
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•       I don’t like friojes.
•       People ***LOVE*** to iron here. Though I am not religious, ironing goes against my religion.
•       I like to be right, it’s important to me, but here I mess up almost everything, almost all the time.
•       I am really bad at knowing how to greet people/say goodbye. As it turns out my uncertainty towards salutations is exacerbated fifteen fold by being in a new culture that has a multitude of greetings of their own. One day I will figure out how to get this cheek/air kiss down vs. the one arm pat at the elbow (Indigenous elderly lady salute) down. Probably just as I am entering the US again. Be ready for all this action friends.

I have however, learned that in only two weeks’ time I have learned to let go a notable amount, and I am getting much better about living in the now, and appreciating every galleta, café con mi familia, and most importantly every sun set. Here people wish you a good night and say that they will see you in the morning if the Gods permit it. While I am not on board with the whole “God’s permitting” thing I do think it is a wonderful nightly reminder that tomorrow is not a given.