Friday, January 7, 2011

On the streets of Guanajuato

One thing I love about traveling abroad is having the opportunity to observe people doing their daily activities. I like to compare customs and traditions from one place to another. Mexico has no shortage of interesting activities.

1. On Monday, I woke up to a strange sound of a man shouting something. At first, it seemed to be in stereo with the rooster crowing but then it continued. After awhile I was able to make out what I thought he was saying "gus". I thought perhaps he lost his dog and was looking for it. However, this continued on Tuesday and Wednesday. Finally, I had to ask why the man was calling for his dog every day. My host mom explained that he was selling "gas" on the streets. Oh, never thought of that!! I wonder what the guy that I think is selling "frijoles" is really saying!!

2. There was a man standing outside of a church imploring the world to end the war on terror. True enough, this is a common thing around the world. The thing that gave me a chuckle was he was doing it with a White Sox sweatshirt on. It is a small world after all.

3. This morning when I was running I noticed a man took off his hat as I approached. I was impressed with the chivalry until I realized it was because we were in front of a church. He took off his hat and blessed himself. This is not an uncommon thing in Mexico.

4. Speaking of churches, churches are left wide open all day everyday. In a country that is supposed to be "wild" no one worries about someone stealing from the church like we do in the U.S. Last month, I had to collect the Christmas gifts from the Giving Tree and had to leave my name, rank and serial number- and they know me!!

No comments:

Post a Comment