Hellos and awkward goodbye hugs!

It's wierd when you live in a different culture - and get used to things that aren't 'normal' at 'home', but then you go 'home' again. In Guatemala, to say hello to someone you know, you always kiss on the right check and have at least half a hug. The same when you say goodbye. Having been back in England for a week, I realise how natural the Guatemalan way has become for me, and feel a bit unsure of what I'm supposed to be doing here. And it reminded me of a book I read last year. 'Watching the English' is a very funny book examining the cultural quirks of the English from an anthropological perspective. The section on greetings and goodbyes made me laugh out loud a lot. It basically said that the only common factor of greetings and goodbyes for the English is awkwardness! - Whatever we do to greet or say goodbye to someone, we do it badly and look embarrassed and unsure. It is SOOOO true!

So what to do?? Well there's some people in England who are quite happy to be hugged, and are quite glad of the change. But then theres also those who aren't 'natural huggers' and are obviously uncomfortable about being the subject of a hug and just find it awkward. But then Im wondering whether an awkward hug goodbye is better than the alternative English goodbye - which goes something like this ....

- well it was great to see you
- yes it was good to catch up
- and you are looking well
- we must do this again sometime
- yes - bye
- well let me know about that time next week..
- oh yeah - sure - bye then
- yes bye
- good seeing you
- bye
- bye
- bye
- bye

This long drawn out english goodbye seems to go on forever - and be even more awkward than a hug. With a hug (even an awkward one) at least you know you are now allowed to walk away, that that was in fact the end of the conversation and there's nothing more to say.
So should I continue to enforce hugs on unsuspecting English people?? Does that improve the whole affair ?? (for me??) (for the other person??) Or does going in for a hug, just confuse people as they continue with their Marathon English goodbye and therefore produce an even longer goodbye and even more awkwardness.
Oh Cultural Dilemmas!!

Central America Conference

At the end of January, all of the Latin Link Central America team met up at a convent at the base of a Volcano in Nicaragua for our annual conference. It was a long weekend, with a mix of purposes. We had a bit of 'business' to discuss, talking about the recent developments and changes in Central America, vision for the future and electing a new leadership team. We also had time together, catching up on what everyone has been up to. We even had an inpromptu baptism when we had an afternoon out at a local Lagoon. Good times.

Christmas etc

Christmas was a good time. I had 2 friends with me on Christmas eve this year - so we made half an effort to join in the Guatemalan traditions - setting off fireworks for much of the night - but mostly around midday. The concept of health and safety doesn't really exist in Guatemala, so we joined in with my neighbours and their children, aged between 3 and 8 (I think) - as they set fire to their fireworks and bangers.

On Christmas day, a few other Striders and friends arrived to enjoy our attempt at a traditional English Christmas dinner - which was almost complete except for the parsnips. Esgrid, a Guatemalan friend who was with us, spent most of the time asking 'what's this' (bread sauce, pigs in blankets, stuffing, mince pies etc). He wasn't particularly impressed with the Christmas Cracker jokes ('but they're not funny'), not quite understanding the irony of it.

We kept up our attempts at traditional English Christmas-ness on boxing day - entertaining a few more Guatemalan friends with a Turkey Curry.