Women's Fun

Fresh in Belmopan, I learn that there is such a thing as the ‘Belmopan International Women’s Group’. There happens to be a meeting at the Mexican Embassy the first week of my arrival. I go and I am surprised by the number of 50 or so women present. It was a lunch meeting and everyone had brought a dish so the large table was full with sandwiches, dips, cakes and what not. Each woman is wearing a name tag, the American way. I sit down, look around and listen. There are announcements about how to register as a member, about how to attract visitors the website (suggestion: putting recipes!), how money has been spent for a sick child and then there is a draw. You can buy a ticket and win a lamp made by one of the women. Then everyone attacks the lunch table and leaves.

I am not impressed but have learned not to judge too quickly. After all, there is very little to do here in Belmopan so every initiative should be supported.

The second meeting takes place at the huge fancy house of one of the most important families in Belmopan. Again there is a good turn-out with a mixture of women in terms of age and nationality. I did not bring a name tag and learn that we have to pay a fine if without tag. A symbolic one but still..I am beginning to feel uncomfortable. The meetings starts and I feel even more uneasy. I decide not to buy a ticket for the monthly draw.

Why I am feeling so misplaced? Because I am one of the younger women? Because I consider myself a professional women and do not want to be part of housewives / spouse clubs? Then one woman stands up and complains that the meetings always take place during day time. ‘I am wórking you know...’ she says with such an air of ‘I am better than you’ that I feel like slapping her. I shamefully recall that I probably used to say the same thing when I was working in Sri Lanka…

There is also a men’s club in Belmopan. They go out on trips; kayaking in caves or diving in the blue hole. They have ideas for poker evenings, car rally’s and spicy dinner parties. They drink Belikin beer, talk shit and have fun. Like men do. Then I realize why I am not at ease with the ‘women’s thing. It has nothing to do with working or not…it’s about having fun. The women’s group just doesn’t have fun. Not my kind of fun at least.