Susanne in Belmopan: Tossed Salad

The Curse of Belize

Belize is a stunningly beautiful country, but it has one curse. Can you guess?

◘ Mosquitos

◘ Humidity

◘ Traffic Jams

◘ Greenhouse gasses

◘ Botlas

The answer is 5) botlas, which is Creol for bottle-ass (don't ask me why). They are mega tiny little flies, you can't see, hear or feel them at the time. Only a day later you will notice the spots. They itch like the devil and only very slowly recede (between 7 and 10 days). They're everywhere in Belize; in sand, grass, near water and even the most hard-core repellents (Deep Woods) and long pants and sleeves will not fully protect. I use Benadryl gel to relieve the itch but mostly just wait and sit it out.

Pinky House

As any 4-year old, Soleine gets pretty bored when we travel long hours in the car. But now we have a game. The first one to spot a specific object gets points. As follows:
- a pink house = 10 points
- a horse = 5 points
- a tractor = 10 points
- a pair of shoes hanging from power line = 20 points

A regular trip from Belmopan to Belize can score about 100 points, to San Ignacio 150 points because more horses and tractors. Soleine usually wins. When we'll be in Belgium or Holland this summer we'll have to change the rules, There aren't many pinky houses (as Soleine calls them) there, right?

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Tossed Salad

September is a festive month for Belize. It is hot as hell, but that does not seem to keep most Belizeans from parties and parades. This year, Belize celebrates 28 years of independence. That is not that long (or well, it reminds me how old I am). In the sixties, when colonialism was on the retreat throughout the world, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago became the first Caribbean countries to gain independence. Actually, Belize had gained self-government from the British government in '61, but still had to wait 20 years because of a land claim from neighboring Guatemala. It threatened to use force against Belize if it did not settle the claim first. What this claim was exactly about and how it was solved is a too long story for this blog, but anyone who has a look at the long, straight border between Guatemala and Belize will understand that this is not a natural border.
What I like a lot about Belize is its

motto, which is celebrated everywhere in September: "Diverse Origins, Common Aspirations". And it is true, Belize's population is as diverse as the fish in its ocean, with many colours, languages and cultures represented. In Soleine's class the kids are making a collage...they're cutting pictures of men, women, and children of all colours: African origin Garifuna, Maya and Hispanics, Chinese and Taiwanese, the Mennonites and other whites, the Indians and settlers from the Middle-East. When I was studying anthropology in the early nineties this was referred to as a melting pot, as if all these cultures and traditions were melted into one big pot. Now we know better...the cultures live side by side, but are definitely not mixed into one dish. Rather, they co-exist while keeping their own culture, values, and traditions. Someone had therefore invented the term 'tossed salad' rather than melting pot. Imagine leaves of Iceberg, Lolla rossa, Rocket, Romaine and Butterhead mixed in one bowl but without losing their colour and distinct taste. However, one quick look on Wikepedia also taught me that tossed salad is now slang for some kind of gay sex. Hmmm I guess someone will have to invent a new term to replace melting pot. Mixed salad maybe? Any takers?