Being Rich

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It is an interesting experience being rich. In the states, I don't have a lot of money, but here, I probably have more than almost any native I encounter daily. This is good and bad. It is good because food (everything, actually) is cheap here. It is bad because some people expect you to pay really high prices.

For example, I needed a notebook, pen, and some flashcards when I first arrived. So i went to the store, and bought a notebook and pen. I asked if she had any flashcards, and she showed me a small package, perhaps 20, of irregularly cut pieces of paper tied with string. She wanted 35 Quetzales for it (about $4.15). I politely declined, and she got quite angry with me and yelled at me, tell me I should pay.

Another example is the laundromat. I wanted to have my clothes washed. I asked my host family how much it should cost, and armed with this knowledge, I went to the "lavanderia". He tried to charge me 30% more! When I tried to bargain, he refused to change his price at all. There's a definite sense amongst various people here that as a foreigner, I am obligated to pay more.

In other news, I changed schools today. I start at the new one on Monday, and I hope it goes better. I'm also thinking of moving into the guest house there, as it seems quite nice, and there is wifi in the rooms, which there is not here. I have to sit in the kitchen.

I also walked to a place called Hiper Paiz, which is a massive American style shopping mall. It was interesting. They had a decent bookstore so I got an Agatha Christie novel in Spanish to practice my reading.

That's all for now!

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