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Published: December 20th 2007
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Behold, the Paca in all her glory
Isn't this the first place you'd go to find clothes for the opera? Fast forward to the present (OZ and NZ entries are still being written) and an entry from Steve:
When we decided to live for a year in Guatemala, we expected to spend most of our time in jeans and walking shoes so we packed accordingly. I didn’t even throw in a long sleeve shirt… Sonja hadn’t imagined needing nylons and our kids, well, let’s just say that clean jeans was the top-end option for them.
Little did we know that we’d get an invitation to attend a gala benefit at Guatemala City’s national theater. Verdi’s Falstaff, his last opera, would be playing and we could enjoy a champagne reception and a nice dinner in addition to the performance, all for a good cause.
But what, we asked, were the dress requirements? Our friend Christine said that it would be fairly formal, with evening dresses and suits the norm. What was a family of giants to do in a land of people who average 5’2”? Shopping would be very difficult at best and there wasn’t much time. Besides, we’re cheap and couldn’t imagine buying fancy clothes just for one night. There was only one answer - to visit the
Paca in the market.
Sonja had heard about this magical place from her tutor right after we first arrived and I’d seen it from a distance but we’d never taken the plunge before. Now was the time. The Paca is a place where piles of used clothes donated by Americans arrive, are sorted and then sold in a giant outdoor “Value Village” setting. It is famous because all of the best brands are readily found here. We went with a mission: to find “opera-worthy” clothing for the entire family in short order and on the cheap. The main thing we had on our side was that any clothes that might fit us would never fit the typical Paca shopper. Guatemalans are just a lot smaller than we are.
Sonja and I went alone one day and took our first gingerly steps towards the many sections of the Paca; each owner has their own section, so if you don’t find what you like in one, you wander over to the next one. It may not be overly efficient for the shopper, but each section is more or less organized in Men’s and Women’s sections, so with just a little
In our Paca finest
ready to head off to the opera! patience there is much to find. Sonja went to one section and quite quickly found a great long black slinky dress and in the same section I found a blue blazer that fit. I was able to try on mine, but Sonja just had to guess that the dress might work. We were pretty happy with our finds, but of course Sonja wanted to look just a little more, and while I was looking for a white shirt (which I found), she found this amazing dress that you see in the picture. It was funny watching her try this one on; she was able to slide it over her head while otherwise clothed in tank top and jeans, but of course had no mirror so I had to be the judge. Thumbs up from me. We then looked for items for the kids, and I found a blazer for Lucas that, ironically, was Australian merino wool. The next day we brought the kids in so we could try on the blazer for Lucas (it fit!) so all we had left was Grace’s dress. This was a little harder - finding modest clothes for an 11-year old girl is just plain hard, both here and in the States. However, good things happen in the Paca and we discovered the perfect opera dress for her. While Sonja was waiting for the stall owner to figure out the price, she found a cashmere/silk shawl that she was able to throw in the deal for an extra $3. For her, it was the big bargain of the year.
The results? You can see the picture for yourself. It is taken in front of the Christmas tree at the Westin in the city right before we were picked up to go. My pants and our shoes are the only clothes you see in the picture that didn’t come from the Paca or the nearby market. Total price tag? Under $45 plus another $45 for dry cleaning.
The opera itself was unique for us more in its setting than in the actual piece (which we did enjoy). The National Theater was built in the 1970’s and is a unique piece of architecture; very modern and curvy cement and is said to resemble a crouching jaguar. What impressed us was the cocktail party OUTSIDE in the middle of DECEMBER! There were candles everywhere (Guatemalans do candles very well) and fountains and lots of Christmas music. Clearly the cream of Guatemalan society was there - and we even fit in with our clothes!
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Eilene Glasgow
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Muy elegante!
Wow! You guys look GREAT! You ought to get an official family portrait down there. Your blog has been so fun to read. What wonderful adventures you are having and what indelible memories you are making. Have a lovely Christmas! Love, Eilene