Your new local habits in Guatemala

I had to change my expectations about punctuality and am still working on not getting unduly irritated by the fact that most people here--from traders and providers, to my own students--do not have the same sense of punctuality that I have.  In fact, people here are constantly surprised when I actually turn in things by deadline or when I say I will.   

I think a word we all learn here is "Fijese", the word that starts a sentence in which a long, long explanation will be given to explain why the person is failing to do what he or she is supposed to do. "Fíjese que...". 

It's not all bad of course, just that we tend to focus on the negative rather than the positive when asked about our experiences, but I eat much better, much fresher and natural, and I also walk much more when I am in Guatemala than when I am in the US.   I love going to the market.  I have had to learn not to buy more than I can realistically consume, being just my husband and me here.  I go crazy on the fruit.  Hence I learned to can and pickle, just so I can preserve a lot of the stuff rather than have to ditch it.