...and other aspects of Belizean life.
I think one central part of culture is how you use things. All over the world, we have similar resources and the same "problems" (
My clothes are dirty, I'm hungry, I need transportation) to overcome. Yet, the "answer" varies by culture and country. By and large, people have come up with some creative solutions, baffling those who live in another country. Let me share about the Belizean Way, through
nursery rhymes:
Mulberry Bush Nursery Rhyme
Here we go round the mulberry bush
The mulberry bush
The mulberry bush
Here we go round the mulberry bush
On a cold and frosty morning.
This is the way we wash our clothes
Wash our clothes, wash our clothes
This is the way we wash our clothes
So early Monday morning.
This is the way we iron our clothes
Wash our clothes, iron our clothes
This is the way we iron our clothes
So early Tuesday morning.
This is the way we scrub the floor
Scrub the floor, scrub the floor
This is the way we scrub the floor
So early Wednesday morning.
This is the way we mend our clothes
Wash our clothes, mend our clothes
This is the way we mend our clothes
So early Thursday morning.
This is the way we sweep the house
Sweep the house, sweep the house
This is the way we sweep the house
So early Friday morning.
This is the way we bake our bread
Bake our bread, bake our bread
This is the way we bake our bread
So early Saturday morning.
This is the way we go to church
Go to church, go to church
This is the way we go to church
So early Sunday morning.
(I bet you didn't know all the lyrics to that song, I didn't either!)
Much like the rhyme, Belizeans complete similar chores weekly (and/or daily). On the other hand, I discovered I am not so inclined to be so strict. It has been good practice for me to copy the Belizean Way. Thank God, Belizeans do have washing machines! Some look different than the ones I grew up using. However, the Toledano's washing machine is EXACTLY the same make/model as my mom's one.
They use it very differently...First of all, you fill it by a hose connected to a supply of
rainwater. Then add the soap and clothes. You let the machine do its
beautiful work, but stop it before it drains. Remove clothes (wring them out a bit), and then place them in a bucket with downy and water. While these clothes are soaking, add your next load in the same water and wash. While the machine is continuing its
beautiful work, you get to wring the downy from your clothes. Place them in another basket. Repeat this cycle for all your loads. If the water gets really dirty, empty and refill. Then reload all the clothes back into the empty machine for a spin cycle or two (be careful to keep the clothes well-balanced). Now it's time to pin them up! The Toledano's trick is to shake/snap the clothes before pinning. This removes more wrinkles. When dry, take down and fold. And there you have it - laundry in Belize.
[side note]: You have to start with
lights and work your way to
darks, or the water will turn your
whites to
grays.
Pease Porridge Hot
Pease-porridge hot,
Pease-porridge cold,
Pease-porridge in the pot,
Nine days old;
Some like it hot,
Some like it cold,
Some like it in the pot,
Nine days old.
Mrs. Toledano uses the stove like I use the refrigerator in regards to food preservation. Most of her food is on the stove top in various pots. Before she goes to bed and when she rises in the morning, she boils each pot. During midday when the food is eaten, it is also reheated. This keeps it from spoiling. When I first saw this ritual, I was horrified. My Food Handler's training was sending out warning signals.
Now I understand that it works. If you grew up in a climate where refrigeration was impossible, you'd have to be creative too. Refrigeration is still a relatively new concept. Another tradition I've noticed of Belizeans is to eat everything during that meal.
There aren't many leftovers because the cook makes enough for those present. Again, this goes back to preservation: if it will spoil someone may as well eat it now. That is why people are constantly taking food home when they go visiting.
The Wheels on the bus
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
round and round,
round and round.
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
all through the town.
The wipers on the bus go Swish, swish, swish;
Swish, swish, swish;
Swish, swish, swish.
The wipers on the bus go Swish, swish, swish,
all through the town.
The horn on the bus goes Beep, beep, beep;
Beep, beep, beep;
Beep, beep, beep.
The horn on the bus goes Beep, beep, beep,
all through the town.
The money on the bus goes, Clink, clink, clink;
Clink, clink, clink;
Clink, clink, clink.
The money on the bus goes, Clink, clink, clink,
all through the town.
The Driver on the bus says "Move on back,
move on back, move on back;"
The Driver on the bus says "Move on back",
all through the town.
The baby on the bus says "Wah, wah, wah;
Wah, wah, wah;
Wah, wah, wah".
The baby on the bus says "Wah, wah, wah",
all through the town.
The mommy on the bus says "Shush, shush, shush;
Shush, shush, shush;
Shush, shush, shush."
The mommy on the bus says "Shush, shush, shush"
all through the town.
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| Nancy's famous van! |
Not many people have vehicles and that's okay.
This culture is not as dependent on cars, like the United States (they sure are convenient though!). Still because of this, Nancy picks up many church members for various functions. This is universal for most churches and any major event. When a person has a car, it is culturally expected that they will share with those who have not. This usually means exceeding the maximum occupancy for the vehicle.
And seat belts, what are those?? One several occasions we have stuffed 25+ people into Nancy's 15-passenger van. The only way this works is because some of the 25 are children. Yay, for being squished like a sardine! Thank God that the roads are too bad for people to drive fast (I never thought I would be thankful for that).
 |
| Sulmi and Kristel, ready for church |
 |
| Having fun in the back seat! |
 |
| Ready or not, here we all come! |
Isn't that interesting? Three common items - washing machine, stove and vehicle. Yet, we use them in such different ways.
Isn't God amazing to make such creative people?!
“Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check,
but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday
deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of
kindness and love.”
―
J.R.R. Tolkien,
The Hobbit
