I broke a culture norm today. ohhhhhhhhhh!!!!! busted me!
Let me explain first. I worked at my primary school today and man was it a hectic day. I was testing students reading levels all day, a task that is very repetitive and exhausting. I promised myself that I had to pay my electric bill today, as it was due 2 days ago (they aren't big on paying on time here). I couldn't just go to town to pay a bill and that only, so I squeezed in my weekly roti lunch. As I was eating it started to rain which isn't unusual for rainy season in the tropics. As I waited on the rain to pass I kept glancing at my watch to notice the time ticking away towards 3pm. Grenlec, the electricity company here in Grenada has an office in town and it strictly closes at 3pm. The last time I looked down at my walk before leaving the roti shop it was 2:40pm, I had 20 minutes to go a little bit of a ways.
I braved the last sprinkles coming from the sky and started my journey to the electric company. Now that I have been here a six months I have learned a few short cuts to avoid hills, creepy men and vendors. There is one downfall to this particular short cut; I have to walk through a tunnel that allows one way traffic and pedestrians. Scary? Kind of, but its worth it to bypass the hills, creepy men and vendors. As I walk through the tunnel and notice no one is coming towards me the other way, as usually is, and I wonder why until I put two and two together and realize the other end of the tunnel is completely flooded. Here were my two options:
1. Break cultural norms by hiking up my britches and wading through the ankle deep water.
2. Turn around and walk the quarter of a mile detour through the city.
Disclaimer: Grenadians HATE rain. I hear repeatedly "We arent scared of guns, but we are scared to death of rain".
Which would you take? Be the strange white girl walking through a tunnel with her pants hiked up, dress shoes still on while trying to make it to the electric company with 5 minutes to spare? Or would you turn around and take the detour with the potential of not paying your bill that's already two days late?
Well if you chose number 1 you win a prize, because that's EXACTLY what I did. After a few strange stares from locals, one guy that said "you crazy white girl", and some giggles from children I was through the tunnel and on my way to Grenlec. Thankfully I made it with 5 minutes to spare, wet shoes and all. SUCCESS!!!!
After that event I thought it just couldn't get any better, but man was I wrong. Let me highlight a few of the "wow" moments of the day:
1. I had a girl puke in my class this morning right after talking about if you feel sick to always just run outside, NEVER sit at your desk and puke on yourself. We are still working on listening skills.
2. While waiting on the bus at the terminal I was observing people walking by and noticed a man with nothing but his boxer brief underwear on, walking down the middle of the road then stopping, raising his hands in the air in the middle of traffic, screaming something and then wrote the word STOP on the concrete, spelled STOPP!
3. I broke a bowl in the sink this evening while washing dishes. It cut me in a complete circle shape on my finger. Weird?
Always an eventful day in Grenada...
