Grandma at 36 :: The British Diplomatic Core :: hurrah lets have another drink

One of the things I love best about living abroad is experiencing our cultural differences. We are all so alike in many ways, yet so diverse at the same time. Yesterday I took one of the Mayan women to hospital, as she was about to give birth to her 4th child. No one came with her. Her mother continued sowing, her husband went off to catch some horses and everybody was very matter of fact about it all. She simply threw a bag over her shoulder and off we went (she wouldn’t even let me carry her bag). I know she was having contractions, but she didn’t make a sound. Not even her facial expression changed! Isn’t that incredible? Does make you realize that we’re all a bunch of drama-queens, doesn’t it? By the way, this will be our cleaning lady’s 6th grandchild and she is only 36 years old (She first became a grandmother at the age of 29). I can’t even comprehend that. I’m just starting to get my head around being a mum, let alone being grandmother before the age of 30.
Now, last night I also got to enjoy the real quirky English traits again. We had a party at the British High Commissioner’s house and several people got up to do speeches. I just love the walking contradiction that the British are. They are so proper and traditional; yet they love to fill their speeches with innuendo, sarcasm and bits of self-ridicule. They just crack me up. Obviously, the wine flowed effortlessly last night (aren’t the British just the most incredible drinkers?) It’s such a shame that we had to leave early again, all because we had to get back across the river by boat. We need that bridge to get finished!