Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
It can be understandably difficult at times to refrain from taking photographs because
Mayan children (and Mayan people in general) are especially photogenic and can provide
some wonderful opportunities for portraiture or candid shots. On the up side, the situation
forces you to interact with the locals and get to know them. You'll soon find that many are
willing to let you photograph them (often for the promise of sending them a photo) and
your photographs will be better because of the rapport you've established with the subject.
As of February 2009, it is no longer possible to smoke in public places in Guatemala,
including bars, restaurants, office buildings, and airports. Some foreigners (especially
European travelers) may not yet know about this law; you may have to kindly but firmly
point this out, or ask the property manager do so on your behalf.
Confianza
and Saving Face
One of the main traits of Guatemalan behavior is what is known as being
en confianza
. At-
tainingthislevelinyourinterpersonalrelationshipsmeanshavingahighlevelofopenness,
trust, and comfort with those you are
en confianza
(in confidence) with. Once you have
reached this level in your relationship with someone, you will most likely be visiting their
homeandsharingafewmeals.
Confianza
isjustasimportantformakingfriendsasitisfor
doing business and overall success in Guatemalan society. You can erode your
confianza
by displaying character flaws such as losing your temper in public or dressing inappropri-
ately,butGuatemalanswillneverconfrontyoudirectly.Insteadtheywilldowhatisknown
as “saving face.” There may be a perceptible chill in their demeanor toward you.
Another player in the Guatemalan social lingo is the concept of
pena
, directly linked to
theconceptofsavingface.Tohave
pena
istofeelbadly,asinthecaseofimposingonyour
host or needing to say something unpleasant or accusatory. North Americans are very dir-
ect and to the point, which is not at all how Guatemalans are. They will go to great lengths
to avoid the
pena
of having to tell you something or ask something of you they are not
comfortable with.
North Americans (or those who have spent extended periods of time there) often find
this idiosyncrasy quite frustrating. Vice President Rafael Espada, who spent several years
as a prominent surgeon in Houston prior to being elected to office, highlighted this char-
acteristic during an interview with
Prensa Libre
following his first year back in Guatem-
ala. He said this face-saving mechanism, whereby people will tell you what they think you
want to hear, was one of his biggest frustrations. Espada said it was hard to get things done
