Christmas Madness Here Too!

I'd just like to say it's not just the US!  I happend to be in Walmart yesterday (don't judge me!  they have everything!) and they put their Christmas stuff out the same day they put their Halloween stuff out--over a month before Thanksgiving!  And before you say "Isn't it kind of late for Halloween stuff?" you should remember that Halloween isn't exactly from here.

What else?

Right after I finally ranted to the interwebs about how my ears are frustrating me, I finally saw my first real Deaf people in Guatemala!  I was getting really sad because the only deaf folks I had encountered here had been begging for money on the chicken busses by handing out candy with slips of paper saying "I'm deaf-mute and I can't work.  Please donate 1Q for this candy.  God bless you!"  ...which is just a huge bummer (although I have become a fan of the candy).  But I was also really concerned with the mentality of "I'm deaf, therefore I can't work and I need to be on busses begging for money."  Cuz that's messed up.  Other things concerned me.  For example, nobody knows the word for hearing aids.  Like I can describe them, and people know what I'm talking about, but it's like a fictional story they heard as children.  Nobody actually has those things!  Also there's not really a term for "hard of hearing" here.  You're deaf, or a little deaf, or deaf, but you can hear some stuff.  I've been asked questions by people--even teachers in the seminary--like "can you look at a person and tell if they're deaf?"  People don't even know how to say "sign language" here!  I keep looking up different sites and organizations online trying to figure out how they say it, but whenever I make a guess, people tell me I'm wrong and tell me all different guesses for the right way.  "I don't know exactly... but it's for the deafs, right?"

But I finally found myself at an unfamiliar bus stop, and as the bus approached, several different guys signed their goodbyes to each other.  Judging by their dress and accessories, they were all either university students or professionals or some sort.  I tried to see if I could understand what they were saying, because I don't exactly have stellar ASL skills, and this is Guatemalan Sign Language.  The letters are definitely very different!  It was dusk and everyone was moving around and cramming onto crowded busses. I did finally get a chance to talk briefly with one guy through a bus window.  He totally understood everything I said...except "hard of hearing."  But when I said I need hearing aids, he got me.  :-p  I didn't catch much, honestly.  He was all excited, and bummed that his bus was pulling away though.  And I was all excited that there is actually a Deaf community here that doesn't sell dulces on the busses!

In other news, I've pretty much been sick in bed full time the last couple days, and haven't been able to track down work or a place to live, so tomorrow I'll be checking into a cheap hostel for a couple days to recouperate...hopefully somewhere where I have access to soup and tea.  Then Ima go out job hunting/begging when I'm well.  Wish me luck!