February 19, 2022
The thrill and the challenge of being in a new place is we don’t know what we don’t know. So much of what we don’t know is what we think we do know.
Don’t know what I am talking about? Here is a good example. (if not the most polite one) toilet protocol. I have been using the toilet on my own, since I was two and consider myself proficient. Do your business, put the toilet paper in the toilet, flush and done. Not in Mexico, maybe, mostly. Ajijic is one of those places where infrastructure, including plumbing, is different from what I am used to. Everyone knew (except Beth and me on our first trip) that we need to check where the soiled paper goes. And unlike when I was two, my mom wasn’t around to ask. Flush or no flush? There are no signs because everyone knows, except us. We figured (hopefully correct) if there is a trashcan next to the toilet, then paper (yes, that paper) goes in the basket. No Flush
Not as easy as you would think to remember. Just the way we do it, when it’s no longer the way we do it, can be a challenge to accommodate. It may be harder for some than others. Beth thinks I have control issues. She may be right, but I will never tell her. I have spent a lifetime creating my own reality, thank you.
Another example: Beth and I grew frustrated when we ate out that we always had to ask for the check. What kind of service is that? Until we found out what we didn’t know, it is just not done in Mexico for the server to decide when you are done, very rude. You let them know by asking for the check. No hurry for you to leave. No turn and burn business model. Claim a table in the plaza and take your time and relax.
In Ajijic, not only do you make eye contact with others on the street, you say hello. And surprisingly (only because I didn’t know) you can expect a hello back. Not just a perfunctory grunt, but a real greeting appropriate for the time of day. We are still figuring out when good day changes to good evening, but we are starting to know more of what we don’t know.
Given that we continue to not know what we don’t know, we can expect more fun faux pas. We are fortunate that the locals so far have been more than gracious in helping us navigate and learn what we need to know. Keeping an open mind and embracing our learning with grace and humor seems to be key.
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