Learning to Wait...

“So the presentation will start at 1:30pm then? But really around 2:00 Belizean time right?”

That was the program manager for Cornerstone Foundation on the phone today, talking to the Chairman of one of the outlying villages (Bullet Hill Falls) about the presentation I will be doing on the 23rd of the month. Hilarious.

Belizean time is its own phenomenon here. Being here so far has been an experience in learning to wait, learning to be patient, and then waiting some more. Belizeans have this unspoken AND spoken tradition of never being on time, of meetings starting late, and of getting things done...later. And ‘later’ can mean in a few hours, a few days, or maybe never. It was something the foundation warned us about, even told us to prepare for - but how does one prepare for something so ambiguous?

It’s really hard to grasp until you’re in it - the lightbulb clicks when you’re sitting in the women’s group at 3pm thinking maybe you got the time wrong - and then the ‘early bird’ shows up at 3:25pm, saying, “Oops, I think I’m early!” (No dear, actually you’re 25 minutes late and you’re the first one here - but this is Belize!!) Making appointments with agencies in the community feels like I’m playing a game of frogger - the conversation proceeds with jerky movements, back and forth, never quite sure what the other person is proposing. - I’m really looking forward to meeting with you to discuss how I can be helpful to your agency. What time works for you? Sure, I can do 2pm. Now, do you want me to show up at 2 or at 2:30? Oh, whenever? Okay......so should we just say 2 then? Yeah sounds good, I guess I’ll just see you when I see you. Looking forward to it -

The truly hilarious thing about this cultural shift is that even if I tried my best to give up my western ways and showed up to appointments ‘late’ or on Belizean time - I’d still find myself waiting. Or if it’s raining out - maybe they’d just never show up. Or maybe I find myself meeting with someone different (that’s been fun!). It’s a bit of a circus, a no-win-perplexing-confusing-mind-boggling-hysterical adventure into the culture of Belize.

The other volunteers who’ve been here awhile look at me with a mix of sympathy and condescension - “You’ll get the hang of it eventually”....... Brilliant. I know. Now, when you say eventually....do you mean later or never?!