Conversation today on the phone to change a hotel reservation in the States:
Hotel Desk: "XXXX's Hotel"
Kemmel: "Hello....I would like to cancel a reservation....." As Kemmel tries to give more information, receptionist interrupts:
Hotel Desk: "NAME?"
Kemmel: "Kemmel Dunham"
Hotel Desk: Okay, its canceled.
Hangs up.
Conversation today in the Health Department to arrange a seminar for midwives:
Staff nurse: "Hey, it's Dr. Lisa! How are you? (kiss cheek) We sure have missed you. How did your time in the city go? "
Lisa: "Hi, how are you (kiss cheek)? It's so good to see you again. It was great. Just getting back to work."
Staff nurse: "Is it good to be back?"
Lisa: "Yes, wonderful. I really missed being here. And how has everyone been around here?"
Staff nurse: "Great, but we have missed you a lot. When are you coming back to work here at the health department?"
Kemmel and Lisa: Other pleasantries.....
Staff nurse: Other pleasantries... for about 20 minutes before we get to the issue at hand.
1 1/2 hours later we finish arranging a meeting for a midwife seminar.
Today we spent about 3 hours just making reservations and getting things scheduled on the calendar for the midwife seminar. Tomorrow we will take the official letter to the health department and probably spend another hour exchanging pleasantries with various staff. While we often joke about the 3-times rule here in Guatemala (everything takes 3X as long to do here as it does in the States), we have decided that sometimes we like the hospitable/friendly way people interrelate and conduct business with each other here (except when we are in a hurry to get things done!!!).
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