Two of Five...

[karen J]

Down here, the poor and the indigenous are very superstitious, and very religious.  They have all kinds of beliefs that defy logic and science but that they truly believe and defend.  Did you know that night air carries the risk of disease and possession by evil spirits?  So, no matter how hot it is keep those windows closed. 

I find that fascinating. I'm no expert in religion, but as an Anthropologist, I suspect that many superstitions & religions have derived their roots based on the need to 'pass along' important survival information (especially before the advent of written language). "Don't eat this, eat that" and "stay away from that cliff" type stuff. Perhaps in the tropics, it was considered important to protect against "something that occurred at night". That superstition may have conveyed survival upon people who stayed inside (or protected themselves) at night. Those people would survive and reproduce. Of course, we know now that mosquitoes carry (& can transmit) disease. But they didn't know that then. What they may have known was that disease occurred more often when people were exposed at dusk or at night, when (what we know now is that) mosquitoes are more active. Science can trace many of it's roots back to primitive superstitions (not that any and/or all are true).

In the 1820's, the best medical science available said that Yellow Fever was caused by "impure air". It was actually caused by mosquitoes.

I don't think Anthropology can explain why anyone would want to mutilate somebody's pet, gotta go to organized religion for that one.  Unless certain animals were always associated with some sort of pathological condition.

Love the kitty pics. 

[Jonna]

It's possible Karen that the beginnings of it had to do with malaria or yellow fever.  Currently though, and for many hundreds of years, the houses here have been made with large gaps and open doorways that let air through so that wouldn't have kept the mosquitoes out.  It is possible that in the far past it made more sense.  The Maya say that they came from the caves that dot this peninsula.  The other possibility is that jaguars are still fairly common here and they hunt at night.  Leaving the cave or the house at night would sure make you a target for a roaming jaguar.  We've had friends lose their dogs off their porch to a jaguar.  Still, I wonder why there is just a real aversion to strongly moving air among the indigenous here, they don't much like fans either. 

Another thing is that they don't drink cold liquids.  In this, they may be a lot smarter than we are.  They drink a lot of liquids, mainly Coca Cola unfortunately, but they drink everything at room temperature.  They say that cold liquids will make you hotter.  It is also said that hot (spicy) food cools you off, so chiles are good to eat when it is hot.  Not sure about that but I do like the smokey chipotles favored here.  Most food is served at room temperature, not hot and not cold.  It took me awhile to get used to lukewarm black beans but now they taste normal.  I still like ice in my tea though, really cold beer, and I prefer most cooked foods hot.   

[Cedric]

I like that black cat what a lovely bright eyed thing.

[Joyce]

Thanks Cedric, and for what she's been thorugh...she sure has a GREAT personality and it shows in all her pix.
It's because we always shower her with love and treat her like royalty.   

Jonna, maybe I am a reincarnated South or Central American? 
I rarely like my food very hot or my drinks very cold, except for iced tea...and then I'll drink it luke warm too if the ice gets melted.
I really DO NOT like food much hotter than luke warm.
To me I can taste it better.

Another thing I have seen ALL of our workers do when on the job is rinse off any beverage container before they drink from it.
I can see the sense of this...and think all of us should rinse 'em too.
But they even rinse the screw off containers.
I've seen dog lift their legs on the cases of soda cans when they guy is loading soda machines.
Since then, I try to not to drink soda from a can unless it is rinsed thoroughly first.

[Jonna]

Yes, I too have learned to rinse my soda can before opening.  If I can't rinse it, then I wipe the top with a napkin or use a straw.  Pretty much everyone here does the same.  I would do the same in the US.