Rules, policies, norms and local etiquette

Thank you all for joining us in this adventure! We are so thankful for each and every one of you. Hosting groups is our passion and your participation is making a dream of ours a reality. As the name “Culture Chalk” implies, we specialize in offering in depth, cultural experiences that will, hopefully, be remembered for life. 

 

Many times, often unaware, we have seen guests fumble over some cultural norms here in San Juan. We want to ensure your comfort and safety by offering a quick review of our guidelines.

 

 

SAFETY FIRST

 

Dogs

 

Please do not pet dogs on the street. Buying them a bag of food is great if you would like to contribute to their wellbeing, however, please explain to your children that dogs are not seen so much as pets here, rather guardians. (Even the cute ones can bite) 

Please also watch your step! Many street dogs equals many street turds. Consider them landmines and avoid them at all costs. In the event that you or a child steps on one of said landmines, we have a utility sink near the deck stairs where you can wash off any footwear. Please do not wash in the room sinks or in the kitchen. (A no brainer but sometimes these landmines can cause all sorts of frantic fight or flight responses!)

 

Tuk tuks

 

You can catch a tuk tuk anywhere in San Juan by waving them down as you would with a Taxi in North America. They should charge no more than 10Q per Adult and kids under 10 should not be charged. It is best to have your fare ready in the right change to avoid any conflict. Do not ask how much before entering, just let them know your destination and have the right amount ready. 

We have a naughty list for the tuk tuk numbers. Tuk tuks will all have stickers on them with their Tuk Tuk number. These are drivers that have either ripped us or have ripped off others we know, or we have caught them drinking and driving. Please do not take any of these cabs for your own safety. 

“Bad boy tuk tuks”

#114, #47, #89, #65, #171

 

Street Food

 

Generally speaking, most of our guests have had great experiences with Street food and NOT getting sick. If you decide to try out some of the delicious street-vendor-delicacies San Juan has to offer, the streets of San Juan are extremely safe as far as crime goes but just be aware of traffic and dogs in the later parts of the night. San Juan comes ALIVE after 6:00pm and the vendors line up the streets near the bank and the Municipal Arena. We would recommend sticking to deep fried treats as they are always fresh and will be the best bet as far as food safety goes! (Fried chicken, fried plantains and cream, fries, pupusas and tamales are all cooked at very high temperatures, therefore rendering the foods safe when eaten as fresh as they are).. also, for about 10$ you can feed your whole family!

 

Hotel Safety

 

Please have a chat with your children about using the facilities appropriately. We have invested a lot of time and resources into “updating” this Hotel to meet North American safety standards… as best as possible with what we have available here!! Please respect each item in using it for its intended purpose. For example, hammocks are hammocks not swings, the hot tub is a hot tub, not for emptying and using as a boxing ring, the handrails are handrails and not jungle-gyms.. Stuff like that!

 

Showers.. Why are there wires in the shower!!??

 

Showerheads are the electric heaters offered here, they operate by turning the valve all the way open and then adjusting the pressure. The lower the pressure, the hotter your shower will be. Do not tinker with the showerheads while the water is running, please ask for assistance if the faucets get jammed or pressure is less than ideal. These are first world 3rd world problems! When we installed our first electric shower head, word got out in our neighborhood and we had a line up of little boys at our door asking if they could try out our hot shower! We are thankful for what we have and hope these experiences will change your thinking as they have changed our worldview.

 

Climbing on benches, furniture and ledges is strictly prohibited and we all as parents must give one another permission to remind one another’s children of this if we see something out of line taking place.

 

Cultural and Communal Etiquette

 

Greetings

San Juan and rural Guatemala in general is a very, very friendly place. Please speak to your children prior to arrival about the importance of looking up at people you pass and greeting them. People will WANT to say hi to your children and it is seen as rude to pass by someone without a smile and hello.

 

Good morning - Buenos dias

Good afternoon - Buenas tardes

Good evening - Buenas noches

 

IF you have a hard time remembering these, a simple “Hola” with a big smile will go a long way. We are representing our countries here and want to leave a sweet taste in the minds of our hosts.

 

Group parenting / Community living

We want to foster a deep sense of community within our groups and expect children to greet one another in the mornings as well as the other adults in the group. We fully endorse speaking up if you see another child, (that isn’t yours’) doing something unsafe, dishonest or outside of the guidelines. A gentle and then stern reminder without raising your voice is what we recommend if not listened to before letting the other parent kindly know. It takes a village and we live that out in Guatemala to the fullest extent we have ever experienced.

IF you have any objections with this, please speak to us privately and we will come to an agreement on what you are comfortable with as a means to protect and admonish your child.

 

Baby talk

We do not talk to children in baby voices. We have found that middle aged and older children can feel diminished when parents that have younger kids, and that are used to talking to their babies in a soft baby voice, talk to them in the same manner. For this reason we talk to all children in an equal, appropriate adult voice and tone. We like to offer children across several ages many of the same chores and opportunities to learn skills. This takes the supervision and attention of all of us as a group. We ask that you all remember that this is an event with education and learning as its cornerstones.

 

Yelling or screaming

We ask that if you are frustrated with your own child, that you refrain from yelling. There is no doubt about it, with many children and families, there will be chaos at times and we want to ensure that we all have the best experience possible. If your child is acting up or having a temper tantrum, we ask that you remove them from the group and give them the time needed to calm down. Our art and craft room is always available for such instances, please stay there with your child and as a group we will all be that village for your other children if needed.
 

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Interactions with staff, locals and vendors

 

In all honesty, our staff is our WHY for being here. Our personal story starts with volunteer work in San Juan and San Pedro and this business has been established as a means to an end to support these families and our community projects. Please treat them like gold.

When on the streets, again please remember that we are representing our countries, race and communities back home. Treat people with kindness and grace. Bartering is acceptable here but do it with a light heart and smile. Respect their prices if they dig in their heels and remember that the average income here is around 120Q a day and markups on Artesanal goods are not always high. It is best to ask us or your host family for fair value on items you are interested in purchasing.

 

Arts and Craft room 

 

1. Hours of operation: 1-3pm. Always available as “The meltdown room” (However if you find that it becomes a reward of sorts for bad behavior, we can change the protocol)

2. Children are to enter only when supervision is available and have permission.

3. One craft at a time, please clean up after yourself between each craft.

4. Do not remove games or toys without permission. 

5. This is a quiet place, like a library. It is meant for kids to have a calm space to work on something, their Spanish, do art, play with toys, do a puzzle… no yelling or running around or pillow fights with the cushions.