August 5, 2004

Well back at the airport, I had a great time on this trip. I am going to post a picture gallery of it here soon. On the way to the airport in the shuttle I was listening to a conversation that two of the other passengers were having. Part of it was about different things that the UNdoes in the third world to help cultures better themselves. One passenger was talking about the Mayan adobe huts in Ecuador. He said a big cause of death there is earthquakes, when one occurs the huts collapse in on themselves and crush the occupants. So they designed a hut with barbed wire in the bricks to act as trusses, a door that opens out for a faster exit and a metal roof that was lighter than the thatch roofs. So they went there and built a demonstration hut, however none of the Mayan wanted anything to do with it. The metal roof had a negative connotation on the male of the hut’s virility, and the outward opening door meant the woman of the house was loose. They also built the hut at a crossroads, which is where ghosts and spirits hang out in Mayan culture. Finally the door was facing west instead of east which is also a no no in their culture. So what’s the morale of the story boys and girls? Even if something is technologically superior you still need to check on the local cultures and customs or you might be wasting your time.
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