Latin Women – Their World

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The differences in the ways of Latin women from the United States or Canada and native ones that live and grew up in a Latino country can be big, little and downright funny! It is true that much of how we look at things is due to what we are accustomed to. Basically we from the first world are spoiled brats..

One time I was with my girl in the Dominican Republic and we were in the car. She was talking to her mother on the phone. When she hung up she asked me if we could pick her up and give her a ride home as we were going in that direction anyway. I said sure so we went to get her. My girl was drinking a large Presidente beer at the time. When we got there she got out to get her mother.

I realized she had left the bottle of beer on the front seat. I thought to myself ‘Her mother is going to see that we are drinking beer! and while in the car too!’ I took the bottle and put it between the seats and covered it with a t-shirt that was in the car. I thought to myself ‘that was a close one’. When they got back to the car my girl introduced me to her mother.

Then she began looking around the car until she found the beer which was not hidden very well. She took a swig. Before I could even react, her mother said ‘Let me have some!’. I laughed out loud at my foolishness as I should have realized that this might happen. I had just moved to the island and was green. It was hilarious and I had to explain to them why I was laughing. They got a good laugh out of it too.

For instance there is no mail service in many of the countries. I used to wonder why I never saw a mailman in the Dominican Republic. I guess you don’t need them if there is no mail. Anyone who might get mail is lucky and you have to have to let the post office (there are post offices but they seem to always be closed) that something is coming for you. You can probably arrange someone there to bring it to you but it would be better to go down there to see if has arrived. You might wonder how do you get your bills then? I go down to my cable and internet company and pay the bill there.

There is no warning of shut off if you are late, you just need to remember to go there every month. The electric and water bills do actually come to my house but they are not delivered by the post office. Someone from each company comes through the neighborhood each month and leaves a bill somewhere in the property (as people do not have mailboxes).

Many Latino countries do not have electricity all day. Some do not have running water in their homes (most do though) Cell phones are common but are prepaid and phone calls are cut off a lot Get used to her calling you and hanging up before you answer (signal to call me) When you visit the first time many family members will want to meet you Everyone drinks beer If a few native people are at your house and you start giving them beer, make sure if there is any beer you want for later is hidden because they will drink till its gone! This means women, men, boys, girls and maybe the dog too!

Your Latin Love probably came from a very different world than you did Twenty four hour electricity is something most of us do not think about. Plenty of water around the clock is not even something you even dream about. The mailman coming to your house six days a week is a part of life. Being able to get a decent paying (I’m talking about fast food or Home Depot, people in Latino countries would fight for a job paying one-fourth that wage) job anytime you want.

I have a friend from the United States who was living in the Dominican Republic who got an apartment with his girlfriend. The electricity would go off at times and he complained strongly every time it did. After a week he bought a battery back up power system for the apartment. It would give power to the apartment for about five or six hours at a time but not to the refrigerator. His girlfriend had told him don’t bother to get one. She was accustomed to the blackouts and it did not phase her. He, of course bought it and this is an example of two different cultures and what we can put up with and what we are used to.

Many a Latin woman will take a shower and not use the hot water. This is truly unthinkable to most of us from North America. We would cry, bitch and complain if we had to. I did not really believe this at first but after several girlfriends, I saw it was true. They leave pots in the shower. fill them up and pour it over the area they are washing to not get overwhelmed by cold water everywhere at one time. This is such a basic way of life that when they are in a shower that has plenty of hot water they do not use it! It is how they live and its not a problem like we see it.

Another funny thing is that when you go grocery shopping with her and buy a good amount of food, she may go home and cook all of the food you just bought! The first time I experienced this I did not know what to think. There was enough food for at least eight people and four different dishes. One reason this happens is many are used to shopping for one meal at a time. They do not have the money to buy lots of food. Also they may not have a refrigerator so bringing home lots of food is not done because it would spoil. Yet another reason is that sometimes they are used to cooking for a big family or for their neighbors so cooking everything that is bought at any given time is normal.

Other things you may not know about her culture:

*Even if she does not know you very well she may put clothes of yours away if they are astray, wash dirty dishes, sweep up, dust without asking you.

*Most phones are pre-paid and calls are cut off mid conversation all the time Due to the above, get used to her calling you and saying ‘Call me back’

*She is used to taking motorcycle taxis

*Due to the above, if she is coming to see you and its raining she may be late

*Her phone number may change often (not a good sign of stability)

*She may share her phone with friends/family

*She will be a Facebook user

Not everything in this article applies to all the ladies. Many of them have 24 hour electricity of course, etc.