OOPS, now you have hit my raw nerve.
We are generous and we do make donations$$ to people in Belize. Then we hear "you think you are holier than tho". Excuse me, we contribute out of the goodness of our hearts. We do bring money$$ to spend in Belize. All that being said. People deserve respect even if they do not make donations or have loads of money to spend.
Dissing is just not acceptable anywhere.
We travelers, do have choices and we good hearted travelers have choices on giving donations too. When we choose Belize, that is good for all Belizeans, and business people. Trust me we give and come to Belize because we LOVE Belize, not to get a tongue lashing.
We do not expect a red carpet to be rolled out, just that we too are treated like good customers/tourist.
What method of payment can we use in Belize except $$$$$? Can we barter with beads?
I think not.
We with big mouths, normally are good at earning big money$$, so there you go.
Belize is great, so let's work to keep it great.



[This message has been edited by Chloe (edited 09-09-2002).]

There were many good people who contributed to the relief fund. I only know of one who feels she has to tell us she did and use that as part of her justification to call for people to "bypass" all of Placencia Town because of her experience with a few of the people. It looks to me like she is painting all the people with the same brush, and I call that being "holier than thou". And as was mentioned, it would be nice to hear both sides of the story.

[This message has been edited by bywarren (edited 09-09-2002).]

The topic that this started under is "Placencia lodging." If one were browsing under the topic looking to explore Placencia and found what the discussion had become, i.e. Placencia people are surly, it surely would be a turn off.

Olga would not ask to be excused for her behavior. She runs a good store and has plenty of practice with people five-finger discounting her wares. Having spent hundreds of dollars in many, many shopping excursions over several years I've seen the store expand with its shelf stock and seen it on days when you couldn't turn around in there for the crowd. I don't fear the place is going to regress because of the outburst, but I do fear the regression in the whole area because storm recovery has been so fractured and business has suffered for that reason.

This is pure speculation on my part but maybe because Olga's is a grocery shop and not a restaurant her standard policy says you pay first and then you are free to eat what you've purchased. Those customers with less honorable intentions would be "confused" if they observed the practice of eating the goods and then paying (if they remember to pay.)

The effect of charitable donations addressed feeding and housing and some health care for displaced persons immediately after the storm. But longer term and as it should be, people have returned to their own resources whatever they may be and those resources are obviously short of what's needed. Complicating factors include lack of organized government intervention in helping with money, labor and machinery and BTL's lack of concern over getting communications back up.

So it's slow going for the residents of the Placencia Peninsula. And the ripple effect is the place looks like hell and it will be another tourist season (at least) until the soul of the area can experience some peace. The greatest hope of all right now is that there is no insult added to injury in the form of more adverse weather this storm season.

[This message has been edited by ckocian (edited 09-09-2002).]

Bywarren,

I don't mean to correct you but Susan is calling for a "bypass" of Placencia Village because of one person, not a few. Hmmm, who was having the bad day while visiting? I'll be staying in Placencia for a few days and make sure I visit Olga and see for myself. Everyone has a bad day don't they Susan? Also have to agree, a store is not a resturant. Pay first.

Mddev: thanks for correcting me, even though I did not need it. Susan also complained about the people who gave her the key to the bathroom and asking her what she needed it for. That is surely a case of racial prejudice, or at the least sexual discrimination. That's assuming there were two bathrooms. Maybe she just ask for the wrong key. That could be the other side of the story. It is probably too much of a "common sense" approach to think that a Belizean would be so perceptive to know that someone is so full of it that they just needed any key. But again hopefully, they will get the training needed to better deal with these people in the future, even though there will probably by no future thanks to the "Susangg bypass". Just another wastefull government program. And if that does not work, we can start another relief donation. I want to be the first to contribute. I can't wait to tell all my friends that I donated.

You don't get it...do you Warren? I was not the one who was asked why I needed the bathroom key. When I asked for the key, it was given to me. THree minutes later, it was my Belizean (Mayan) traveling companions who were asked WHY they needed a bathroom key and "what are you going to do in there" in a very snotty way. By the same guy who had given it to me when requested without a peep.

Similarly, I was not the one who (I believe) was the target of what I think was prejudicial treatment in the store. Once again, it was my Belizean friends who were being insulted and yelled at. I incurred the lady's ire when I intervened and asked what the problem was, at which point she began screaming at me also, and we all got the screeching meeemee treatment until we left.

We were all visitors to Placencia, though my friends are Belizean. An inhospital way to treat visitors. They told me that this is not the first time they have experienced such treatment in their own country. We were all together and therefore, we were all offended and insulted by this kind of treatment. If you insult my friend when we are together, you insult me.

Like I said..you can draw your own conclusions. I am old enough and experienced enough, I think, to distinguish between mere testiness, "bad day" syndrome or run of the mill bad service and deliberate nastiness. The former never bothers me, the latter does. Happening twice within a half hour, yep, it gave me a real bad feeling. And if some people don't like that I mentioned it...well, that's just too bad.

OK Susan, you convinced me. I am a big enough person to admitt when I am on the wrong side of an issue.
Therefore, to help right the horrible wrongs you and your friends suffered, I would propose we organize a demonstration in lieu of a Bypass. We can set in front of Olga's and eat opened tins of sausages. We will make arrangements to pay for them after the demonstration. Then to make the point that we will not accept racial prejudice, we will pickett the toilet chanting "no key, no pee, no key, no pee". We need to figure out what to wear. The white sheets and cross thing has already been done.
And, since you were not denied the key, we can call the demonsration "Susan's Movement".
That should get the attention of those Placencia people.

PS: keep in mind, Placencia is in the southern part of the country. It wasn't that long ago they had separate stores and toilets for Mayans. Attitudes really did not start changing until after school busing.

[This message has been edited by bywarren (edited 09-10-2002).]

OK Susan, your movement is getting motion. You might want to start a separate topic called "Susan's Movement". I would do it but mine always get deleted.

Anyway, I just got off the phone with Jackson, Farakahn and Sharpton. They all expressed an interest in getting "behind" your movement. Jackson wants to start a branch in Belize. He will call it the "Rainforest Coalition". I assured Farakahn we could do a 10 man march and Sharpton, well, he is just coming to pig out on the sausages after his recent hunger strike, but I assured him we would pick up the tab, that is if they see us take the sausages and we end up having to pay for them.

So, I think we are well on our way and, if this works, we can have more "Susan's Movements" on a "regular" basis.

I dont want to drag this on, but I have only just seen this post and felt that a couple of questions needed to be asked of Susangg for the benefit of all others reading this. Placencia can do without a one-woman crusade to do any further damage - it has been hurt enough.

Susangg:

Please answer with one word only - Yes or No will suffice, I cant bear another 500 words on the topic!

1. As you have rental property in San Pedro, could it not be that you are hoping to encourage people to visit Ambergris Caye as opposed to Placencia as you have a vested interest?

2. Could three rounds of Margaritas on Tobacco Caye and "several" rounds of beers at the bar in Placencia have had ANY effect on your behaviour? Maybe you "thought" you were walking in a straight line and acting "normally"....

One final point. Most of us donate quietly and annonymously for the purpose of easing suffering, not so that we can build our own self-esteem in the eyes of others.

Annielou

I dont want to drag this on, but I have only just seen this post and felt that a couple of questions needed to be asked of Susangg for the benefit of all others reading this. Placencia can do without a one-woman crusade to do any further damage - it has been hurt enough.

Susangg:

Please answer with one word only - Yes or No will suffice, I cant bear another 500 words on the topic!

1. As you have rental property in San Pedro, could it not be that you are hoping to encourage people to visit Ambergris Caye as opposed to Placencia as you have a vested interest?

2. Could three rounds of Margaritas on Tobacco Caye and "several" rounds of beers at the bar in Placencia have had ANY effect on your behaviour? Maybe you "thought" you were walking in a straight line and acting "normally"....

One final point. Most of us donate quietly and annonymously for the purpose of easing suffering, not so that we can build our own self-esteem in the eyes of others.

Annielou