Your experience of culture shock in Belize

"Good night" is a greeting here; in UK it's said as we part or go to bed.

People in general are polite and friendly, children respect their elders, and strangers greet you when passing in the street. Gas stations have attendants to pump the gas. In general it is a more old fashioned, civility, lost in most western countries.

I did not have much culture shock here in Belize.   I am married to a man of African descent who was originally from Haiti and was brought to the USA by his parents as a child.    So I live in Carribean culture shock all day, every day, regardless of our physical location.   We met in California.   Marc and I lived in Aruba for a year when we first married.   Aruba is very diverse ethnically, and generally is affluent, so it was easy for us.    I am gregarious by nature and have traveled extensively in the past.   So I am quick to notice differences and to accommodate them when indicated.     I experienced more of a culture shock when I was in Atlanta, Ga for 5 years.  In Belize the areas that are going to be most difficult for people from the USA are first, language....   The Engish spoken here is NOT the English you are accustomed to.    Attempting to arrange business over the phone is difficult and mis-communications are common.    Where I live in the North, Spanish and a type of Creole is spoken most often.   This varies by district in Belize.    The tremendous Poverty is a shock for most who come here..   Women, children and pets are treated poorly by USA standards.   Literacy is marginal.   I would suggest that people who visit or plan to come to Belize to live, respect the differences they notice and encounter and avoid telling Belizeans how to do things.    Belizeans do it their way and are not interested in your opinions.    Politics is involved in everything.

do the officials work with you or against you?  Is everyone out for a way to get money out of you?  Can you trust the officials?

I have a friend who is in business.  I will not say who or where as I do not want my friend to experience any repercussions.  Friend was shaken down by police for money.  Friend is in a competing business to one of the ministers.  It is theorized that friend can not get residency because minister is prohibiting it.  Theory comes from Belize friends to whom friend has relayed problem Has been in Belize long past the time when residency should have been granted.  Has to continue paying for the work permit.  During the shakedown, police told friend what he should offer services for, not what his cost/small profit is.  Told friend must offer service for less, even though the cost is known ahead of time.  Will not say more as friend wants to remain in Belize and in business.  Needs the money.
However, no more corrupt than the US.  In the US, another friend has a feed and seed store.  Wanted to sell starter veggies and flowers.  Cost to the county, $25 the first year.  Next year, jumps to $200.  Third year, cost doubles.  County wanted the $$ out of store owner.  Walk away public often does not understand what small business people must endure from gov't.

you asked 3 questions.   most expect to gain $ from the gringos.    I would suggest that it is important to be be very careful with issues of trust.

comparing what is perceived to be unfair business practices in the US, with the outright and common extortion and corruption in Belize is apples to oranges.  the 2 are not comparable.

I agree.  My point was to say each country has its own form of  extortion, the US just makes it a law for a bureaucrat to extort.  Belize is more strong arm and covert about it, in my limited experience.  Worse than these is Panama.  You want to deal with 'In the back door' bone crushing threatening practices, look into Panama.  Panama has some pretty draconian practices when it comes to non native people in Panama.
Too, I can only speak to what I have seen, heard, and/or experienced directly.

Thanks for the insight.  Here cops are shooting people to death for driving away from a traffic stop and saying they were afraid for their life because the victim was attempting to run over them with the car...this is even when video shows the driver just driving away with the cop tens of feet behind or to the side.  A cop here tasered a teen in the chest for not getting out of his car after stopping him because he was just driving around.  The teen went into cardiac arrest and the video shows the officer standing with his foot on the back of the comatose teen in handcuffs.  Another cop in NY city tackled a former tennis star throwing him to the concrete at the entrance to a high-class hotel.  The cop explained he thought the victim was a wanted suspect in a crime.  A cop in Connecticut shoots a driver in the head as the driver tries to pull away from a traffic stop.  That one was on video and the local prosecutor is charging him with murder.  Elsewhere, a man ridding a bicycle on the sidewalk as he turns into his driveway is tackled and beaten by two cops...the incidents go on and on.  These cops returning from deployments in the middle-east are so used to shooting and killing civilians that this is how they handle frustration.  I'm looking for a place where people respect each other and deal in a more civilized manner.  I'm surprised about Panama since many pundits encourage expats to choose Panama since it is supposed to be the best place to retire....of course they all are selling something, like real estate, or advice on where to immigrate.

Yep...that's how people treat each other and why some go into politics and policing.  At least there they admit they are thieves here they are honest politicians and law enforcement officers (hypocrites)

I understand your concerns about the militarization of the current USA police...... The current USA does not represent the values of freedom, that I enjoyed in my youth.  I have looked for affordable places to live quietly during my retirement and similar places where young people could make a life, where opportunity exists.   

May I suggest what I have told my favorite granddaughter....   Go to Uruguay, you will learn Spanish by living there, rent small, learn the culture and stay if it seems right.   Be frugal so you have freedom of movement and choices. 

The south-western hemisphere is the only area of the world that has not been ruined by the European and Asian colonizers.  Uraguay seems to have a temperate, not tropical, climate plus a stable economy and government.   It is not overpopulated.  There is always opportunity for tech savvy people, everywhere.     If I leave the Caribbean, I will go there.

You feel that BZ does not offer the quality of life that I am seeking?  I spent some time in MX and took Spanish in HS, so it's just a matter of emersion in the language to have this come back...happens during my travels in MX, and increasingly around here since the whole population of Central and South America seems to move here.  I'm looking for the beach scene, and diving...BZ or Cozumel seem to be best as long as the lifestyle is comfortable.  I have concerns about safety in MX and now I'm getting anxious about what I here from those in-country BZ.  Am I overreacting?

The Mexican state of Quintana Roo offers what you are seeking, probably.  I have many friends there that I met in Belize and who relocated there.    The drug cartel ensures the safety of the gringos in Quintana Roo.  If you are not a competitor, if you do not buy or sell drugs, the cartel enforces safety, provides protection from dishonest police, and is generally viewed by the public as a "Robinhood" type.  go to Merida or Tulum and check it out

Hmmm...nice...is that Mazatlan?  I was considering that, but the diving is not nearly as nice as Palancar Reef.

Police out of control:  Yes, nI experienced that as well.  My late husband had dementia. He had become confused and wandered outside of our house..  We live in rural Oregon.  There is a small patch of woods in front of our house.  I noticed he was gone from the house and began to worry.  I went looking for him.  After a quick search, I called the local sheriff as they are the only ones that will respond to our rural area.  I wanted them to help me search for my husband.  3 squad cars showed up, they asked if we owned weapons, and I said yes, but they are all locked up in our safe, and my husband no longer remembers how to open the gun safe.  I went searching, they went searching.  Soon I returned to the woods in front of our house to find a bunch of police standing near my husband, who was sitting on the grass in the woods.  I asked what happened.  They said he didn't respond when they found him sitting there in the woods, so, knowing he owned guns, they shot him several times with tazers to make sure he wouldn't shoot them, even though he was unarmed.  I could not believe what I was seeing and experiencing.  I wanted help in finding a confused 77 year old senior citizzen, and they shot him with tazers in our own front yard, why?  Because he owned guns and they were afraid he might shoot them.  Good God, I thought.  Well, I no longer consider using the local sheriff for help in finding someone.  Now that happened in a tiny little town just outside of Portland, Oregon.

Hello everyone,

Thank you for your contribution to this thread 

Some of the last posts deal mostly with safety here. It will be much appreciated to continue on that note by contributing on the dedicated thread : Safety in Belize

Let us keep this present thread mainly for culture related posts please.

Thank you in advance,
Bhavna

Where did my reply go?