Jo’s Jovial Jolly Jocular Journal

Cultural Difference #2: Guatemalans can dance

Last night there was a birthday party of one of Victor’s cousins. At 11pm on the dot, we heard a trumpet sound, and in through the front gate walked a mariachi band in a line. The 7 mariachis gathered around the people at the party and played and sung, the party guests joining in the sing-a-long. Then the birthday girl was pulled into the middle of the circle by her husband and they started to dance. Another couple joined in. Victor reached out his hand and then pulled me up on my feet and we start to dance, we’re moving in perfect unity, the stars were shining, the mariachis playing songs of love….all of a sudden piercing through our haze of romance we hear a chant of “Kang-goo-roo, kang-goo-roo, kang-goo-roo” and suddenly I am thrown to one side, Victor starting his famous routine of hopping, jumping, shaking his booty to wild familial acclaim….

Okay, so Guatemalans can dance, that is my conclusion, and I am always impressed by the way they can move to almost any song. And my husband can dance too, he’s got his moves, he’s not shy, so ask him to do the kang-oo-roo when you next see him and see what you get.