On mascots

I still can´t quite figure out dogs here.

There is this dog that lives in a certain part of sidewalk in Zona Uno. I think he must have chosen his favorite restaurant, and stayed out in front. He´s sort of shaggy and dirty and stray. He doesn´t flinch when people step over him, but then again, that´s most dogs. They´ll lie down anywhere, like in the gas station parking lot in front of the diesel can.

There are dogs at night on most streetcorners attacking giant bags of trash.

Kids smack dogs over the heads with sticks.

And then there are dogs that Guatemalans put leashes on and take for walks around the neighborhood.

Hugo and Maria are planning on getting a new puppy. I asked if they would get it neutered. Hugo said something to the effect of ¨it´s not natural for a dog not to have sex!¨and then Maria said ¨We don´t want puppies. That´s why we´re getting a male.¨ Obviously.

Claudia, one of my teachers, said she doesn´t let her she-dog out of the house. ¨Maybe she can have puppies once¨, she says generously. ¨But no more!¨