The longer we live in Guatemala, the more cultural tidbits we pick up. The current thing we have noticed is that the people seem to have a "Never say no" mindset. We see it not just with us, but when they deal with each other, too. Not that they never MEAN no, they just don't like to say it. For example, if someone is invited to an event that he doesn't plan to attend, he will answer, "Yes," but not go. At a store, if they don't sell the item you are asking about, the store clerk will say, "We will have it in two weeks," which we have learned to interpret as, "We will never sell that item." When I used to ask a student if they were coming to my English class that week, they would always answer, "Yes, see you then," but I remained wondering if they would actually show up because more than half the time they wouldn't. If you ask someone to find out some piece of information, they will answer, "Yes, I will go ask," but then never reply.
The specific event that brought this to our attention recently was when our construction workers told us they wouldn't be able to take our trash to their dad's work site for a few months. We had been grateful to them for including our trash with theirs, because there is no trash pick-up here, except in town where their dad has his car shop. The boys told Michael, "Don't worry, it will just be for a couple of months. The owners of the place our dad rents gave him a week to move his car shop out so they could do construction on the adjoining building. They told him he could move back in two months." Michael questioned the speed of the construction and how they could finish that fast. The boys responded, "Yeah, people always tell you something positive, but then it never happens that way. Or they tell you they will get back to you, but then they never do. It is very frustrating."
Now, that is the norm, but we are always pleasantly surprised when we come across people who actually do as they say and tell you the truth... but even then the truth will be spoken in a way that they never actually have to say, "No."