It’s funny how when you go to an underdeveloped country, you think that “their” way is not as good as “your way.”  My thoughts have run along these lines:

They must not know how to take care of their teeth here.  Why do they put so much sugar in their tea?  Their (homemade) jam tastes like pure sugar; no wonder their teeth are all rotten!

They certainly eat a lot of meat, and to boot, the meat fat is considered the best part?  I guess that’s why almost all the older women (middle aged women and up) are not trim.

If they took care of their skin, they wouldn’t age so quickly.

This superior attitude for me isn’t flagrant but nevertheless, underneath my “humble” exterior lay thoughts such as these.  To me humbleness is one of the most important qualities there is; it’s a virtue that I seek and when I see it in others, my highest respect goes to them.  Mentally I know that I am no better nor worse than they.  God loves me no better than he loves others. Yet knowing this, why did I act inwardly so? The fact that I was that way bothered me.

Yesterday, while I was at a friend’s house, I was shown a special insight.  A native woman came to take some water bottles from her.  Used plastic bottles are a hot commodity here.  They are reused for honey, homemade juices, and - what else? - jam.  Instead of canning the jam in glass containers as is done in America, they just store it in containers.  Won’t they go bad if they’re not boiled and canned properly?  According to my friend, the high level of sugar in the jam is what keeps it fresh.  They use approximately one to one ratio of sugar to kilo of fruits.

I had an Ah-ha! moment.  That’s why the local homemade jams are so sweet!  Not everyone can afford to buy canning bottles and lids.  They preserving methods work them within their economic framework.  Preserving food for the cold winter months is a necessity for survival, with teeth maintenance on the lower rung of the ladder.