2024 Spanish Lookout Business Expo

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Early Saturday morning, under the new roof on the north

The 2024 Spanish Lookout Business Expo (March 15 & 16) is finally history, all the more so due to the fact that more than 45,000 people were present, nearly double the amount from 2022 or in other words about 10% of the country’s population. The community of Spanish Lookout carried out several preparatory works; upgrading roads, building a new roof at Countryside Park, and in employing traffic control and clean-up personnel from the surrounding communities.
  Although alcoholic drinks and tobacco were prohibited, I noticed more than one male visitor with Yeti and Contigo coffee cups in their hands. Who drinks coffee at 12pm in 95°+ weather? And they weren’t sipping it either. One customer with a suspicious odor emanating from him greeted me affectionately, cheerfully spoke about 7 different subjects in less than 2 minutes, and ambled along happily discussing politics with himself. Under the trees in a remote corner an Old Colony Mennonite crushed a small orange and white cylinder on the ground with the toe of his boot.
  There were no Ferris wheels, merry-go-rounds and screaming DJ’s. As usual the event is geared towards a  family-friendly environment. A John Deere tractor pulled a string of carts behind it; on the lake people were enjoying boat rides while on the west side of the lake a crane offered the Belizean version of the slingshot ride in Florida.



Now and then there was a lull in the rush and the crowds would thin out

  While I’m not much for meeting and greeting people, here I had no choice. Try explaining the wonderful features of a new line of power tools to several thousand people, smiling for 9 hours straight… almost. Some know-it-all customers came to scoff at the brand of products, others were enchanted by it. Several were genuinely interested but unfortunately did not come prepared, having already purchased tools a day or two ago. I handed out flyers by the hundreds to those passing by. No doubt some of them will probably meet me this week, others I will never see again.
  The people themselves were subjects of great interest to me, especially those who appeared to be foreigners. I saw Muslim girls from Malaysia or Indonesia dressed in brilliantly colored pant suits complete with matching and vivid headscarves. At least two Koreans (based on the characters written on their caps and shirts) strolled past. Modern Mennonite girls in crop tops and yoga pants, Old Order (Hoover) Mennonite men in dark clothing and scuffed leather boots smelling of manure and cattle feed. One couple spoke French with a decidedly Caribbean island accent and a powerful tobacco smell. A man hurried past with a scowl while a young woman followed him, wiping her eyes and sobbing. One customer from somewhere in Central America wanted to export our products to his home country.
  By 5pm I myself wasn't smelling too good either with all the different odors floating around. I was unspeakably tired and longing for a warm bath, a cup of coffee, and a foot massage with soft classical music in the background all of which were brought forth by a very kind and caring, God-given spouse.















A. Mendoza

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