Fijese means bad news

Funny thing about Guatemalans (or perhaps not so funny) is the use of the language. Fijese is one of the most characteristic words in the country. Its literal translation would be "pay attention" or "focus"(strictly on language terms). The most down-to-earth translation is "you'll see... about what you asked...".

But really, what it means in Guatemala is "bad news"

You made reservations at the hotel of your choice. You come to Antigua Guatemala and they tell you the hotel is full. You ask why,"what happened with my reservation?" And they say:

"fijese que hubo un problema con la computadora" / There was a problem with the computer...

You ask your guide to get you some packs of delicious coffee so youcan bring it to your country when you leave. The guide says ok, he'll get it for you.

On your last day in Guate with no time for shopping you ask the guide for your coffee when he is driving you to the airport. His face changes and says "fijese que se me olvidó" which means "sorry dude, I forgot".

You ask for a special mountain bike (Rental) to your travel agencyand they deliver a standard one with a nice pink basket at the front... you wonder how this happen and they say "fijese que solo de estas hay..."which means "well, by now this one is all we got".

Well, you get the picture, Guatemala is wonderful and the previousstories just represent the scenarios. It doesn't mean people don't make sense, not at all, is just an example that whenever you get "fijese" as the first word, it means bad news.