Entering someone's home

I can't remember if I've touched on this aspect of Ecua-life before- sorry if this is a repeat!

I've had lots of "strangers" entering my apartment lately- I've had some plumbing issues in the bathroom that the building administrator, my landlord, and a plumber have all come over to check out, plus Arnaldo The Water Guy regularly comes in to my apartment to deliver the 20 liter botellón of water and to take away and reuse my empty bottle. Of course, these are all men that I've more or less invited into my apartment- I've asked them to come in and to do a service for me. (Before family get too worried about strange men coming into my apartment- I always keep the apartment door open if I'm the only one in the apartment with them!)

Of course, Ecuadorian non-confrontation means that these guys are always so timid about coming into my apartment! I have to go downstairs to the lobby to pick them up and to put the key in the elevator to bring these service men upstairs to my apartment, so to me it's always pretty obvious- I've "invited" them over, I'm bringing them up to my apartment, of course I want them to come in and help me! But still, these guys insist on asking permission- many of them ask, "may I?" before entering into my apartment, and all of them are effusive with the apologies- permiso, permisito, gracias, permiso- Excuse me, thank you, excuse me- as they come in. I think it's so funny! Dude- I asked YOU in, you're doing ME a favor! I have literally brought you up here to my apartment, I know you're going to come inside- there's no need to ask permission or apologize for it!

This is by no means a complaint- I definitely understand that these men only want to be polite as they enter into the señorita's apartment, and I'd rather that they hemmed and hawed on their way in than if they busted their way in all of the time, acting as if this were their domain. It's just so funny, and so absolutely Ecuadorian (or perhaps Latin American? I remember Alvaro saying permiso as we walked into a friend's home for a party in Chile a while ago and thinking it was kind of silly- gasp, maybe everyone thinks I'm the rude gringa for NOT asking permission or excusing myself as I come into their homes?!?).

Oh, Ecuador- what will you make me laugh at next?