 |
| Nicaraguan Classroom |
View from the Port
 |
| Taking a Spin |
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Just a Jot
Realizing that I’ve almost been in Nicaragua now for five months has been kind of weird. Around this time, I was starting to pack up and head home from Argentina. That experience felt like a long time, but I have about a year and a half left in my service. Que barbaro that here I am just starting to get around to getting in touch with some of you.. I am really sorry for that.
Some of those mind blowing daily occurrences in Nicaragua are starting to become normal as I notice that my jaw drops are starting to turn into shoulder shrugs. Although, I wish I could have written down some of those first reactions to laugh at later.. I will never forget the horror of seeing a 250 pound pig tied to the top of a school bus and dismounted by rope beside my window.. But I am sure I’ll recollect some of those memories over time which will allow me to randomly laugh in an inappropriate situation.
Before I become completely accustomed to everything, I thought I would share a “top ten” list I jotted down the other day of things I have decided that I have been enjoying about Nicaragua over the last five months.
10. Machetes serve a purpose for everything. Locked out of your room? Need to open that coconut? Want to kill that snake that just fell from the roof into the house? No worries, just grab the machete. The best part is that they are cheap. You can land yourself a fancy one for 85 cordobas.. About $4.00.
9. The platano tree. I still haven’t figured out my attachment to this one. But, they are just so damn beautiful. You can forget you are on the island sometimes especially when the kids in your classes forget their isleño, tranquilo attitudes. Remember that thing Leo used in Deception to remind himself that he is in a dream? For some reason, the platano tree seems to remind me that I am pretty lucky to wake up everyday and call this place home.
8. My mode of transport here are old school buses that have been retrofitted. It seems that Barcelona futbol club stickers and some kind of saying about the Virgin de Guadaloupe are a requirement. Can we call these things flair? The buses usually blast reggaeton or if you are lucky, they have somehow affixed a TV to the ceiling that plays all too exaggerated music videos for love songs in Spanish.
7. If I miss my normal mode of transport (which happens a lot) I have a back-up. Hitchhiking or asking for what Nicas call a “ride” is perfectly acceptable. Who knows, you might even be offered a ride on the back of your Vice Principal’s motorcycle after he slyly sprayed on cologne.
6. Everyone knows everyone.. And everything about everyone.
This could also be called town “chisme” or rumors, and yes sometimes it is really annoying. But, they don’t have addresses or street names here. So, getting directions usually translates into “por alla” or “over there.” Because everyone knows where everyone lives, you never have to. You just ask.
5. They love fiestas even more than I do. I will never forget the first time I met one of my principals. He had three questions for me. How old are you? Are you Catholic? And most importantly.. Do you like to dance? There are usually fiestas held in my town on Saturdays for the beauty pageants with seven year olds or any other excuse that comes to mind. Starting in November I hear there are marching bands in the streets starting at 4 am every single morning. Early right? Still haven’t figured this one out. As a side note, you can also get a custom piñata designed as literally anything you could ever think of.
4. Pulperias. These are little corner stores run out of people’s houses that sell your basic necessities like eggs, laundry soap, powdered milk, rice, beans, etc. They usually all sell the same things and sometimes there are four of them lining one block. As a small business volunteer, this is probably what I am trying to change and technically shouldn’t make the list..Besides the point, they are extremely convenient.
3. Front Stoop Service. Even more convenient than a Pulperia. You can literally sit in your house all day long and have everything you would even need without ever to get out of your rocking chair.. or hammock. A woman comes by every morning with fresh milk, a man can come shine your shoes, and a cart carried by bulls comes by to sell watermelons. The list goes on.
2. Rocking chairs. Everyone has got beautiful, handmade, wooden furniture. Too bad the shipping is pricey.. My host family right now literally has ten of them in their living room. I haven’t purchased one yet, but I’d at least like to come back off the plane to the States with a hammock in one hand and a rocking chair in the other.
1. Hammocks are everywhere. My first big Peace Corps purchase figuring it would play a large part in the experience. Unfortunately, I do work here, so I haven’t been able to spend as much time in the hammock as I’d hoped so far.
Some of those mind blowing daily occurrences in Nicaragua are starting to become normal as I notice that my jaw drops are starting to turn into shoulder shrugs. Although, I wish I could have written down some of those first reactions to laugh at later.. I will never forget the horror of seeing a 250 pound pig tied to the top of a school bus and dismounted by rope beside my window.. But I am sure I’ll recollect some of those memories over time which will allow me to randomly laugh in an inappropriate situation.
Before I become completely accustomed to everything, I thought I would share a “top ten” list I jotted down the other day of things I have decided that I have been enjoying about Nicaragua over the last five months.
10. Machetes serve a purpose for everything. Locked out of your room? Need to open that coconut? Want to kill that snake that just fell from the roof into the house? No worries, just grab the machete. The best part is that they are cheap. You can land yourself a fancy one for 85 cordobas.. About $4.00.
9. The platano tree. I still haven’t figured out my attachment to this one. But, they are just so damn beautiful. You can forget you are on the island sometimes especially when the kids in your classes forget their isleño, tranquilo attitudes. Remember that thing Leo used in Deception to remind himself that he is in a dream? For some reason, the platano tree seems to remind me that I am pretty lucky to wake up everyday and call this place home.
8. My mode of transport here are old school buses that have been retrofitted. It seems that Barcelona futbol club stickers and some kind of saying about the Virgin de Guadaloupe are a requirement. Can we call these things flair? The buses usually blast reggaeton or if you are lucky, they have somehow affixed a TV to the ceiling that plays all too exaggerated music videos for love songs in Spanish.
7. If I miss my normal mode of transport (which happens a lot) I have a back-up. Hitchhiking or asking for what Nicas call a “ride” is perfectly acceptable. Who knows, you might even be offered a ride on the back of your Vice Principal’s motorcycle after he slyly sprayed on cologne.
6. Everyone knows everyone.. And everything about everyone.
This could also be called town “chisme” or rumors, and yes sometimes it is really annoying. But, they don’t have addresses or street names here. So, getting directions usually translates into “por alla” or “over there.” Because everyone knows where everyone lives, you never have to. You just ask.
5. They love fiestas even more than I do. I will never forget the first time I met one of my principals. He had three questions for me. How old are you? Are you Catholic? And most importantly.. Do you like to dance? There are usually fiestas held in my town on Saturdays for the beauty pageants with seven year olds or any other excuse that comes to mind. Starting in November I hear there are marching bands in the streets starting at 4 am every single morning. Early right? Still haven’t figured this one out. As a side note, you can also get a custom piñata designed as literally anything you could ever think of.
4. Pulperias. These are little corner stores run out of people’s houses that sell your basic necessities like eggs, laundry soap, powdered milk, rice, beans, etc. They usually all sell the same things and sometimes there are four of them lining one block. As a small business volunteer, this is probably what I am trying to change and technically shouldn’t make the list..Besides the point, they are extremely convenient.
3. Front Stoop Service. Even more convenient than a Pulperia. You can literally sit in your house all day long and have everything you would even need without ever to get out of your rocking chair.. or hammock. A woman comes by every morning with fresh milk, a man can come shine your shoes, and a cart carried by bulls comes by to sell watermelons. The list goes on.
2. Rocking chairs. Everyone has got beautiful, handmade, wooden furniture. Too bad the shipping is pricey.. My host family right now literally has ten of them in their living room. I haven’t purchased one yet, but I’d at least like to come back off the plane to the States with a hammock in one hand and a rocking chair in the other.
1. Hammocks are everywhere. My first big Peace Corps purchase figuring it would play a large part in the experience. Unfortunately, I do work here, so I haven’t been able to spend as much time in the hammock as I’d hoped so far.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
