Nica Time

Upon arrival in Nicaragua, I expected to learn more about “Nica Time”. I anticipated this to mean that often people would show up to meetings 30 minutes late. Yes, this is sort of true? After splurging our miniscule Peace Corps budget to buy oreos and Fanta for our first youth group meeting, we found ourselves twiddling our thumbs for an hour waiting for someone, anyone to show up. And thinking we’d gotten ourselves out of our first meeting we felt completely unprepared for, sure enough everyone floated in an hour late.

I’ve never been one to arrive on time myself, and I’m usually okay with a late start. But, apparently, “Nica Time” also means that your Spanish classes run over an hour and a half almost every day?

Nicas do have a unique sense of time as I came to realize this past week. I have been amazed at how much Nicaraguans accomplish in a single day, especially in terms of the role women play. For example, my mother has the most beautiful orno (or wood fired oven) in the backyard. I had heard her say that she would be making bread the next morning, but I woke up to the table covered in mounds of all sorts of fresh bread which she had made before six o’clock in the morning!

My Mom's Bread

 

Another example, Nicaraguans are known for their frescos which are basically fresh fruit juices. I learn of a new fruit almost every day.. that is always used in a fresco with way too much sugar as opposed to eaten. You almost always have a different fresco with lunch if not for breakfast also.  As I stated before, my family has so many mangoes that they don’t know what to do with them, and the town is dripping with mangoes so no one can sell them. Por eso, we make lots of mango frescos and I learned how to make it this last week. To make a fresco we picked 28 mangoes from the ground, peeled and chopped them all. Many of you know that cutting a mango is not the easiest thing but by this point I’ve pretty much learned the art, and my mother has no problem correcting the way I cut mangoes. Then, after cutting the mangoes you cook them for an hour and hand strain the fruit through a sieve that has a big tear in it. Now, after all of this work you have fresco for two meals worth for the family.

The drinks are amazing in Nicaragua. Another great one my family introduced me to is Espinollio which is milk with cocoa and corn. It’s kind of like a gritty but tasty hot chocolate. First, my mother picked all of the seeds and roasted the corn and cocoa enough to fill a 5 gallon bucket. Then, my host brother, sister and I carried into town to a mill where by hand it was run through the machine 4 times to get the perfect grind. I was amazed that just the grinding took about 45 minutes, and then we carried it home.

It’s refreshing to see that it is important for Nicas to spend the time making these things, and it’s obvious they take a lot of pride in the quality of their products. While many perceive Latin Americans as having a slower pace of life. I feel it is not that they are doing less, it seems that more time is given to these daily tasks. However, as I start to work with businesses I’m sure I’ll see what by US standards as “inefficient” and may be singing a different tune when I realize how long it will take to implement change.

On another note of time, Nicas love, I mean love fireworks. Apparently, I learned the other day that someone shoots off fireworks to signify the morning, afternoon, and evening each day. In Nandasmo, fireworks might as well serve as the clock tower. All week I was excited to go to Rosario on Sunday evening, my only day off, and had been looking forward to exploring the town over with my family. Unfortunately, I later found that my Spanish had once again failed me and we were heading to the neighbor’s house to some sort of Catholic ceremony. Whoops. Speaking of time again, the priest shot off fireworks in the middle of the front patio to proclaim the start and end of the ceremony. I never thought fireworks would also come to mean “Nica Time”.  On a side note, I had no idea why there were so many kids at the service- I mean 4-5 kids to one adult. Apparently, they all got barbie dolls, other toys, and cups of candy for showing up. Nandasmo, such a special place, is particularly religious so there are lots of fireworks all the time.
 

Our trip to "Rosario"

Notice the Fresco con cocoa typically consumed out of a plastic bag that you bite into. These were our presents for going to church.

Funniest thing I ate this past week:
I asked to eat just fruit for breakfast, because they have so much in the backyard including the loveliest mini bananas and rarely just eat the fruit. So, my mom decided to cut up fresh mangoes and served the bananas cut up and mixed with mayonnaise to be eaten on white bread. No wonder they just consume the fruit in frescos.