August Tid Bits

Yesterday I felt somewhat Nica-nized. At least, my wardrobe if nothing else….
I was sitting in the yard at my host family’s house, just “platicando” or chatting, and my host mom asked me if my shoes were from the USA. (A common question for me). I said, “Actually no, I bought them here in Nicaragua but in another town.” She said “Oh, well they are pretty. Your blouse is really pretty too.” I smiled and said thank you, then looked down at my blouse---and realized it was bought in Nicaragua too….then my eyes traveled down to my plain black skirt and I realized this too came from a second hand shop in Nicaragua….then I realized the purse I had in my lap was a gift from my host mom and host sister….and to top it off, as I played with one of the yellow butterfly earrings I had on that day, I realized these too were a gift from one of my Nicaraguan counterparts…..I have been Nica-nized!
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DIFFERENCES…
Some of ‘em smack you across the face….others are more subtle….
Anyhow, I was just thinking about my last conversation with my counterpart…she asked if my mom and dad and little brother were the only ones that lived in their house---“yes” I said. Then she asked if my sister and her husband were the only ones that lived in their house---“yes” again….Then she asked if my other brother and his girlfriend lived alone in their house too---“Yes” again….I watched her as she thought this over, her eyebrows raising a little with every “yes”. It seemed shocking, I think, to her that so few people could occupy one house---if she only knew how big these houses were compared to any that I have seen here her eyebrows would probably fly right off her face….It made me realize that folks here probably think it is pretty luxurious that Matt and I share a place with 2 rooms AND a tiny kitchen AND a garage-type area….Just the concept of space has been occupying my mind all morning…I have yet to meet a Nica here that sleeps alone in their own bed----no matter their age….I think the norm is more 3-4 people in a bed….
At the end of the conversation with her, which included lots of discussion about boyfriends and girlfriends, how much college costs and how you can pay etc, all I could say was, “Yeah, it’s different.” I don’t know if I could ever accurately explain just HOW different….
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UP and Down and Up and Down…Randoms….
That is vida, or life, in the peace corps, for sure! Still sweating bullets here in The Q, as I now refer to my town….IT IS SO HOT!!! STILL!!! Even though some days it does POUR rain…last week they had to stop my bus that goes to my school out on the mountain to put tire chains on it to combat the dirt road that had turned to mud and small ponds….I also found out one of my favorite students out there (though I don’t have favorites (: ) is 26 years old and in the 10th grade….Now I know why she is so mature! I admire her so much for going back to school after a 9 year gap---for as much as I whine and moan at times about this or that (which is probably too much), it’s moments like those when I have to stop, and remember where I am….and just sort of, revel in gratitude for so many things….I also found out that my school out there didn’t offer high school until 4 years ago….Many of my students already walk an hour or so just to get to the road where our school is…..so this means before they offered high school there, my kids would have had to walk an hour on trails on mountainous terrain to get to the road and then get on a bus for another hour or so just to get to class…..wow. Perhaps I can always have more patience and understanding…
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I wonder if I will find it odd that not almost EVERY business is operated out of someone’s living room….or that no one just walks by the house yelling that they are selling anything from ice cream, beans, corn, remote controls, guitars, shoes etc….I have to admit, it is pretty convenient.
Our new boss says one of the things that struck him the most when he returned from his previous peace corps service was that in the US, you put toilet paper in the toilet….something I haven’t done in almost a year!
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Happy Moment: at all teacher conference, taught English teachers how to make a type of material I have already been using with my counterparts, the glorious “mini-board”…anndddd Matt reported the next day that he and his counterpart used the material in their class and the kids loved it! Something accomplished….