So I wanted to share with you all something cool I found today--Last.fm. You can join and stream music to listen to online for free. It´s really great for me because other streaming services like AOLMusic and Rhapsody don´t work outside of the U.S. It lets you create a library of music with playlists and info about all of the artists. You can also type in an artist and receive a playlist of artists you might like because they have a similar sound. It even told me who is popular in Nicaragua this week!
So, just thought I would recommend it and pass it along, since, as their slogan says, they are starting the Social Music Revolution :) I spent my afternoon listening to Dispatch, 98 Degrees, Katy Perry, and Eva Cassidy while working on the comp heehe. You can also post comments about songs and artists, see what other people are listening to, etc. It may become my new obsession to replace Facebook haha, we´ll see.
Also, the poll was a trick question last week, sorry! The answer is any/all of the above lol.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Viva Leon, Jodido!
Greetings once again! As for the title of this post, it is the title of a famous song here, and also the city that we went to visit last weekend. As for what it means, I tend to translate it as: Long live Leon, bitches! I´m sure there is a better translation, but I prefer mine :)
I am still celebrating the fact that Miguelito, my brother, came to visit me this weekend from Costa Rica. We had a good time, hitting up the beach and touring the landmarks of the famous old city. Unfortch, his bus got in a little late so we missed celebrating the Mini Purisima, or as I like to call it: ¨Trick or Treating for the Virgin Mary.¨
Now, what in the world is this, one might ask? The holiday celebrates the sacred conception of Mary by giving out candy. I´m not kidding. People put up altars to Mary in their homes, including a statue of her and lots of flowers and hoopla (of course it´s a white Mary to accompany the blond haired, blue eyed baby Jesus, because this is what Middle Easterners obviously looked like in Biblical times). Anyway, so people come around to the houses with altars, and they used to have to sing, but now there´s just a chant. Instead of saying Trick or Treat!, they say: Quien causa tanta alegria? (Who causes this much joy?) Response from people in the house: La concepcion de Maria! (The conception of Maria!). And then the people in the house proceed to give them candy, or fruit, or other small trinkets. I love NICARAGUA. Imagine if everyone getting knocked up caused that much joy--the world would be like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Also, in other news, I have a new housemate. She is from Canada and her name is Rachel, but my sister/aunt/whatever she is calls her Richie. I can´t tell if she is making a nickname for her or not, or if this is just how she says it. I think it might be a nickname tho, because Maria is very funny, plus all of the people in my house have nicknames: Abuela Josefa goes by Chepita, Maria by Chilo, Veronica by Vero, and Sarah by Negrita. Don´t ask about the last one. Anyway, I am getting lots of practice translating, because she speaks about 4 words of Spanish. I told my family that I am now working for my supper and they laughed and said, Now translate that! Or you don´t eat! Jodida! (WEll, really they just said the first sentence, but you probably already guessed that).
OK, lots of love gente. Missing you all tremendously. (But a little less because now I get to speak English with someone else lol jk).
I am still celebrating the fact that Miguelito, my brother, came to visit me this weekend from Costa Rica. We had a good time, hitting up the beach and touring the landmarks of the famous old city. Unfortch, his bus got in a little late so we missed celebrating the Mini Purisima, or as I like to call it: ¨Trick or Treating for the Virgin Mary.¨
Now, what in the world is this, one might ask? The holiday celebrates the sacred conception of Mary by giving out candy. I´m not kidding. People put up altars to Mary in their homes, including a statue of her and lots of flowers and hoopla (of course it´s a white Mary to accompany the blond haired, blue eyed baby Jesus, because this is what Middle Easterners obviously looked like in Biblical times). Anyway, so people come around to the houses with altars, and they used to have to sing, but now there´s just a chant. Instead of saying Trick or Treat!, they say: Quien causa tanta alegria? (Who causes this much joy?) Response from people in the house: La concepcion de Maria! (The conception of Maria!). And then the people in the house proceed to give them candy, or fruit, or other small trinkets. I love NICARAGUA. Imagine if everyone getting knocked up caused that much joy--the world would be like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Also, in other news, I have a new housemate. She is from Canada and her name is Rachel, but my sister/aunt/whatever she is calls her Richie. I can´t tell if she is making a nickname for her or not, or if this is just how she says it. I think it might be a nickname tho, because Maria is very funny, plus all of the people in my house have nicknames: Abuela Josefa goes by Chepita, Maria by Chilo, Veronica by Vero, and Sarah by Negrita. Don´t ask about the last one. Anyway, I am getting lots of practice translating, because she speaks about 4 words of Spanish. I told my family that I am now working for my supper and they laughed and said, Now translate that! Or you don´t eat! Jodida! (WEll, really they just said the first sentence, but you probably already guessed that).
OK, lots of love gente. Missing you all tremendously. (But a little less because now I get to speak English with someone else lol jk).
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
My Passport
I had to go to receive more pages in my passport this weekend. Yes folks, that's right, I get around (the world!). I know that I am entirely too proud of this, but I just love the way my passport looks, what with all of the crazy visa and immigration stamps (many from places/countries that the U.S. is not BFFs with :). I'm slightly terrified that I'm going to lose it now, because it's such a cool memento. But it's not like I have a history of losing things or anything. :)
I counted up the new blank spaces that I have now with the inset pages--there are 90. This means I must visit 45 countries before Oct. 26, 2014. :) Or travel back and forth between Nica and the U.S. a lot lol.
Also, funny side note--the new pages look very much like watercolors, depicting scenes of the Wild West, Philly during the Declaration of Independence, etc. And at the top of each page there are ¨inspiring¨ quotes about democracy and the good ole US of A. It´s as if they are subtly saying, ¨Now, don´t get any crazy ideas like leaving/moving out of the country or anything. Remember how good you have it in Cowboy/Statue of Liberty/Mayflower Pilgrim Ship/Palm Tree/Cactus/Mountain land.¨ Heehe
I counted up the new blank spaces that I have now with the inset pages--there are 90. This means I must visit 45 countries before Oct. 26, 2014. :) Or travel back and forth between Nica and the U.S. a lot lol.
Also, funny side note--the new pages look very much like watercolors, depicting scenes of the Wild West, Philly during the Declaration of Independence, etc. And at the top of each page there are ¨inspiring¨ quotes about democracy and the good ole US of A. It´s as if they are subtly saying, ¨Now, don´t get any crazy ideas like leaving/moving out of the country or anything. Remember how good you have it in Cowboy/Statue of Liberty/Mayflower Pilgrim Ship/Palm Tree/Cactus/Mountain land.¨ Heehe
Sunday, August 10, 2008
A Dying Art?
Call me loca, but it recently occurred to me that, in Nicaragua at least, the number of people begging in the street has diminished. Rather, people are becoming micro-entrepreneurs--selling gum in small packs, homemade bracelets of rope and shells, or Oreos in 4-cookie packets. Many even clean your car windows instead, using a water bottle and squeegee, albeit it is oftentimes unasked for. Sure, there are still the mothers with hollowed-out faces, or the children telling you to ¨Dame un peso¨ because you´re a gringo, but I also feel like people are starting to catch on that begging may not be the best way to make money on the street anymore.
Call me loca again, but I have mixed feelings about what this means. On the one hand, of course it´s frickin fantastic that people are working for an income instead of looking for handouts. And, the resourcefulness of selling individual packets of things also impresses me. But, to some extent, I also think it represents the gross overcommercialization of our world. Look at how much crap we are buying.
The cynicist in me asks: Is Nicaragua just on their way to becoming another commercialized culture? It´s been a topic that´s been coming up a lot in the small groups I have been translating for, the idea that now everyone here must have cell phones and tvs and refrigerators and microwaves as well, etc etc. And, getting back to the idea of buying things on the street, it pains me to see a mom spending 5 cordobas on a bag of Ranchitos (Nicaragua´s version of Doritos) for their kids instead of saving up to buy milk or some kind of meat for them.
Maybe I´m reading too much into all of this, and maybe it isn´t my place to judge if people here want the same level of comfort as in the U.S. But, at the same time, I´ve also really appreciated the simplification of my life here, and I hope I´m not simply taking advantage of people´s lives here, but I am learning a lot from them.
In short, if anyone has an easy, 1 or 2 sentence answer to this rant, please leave it in the comments section. :)
Call me loca again, but I have mixed feelings about what this means. On the one hand, of course it´s frickin fantastic that people are working for an income instead of looking for handouts. And, the resourcefulness of selling individual packets of things also impresses me. But, to some extent, I also think it represents the gross overcommercialization of our world. Look at how much crap we are buying.
The cynicist in me asks: Is Nicaragua just on their way to becoming another commercialized culture? It´s been a topic that´s been coming up a lot in the small groups I have been translating for, the idea that now everyone here must have cell phones and tvs and refrigerators and microwaves as well, etc etc. And, getting back to the idea of buying things on the street, it pains me to see a mom spending 5 cordobas on a bag of Ranchitos (Nicaragua´s version of Doritos) for their kids instead of saving up to buy milk or some kind of meat for them.
Maybe I´m reading too much into all of this, and maybe it isn´t my place to judge if people here want the same level of comfort as in the U.S. But, at the same time, I´ve also really appreciated the simplification of my life here, and I hope I´m not simply taking advantage of people´s lives here, but I am learning a lot from them.
In short, if anyone has an easy, 1 or 2 sentence answer to this rant, please leave it in the comments section. :)
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Mochaccino Supremo
So, as I sit here at Cafe Latino, I thought I´d offer up a little ode for my latest coffee obession...the Mochaccino Supremo lol. It is a frozen coffee drink that they make in a machine like they make daquiris and margaritas. Then they mix in Oreo cookies, and complete it with whipped cream and Oreo cookies sprinkled on top. I´m pretty sure it´s fat free. Well, maybe not, but at a little over $1.50, it is a much more affordable habit than my Icey Spice´s from Panera or my Caramel Macchiato´s from Starbucks, as some of you may remember. Plus, Cafe Latino offers free Internet, so I get to write cool blog posts like this while getting my caffeine and chocolate fix.
Also, if any of you have new poll suggestions, let me know! I would love to hear from everyone back home, and I´ve found a pretty cheap place to make international phone calls, so shoot me your cell number if you´d like a call from your Nica friend! Love you all...
Also, if any of you have new poll suggestions, let me know! I would love to hear from everyone back home, and I´ve found a pretty cheap place to make international phone calls, so shoot me your cell number if you´d like a call from your Nica friend! Love you all...
Pura Vida
So Ana Francis and I had a great time celebrating Michael´s bday in Costa Rica! The first day we ended up wandering San Jose like homeless bums, due to a communication snafu, but after that it was pretty stellar. On Friday Ana and I got highlights in our hair. At first I was worried I was going to look like a skunk, but I ended up pretty satisfied with them.
Friday evening we headed for the beach. The first night we stayed in a quaint little place, but the ceiling fan felt like it might fall on us and chop off our heads when it got going too fast, so we headed to a hostel. It felt like The Real World Costa Rica...all the rooms were brightly colored, one of the windows was a giant peace sign, the kitchen chairs were swings at a bar, and there was a roof-top bar built out of Imperial beer cans lol. What´s even better is that the place was run by a Hungarian couple. He was like, you know, the country in Eastern Europe? Lol I was thinking yes, I know, but how in the world did you get here? Anyway, so then we met up with a group comprised of a Costa Rican, Argentinian, and French. After singing national songs with them and talking in a mixture of Spanish, English, and French, we headed out for a night of dancing. I also did not get burnt, which I was very proud of. I think Ana actually got more sun than me lol. So, after a long bus ride back, we are now back home in Nicaragua, Nicaraguita!
Friday evening we headed for the beach. The first night we stayed in a quaint little place, but the ceiling fan felt like it might fall on us and chop off our heads when it got going too fast, so we headed to a hostel. It felt like The Real World Costa Rica...all the rooms were brightly colored, one of the windows was a giant peace sign, the kitchen chairs were swings at a bar, and there was a roof-top bar built out of Imperial beer cans lol. What´s even better is that the place was run by a Hungarian couple. He was like, you know, the country in Eastern Europe? Lol I was thinking yes, I know, but how in the world did you get here? Anyway, so then we met up with a group comprised of a Costa Rican, Argentinian, and French. After singing national songs with them and talking in a mixture of Spanish, English, and French, we headed out for a night of dancing. I also did not get burnt, which I was very proud of. I think Ana actually got more sun than me lol. So, after a long bus ride back, we are now back home in Nicaragua, Nicaraguita!
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