tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22270634260146620182024-03-13T10:03:14.385-07:00Peacing Out of GringolandiaEntre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-70622321564739122008-09-30T11:38:00.000-07:002008-09-30T13:07:51.601-07:00Saving the World or Changing ItAMEN to this article by Brian Swarts from the Micah Challenge. It pretty much hits my spiritual beliefs right on the head. :) It also has a lot to do with Liberation Theology, which was very popular here in Nica, and says that Salvation Theology was used by the Catholic Church to keep the powerful in power and the poor underneath. So, I would love to copy the entire article for you, but I imagine that would involve plagiarism lol, so I am copying a very long excerpt from it, and including the link to the full article. Enjoy! (Italics are mine).<br /><br />"Even though nearly every nation on earth, including the US, committed to the Millennium Development Goals to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015, poverty in places like sub-Saharan Africa has actually increased over the last several years while foreign aid to fight poverty has decreased.<br /><br />The greatest victories of the Church have often been victories over our own moral failings, like the abolition of slavery. Today, one of the greatest moral failures for US churches is that while Christian growth in places like Africa has fast outpaced church growth in America, the gap between rich Americans and impoverished Africans has also grown. <span style="font-style:italic;">The question we have to ask ourselves is that, in trying to save Africa, have we begun to lose our own souls?</span> How we deal with this issue is the great moral calling of the new generation of Christian leaders.<br /><br />The reality is that while U.S. churches have been very generous in giving to global mission or humanitarian efforts over the last 30 years, there has been no organized Christian movement against global poverty in the way William Wilberforce mobilized Christians against slavery in the British Empire or churches stood as the moral force behind the sweeping social change of the civil rights movement. In a world where the difference between poor and rich is often as arbitrary as one’s skin color or nationality, and where poverty is a form of bondage or death for millions, it cannot be that extreme poverty isn’t worthy of the same moral outrage as slavery or segregation.<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Ironically, it is our own religiosity that has been our biggest stumbling block.</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">We have let the evangelical mission to save the world get in the way of our ability to actually change it.</span> The Great Commission, the call to disciple all nations, has overshadowed the Greatest Commandment, <span style="font-style:italic;">the call to love both God and neighbor.</span> This is the result of a generation of Christian mission that has put spiritual conversion, or evangelism, in competition with social change. What we need today is a new, missional generation led by what might be called “The Greatest Commission,” or the belief that true spiritual conversion cannot be separated from social change. Greatest Commission evangelicals would believe that planting churches is important, but also insist that these churches must play a role in creating communities that are more just, prosperous and compassionate."<br /><br />Here's the link:<br /><a href="http://www.neueministry.com/2008/09/the-greatest-commission/">http://www.neueministry.com/2008/09/the-greatest-commission</a><br /><br />Also, you have until midnight tonight to donate $30 or more to the Barack campaign and receive your special limited edition Election Day tee-shirt! <a href="https://donate.barackobama.com/page/contribute/electionshirt">https://donate.barackobama.com/page/contribute/electionshirt</a>Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-53205271783521094272008-09-26T11:46:00.000-07:002008-09-26T11:52:38.054-07:00Cool Blog!I love Tania Ku. And I love her even more because she said that I am one of her favorite people in the world. She is one of mine. That is why you should read her blog! (Well, one of the many reasons why :)<br /><br />I met Ms. Ku onboard the MV Explorer while studying abroad with Semester at Sea. We spent several hours discussing how we would solve the problems of the world (and our love for trashy celebrity gossip :). I find it thus pretty amazing that I am now in Nicaragua and she is in Japan, teaching English! Her blog about her time in Japan is hilarious and insightful, just like her :) SO CHECK IT OUT. NOW!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.taniaislost.blogspot.com/">http://www.taniaislost.blogspot.com</a><br /><br>Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-87420402871315560662008-09-23T17:22:00.000-07:002008-09-23T17:44:10.067-07:00La Vida Luja (The Luxurious Life :)So I am getting quite comfortable having hot water and frequent massages :) This is a problem, right?<br /><br />Our hotel in Costa Rica was balla (I had fun explaining the meaning of that word to everyone here in Nica!). It was the Marriot--Los Suenos (The Dreams), and it was. I fake played golf with my family in the rainforest (I putted in all my mom´s shots and drove the golf cart lol), as well as received a facial, French mani-pedi, and ate lots of food at their swim up bar. I also took about 7 baths, no joke. I felt semi-bad that we spent more than most people´s salaries in Nicaragua, but I can´t lie, I really enjoyed it lol. Oh, and we also took a 24-passenger bus back and forth from the airport, catered for the 4 of us lol. I think that may have been the epitome of the Luja-ness.<br /><br />Then my parents and I headed over to Nicaragua! We are now staying at a sweet hotel in Granada called Hotel Colonial, which, coincidentally also has a swim up bar (I promise I didn´t plan that!). We took a tour of the isles of Granada--there are about 370 of them, formed by the nearby Volcano Mombacho. You can own one of them (about half an acre) for $70,000 undeveloped, and 3/4 of a million developed. To think--you can own a semi-nice house in Bethesda or your own island, replete with baller house and boat, in Nicaragua. :) I want one. I know this makes me a horrible, selfish person, but I believe owning an island is an investment. Plus, of course I would be generous and invite all of my friends (to my own island!) and cook lots of yummy desserts for them (You know what I´m talkin, Connie and Scootboot). I told my dad I would invite all of the campesinos that I work with as well, and he said that would make them feel bad, but I think it would make them feel pretty good lol.<br /><br />Anyway, for now we are headed off to eat chocolate cookies with ice cream, which is almost as good :)Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-32500232982967146212008-09-21T20:25:00.000-07:002008-09-21T20:31:26.323-07:00Happy Peace Day!My trip here in Costa Rica has been great! I promise to write more on it asap. But, for now, I wanted to wish everyone a happy peace day! Yes, that´s right folks. I know, I know, I am becoming more of a hippie every day (you don´t have to tell me twice, Miguelito). But, I thought I would share this info with you, as well as post a link to a pretty cool card.<br /><br />DID YOU KNOW? The United Nations' International Day of Peace - marked every year on September 21 - is a global holiday when individuals, communities, nations and governments highlight efforts to end conflict and promote peace. Established by U.N. resolution in 1982, "Peace Day" has grown to include millions of people around the world who participate in all kinds of events, large and small.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.care2.com/send/card/6523">Peace</a> Card!<br /><br />"Peace has to be created, in order to be maintained. It is the product of faith, strength, energy, will, sympathy, justice, imagination, and the triumph of principle. It will never be achieved by passivity and quietism." -Dorothy ThompsonEntre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-12626549694523525392008-09-18T17:31:00.000-07:002008-09-18T17:39:05.786-07:00Buenas Noches, Damas y CaballerosThank you DC friends for weighing in at the last minute on the poll! heehe I feel loved. And I am returning for New Year´s, so get ready!! We´re gonna part like it´s 889 (A or D) haha.<br /><br />Hmmm, let´s see, what else is new with me? Well, I head to Costa Rica tomorrow morning to meet up with the rents and Miguelito. I have spent all day today trying to upload stupid photos to cvs.com lol. Gaby was like, why are you so agitated? But it feels silly to say you´re mad at a computer. But I was!<br /><br />In other noticias, I also took a pretty bad spill down the stairs lol. I feel like such a klutz here! I was like, I´m not like this in the U.S., I promise. I was really lucky though because I hit just to the left of my lower back and bruised up my arm, instead of hurting any bones. I have a feeling the Costa Rica beaches might help me convalesce ;)<br /><br />What else? What else? Well, I am realizing how fast my time is going by here now. Only 3 months til Christmas, and then only 6 months after that. Craziness! OK, that´s all for now. As always, if anyone has any poll ideas...Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-15816579889782547072008-09-17T09:42:00.000-07:002008-09-17T09:49:08.092-07:00Cuban Theater FestivalLast Thursday we went to see a play called Delirio Habanero (Havana/Havanic? Delirium). I really enjoyed it, though I understood about 50% of it. (Lessons in humility, right?) The theater reminded me of a spiffier version of Theater 2 at JMU :)<br /><br />So, I definitely got that the one guy was crazy, and that the 3 main characters wanted to open a bar, as well as making references to Celia Cruz. But, it wasn't until I read the pamphlet after that I discovered that it was 3 crazies, one of which thought she <span style="font-style:italic;">was </span>Celia Cruz, another Benny More, and the 3rd, the legendary Cuban barman Varilla. Kind of makes me wish I had read the pamphlet before the play. Oh well. I enjoyed the singing, dancing, and probably 1/3 of the jokes. :) By now, all of my false pretentions about Spanish have gone out the window anyway, and I've realized that you have to listen, speak, and submit yourself to humiliating sitches as much as possible to keep getting better.<br /><br />Also, cool sidenote, the local celebs were all in attendance there. The richest woman in the country, who owns just about everything in Nicaragua from a bank chain to sugar and rum companies, was in attendance, as well as many other high-profilers. I felt cool lol.Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-11351622266896699782008-09-11T17:43:00.000-07:002008-09-11T17:48:27.826-07:00Seven Years LaterThis pretty much sums it up. I saw it in a Sojourners email I got today. It´s referring to Afghanistan, but I think it´s applicable in just about any context: <br /><br />We cannot kill our way to victory.<br />- Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testifying before a congressional committee about the U.S. war in Afghanistan.<br /><br /><br />ps Thank you for the vote to return to Nicaragua, whoever you are (Conrad or Michael lol)<br /><br />pps There is a dad with his 3 year old son in the Cyber Cafe showing him educational cartoons on Youtube. It´s really cute. :) There is hope for humanity yet!Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-57151692115760710512008-09-09T18:30:00.000-07:002008-09-09T18:48:23.947-07:00Life is FunnySorry for not writing for a while. It appears I go thru phases lol. Anyway, thought I would share this funny little tidbit with you from the other day at work...<br /><br />A woman came by to look at the Center. I was on my way out, and only Don Luis was left at the Center. She was Chela (White), but began by speaking to me in Spanish, so I responded to her in Spanish. Meanwhile, I went back to get Luis, and then responded to her quickly in English, saying he was coming to meet her at the other door. She asked me in Spanish, what? And I replied (albeit a bit slower :) in Spanish. <br /><br />Turns out she was French and didn´t speak a word of English (or, if she did, was not interested in using it). I should have known--she was driving an oh-so-Euro Peugeot (The brand that looks like Ferrari and that I have no idea how to pronounce!) Anyway, she had offered me a ride to the bus stop, and I happily accepted (Since she did not appear to be a mass murderer, Mom and Dad).<br /><br />Anyway, so she explained to me in the car that she had married a Nicaraguan and had been living here for about 20 years. She lived pretty close to where I did, but apologized profusely that she wasn´t headed in that direction right now. She was also amazed that I took the buses here...she said she had never taken one in her 20 years here. She also said that she and her husband were interested in renting out the Kairos pavillion because it was reasonably priced and in a cool location, unlike many of the areas in Managua. All the while, I was thinking what a crazy, funny world this is--here is a Frenchwoman speaking to me in Spanish and little gringa me is responding and having a conversation with her in Spanish about the Nicaraguan bus system. <br /><br />So, even though I pulled an ¨Amurrican¨ and assumed that because she was white she spoke English, I recovered nicely and we had a good convo and I got a free ride to the bus stop. Life is good :)Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-42474773024824799802008-08-20T16:01:00.000-07:002008-08-20T16:24:25.089-07:00The Social Music RevolutionSo I wanted to share with you all something cool I found today--<a href="http://www.last.fm">Last.fm</a>. 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! <br /><br />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. <br /><br />Also, the poll was a trick question last week, sorry! The answer is any/all of the above lol.Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-70222176496314956842008-08-18T18:38:00.000-07:002008-08-18T19:12:46.734-07:00Viva 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 :) <br /><br />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.¨ <br /><br />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 <span style="font-style:italic;">Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</span>.<br /><br />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). <br /><br />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).Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-84558567176366927882008-08-13T16:44:00.000-07:002008-08-13T16:53:01.513-07:00My PassportI 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. :)<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.¨ HeeheEntre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-12722771369980204822008-08-10T13:00:00.000-07:002008-08-10T13:20:59.200-07:00A 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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /> <br />In short, if anyone has an easy, 1 or 2 sentence answer to this rant, please leave it in the comments section. :)Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-52321834283481472442008-08-05T16:54:00.000-07:002008-08-05T17:02:10.549-07:00Mochaccino SupremoSo, 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.<br /><br />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...Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-77846805137381118762008-08-05T13:39:00.000-07:002008-08-05T13:49:42.835-07:00Pura VidaSo 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. <br /><br />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!Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-18443853033558496602008-07-30T15:28:00.000-07:002008-07-30T15:34:19.549-07:00Another Mini UpdateHey all,<br /><br />So I had a great last week with the Damascus delegation. Though this week has been a struggle, I am now in Costa Rica celebrating my brother Michael´s bday with him and Ana Francis. I´m sure I will come home with plenty of stories. Love and miss you all, and thanks for your support.Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-21965170840240897542008-07-18T09:35:00.000-07:002008-07-18T10:23:18.104-07:00Little UpdateHi Folks!<br /><br />Just checking in again, and thought I'd update you all a little bit. First off, the Damascus delegation gets in today, so I am uber-excited. DUMC delegations rock. Secondly, due to popular demand, I have now made my Latina superstar photo my profile pic, so check it out :) (it's on the bottom right). <br /><br />In other updates, I have been doing pretty well with my budget--I'm at about $3.50 a day now, which isn't too horrible, verdad? <br /><br />Other funny shirt sightings--an older woman wearing a shirt that read PERVERT in all caps, and a very pregnant woman wearing a Malibu Rum shirt. <br /><br />My Nica fam is doing well. One of the sisters, Veronica, just had eye surgery, so she has been laying low. There have been no suitors as of late lol. We also discovered that my 79-year-old Grandmother, Chepita, is a feminist, so that rocks lol. Also, it turns out that my sisters/aunts/whatever they would be to me love Sex and the City. Katherine very generously loaned me her 6th Season, so we have been watching it together with Spanish voices dubbed over. I am learning lots of new Spanish vocab lol, though I should probably not be learning anymore as my co-workers have been telling me I have already learned too much "language of the street."<br /><br />OK, so I'll be in the campo next week, but tomorrow we head to the plaza to celebrate the overthrow of the dictator Somoza in 1979. Viva la Revolucion!Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-57574948319263934152008-07-14T16:56:00.000-07:002008-07-14T17:27:07.737-07:00Teustepe on my MindOK, sorry for the long hiatus again...I thought my blog was malfunctioning, but apparently it´s working again, joy to the world. =) The children´s program in the campo was great...we painted, sang, read, and even picked up trash together on the way to the river together (the hippie inside me rejoiced until I realized that there was nothing to do with it except burn it.)Anyway, without further ado, here is my Teustepe story that will probably not be so funny now that there has been almost a month of build up for it lol. <br /><br />So, my week in Teustepe in April was basically spent stuffing my face in people´s houses and generating that awkward initial getting-to-know-you conversation. For the most part, it ended up being fine, and I could at least talk about how especially delish <em>their </em> maduros and gallo pinto were. With one particular family, however, I knew their would be trouble when they didn´t arrive until an hour after they were supposed to. I had already eaten lunch and I began to freak out because, well, what was I going to do at their house, if not eat? Nonetheless, I hopped in the bicycle riksha that would take me there, praying for a miracle. <br /><br />Upon arriving at her house, I realized that she could understand none of my gringa-accented Spanish. Nor could any of her family. And I was stuffed, so I couldn´t even eat anything that she had prepared for me for lunch. It was probably a couple of the most awkward hours of my life, sitting in a rocking chair, desparately trying to think of words that were easy to pronounce. Finally, the neighbors began cutting wood with a chainsaw, so we all went out back to watch. <br /><br />That´s when the fight broke out. The pig that was chained to the tree got loose and began chasing around the ducks there. In the ensuing craziness, one of the ducks necks broke. I´m not actually sure if one of the little boys accidently did it trying to save the duck from the pig, or if the pig was the culprit. BUT, so then the little boy keeps trying to help support the duck´s neck, holding it up as it keeps flopping down. It was a painful process to watch. You would then it was dead, and then its head would flop up again and the boy would rejoice, only to see it go again. <br /><br />Then, we go inside and watch some shoot ´em up U.S. movies, which they ask me to translate, which at least gives me something to do. As I am getting ready to leave, they hand me an invitation for the father´s birthday party that weekend. Glorious. <br /><br />So, we go back for the party that weekend. Ivania, the fifteen year old girl I am staying with, has taken a beauty course and decides to use me as her mannequin, making me into a Latina superstar, complete with heavy makeup and hair parted very much to one side. She, who is a stick, also decides that I should wear her clothes, so I am crammed into her skinny jeans and tanktop. Email me if you need a laugh and would like to see pics. <br /><br />So we get there and guess what we are served to eat? Yep, you guessed it. Duck. Ivania tried to convince me that it was not, but I am almost entirely positive that it was. On top of this, the dad is drunk. Wasted, actually, and dancing around like a looney. He is also huge, which means you have to watch out for him falling on you. Then, someone gets the idea that it would be funny to watch the chela dance with him. I am forced to try salsa-ing with him, but it turns into me backing away from him and he charging at me. It is the closest thing to a bull fight I have seen this side of the Atlantic Ocean. The only thing that keeps me going at this point is the scrumptious looking 3 level cake sitting on the table. <br /><br />In order to get this cake, however, I knew we would have to stay until the end. In the meantime, I am also forced to dance with his son, who is married and whose wife is also sitting right there glaring at me like this is what I want. By this point, the dad can barely stand, and we are all trying to throw other people in front of him to dance, in order to avoid having to do it ourselves. We run and escape into the kitchen for a little bit, where I am offered my second glass of Coke. As most of you know, I hate Coke, so I passed it off to my fifteen year old sister. Turns out it was spiked with rum. So now I am also guilty of feeding alcohol to minors. We return to the dance floor, and Ivania asks me if I want to leave, but I am so desperate for the cake at this point that I tell her we should stay. That´s when I began dancing with the drunken aunt, because it ended up being a much better alternative. BUT, then they start cutting the cake and everyone is getting a piece except me, who can´t get rid of the drunken aunt. Finally, I pass her off to the dad, they end up serving us the cake, and we eat it on our way home. And that, my friends, is my Teustepe story.Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-43431122735264219662008-06-18T19:03:00.000-07:002008-06-18T19:28:51.514-07:00I Only Had Twenty Minutes to Write This Post, and It´s Pretty ObviousSo the answer to the poll is baby showers. They are really starting to become popular here. The thing is, people here say exactly that--baby shower, or ¨baybee chower.¨ It´s one of the many Spanish words, such as ¨MacDonol¨ or ¨fool¨for full, where I´m not sure if I should try to imitate them or not, because it sounds like I´m making fun of their accent, even though to them I sound like I have an accent when I say it in my English way. For some reason, I just always picture Keri Fulton cracking up either way. She haunts me even from afar. <br /><br />I also had a massage today that was gloooorious. Elena gave all of the women at the Center massages because we worked so hard in May (except that I was at home for most of May!) Nonetheless, with the inundation of U.S. delegations beginning tomorrow, I´m sure I will earn that hour back ten fold. But, so everything was great except that she began to knead my butt about halfway thru, which was just awkward. And then she massaged my feet and it tickled, but she kept asking if it hurt, but I couldn´t think of the word for tickle, so I just had to grin it bear it. The majority of the hour really was lovely though. At one point I tried to lift my head to help her and she told me literally not to move a muscle, that she would move my whole body for me, because my job was to enjoy and sleep. Then later on Elena told me she was thinking about making them a monthly perk for all the women, and she was like, do you think that´s a good idea? And I was like, that´s like asking kids if they think Santa Claus stopping by every month is a good idea. Not really what I told her, but you get the point. <br /><br />OK, I have to go but I promise I am crafting an award-winning tale about one of the families I visited in Teustepe. It involves a dead duck, a drunken gentleman charging at me like a bull, and cake. All the makings of <em>Oliver Twist</em>, or at least Jerry Springer, right?Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-33463364411723431192008-06-16T12:42:00.000-07:002008-06-16T12:45:03.566-07:00My Brother is Cool, TooAnd lives in Costa Rica. And has his own blog. <br /><br /><a href="www.mycostaricaadventures.blogspot.com">www.mycostaricaadventures.blogspot.com</a><br /><br />You know you want to check it out.Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-31984616796819699002008-06-16T09:46:00.000-07:002008-06-16T10:10:09.281-07:00Money, Money, Money, Money, Mon-ah!So I am trying this new thing out. Some of you may have heard of this wacky thing before. It´s called a budget.<br /><br />In all seriousness though, I am trying to limit myself to $2 of spending money a day. That, plus my approximately $8 a day that I pay for housing and food, will bring me to a grand total of $10 a day. I figure that´s what the average Managuan is living off of daily, and though I probably won´t ever fully understand what it means to have this kind of income, I want to come closer to understanding. <br /><br />Already I have run across a couple thoughts...for example, I will probably have to cheat when you lovely folks come down to visit, and there have been moments when I am scared of running late and have thoughts of just flagging down a taxi instead of waiting for who knows how long for the next bus. BUT, I haven´t cheated yet, and I really am enjoying more fully immersing myself in the life here. <br /><br />I know eventually the novelty will wear off, but it´s presenting some interesting challenges for now..for example, the women where I live have a woman come in to wash their clothes every couple days, so I have to think, will that fit in my budget? Do I cheat to help give a Nicaraguan more income? Or do I stick to my guns? And, when I go to church, do I put in more than everyone else because I can, or do I stick to what fits in my budget? Also, you figure that with my health insurance at home, I am technically spending more than $10 a day.<br /><br />So far, I have been doing pretty well, though. The first week I spent 345 Cordobas, or $17.25 dollars, which comes out to $2.46 per day. This last week I spent half a cordoba more (approximately 2.5 cents), so as you can imagine, right around the same amount. I may have to make my budget $10.50 or $11 per day, though it doesn´t sound as good lol. <br /><br />Opinions? Suggestions? I would love to hear what you think about this, and all the innate questions that come along with it. Please share!Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-11486295588515316192008-06-10T11:12:00.000-07:002008-06-10T11:21:18.999-07:00Funny TidbitSo this morning I hop on the second bus to go to work and all of the sudden I feel someone reaching into my pocket. I freak out, not sure how to respond. As I reach down to swat the hand away, I hear someone giggling. It was Yamilette, one of the women who works with me at the Center (and the same one who asked me point blank why I had not brought her anything from the U.S. I had to scramble to find an extra Bath and Body Works soap that I'd brought.) Ah, la vida Nica.Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-34857728357111870912008-06-08T19:20:00.000-07:002008-06-08T19:29:52.518-07:00You Know You Missed MeHola mi gente,<br /><br />APOLOGIES for the rather long sabbatical…I was having too much fun in the U.S., what with being able to see again and all =) I promise to be a more faithful writer again, now that my friend and family pool has once again been drastically reduced lol. But, before you start feeling sorry for me, let me share with you some of the funny little things I am once again enjoying about life here in Nicaragua, Nicaraguita…(it’s a song)<br /><br />1. I saw a guy walking down the street sporting a white shirt with the word “Bride” sprawled across it in fancy-schmancy gold cursive lettering. This amused me because I’m sure he probably thought it said something cool, like “Pimp” or “Playa.” Adam reminded me, however, that maybe he was a bride, and that I should not be so judgmental.<br /><br />2. I take two school buses to work. Though I am still mastering the art of getting on and off while the bus is moving (it practically tore my arm off the other day, but pride would not allow me to show this), the grand total for my round trip voyage each day is 25 cents, slightly cheaper than the Metro. <br /><br />3. I love the family I am living with. It is a 78-year-old grandmother, Dona Chepita, with her two single daughters and a niece from another daughter that lives there on the weekends. We sat in rocking chairs the other night and the grandmother starts recounting how they had a male U.S. volunteer who lived with them, and who ended up falling in love with her oldest daughter, proposing to her, and whisking her away to the U.S. Sitting there with the other two daughters, I started to feel slightly like I was in a Nicaraguan version of <em>Pride & Prejudice</em>. I am still waiting for Darcy to walk through the door.<br /><br />3a. Also, the family that I live with is Evangelical Mennonite. I have never heard of such a preposterous combination, but it seems to work. I went to church with them this morning, only knowing that they were Mennonite, and they began singing new age Christian songs, so I thought, okay, maybe they just like the more contemporary stuff. Then the children started singing about telling the Devil to go away because they had Jesus in their heart. This is when I began to suspect that perhaps there was some kind of Evangelical influence. Finally, the pastor got up and started yelling at the congregation and then I knew. A glimpse at one of their hymnals confirmed it: La Iglesia Evangelica Mennonita. This is not to say it was a completely bad thing; the pastor had a good message about how we need to show more conviction in our daily lives and not just pray at night when we are tired and cranky. It is only to say that I was expecting white people in bonnets and traditional dress who had “converted” the people and instead it was an all Nicaraguan crowd breaking it down with praise and Amens, Aleluyias, etc. I am convinced that God has a sense of humor. <br /><br />OK, I won’t completely bombard you. But, I promise to share in the following posts some of my oh-so only-in-Nicaragua stories about Teustepe and about my new plan for a budget that I hope will make me feel more connected here (I want to hear what you think about it). Anyway, I love you for continuing to follow my blog, even though I suck =), and I will write more soon!Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-20799532158644009922008-05-21T06:46:00.000-07:002008-05-21T06:48:45.982-07:00Sorry!Hi all,<br />So sorry I haven't written in a month! I promise to update again soon. I am enjoying my 3 weeks in the U.S., but I still have lots of funny stories to share from my last week in Nica, so look forward to those soon :)Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-54447981712216316222008-04-20T18:30:00.000-07:002008-04-20T18:38:58.472-07:00Quick UpdateI am alive, contrary to how it appears in email form. It´s extrememly hard to get to internet right now, so I´m sorry if I haven´t gotten back to your lovely bday emails, etc. I promise to make it up with a personalized visit in May and arroz con leche or chocolate cake or something lol. So, hopefully you still love me and hopefully I can write a lil somethin somethin with some substance soon! In the meantime, thank you to everyone who voted to say I was old. Just remember, that makes you old too...Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2227063426014662018.post-65285369494118099462008-04-11T16:08:00.000-07:002008-04-11T16:29:01.018-07:00Party Time!Feliz cumpleanos a mi! heehe Soy la princesa hoy. =) I am now the ripe old age of 24, but it´s been a great day so I haven´t freaked out about being an "adult for real" yet. For starters, Gabi cooked me breakfast and cafe (so sweet!) and then we went to the market, which is always fun and crazy, and then they had a special lunch for me in the rancho, complete with chicken (which everyone knows is my fav), freedom fries (as they were making fun of here), chocolate cake (my fav thing to make AND eat, as many of you know too well lol) and ice cream. They also had quinceaneros music playing, which is appropriate since most people still think I am 15. AND I got a card with Barack on the front wishing me happy birthday, my man crush heehe. They know me too well. We had fun taking pics, too, so I will try and get those posted on Facebook soon (if we ever have internet again at the center!) <br /><br />I was excited today too that my cell phone has been blowing up the spot with local and international calls, and I´ve gotten lots of sweet emails. So, gracias to everyone for making it so special...I am overwhelmed. (If you haven´t wished me happy bday yet and are feeling wracked by guilt, we are two hours behind here, so you still have 6 and a half left lol) And tonight Adam comes! It´s a good life, folks =)<br /><br />Also, HAPPY BDAY to my birthday twin Katherine! She rocks my world =)Entre Culturashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733411579495782685noreply@blogger.com1