Beach Essentials: Flip-flops (absolutely), towel (maybe), jeans (most definitely), t-shirt (unquestionably), seashell animal (I guess?)

Van, Deenah and Brie (Small Business Volunteers Nica 44) having a blast in Leon!

Quick Updates:

Multi-Tools utilized: 6 tools used (46 more to go)
Dog and Rooster: The dog has been released from his tree…the rooster still remains tied up (for the record, I didn’t have anything to do with the dog’s release)
Days in oscura (total darkness)**: 18 and counting
Days without water at night: 0 (woo hoo)
Injuries due to oscura: 3 bruises total. I have collided with a chair, the frig, and a gas tank
Count Chocula and Squeakers (the bat and mouse that occupy my house): Bat is dead (RIP) but Squeakers still comes to visit me
Dog bites received: 0; Close encounters 57 and counting
Gripe/bacterial infection/parasite/general maladies: Right now I am in perfect health…but if I eat shady looking bus food again (which I will!!) who knows what I will come down with…I am hoping for a parasite (JOKING).

**I read using small candles that I have stuck in empty tuna cans (make-shift candle holder…necessity is the mother of invention). I have not burned anything down…yet. However, I have had a few “close encounters” and have learned to turn the pages of my book a little further away from the open flame of the candle. Moreover, I have learned to breathe lightly in an effort to prevent candlelight flickering. Yet, I have learned not to breathe too lightly as to cause lightheadedness, dizziness and fatigue (all common side effects of not breathing)!

The beach...what a view!

A lot of clothing worn in Nicaragua is second hand U.S. clothing. As a result, the t-shirts have American idioms. Clearly, this is a Spanish speaking country and some people cannot read or speak English. Therefore, when these people purchase used U.S. clothing they cannot read the t-shirt phrases that are written in English. The result is a new section of my blog I call “T-shirt Irony”:

1. “Kiss Me I’m a Beta Sigma Phi”—This t-shirt was worn by a rather overweight, middle aged woman
2. “New Mom: Proud mother of twins” –This shirt was worn by a woman who appeared to be in her mid to late 70’s

Going to the beach in Nicaragua is a bit different than going to the beach in the states. Instead of taking cloths off, it is required to put more on! The best bathing suit is a pair of jeans and t-shirt. Simply roll the jeans a bit and wade ankle deep into the water. Of course, never go swimming in the water because it is peligroso (dangerous)! However, there are several beaches that tend to be touristier and therefore it is just fine to wear a bikini and actually swim in the water. Nevertheless, it is always important to bring appropriate beach wear (jeans) just in case the beach has a lot of Nicaraguans, because then it is time to culturally adopt and cover up…this isn’t Baywatch! Finally, popular items sold at the beach are tiny animals made of seashells. Nicaraguans love these little knickknacks, and they make wonderful gifts.

Local transportation, only 3 cordobas (or 16 cents to go anywhere in the city):

I was recently invited to work with a local group consisting of 7 community members. The group has a list of community improvement projects that they would like to start. Hopefully, I can lend some support and organize the group into action. There seems to be lots of talking and little action. Also, group meetings are often canceled due to fiestas. Finally, the group wants me to become a member. I, however, explained to the group that it would be more beneficial to recruit members from the community. The group did not like this suggestion and still hopes that I will join. I believe they also expect me to be a group leader, while I would rather be a facilitator (I am thinking sustainable development).

There was a really big fiesta this past weekend in my town. Candied apples, cotton candy, transvestites (yep…men dressed in make-up and woman’s clothing selling food), fried food, a Farris Wheel and a live band. It had all the ingredients of a party. The Toña was flowing and people were having a good time. Toña is a Nicaraguan beer brand…there are only 2 options Toña or Victoria both happen to be owned by the same company (theme song for Victoria “Amigos, Amigos”). I am surprised by how dressed up people get for fiestas. The road is covered in dirt, or in some parts cobblestone and personally I find it difficult to walk the street in tennis shoes. But for fiesta time Nicaraguan woman wear their high heals, big earrings, make-up, perfume and sparkly tops or glitter dresses. This feat requites balance that I do not possess; therefore, I left my stilettos at home and went for comfort wearing jeans and a pair of flats…with a sparkle top (oh ya!!).

Fiesta time in my town...this is the high school drum team.

Mas fiesta...this is the dance squad

I am going to preface this part of my blog with a bit of background information about myself. I am not an actor nor have I ever been a stand-up comic, impersonator, or ventriloquist. That being said, I have a Nicaraguan counterpart who lives in my town, which I often visit with to practice Spanish. He will always ask me millions of questions about American customs. Most recently he asked me to impersonate different accents such as the New York frenzied inflection, Texas twang, and finally the British brogue. I told him quite simply I couldn’t speak in the different intonations. He didn’t understand this answer. He said, “If they all speak English why can’t you just speak like them... come on Brie just try.” He kept egging me on and got a little impatient with the fact that I was unable to “bust out” these accents on cue. I then turned the table and asked him to speak using a Spaniards accent. He proceed to change the topic…I think he got the point!

Here are a few more funny questions I have received from Nicaraguans (including my responses):

1. Are discos (dance clubs) different in the U.S.?

My response: Nope, they are pretty similar. On second thought, less reggaetone!

2. Why are all Americans fat?

My response: Not all Americans are overweight but unhealthy food and lack of exercise leads to weight problems.

3. What kind of food do Americans eat?

My response: We have a mélange (no, I did not actually use this “exact” vocab in Spanish but I still got my main point across…nosotros tenemos comida diferente) of food from different countries. My favorite is Chinese food.

4. Everyone in the U.S. has a maid…right?

My response: Nope, a majority of people clean their own home, wash their own dishes, cook their own food and wash their own clothes. (Cultural difference: a lot of people in Nicaragua hire help to cook and launder. In fact, I have seen more maids here in Nicaragua then I have ever encountered in the States).

5. What types of jobs do immigrants to the U.S. have?

My response: You have family in the States, what kind of work do they do? (I found this question difficult to answer. Many Nicaraguans have family members abroad. Therefore, I feel Nicaraguans are more apt to answer this question then I am).

This reminds me of my marching band days at CU!

A little something I have learned from the T.V. series Seinfeld: the phrase “Serenity Now”. This is my new mantra. A few days ago, I experienced one of the worst bus rides to date. I boarded the big yellow bus at 12 and the departure was scheduled for 12:30. Thirty minutes inside a bus with the sun beating down caused me to sweat profusely. Then the bus finally began to move and the air started circulating. To my horror, someone complained that their hair was being messed up and the bus conductor started shutting all the windows, which created the furnace effect (extremely hot and suffocating). Of course, I was also on the bus with about 60 chavalos (crazy kids) who were throwing paper, candy, gum, and fruit. Meanwhile, around 5 boys were wrestling in the back of the bus. Plus, boys were going around pulling the hair of the girls. The little hellions arrived at their stops one by one and as their numbers dwindled peace was restored. I call this experience my typical Tuesday bus ride (because I relive this scene every signal Tuesday). Throughout the ride, I just keep repeating “Serenity now, serenity now, serenity now.”

This past weekend a few of the volunteers (including myself) took a beach day vacation, which I will sum-up in one sentence: A dog took a tinkle winkle on my bag mistaking it for a tree, the waves were so rough I got sand in my ears, small children were selling seashell animals to tourists and for lunch I ate a delicious fish fillet.

The parade finished up in la concha (the field). There were lots of fireworks and food was being sold in the stands. The different drum squads had a "drum off" and the crowd cheered like crazy for their favorite group!