An overdue update...

We’re well into the rainy season here in Nicaragua, which for me has been a refreshing breath of sometimes cooler air and a little taste of home. It still can get scorching hot in Managua, but at least there’s something to cool down the day and keep the dust down. It seems like the general pattern is still sun and heat most of the morning with high levels of humidity, and then it just gets to a certain point where the humidity is so bad and something has to give, so we get drenched with a good old tropical downpour! And although I grew up with my fair share of rain in the Pacific Northwest, that was a completely different experience from what we get here in Nicaragua. I’m used to days of cloudy weather with consistent drizzling, sometimes really pouring, but generally slow and steady. Here, like most of the tropics, we get ferocious, rapid downpours that often seem to come from nowhere, dump at a rate of several inches of rain per hour, which are often followed by hot, sunny weather just minutes after the rain stops! I am thoroughly enjoying the rainy season, though, and always look forward to the dark clouds that bring cooler temperatures. One of my simple pleasures living in Managua has become going to sleep with the sound of rain falling on our tin roof; it’s almost like living by a creek or by the ocean where you can fall asleep to the soothing sounds of moving water. Even if it’s just bouncing off the roof and going right to the gutter, there’s something reassuring about that consistent yet comforting clatter up there that helps me go to sleep in peace!
Enough about weather though. All continues to go well here in Nicaragua as I approach the seven month mark since arriving in country. I realize it’s been quite a while since I’ve written, so I apologize for the gap in updates! I guess I thought I had to have something really original or exciting to write about and was waiting for that to happen, but I guess just a simple update once in a while is better than nothing!
Work has gone fairly well recently, although I still feel sometimes as if there is more I could be doing. I’m trying to stay busy through coaching a soccer team, giving (very basic!) swim lessons, teaching English, and helping out with any other random activities that come up around the youth center. Last week we had our first “dia cultural” at the center as a way to start learning about other countries and cultures. We asked two French friends in town to give a talk about France, their language, food, sports (just days after France was eliminated from the World Cup, too!) and in general the differences between life in Nicaragua and in their home country. They gave a great slideshow, then we did a chaotic Jeopardy-style quiz game (50 people yelling at you saying they answered first!), taught a typical French playground game followed by crepe samples for everyone involved! The idea is to continue the cultural days, perhaps once a month, to learn about different cultures around the world.
Besides the work at the youth center, I’ve also been involved in some of the rural work CANTERA does. This has mostly meant working in schools doing what I would loosely define as environmental education work. It’s been an enjoyable experience though, especially trying to get kids and youth interested in environmental protection and talking about some of the environmental issues facing their community or the world.
To wrap it up, I have a brief reflection on an observation I’ve had of la vida Nica: I think it’s worth mentioning how important greetings are here in Nicaragua. I’ve picked up on this since the beginning of my time here, but only recently really begun to think about how significant and different this is from the culture I grew up in. For instance, Nicaraguans almost always greet everyone in a room upon entering, either individually or collectively as a group. This usually means a handshake or a cheek kiss for old friends or new acquaintances alike. Even if somebody enters a conversation or a meeting, he or she generally interjects at least a “Buenas tardes” to those present. To my North American-educated mind, this initially came off as extremely rude; I’d be having a conversation or even presenting some point in a workshop, and someone would walk in late with a public “Buenas!” distracting me and the rest of the group from whatever was being discussed. As time went on during my first few months here, I began to realize that this wasn’t just a group of inconsiderate youth, but in fact a great example of the beauty of cultural diversity.
After having been here several months, I myself have began to pick up on this Nicaraguan custom and I think I’m actually starting to appreciate it! I think the best thing I’ve taken from this new practice is the emphasis of greeting people individually when you come into contact with them. I think back to life in the States and the way I was often, like so many other North Americans, so preoccupied with my personal business that I didn’t have time or interest to grant other people a brief greeting. I have this image in my head of some fancy office with every busy in their own little cubicles hurriedly walking in and out, barely even making eye contact with those around them, too caught up in whatever it is that is too important to give anyone the time of day!
Anyhow, I’ve been working on learning from my Nicaraguan co-workers, friends and acquaintances to recognize that human relationships are worth taking a few seconds out of a busy schedule to make someone feel recognized. That’s all I’ve got for now! Until next time, happy 4th of July everyone, and thanks for all the support from near and far.