A couple weeks ago "the poets" came to Nicaragua. That's how everyone was putting it anyway. I found out what I meant was that Granada hosts a poetry festival every year. And apparently it's pretty well-known. There's even a park near my house nicknamed "Poet's Park" because it has these small billboards featuring poems by Nicaraguans (most of them about war and revolution; did I fail to mention the park is officially named after a revolutionist??). This year they had participation from 50 countries. People come and do open mic reading their poetry in their language and then it's translated on a big screen in Central Park for everyone to understand. Now, I'm not gonna lie....I don't understand poetry. Never have, never will. I'm a reader, I promise! I also faithfully support the arts! I personally am not good at anything but I love art, music, dance etc....I've just never gotten into poetry. I was that kid in class when you studied "The Raven" that kept asking, "Are you sure it's about death? Because I just don't see it." I'm also that girl that secretly laughs inside in an "I'm so embarrassed for you right now" tone when men make romantic poems for women. So why was I excited about the Poetry Festival?? There was also folk dance and concert nights. Now THAT I can get down with! I uploaded a snippet of the folk dance for you. It was pretty.
Also, fun FYI. You know how in school they always had May Day, and we never participated because of the pagan roots? Ok, it's one thing reading about pagan roots in a history book or encyclopedia and another thing to see it up front. Here they have a folk dance called the Palo de Mayo or Maypole Dance. YouTube it. If you can't see the connection of May Day and fertility after watching that dance it's time to go to the eye doctor!
http://youtu.be/E2KyDMnusuQ
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
CLICK PHOTO FOR MORE PIX
I wanted to comment on the volcano pix you'll see in the album.
The indigenous Nicaraguans thought that because of the smoke and red lava visible at night, there was an angry god living inside the volcano that needed to be appeased. How to appease him? Well, with virgins and children, of course.
Then came along the Spanish Conquistadors. In their infinite wisdom, they declared to the indigenous population that they were wrong and there was no angry god inside the volcano. Clearly, it was the mouth of hell and the Devil needed to be exorcised from the volcano. Those Spaniards were great at exorcisms, weren't they? They built the large cross on the crater rim to assist in the exorcism.
When the volcano erupted in the 1800s the lava flowed all the way to the laguna but stopped there...just short of major cities like Masaya and Nindiri. Why did it stop there? Because the residents had hauled a religious statue to the shore and stopped the lava with their prayers. The laguna has since been seen as a holy site because of this. I must not fail to mention that the laguna itself is an upside down volcano that filled with water who knows how long ago. Are we seeing a pattern here with Nicaraguans and superstition?
Monday, February 6, 2012
IT'S A LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP
Now that I've been in Nicaragua for about 5 months, I feel that's earned me the right to comment on some things I've noticed here both good and bad.
BAD
1. Nose picking...as you've probably divined from the glorious clip art I've added. It should be called pick art if you ask me (ha ha ha ha). Yes, I realize I have no life. Frankly, I could write a graduate course dissertation on this subject if given the opportunity, but I will limit myself to but a few choice words. It's everywhere--male or female, Witness or worldly, old and young--there's no discrimination here. It's profound--in the "I will soon touch my brain" kind of way. It's distracting--sometimes I've literally had to pause my conversation and look away so whoever I'm speaking with can finish their very important work. And finally...it apparently ONLY bothers me. These people (ps, it is just me who sees a big whithering conceited frown in my head everytime I see or hear the words these people?) will have half their hand up their nose and can barely speak and will just continue with whatever they're doing like it's no one's business. There is no shame in this digging game.
2. Double dipping...basically everything here is communal. For example, in the KH, each bathroom only has one glass. That's the glass everyone uses to drink from if they get thirsty. It's common that in the house people will eat directly from whatever dish we're serving from rather than put it on their own plate. Or they'll use a dirty fork to dish up seconds. I can't even tell you how many times in service people have asked to drink out of my water bottle. Now, I'm no germaphobe, but I have my limits, you know?
3. Cheese....first of all, anything dairy here is called crema or cream. It doesn't matter if it's half and half, whipping cream, sour cream....it's all cream. That makes it super easy when I'm shopping to cook as you can well imagine. I also hate that all the cheese here is the same. Now, ask any Nicaraguan and they'll list off a bunch of different types of cheeses making you think there's a grand variety. It's a lie. It's all white, hard, and salty. Real cheese here is incredibly expensive. Once I sprung for some nice sharp cheddar to get a break and shared it with my Nica family. You know they had the nerve to tell me they didn't like it and it made their stomach hurt?? This leads me to my next gripe...
4. Condiments...if I hear one more time "this hurt my stomach because it had too many condiments," I'm really going to hurt someone. So lemme get this straight. You can eat food that has cream and meat that's been sitting on the counter for 24 hours straight, but more than 3 ingredients in something gives you the runs?! This leads me to my next gripe...
5. Refrigerator...they exist for a reason, and that reason, simply put, is to keep things cold. So please tell me why every morning when I wake up our fridge is disconnected? By the way, this is a common practice and not just a "my household" kinda thing. Your alternate option is to buy a fridge but keep it eternally on the lowest/hottest setting possible. The excuse is always the same..."but everything's still cold." If I thought it would help to lecture about the specific (cold) temperature certain dairy and meat needs to have to ward off small pests like oh, I don't know, SALMONELLA or E COLI!! I would do it. However, something tells me I'm not going to get very far on that.
Whew! That felt good. Now, on a positive note...
GOOD
1. Neighbors...for the first time in my life I know my neighbors and actually like them. Every neighborhood here is like an extended family, and it's actually really nice. Sometimes it really costs me to break outta my "I'm a single white female and you're probably going to try to kill me" fears and talk to strangers outside of preaching times. But it's really worth it here. They know me, I know them, they look out for me, they let me use their oven and pans when I want to make a cake, they want to meet my family when they visit. It's nice. It's like a block party from those cheesy '70s movies...I finally know what that's like.
2. Frescos...literally this means refreshments. Basically you take any fruit and/or vegetable, squeeze or blend it, strain it, add sugar and water, and you've got a fresco. Every family makes their own combos and by the way, they are ALL delicious. Pineapple and carrot, pitahaya and beet juice, tamarind and cinnamon, passion fruit, yum!!! And the best part? I can make it myself!
3. Volcanos...never in my life did I think that every morning when I took Ollie out I'd see a volcano. Forget living in a country where there are 6 within a 3 hour ride. They seriously fascinate me. All of them are on the Pacific coastline, and a brother recently told me that scientists think that at one time, Nicaragua's western coast was the lake. But then all the volcanos erupted and created land between the lake and the ocean forming all the large lakes near where I live. Kinda cool, huh?
4. Nails...this is super vain, I know. But I love getting my nails done regularly and for so cheap! Plus the sister in my house, Carmen, does these great drawings on the nails. It's really like art. She did a whole scene once with a beach with the water and sand and a palm tree and a whale tail in the ocean. She's done owls, rabbits with carrots, cherries--she's a genius, I tell you, a genius!
5. Pulperias...that's what they call corner stores. Except the difference is that EVERY corner has one. I just love that chips and flour and bananas and Coke are always just a few steps away. Especially since I don't have a car and am incredibly lazy :)
BAD
1. Nose picking...as you've probably divined from the glorious clip art I've added. It should be called pick art if you ask me (ha ha ha ha). Yes, I realize I have no life. Frankly, I could write a graduate course dissertation on this subject if given the opportunity, but I will limit myself to but a few choice words. It's everywhere--male or female, Witness or worldly, old and young--there's no discrimination here. It's profound--in the "I will soon touch my brain" kind of way. It's distracting--sometimes I've literally had to pause my conversation and look away so whoever I'm speaking with can finish their very important work. And finally...it apparently ONLY bothers me. These people (ps, it is just me who sees a big whithering conceited frown in my head everytime I see or hear the words these people?) will have half their hand up their nose and can barely speak and will just continue with whatever they're doing like it's no one's business. There is no shame in this digging game.
2. Double dipping...basically everything here is communal. For example, in the KH, each bathroom only has one glass. That's the glass everyone uses to drink from if they get thirsty. It's common that in the house people will eat directly from whatever dish we're serving from rather than put it on their own plate. Or they'll use a dirty fork to dish up seconds. I can't even tell you how many times in service people have asked to drink out of my water bottle. Now, I'm no germaphobe, but I have my limits, you know?
3. Cheese....first of all, anything dairy here is called crema or cream. It doesn't matter if it's half and half, whipping cream, sour cream....it's all cream. That makes it super easy when I'm shopping to cook as you can well imagine. I also hate that all the cheese here is the same. Now, ask any Nicaraguan and they'll list off a bunch of different types of cheeses making you think there's a grand variety. It's a lie. It's all white, hard, and salty. Real cheese here is incredibly expensive. Once I sprung for some nice sharp cheddar to get a break and shared it with my Nica family. You know they had the nerve to tell me they didn't like it and it made their stomach hurt?? This leads me to my next gripe...
4. Condiments...if I hear one more time "this hurt my stomach because it had too many condiments," I'm really going to hurt someone. So lemme get this straight. You can eat food that has cream and meat that's been sitting on the counter for 24 hours straight, but more than 3 ingredients in something gives you the runs?! This leads me to my next gripe...
5. Refrigerator...they exist for a reason, and that reason, simply put, is to keep things cold. So please tell me why every morning when I wake up our fridge is disconnected? By the way, this is a common practice and not just a "my household" kinda thing. Your alternate option is to buy a fridge but keep it eternally on the lowest/hottest setting possible. The excuse is always the same..."but everything's still cold." If I thought it would help to lecture about the specific (cold) temperature certain dairy and meat needs to have to ward off small pests like oh, I don't know, SALMONELLA or E COLI!! I would do it. However, something tells me I'm not going to get very far on that.
Whew! That felt good. Now, on a positive note...
GOOD
1. Neighbors...for the first time in my life I know my neighbors and actually like them. Every neighborhood here is like an extended family, and it's actually really nice. Sometimes it really costs me to break outta my "I'm a single white female and you're probably going to try to kill me" fears and talk to strangers outside of preaching times. But it's really worth it here. They know me, I know them, they look out for me, they let me use their oven and pans when I want to make a cake, they want to meet my family when they visit. It's nice. It's like a block party from those cheesy '70s movies...I finally know what that's like.
2. Frescos...literally this means refreshments. Basically you take any fruit and/or vegetable, squeeze or blend it, strain it, add sugar and water, and you've got a fresco. Every family makes their own combos and by the way, they are ALL delicious. Pineapple and carrot, pitahaya and beet juice, tamarind and cinnamon, passion fruit, yum!!! And the best part? I can make it myself!
3. Volcanos...never in my life did I think that every morning when I took Ollie out I'd see a volcano. Forget living in a country where there are 6 within a 3 hour ride. They seriously fascinate me. All of them are on the Pacific coastline, and a brother recently told me that scientists think that at one time, Nicaragua's western coast was the lake. But then all the volcanos erupted and created land between the lake and the ocean forming all the large lakes near where I live. Kinda cool, huh?
4. Nails...this is super vain, I know. But I love getting my nails done regularly and for so cheap! Plus the sister in my house, Carmen, does these great drawings on the nails. It's really like art. She did a whole scene once with a beach with the water and sand and a palm tree and a whale tail in the ocean. She's done owls, rabbits with carrots, cherries--she's a genius, I tell you, a genius!
5. Pulperias...that's what they call corner stores. Except the difference is that EVERY corner has one. I just love that chips and flour and bananas and Coke are always just a few steps away. Especially since I don't have a car and am incredibly lazy :)
Monday, January 30, 2012
RESURRECTION
Hi, everyone! I'm back!
I do realize this blog has been dead for 2 almost 3 months, and I apologize for that. The easy excuse for that is that my camera broke. If I'm more honest, though, I have to say that I had some disappointments recently and a nasty case of homesickness, and frankly, didn't want to make a negative blog. Those of you who REALLY know me know that can come pretty easily for me when I'm in certain moods. Sorry. But the reality of the situation is that just because I'm here and you're there doesn't mean life stops for either of us. There's a reason someone came up with the saying that "you can never go home again." Sad, isn't it? However, the point of this blog is to document my adventures in serving Jehovah more fully in another country, and unfortunately, this is part of the deal. I knew from the start that the beginning would be hardest when there's distance with my friends from home but hadn't made close friendships yet with people in my new home. My Mom told me something from her recent assembly, though, that is so true....a sacrifice isn't a sacrifice unless it's a sacrifice. I am starting to understand more fully that word...sacrifice...and just praying for the faith that Jehovah will not only take note of these small sacrifices I'm making but reward me for them in the near future.
Good news, though. I just got a two week visit from my family, and it really recharged my batteries. I got to see this country through a tourist's eyes instead of a publisher's eyes and have come to realize that this is truly an amazing place. I got to see a volcano up close and personal, a breaching whale, a white-face pet monkey, and Las Isletas in all their glory. Did you know there's a water lily here that's called tripe flower or flor de mondongo? Why such an ugly name for such a beautiful flower? As it turns out the underside of the leaf looks JUST LIKE raw tripe. Did you know there's a bird here who makes a nest like a beehive? It just swings from the highest height of trees. Did you know that the chocoyos who've been living in my house this whole time have a natural habitat inside volcanos? Jehovah made them with the ability to filter those toxic gases to live in a safe place from their predators. It just made me think that once the trash and pollution and hate is removed from this world it is going to be aaaaaamazing!!
And the things I've seen through a publisher's eyes haven't been anything to shake a stick at. I love that the Nicaraguan people have such a respect for the Bible and anyone teaching from it. I can't count how many times I've gone to a door and the householder has just burst into tears....so relieved for the visit. They honestly see our visit as a chance to heal themselves of whatever problems they may be experiencing and draw encouragement. Right before my family came, I was offering the Bible Teach book to a corner-shop owner. He picked the question about "Why do we suffer?". While reading the #1 reason (Satan's influence as a resident of Earth) he started crying, explaining they're having problems in the house as his son is letting himself be guided by this evil influence. I shared some comforting Scriptures with him and left the book. Well, two weeks later I went back, and it seemed things had gotten better in the household. He said he and his wife had started reading the book and the Bible together, and even though their son has left home, they feel more at peace. Isn't that beautiful?
Over the past few months, things have been good. I went back to visit Esteli in the north of the country. The drive up there was really pretty--all hilly and green like home. I also had my circuit assembly and got to participate in the baptism. Yes, I was the honorary towel girl and loved EVERY minute of it. Some of the candidates were just crying and crying...it really touched my heart and made me reflect on the seriousness of that step in life. We've also gotten to welcome all the Mexicans who've come for the pioneer route. Almost ALL of them are young, single, pioneer sisters. It felt good to put the shoe on the other foot, and welcome someone else to a strange, new environment. We really are a large army, aren't we :)
I've also gotten to see how Nicaraguans celebrate Christmas and the New Year. By the way, the ENTIRE month of December is a big party for them, but not for Jesus. For Mary! They are OBSESSED with her. The weeks leading up to December 25th is called La Purisima. Do you know what it's celebrating? The immaculate conception....of Mary! Does ANYONE read their Bible? Anyway, that celebration consists of Mary statues being paraded around town in processions. Also, "good" Catholics have a private celebration in their home where they set up an altar with candles, invite all their neighbors, recite not a few Hail Marys, and have a mariachi belt out Mary-related songs while kids set off fireworks and eat candy. Fireworks were definitely the theme of the month, and I'm surprized Ollie made it through alive. What fireworks have to do with Jesus and Mary are beyond me. But I'd like all of you to remember, as many householders have explained to me, that this is not worship. Oh, no! How could you suggest such a thing? This is veneration.
I've also had an opportunity to check out our rural territory. We have 30 kilometers worth of lakefront territory. The first half of it, El Guayabo, gets worked about every 4-6 weeks. But the last half of it, Los Cocos, hadn't been worked in over a year. Normally we have someone's truck we pile into to go or rent a bus for Los Cocos, but for some reason yesterday was all on foot. I was fairly positive I was going to die. For those of you who are metric-system handicapped like I am, that would be NINE MILES of walking one-way. We're supposed to do the other half of the territory next week. The good part, though, is that the householders are very receptive and basically let you talk as long as you want. They're really good about pulling out a few chairs so you can rest while you chat, so that helps.
I've also been doing some reading and HAVE to recommend a fabulous, thought-provoking book to you--Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. It put me in a very nostalgic mood and have to also recommend a fabulous song. It's a Paul McCartney classic that's not well-known. However, I have to venture to say that if someday I manage to get married, THIS will be my wedding song...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ0WIQpONjA
I do realize this blog has been dead for 2 almost 3 months, and I apologize for that. The easy excuse for that is that my camera broke. If I'm more honest, though, I have to say that I had some disappointments recently and a nasty case of homesickness, and frankly, didn't want to make a negative blog. Those of you who REALLY know me know that can come pretty easily for me when I'm in certain moods. Sorry. But the reality of the situation is that just because I'm here and you're there doesn't mean life stops for either of us. There's a reason someone came up with the saying that "you can never go home again." Sad, isn't it? However, the point of this blog is to document my adventures in serving Jehovah more fully in another country, and unfortunately, this is part of the deal. I knew from the start that the beginning would be hardest when there's distance with my friends from home but hadn't made close friendships yet with people in my new home. My Mom told me something from her recent assembly, though, that is so true....a sacrifice isn't a sacrifice unless it's a sacrifice. I am starting to understand more fully that word...sacrifice...and just praying for the faith that Jehovah will not only take note of these small sacrifices I'm making but reward me for them in the near future.
Good news, though. I just got a two week visit from my family, and it really recharged my batteries. I got to see this country through a tourist's eyes instead of a publisher's eyes and have come to realize that this is truly an amazing place. I got to see a volcano up close and personal, a breaching whale, a white-face pet monkey, and Las Isletas in all their glory. Did you know there's a water lily here that's called tripe flower or flor de mondongo? Why such an ugly name for such a beautiful flower? As it turns out the underside of the leaf looks JUST LIKE raw tripe. Did you know there's a bird here who makes a nest like a beehive? It just swings from the highest height of trees. Did you know that the chocoyos who've been living in my house this whole time have a natural habitat inside volcanos? Jehovah made them with the ability to filter those toxic gases to live in a safe place from their predators. It just made me think that once the trash and pollution and hate is removed from this world it is going to be aaaaaamazing!!
And the things I've seen through a publisher's eyes haven't been anything to shake a stick at. I love that the Nicaraguan people have such a respect for the Bible and anyone teaching from it. I can't count how many times I've gone to a door and the householder has just burst into tears....so relieved for the visit. They honestly see our visit as a chance to heal themselves of whatever problems they may be experiencing and draw encouragement. Right before my family came, I was offering the Bible Teach book to a corner-shop owner. He picked the question about "Why do we suffer?". While reading the #1 reason (Satan's influence as a resident of Earth) he started crying, explaining they're having problems in the house as his son is letting himself be guided by this evil influence. I shared some comforting Scriptures with him and left the book. Well, two weeks later I went back, and it seemed things had gotten better in the household. He said he and his wife had started reading the book and the Bible together, and even though their son has left home, they feel more at peace. Isn't that beautiful?
Over the past few months, things have been good. I went back to visit Esteli in the north of the country. The drive up there was really pretty--all hilly and green like home. I also had my circuit assembly and got to participate in the baptism. Yes, I was the honorary towel girl and loved EVERY minute of it. Some of the candidates were just crying and crying...it really touched my heart and made me reflect on the seriousness of that step in life. We've also gotten to welcome all the Mexicans who've come for the pioneer route. Almost ALL of them are young, single, pioneer sisters. It felt good to put the shoe on the other foot, and welcome someone else to a strange, new environment. We really are a large army, aren't we :)
I've also gotten to see how Nicaraguans celebrate Christmas and the New Year. By the way, the ENTIRE month of December is a big party for them, but not for Jesus. For Mary! They are OBSESSED with her. The weeks leading up to December 25th is called La Purisima. Do you know what it's celebrating? The immaculate conception....of Mary! Does ANYONE read their Bible? Anyway, that celebration consists of Mary statues being paraded around town in processions. Also, "good" Catholics have a private celebration in their home where they set up an altar with candles, invite all their neighbors, recite not a few Hail Marys, and have a mariachi belt out Mary-related songs while kids set off fireworks and eat candy. Fireworks were definitely the theme of the month, and I'm surprized Ollie made it through alive. What fireworks have to do with Jesus and Mary are beyond me. But I'd like all of you to remember, as many householders have explained to me, that this is not worship. Oh, no! How could you suggest such a thing? This is veneration.
I've also had an opportunity to check out our rural territory. We have 30 kilometers worth of lakefront territory. The first half of it, El Guayabo, gets worked about every 4-6 weeks. But the last half of it, Los Cocos, hadn't been worked in over a year. Normally we have someone's truck we pile into to go or rent a bus for Los Cocos, but for some reason yesterday was all on foot. I was fairly positive I was going to die. For those of you who are metric-system handicapped like I am, that would be NINE MILES of walking one-way. We're supposed to do the other half of the territory next week. The good part, though, is that the householders are very receptive and basically let you talk as long as you want. They're really good about pulling out a few chairs so you can rest while you chat, so that helps.
I've also been doing some reading and HAVE to recommend a fabulous, thought-provoking book to you--Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. It put me in a very nostalgic mood and have to also recommend a fabulous song. It's a Paul McCartney classic that's not well-known. However, I have to venture to say that if someday I manage to get married, THIS will be my wedding song...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ0WIQpONjA
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