Rain Makes Everything New Again

Every new sunrise I live to see here in Leon greets me with a new challenge. Trash litters the pot hole filled streets. Stains and paint chipped spots cover the walls of homes. If the family can afford it, they tile their floors; otherwise, the ground is left bare. Refrigerators are never stocked because it is typically cheaper to buy already made food from the vendors on the streets or restaurants in the city's center. Though temperatures average around 90 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity is high because of the volcanoes, no air conditioning exists in any homes. I sweat through every pair of clothes that I wear more than twice a day. Today for instance, I walked to my mentor's house for a meeting this morning. As I stood in her kitchen cooling off by the fan, I literally made a puddle of sweat on her floor and there was nothing I could do about it but constantly apologize as I wiped myself off with paper towel.

Because buildings do not have AC, most windows and doors remain open 24/7. This allows for critters of all kinds to come creeping in if you're not careful. As I'm writing this, a gecko is scurrying up the wall across from me. Fortunately he is one of the cuter critters and one that is actually "welcomed" in homes because he eats the mosquitos and ants. 

I will never take for granted the peacefulness of the country back home. Here people, taxis and buses fill the streets with noises of honks, alarms, and whistles. It is never quiet during the day, and at night dogs bark on the streets. Most people go to bed early because they are up at 4:00AM (the crack of dawn) to begin making tortillas and other foods to sell to people on the streets. It is easier to go to bed earlier because the sun is already completely set by 6:00PM.

My family here is more than I could have ever asked for. They bless me everyday through their kindness and generosity. It is a custom to treat guests very well. At the dinner table, guests are always served first even before the man of the household, and they are served a HUGE plate of food! Nicaraguans pride themselves in making sure their guests feel comfortable and have full stomachs. I had a personal talk with my sister who is the family's house keeper and cook because she fed me so much food. I simply could not continue eating as much as she was feeding me, but I didn't want to be rude and leave food on my plate. Fortunately, she told me I did not have to eat it all if I wasn't hungry.

Another Nicaraguan custom is to give gifts to people you know. Last night as I was watching television with my sister, a friend of the family selling Avon products stopped by. She was selling a very beautiful smelling perfume. My sister, knowing I had not brought any perfume with me to Nicaragua, bought the perfume and gave it to me as a gift. Upon realizing what was happening, my jaw dropped, and I could not believe what was happening. It would have been a cheap purchase for me if I had bought it, but she, a woman without a continuous flow of income, spent money she did not necessarily have for my sake. I was truly touched and will be each time I use the perfume.

As I said before, every new sunrise greets me with a new challenge. Today's challenge was to cross the street during a rain storm. The drain system here is not very fast so streets quickly fill with water. If I had been wearing my flip flops, it would not have been a problem. However, today I made the choice of wearing my tennis shoes....needless to say, one foot did not make it across the puddle without getting wet.

My classic school girl picture with the volcanos Mumbo Tumbo (left) and Mumbo Tumbito (out of picture on right).



Trying a new fruit called Mamon Chino.

 

 

Mamon Chino, it is a very exotic looking fruit with an equally interesting flavor.