Well look at this, I'm actually finding myself with some free time for once. Free time, that is, on the internet where I don't find myself rushing to get all my computer needs satisfied in a few short hours before the bus leaves. Today I'm in Jinotega again, this time for a Skype date with good ol' Tina during her going-away party for Peace Corps Peru!! I get to catch up with some friends from home who I haven't talked to since just before leaving in April.
Okay, so last night I attended my first Nica dance party. It was the opening of the Empresa (ag-coop) in the nearby community of Loma Alta, about a 20 min bus ride up the hill from Wale. They had just finished building their bodega (warehouse) for coffee, and had a ceremony to celebrate, followed by food and dancing afterwards. I was already tired before we left, and almost didn't go. The bus being late to take us there didn't help my indecision, but it did eventually pass by and I got on with Esmeralda and her so-called daughter-in-law (cause she's not actually married yet) Idalia. They had dressed up really nice with heels and everything, and I had only put on my "nice" button up shirt, feeling lazy and unmotivated to change out of my tennis shoes and pants. I figured I'd just be sitting in the back listening anyways where no one would really pay attention to me. Note: I'm always noticed wherever I go, so I don't know why I thought that. The bus ended up stopping about 2/3 of the way there for some kind of repair, so we got out to catch some fresh air (it's been hot lately) and Esmeralda stopped a friend who was driving by in his pickup and got us a ride the rest of the way. We got there and listened to all the nice words various important people of the community had to say, then they set us loose to mingle and eat. I thought we were leaving with the 5pm bus that passed by, since Esmeralda told me the "last bus" was what we'd take home. Well, the 5pm bus passed by and we weren't on it. I asked her why, and she said the last bus passed at 8pm, so we still had 3 hours to go. I was tired and ready to go at that point since it was in a community that I didn't know, but I was at the mercy of my family's time. So we ate what the local "comedor" (eatery) had prepared for the event, stewed meat, which was delicious. Unfortunately they served a fresco of nancite juice, which I hate due to it's sour/bitter taste, but I had brought my water like always (ever the prepared volunteer) so I was ok in the beverage department.
After eating we mingled outside and talked a bit with the people who helped build the bodega, including the head of the local PCI department, which is Project Concern International, a US organization. There was a Mariachi band there playing ranchera music, which is always fun, but the real party started when they turned out the lights in the bodega, turned on the lazers and strobes, and turned up the music. There was a DJ playing a mix of popular dance tunes along with more regional reggaeton and latin-themed dance music. So that's where I was. I gave Esmeralda my bag, accepted the first offer to dance from a local, which was immediate, and hit the dance floor.
Once I started dancing it was offer after offer the rest of the night by local guys asking me to dance. The first kid who asked me right away said he was 25, although he looked 15, and asked where I lived and that he'd like to come visit my house sometime, and even asked which one was my mom, which gave me the impression he was going to ask her permission to date me or something. I don't really know the customs for dating here yet, but he didn't end up doing anything, so that was a relief. He did continue to ask me to dance non-stop the rest of the night though. But so did everyone else. I had some regulars, of all different ages, who kept coming back, but anytime a song changed or I went to sit down to rest for a bit, the swarm would surround me, presenting their hands to take, sometimes actually grabbing my arm and trying to pull me out of my chair onto the dance floor before any of the other guys could. It was super funny, very flattering, but got kind of old and annoying towards the end. The music would change from the lights-off club scene to lights-on mariachi band playing, so I did a little of both. The ranchera music is nice because it's cultural, but the dancing gets old. Plus no one moves to the beat correctly, usually dancing too fast for the tempo, which annoys me. But as the female partner you just have to bounce to whatever rhythm the guy is bouncing to. So I just go with it.
Well, the 8pm bus rolled by and Esmeralda showed no interest in getting on it. Idalia said her dad would drive us home in his truck. I ended up waiting until 11pm to leave. I spent the last hour or so outside avoiding the flock of admirers and cooling off and resting my poor achy knees from all the dancing. I need to warm up next time. I went to bed at 11:30, the latest so far since moving to Wale. Then I had to get up at 7am today to catch a bus to Jinotega for some long-needed internet time. Yeah, I know it's still almost 8 hours of sleep, but normally I've been going to bed around 8pm and getting up at 7am, so yeah, I was tired this morning.
Well, the garden work in the school that was to be done yesterday didn't happen, seeing as I was invited to go to the Empresa opening after I had made plans to work at the school. So I canceled that and had my community bank meeting early, at noon instead of 3pm. Luckily most of them showed up. The ones that couldn't were making Nacatamales to sell. I still need to learn how to make those. Sounds like Christmas is the time that everyone makes them, so I'll have to wait til then. Regarding the community bank group, they run their meetings very loosely and don't have real secure management of the money handed in, and I've been hoping to remedy that by showing them the official community bank book given to us by Peace Corps to explain to them how much more orderly and efficient their group could be. Not to mention how much more money they could be saving/using for loans. I lucked out at this meeting because one of the members brought it up himself that he wanted to try to make the group run more smoothly. So I didn't even have to bring it up myself. I told him I would help them with that and that next year when the new bank cycle starts we could start fresh with a new outlook and method. They all seemed pleased with that, so I felt better. The real success will be when then actually run their meetings more professionally all on their own without me telling them to. I hope it works out.
So I realized another random toiletry item that I can't get here that is something that I CAN live without, but would be nice to continue using if someone felt inclined to mail it to me: mouthwash. Dental hygiene is nice :)
Hmmm, instead of a Spanish lesson this time, how about I share some baseball terminology that they use here in Nicaragua. Base=base, but pronounced "ba-say", since the e has an "ay" sound in Spanish. Pitcher=pitcher, but pronounced "pit-chair". Bat=bata, ball=bola, and out=out. So as you can see, they use pretty much the same words as the English, just with a funny pronunciation, sometimes to the point that I can't understand what the word is until I see it in action (like if they're watching a game on TV for example). Then I laugh and say I finally understand. Sometimes there are actual Spanish words for some of the terms, but they still use the English word since that's what is most commonly heard in regards to baseball.
I'll leave you with that for now, seeing as my Skype date with Tina is looming near. Hope everyone is well back home! I miss you all,
~Sarah~
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