It’s hard for me to think of this as the end, since there are so many ends and beginnings happening simultaneously. The final grant proposal isn’t done yet, but will be finished from the States. My new friendships and my job search will be continuing. I am leaving Nicaragua, and probably not coming back for a while. There’s no way to sum everything up, but I’ll at least catch up on what’s been happening.
I had an amazing and relaxing time with Rebecca on the Caribbean coast. For anyone who’s been to a Caribbean island, imagine that, but with no cars and no cruise ships and no big hotels and no big stores and no paved roads. People speak Spanish and Caribbean English and I also heard some people speaking Miskito. The fresh fish and lobster in coconut sauce cost less than $8.
My Aunt Sally and cousins Grace and Jack were here, which was really nice. I got to tag along for the Christmas bird count that happens at my aunt’s farm/nature preserve El Nisperal and all over the world. The idea is to walk all around a specific area during one day and note all the bird species you see. Most places have a list of birds that have been seen in previous years, so the goal is to spot the usual ones and hopefully add more. It was amazing to see how much detailed information Sally, Jack, and their friend from the U.S. embassy knew. Later in the day we met up with other birders at Montibelli, another private nature reserve nearby. We got to see some beautiful birds right from their patio, and added up the day’s count which totaled 100 species.
Jack came with me to pick up Billy’s marimba in Morimbo, Masaya. It’s beautifully made, but they hadn’t packed it up for me. After a visit to the hardware store, the marimba is wrapped in foam blocks, cardboard, my yoga matt, and an entire industrial sized roll of duct tape. Please join me in hoping that despite the fact that it is the size of an 11 year child, Continental airlines lets me check it as baggage.
I spent a last afternoon in Palo Solo with Blanca’s classmate Dulce, and got to see some newborn piglets on the farm. I met the new intern at the Mariposa Spanish school, and I hope that visits to El Nisperal will continue. I met up with Sally’s friend Abby, and got to ask her about her impressions of Nicaragua. I went to the Laguna de Apoyo one last time with Blanca and friends. I said goodbye to Karla who gave me a beautiful handmade card.
For Christmas Eve I accompanied Blanca for her last minute shopping in the busy Masaya market. I ate quesillo, baho, and drank cacao. Later we went to her family’s house in Nidiri and spent the evening with her mom, aunt and cousins. We went to church and saw the end of a pageant. The service ended with everyone coming up to kiss a statue of baby Jesus, and then everyone broke into applause and gathered outside to watch a fireworks display and hear a band play. We ate delicious food and managed to stay up until midnight, when everyone (EVERYONE) set off fireworks and then opened presents.
Blanca finally found one of the cards I had written to her cerca 1993 from when we were penpals briefly. I feel so grateful to her for her friendship and companionship; I’m not sure what my time here would have been like without her. I’m also incredibly grateful to my aunt and uncle for letting me stay in their house and providing me with an opportunity to work with their organization. Also to Karla for her friendship and helping me with my work at the library, and to Claudia and Chamba who work at the house. I've had some great experiences here and gotten to see so much. I’m almost positive that I’ll come back in the not too distant future.
I have many hopes for 2011, including that I will continue doing yoga (I can do a headstand now!), speaking Spanish, and find a great new job. I’ll be in the Bay Area until January 8th, and then back in New York. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Marimba y mas
Well hello there all 2 of my blog readers! Sorry that it’s been a while. I had a great visit with Billy. He took to the crowded minibuses, fried food, and warm weather, and managed to speak and understand a lot of Spanish. We dug into the local ethnomusicology and tried to find out the mystery of the marimba’s origin in Masaya, Nicaragua’s indigenous folklore capital. We spoke with some real, live marimba experts (Billy took 2 lessons and bought an instrument) and participated in a night of traditional music and dancing that took place in private homes. We saw the local volcano, had dinner with Blanca, went to a jazz club where Billy sat in, had a Thanksgiving dinner at the Ola Verde, AND made it to Laguna de Apoyo, Leon, Granada, and Isla Omtepe. It was really nice to show him the library and my aunt’s farm, and the howler monkeys did not disappoint!
Billy carried the ayote!
I promised to write more about the library, but I think posting some pictures will do better than words. To give a little background, the Library was built 5 years ago in memory of my Aunt’s father. It is located in a rural town (about 50 families) located about 7 kilometers from the paved road. Most of the families live in houses that resemble shacks, and make their living from agriculture. The town has one 2 room school for preschool, elementary and middle school. Any kid who wants to go to high school has to walk at least an hour and half to the nearest school. The library has offered painting classes, dance classes, and computer classes, and continues to offer arts and crafts and reading activities. There is a group of about 10 children ages 7-10 that come almost every day to play and read. The most amazing part is how comfortable they feel in the Library- they kick off their shoes, make forts out of the sofa cushions, and play make believe games.
arts and crafts
a student's house
playing restaurant
reading with Karla
Since Billy left I’ve been working on job applications, a book of my photos and interviews, and revisions to the grant proposal, but I feel like time is already short! Rebecca gets here on Thursday and on Saturday we are going to the Caribbean coast for 5 days. When I get back, my Aunt Sally and cousins Grace and Jack will be here for a few days, and then I only have about a week and a half before I leave for California. Tomorrow I’m going to the library with a group of Blanca’s classmates from her postgrad class on evaluation of social programs. They may decide to do their class project on the library, which would be exciting.
Tonight I went with Blanca to Managua to celebrate the Griteria, which is a culmination of a 9 day celebration of the Virgin Mary. It’s kind of like a mix between Christmas caroling and Halloween, since groups of people stop at each house that has an altar and sing traditional songs about the all powerful Mary (perhaps personifying the pre-colonial Goddess?) and then the people in the house give out sweets and fruit. The yelling part is when people get to the house, they yell “Quien causa tanta alegria?/Who causes so much happiness?” and the response is “La Concepcion de Maria!/Maria’s Conception!”
I hope that everyone tenga mucha alegria! Happy Hanukah!
I promised to write more about the library, but I think posting some pictures will do better than words. To give a little background, the Library was built 5 years ago in memory of my Aunt’s father. It is located in a rural town (about 50 families) located about 7 kilometers from the paved road. Most of the families live in houses that resemble shacks, and make their living from agriculture. The town has one 2 room school for preschool, elementary and middle school. Any kid who wants to go to high school has to walk at least an hour and half to the nearest school. The library has offered painting classes, dance classes, and computer classes, and continues to offer arts and crafts and reading activities. There is a group of about 10 children ages 7-10 that come almost every day to play and read. The most amazing part is how comfortable they feel in the Library- they kick off their shoes, make forts out of the sofa cushions, and play make believe games.
Since Billy left I’ve been working on job applications, a book of my photos and interviews, and revisions to the grant proposal, but I feel like time is already short! Rebecca gets here on Thursday and on Saturday we are going to the Caribbean coast for 5 days. When I get back, my Aunt Sally and cousins Grace and Jack will be here for a few days, and then I only have about a week and a half before I leave for California. Tomorrow I’m going to the library with a group of Blanca’s classmates from her postgrad class on evaluation of social programs. They may decide to do their class project on the library, which would be exciting.
Tonight I went with Blanca to Managua to celebrate the Griteria, which is a culmination of a 9 day celebration of the Virgin Mary. It’s kind of like a mix between Christmas caroling and Halloween, since groups of people stop at each house that has an altar and sing traditional songs about the all powerful Mary (perhaps personifying the pre-colonial Goddess?) and then the people in the house give out sweets and fruit. The yelling part is when people get to the house, they yell “Quien causa tanta alegria?/Who causes so much happiness?” and the response is “La Concepcion de Maria!/Maria’s Conception!”
I hope that everyone tenga mucha alegria! Happy Hanukah!
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