Here, here!
It is hard to believe that this is the last day of May and I only have 8 weeks left here in Nicaragua. Some days I am so excited to go home, see my family and become once again enveloped in the comforts of the first world. And then there are days that I can’t even fathom returning to normal life in the States.
I have struggled (at times not very gracefully) with the process of understanding poverty and politics during my time in Nicaragua. And at times I was pretty sure I had answers that satisfied some of the nagging pains I felt. And sometimes I was just so confused and lost, I had no idea what I was even looking for anymore.
I came to Nicaragua for selfish reasons masked by good intentions. While studying ethnobotany at WashU I was so jealous that people got to go into the field and learn firsthand from witch doctors. I had no real idea what I was getting into when I came to Nicaragua. A decision to live with a family came from the desire to learn Spanish quicker and to get off the compound of the JHC. I didn’t really think about the fact that I would be living within a family struggling with their own problems, anxieties and unemployment.
I have been upset with the fact that I have gained weight here. It isn’t safe to go for a run in the streets, the swimming pool that I actually have access to is alarmingly small and no stores carry weights. The food that I am served is the foundation of a basic diet, a complete protein of rice and beans with calories coming from sugar. Cheap, basic and plain so it is usually spiced up with another cheap method of cooking – it is all fried. It frustrates me to no end that my panza is growing and growing. I eat two meals a day with Dona Yeny, and I eat what she can afford. I of course can go to the store and invest in Special K bars (which I have) and yogurt. I can afford to do that. But the kids across the street drink sugary packets of red dye and eat bags of chips, both only costing C$1, all the time. Going to the store and spending C$90 on cereal is not an option for the Silvas.
A delegation from Bucknell University is with us right now for 3 weeks. It is always interesting to see their reactions to things I have come accustomed to in Nicaragua. It is always shocking to see what they chose to bring with them and what they will leave behind.
I have struggled (at times not very gracefully) with the process of understanding poverty and politics during my time in Nicaragua. And at times I was pretty sure I had answers that satisfied some of the nagging pains I felt. And sometimes I was just so confused and lost, I had no idea what I was even looking for anymore.
I came to Nicaragua for selfish reasons masked by good intentions. While studying ethnobotany at WashU I was so jealous that people got to go into the field and learn firsthand from witch doctors. I had no real idea what I was getting into when I came to Nicaragua. A decision to live with a family came from the desire to learn Spanish quicker and to get off the compound of the JHC. I didn’t really think about the fact that I would be living within a family struggling with their own problems, anxieties and unemployment.
I have been upset with the fact that I have gained weight here. It isn’t safe to go for a run in the streets, the swimming pool that I actually have access to is alarmingly small and no stores carry weights. The food that I am served is the foundation of a basic diet, a complete protein of rice and beans with calories coming from sugar. Cheap, basic and plain so it is usually spiced up with another cheap method of cooking – it is all fried. It frustrates me to no end that my panza is growing and growing. I eat two meals a day with Dona Yeny, and I eat what she can afford. I of course can go to the store and invest in Special K bars (which I have) and yogurt. I can afford to do that. But the kids across the street drink sugary packets of red dye and eat bags of chips, both only costing C$1, all the time. Going to the store and spending C$90 on cereal is not an option for the Silvas.
A delegation from Bucknell University is with us right now for 3 weeks. It is always interesting to see their reactions to things I have come accustomed to in Nicaragua. It is always shocking to see what they chose to bring with them and what they will leave behind.
Labels: Nica
- Alyse - 12:55 PM
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