I’m backlogged on blogs again, so get ready for (hopefully) regular updates as I close the race out. 🙂
While in Nicaragua, I got the amazing opportunity to spend
some time with a friend of mine, Connie, and her son Darwin. I met Connie early
into my stay in Nicaragua and she deemed herself my Nicaraguan mother. She said my real mother does not have
to worry because I have a home in Nicaragua in her heart. So, pretty much
Connie is the bomb.
She invited me over one night for a sleepover. I’m not sure
who was more excited her or me. But this is how excited I was, so beat that
Connie:
While I was getting ready I asked myself ‘what does one do
on a sleepover in Nicaragua?’ In the states, I would watch a chick flick and
eat some ice cream. At the very least, I would probably speak the same language
as my friends… but no such thing here. I was just along for the ride.
Firstly, sleepovers in Nicaragua start at 5 p.m.
I’m
not sure if this is always the case, but the ride to take me to her village was
leaving at 5, ‘we leave in half an hour’. Oh, okay… well, I guess I’ll get
ready then.
Secondly, you sit in a hammock and speak only Spanish.
Of
course you do. Now, I speak a little Spanish from high school and college- but
it’s not that good. My verb conjugations are out the window. So what happens?
What happens is that Connie and Darwin are both super patient and great
communicators. Even in another culture, facial expressions and hand gestures go
a long way. At times, I forgot they weren’t speaking English because we were
communicating so well. Other times I felt mentally exhausted just from trying
to translate in my head what I wanted to say.
Thirdly, instead of popcorn and ice cream, there are mangos
and rice and beans.
Mangos
fresh from the tree. This is Darwin getting some. We ate them with salt.
(Connie is ready to catch them.)
The bathroom is out back.
Everyone sleeps in the same room.
There are birds to play with/talk to.
Finally, if you thought there wouldn’t be movies, you (as I
was) are deceived.
We
watched High School Musical in Spanish (except the songs, thank God- because
then I got to sing along with Darwin).
After it was over they asked me if I wanted to watch another one. I
realized it was like 10:30 at night and my ride was going back to the village
at like 7 a.m. So I said I was tired and we should all go to bed. You’d think
I’d suggested that we steal Christmas gifts from orphans or something. Their
faces both dropped and Connie told me that on a normal night, it would be bed
time. But tonight is special (even though it was a school night) and it was a
fiesta! Well, who can argue with that? So, we watched High School Musical 2,
which was thankfully in English or I would’ve been completely lost, and it
reminded me of Saved By the Bell when they all worked one summer at a resort.
Nevertheless, I had a fantastic time with them and I think
Nicaraguans know how to throw a good sleepover after all. Connie and Dar where
my best friends there and a very hard goodbye for me. Darwin made me a bracelet
that I am always wearing now. Connie gave me her phone number so I can give her
a call when I get home and let my Nicaraguan mama know how I am. Not sure how
communication will go over the phone without hand gestures and facial
expressions to help, but I’m learning that love is communicated much more
easily than I usually think.
