Holidays in Nicaragua

Dear Friends and Family,

Feliz Navidad! Merry Christmas! I hope you were able to celebrate this
special holiday with the ones you hold near and dear. I spent my
first Christmas in Nicaragua in Israel with my host family. We had
dinner together on the 24th then went to the "rio" (river) on the
25th. It was a nice outing but for me the feel of Christmas was
lacking. In many ways the lack of similarities in how Christmas is
celebrated in her Nicaragua and in the USA helps in lessen the missing
home feeling. I did find that in Israel instead of passing on
Christmas Cheer people were passing around Christmas "chisme" (gossip)
about the new person in town …ME!

Let me start from the beginning. On December 23 Israel had its last
promocion (graduation) for the 6th graders. In good Nicaragua fashion
it started 2 hours late and ran late. Lucky the DJ company had a
generator and we had some light in the building. (We had lost
electricity early afternoon that day.) Once the promocion was over
there was a "fiesta" planned (a huge dance party with a gigante video
screen). Up until the 6th grade fiesta I had stayed away from the
"Promocion fiestas," but since my host sister was in town and would be
going with her husband I figured I could attend and see what the party
is all about plus as a teacher I don't pay a cover charge. Sweet!

We went in and I planned to do more watching then dancing. I am not
there for more then 5 minutes and men beginning to ask me to dance. I
said no to each and every one of them. Not because I am better then
them or don't like to dance but because it's Nicaragua and I live here
in Israel so everything I do is watched and as I found out exaggerated
upon. So here is my reasons for not dancing with the men of Isreal:
Machismo is a big thing in Nicaragua. It is ok for men to have
multiple children with different women or date multiple women at the
same time or to drink excessively. So at this "fiesta" I am asked to
dance by men I don't know but am fairly sure they are married, they
are probably drunk, and I don't trust them to respect me. So I smile
and say no while shaking my finger at them (just incase they don't
hear me). Then there are men that I kind of know from the community
who ask me to dance. They are greeted with the same response why for
the same reasons but I know they are true and because they make me
uncomfortable or were rude to me. It is not ok to call me fat and then
expect me to want to dance with you. Never going to happen.

Side note: It is common place to call people out on physically
descriptions sach as fat, thin, white, dark skinned. Nicaraguans do it
all the time. Do they like it, that is hard to say. I am not a fan
of the fat thing but it's normal. My uncle told me one day "Oh you
look very fat today". "Thanks". In the same respect I have been told
"Oh you look thinner." Ok thanks. The new one I am hearing is you are
very Hermosa, which I learned in the USA means beautiful but it's not
true it is used to describe someone as pretty in a fat way. I chalk
it up to culture and go on with my day.

Back to the Fiesta. I did end up dancing with my friends in the
community, the hermanas (sister) Lopez, Haczel (my counterpart's
daughter), and my host sister. They attempted to teach me how to
dance the Nicaraguan music and I don't really get it. But I had fun
trying. I did teacher Chica how to dance swing, that was a lot of
fun. Towards the end of the party the men were drunker and at one
point one man was not happy with my decline to dance and Chica had to
block his advances. Then they started to throw beer and that was my
cue to leave. I heard later that a fight broke out and there were
guns. Possibly true or just more chime. Now because I attend the
"fiesta" the towns people have began to talk. Some of the men who I
declined to dance were saying that I would not dance with them and
that it looked like I was drunk. Really I think their egos are hurt
so they are going to talk bad about me. Then they wonder why I do not
talk to them. The other chisme in town is that I supposedly was
drinking at one of the local bars. Now it is true I do frequent one
of the local bars in town but not for the happy hour . Mirna one of
my friends in town and running buddy lives at the house that the bar
is in so I visit her and in turn visit a bar. So I have decided that
I will not be drinking in Israel anytime soon, if ever. I can only
wonder what the locals would say if I actually did something that was
worth gossiping about. Lucky the people that do know me in the
community know that the chisme is not true and I figure if I do not
give it the time of day it will become yesterday's news. But I will
keep you updated on any new "chisme".

At the end of this week Jan 4th I will have been in Israel for 6
weeks, the grace period for PC volunteers to live with a host family
then can move out on their own. It is also an important adjustment
time for PCVs in integrating into the community. PC gave me a laundry
list of things to do in these first 6 weeks which I have yet to
complete. Now don't think I have been on vacation all this time. I
have been doing/ starting things in Israel I am just doing it in my
own way. Here is a list of some of the work I have been doing:

1. Youth group meetings: made Christmas cards and abono (compost) so far.

2. English class: played go fish and reviewed numbers.

3. Running group: 5:30 am run 8 laps around the soccer field. 3 of us
usually go (Mirna (friend), Lisette (cousin) and me) but I had up to 6
people one day.

4. Visiting the community. On my visits I meet and talk with different
people in the community. More times then not I am feed or taught how
to do something. I have learned how to palmiar (make) tortillas and
make choco bananas.

5. Search for a House to rent. This process takes a while because in
Nicaraguan culture you have to ask indirectly about things. In the
states it is all business and you get straight to the point here no
it's small talk then some business and then small talk again.

6. Get to know my surroundings. I have visited two of the communities
near my town. One where I went horse back riding (Los {Pisotes) and
one where they sell really good bread (Bonete). I have also hiked two
of the Lomas (hills) around town. I found a snake on the last hike.
Good times.

7. Attend community meetings. I attended an NGO meeting with the
Alcalde (mayor) It ran late and the mayor never showed. Lots of
unhappy people. I attended a meeting about the promoccion date of the
kindergarten class. 2 hours of arguing and the date stayed the same
and half the group left unhappy.

8. Bus routes: I have been learning how to use the local
transportation system (school buses). I have the route down and I even
know what buses to take that will give me a free ride. I've saved a
few cords of free bus rides.

9. And there are plans for more such as a youth group English class
and a garden so I can eat more vegetables.
I feel like I am building a place for myself in the community. It is
a slow process but each day I make progress and for the most part do
enjoy being here in Israel in Nicaragua. I hope you al have a
wonderful safe New Years. I will be spending New Years with my host
family in Masaya. I am looking forward to a change for a few days.

I am sending puictures of the kindergaten graduation and the bathroom
and shower at my house. SWEET!

All the best
Olenka

Olenka Langen
Apartado Postal 77
Chinandega Chinandega
Nicaragua, Central America