activities and terms of endearment

I’m writing this blog in the internet café, waiting for the internet to come back.  In the past two weeks, I had a few youth group meetings and we collected hundreds of chip bags off the street, cleaned them, then started making change purses and folders.  The kids, ages 9-14, absolutely love working with the trash, especially the boys.  I think a hidden incentive for them, though, is that they know I’ll play basketball with them after our meetings.  The first day, we played a game similar to knockout called sacarin and the next day they wanted to play a game.  I quickly realized it’s tough to teach 16 kids how to play organized basketball without knowing how to say “foul”, “guard your man”, and “you can’t punch another kid in the face when he’s shooting or dribbling” in Spanish.  Phrases to look up and memorize tomorrow… 

I went to the last graduation this week for the sixth graders in Aguas Calientes (the school about 5 km away).  I walked there with the vice principal and we arrived at about 10:00.  The mass started at 10:45 and because there were only 9 students graduating, everything was over at 12:00.  Of course we were fed afterwards so at about 12:30, I thought we’d be heading home but no, I didn’t get home until 5:30.  With the vice principal and one of the sixth grade teachers, we stopped at 5 houses on the way which meant a 30 minute pit stop at each.  Remember how I talked about Nicas being hospitable?  Well, at 3 of the 5 houses, we were each given a huge plate of food, sitting on plastic chairs or wooden benches in houses with dirt floors and tin walls.  They may not have much but they sure know how to warmly welcome guests.

This past week was the celebration of the Virgin Mary, called the Purisima.  It’s best described as trick-o-treating and Christmas caroling during summer.  Different houses put altars of the Virgin Mary in front of or in their house and after either a mass or a few songs, the house hands out candies, fruit, tupperware, etc.  Just like Halloween, there are the good houses and the not so good houses.  The good houses get swarms of people… pushing, shoving, flailing hands… while the not so good houses get civilized groups of people singing church songs then calmly walking to the front door to get their small gift.  In all seriousness, it’s a wonderful tradition because the kids from the small communities receive food they normally wouldn’t get in their homes.  As my neighbor so beautifully put it… Nicaragua es pobre pero bonito. 

A few days ago, I brought a touch of home to Teustepe when my two gringo friends came to visit and we made oatmeal raisin cookies.  Despite the burnt bottom (due to cooking them on a wood fire with help from my host sister), they were delicious and are requested for Christmas.  The highlight of these 2 weeks, though, was when my host nephew called me Meghancita.  There’s a good chance I’ll be mistaken for a true Nica after these two years.