Today is the first day I have felt truly tired and frustrated. I had no patience what-so-ever for speaking Spanish. Not because I didn't want to, but because I was so tired and it was so hard to try and figure it out. It's over now... no reason to complain.
A re-cap of this past weekend and other events from the previous week:
After two days of sweeping basura (trash) and lighting it on fuego (fire) we were notified Wednesday morning that one of the horses had passed away. Paulette wanted to go out and see the horse and say good bye and I offered to come along as support and to be there if Franklin needed help with anything. Seeing a dead horse is surreal. Seeing a dead anything in person can be surreal but I guess I'm used to seeing other dead animals. A dead horse... I mean it really looks dead. Not to be completely morbid or anything. I was shocked by how unaffected I was by the dead horse. I am starting to think that death doesn't really bother me. It was Paulette's reaction and the baby horse trying to get milk from its dead mother that was so devastating. Etonces (so), I think it is just pain and heartache that affects me. Death and pain is a huge reality here. Day to day tragedies that we couldn't even image in the U.S. For instance my host father Bergman had to operate on a puppy that had it's head (right by its eye) split open by an asshole with a machete. Another is a mother who lost her twelve year old boy to Dengue completely randomly. (Usually it isn't fatal the first time around and he didn't have any probable symptoms.) I see starving animals everywhere, beaten, hungry and confused. I remind myself of the Ghandi saying that you know how a country is doing based on how it treats its animals. Nicaragua... not doing so well. That isn't to say there aren't people doing well and people who have healthy children and treat their animals with love and respect. That is there; with evidence.
Other than that I am still in awe of the beauty that surrounds me. Nicaragua is more beautiful than I could have ever imagined it being. My rides to the farm are always a pleasure when we pass the rolling hills of La Concha.
Now for this past weekend! Friday afternoon I had my first go at the Microbus... an adventure for sure. These little vans will stuff upwards of fifteen people inside when there is maybe room enough for eight. I was lucky enough to be on one that sat to the full capacity but no more. (By the way, they speed... really fast.) I was so proud of myself because I was able to get more minutes for my phone, find the Microbus stop, ask where it was going and pay for it all in Spanish... all by myself. It was a moment. I got to Managua safely and Alana picked me up in a taxi from the Metrocentro, which is basically a huge upscale mall. That evening we went out for our friend's good bye party. Side note: Miriam, the lady of the evening just left for Mexico. Her travels will also take her to Argentina, unfortunately not while I was planning on being there. She had been in Nicaragua a month working with a volunteer program that places in schools. She got to teach theater. (Yeah... it got me thinking.) I am considering getting a job with them after I'm done at La Mariposa. My plans are ever changing and totally up in the air. I'm going to wait for a sign.
Ok back to the weekend: The party was at a really good restaurant in Managua and I ate and drank delicious food and rum. Nicaragua is good for both of these things. The rest of the party went out dancing, but Alana has been sick so we went home. The next day we left for some beach. I have no idea what the name of it is but it was gorgeous. Mom you would have died. I took pictures and I will have them up at some point. Putting pictures up on this blog takes a long time so look for updates on my Facebook page. Rosario, a Nicaraguan friend, was the hostess and we went to her family's house. I was in a dream. Hammocks everywhere, a pool overlooking the ocean... pretty incredible. Saturday night I ordered lobster. It was by no means cheap... about the same that I would have payed in the States, but I felt it was necessary. I wont pay that much for food ever again (famous last words), but it was worth it that one time. I got back to my house late Sunday night and my host family is so kind for letting me do my own thing on the weekends. I am going to stay here this Friday night and hang out with the people who work at La Mariposa. I am going to try to get to Masaya this Saturday with a friend from the school.
I am really tired so I am not going to edit this so I hope this post makes sense. I love you all. Good night.
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