Kids, and my Western over-priviledge

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So much has happened in the past week that I´m really at a loss as to what to say. Last Wednesday I was feeling sick, so Juliana made me stay home and rest. I think it was a good idea. because after (a lot!) of sleep I felt much better. I decided to go outside and wait on the front porch until Juliana got home from the University, as we were to travel by bus to Managua later that evening. As I sat outside reading, the little girl who lives next door (Marie) strolled past. She seemed surprised when I greeted her. A few minutes later, I looked up from my book to see her peering at me cautiously from the porch gate. I smiled, and invited her to sit with me. I then invited her in and gave her some juice, and we sat in silence (with me making intermittant small-talk) watching telenovelas. Then she left. this was my attempt to befriend the local kids-- little did I relise what I had let myself in for!

Only a few minutes later, Marie was back-- and she had brought her little sister. They were being very cute, trying on my sandals (which were MUCH too big for them) and taking turns wearing my glasses. So I decided to take a picture. Woah: I had no idea what was to be unleashed when I brought out my digital camera! Next thing I knew, the house was OVER-RUN with small children, who seemed to come out of the woodwork the moment the camera appeared! They spent the next 2 hours arguing over who could take pictures & posing. That would have been fine, except that after they had come inside there seemed to be no way to get them to LEAVE, and they have absolutely ZERO concept of private property, or what is appropriate: they went through all of my stuff (directly stating, "Give me this.", and even refusing to give it back when I said "no.") & pulled everything off the shelves, while others went through the fridge (I´m quite sure they stole my gum, which I had been saving), and yet others opened all of my toiletries in the bathrooom, making a total mess and wasting my body lotion! I didn´t know what to do: I can barely understand their rapid spanish, and they don´t seem to listen to a word I say. I was quite overwhelmed, and grateful when Juliana finally came home. Although she was totally unphased by the chaos, and only made them leave after an hour or so.

Yet what made the greatest impression on me throughout this (unsettling) experience was when Marie and her little sister Elisa were trying on my cheap, $2 chinese-slippers/sandals, and Marie said "give me these", as they say about everything. I laughed and said, "No, you have your own!". She looked at me with her eyes wide and sincere and said "No I don´t", "yes you do!", I laughed. "No," she said, "I can´t have shoes until they pay my daddy". Nothing could have been a harder slap back to reality. Needless to say, I am now minus one pair of my chinese slippers (which she proudly wears around, even tho they are a bit big for her). Marie then went on to ask "And you have more pants?", "Yes," I replied ashamedly, "And tops? And earrings too?!". I couldn´t deny it. "Yes, I do", I said, painfully aware that the only clothes they posess are the ragged ones they are wearing. I have never felt to over-priviledged: This is one of those memories that I will never forget for the rest of my life.

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Photos

Marie & Elisa
Elisa (the younger one) is wearing my glasses: and they´re upside down!

Juliana´s street
This is the view down the street from uliana´s front porch. The lil girl in the corner is Elisa, who lives next door.