new years resolutions, but i digress

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8 October 2010
Friday 10:40 am

Random thoughts:

When the rain stopped a few days ago and we had cloudless blue skies? It appears the dry season “summer” is here as there have been blue skies ever since. While it is hot and sunny in the sun, it is cool in the shade and downright cold at night.

There are lots of weird customs and beliefs here in the countryside of Nicaragua that I have a hard time trying to refute, or even listening to without rolling my eyes. For example…

When a woman has her period, she cannot look at a baby or the baby will get a lung or sinus infection.

It is considered good luck and good health for people to lightly spit on a baby’s stomach or back. I have been asked to do this a few times, and I always refuse saying that not only do I have my period, but I have calentura (feverish sickness).

Babies wear bracelets of red string and two large seeds to keep away the evil eye. Also, sometimes they put a red dot on the forehead, also to keep away the evil eye.

Women on their period cannot eat eggs. Neither can women who recently (less than two months ago) gave birth.

Never shower when you are agitated, or hot. If you are sweating, you cannot shower.

Don’t drink anything but coffee with fried food or you will have diarrhea.

I have been told by various family members never to eat or drink anything at certain houses because the women are witches and who knows if they will slip me something.

I am sure there are more that I am forgetting at the moment, but these are the ones that are constantly being told to me. The baby stuff is especially pertinent since there are two new babies here. Karen’s baby, who still doesn’t have a name, and Ismara’s baby Eddy.

And of course there is one year old Joanna next door. She is so freaking cute and everytime I walk by (10 times a day or more) and she is on the porch in her crib or out back in a chair while her mother, Dinorah, washes clothes, I always say, “Adios, Joanna!” and wave, and she gets this big grin and holds her left hand up - which is how they figured out she’s a lefty - and yells “Ma!” which is her way of saying “Hey, Molly, what’s up?”

I just realized that there is a cedar tree outside of my window. I never noticed that. I guess it has always been eclipsed by the mango tree.

I am slowly but surely giving away the last of the vegetable garden seeds to the members of my women’s group. I wanted to have a meeting in September, but what with everything happening in September and me going back and forth between hospitals I opted for just visiting people and giving them out to the 17 families individually. I take the wedding photo album and they can look at pictures and receive their last installment of seeds.

I know it’s only October, but I am already evaluating everything in my room and deciding what will be packed to take home, what will be given as Christmas gifts, and what will be sold. I plan on having the first ever garage sale in the history of Moropoto so Lenin and I can sell the extra clothes and stuff that we cannot, or will not, take to the States or haul to Wiwili. I haven’t figured out how it will work yet.

I also want to sell raffle tickets to the kids for things like my basketball, a coloring book and crayons, and my baby clay piggy bank, which not only has Nicaraguan cordobas in it, but also American change, Mexican pesitos, Chinese yuan and various other coins from Central America countries.

In other news, I am getting really excited and really apprehensive to leave Nicaragua and go to the States, and I know Lenin feels the same way, but he is definitely more apprehensive.

Although it is hard to know what will happen when we arrive, I am already trying to make New Year’s resolutions, rather unsuccessfully. For me, going back to the States but having to adjust to speaking English, to not having public transportation, not having a 75 degree climate year round, not being able to shower outdoors, not having freshly grown fruit, not having freshly made cheese, not having beans every day, not having hammocks, and not getting to have a relaxing day walking around, talking to people, sitting on a porch and reading for hours at a time…. it’s gonna be rough.

That said, I am soooo looking forward to having a washer and a dryer and a toilet and a gas stove and a gas oven and cookbooks and….

But how will I ever go the creek without wondering if I should just take my bath there? How will I get used to paying five dollars for a cup of coffee without thinking about my neighbors picking a five gallon bucket’s worth of coffee for a dollar? How will I pay over a dollar for a tiny avocado when I know I could get two big, meaty avocados on the streets of Somoto for 50 cents?

I know that it will be a lot easier to forget these things after I’ve been back for a while.

But the thing is, I am married to Lenin, and he will be there trying to figure it all out with me, so it will be harder to forget, but also harder to adjust to our new life in the States.

I am just so confused. I want to live at the Lake on Spencer Creek and I want to own my own business but does that dream need to wait for five or ten years while we go try city life, making bigger bucks but spending them just as fast on rent, utilities, parking, furniture, etc?

But what federal jobs are there in the Lake area? Why federal? Because I have been working for the government while I am down here eating fresh fruit, visiting people, reading, and planting gardens and these two years of Peace Corps service count toward a greater starting point in the pay scale, retirement, and non competitive eligibility for federal jobs for the next year. Also, great benefits and decent health care.

That said, what kind of federal jobs are at the Lake?

There’s the Post Office. Now, since my mother and uncle currently work there, and I have worked in two different offices in my short life, I would say that I might have a shot at getting an actual rural route contract or working in the office, which would suck in the office sense, but be better in the not having to keep up the car and deliver in the rain, the sleet, the snow, the ice, and the unbearably hot and muggy summers in mid Missouri. Also, no scary guard dogs, no delivering eviction notices from banks, no cussing people who don’t cut the weeds around their mailboxes or the snowplow drivers who pile snow in front of all the boxes, and no ruining of cars.

I have no idea what other federal jobs there are in small towns. I suppose the IRS or something must be federal.

If a federal job is not in the works for my life at the Lake of the Ozarks, I would like to work with kids and with sports. At this point, not knowing any of the requirements because I have never actually considered this before, I would consider being a teacher for either 4th-6th or high school, and being a coach. Or just being a coach would be awesome in and of itself. Seriously, being a PE teacher would rock. Also, the YMCA is cool and, having worked there before, it could help. However, I think the YMCA probably pays by the hour. If I had a night job, in addition to working wherever, I would not mind working in a clothing store and getting some good discounts while I had the energy for a day job and a night job.

I digress. Let’s get back to my new years, new life, resolutions. One is to never use a credit card again unless I have the money in the bank and can immediately pay the card off, just to build my credit. I am excited, however, to have my checks from work directly deposited into my bank account and to have my debit card back. Oh, and to have internet at the house and be able to check my bank account online. And to have my IRA and to be able to put money back in it again. Not excited to have my student loans kick back in, but am looking forward to having that as my only debt and to be able to pay it ALL off within my first two years back.

Luckily, Lenin is frugal and likes to count his money, just like I do. I however, am more my dad’s girl and like to splurge. Lenin and I have to figure out our finances when we get to the States. Here, we have the same salary, though we are paid on different dates, so when I am out of money he has it and when he is out of money I have it. Except, we are actually rarely out of money since saying that “I’m broke” translates to “I have spent the money I have allotted myself for the month and I refuse to dip into my savings, so… I’m broke.” Neither of us says that, but we both know we each have lots of cordobas and dollars saved up.

I need to ask Dad to ask the bank how one opens up a checking account so Lenin can open his account. Does he need to have a bill from the house in his name? If so, can we put the gas bill for the casita in his name?

Lenin and I need to ask the embassy things like that. We are so focused on just getting his immigrant visa to enter the States that we haven’t been asking what happens when we get there. What rights does he have once we cross the border? As I understand (imagine?), he does not need a green card to work, he can work and pay taxes as soon as he wants. He has to sign up for selective service, just like every male over the age of eighteen, I know that. But, really, there are a lot more questions that I have about his rights as a soon to be immigrated American.

That said, I have questions about my rights here in Nicaragua. When we come back to visit, am I entering as a tourist, or am I a resident? Can I apply for a Nicaraguan passport? For a cedula? I know there is something because there is a middle aged German woman who has been married to a Nicaraguan for years and they have a business. Well, she runs it. Also, the British owner of Café Luz in Esteli. I mean, are they leaving to Honduras every 30 days and entering as a tourist again and again? I doubt it. I need to go talk to them. Although, the US embassy would probably be a better source of information. And since the embassy is someplace where we are getting very familiar, it would be prudent to ask them on one of our many trips down there.

Back to the resolutions?

No credit cards.

Figure out a workable budget including my savings (used for IRA and student loans and maybe a new laptop), his savings (to send to his family here), food, gas, utilities, travel budget, etc.

Socialize. Like have people over for dinner. Go to people’s houses for dinner.

Speaking of food, going out for dinner is fine but fast food is not. Also, overly prepared food is not okay, either. If we want something sweet, I will bake it. Except ice cream. Ice cream is a splurge. I also want a big garden and I want our meat raised in Missouri and we will shop at farmer’s markets during the summer for things we don’t have in our garden.

I will buy things Made in America when there is a choice, even if that choice costs more.

And, damn it, I want some of my muscles back. That means going for bike rides and jogging at Ha Ha Tonka and working in the yard and like, playing softball or something.

Okay, that’s all I’ve got for now. They deal with money, food, and exercise. Well, isn’t that cliché? I would say that 90 percent of all resolutions, or 95 percent are about money, food, and exercise.

There are others that revolve around books, photographs, and business loans, too.

This is four pages long on Micro Word. No idea how long it will be on travelblog. If you made it this far, you must be a devoted friend… or at least a devoted reader of my blog.

Over and out.

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Photos

somoto hospital
friend of the lactating mother. bottles are prohibited.

free hospital sign
this hospital is free. it is illegal to charge for services.

Comments

[Wendy Brownell]

when you get back
Molly, When you guys arrive, if you want I'll introduce you to my friends in the Mexican community here. also, whenever you guys like we can also get together and have an evening of puro español y comida mexicana/nicaraguense/salvadoreña. I'm sure you already know this, but the Lake is a pretty backwards place in regards to multiculturalism.

[Mom]

I MADE IT!!! YAY MOLLY!!!!
Not only did I make it through, but your Dad and I BOTH made it through. And,...WE THOROUGHLY enjoyed every word. Ha! Well, like they say, "different strokes...", huh? It will be very interesting when you and your hubby, Lenin, get up here to Missouri in January! (ahem! There's also the one about "when in Rome,...", but there will certainly be some mixing up happening! But, there always is: Steve was raised in the city and I way out in the country. We're STILL working on finding the 'perfect mix'! That is just called LIFE. Molly, thank you for this very interesting blog entry. Maybe you don't hear it often enough anymore, but I KNOW that you still have many fond followers! We love you, and, whatever makes you happy makes us happy! How could we be anything other!!? XO

[anonymous]

I made it.. I even had a laugh or two on the customs part at the top. soo silly. but I guess they could look at some of our customs in the us as silly to: like black cats are bad luck, walking under a ladder is bad luck. etc. Yay for your resolutions.. what a goal! I am really excited for you both to come back to the states!! Excited to visit you all!