Tonight we went to the grocery store to pick up supplies for a big party tomorrow night. I’m really really excited about this party. We’ve invited everyone we know (about 30 people). Tomorrow I get to order my first Nicaraguan cake, pinata and other party decor. I’m relying on sight and scent more than reading as I pick out herbs and vegetables. It’s really satisfying every time I get it right, and I’m learning that I’m capable of more than I thought I was in this culture.
The menu:
- Black Bean Stew and Corn Relish
- Mini Tacos with Jalepeno, Chicken and Cream Cheese
- Chips with Salsa and Guacamole
- Fruit (Mango, Pineapple, Banana)
- Vegetable and Ranch Dip (made from scratc as this is nowhere to be found in Granada)
- Birthday Cake
Today we had a wedding at El Puente. It was the longest service I’ve been to yet. Just under two hours of sitting in the shade of the biggest tree I’ve ever seen. By the end of it, I was ready to go.
We asked our roommates if they wanted to go to lunch with a couple of other team members. Apparently the culture is different here, because if you ask they expect you to pay. We didn’t realize this, and didn’t bring enough cash with us. We went to a local bar that shows NFL games on Sunday. We’ve been before to watch the Braves, but I don’t think we’re going back. They don’t’ give you receipts, just adding it up on a calculator at the bar. This is atypical of Granada as you get a receipt for EVERYTHING here. So we had to borrow money from our roommates to pay for a lunch we weren’t expecting to pay. One of those wierd culture quirks that we are learning.
I’m also learning that I adore mornings here in Granada. I wake up every day on my own time. I have not heard an alarm go off since the day we flew down, and I absolutely love it. One of my least favorite parts of my office job was getting ripped out of sleep every morning by this loud buzzing sound. I typically wake up by seven naturally, although our room is drenched in natural light by five a.m. There is literally nothing I miss about my office job. Nothing. I make my own schedule, set my own priorities, manage our finances (day to day spending, monthly budgets, saving and investing) and have time to read and study whatever topic I choose. I wear what I want every day. All of this is nothing to compared to actually putting good back into this world. I’m paid to help people! It’s a dream life here, and I can’t imagine going back to a desk job where I suffer from acid indigestion, anxiety and extreme shoulder pain.
The lack of news has been harder the past two days than it was the first few days. I’m really craving browsing, but I am getting a lot more done without it. I’ve faithfully blogged for the past four days and didn’t procrastinate on the party planning either, which is unusual for me. I’m hoping it gets easier over the next few days.
Words I learned today:
- Ajo – Garlic
- Comino – Cumin
- Barato – Cheap
- Barrato – Panamenians
- Caro – Expensive
- Junto – Together