Un tiempo para plantar, y un tiempo para cosechar…
Un tiempo para destruir, y un tiempo para construir,
Un tiempo para llorar, y un tiempo para reír…
Un tiempo para esparcir piedras, y un tiempo para recogerlas,
Un tiempo para abrazarse, y un tiempo para despedirse…
Un tiempo para callar, y un tiempo para hablar…
A time to plant, and a time to uproot…
A time to destroy and a time to build,
A time to cry, and a time to laugh…
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them,
A time to hug, and a time to refrain,
A time to be quiet, and a time to speak
-Ecclesiastes 3 (with special thanks to Simon and Garfunkel)
When I chose to come to Nicaragua I knew I was signing on to an experience that would be one of the more difficult options for study abroad, because I wanted a challenge, and so far I haven’t been disappointed. I am realizing that in the midst of cultural adjustment there is a time for everything. A time to be frustrated about classes and a time to enjoy doing my homework. A time to not understand a word and a time to speak awesome Spanish. A time to stay out late dancing and a time to lounge around the house for hours. A time to miss home and a time to be busy and forget to miss it. A time to meet tons of new people and a time to Skype with old friends. A time to get familiar with Nicaraguan music and a time to retreat with the comfort of Lady Gaga.
It is a question of figuring out how long I let myself retreat, hang back, or complain before I push myself to get out there and get moving again. Which I think applies to life in any country.
In my “go” times, which are becoming more frequent, I have been having some great conversations. Even though I have experienced this in other travels, I have been amazed to remember just how aware people are of the United States here and how much US policies, news, and culture are on people’s minds because they’re so affected by them. It’s easy to lose sight of this living in the country that is in everyone else’s spotlight, but here in Nicaragua it’s blatantly obvious. Almost everyone I’ve asked or talked to here has a good friend, if not a family member, living in the United States. Everyone knows about the Arizona immigration law, and lots of people know where Seattle is. Everyone in my history class knew that we got our independence in 1776 and that George Washington was our first president (granted, they are history majors). They know this because it’s impossible to ignore. The US was the country who turned over the National Guard to the first Somoza dictator, (the first of a family who ruled ruthlessly for over 40 years), financed the contra war, built lots of houses as part of the Alliance for Progress (including the one I live in), and made English the Language to Know. People know both positive and negative things about the country I call home, but sometimes I worry that people (such as history students) associate me too closely with the bad things they’ve heard about the US, and I hope they realize that, while I am proud to be an American, I am not the government and I did not personally install their last dictator. Lots of people are surprised to find out that I too think the Arizona law is discriminatory, or that Western countries have interfered too much in Latin America, and that my professors in the US are just as critical, if not more so, of things my country has done in the past. I hope that if they make assumptions about me for my nationality, they assume some good things too.
Also, lots of Nicaraguans’ information about daily life in the US comes from TV and other equally as realistic and reliable sources. On Thursday I was talking to a lady who said that she would never want to live in the US because it is dangerous, because she had seen on the Discovery Channel that there are lots of crimes there, and she prefers Nicaragua because that kind of stuff doesn’t happen here. I had to laugh as I explained to her that my experience has been very different from that, but I suppose it depends on your perspective.
These are things that have been milling around my mind. Now for your viewing pleasure I will include my latest list:
Things that are harmful to my health (according to my host mom):
1. Walking around barefoot (the cold floor will hurt my bones)
2. Eating raw carrots (I’ll have no teeth by the time I’m her age)
3. Washing my hair every day (ok, I’ve heard this one before. But if you knew how hot it was here, you’d understand…)
I felt the same way as you did, many people just have their own judgements about America and Americans, but then they would say sillier things, that, "I must be the exception." That is why travel is so important, see Mark Twain's quote below:
ReplyDelete“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” —Mark Twain, 1857
It was like that in 1857, and it still remains today in 2010.
You won't change their minds, but you can be a good example or an ambassador if you will, so they can start questioning things in their minds.
- No signature is needed, you know who this is!! haha
by the way, forgot to mention that Mark Twain traveled through Nicaragua in 1866, and wrote about it... thought you might find it interesting:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/06/AR2010080602860.html
I can only imagine what people think about us if they ever watch MTV. If they think all Americans are like those on "Jersey Shores," they might judge us a lot ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you can find time to live in the moment and time to reflect on it all, I love reading about all your adventures and musings :)
Yes, some Nicaraguans are learning from me but I am also learning a ton from them, and really, I find them very open-minded and informed about the world, more than most people from the US. It is humbling to see how much they do know about our country, and how little I used to know about theirs... but I am learning. It's an honor to be able to have these conversations with them.
ReplyDeleteIt's OK to be in the dark about things sometimes. I always enjoyed snow skiing in the fog, so I couldn't tell what bump was coming up next. It made me a better skier. So what does this have to do with anything? Hummm. Hey, when you're in your 50's stuff just comes to your mind and you say it.
ReplyDeleteSo...down there where they grow cacao beans...have you discovered chocolate? You should go hunt some up.
Love you and miss you,
Pastor Naomi