Ticos, Hippies, and Break Dancers

On the one hand, I have been too busy to write, but on the other, I don't really have any super important thought to express, so I'll give you a pistache (is that the word?) of what's been on my mind and in my agenda in the past week or two:

Last weekend I made a quick trip with Anna to Costa Rica to renew my 90-day tourist visa for Nicaragua (would you believe that 90 days has almost passed?) It was my first time physically walking across a border, and kind of exciting. It is also interesting to see the subtle differences that exist between two cultures, even when they are bordering countries. We observed a bit of the hippie culture on Saturday night when a group of university students performed on the streets, juggling fire and dancing barefoot. The whole town came out to watch and it was a cool sense of community. Later there was a youth break dancing performance in central park. I'm not sure if that's a normal occurrence, but we enjoyed watching it! I haven't seen too many hippies or break dancers in Nicaragua, but maybe I just don't know where to look.

In addition, we listened to our Peruvian hostel owner rant about stingy European tourists, had a cop give us a tour of an old army fortress, paid with coins that came in denominations up to 500, and ordered pizza, where we found out that albahaca is not, in fact, artichoke, as we had hoped, but basil. It was still good!

This Thursday at my volunteer place I'll be helping to facilitate a discussion for women on sexual health. The women I work with told me that lots of women in the neighborhood have misconceptions about birth control or STDs, and need some basic information on how to protect themselves, as well as how to have fewer children, because having too many kids quickly becomes a poverty trap. I've been studying a really nifty book they gave me called Nuestros Cuerpos, Nuestras Vidas (Our Bodies, Our Lives), which is specially written for Latina women around the world. I'm learning interesting things about the way that sex and femininity are viewed in Latin America. There are so many factors that influence whether or not a woman uses contraceptives or protection: cultural stigmas, lack of control in the relationship, or religious rules. I'm trying to prepare really well because it wil not be as simple as saying "take the pill," etc, but I hope that the discussion is helpful for them.

Well, those are my musings for now. It is very late and I should get to bed before I stop making sense (hopefully that moment hasn't already passed?)

Love to all!