Mrs. Lyttle’s Class: Thanks so much for your second series of letters. We will be interviewing a few Nicaraguans later this week to complete our first Nica Profile. We wanted to take some time today, however, to answer some more of your questions to us. Here it goes!
What kinds of books does the library have and what can I contribute?
First of all, it’s great to see all of you so excited about helping out down here. On top of that, to hear you passed your Playpump goal proves what a great group of kids you are. In terms of library books, the librarian specifically asked me for atlases and encyclopedias, or educational books. I think they are looking for the kind you’d find in the Adamsville library when you are looking for information about a specific country or specific theme, like Dog Training. They also have story hours for younger kids, and I’m sure Mrs. Lyttle can help you find the right kind of picture books for those guys. They also asked for books in English, as well in Spanish, so a good mix would be great! Also, used is fine, as long as it isn’t too gross.
What kinds of technology are in Nicaragua?
Almost everyone here has cellphones, which aren’t prepaid like in the States. You have to go to a store to buy minutes on a regular basis. It’s actually a better way to save money, because you can still receive calls and text messages, you just can’t send them without “saldo”, or money in your account. Internet on every corner in cyber cafes, but rarely in houses. People have MP3 players built into their cellphones, but nobody has Ipods. Video game systems can be found in “Casas de video juegos”. There are 2 or 3 in every town and you can find all of the 10-15 year old boys there after school. The pride and joy of every Nica family is their “equipo,” or stereo. The massive systems with speakers the size of a small child are all the rage down here. The more lights and buttons, the better!
What kinds of American businesses are in Nicaragua?
You can find Burger King, McDonald’s, Subway, Quizno’s, Pizza Hut, and Dominoes in Manaagua and other really big cities. Towns like ours (which is about the size of Bridgewater) only have family run restaurants. There are only a few different grocery stores and the biggest chains are owned by WALMART. They have different names, like Palí and La Union, but they carry the same brands as WALMART. Other than that, we really don’t see any American run companies other than charity organizations. They have, however, heard of Harry Potter!
How do you get paid?
First of all, we don’t get paid. We get a stipend which is calculated to have us pretty much break even at the end of every month. One student wrote that it was 4,000 dollars a month, but in actuality it’s 4,000 Córdobas. That works out to about $200. We have a bank account and we just go there monthly to get dinero. There are even some ATM’s scattered about.
What kinds of jobs do people do?
People here are employed in 1 of 4 ways: 1. The Government 2. Non-Profit Organizations 3. Family Businesses 4. Unemployed. Unfortunately, about 40% of Nicaraguans are unemployed, which means there’s a lot of work to be done by the NPO’s. I think if Jess and I were to live in Nicaragua after Peace Corps we’d either work for a non-profit or own a little hotel/restaurant on the beach.
Why don’t the Nicaraguan Police stop the Nicaraguan Postal Service from stealing mail?
Another unfortunate aspect is that people really don’t get paid that much at all. A nurse might make $100 a month. A teacher less than $100. Police and government workers might do a little better, but not much. That’s one of the results of high unemployment: people will take whatever pay they can get. It also means that people with do whatever they need to do to survive. Most likely the Postal Workers (who are government employees) sell all the nifty stuff they take out of packages to earn a few extra bucks. The police could care less, because they’re looking for their own ways to get ahead. It’s a lot tougher to be honest when honesty can’t pay the bills.
What is the food like? Do you get bored of rice and beans?
Jess and I try to eat a ton of fruits and veggies, as well as cook all sorts of different meals because, yes, we do get bored of rice, beans, and tortillas. Nicaraguans, on the other hand, aren’t very adventurous when it comes to their food and would much prefer some gallo pinto to some fancy schmancy chicken francais. Things we’d consider gross in the States are perfectly normal down here, pretty much out the necessity to use every part of the plant or animal. You name it, they eat it, and they’ll tell you it’s “rico,” too!
Are Nicaraguans shorter than us?
In general, Nicaraguans are shorter than us gringos. This is mainly because the majority of Nicaraguans are descendants of Native Americans living in the area. They are called mestizo because they are a mix of Native and Spanish blood. You can almost guess someone’s economic status by the way they look, as those directly descendant from the Spanish, who look Eurpoean, have always had the economic, cultural, and educational advantage. There’s a town near us called Cusmapa that’s about 70% indigenous population. People of pure indigenous blood look very similar to the Native Americans of the States. Sadly, Cusmapa is one of the poorest villages in the country.
Do Nicaraguans know English?
English proficiency is very low in Nicaragua. All Nicaraguans took a little of it in school, but hardly anyone here can speak it fluidly. However, all the Nicaraguan jokesters love to shout out, “Hello, my friend!” when we pass. At the ladies they shout, “Marry me, my love!” Sometimes it’s funny, most of the time it’s annoying.
How are dogs treated in Nicaragua?
Nicaraguans view animals as tools. That’s not to say that perspective is bad, but when someone makes their living farming, working the land, and doesn’t have access to machines, it’s the animals who do the work. Therefore, they treat animals like we treat a car. You take care of your car, as cheaply as you can, to make it last for as long as you can. When the car gives out, you buy a new one. So, people here don’t form bonds with their animals: a horse is for transportation, a donkey is for carrying wood, a cow is for meat and milk, and a dog is for protection. That isn’t to say that people don’t have family pets like we have family pets, but it’s really only those than can afford to. Don’t worry though, we’ve budgeted to take good care of Astro! Maybe some day all of you can meet him when we come back to the States!
We had a few unhappy letters since we didn’t answer all the questions last time. I’ll do my best to answer more in the next blog! Also, sorry about the lack of pictures lately, we will do better.
What kinds of books does the library have and what can I contribute?
First of all, it’s great to see all of you so excited about helping out down here. On top of that, to hear you passed your Playpump goal proves what a great group of kids you are. In terms of library books, the librarian specifically asked me for atlases and encyclopedias, or educational books. I think they are looking for the kind you’d find in the Adamsville library when you are looking for information about a specific country or specific theme, like Dog Training. They also have story hours for younger kids, and I’m sure Mrs. Lyttle can help you find the right kind of picture books for those guys. They also asked for books in English, as well in Spanish, so a good mix would be great! Also, used is fine, as long as it isn’t too gross.
What kinds of technology are in Nicaragua?
Almost everyone here has cellphones, which aren’t prepaid like in the States. You have to go to a store to buy minutes on a regular basis. It’s actually a better way to save money, because you can still receive calls and text messages, you just can’t send them without “saldo”, or money in your account. Internet on every corner in cyber cafes, but rarely in houses. People have MP3 players built into their cellphones, but nobody has Ipods. Video game systems can be found in “Casas de video juegos”. There are 2 or 3 in every town and you can find all of the 10-15 year old boys there after school. The pride and joy of every Nica family is their “equipo,” or stereo. The massive systems with speakers the size of a small child are all the rage down here. The more lights and buttons, the better!
What kinds of American businesses are in Nicaragua?
You can find Burger King, McDonald’s, Subway, Quizno’s, Pizza Hut, and Dominoes in Manaagua and other really big cities. Towns like ours (which is about the size of Bridgewater) only have family run restaurants. There are only a few different grocery stores and the biggest chains are owned by WALMART. They have different names, like Palí and La Union, but they carry the same brands as WALMART. Other than that, we really don’t see any American run companies other than charity organizations. They have, however, heard of Harry Potter!
How do you get paid?
First of all, we don’t get paid. We get a stipend which is calculated to have us pretty much break even at the end of every month. One student wrote that it was 4,000 dollars a month, but in actuality it’s 4,000 Córdobas. That works out to about $200. We have a bank account and we just go there monthly to get dinero. There are even some ATM’s scattered about.
What kinds of jobs do people do?
People here are employed in 1 of 4 ways: 1. The Government 2. Non-Profit Organizations 3. Family Businesses 4. Unemployed. Unfortunately, about 40% of Nicaraguans are unemployed, which means there’s a lot of work to be done by the NPO’s. I think if Jess and I were to live in Nicaragua after Peace Corps we’d either work for a non-profit or own a little hotel/restaurant on the beach.
Why don’t the Nicaraguan Police stop the Nicaraguan Postal Service from stealing mail?
Another unfortunate aspect is that people really don’t get paid that much at all. A nurse might make $100 a month. A teacher less than $100. Police and government workers might do a little better, but not much. That’s one of the results of high unemployment: people will take whatever pay they can get. It also means that people with do whatever they need to do to survive. Most likely the Postal Workers (who are government employees) sell all the nifty stuff they take out of packages to earn a few extra bucks. The police could care less, because they’re looking for their own ways to get ahead. It’s a lot tougher to be honest when honesty can’t pay the bills.
What is the food like? Do you get bored of rice and beans?
Jess and I try to eat a ton of fruits and veggies, as well as cook all sorts of different meals because, yes, we do get bored of rice, beans, and tortillas. Nicaraguans, on the other hand, aren’t very adventurous when it comes to their food and would much prefer some gallo pinto to some fancy schmancy chicken francais. Things we’d consider gross in the States are perfectly normal down here, pretty much out the necessity to use every part of the plant or animal. You name it, they eat it, and they’ll tell you it’s “rico,” too!
Are Nicaraguans shorter than us?
In general, Nicaraguans are shorter than us gringos. This is mainly because the majority of Nicaraguans are descendants of Native Americans living in the area. They are called mestizo because they are a mix of Native and Spanish blood. You can almost guess someone’s economic status by the way they look, as those directly descendant from the Spanish, who look Eurpoean, have always had the economic, cultural, and educational advantage. There’s a town near us called Cusmapa that’s about 70% indigenous population. People of pure indigenous blood look very similar to the Native Americans of the States. Sadly, Cusmapa is one of the poorest villages in the country.
Do Nicaraguans know English?
English proficiency is very low in Nicaragua. All Nicaraguans took a little of it in school, but hardly anyone here can speak it fluidly. However, all the Nicaraguan jokesters love to shout out, “Hello, my friend!” when we pass. At the ladies they shout, “Marry me, my love!” Sometimes it’s funny, most of the time it’s annoying.
How are dogs treated in Nicaragua?
Nicaraguans view animals as tools. That’s not to say that perspective is bad, but when someone makes their living farming, working the land, and doesn’t have access to machines, it’s the animals who do the work. Therefore, they treat animals like we treat a car. You take care of your car, as cheaply as you can, to make it last for as long as you can. When the car gives out, you buy a new one. So, people here don’t form bonds with their animals: a horse is for transportation, a donkey is for carrying wood, a cow is for meat and milk, and a dog is for protection. That isn’t to say that people don’t have family pets like we have family pets, but it’s really only those than can afford to. Don’t worry though, we’ve budgeted to take good care of Astro! Maybe some day all of you can meet him when we come back to the States!
We had a few unhappy letters since we didn’t answer all the questions last time. I’ll do my best to answer more in the next blog! Also, sorry about the lack of pictures lately, we will do better.
2 comments:
Jess and Matthew, we are really excited to read the answers to our questions. The library is beautiful. We like it better tha our town's. We are collecting books now in English and Spanish.
Before the school year is over we will send one more set of letters. School is out the 17th of June, so we hope to get one more response to those letters. We will probably write just after the parent dinner May 29.
Love you two. Hugs to Astro.
Love, Mom
Hi Jess& Matt, I hope you read all the comment.
I'm from Somoto. I meet mi wife Jessica there, she was in the Nica 7 Peace Corp group, now we live in Milwaukee, WI.
I'm happy to read your blog, because I to laugh, with the funny experiences.
take good care.
Julio.
Post a Comment