It has been a whirlwind past few weeks so I apologize for not writing until now. Last week and the week before was when all of us PDs completed community homestays in Cedro Galan. Manna requires that we do at least one week long homestay and then after that the choice to do more is ours to make. As house manager I work closely with one local family in particular, the Salazars, and I had asked to stay with them for the week.
I had a bit of apprehension going into homestays this past week and the only reason was because the only other one I had done was in Matagalpa. To put it simply, this homestay would be very different socio-economically and personally. The standard of living in Cedro Galan is much lower than in much of Matagalpa but I also knew I would have a much more extended relationship with the people I stayed with this week and making a good impression was important to me. I knew that they had a lot of experience with cheles and chelas (their term for white people or people with lighter skin, Nicas can be chele too) and I wanted to make sure I was adding to that experience in a positive way.
I went to the Salazars on Tuesday after my last program, just in time for dinner. Elena, the wife and mother of the family welcomed me in with a plate of gallo pinto (rice and beans, a staple for any meal of the day for Nicas) and her three children Christian, Eduardo (sometimes referred to as "Duardito" because his father is also Eduardo) and Anthony sat down to dinner with me. I was glad I had some previous encounters with the Salazars given that I was moving into their home for the week. We chatted a bit after dinner and we were all in bed by nine.
The next day I had clinic, girls health and my English 2 class so I didn't get to spend as much time with the family as I would have liked. I was still able to have dinner with them and watch Jane Eyre (dubbed in Spanish of course) with Elena and Christian. Luckily Thursday was a free day for me until my English class, so I got to spend the day just talking with Elena and Eduardo (who works nights) about anything and everything. We talked about my family, my sister's recent wedding (they saw plenty of pictures), what I want to do with my life, their upbringings, Nicaraguan cultural norms that they're trying to prevent their kids from practicing, and many other things. We spent the whole day talking and it was the most refreshing thing. It was nice to take a break from all the hectic moments of my typical work week to get to know these welcoming and giving people. It was so nice to know that Elena and Eduardo saw things that they didn't like about families here and were determined to make theirs different. They are such a close knit family and I was honored to be a small part of it all week.
This week made me hungry for more community time. I was wary about it because I wasn't sure how exactly to go about asking people if I could spend time with them, but now I want to go about it any way I can. I still have ten months left here, but I know it will absolutely fly by and I don't want to waste a second of it.
Fortunately I was able to go back to the Salazars this week on Tuesday for a community dinner with a group from the University of South Florida that we have here for the week. When one of the USF students asked if Eduardito, Christian and Anthony were brothers and sisters, they replied that they were.
"So you have three children?" she asked Elena.
"Yes", Elena replied, looking at me.
"And 'una chela'".
I had a bit of apprehension going into homestays this past week and the only reason was because the only other one I had done was in Matagalpa. To put it simply, this homestay would be very different socio-economically and personally. The standard of living in Cedro Galan is much lower than in much of Matagalpa but I also knew I would have a much more extended relationship with the people I stayed with this week and making a good impression was important to me. I knew that they had a lot of experience with cheles and chelas (their term for white people or people with lighter skin, Nicas can be chele too) and I wanted to make sure I was adding to that experience in a positive way.
I went to the Salazars on Tuesday after my last program, just in time for dinner. Elena, the wife and mother of the family welcomed me in with a plate of gallo pinto (rice and beans, a staple for any meal of the day for Nicas) and her three children Christian, Eduardo (sometimes referred to as "Duardito" because his father is also Eduardo) and Anthony sat down to dinner with me. I was glad I had some previous encounters with the Salazars given that I was moving into their home for the week. We chatted a bit after dinner and we were all in bed by nine.
The next day I had clinic, girls health and my English 2 class so I didn't get to spend as much time with the family as I would have liked. I was still able to have dinner with them and watch Jane Eyre (dubbed in Spanish of course) with Elena and Christian. Luckily Thursday was a free day for me until my English class, so I got to spend the day just talking with Elena and Eduardo (who works nights) about anything and everything. We talked about my family, my sister's recent wedding (they saw plenty of pictures), what I want to do with my life, their upbringings, Nicaraguan cultural norms that they're trying to prevent their kids from practicing, and many other things. We spent the whole day talking and it was the most refreshing thing. It was nice to take a break from all the hectic moments of my typical work week to get to know these welcoming and giving people. It was so nice to know that Elena and Eduardo saw things that they didn't like about families here and were determined to make theirs different. They are such a close knit family and I was honored to be a small part of it all week.
This week made me hungry for more community time. I was wary about it because I wasn't sure how exactly to go about asking people if I could spend time with them, but now I want to go about it any way I can. I still have ten months left here, but I know it will absolutely fly by and I don't want to waste a second of it.
Fortunately I was able to go back to the Salazars this week on Tuesday for a community dinner with a group from the University of South Florida that we have here for the week. When one of the USF students asked if Eduardito, Christian and Anthony were brothers and sisters, they replied that they were.
"So you have three children?" she asked Elena.
"Yes", Elena replied, looking at me.
"And 'una chela'".
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