Weekends in Nicaragua

January 22, 2011
The weekends here are a time of not doing much-really-it´s not a bad thing though. The people hang out with their families, go to the market, etc...it´s similar to a weekend in the US. The market here is a very interesting place-so far it is by far my favorite street in Masatepe to walk down. Most stands are selling basically the same things-used clothing, socks, underwear-of all colors, organized in a very bright and appealing way. Then comes the fruits and veggies, along with beans, meat, tortillas being made as you stand waiting, and small bags of food that is very difficult to identify. The fruits and veggies are even tough to name because there are so many different kinds.
After the market this Saturday, Doña Maritza and I walked to her mother´s house. On the way there, we ran into a very old woman (whom I later found out is 85 years old), very thing, short and very poor. She was carrying a giant orange bowl with a few smaller bowls inside, all on her head. Inside the smallest, I am fairly certain, were chicken livers. Inside the next were banana leaves, a couple of towels and a pot. And inside the largest was huge slabs of meat. This 85 year old woman must have been carrying around at least 15 pounds, balanced on her head. She seriously looked like you could easily break her in two, yet everyday she walks around Masatepe selling meat. Now Masatepe is not a huge city-there are about 34,000 people living in Masatepe. But just imagine having the walk even 5 blocks at the age of 85, which 15 pounds of meat on your head...pretty impressive.
The people here walk around selling everything-two little girls on my street sell gelatina, which is basically a homemade popsicle in a plastic baggie without the stick. I love hanging out with these girls-really with all of the children that live on my street. Every single night, all of the kids gather to play-either kickball, soccer or some other game. It is such a great time and definitely reminds me of my childhood, playing Kick the Can etc... One of my Peace Corps friends, Nicha, asked me last night if I had friends in Masatepe-my answer was, Well yes, they´re all under the age of 12, but yes. It doesn´t feel too strange though because they´re all like younger brothers and sisters-I walk down the street to a chorus of "Kati! Kati! Kati!" (My name here is Katalina or Kati...prettier in Spanish than Kate). I also really love my Spanish class-there are four of us-Kari is from Alaska, Alyssa is from Chicago and Nick is from Sacramento. Kari and Alyssa live fairly close to each other and Nick lives right next door to me. Him and I play soccer as much as possible with the kids on the street and at some of the soccer fields in town.
I love the way the people here play soccer-Well, I do not like the fact that the women here do not play as much as the men, but the men are starting to realize that I can also play. But the way it works is basically, you show up at a field with a couple of people and call next game. Whenever a team scores 2 goals, the team who lost leaves the field and you take their place. If you only have 2 people, 3 random players join your team. It is such a great way to integrate into the community and to meet people. They all have nicknames like Asesino, Chancho Negro and Pechado, and honestly I do not remember their real names, but it´s fun to joke around with them about this. It´s also a good way to practice my spanish and my soccer is improving so much! With Peace Corps, it is all about integration into the community-whether it be by playing soccer, going to the market with your host family or just hanging out in the park. Having people in your city recognize you and know you by name is an integral part of having a successful service. I cannot wait to find out more about the next 2 years of my life!