Since I don't talk much about the day-to-day here, I've decided to start a TWI Nicaragua segment, with some brief headlines of each week's happenings (even though there are only 3 left).
This Week (June 30 - July 6)
-For Suni Solar, I'm working on designing a 20 meter lattice tower for a 1kw turbine. We went to visit the site, and it is a HUGE mansion being built by a doctor. I'm guessing a similar house in the states would cost between $500,000 and $1,000,000.
-For Grupo Fenix, I'm testing a solar food dryer, meant to dry Moringa leaves (dried moringa leaves are used as a vitamin supplement).
-I spent the weekend with other Grupo Fenix volunteers in León, Nicaragua. Activities included the largest cathedral in Nicaragua, Rubén Darío's Grave, the largest contemporary art museum in Central America (I was very impressed) and Volcano Boarding (youtube it). As usual, I'll let the pictures do the talking... as soon as I can get them from my friends.
-There is officially three weeks left, so all my projects are coming to a head, it should be a busy month.
-Us few Americans in León did our best to celebrate the 4th of July appropriately, which included toasting to America (but with Nicaraguan rum... ooops). We didn't forget you guys up there.
-Chicken foot soup is good. Chicken feet, however, are miserably disgusting.
-In our travels we met some very interesting people, including the graphic designer responsible for the glossy black and while/gray viney print of Ruckus.com. If you're in college you probably know what I'm talking about.
Nicaragua Facts:
-A Nicaraguan is a 'Nica'. White people are called 'chele' or 'gringo'; I think gringo is slightly more offensive (but not necessarily offensive)
-Everyone is late, all the time. They call it 'gringo time' and 'nica time'. Formula: gringo time + 0.5 hours = nica time. If I schedule a meeting at 9:00 (as in gringo time) people show up no earlier than 9:30 (because 9:00 gringo time = 9:30 nica time)
-The most famous and ubiquitous food is 'gallo pinto' which means 'painted rooster' (because it's almost the same color as a rooster?). There is no rooster in it. It is fried red beans and rice that serves as a side dish to stewed chicken or fried plantains, or stands alone (also served with cheese, sour cream, and/or corn tortillas). I eat it usually twice a day, and I'm still not sick of it.
-Rubén Darío, mentioned above, is a famous Nicaraguan poet and diplomat. Nicaraguans love their poetry, and Darío is by far the Shakespeare of poetry here.
There you go, your weekly dose of Nicaraguan lifestyle. Take once a week with a full glass of water and [I'll] come back in a month.
-Vince
This Week in Nicaragua June 30 - July 6
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This Week in Nicaragua
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Vince Romanin
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2 comments:
Thank you soooo much for sharing Vince!
I have become a Salud del sol website stalker ( checking at least twice a day!!) by default....by simply being a mom!
Your work is awesome and stories great. Have a wonderful and safe week.
love your writings, what a riot! your great grandmother, (nona vlasta's mom) used to eat chicken feet soup. we came home one day, and there was a box of chicken feet on the stoop of the house. they were delivered, and we had the soup that night when i was over there as a kid. i watched my gramma eat the soup with the feet floating around in there. if you suck the ankles, you can get a bit of meat out of there. it's an image that will stick in my mind forever! good soup, though!