Everyday Learning

These past couple of days here have been very low-key, although quite enjoyable. On Tuesday afternoon, we took an afternoon trip to El Chocoyero, a nature reserve inhabited by a large population of chocoyos, or small parrots, that live in the side of a large rock face. After an hour of hiking through rainforest where we saw enormous trees with roots that grew in improbable patterns, we reached a clearing with a small waterfall and the aforementioned rock face, where noisy chacoyos (an estimated 700-1,000!) were flying in and out of their nesting places.

Throughout the walk, we were accompanied by the sounds of howler monkeys (which sound surprisingly like the woof! woof! once featured nightly on the Arsenio Hall show); however, we were unable to spot any and Bergman told us that their powerful howl is able to travel as much as 3 miles from their location! Bergman also informed me, near the end of the walk, that the area contains "muchas" coral snakes, so I was relieved that we did not encounter any of those highly venomous creatures.

During yesterday's conversation class, my teacher Elisa and I took a walk to a finca owned by her father-in-law, located not far from the school. I was amazed by the abundance of fruits growing there: bananas, plantains, limes, oranges, mandarins, mangoes, avocados, breadfruit, starfruit, papaya, pineapples - a veritable smorgasbord. The finca has been in the family for generations and is a second source of income for the family; most of the fruits are harvested and sold locally, sometimes by vendors who then take them to the huge market in Managua to sell.

On the way back to Elisa's house to drop off the key to the property, she asked if I had tried pinolillo, a very popular Nicaraguan beverage made from cornmeal and cacao. I said that I hadn't, and when we got to her house, I saw her quietly hand some coins to a small boy along with instructions, and he promptly ran towards the street. When he returned empty-handed, she took the coins and wandered off, returning shortly thereafter with - you guessed it - pinollino! The drink was incredibly delicious and reminded me of a cross between a mudslide and the banana-chocolate shakes that my friends Stacey and Jake whipped up for me during my time in Montana this summer. Muy delicioso!

Yesterday afternoon, I conducted my first "lesson" in English for Santos, the gardener here at La Mariposa. He's studied some English in the past and seems very keen to learn, so I told him that I'd do my best to assist him in his efforts. We spent about 45 minutes going over some basics and today he asked me if we could meet again this afternoon, so I guess this may turn into a regular thing. If anyone can point me in the direction of some good resources for "teaching" English, I would be most appreciative!

I've also been enjoying some amusing anecdotes about the confusion that can ensue when newer Spanish speakers attempt to translate from English to Spanish. For example, Bergman told a story about a student at La Mariposa who ran a plant nursery in the States, and only realized when he came here that for months he had been instructing the Mexican workers at the nursery"to shit" on the truck! (FYI: cagar = to shit, cargar = to load). It reminded me of my own mishap in Thailand when, intending to ask about the nam tok (waterfall) we were visiting that afternoon, I asked our Thai friend Joe about the nam koy (semen). Ah, cultural exchange!

In an hour, we will head to Masaya to check out the huge crafts market (hammock, anyone?) followed by the 'Jueves de Verbena', a weekly show involving Nica music, folkloric dance and cuisine. Should be a great time!