Goodbyes

This weekend marked the departure en masse of all of the students who entered La Mariposa at the same time as me. It was weird to see them all go but, alas, I suppose that is what happens when one undertakes a voyage of potentially several months. As a result of these departures and the fact that only a couple of new students have arrived, it's become increasingly quiet around here! Picturing sitting at the dinner table by myself next week, I've pre-emptively requested to be placed in a homestay for my final 3 weeks here.

I'm slightly reticent to give up the comforts that I enjoy here at La Mariposa (e.g. private bath, hot shower, privacy, etc.) but I've decided that those things are worth trading for what I think will be a more enjoyable and enriching experience. I've talked to a handful of students in homestays who have really enjoyed their experiences, and I know that it will help tremendously with my Spanish. This past Sunday, I stopped in to visit my teacher, Elisa, after having spent two days speaking English almost exclusively, and it was as though I had not learned a thing these past 2 weeks! Additionally, I like the idea of living with a family in order to get to know some folks here better, to hang out with kids and to further explore the neighborhoods of San Juan. In light of these advantages, I'm sure that taking bucket baths and hiking to an outdoor latrine in the middle of the night will be a small price to pay.

Last night, it POURED rain here - like I've never heard before! Paulette was rushing around moving furniture off of the patios and tying up hammocks, and the lightning kept coming. Amazingly enough, things seem to have dried out fairly well this morning, but it rained HARD for a solid 45 minutes or so before lightening to a more typical heavy rain. I can't help but think how fortunate we are to be in this region versus in the lower areas of the country, where there are currently major problems with flooding and many, many people have been displaced from their homes.

This afternoon, I've been engaging in some Nicaraguan cooking classes. I made tortillas earlier and will soon be preparing sopa de queso (cheese soup) and rosquillas (donut-shaped fried dough). Apparently, the idea is to float the salty donuts in the soup and serve it up - a light meal, to be sure.

Got to the Laguna de Apoyo this weekend and finally had a chance to do a bit of swimming, which was very refreshing. Tomorrow afternoon is the trip to the Masaya market, where I hope to pick up all of my Christmas gifts in one stop.

Oh, I forgot to mention that in the cooking class, one of the instructors asked if I was married. When I said no, she looked incredulous and asked again. She then asked if I had children and seemed equally stunned by the response. A minute later, she asked my age, and then asked at least twice more and in different ways whether I had a husband. Apparently, she thought the question may have been lost in translation. I must admit, although I'm in no way ashamed to be 31 and unwed, her persistent questioning made me blush a bit! And I thought I was an old maid in Mississippi....