here we are in front of the CGE building, it was beautiful here!
Well the first week in Nicaragua has been interesting to say the least. We will be the first ones to admit that culture shock is in fact real and has happened to us. We think one of the things that has been the hardest to adjust to is cleanliness. In America we live in a society where appearance is everything. You are judge instantaneously based on what brand you have on, the way your hair is done, and how white your teeth are. But here where things like running water and money to pay for soap isn’t guaranteed the standards that we are accustomed to are thrown out the window. Walking around in 100 degree temperates with appropriate clothes was a battle for us. But we had the luxury of knowing that every evening we could take a nice long shower to get the sweat and dirt off of us. However we still found ourselves complaining about the quality of showers we received; whether the water pressure was too low or the temperature too hot/cold.it really made us think about how we have higher standards based on the environment we were raised in. Not only did the cleanliness of people and ourselves shock us but also the cleanliness of the environment. It reminded us of the streets on campus post game except here no body is coming to pick up the trash. We live in a place where littering is a crime and we have such a good sanitation system. But here the streets are used as trash cans. The people have more important things to worry about like what they are going to eat and how that are going to afford medicine; they don’t have time to worry about how they can clean up the streets. All in all I think that it is safe to say that Nicaragua has been a life changing experience for the both of us. This trip really makes us think about our priorities and reminds us of how blessed we are to live in such a stable country.
Krista Smart & Audrey Amann