Peace & Quiet-time
Considering it is a country best known to the outside world for its counter/revolutionary wars, Nicaragua is big on peace. Ometepe is (as previously mentioned) the "oasis," but the rest of the country is in on it too. Banners everywhere proclaim the country's opposition to foreign wars (U.S.-Iraq is the flavor of the era), and the people are quite proud of the domestic reconciliation that was achieved after the return to democracy in 1990.* Even the national seal (prominent on the flag) features a rainbow, which was explained to me at the National Museum as a symbol specifically of peace and hope. Nicas talk about their "peaceful nature" on regular occasion, and I suppose that assertion is reconcilable with their history; anger in particular has little to do with peaceability, and there's a lot to be angry about.
Peace, however, should not imply quiet.** Nicas are a raucous bunch, but there isn't a lot for them to channel their energy into. Dancing, yes. Political action, of course. But one of the uncomfortable truths of my stay there was that there is just too much leisure time available. The people who work, do work very hard. But there aren't a lot of jobs available. So there is a lot of TV-watching. And drinking. And sitting around. These three things I find fine in moderation, but in bigger doses they bore me. (The fact that reading isn't popular is...well, not endearing to me.)
But that's pretty much what there is to do after dark*** in a place like Granada. Occasionally there are performing arts or other diversions for getting people out and mingling, but apart from the bars--where it's just not easy to meet people--there's not much of anywhere to go. So you stay in...and you sit, watch, drink, talk. Or, if you're me, you start flossing two or three times a day. There is time to kill; there is oral hygiene to perform.
* Much credit is given to Doña Violeta--President Violeta Chamorro--the first woman to lead the country and a gifted rapporteur.
** (However, the lack of stereo equipment does.)
***After dark! The sun rises at 6 in the morning (immediately after which the atmosphere is heavy with an unsleepable heat) and sets at 6 in the afternoon. I soon found myself (and heard similar stories from a number of acquaintances) rising at 5:30 every morning and going to bed at around 9.
Peace, however, should not imply quiet.** Nicas are a raucous bunch, but there isn't a lot for them to channel their energy into. Dancing, yes. Political action, of course. But one of the uncomfortable truths of my stay there was that there is just too much leisure time available. The people who work, do work very hard. But there aren't a lot of jobs available. So there is a lot of TV-watching. And drinking. And sitting around. These three things I find fine in moderation, but in bigger doses they bore me. (The fact that reading isn't popular is...well, not endearing to me.)
But that's pretty much what there is to do after dark*** in a place like Granada. Occasionally there are performing arts or other diversions for getting people out and mingling, but apart from the bars--where it's just not easy to meet people--there's not much of anywhere to go. So you stay in...and you sit, watch, drink, talk. Or, if you're me, you start flossing two or three times a day. There is time to kill; there is oral hygiene to perform.
* Much credit is given to Doña Violeta--President Violeta Chamorro--the first woman to lead the country and a gifted rapporteur.
** (However, the lack of stereo equipment does.)
***After dark! The sun rises at 6 in the morning (immediately after which the atmosphere is heavy with an unsleepable heat) and sets at 6 in the afternoon. I soon found myself (and heard similar stories from a number of acquaintances) rising at 5:30 every morning and going to bed at around 9.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home