Morning

I woke up this morning to howler monkeys and parrots. There is this one parrot right out side of my window that was sort of like an alarm clock. Its 0754 AM in Nicaragua, I think thats about 2 hrs ahead of the time in the states. People are outside preparing for work and I am typing this blog because I dont have any work to go to in this country.

I'm getting used to a lot of things here. An eye-opening experience only begins to describe the type of privledge that I feel here. I have so much, and I never really realized it, until I came here around a people that have so little. Central America is basically a pretty poor place, to american standards anyway. I mean in your metropolitian areas, they put on a good face so that it looks to outsiders like things are under control, but if you look beyond the glitz, there are alot of people that are struggling.

I had a conversation on Monday in Panama with a bus driver. He told me that he makes about $450 USD a month off of his bus driving salary, and that his rent was $300 USD a month. That kind of disparity is common he said. He needs to do all sorts of other side work, taxi'ing and the like, just to get by. He said "How do I save?" Hew basically said that that was not an option for him, it was work or starve. He had no choice. Just thinking to my self how much money we waste as americans almost broke me. I waste money on so much useless nonsense. Food, going out, music..luxuries it seems when compared with the options that alot of people have here.

It should be said that he wasn't despondent or lamenting his situation , he was just stating facts, and answers to the questions that I asked. Nothing more. I have and continue to have an intense desire to help improve the lives of people, if only to a small extent, and that desire is being strengthened by my time here. I see why it's important for me to leave the current line of work that I am in. If work is not fuffilling you have no business being in it.

See, I have that option and responsibility as a citizen of the united states, while things can be kind of rough financially sometimes, I have been blessed with so many more resources at my hands and so much more time to help than I had originally thought. I will formulate a plan while I am here, and I WILL put it into action as soon as I return. The goal should always be to show compassion. If I don't, who will?

As I said before, there are alot of things that take getting used to..for one the heat. It's actually pleasant in this season. I think this might be the end of invierno , or winter. So things are still pretty mellow. The temperature has been averaging out at about 31 C everyday (Thats about the low end of the 90's on the Farenheit scale) but the humidity is nominal. The heat is nice though especially knowing that where I live in the states, its about freezing right now. Clothing has not been an issue either, since I am not working, I have no real need to change my clothes everyday. Even if I was working, depending on what I was doing, I might not even have to change my clothes everyday. I've just had on the same pair of camo shorts and brown shirt since i've arrived. I could use a shave I'm sure, but I'm not worried about it.

The language hasn't been that, much of an issue either actually. Unlike Asia, I'm not trying to learn a language, it's more like a refresher course for me. I already have a basis in spanish and I understand most if not all of what is said to me, with the exception being people that are talking too fast. I usually just ask them to slow down. It's also interesting that, my notion of color has changed tremendously as well. I didnt realize how much stereotypes I had in me about my own people, and what color people should be based on where they are from. I have seen everything from people that look very anglo to people that are as dark as any native born sub saharan african. And they are all united by Spanish, if not always united in the same world view or belief system. Back to language, I have no doubt that if I was able to stay here longer that I would develop by level of proficiency to full fluency. You just have to, it's not really an option if you want to live here and make it your mission to help people. I have a wealth of knowledge that I must start tapping into when I arrive home. Planning is always exciting, especially when it goes along with your passion.

There is much more, but I am going to a lagoon this morning to swim in an inactive volcano crater. I haven't even gotten to the water shortage, the electricity shortage, my tattoo's and other interesting observations. More later.