Christmas Eve

Well I just drove a truck in Nicaragua. I'm not sure why Davie wanted me to drive but he really did. It was a standard and he said he wanted me to show I could still drive one after so many years since I had the Honda because he wants me to teach him since the truck his sister has for him to use is a standard. I'm pretty sure I rode the clutch the whole way, but none of the 10 people in the truck were hurt, so I say it was a success. :) It's hard to drive a stick here with the roads as bad as they are. I couldn't shift much.

We got to where we were going and Eduardo got out and said "Your driving was so great!" (In Spanish of course.) He was so excited. It was really cute!

There was a party today for the kids for Christmas. They had games and piñatas and prizes. It was very similar to the kids parties at home except for the pigs who came through after the party was over looking for candy that was missed and the fact that cleaning up basically involved leaving everything in the street. I really don't understand the trash situation here. I tried to ask Davie but he didn't have a very good answer. It just seems like, whether there was trash service or not, people would want to keep their living space semi clean and not throw trash everywhere. But that's just me. That's probably the only thing here that I think isn't great. I don't even mind the outhouse so much, but trash everywhere gets me.

I'm doing better with the food. Our first night at the MIL's house I did t eat. I think I was tired after all the travel and way overwhelmed and the thought of trying the food was just too much. Then the second day I had heard the pigs in the night and that made it hard to eat anything, not that I was hungry really anyway, because we all know I would eat if I was hungry! :) I did eat some yesterday, but today I've finally been hungry and food sounded good.
And it's been really good too!! I haven't eaten much meat still, but I've had lots of rice and beans and two taquito type things. Last night I did have a nacatamale, which is what they call tamales here, and it was A-mazing! I'm ready for another one! Davie's mom is making them, that's what the veggies were for that I helped with (they all thought I pealed potatoes weird), so I'm hoping I get some again soon. I actually just ate the Nicaraguan version of fried chicken and it was crazy good. I like fried chicken, but I'm not a big fan of eating meat off a bone. It didn't bother me tonight though! :) I think people would be proud of me. I'm really trying to be open about the food and try everything. I ate fruit off a tree today. Meat at the MIL's house is hard because I can see it before she cooks it and its all just on a table outside all morning and she cuts it up. It freaks me out a little. But I'm trying! :)

I have no idea what's on these potatoes, but it's good!

I was thinking today that it really is pretty safe here, all things considered. If there was an accident, it probably wouldn't be, since I imagine its next to impossible to get medical attention in a decent amount of time, but in just day-to-day stuff I think it's really safe. I was thinking this as I watched a bunch of kids running around from house to house playing. There's no worry that someone will grab them or that something will happen. It's much more like 30 or so years ago in the US (or whenever that was) when kids went out to play in the morning and returned at night and parents didn't have to worry as much about what was out there.

It's a nice feeling.