O-BA-MA!

Leading up to inauguration day, I did not think too much about it. It seemed kind of anti-climactic. I continued to feel this way even during the first part of inauguration day. I was busy with school just realized that I would miss his speech. I did not think much more about it until I got home. Then I turned to CNN to try to catch a replay of his speech. I did not get a replay, but I did see him walking down the streets with everyone cheering. I suddenly felt goosebumps on my arms. Bush is gone! We no longer have an idiot for a president! We now have an amazing motivator and a great first family in the White House. We have elected a person of African descent. It was a beautiful moment, sitting there and letting these things sink in. I kind of wished that I could have been home to celebrate and feel the energy and excitment in the air. But, it was interesting to experience it here too. It is not all the talk here, as I am sure it is at home, but it is big news here too. It was all over the front page of both of Granada´s papers. That goes to show just how important this election was. The people here seem to be very happy about Obama´s being elected, even if they are not as excited as many of us back home. All of the volunteers that I have met are liberal except Nick. And, even he seems to be at least alright about having Obama in the White House.

As I watched Barack and Michelle walk down the orderly and clean streets of Washington D.C., I was reminded just how different the world I am living is from home. I have been here long enough to start getting used to things. The busy streets and the filth have become what I know. I am no longer as wide-eyed and amazed. But, there are still one or two things each day that I see and say, ¨What the heck is that? I have definitely never seen that before.¨I think I will try to take note of these little stories and record them in my blog. I will start with a couple from today. One such event just occurred a few moments ago. I was looking out the open double doors of the internet cafe and thought, ¨The scene I am looking at could almost be from home or Europe if I did not know better.¨I could see a new Ford hatchback, the street, and the buildings across it. I thought it seemed like a pretty familiar view. Then, a barefooted man walked by pushing a large cart filled with stuff and raising about 10-12 feet from the street. On top of the pile of stuff were 4 barefoot children. I thought, ¨Nope, not home. Definitely in Nicaragua.¨

My second story also happened very recently. On my way to the internet cafe, I walked by a man sitting against his grated door. He was listening to the soundtrack from Titanic and belting out all the words right along with Celine Dion. ¨...Near, far, wherever you are...I´m here and my heart will go on...¨It really cracked me up. He was singing in a woman´s voice and holding nothing back.

The last occurred this morning on the way to school. While riding the bus, I noticed a funny shadow on top of the bus. I thought it looked like a large bed-frame, but thought it might just be the luggage rack. When we got out, I saw that it was a very large bed-frame. This is actually the second bedrame that I have seen on the bus, but this one was much bigger. I have seen a lot of crazy things carried on the buses. It is pretty funny to me. No one would think of bringing a large assembled bed frame on the metro buses at home, but it is commonplace here. I once saw a very elderly lady who took 7 large homemade rocking chairs on the bus. Only in Nicaragua.

I would like to write more, but I am starving. I will eat at a Comedor that is near our house. These are small ¨fast-food¨operations that people usually run out of there house. They set up on the sidewalk with lots of pots full of goodies with a grill sitting next to it cooking meat. I will probably eat fried platanos(which are similar to nice homemade potato chips but a little better), some kind of meat, salad(which is kind of like slightly spicy coleslaw), and of course rice and beans-gallo pinto. She also always has some kind of fried taco looking things with different tasty fillings. I might snag a couple of these, though I imagine they are highly unhealthy.