THINGS WE WILL NEVER TIRE OF…
…While Living in Central America
PART I OF II
1) Women carrying large baskets or bowls on their heads:
Women (and even sometimes men) carry mostly food on their head in baskets or bowls…but I am sure they use their talent for other items as well, at least I hope. I would love to see some kind of Cirque du Soleil act stemming from the head carrying women of Cenrtal America!
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| From Pictures we like! |
2) Riding the local buses (or rapidos):
Although sometimes way too hot, crowded and long, you can always find something to laugh at; the music blaring out of the speakers, the cute kid in front of you, the butt of the person crammed into the aisle that is in your face, and so on.
3) Cheap or free entertainment on the buses:
This is another reason why we will not tire of riding the public buses, the people that come on asking for money. Some play a song on an instrument, or sing, or tell of their woes. And some try to sell you something you really do not want. But even in this poor part of the world, everybody seems to buy from the one legged man, or give to the blind musician, or hand over some Lempiras to the old crippled accordion player, so you do as well. Of course everyone does not need candy in the shape of hamburgers, but it is nice to help those in need and believe it or not, most all give here, well, at least on the buses! And it is all worth it for entertainment purposes alone! And think how happy people would be on a bus in SF if some handicapped person started banging rhythmically on congas while on the way to work…to us that is worth an extra 50 cents mas o menus!
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| Buses C.A. |
4) The Children:
What can I say, I am biased…I love them everywhere…but we live here now and they are always on our mind . For one thing, kids here seem to learn faster than American children, oh I am not talking about math or language skills, I am talking about common sense things! A small American child will run in the street every chance he or she gets. We see toddlers walking with their mother on the side of the highway here, not holding hands mind you, and that kid does not even stumble near the road! They know…if they go in the road…they will die. There is something to say for the “street” smartness of a 3 year old!
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| Kids of Central America! |
5) Crazy Driving:
Although death defying and more dangerous than skate boarding with Johnny Knoxville, you have to laugh at their blatant disrespect of the few traffic laws they do have here. Of course it is okay to turn left from the right lane, of course it is okay to pass up a vehicle when there is one coming straight at you, and of course it is okay that no one stops at stop signs or red lights!
6) Looking at the country side whether in a car or bus, on a boat, ATV or bike, or just walking:
What can I say, it is beautiful in Central America. So much nature crammed into the small space between North and South America!
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| From Flora Y Fauna |
7) Horse pulled carts:
It is just so quaint. I love that in this world of technology there are people in that are not using gas to get around, they do leave noxious piles of fertilizer everywhere though. No really, the sound of the horses clippity clopping down the road outside our apartment always brings a smile to our faces.
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| From Horse Cart |
8) People calling out what they are selling (as they walk by or as you walk by them):
Like the banana selling dudes on their horse pulled carts, they call out something, all we know it is not banana! It took us forever to figure out that the snow cone guy is saying, “Nieve!” (Snow!). We always know the water guy is here when we hear, “Agua!” And my favorite is the Tortilla girls. When I pass them, they always call out, “Tortilla Momi?” (Momi is used kind of like an old diner waitress would use, “Honey,” but of course if a man said Honey or Momi to you…it takes on a whole different meaning). Oh, if the vendors are selling a lot of stuff, they try to go through the whole list before you past (tomatos, pepinos, cebollas, zanahorias, lechuga, aguacate, sandia, pina, papas, mangos, ajo! Dime lo que quiere?)
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| 2009-02-12 – Fruit – Tortilla Stands |
9) Women wearing really tight clothes and very high heels:
This is just great! Even skinny girls are busting out of their clothes. I am not sure if it is a style thing, or because there is a lack of money to buy more clothes, but they sure are poured into their clothes! I find it that women of all sizes here are considered sexy, so why should they hide their body? I love that they seem proud of their bodies! The heels…now that is just crazy! I am talking about spiked stilettos on roads and sidewalks that could give most people broken ankles in hiking boots!
10) How many people can actually fit into a bus, or van for that matter:
Back to the buses…if there is space…it must be filled. People will stand for hours on end just to get on the bus in front of them. The ticket taker will squeeze his body through the throngs of people in the aisle to get every last cent too. We have had kids sit in our laps, mushed over so another can fit on our very small school bus seat, and have even had another person offer to hold our heavy backpack in her very old frail lap to make room for more people. There is no personal space issues here…so move on over and hand over that 20 lemps!
11) All the blaring music in stores, out of cars and on street market carts:
Sometimes too loud, but how can you dislike a country that makes music so much part of every day living! Just think how less angry New Yorkers would be if 80’s American music, Latina pop or Reggaeton was constantly playing on the streets.
12) How women wear their empire waist shirts in the middle of their boobs:
Okay, I may be getting catty now, but this is so funny looking I just can not stop starring! Not sure if the empire “waist” shirt is still popular in the States, but a lot of women wear them here. Now, as I believe (and wear myself,) the empire cutline is supposed to sit under the boob, not in the middle of them! It is amusing to see a mush line across the boob!
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| From Empire Waist Shirt |
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| From Empire Waist Shirt |
Since this is getting long…I will stop here so you can really visualize the above…of course with the help of the photos…but you need to picture tighter shirts. The following 12 “things” will have to wait until the next post! So sad, too bad!
Stay tuned for good children, cows, insects and cool air!
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.WE.ARE.GNOMADS. 
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