Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 01:12:16 -0400 (EDT)
Message-Id: <200110090512.BAA29012@buzzword-bingo.mit.edu>
From: "Daniele S. Lantagne" <alethia@MIT.EDU>
To: in-house-pikans@mit.edu, zzzyak@yahoo.com, george@vitaming.org,
        sbuta@virtmed.com, svakil@virtmed.com, edgerton-staff@mit.edu,
        lsully_00@yahoo.com, wkgallo@aol.com, gbidgood@aquent.com,
        ert@alum.MIT.EDU, rhodes@media.MIT.EDU, pshanahan@ma.ultranet.com,
        eeadams@mit.edu, fclark@engc.bu.edu, lobster_o@yahoo.com,
        sdubowsky@yahoo.com, jhbrown@mit.edu, celich@yahoo.com,
        pawibase@hotmail.com, zachris@earthlink.net,
        dominiquelantagne@hotmail.com, r.lantagne@gte.net
Cc: alethia@mit.edu
Subject: Notes from Nicaragua


Travel Tips from Daniele (way too late at night after way too much
work the past couple weeks!)


When in a foreign country holding political elections that the US has
an interest in (the last time Daniel Ortega was elected, the US
invaded, bombed, got invovled in the Iran-Contra scandal, and was
sanctioned by the UN and the World Court - all in the name of
anti-communism despite the fact that Ortega was democratically
elected) make sure your name is differentiable from the candidates -
Daniel in Spanish is Dan-yell.  Daniele is Dan - yel - a.  

When in a country that has been on the short end of the US foreign
policy stick, be prepared to discuss frankly US foreign policy and
Americans attitudes / apathy to it in two languages.

When driving on rural roads during an election, be prepared to be
stoped for half an hour by a convoy of trucks, assorted vehicles, etc
filled with people in red t-shirts who are probably being paid or at
least got the t-shirts for free screaming the candidate's name of
Bolonya - while your driver and potter's for peace employee are
flipping them off becuase they are voting for Ortega.

Be prepared to be asked lots of questions re: WTC.  The most painful
involved the above driver saying "onse de septiembre" as one syllable
instead of seven so while i looked baffled he held up two fingers of
one hand and hit them witht he index finger of the other.  

The best way to learn a language is to be dropped into the culture
completely and needing to complete a ton of work so just doing it.
Btw, Spanish is not one language at all - in fact Nicaraguans seem to
think that s does not exist in Spanish at all, and of course have the
normal issue of making 25 syllables into one.  But for the
norteamericana muchacha (when was the last time i was called a girl so
much) they'll slow down to 25 into 5.  Grammar really does not matter.

When in a foreign country and you are vegan, give up.  Be happy that
you can be fed food with no actual meat in it so you can ignore the
fact that they're probably a ton of byproducts in it.  

When you're in a country where the water supply isn't all that great
because a huge hurricane 2 years ago wrecked havoc on it -- and you're
also actually growing E. coli and total coliform as an integral part
of the work - give up and accept the diarrhea.  Corrallary:  Forget
the appetite - that seems to solve the diarrhea.  Weight lose plan
from Daniele.  

When you are working for USAID and are getting paid a riduculous
amount considering the fact that everyone around you is getting paid
nothing, expect everyone to expect you to work your ass off.  I
don't think I've had less than a 14 hour day since I"ve been here.  

Believe Lonely Planet when they say it's hot and skip the long-sleeve
t-shirts and polar fleece and coat I brought.  It was 100 degrees
today.

Believe Lonely Plant when they say the culture dresses formally.  Your
khakis and nice t-shirts do not cut it, and considering the fact you
way skimped on clothes b/c you had soo much lab equipment this is not
great and you wear the same dress all the time.  

Appreciate the fact that for a few cents anyone anywhere will help you
do something.  It's odd, but I'm way more productive.  Today I worked
while someone washed my clotshes and someon else did my errands.  This
is weird to me, but totally expected here.  The NGO I'm working for
litterally will not let me do things that are not technical / work. 

;-)

Seriously though - I actually really am loving this.  I can't quite
believe I'm getting paid for this and the research is going really
really well - my lab work is all working and I'm learning a lot and
being really productive.  The people are absolutely amazing, the
country is astoundingly beautiful, I must take a day to climb one fo
the many volcanoes before I go, my Spanish is improving daily (can't
do anything but and I'm at the point where I can totally get my poit
across about anything - understanding everyone else is the next step).
And everyone here is very anti-US foreign policy but very helpful and
wonderful to individual norteamericanas.  I can get along with that.

And the thing I'm roughly learning is that the filter system works
great in the lab, but kinda sucks rocks with the campesinos unless
there's a good education program behind it.  Makes sense.  

*hugs* to all,

Peace,
Daniele