POST by FRAN: A Quaint Little Quinceñera

Francesca, with Billy & Brian at Fran´s Quinceñera

Saturday, the 17^th of November, was a very important day for me. I turned 15 on Monday the 12^th of November, but my birthday party was on the 17^th. In Latin America, turning 15 is a really important event; it is when you fully turn into a ‘señorita,’ or a young lady.

It is usually celebrated as a HUGE party! The quinceñera (lass turning 15 years old) wears a really poufy princess dress, which is usually light pink, but doesn’t have to be.

The parents invite all of their family and friends. It’s like a wedding in that way - the birthday girl usually does something with her dad, like dancing a waltz. There are usually 14 special people representing one’s 15 years of life.

It’s a big thing, but I’m getting ahead of myself…  Before my party it was disaster, just like a wedding… Everyone at the house was stressed out, trying to get everything neat and tidy. On the actual day of the celebration, the cake was delayed by 20 minutes, which in turn made us late for every other appointment!

Franny getting ready for her party

The tables and chairs didn’t have transportation… the center pieces were nowhere in sight… Everything had been moved a step behind all because of the cake! We had to go shopping for the food and then go to the salon; I was in the salon for four hours just having my hair and makeup done!!!!

Mum, Lorenzy, and I were dressed up and took some photos in the mall with granny on a little Christmas chariot covered with beautiful fairy lights. It was really embarrassing, but the photos turned out pretty!

Francesca taking a ride to the ball (or just having one)

We took off our dresses in the car and went back home where the disaster was. Anna was stressed out because she was doing all the decorating, our house looked amazing! Anna is an awesome big sister! I don’t want her to leave!

The place looked really good, the tables were neatly arranged around the pool, and fairy lights were in the trees. The center pieces were little plastic hearts sitting on top of a square mirror with candles to the side in a little glass cup with purple beads.

All the Trickers (talented teens who live with us) and dancers were putting on their purple shirts and black pants with reflector strips on the side. I was trying to drink a lot of water, trying not to get a head ache. I was starting to get nervous, “what if no one comes!?” “what if the cake got squished in the car?!” “What if? What if???!”

All the boys

I started to get my dress on at 6pm. I put on the under skirt that was bigger than the door, then I tried to put on my purple poufy dress. I couldn’t get it past my head because of my hair, so I had to take off the under skirt, step into the purple dress and then pull up the under skirt.

I felt like I couldn’t breathe for five minutes while granny tied up my dress with a purple string, sot that I looked just like a princess!

After the troubles with my dress I slipped on my high, HIGH heels. I walked around a bit to get used to them which probably wasn’t the best idea! My feet began to hurt, but the show must go on.

Francesca and her family

Before I knew it people were coming in and saying “You’re so pretty!!”  I went to the front to meet the people who were coming in. There were problems at the front gate and I was so dumb to go and get involved! I decided to just leave it to Nestor, the guard, to sort out and go enjoy myself.

That night was the night that I will remember for the rest of my life… Dad singing ‘love was made for you and me’ with the letters of my name… The Trickers and the dancers doing a dance mix up (it was really funny, especially the part when Yordy started to head bang in front of me!). We danced and just had a load of fun that evening. I will never forget that night, and even the cake was perfect too!

Franny and her cake

POST by FRAN: Doing the Brien´s Dirty Work

Fran and Yader, performing domestic duties

We are used to cleaning our clothes by a washing machine and a dryer right? Well here we only have a washing machine and it doesn’t really get the clothes very clean… I am the wonderful person who has to do the washing and the first time I washed the clothes they came out dirtier than when I had put them in!

I had to come up with creative ways to get the clothes clean. I tried rewashing them in the washing machine, and it worked a little bit. I tried soaking the clothes in washing detergent and water and then washing them in the machine, but in doing this the clothes only got a really bad smell!

My friend came around to the lavandero (laundry) and saw me taking out a bunch of dirty clothes from the washing machine. She said “why are the clothes so dirty?” “I’m not really sure” was my response.  “Well why don’t you do this?” She grabbed a rather dirty t-shirt out of my hands and put it on the lavandero and applied some soap on it and started scrubbing with a hard bristle brush. Low and behold the dirt came off straight away!

I grabbed all the really dirty clothes, which were mainly jeans and white t-shirts. We both worked together. It was a lot of work but the clothes weren’t dirty anymore!

I started to do this more often and it was a lot of work but my arms are getting very strong.  My arms started getting into shape! The clothes looked really good… except for the white clothes. I needed to scrub a lot harder and ‘put my back into it!’ One day my mum saw me scrubbing really hard and said ¨why don’t you use Clorox?¨

I got a little bit of Clorox in the lid; I had bad experiences before, so I scrubbed the white clothes with the Clorox and then put them into the washing machine with a little more Clorox and walla! Clean!!

My chore, for 2012, was to wash all the clothes and at the beginning, I didn´t know how to do my chore - I had to learn on the job and I had to learn from other people. I was never alone while learning.

POST by FRAN: Sizzling in the Sun

Ladies at the Beach: Elizabeth, Francesca, Lorenzy-Ella & Anna

Remember the beach called Playa Hermosa? Well that beach has a lot of memories. There is the time when we went crab hunting, and the time when we almost drowned because the current had taken us too far out.

Too many stories! On this occasion I will tell one of the most ridiculous and recent stories that has happened at the beach yet!

Fran & Billy at the Beach

It was a bright and hot day. The sun was strong and powerful; it could burn pretty much anything, including skin! I think you know what I’m going to talk about now. The last time we went to the beach we forgot a very important item… It is something that helps you not to get burnt to the crisp!

We got to the beach all excited on Saturday afternoon and we didn’t worry about anything, we just played and had a really good time. We watched the sun set, we made a camp fire and cooked hotdogs over the fire. We couldn’t have asked for more fun.

The next day we hit the beach without the very important item on our sensitive skin. We went to the tide pools and climbed the rock walls. Lucky, my dog, even climbed up!

Up on the ROCKS: Lorenzy, Anna, Yordy, Franny, Lucky & Sez

Then we went to the house to have something to eat because we wanted to hit the other side of the beach, where the waves are.

We ate Gallo Pinto (rice and beans) and had some fried cheese and then we all headed down to the waves, again without the very important product on our shoulders and back.

We were only thinking about having fun and taking pictures and living while we're young. We dug a hole and buried Rafi up to his neck; we gave him a mermaid shape in the sand around his buried body.

We were at the waves from eleven in the morning until three in the afternoon! We were having so much fun and weren’t thinking about our skin or the sun…

When we got to the house, Granny said “you guys look so much darker!” and that’s when Mum finally realised “I left the sun cream at home!!” 

We were careful for the rest of the day so we wouldn’t burn too much more, it was really hard! Then we made the camp fire, but this time we tried to sit a little farther away from the flames. We saw everything differently! We still had a good time but we were beginning to feel the sting on our backs.

The next day was a nightmare! Nobody could move like they used to! We were all stiff! It was the worst feeling ever! I regret not putting on sun cream! In the water I had to have my front towards the sun instead of my back! I almost died because of the stinging pain! I will always take sun cream to the beach now!

Fran being splashed by Yordy

POST by ANNA: Stepping OUT

Nicavangelists

The Mercado Oriental, located in the beautiful city of Managua, is the largest market in all of Latin America. It is also one of my favorite places to visit here in Nicaragua. The very first time I went, I went with Liz and all the trickers and bboys to get shoes for their performance outfits.

Jonny, (who is one of the top bboys of Nicaragua) insisted that we power walk through the market because it wasn’t time for sight seeing or acting like tourists. Essentially, this meant that we hardly had time to look up because we were all so focused on where we were placing our feet. I found this to be quite nice because if I had the chance to look at more people, then more people would have seen I was a "Gringa" and yelled strange things at me.

First pulling up to the market, I was surprised to see that we parked in what looked to me like a gas station. Parking here is so random. In my mind, I would just park anywhere because there doesn’t really seem to be a rhythm to the madness.

As we exited the car, the looks began, not because we unloaded about 20 people from a car that seats 9 but because we were white and white people don’t really come to the market.

Loud music played from several shops, many of them blasting the hit-single Gangnam Style, a personal favorite of mine. Stenches of trash, fresh and spoiled meat, and burning tamales drifted straight to my nose, causing me to smile and making me want to puke, all at the same time.

Premier Nicavangelist Performance

Here it’s perfectly okay to throw your trash wherever you please, but somehow the environment seems happier here. Therefore, trash cluttered the alleyways between the shops. The boys took the tail because it’s not necessarily safe for us girls to be the very last ones in the line of people.

The shops are all attached to one another through a maze of narrow, dirty paths. Each shop probably has three or four duplicate shops that sell the same thing, but each claims to offer original products.

After minutes of power-walking, we stopped at the first shoe place that seemed to offer what we were looking for. I never thought that it would be super difficult to find the right shoes for the performance, especially considering they were JUST for the performance and for boys. Most of the guys wanted Converse because the outfits were black on top and bottom, with reflective stripes throughout. I thought Converse would be a nice match, although I personally thought any black shoe would work.

So, after many misses, we found a nice black converse at a good price. Most of the guys tried on their sizes and all was well in the world, but a few of them were not particularly keen with the Converse.

Nicavangelists performing GLOW at NCA

After at least a half hour making the shop lady search for the different sizes, someone ventured to a similar shoe shop and found a nice knockoff pair of Nikes. Those apparently were the winners.

I am making it sound much less difficult than it was because with some of the performers not present, sizes had to be guessed, different sizes fit better with certain shoes, and principles such as fashion and comfort had to be considered, of course.

We were there for at least two or three hours. A trip to the store here always seems to turn into a parade of people who need to get this or that. I definitely understand and I am ever amazed with how much Liz gets done working with all these gents. LOVE HER and THEM.

Throughout the search for the perfect shoe, I managed to purchase a delicious donut that was from Price Smart (Costco) as well as two pairs of earrings, all for less than 2 dollars. People walk around carrying trays of goodies and products making it easy to purchase something no matter where you are.

I look forward to more trips to the market as I grow more comfortable with the language, products, and food. Liz and I will surely go there one day just to peruse around for nothing. And when that day comes, I am going to buy a tamale.

POST by RAF: Ropas Del Raffy

Raffy's NEW CLOTHES will make him look like the rest of the Troupe (Raffy is seen here in his old clothes)

One day my family and I were going to a big mall named galleries. So First my mom asked me do you want to go with granddad and granny or with daddy and mommy? I said after 2 minuets I don’t know 3 times so the forth time I said granddad and granny!

So my mom said to my granddad could you buy Rafael some pants and some shoes for a performance please? So my granddad said ok and my granny, my granddad and I went in to galleries.

Then my granddad bought me some shoes and some socks. After that we bought some candy and I had the most candy. Next we went to the clothes shop to buy some black pants I had to try 5 pants, 2 pants were to skinny, 1 pair was to short, 1 was to fat and 1 was gist right.

Last we ate and ate and ate. 

Raffy with good pal, and Capital Edge Community School student, Moises

POST by FRAN: Playing en la Playa

Setting up for our first night in the WILD...

Everybody love the beach, right? I know I do! My friend’s parents own a beach house on a beach called ‘Playa Hermosa’ (witch means beautiful beach). They kindly let us go and use their house on the beachfront for a few days. Playa Hermosa is about an hour's drive away from our house.

A lot of people we know own houses on that beach, but they only go there for holidays. So we always get the whole beach to our selves. This time nobody was there except three couples that stayed in a resort just off of the beach and we only saw them like twice. But other than them, we had the beach all to our selves!

We left for the beach on Saturday at 3pmish. It was a squished ride. We had all the luggage neatly thrown in the boot and then Lucky, Anna, Yordy and I were in the back seat with our heads banging up against the roof! In the middle seat was Mum, Lorenzy, Billy, Granny, Eliezer. And in the front were Dad, Grandad, Sezni, and Rafi.

Girls being girls: Liz, Fran, Renz, & our newest recruit, ANNA!!!

We were squished into an eight-seater car with a dog! We were all excited about the beach, we just weren’t that excited about the drive to get there!

We were about a third of the way there when Mum says, “WOW, the dog is doing better than I thought!” She spoke too soon! Just after she had said that the dog vomited all over her back! It’s bad luck sitting in front of a dog that hasn’t traveled before! Mum didn’t say much after we got the toilet paper and wiped off the dog vomit.

We got to a little village that was twenty minutes away from the beach and Mum said, “We need rice and matches and plastic plates!” So Dad stopped at a venta (a shop that is built in to someone's house). Lorenzy and Eliezer jumped out and asked if the lady in the venta had rice, matches and plates.

“Dad I want to run to the beach!” Sezni yelled at the top of his voice. “Me too” said Rafi like a little mouse. “Go ahead! You turn right at the end of the street” Dad explained to the both of them. “So this is right?” Rafi held up his left hand, “and this is left?” pulling up his right hand. “No, the other way around!” said Dad, not really explaining it properly to them.

Lunch, with Franny Brien

“I got it Dad!” Sezni replied, as he started running off with Rafi following shortly behind.

Five minutes later Lorenzy and Eliezer got back in the car with three match boxes, ten pounds of rice and three bags of plastic plates. Dad started driving, “Let’s catch up to those boys.” We turned right and then went on. “Where are they?” asked Grandad. “They wouldn’t have come this far!” said Mum. “Go back! We missed them!” Mum started panicking.

We turned around and went back to where we started, “Have you seen two little boys?” asked Dad. “No,” was the reply. “Let’s go left just in case.” Dad said. “You’re driving!” said mum. We went left and asked two girls if they had seen them, “Oh they are two little white boys? Yeah they ran down there.” “Thanks!” We got to the end of the road, which forked off into four ways, we went straight.

Lorenzy, Eliezer, Lucky and I got out to look for them, “SEZNI...RAFI!?”

After looking for ten minutes Sezni and Rafi came out from the overgrowth crying. “We got lost,” Sezni explained as he climbed into the car. “Did you guys follow my instructions?” asked Dad, wondering why they had gone wrong. “We went this right (putting up his left hand and then we forgot the rest so we just kept going! sob, sniffle, sob” explained Rafi.

Fran & Billy in a tide pool

We got back on track and every one was silent for a while... nobody had anything to talk about. We were all squashed into our car. We were all hot, “Can you turn on the AC?” complainingly asked  Lorenzy. The windows were rolled up and Sezni pushed the AC button. The AC made everyone much happier.

We got to the beach and in total it took us an hour and a half, but when we got there we didn’t care about the long prison ride in the car, we went to the water and just played and had a really happy afternoon.

We forgot to get gas so we cooked over a little fire that took us ten minutes to start. We ate hot dogs with onions! The first day at Playa Hermosa was probably the best. We went to bed at nine thirty, we thought it was like eleven or something, we were all so tired!

The next day I woke up at nine, Yordy had his music on and was practicing tricking with Sezni and Rafi on the sand by the beach house. Mum and Dad were sleeping, so was Anna and Lorenzy upstairs. Eliezer had gone for a walk with Billy.

Franny & Yordy enjoying the rock pools with Lucky

I went into the kitchen and got something to eat, cerial. Anna came downstairs and grabbed some too. After breakfast I got my swimsuit on and went and sat on the sand looking out at the beautiful ocean. Mum eventually woke up and came and sat with me, then came Anna, followed by Lorenzy.

Mum did a little devotion and after the devotion we went and ate more breakfast! Once we were all full we all got ready to go to the pools by the big rocks, thats when we realised that we didn’t bring any sun cream! Oh well. We hit the beach without it, besides my quinse is coming up and I need to get rid of my bad tan lines!

Fran, Yordy & Billy, enjoying the freedom of being at the Beach

The water was so nice and refreshing, but the sun was so hot and we were so vulnerable! The first full day at the beach was so nice - I had friends and family with me enjoying the entire day!

We dug holes and buried people in them so that you can only see their head! We climbed rocks and looked out on the ocean. We looked where the sky met the water. I drew a little and we just had a lot of fun!

Renz, Anna, Yordy, Fran & Sez on the rocks (with Lucky of course)

In the night we made another fire, this time a lot bigger and closer to the water. We roasted marshmellows to flames! We went on a walk and went for a swim for two minutes (we got scared)! We took a few silly pictures and did silly poses. We listened to music, it was so much fun!

We walked up the beach and realised that every step we took there would be some glowy stuff that would glow and then disapear. We decided to run back to make it look like the glowy stuff was chasing us. And when we got back to the fire we all laid down and looked up at the sky, it was a moonless night, filled with stars!

“Wow it is beautiful!” We all eventually said these words out loud. I spotted a shooting star and that’s when I finally said these words, "Nights like these are the ones I appreciate the most, when you're with your friends and family and eternity!"

POST by RENZ: La La en La Mascota

Nayeli, painting in the creche

When people from the community come to us for help, we normally help them as much as we can.

They ask us if we can take them to the hospital or if we can help them get medicine and things like that. If we have our car or if we have money that we can use to help them, then we help as much as we can.

One day, a mum of one of the kids from the school gave my sister a letter and she told her to read it to my dad. When she arrived home she read it to my dad. The letter read that someone in her family was sick and she wanted us to help her. It was a little girl that was sick but it didn’t say whom.

It was a Tuesday night and every Tuesday we go to barrio loco to play pool. Before we went to barrio loco my dad said to me if I wanted to go with him on a daddy-daughter date and I accepted. He said to me that first we would have to make a few stops.

The first place that we went to was to the aunt of the kid that was sick. My dad was going to tell them that we didn’t have any money to help and that we were very sorry we could not help. He then said to me that we could help a little bit if the little girl was from the school that we have, but he thought that she wasn’t.

We went to the mother’s house to tell her that we were sorry but we could not help right now. When we got to her house, he started telling her that but then he asked her who the kid was. She was holding Nayeli in her arms and said that they were going to take her to hospital.

Nayeli with her Mum & cousin

My dad asked her what she wanted him to do and she said that in the morning she had to go to the hospital and they were going to do some exams on the little girl and he needed another woman to help her hold Nayeli still.

She also explained that she has problems with nervousness and other people she had asked had said that they could not help her because they were scared.

Nayeli's Dad on the left (with Liz & Junior)

My dad said that him and I would go with her in the morning to the hospital.

In the morning, my dad woke me up and told me it was time to go. It was six o’clock on the dot and we had to go to the hospital.

I got ready as fast as I could and then went outside. I didn’t even have time to eat! Outside it was nice and cool. Sitting upon a bench on our front porch was Nayeli, her mum, and her dad.

Nayeli

As soon as my dad walked out of the house, we all jumped into the car and went off to the hospital. For most of the time, our journey was silent with just the radio in the background. We arrived at the hospital but the mum said that it was the wrong hospital.

My dad did not know which hospital the lady was talking about so he asked somebody from the hospital that we were at if he knew where the other hospital was. He told us that we were very far away from the other one, La Mascota, but an ambulance was going there and so we followed the ambulance.

The ambulance was fun to follow but he was going so fast and it was hard to keep track of him.

Once we got to the hospital we went into a room and they gave baby Nayeli an injection in the arm. Once that was done we had to wait in the waiting room for a very long time. My dad kept on asking me what we were waiting for but I didn’t know.

Finally they called us in after we had been waiting for a few hours and they took some x-rays (I think) of her. One of her body parts was too small and so they had to stick something in her too see what was happening.

They told us to take her pants off and lay her down on the table. Once she was lying down and they hadn’t even touched her she had already started screaming and crying.

Nayeli crying, Jocasta & Manuel

They told me to hold her arms down and so I did it. They told the mum to hold her legs open and so she did it.

The doctor came over and put some needle thing attached with a cord in her and then he told us that we just had to wait, so we waited whilst they put stuff in her.

Once they finished that part they took out the needle and told her to pee and then she could go. She didn’t want to and so she started screaming and crying even louder.

We waited about ten minutes until she finally did it. They then put her in a shower and rinsed her off. Then we left and the little girl was normal again.

When we got home I was so tired and everybody was asking us where we were and if I was ok because I was so tired. I told them that we went to the hospital.

Now the girl is ok but they have to give her medicines and things like that.

POST by JED: Planes, Trains & Automobiles - Part 11

A beaut benefit in visiting the United States, this past Northern Hemisphere summer, was being able to see many of our dearest friends and family. After four and a half years in Latin America, where we've both blended in well and stood out like sore thumbs (scores of sore thumbs actually), I can't tell you just how cool it was, the unbelievable relief, to hang out with people who "get" us. Well, people who really, truly try to "get" us...

During our first student exchange year in Rochester, Liz's studious, yet debonair brother, Lukey, came to visit us. At the time Lukey was studying at Filton College in Bristol - UK, and was feeling a little cooped up in his scholarly, Western England environment (think Pirates of the Caribbean).

Lukey is by no means an average person. He has an extensive vocabulary, a wicked imagination, and a tantalisingly delectable personality. He also has red hair and thick luscious eyebrows - Lorenzy, my daughter and Lukey's niece,  asked me to add that last sentence. Apparently it's somewhat of an ongoing joke between the two...

Upon Lukey's arrival in Rochester, we showed him the sights, which consisted of Church, our apartment and the supermarket - we were Aussie exchange students in the USA, just after the Asian stock crisis... At the time of writing this post the Aussie dollar is just a little stronger than the weakening Greenback, but at the time it was 1 Aussie dollar to every 50 US cents - we couldn't afford to swallow the saliva in our mouths... We were poor as dust. Well anyway, Lukey feigned interest in our rather static lives.

We stuck the lad in the only space available to us in our small two bedroom apartment - a broom closet. With the sweltering heat Lukey sautéed beautifully, ready for consumption - and so we verily decided on a little soirée of sorts, to show off our prized legendary British hunk, to the adoring local lasses.

Our exclusive candlelit supper for young damsels in tight fit dress, turned into a raucous, boardgame playing, Mariah Carey squealing, hair pulling, manners forgetting, mosh pit fest of youthful US Christian femininity. 

During the board game "Survivor," Liz and I were first to be "voted off the island..." And therein lay the irony, we were swiftly and strategically being nudged out of the evening - far, far away from our struggling sibling, the now salaciously stuttering Lukey.

The poor kid didn't stand a chance. He tried to smile, but exhibited one of those "male trying to smile" smiles. He attempted to get up and move around, but was hastily tackled back down to the ground. He began to wince, twitch and tap, yet these girls were unmerciful and seemed somewhat experienced - sensing his naivety and nervousness they moved in for the kill, tongues lashing and eyelids and batting...

Liz and I, not knowing what to do, retreaded to the boudoir to discuss tactics and the implementation of a security plan. Moments later we emerged, ready to distract the hoards of broads by dancing the can-can on stilts, to Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya and Pink's hit - Lady Marmalade. However, the delightful loves had left, leaving Lukey alone and completely in love.

The boy had been trapped, suffocated, incapable of normal brain function - they'd weakened him to the point of complete and utter exhaustion. He was no longer human, he'd spent a night with New York gals. Who won the battle for the brawn and the brains, I hear you caringly ask? The ever radiant, quietly spoken, highly intelligent, Jaime.

Over the next few forevers, Lukey traveled back and forth between the US and Great Britain, getting to know his darling Miss Swanson, her family, and the state of New York, which would become his permanent home.

However, amidst the who-ha of young love, we also returned to New York for another year. This second university exchange period (Liz's turn at tertiary study), offered the Brien family the terrific privilege of getting to know Jaime and her family, without the incessant interference of Lukey, and this was quite the blessing.

I mean seriously, how often are folks given the opportunity in really getting to know their international in-laws, before they're married-in and it's all too late? (for plotting, scheming, revenge, etc.)

Jaime spent many-a-night in our quaint, Floridian built, bungalow, chatting with us about this and that and everything else in between. The relationship between us developed easily, without complication, and the time was unrushed and of significant value. What can I say, we absolutely love Jaime and we've had the time to let this love grow!

She was there for all of our kids' gaudy birthday parties. She endured the decorating of our apartment. She observed Liz's pregnancy (sometimes closely, at other times from a safe distance) and the birth of Rafael (our youngest bio offspring).

She welcomed us into her sometimes gasoline powered home, the day Lizzie left hospital with 5 day old Rafael.  A storm had struck powerfully, taking out our electricity. Liz had dozed in our marital cot, with sleepy Raffy snoring alongside.

Whilst there was still light, I was okay with this scenario. However, the snow fell heavily upon our house, driving temperatures rapidly south (although we used gas for heating, you had to start the darned thing with electricity). I put layer upon layer of clothing upon our kids, effectually making them look somewhat like little Michelin men!  

I made my specialty for dinner, cereal and bread with jam. I served up cold hot chocolate and we snuggled in, reading bedtime stories. At just 4pm I had gone as far as I would go and declared with the dimming light that it was now "bedtime!" As if I was joking, Franny & Renzy laughed at the hilarity, clapping their hands wildly and running through and past my legs. I hadn't been joking, so what the dickens was going on?

I ran around trying to find the wee little "darlings", only gettinig madder by the second. What started off as "Fraaannyyy? Reeenzyyy? I'm going to fiiind youuu!" became (with wooden spoon in hand) "IF YOU DO NOT COME OUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW I'M GOING TO BLAH, BLAH, EXPLETIVE, BLAH!!!" I know, cancel all the parenting seminars...

In my fury and bewilderment the phone rang. I don't know how, but it rang. We were still powerless (myself in many ways), but the ding dang phone did ring! "Hello, this is Jeddie speaking!" I chimed in my best Bucket (bouquet) voice... Funny to me how Aussies and Brits, even in dire circumstances, always answer the phone with a smile on their face and a pleasant, I'm-the-chirpy-receptionist-of-a-multinational, tone.

It was my sister in-law-to-be on the other end. "Can we come and collect you guys? You can sleep here tonight..." I happily went and interrupted my sleeping beauty's "napping." I explained the proposal to Liz who responded with a growly, if-you-wake-me-again-you'll-die, "absolutely not!"

I gradually returned to the phone, unable to see, only able to hear the echoes of my children's giggling & chatting along the very walls that were guiding my hands, assisting me in my navigation of the apartment.

I was unhappy, but hadn't just given birth to a baby (without any kind of pain relief) in breach position 5 days prior, and so I bit my tongue. "Jaime, Liz wants to just stay put for the night", I whispered soberly. "Okay", she replied in a kind of questioning, you're an idiot - but if you want to die an idiot then I respect your decision, kind of way... I placed the phone gingerly on the hook. "I'm an idiot", I thought to myself.

The Brien family at the Townsend/Swanson wedding

Hours went by, but the rambunctious behaviour of the little Brien kiddies never once changed. Honestly, my eyes never adjusted to the darkness and my offspring were never found. They crawled behind furniture, following me, leading me, making a complete fool out of me, but... Not once was I able to catch the little critters! I did however, manage to break countless objects and am sure I was within inches of the brazen brats at any given moment!

I don't want to carry on with this hodge-podge story for too long, but basically Lizzie woke up and asked me curiously what my game plan was. I explained that if it had have been my decision, we'd be at the Swanson's by now. She asked me what I meant, I asked her what she meant, she didn't remember our conversation about Jaime's invitation (clearly, she'd been sleep talking) and became furious with me for not snapping up their kind offer. Of course I telephoned half of Rochester in my desperate attempt to call the Swanson's back (it was dark and I misdialed several... hundred times).

It must have been a couple of years later that Luke asked for Jaime's hand in marriage (lucky him, Craig gave the entire body!). They telephoned us from New York (we were living in Canberra again, the national Capital of Australia) and we were all very excited, haphazardly celebrating by dancing with our kids to Abba songs all evening, normal behaviour in the Brien household.

Even more exciting was that Luke & Jaime asked us to be their Best Man & Maid of Honour. Wow! Liz and I had eloped many years before, and being asked to be a significant part of a "proper" wedding was a shock to our system. The wedding we were expecting, the formal stroll down the aisle, arm in arm, in front of a mass of friends and family, was something quite unexpected!

The Brien, Townsend & Swanson men (plus one strange little English chap)

We flew to New York, along with all of Liz's family from the UK, and with my parents from Australia. It was a lovely ceremony and reception. I was privileged to give the only speech of the night, and although it nearly killed me, on account of nerves, I was honoured to be granted the opportunity.

The Brien's, the Townsend's and a Swanson... That's Gold, that's Family

And so, this past summer, we returned to Jaime Townsend née Swanson's house for some family fun and festivities. We were warmly greeted by friends-come-family as we swam in the Swanson pool, drank Swanson coffee, chatted with grandma, Craig & Chrissy Swanson (Jaime's Dad & Mum) and enjoyed the beauty of tiny Swansons (Jaime's brother, Cory, is now married. He has several kids of his own. His wife is Julie Swanson née Hinman, please see Planes, Trains &Automobiles - Part 10).

Francesca,, me, baby Allegra, Lukey, Lizzie, Jaime & Lorenzy

The cake, you've just eaten. However, the icing on the cake, in this Brien/Swanson journey, is a couple of factors not yet mentioned.

Firstly, Chrissy grew up as a missionary child in Japan. Upon completion of our sharing at LifeQuest Church, Chrissy looked into my eyes, with tears welling, and said "wow, this is really something. You guys have always believed you'd be doing this work and look where we are today."

Jed & Raffy singing Perfume a Tus Pies at LifeQuest Community Church

Chrissy's words were special to me, an acknowledgement of what it has taken to get where we are, and excitement for where we are going. However, as a missionary child herself, there is a kindredness between the path Chrissy has walked and the path our family is currently on. Chrissy's warm eyes looked into mine and I saw many, many more things than mere words could express. There was love, respect, kindness, joy, etc. No words were necessary, I felt a million emotions towards Chrissy as we stood in the LifeQuest Church building that warm summery day. We, together, are part of a physical family. However, and more importantly, we're part of a spiritual family.

Secondly, Craig & Chrissy have proved it can be done. One of the most difficult thing about being married is being married. What was God thinking when he put 2 completely different people together and said "love each other." I have many questions for God when we're face-to-face. I don't think my human brain will ever comprehend the why's relating to marriage. In any case, Craig & Chrissy have walked in humility and have persevered through adversity. They are a great example to me of holding on to the promise that God alone has given. He will make a way through the desert... We just have to put our trust in HIM, believing that he has the answers and that he will remain faithful to us - HIS children. All it takes on our part is faith, persistence and copious amounts of coffee...

Crime: Three dead in Post-Election Violence in Nicaragua

“There is no way they can reverse this on us,” Obando said. “If the riot police attack, it will be a disaster. Nueva Segovia is a complicated place. We are very belligerent here. This was the heart of the contra corridor and we have the bad habit of resolving our problems in an inappropriate way.”

CLICK here to read article

Politics: Sandinistas consolidate single-party rule in Nicaragua

A tin-pot election that started with the frightening possibility of electing a zombie governmentculminated in an overwhelming victory for the ruling Sandinista Front early Monday morning amid allegations of dirty tricks, official mischief, voter exclusion, political tomfoolery, post-electoral violence and system collapse...

As of early Monday morning, gangs of Sandinsitas and Liberals were clashing in La Paz Centro (León), there were reports of gunfire in Sebaco (Matagalpa) and Santo Domingo (Chontales), and bouts of violence in Jinotega. In addition, Núñez says the Sandinista Front reportedly cut the electricity in municipality of La Libertad (Chontales) when it started to appear that the PLI was going to win the mayor’s office in President Ortega’s hometown...

...the “zombie parties”—the ALN, APRE and the Conservative Party—are verifiably undead. In virtually all of the rural municipalities, the three phony parties won only one or two votes each. That means that not even the family members of the dead candidates voted for their deceased relative as a final gesture of loving memory.  The shameful electoral performance by those three parties offers compelling mathematical proof of their inexistence and—incidentally—of the CSE’s corruption...

The biggest opposition complaint yesterday was over inconsistencies in the voter registries. Many voters claimed their names had mysteriously disappeared from the voter registration lists posted at the voting centers where they had voted all their lives. Others complained that their names appeared on the main voter registration posted on the front wall of the voting center, but not on the list at the voting booth, which prevented them from casting their ballot.

The voter-registration problems are so chronic in Nicaragua that the phenomenon has its own name: “raton loco”—named after the voters who are made to run around like one of the three blind mice trying to figure out where they are supposed to vote (see how they run)...

CLICK here to read article

More than 20% of Nicaraguans who tried to vote Sunday were excluded from the polls because they did not appear on either of the two voter registries, according to a preliminary report by electoral watchdog the Institute for Development and Democracy (IPADE).

CLICK here to read article

POST by RAF: Miserable Maths

Rafael Brien

One day I was helping my dad with a game with some kids called, what’s the time Mr.wolf. 

When I was finished helping my dad I went inside my family’s house. First I heard the doorbell, ding dong. I ran to open the gate and it was my mom with 15 math books. When I ran inside the house I sow the math books and did math striate away because I love math.   

After 7 days my mom put pink lines so when I get to the pink line I can have a math test and get money, right now I am on lesson 21.

Political: China, China, China...

China's presence is much more ambitious in Nicaragua, where President Daniel Ortega signed a memorandum of understanding in September with the recently created Hong Kong-based HK Nicaragua Canal Development Investment Co to finance and build a canal linking the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean - a dream long cherished by Managua. 

CLICK here to read article

POST by ANNA: Why Am I Here?

Anna & Francesca, doing what girls do best!!!

So, I never really viewed myself as a blogger because I really thought blogging required the writer to drink copious amounts of coffee, have hippie hair (which I guess I do), or be selling something. Except the Briens, their blogs are lovely. Did ya see what I did there? Anyways, I’m not saying I don’t like blogs, I just never really thought I would blog. But Facebook statuses are not cutting it for me. I have so much that I want to say about where I am and what I am doing so here begins a stream of lovely blogging.

Maybe, I will start from the beginning to give a better view of why I decided to come to Nicaragua in the first place. When I was younger, I always felt like I was meant to do something different than the typical American. I don’t think I am better than the rest of America, because I am, after all, American.

Anna "fits in" with the Capital Edge Crew

Growing up, I always tried to be as independent as I could and act as strong and as brave as possible. I prided myself in my success and hard work.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing to do, but for me it became a bit of an obsession and it made me proud, in a bad way.

Though I always wanted to do something adventurous and crazy, I chose to go to college to get my degree because that, of course, is the successful way of doing things. I loved and still love college and I dearly want to go back, but I know that right now, I am not supposed to be there.

Anna & Eliazer, our Latin Dance Coach

Last year, I had a great year of school, but I didn’t really feel like I grew in my relationship with God. There are so many pressures in school to either be super smart or the most fun kid at the party or the hottest babe on campus or the most blinged-out “jersey chaser” as we call it. The school is not to blame. No one person can take responsibility for the pressure. 

By nature, I am a people-pleaser. Even when I am being sassy, it’s because I want people to like me. I want to fit in every social group possible for who knows why.  Therefore, college was a place for me to exercise my lack of confidence. I didn’t get hugely into the party scene, and I honestly don’t think the party scene is that bad, but I just started to doubt my beliefs and question my reasons behind those beliefs.

Thinking about life in the grand scheme, I didn’t want mine to be a waste. I didn’t want to give up my integrity and my heart to whoever says the nicest thing to me at the party or bend over backwards to please whoever was the funniest person in Chi Alpha (campus ministry). I didn’t want to be a certain person at one place and a completely different person at another.

At Church in Barrio Loco

Over the summer, I let go of a lot of bitterness, guilt and frustration that I had pent up inside of me from the way things went my freshman year. I pretty much said to God that I was sick of being mad at Him for things that I chose for my life. Last year was so weird because I have never been a person who gets mad at God. But I just couldn’t understand why certain things were sins while others weren’t or why some people could just easily do whatever they liked and use the “Oh.. It is just college excuse,” because my conscience (the Holy Spirit) seemed to bark a big FAT “NOOO!!!” at me a vast majority of the time.

In time, I have realized that it’s a good thing to have the Holy Spirit persist. My good friend Hannah Day said something to me this last summer that began all of this. She said, “No matter how much I mess up, or how much people hurt me and bad things happen, I ALWAYS want to have a soft heart for God and for people.”

That phrase has constantly been with me since then. Even when I mess up and hurt others, or when others hurt me, God is still love. God is still there for me.

Anna is a blessing to Nicaragua... That´s been this hospitalised kid´s experience

This semester, I went into school with that attitude. I tried to be less selfish, more open to others and to God but fell into what I call “the self-esteem trap.”  I got caught up in wanting to make new friends and doing what they did, instead of loving and appreciating the friends that I had.

In that process, I was still “me” but just a crappy version of me. The worst part of all, was that I didn’t really care. Which is exactly what I wanted last year. But, my goodness, it was terrifying.

Then, one morning, I woke up and all my choices, my attitudes towards others and God, SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE. I honestly just woke up and cried because I knew that something had changed. God just totally covered me in that moment.

I texted Wendy (my step-mom) and simply asked her to think of me and pray. She called me within five minutes, and I told her everything that was going on. And I told her I knew that I needed to make a change. A BIG change.  I told her I needed to leave which is something I think about a lot, like most engineering (haha) college students.

This time it was different though, I wanted to leave because I knew that nothing would change if nothing changed. I was getting good grades, making new friends,  and doing well with my job. I wanted to leave because even though all this was awesome, I knew it was taking me to a place I didn’t want to be.

Success is awesome. It’s not something bad to pursue or something to be ashamed of, unless and until it becomes your main focus. For me, I got so wrapped up in what I wanted and what others wanted me to be that I couldn’t hear that voice anymore.

I am so thankful that Nicaragua and the Brien family was placed on my heart in the very moment that I knew something had to be done. Never in my whole life, have I had such clear instructions on what to do.

That same day, I withdrew from all of my classes (and possibly cried all day). But seriously, God gave me so much peace and so much confirmation that it was the right choice. A huge thanks to all of you who have always supported me and continue to. God is so real and He loves you enormously. AND I LOVE YOU TOO J hugs and kisses!

Anna

Anna & Yader (our  Latin Dance coach)