Tuesday, June 02, 2009

"Honey came in & she caught me red-handed"

Tutoring began yesterday, and it was a lot of information! I am enjoying learning about Nicaraguan government, history, and culture. I spent two hours doing homework yesterday...only to learn this morning that I'd done my homework for the entire week! Oh well...fortunately I brought a great workbook.

Entonces yesterday I made a brilliant discovery! There's a really nice, expensive hotel here called Piedras & Ojos that stands in sharp contrast to my hotel--Hotel Joxi,which costs $15 a night and includes a private bathroom, bed with scratchy sheets, insects, and fan and a/c. Unlike my modest lodgings, Piedras & Ojos has a pool or three. So I climbed up the hill yesterday to check it out. I felt obliged to buy a Coca Cola Light and spent two hours at the pool. I headed back today for my first good meal since arriving here (most of the restaurants here are catering to cheap tourists and serve nachos, pizza, etc.) and spent almost four hours beside the infinity pool. It's clean, safe, and I don't have to worry about waking up to find a man standing above me, trying to sell me stuff. So yeah for relaxation!

Today's lyrics are from Marie's Bar where I had the worst nachos of my life. Marie's Soda, however,makes their tortillas on the spot, thus serving some super yummy nachos. I've yet to find my beloved plantains but vow to do so before leaving San Juan del Sur.

p.s.I am so grateful to have three hours a day with a Nicaraguan tutor. I can (and have) asked her all sorts of random questions. I learned today,for example, that the president's wife does not shave under her arms and has quite a bit of hair there--and that the machistos really like it. Tomorrow she's taking me to the local school to check it out, and I'm taking them the supplies my mom bought for me to share. Fun!

11 comments:

A2 said...

Hey amiga,
So glad you found Piedras y Ojos and their beautiful pools and food! Thanks for keeping us updated; I am loving all the posts. And you are totally an overachiever with the homework :)

Love,
A2

Ally said...

A2: I'm hoping I'll make an A :) Love you too!

Accidentally Me said...

Um...did you specifically ask if the President's wife shaved? And how exactly did that come up in a normal conversation?

HappyascanB said...

I'm with AM! How'd the topic of underarm hair come up, exactly? And have I missed something big? Are you there for pleasure or business or what? I'm confrused!!!

Ally said...

AM: No! I didn't specifically ask, but we were talking about women in Nicaragua and their customs like makeup, dating, and whatnot, and my tutor shared that. That sort of information is the great part of working one on one with tutor...I'm learning all sorts of interesting stuff!

Happyascan B: You must have missed my post about my mission trip. I came a week earlier than my team so that I could learn about the culture, history, etc. and to work on my Spanish in hopes that I wouldn't need to use a translator during the mission trip. So I'm meeting with a tutor for three hours a day and doing homework for another two hours and soaking it all in (and finishing up several work projects:(

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you're having a great time - what an amazing experience!

Trish said...

I have decided since I'm an official "blogger" now I'm allowed to comment on your posts and not just lurk! So far it sounds like you are having a great time! Very interesting about the armpit hair...is it like in some European countries where shaving of legs and such is only done by prostitutes? (or at least according to my HS Latin teacher?).

Ally said...

Browneyedgirl: Yes, I am really blessed!

Trish: Yeah for you blogging and commenting!! I am having a great time, but I'm not sure about the prostitutes. There are definitely some here, but I know my teacher shaves her legs and she's not a prostitute...so there you go!

OK Chick said...

LOL! The worst nachos of your life. HA, that made me laugh. Blogger Friend, it's all part of traveling. :)

I'm happy you were able to relax at the fancy hotel. I hope you get more days like that! :)

ella said...

The pool sounds like heaven!

boohoo said...

I love how hairy armpits came up in the conversation! ;)