Pobrecita la Sydney

Our dear mistress of the Manna House, the one and only Sydney,* fell ill after a playful-turned-pernicious romp with Cola (her son, see photo below.) The two Rottweilers serve as faithful guards and companions, so the mood around the house has been greatly altered with everyone's favorite girl-dog under such pain. Her first visits to the vet proved futile as he diagnosed the bite as a scorpion's attack and drained the wound. Days later and a visit to a new vet proved that Cola was the true culprit. Unfortunately, this visit also witnessed Sydney's wound become infected to the point that the skin covering her injured limb fell right off! (She has been wrapped in bandages and love every since and is under a 24/7 Dog Watch.) To keep her nose out of her own business, she must wear the traditional cone around her head...but in this house, nothing stays normal for long! I came back one night to find Syndey patrolling around the house (she's since become an "indoor dog") with the four seasons decorating her lovely cone. Now, as I am on my shift of 24/7 Dog Watch, I decided to share her story with the world! An additional props to my fellow PD Amelia, who has slept with Sydney every night post-surgery...lest the bandage slide down her leg. That, folks, is dedication.

Sydney, in her healthier days, guards the house while Cola gazes contently from his lap pool

* I feel the need to note that Sydney and I weren't always bosom buddies...I spent the two months of my existence in Nicaragua deathly afraid of both rottweilers, my fears only increased by the fact that Sydney actually bit me! I thought I'd never get to the point of friendliness, but really, who can resist the charm of such lovable dogs? After all, she was only doing her job...

Coming Home

Last night, I went to America. My first steps onto American soil in Nicaragua brought with them a rush of nostalgia and an eery sense of being in two places at once. I was in America, the American Embassy in fact, located on Carretera Sur just fifteen minutes from “home” in Nicaragua. Who knew America was so close? As I walked through security and left behind my cell phone, I entered an open space of nothing but clean pavement, palm trees, and an American flag. Already I felt miles away from the potholes and trash I drive past every day on Managuan roads. I entered a building covered wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling with Old Glories and every state flag. Listening to our Ambassador’s words amongst the largest gathering of gringos I’ve seen outside of the States, I was filled with good old fashioned American pride. This is not a sentiment I typically carry with me in Nicaragua, a country whose history has been stained with abuses of their powerful neighbor to the North. The Ambassador acknowledged our rather strained diplomatic ties with the country while highlighting Nicaragua’s wonderful natural beauty and the generosity and kindness of the locals. The theme of the night, “crisis preparedness” as he called it, concerned the natural perils (hurricanes, volcanoes, earthquakes) that we ex-patriots face as well as the underlying (dormant?) threat of political unrest...

I’ve realized that being abroad in no way makes me invulnerable to the desire for home. The ability to return home is one that I will always cherish as long as I have it. In fact, thanks to an early birthday present and frequent flyer miles, I was able to return home last week to visit both family and friends over Vanderbilt’s Homecoming weekend. The weekend was a treasure: a reminder of where I come from, who I am, why I do what I do, and what I hope to accomplish with the rest of my time with Manna Project International. It was a gift to embrace my best friends, drive around town with my sisters, visit my old college haunts, attend church in English, cheer on my Alma Mater...the list goes on and on! I was rejuvenated by unselfish friendships and the confirmation that what I get to do in Nicaragua with MPI is a privilege, a calling, and an unequivocal, unmissable opportunity. My return to Vanderbilt, Nashville, and Murfreesboro only brings to light the fact that I now have two homes: Nashville or Nicaragua, Murfreesboro or Managua...wherever I may be, home is where the heart is, and my heart is with me.

Tonight I sit outside the Manna House. It’s Friday night, America night. A night to laugh with friends and de-stress. A night to be thankful. A night to celebrate. Working for a nonprofit organization in a third world country doesn’t somehow make me immune to my roots. It doesn’t blind me to think that I am so special, so able, or so gifted as to somehow be capable of shaking off where I come from and pretend to have had to deal with the poverty and the injustices that some people I work with here face on a daily basis. There are things I can do, such as return to America, that some people in Nicaragua will never be able to do. That does not lessen my desire to work relentlessly here or to return home when able. If anything, it encourages me to continually give thanks for my blessings and use them to bless others. Home is where the heart is. This weekend, and these past few months, are teaching me how to be a blessing no matter which home I may be in...by keeping a smile on my face, by uplifting those around me, by sharpening my mind, by celebrating the moment. Carpe. Diem.

Nashville, TN

Nicaragua

It's definitely not a Nashville party...

I'd like to share a list of my new favorite jams, my iTunes "Nicañol" playlist. Some songs are absolutely ridiculous, some are great for dancing, and some should be international hits, but may they all bring a smile to your face and moves to your body! Por favor, ¡disfrútate!

Nica-Pop:

- Te amo by Makano

- Te regalo amores by RKM & Ken-Y

- El Amor y Tito El Bambino (You can't listen to this without being unbelievably happy...just makes me want to fall in love!)

- Yo Te Extrañaré by Tercer Cielo (Brings a tear to the eye and reminds me of the 13.5 kids who belt out every single word.)

- Latinoamerica by Tercer Cielo (If only I could describe my affection for this song. Makes me want to change the world. Makes me feel like I did just that solely by listening to this song.)

- No te pido flores by Fanny Lu

- By Flex: Dime si te vas con el & Te amo tanto

Reggaeton

- Virtual Diva by Don Omar (A Patrol Car Favorite)

- Flow Natural by Beenie Man, Ines, & Tito El Bambino (Shoot! If you thought Jai Ho was a hit...well, it was, and this is different, but still good. A cross-cultural experience.)

- Sexy Movimiento by Wisin & Yandel

- Daddy Yankee: Lo Que Paso, Paso; El Impacto; Que Tengo Que Hacer

- Pitbull: Fuego; I Know You Want Me; Krazy; The Anthem; Blanco (absolutely ridiculous)

Old Habits Die Hard:

(These older songs are ones I'm still hanging on to)

- Me Gustas Tu by Manu Chao (May be old, but it's new to me. A french-spanish singer who gives a NICA shout out - nothing better!)

- Perdoname by La Factoria

- Dímelo by Enrique Inglesias (A must. Obviously. Listen to it in English OR Spanish.)

- El Telefono by Hector Bambino (One of the first songs I listened to and then realized, "Hey. I can understand this.")

- Salio el Sol

- Pam Pam (...don't know the real name, just love it)

- Eso Ehh...!!! by Alexis y Fido

- Hace Calor

Bachata:

- By Aventura: Hermanita; Eso No Es Amor (So funny. Listen, and you'll know why.)

- Te comence a querer by Tito El Bambino (Ah! Falling in love with this country one step at a time!)

Folklórico:

- La Pelo de Maiz by Otto de la Rocha (listen here)

- Nicaragua Nicaragüita by Carlos Mejía Godoy

- Son Tus Perjúmenes Mujer by Carlos Mejía Godoy

Wait...I thought I was in Nicaragua:

- Si Yo Fuera Un Chico by Beyonce

- Yo Quiero Make Love by Akon...? (Yes, a fabulous remix of AKON's "I wanna make love" - the Nicas LOVE some Akon!)

- He Querido Quererte by Franco El Gorilla ft. Tico (Chris Brown's "Forever" comes to Nica & this is their love child)

- Watcha Say by Jason DeRulo

- Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus

- Ego by Beyonce

...well, guess I don't just listen to Latin music. I sneak a few American ones in there...

Hope this music brings you a huge sonrisa! Smile!

Jan Maggi (como la sopa, no?)