One of the frustrations

I have been reintroduced to lately is that of blogging overseas.  Clearly, I want to relay our experiences, however, I want to be careful to portray a balanced viewpoint. I was a bit overwhelmed when we first arrived in Managua, and constantly have to remind myself that my idea of a situation is simply that: my opinion. My viewpoint isn't necessarily shared by the person in that situation.  

Needless to say, discussions on Facebook such as who wore what to the Golden Globes or keeping your child in a rear facing car seat til age 5, are almost laughable to me.  My visions every day are so incredibly far away from that sort of world that it's really hard to balance all of my worlds sometimes and I find myself stuck and quiet.

I end up not writing as much online lest I put too much of my Stateside thinking into a post.  I've realized if I try to understand the nuances of every cultural difference, I might drive myself crazy. Instead I have to step back, observe, and simply try to figure out where I might be able to make a difference in helping and where I am just interfering by foisting my cultural mores where they don't belong. It's a very fine line.

I've decided that I will blog observations without trying to make inferences. I am not judging good or bad, merely trying to reflect what I see on a daily basis.  Otherwise, if I don't write these down, I will forget.  I will just have the glossy photos I took, but not every single image of what life is like outside of the States.  To not have that would do a tour injustice.

Yesterday we were driving to the airport in a car that was not our own.  After leaving our neighborhood, we turned onto the highway.  Almost immediately, we stopped for a red light.  Now, this is not true at all intersections, but at many here, there might be a form of entertainment, whether it be the fire juggler or a 6 year old boy tossing limes in the air.  A show of a local's talent or skill.  It is, in my opinion, risky at best, but as I wrote, I'm a visitor, not a rule maker.

The show yesterday was a variation on one I have seen before.  A mother is in the middle of the highway.  As traffic stops, she quickly runs out into the lane.  Her child, maybe age 9, nimbly climbs up her back.  A 3 or 4 year old then climbs up atop of that child, and settles upon her shoulders.  She takes two oranges and claps them together.  She smacks them in her face, upon her body, and back together again.  They are all three a bit dirt-smeared, but happy while entertaining.  Quickly, before the light changes, the children scamper down their mother's back.  They hang with the mother and run from car to car, hoping for payment for the show.

I would not have been able to open the window, had they stopped by.  However, they don't, they continue down the one lane of traffic, hoping to collect before they return to the middle of the highway to prepare for their next show.  The light changes, and we drive away, knowing it is but one of many shows we shall see during our time here.