Christmas etc.

Although I missed going to the movies and dinner with Mom, Dad and Jake this year, I was glad to be able to celebrate Christmas here in Managua with my friends and family nicaraguense. People here celebrate on the 24th more than the 25th, and it's kind of like New Year's... Everyone stays up until midnight and then wish each other a merry Christmas as fireworks are going off all over the city. I went over to Tere's house and had a few Toña's with her, Miriam and José, another friend. Tere is an amazing cook, and made a delicious carne and pollo asada with rice, cabbage salad and tostones. Her 13 year old daughter Lindsey is in love with bachata music, so we danced a bit. Later, I went to Maria's house, where at midnight we all wished each other a merry christmas. We went to Brenda's, then to Doña Esmeralda's, then back to Ana's house.

On the 25th, I slept late and then went back to Maria´s, who had invited a bunch of people over to eat tripe soup. On their back patio was set up a coal fire with an enormous pot of boiling soup (probably about 3x bigger than the enormous pot you're picturing). I wouldn't have eaten it if it weren't for the vegetables, because tripe definitely makes me want to gag. We sqeezed around the table in the kitchen, had some shots of rum, and gorged ourselves on soup. Maria's mom Isabelle was smoking a cigarette and singing songs of lost love to Tere, who was lamenting the sadness of Lindsey and Alonso, her two youngest, who miss their father who lives in New Jersey (also the love of Tere's life). Isabelle later on told stories about seeing her dead aunt walking around her house soon after her death, and other times when the dead didn't really die. I sat with them on the front patio until around 9, when I was starting to fall asleep.

Happy New Year to all!!