Nicaragua: Sunday Activities (bring your dog to church)

Happy bring your puppy to church day! Apart from being the 5th Sunday in Lent, today is the feast day of St. Lazarus. That means the people in my training town dress up their puppies (not to be confused with the very different grown-up guard dogs) and they bring them to church. The story goes that the poor man Lazarus, filled with open sores, befriended dogs who licked his wounds clean. Therefore the family friends are included in the day's celebrations. In addition to that, after Mass everybody received a bag (yes, bag) of "chincha," the traditional ginger drink which is shared on the feast day of St. Lazarus. I couldn't find a story behind this drink, other than, "it's a tradition." I will keep asking around.

Besides the puppy excitement, this afternoon my host family and I continued with our culinary exchange. The other night my host mother taught me how to make soy chorizo (sausage) from scratch! We even extracted our own soy milk in the process. Whoever said being a vegetarian in Latin America is impossible was lying. Today I taught her how to make banana bread. I figured that since bananas are in such abundance here, the opportunity is just too perfect to not make one of my favorite treats. Based on my family's reactions upon eating it, I have a feeling we will be making it again. And again, and again.

To end the day's activities, I experienced my first Nicaraguan "vela." I accompanied my host mother to the wake of a community member who passed away this morning. It was held at the house of the deceased loved one with at least 100 chairs set up in the street outside their door where people could sit. Community members came to offer their condolences and pass the night with the family. It's been a Sunday of happiness and a Sunday of sadness. All I know is, this girl is ready to get some shut eye and start week #2 of pre-service training.