Yesterday we had a campaign in the town of Güisquiliapa. I had hoped that because all the asesoras lived in the very same town that we would have insane turnout. As it happened, we did have 35 people show up for eye exams and to look at the other products, almost too many to serve within the time span given to us. Santa had to begin giving eye exams because there were people who were waiting for two hours at a time, though I believe most of the delay can be blamed no on the inefficiency of any asesora but because people are extremely picky, choosy and don’t pay attention. Everything has to be gone over many, many times and carefully repeated to each person so that they understand everything, as the clients are often insistent that they need one thing when they really need the other.
While the eye exams were going on, we would administer surveys and do demonstrations of the solar lamp. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the filter with me. However, we took the stove demonstration on to another level. We lighted up the stove and with the expert help of Peter, who wasn’t afraid to look silly to start the fire, got a pot of water boiling for coffee. The waiting people, sensing that we were at their mercy, then demanded sugar, which I went to buy at the closest pulperia. I’m going to miss the pulperias here. They’re little corner shops filled with snacks and your basic necessities, like bread, sugar, rice and corn, fruits, and utensils. You can often buy something good to eat for a few cordabas at one of the many pulperías that appears every block or so. All pulperías offer this coconut-vanilla cake that very closely resembles yellow cake without frosting, to which I am completely addicted. I’ll buy two or three pieces at a time and have developed a reputation for eating lots of cake.
Then, with some SolCom funds, we also went out and bought some eggs, oil and salt. Although we got some smoke in our eyes and burned our finger tips a little, we managed to make huge quantities of scrambled and fried eggs as well as egg sandwiches. I offered for everyone waiting to make their own sandwich and in return fill out a survey, but no one wanted to do my genius idea so that flopped. However, what turned into an otherwise long campaign in a far away town without the promise of lunch turned into a fun few hours trying to get a little stove to cook our eggs and then being able to enjoy the delicious results of our success.
The campaign itself was also a relative success. We sold a good amount of goods, resulting in a good commission for each of the asesoras. I think a reason why our sales weren’t astronomical however was because a lot of the townspeople knew that they could stop by any of the asesora’s houses at any time to purchase products and so they did not feel much urgency to walk to the campaign itself and wait in line.
I had a relatively uninteresting afternoon after the campaign, other than nearly suffocating after being squeezed for half an hour in one of those ubiquitous small vans that we travel in, that the drivers insist will hold upwards of 20 people when only 15 will comfortably fit. My plans for showering were tragically cut short by a rain that was so ferocious I couldn’t hear the TV blasting at full volume over the pounding of water on the roof. At around 5, Julia asked me if I wanted to eat dinner with them, to which I responded, of course! Thinking that we were going to eat at home, I was extremely confused when she led me to a waiting taxi (owned by my home stay dad - who knew! Though this was the first of many surprises that night) and was driven, at an excruciatingly slow pace, to a house that I later found out to be the residence of the sister of my home stay father. After some questioning (no one told me anything unless I asked, which only contributed to be my extreme bemusement), I figured out this was a weekly family tradition during which everyone got together to talk, eat, and to my horror, pray. We spent a long hour alternately seated and standing in front of an altar adorned with Bible verses and flowers. I listened to them sing songs of devotion and penitence, interspersed with rapid fire verses recited from memory in a call-and-response type of thing. Whatever this catholic-sing a long thing was, it made me very uncomfortable, so I can only imagine how Carlos felt, since his entire family were religious fanatics and he, to belong, had to go through the motions while remaining a militant atheist.
Afterwards, I kind of sat around awkwardly until one of the more outspoken uncles, who was quite obviously gay (I wonder how he, one of the loudest prayers, reconciled that with Catholicism and the rampant homophobia in Central America) introduced me to a few nephews of Carlos who were interested in talking to a ‘chinita.’ One of the kids even drew my profile, which I have safely sucked away for posterity.
Today, we had a day off and walked to the Laguna de Apoyo, to Monkey Hut again. Because I didn’t use an alarm (I lost my phone until the afternoon) I woke up miraculously at 8:26, with someone coming to pick me up at 8:30. Unfortunately, my rush was for nothing because as soon as we left, it began to rain. We waited the rain out at one of the home stays; I ate a whole bunch of mamones, those lychee-type fruit that are extremely addicting simply because the gooey, fibrous almost gummy flesh is so damn hard to get off and each fruit represents a small personal challenge to eat. We then proceeded to hike through a jungle, literally, to get to the laguna. Because of the rain, each step, covered with wet palm leaves, became a dangerously slippery trap for our flip-floppered feet. My backside became completely covered with mud, which I persevered through on our 45 minute walk to Monkey Hut. Needless to say, we took a taxi back to avoid the arduous hike uphill back. Unfortunately, we could only get one taxi for the seven of us and so we had to cram give people in the backseat and three upfront. Bonding moments were to be had.
Tomorrow we’ll be leaving Diriomito. We came up with a plan for the SolCom products that we have been testing with each home stay family. They can each buy at least one and thus continue to keep another sample for another month, during which we encourage them to market them to their neighbors, family and friends to raise awareness. I think the arrangement went over well and we also ran into Barney, my old spanish teacher, at the despedida (farewell party of sorts). He was wearing his date clothes as he was off to meet some friends and his girlfriend that night. Julia is going to buy a filter and keep the solar lamp as a sample for the next month. I have mixed feelings; I truly have enjoyed my time here in Diriomito and I love the small town feel. This is the Nica equivalent to the small towns of New England which I have grown to love. The woman who works at the pulperia knows us by site and gives us free mangos. Lester, one of the home stay dads, shakes my hand and calls me his amiga Emily when he sees us, though he calls everyone his friend. That’s my point though; the people here are incredibly warm and friendly, as as Pedro, the slightly deaf man who is a homestay host as well said, what they can’t offer in money they can offer in friendships and that we will find many friend here in Diriomito and in the neighboring towns as well. Leaving is going to be hard, but I also want to go back to my real home sometime.
Goodnight! I’m off to Gloria and Lester’s house to do our daily movie night thingamajig.
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