Purisima

I haven't been posting as often as I would like, but I can't let this one slip through the cracks. Its time to talk about Purisima, which is undoubtably the most awesome Nica holiday that I know about to this date and time. Purisima is celebrated by lighting off as many firecrackers and fireworks as you possibly can. Children go with their parents to different houses and sing to alters for Mary, then the hosts of the house give treats to each person who sang. I only went to one house but I got a bucket with a plantain, an orange, a lime and a sugar cane! It was really fun. The kids get candy and the adults get food products. Perfect holiday. Its like a mixture of halloween and christmas.

Nica Art

Heres some art stuff Ive been doing here in Nicaragua. Ive been apprenticing with a ceramic artist in San Juan de Oriente. His name is Lester Perez and he is teaching me how to throw ceramics on a kick wheel. Im not very good at it but he is nice and patient with me. I have also been working on a mural at a local artist cooperative and gallery in Managua called Copavi. Here are some pics of my works in progress.

Protest March

This was happening just outside of my house today, causing all of us to stay inside all day. Most businesses in the city were closed for fear of rioting. Today the Liberales marched in protest of Presidente Ortega changing the constitution so that he can be reelected. The Sandinistas, or Ortegistas, were out there protesting against the Liberales. All day, starting at 7am, there have been shots from morteros and we are in the midst of it all. Check the footage.

Awesome Nica Kids

These are the kids we play with every saturday. They work very hard all day everyday, but when we take them to the park they play soccer like theres no tomorrow, despite the oppressive midday heat. This is Sara, she is pictured below in a previos blog. I drew her picture on the wall at the hostel in charcoal, this pic was taken a few days after I drew it and it had rained a few times.

Emerson is super cool. He has a great smile and despite the fact that he doesnt wear shoes, he can run, jump and kick a soccer ball just as hard as any of the other kids, something which amazes me every time I see him.

Xiamara, shes very loveable and sweet and always happy to see us.

Ernesto is Xiamaras brother, he is also super sweet and huggable.

Emerson and Enrique think the coolest thing in the world is taking a video of someone taking your picture. They love taking pictures and video everytime we play so stay tuned for more pictures of these amazing little people.

Daddy Yankee - Sept 26-

Cant believe I didn't add footage of this concert! The whole time I couldn't help but think how funny it was that I was at a Daddy Yankee concert, it was fun tho and I got to see just how crazy the nicaraguense people are for their musica.

Pelusita sings the blues with local refrescos man

Nicaraguense street art

Mural in Leon. "We have fought for liberty...

"and we swear to defend it"

Self portrait of the artist.

I like this one, it shows the two sides of Managua, the beautiful nature that it was, is and can be and the industrial wasteland that it has become.

Nica Bday party!

I think those kids wanted to play with the gringos.



It was his 3rd bday. His name is Elyin. He was so cute.

Even little girls in princess dresses were taking swings at the pinata
This cutie, she was a neighbor, she wasn't supposed to be at the party, since the families dont have a lot of money, they cant invite all the neighbors but this little cutie just wouldn't leave despite her brothers and sisters threatening to beat her little booty.
Pre-party balloon hanging.

Saturday we went to the spot where we usually go to pick up a group of kids to play soccer in the park, but they weren't there. Their mom said they were at a birthday party at her house and she said we could go. She had her two daughters walk us there. It was an incredible experience to be invited into a neighborhood which otherwise wouldn't have been safe for us to venture into and to be invited into the home of a native person and see how they live, so different than us and it makes you realize whats really important in life is friends, family and food!

Favorite works in Figueres

This one is amazing. The photo doesnt do the painting justice at all. I dont know how Dali was able to create these illusions before photoshop.
A cool little drawing
Mae West. This room is super cool. You have to wait on a long line and then go up some stairs. Then you have to view the room through a magnafying glass to make the whole illusion come together.
Little homage to Picasso
This isn't by Dali but its very cool. I didn't notice it had a face in it until after I took the picture.

Heres Dali again, another one from the Museum. This one is just creepy because when you get close you see through the bandages, two big glass eyes.

These are photos by an artist named Maria. They were displayed in the street and are bigger than life size. This is a project supported by the town hall and the government in Spain. I saw photos like this by another artist when i was in Sevilla and they were also incredible. I especialy like the juxtaposition of the scenes in the photos against the city landscape. These photos are of different Marias all over Spain.

Tibidabo

About a month ago we went to Tibidabo which is a theme park on top of a mountain. Once you get to the top you see this beautiful church. Then directly to your right is 4 levels of theme park fun.
This is the view from the theme park. We could see the whole entire city. We rode the bumper cars.

And we went in the Kruger Hotel which was freakin scary! There were a ton of rooms and it had real people dressed up in costume from all the major horror movies, there was freddie, chuckie, the girl from excorsist, hannibal, texas chainsaw man. I nearly peed myself from fear and also from laughing so hard.

I realized I am a scardycat. I squished Bertha on the log flume, and I went on that swing ride that lifts you up and swings you all crazy and I screamed like a maniac the whole time. I think this will be my last theme park for...maybe ever. Anyway we stayed there all day and at night they did fireworks. But, we had to watch them from the bus on the way down the mountain.

fiesta mayor de gracia-Correfoc!

In the summer every neighborhood has their fiesta de barrio (neighborhood party) and this is a snippet of some of the action from the party in Gracia. Correfoc is the Catalan word which is used to describe a parade of people who run through the streets dressed like devils swirling fireworks on sticks over their heads. Corre meaning "Run" and Foc meaning "Fire", the correfoc has it all, explosions, mayham, danger and fun!
This guy was shooting fireworks at the floor and at our feet!
Heres Marc, loving the correfoc, burning the back of his tshirt.
awesome dragon with fire coming out of the mouth. The crazy part is that there were 2 people inside of the dragon making it walk like this through the streets!


I was hiding behind Marc and Enrique and still managed to get burns on my arm from some of the flying embers.
Correfoc rules!