My first real cultural experience

Ok so here are some pictures and videos from the last little while:

Claira's "room"... the short side of Annie and Wes' L-shaped closet. Since there's a door from the closet to the bathroom in addition to a door from the bedroom to the bathroom, Claira told Annie, "I share a bathroom with you."

Before we went to the Mother's Day celebration at the Colegio Calasanz (the elementary school Emily and David go to)... Note how happy Claira is here:

as opposed to here. Figures. It's not a muumuu by the way, just un vestido.
Yesterday we went to the Mother's Day celebration at the school, and it was a BIG deal. Annie said it's because Nicaragua is predominantly Catholic, and in Catholicism they really revere Santa Maria. So they had a HUGE celebration. It starts with Euchrist(?), which is a Mass that takes a really long time if you don't understand a word that they're saying. Which was my case. I did understand the Lord's Prayer, but that was it. They also stood up for most of the time, but I wasn't feeling like it, so I sat down. Although that could be considered disrespectful. When he pulled out the Communion wafers and wine, I couldn't help but groan. I did NOT want to be in the Sun anymore, and it was humid, and I could complain for days. But it actually only lasted for like an hour or so. Then we went to the kid's classrooms, and they fed us bocadillas y pan dulces y arroz con pollo, until I was way stuffed. I went to meet the school psychologist, and Wes said he didn't know why I needed to talk to her. But I knew why-- it's because I'm going to have an inferiority complex by the time I'm done with interning there from not being able to communicate with anyone. Every time she would rapid-fire a question at me, Wes would have to save my skin and answer it for me. She said, "Es muy dificil para comunicar". You're telling me, lady!
Then the dancing started. And the first few dances were in traditional dress and traditional moves, which I liked. But then there were some dances and outfits that were... shocking, to say the least. I wouldn't have wanted my elementary age kids dancing and dressing like that. But Emily was covered up more, and she didn't seem to enjoy herself. So I was fine with that. I'm trying to figure out a way to upload the video of Claira shaking her hips to the music... help?
the other highlight of yesterday was definitely either swimming in a rainstorm (in a pool that used to be used to wash coffee beans when the school Wes teaches at was a coffee plantation), and dinnertime. Another Claira moment-- she was asked to say the prayer, and bless Robert Coleman and one of their other friends. She said, "and Sheeshish? (Jesus) and Heanly Fatzher (Heavenly Father) and Sheeshish yovezh me (Jesus loves me)." From the mouth of babes.
Last night I got my first real encounter with the little "friends" that live on the Sines' roof. Iguanas, foxes, armadillos, rats.. they all have one thing in common. They sound like full-grown men when they're walking on a roof. SO scary... and it was while I was babysitting. I'm just glad they had warned me about it beforehand.
Well, today I'm going to make my  dermotologist happy and wear my big sun hat while out in the Sun swimming with everyone. Hasta luego, everyone!