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style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Letter 10 (Feb.
25)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Domingo, feb
25<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Yesterday, my fourth Saturday
here, was the first with no traveling.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Today, like all the Sundays, has been relaxed and low-key.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Still, itīs been an interesting
weekend.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Yesterday morning I got up
at seven and went out for a walk in the cool air.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Only the air wasnīt that cool, and I was
exhausted when I returned an hour-and-a-half later.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>To take a walk properly Iīll need to get
up before dawn -- havenīt quite done that yet.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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</SPAN>The big event of the day was going with Mario to his motherīs house among
the <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">caņa</I> fields.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>She was baking cornbread, in an old <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">horno</I>, an oven like I hadnīt seen since
New Mexico 30 years ago:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>made of
clay or concrete, circular and dome-shaped, about 4 feet in diameter at the
base, 3 feet high, with two entrances at 90 degree angles.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The entrances were covered, as heat
needs required, by the tops of old metal drums.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They had the oven heated when we got
there, and the batter in the trays, with <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">platano</I> leaves underneath and on
top.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The trays -- there were 10-12
-- took 12-15 minutes to bake.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The
bread came out in various shapes from rolls to tortillas, about an inch
high.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The bread is made from ground
corn, some kind of dry cheese, and sugar.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Theyīre dense, really tasty with a corn flavor stronger than any
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Idaho</st1:State></st1:place> corn
could produce.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We had a party with
hot cornbread and Pepsi.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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</SPAN>During the cooking I got my first horse ride in 30 years, on a very
gentle <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">yegua</I> named “Lucera.”<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This was a nice follow-up to a few days
earlier, when I was walking to school, and a man I didnīt know stopped on his
motorcycle and said, “LESGO,” pointing to the seat behind him.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Iīd been operating on Katrinaīs (Nelson)
first principle, which is “Donīt turn down anything directly offered.” <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I figured if it worked with food (and so
far it mostly had) it should work with motorcycles.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>So I got a ride to the
school.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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</SPAN>Katrinaīs second principle is, “Donīt have expectations.”<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Her third is, “If in doubt, tough it
out.”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Combined with Meghanīs
principle, “Always keep busy,” Iīve been fine.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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</SPAN>Sunday morning Mario and I went out in search of <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">NACATAMALES</I> for breakfast.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Thatīs a mixture of corn, pork, and
cheese.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He drove me past the house
where Meghan stayed, and I saw why Meghan went down to the river so much -- itīs
nearby.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In the afternoon Mario and
I went swimming at the dam of the River El Salto [pictured at Bookpeople], which
is the same river as Meghanīs with another added on.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We swam for at least half an hour, and
my body actually got cool and stayed so for a while.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Later same afternoon Mario took his
sport coat, Ana took her wedding dress, and Doņa Amanda got all dressed up, and
we all went off to the photographerīs house to have their wedding pictures
taken.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Their wedding was nine years
ago, but they didnīt get pictures at the time.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Mario parked the car in the
photographerīs back yard, in the near vicinity of a young man washing his car, a
large ox, a horse, and some huge pigs.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Visible in the next block was a large evangelical
church.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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</SPAN>27 feb.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Yesterday (Monday)
was one of those days:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I went to
the school at 10 and the computer room was not open, so I waited, eventually
learning at 12:15 that the electricity had gone off an hour earlier.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It was really hot.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I walked back home and resorted to my
recently rediscovered way to beat the heat -- wet down my shirt.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I was tired but the bedroom without my
fan working was not an option, so I sat in a chair in the shade in front of the
house, trying to read, but the brain wasnīt going.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Around 4 went back to the school to pick
up a list of my students from Ruby, my English teacher partner.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(This was the occasion of my first
Spanish pun.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Earlier I had tried to
get the list from Ruby but, as I told Mario and Ana, <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">'Busque la lista, pero la lista no estaba
lista</I>.')<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Had a good time
wandering around the area where Meghan lived, which looks like the oldest and
most affluent part of town.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Itīs
the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Fort</st1:PlaceType>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Russell</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> area of Villa El
Carmen.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Also saw a PE class in
action:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>they were holding races
down the street outside the school.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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</SPAN>That night I cooked spaghetti, largely from a can but with fresh tomatoes
and 'minced' beef, for seven people:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Ana, Mario, Aura, both grandmothers, Roberto, and me.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They ate it all
up.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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</SPAN>Aura-<I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">abuela</I> slept overnight
here, with Aura her granddaughter, Sunday and Monday nights.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>On Monday Mario took her into <st1:City
w:st="on">Managua</st1:City> to get her visa for busing into <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Costa Rica</st1:place></st1:country-region> where
her daughter (Aura-sobrina's mother) lives and needs help taking care of the two
kids while one recovers from appendicitis.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>They arrived at the embassy about 6:30 am to find 250 people ahead of
them.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>By 8 am, when the embassy
opened, there were 1000 people in line.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>It was an all-day project.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN><st1:country-region w:st="on">Costa Rica</st1:country-region> and
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Nicaragua</st1:country-region> have a relationship
roughly similar to that of the <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.
S.</st1:country-region> and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">Mexico</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Thousands of Nicas live in CR, generally
sending money back home.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Costa
Ricans look down on the Nicas, and the CR government has taken steps to control
the flow of immigrants and visitors.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>If a Nica wants to go to <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Honduras</st1:country-region> or <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region>, no
problem -- but to get into CR you need a visa.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This costs the equivalent of $20 and is
good for 30 days.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Monday the CR
government grabbed some $20,000 from Nicasī visas.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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</SPAN>Had enough?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Now Iīll see if
I can get Yahoo to send some photos.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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</SPAN>Dave<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P></FONT></DIV><BR>
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