Saturday, October 24

I had such a good teaching week. The only one who cancelled because of a cold was Cony and she’s my least favorite student. She kind of blows it off even though she’s a decent learner. The others were all excited for class, full of questions, needing homework help. I love it when they come to me for translations of phrases they hear in the street. But then I have to come up with explanations for sayings like “Keep it under your hat.” The first two classes of the day are pure delight. I go to lunch at the Garden Cafe super-jazzed. By the second class in the afternoon, I succumb to the heat, but then I have that third sweaty afternoon class. I give up any semblance of hairstyle and blast three fans in my face, to the amusement of my kids. Last night I attended the XXI Festival Internacional de Danza Contemporanea at Casa de Tres Mundos. A modern dance group making the rounds of Spain, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. I go by myself. Daniel would have more interest in a bug toss. There were two La Esperanza Granada volunteers sitting behind me, so we made small talk until the performance began. Performances are always very late. This is Nicaragua. One of the volunteers wants to make Nicaragua her retirement home but she can’t take Granada’s heat, so she’s going to look for volunteer opportunities up north in the mountains where it’s cooler. The concert was good but the dancers spent a lot of time rolling around the floor and I kept wishing them hot showers after the performance. This is the dirtiest country. I hate discordant modern dance music; a lot of cellos. Casa de Tres Mundos has better fans than in the past so I wasn’t really hot but I felt so sorry for the dancers. Perspiration poured through their clothes. Their jean’d legs were sopping. I’ve seen more modern dance in Nicaragua than I have in my entire life. Tap dancing seems not to be a national interest.