More Random Thoughts from Managua
1. The Graffiti and street art here is fascinating. Along one major route, there is large outdoor painting after another of extremely angry scenes. One is a cartoon like character who looks like his head is exploding, with what looks like a policial message on it..
Then there are three or four paintings in a row of a young man in a baseball cap - in the first one he looks serious, then upset, then angry, then screaming in rage - it is a country with a very angry past, that is quite seriously bent on not descending into that hell again.

Speaking with people around here about why there is so very little violent crime in Managua - our very very American 'tour guide' was saying that it's becasue the Sandanistas are in charge, and anyone caught committing a crime was treated very harshly. Typical view for someone who said yesterday "I'm not an obnoxious American, but I play one on TV."

The other answer that Eric (my Colleague from my company who speaks fluent Spanish) got was that people are just tired of violence and killing. Yes they are poor, yes they are desperate, but they are pretty much all in it together. There is a very wealthy 'middle' class, that wants desperately to live like they used to when they were escaping the violence in America, but they are a small minority - the rest in their squalor and poverty are all in it together, and are almost universally tired of the killing, and violence, and conflict that has plagued their country for so long.

I am told that Sandanistas take communion next to Contras, and eat together, and have all agreed (whether it's spoken about or not) to just let bygones be bygones and get on with their lives, rather than wallowing in death.

I find that just an incredible message - I find it hugely inspiring. Now if we could only get Hamas, and Al Queda, and for that matter the CIA to the same point, we could send everybody home to be with their families, and start picking up the pieces.

2. The Music here is fascinating. I don't understand Spanish, so I can only listen to the Spanish radio stations until they start talking - it seems they don't play all that much music, and when they do it's almost always really sappy ballads. Then there's Radio Hora 103.5 Managua. Oh my goodness - it's all 70's and 80's, mainly ballads - I have heard more Air Supply, REO Speedwagon, and Commodores in the last three days then in the last thirteen years.

3. Roger (our driver) is the singularly coolest person I have met since I came here. He has an enourmous heart. Today, I told Eric (see above) to translate for me that I wanted to visit Ernesto Cardenal's gallery to buy something nice to take home.
Cardenal is a Liberation Theologian (now in his 80's, who also paints, sculpts, and nurtures artists in the Nicaraguan Primitivism movement which he helped to found) who was publicly humiliated by John Paull II while prostrate in front of said Pope on the tarmac at the Managua Airport. Needless to say, Cardenal became a very popular, and very controversial figure for the struggle against poverty and oppression which found it's spiritual home in Liberation Theology.

So I get my guide book, and realize it closed half an hour ago, so can we go to the big touristy souvenir market, I ask Roger. He looks at me funny, and says we can go and get back in time.

Halfway there, he makes bold move, using only his couple dozen or so words of English (mostly Air Supply lyrics, he's a HUGE fan), and the Spanish he knows I know, he asks me if I really want to go to this kitschy market, or do I want to check out a real Nicaraguan Art Gallery that he knows is open.

I'm stoked, and we go to Gallery a Codice in the middle of a quasi-suburban neighborhood, which is home to several medium sized industrial buildings, a dozen or so nightclubs, sorry, Discos (nightclub here apparently means strip club), and a random smattering of houses. (The urban planning here is a whole other post unto itself, but suffice it to say that when the earthquake flattened the city in 72, they just randomly built up the fringes of the city, and left the collapsed interior to rot - until now it's a massive 1.5 million person sprawl cut out of the jungle, with what appears to my hopelessly Northern eyes as a total lack of organization, but that makes a remarkable amount of sense if you have nerves of steel and know the shortcuts)

The place, to say the least, was incredible. There was quite a bit of Nica Primitivism, but a ton of contemporary woodwork and ceramics. I bought two gorgeous pieces that I'll put on the website when I'm back in Canada. Wow! I was a little embarrassed by how little they were, but I also realized that two of the pieces I bought totalled over a week's wages for most Nicaraguans.

Then on the way back, as we grew used to communicating in English/Spanish/Spancais, we were able to have a good laugh about the Taxi Drivers (Salvajes, is the Spanish word for "Savages" apparently), and he told me a little about where we were, pointed out the bus depot, and where the big buses were going.

I really can't say enough good things about the guy, only to say I wish to God I spoke better Spanish, because apparently he used to fly MIG Fighter Jets for the Soviet Military in operations in Bulgaria. I don't know his story, but I guarantee that it's fascinating. Either way, his experience dogfighting at MACH 2 has clearly given him the intestinal fortitude to navigate the Managua streets with incredible aplomb. 'nuff said.

That's all for now. I have taken shockingly few photos, so I'm going to bring my camera tomorrow (ok I"ve brought it to work every day, and only taken it out to shoot snaps of the call centre I'm in - I am clearly not in tourist mode, I think it's cause Noelle's not here I"m not feeling all that adventurous) and snap the images I see going to work, going to lunch, and coming home. It's really incredible, but so totally different from what I'm used to, that I don't really know where to start describing it. Deep in the back of my mind, it makes me wonder what would have happened if Noelle and I had just strapped on a couple backpacks, and buggered off for a few years after we graduated. The nice thing though, is that once the kids are a little older, maybe a little adventure travel will be that much more cool, you know? Or am I nuts?
Just a thought.