15 signs you’re becoming culturally Nicaraguan

by Isabel, Tufts 1+4 Participant

1. When an 80 degree morning feels like a warm fall day to you…

2. …And when when wearing jeans in 95 degree heat is so normal you don’t even feel hot anymore. Almost.

3. You practically set your alarm by the cats walking on your roof in the morning.

We woke up like this (at 7:00 because of the cats!)

4. When your neighbors and family blast music at all hours of the day/night, but you’re so long past being annoyed you just dance along.

5. You walk in the shade even if it means going out of your way to cross the street. The sun is no joke here, so if you don’t want to fry, you’d better find some sombra. Fast.

6. Eating everything from bags (snacks, fruit salad, milk, entire meals…) is normal.

7. You see volcanoes on your way to work in the morning.

is7 — Ok, you’re right. This isn’t on my way to work. But I can see those same volcanos on my walk, so that counts, right?

8. You know and love Rubèn Darío, the famous poet who lived in León. Everyone here knows his biography and at least one of his poems, so if you want to fit in you’d better get researching.

9. Crowded busses/camionetas don’t faze you. And by crowded I mean so full that people are hanging off the outside. If you like your personal space this mode of transportation is not for you.

10. You can only get around if the directions are something like “two blocks west of the cathedral”. There are no individual house addresses like we’re used to in the US, and if you try to use street directions with me I will have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.

is10 — I live 12 blocks west and 4 blocks south of here (La Catedral)! Just kidding, my actual address is 1 1/2 blocks west of Lobito bar, but still.

11. Cold showers are your jam.
…Ok, maybe not. I’ll always prefer warm showers. But I have gotten used to them, and after exercise or a hot day they can feel alright.

12. If you’re making a schedule you actually plan a half hour “waiting for people who will be late.”
… And then you expect a few will show up after that anyways.

13. Stop lights? What are those?
Maybe this is just a León thing, but in this city of 210,000 people there are maybe 4 stop lights.

14. …But that’s ok because you’re an expert at crossing the street without them. Even when that means a near death experience by speeding bus, taxi or Motorcycle.