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Eats

by Sawyer, Tufts 1+4 Participant

Hunger at its finest is a natural human instinct, but what ignites the desire within humans to create food so pleasing to the senses? Has this yearning for flavor overtime coincided with the development of evolutionary traits, such as our taste buds? I have come to ponder the idea of food typical to the multitude of cultures we have on this planet, perhaps more frequently during these last three months in Nicaragua. It is certain that my love for Nicaraguan cuisine has prompted this very post, yet it alone keeps me returning home every night at six to indulge in the miraculous dinner that my host family cooks for me. As a fairly new traveler — right now being my first time out of the U.S. — I have not failed to keep my senses keen and active during my walks through the city of León. I am constantly in search of a new dish to try, whether in simply be a customary snack or the authentic street food. Luckily, my host grandma sells food out in the street in front of our house, so if I’m feeling lazy, my craving can be satisfied three steps away. Needless to say, I have made it a goal of mine to taste the majority of typical Nica comida throughout the region I live in.

However, it isn’t just the act of eating the food that can paint this picture. At work, one of my good friends and coworkers, Isidro, also sells food from his house on weekends. As the school year was coming to an end, all the maestros planned on having a small celebration to complete the long year. It was Isidro’s job to cook the food for over twenty people, and he appointed me as his co-chef (what a professional title I have given myself). We were preparing to make sopa de res, or beef soup, a soup much more exquisite than normally made in the U.S. I say this due to the influx of ingredients that goes into this soup. Isn’t it just beef? No, here in Nicaragua full plátanos (bananas), elotes (ears of corn), yucca (plant root), and repollo (cabbage) make their way into sopa de res, along with many others. I was bursting with joy, as eating the common food here was one thing, but being able to create it seemed much more pleasurable. I was now building relationships, experiencing culture, and learning a new skill, all through the process of cooking. After cutting the meat and vegetables for hours on end, we realized that the wood burning stove would not cook this massive pot of soup fast enough, so we made a fire outside and, with the help of a few large rocks, we had a relatively unstable placement for our concoction. At one point, while stocking the fire, a rock slipped and the entire cauldron nearly tipped over. Luckily for us, a few blisters later and we managed to stabilize our campfire setup once again. We now have an anxiety ridden story to tell all of friends and family. My point is, cooking has brought us together on another level which can only be achieved by an intercambio of cultures. During a student party the following week, we made a traditional dish called Caballo Bayo, a great continuation for our exchange of ways of life. We now have plans to get together again so I can show Isidro how to cook a typical dish from the United States, an activity that will further strengthen out relationship and appreciation for other cultures.

Sopa de Res
Sopa de Res
!Mira los plátanos!
!Mira los plátanos!
Caballo Bayo
Caballo Bayo
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Friendsgiving

by Erica, Tufts 1+4 Participant

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During on-campus orientation, we were warned that the holidays in-country might be a little rough. A significant amount of time has passed, so I’ve become much more assimilated to my new environment and don’t feel waves of homesickness as often as I used to. However, when I saw my friends and family back in the U.S. heading home for Thanksgiving break, I wished I could do the same. I’ve never experienced the holidays without my family. And I really wanted to see my dog in her Thanksgiving bandana (that hurt the most).

That being said, my fellow Madrid fellows and I organized a group Thanksgiving dinner a few weeks in advance so that we could still celebrate with the same glorious food despite the slight change of scenery/country. We all signed up to cook a dish or two, and then we planned to meet at Evan’s house on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. I’ve never really cooked a formal dish before, so I browsed the Food Network website for a recipe (even though all I had to make was roasted vegetables and buy bread). When I got to El Corte Inglés, I snagged some potatoes, carrots, and what I thought were sweet potatoes (pretty sure they were yams, but it remains unsolved). I also got some root vegetables that I’d never seen before, but they seemed Thanksgiving-y. I didn’t leave myself quite enough time to cook the vegetables, so I was late to Evan’s house and had to carry the platter while it was still hot. (I used my gloves as oven mitts.)

Once I arrived, we took some pictures and ate. Evan’s whole host family was there along with all the Madrid fellows and our two new Spanish friends, Ines and Sofia. There was a Spanish flag and an American flag side-by-side on the table and colorful decorations and hand-turkeys on the walls. As we went around the table to say what we were thankful for, I think I was the most grateful I’d ever been. Although I was away from my American family, the distance made me realize my appreciation for my home and all the people there. The people surrounding me at the dinner table made me realize how thankful I am to be here. And to be able to cook a dish without the parents, aunts, and uncles taking care of everything. And to be able to experience this cultural sharing with the people here who have become close to me. Thanksgiving wasn’t the same, but it was much more meaningful.

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EU ‘Immigrant Life’

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Madrid’s City Hall with ‘Refugees Welcome’ sign

by Mikel, Tufts 1+4 Participant

During my time in Europe I have experienced and witnessed the many services governments provide, from public health insurance and affordable public university, to reliable and extensive public transport. Despite its many advantages Europe also faces many issues including detraction from the EU, and the migrant crisis. As the migrant crisis is both a humanitarian and global issue that deeply interests me, I have been looking into the ‘immigrant life’ in Europe.

Europe has become a place of hope and opportunity for many people from around the world, a notion that was previously dominated by the US and its ‘American Dream’. During my interactions and experiences in Europe I have seen why this is so and have been able to compare the lives and opportunities for immigrants in Europe and the US.

Europe’s proximity to the several regions where the migrant crisis originates has made it the epicenter for immigration. Thousands of migrants make the treacherous journeys from their homes, crossing the Mediterranean as they attempt to enter Europe through Greece, Italy or Spain. But why has Europe not only become the epicenter for immigration, but also replaced the US as the ‘dreamland’ for immigrants?

Two brothers in my volunteer placement have a Cameroonian father and a Dominican mother. Their father works several odd, normally low-paying jobs and their mother lives in a medical center as she suffers from a degenerative neurological disease. In Spain, their mother’s medical care and housing is paid for through their public health insurance, a reality in Europe that is still a ‘socialist’ dream in the US. The two boys also have the opportunity to attend very affordable if not free public university. In Europe these two situations are not perfect, but the help provided by the government make immigrant and other vulnerable group’s lives’ easier and more productive as they do not have to worry about expensive medical bills and tuition.

These kinds of services not only make their new lives more secure but also help them quickly integrate and positively impact their new homes. I frequently eat at an Ecuadorian bar in a market made up of primarily Chinese, Peruvian, and Ecuadorian vendors. Talking to the owner, he compared his immigrant experience to that of his family who moved to the US. He said, “We arrived and could immediately receive good healthcare, send our kids to good schools, and universities, whereas my family in the US struggle to pay medical bills as they try to keep their small business afloat.” With their taxes directly paying for their healthcare and educational costs, immigrants in Spain are more easily able to open small businesses and send their children to university, contributing to the present and future economies of their new homes.

Europe, like the US, has witnessed rising xenophobia as extreme right groups gain more influence. Even still, due to its proximity and the EU’s recent dedication to accepting refugees and immigrants, Europe is becoming an ever more diverse place to live. An immigrants’ life is never an easy one, but services all Europeans accept and cherish, make a better life more attainable for even its newest of citizens.

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Tortas, Monos, y Narices

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by Rebeca, Tufts 1+4 Participant

When I arrived in Madrid I was reassured by the fact that I would not have a significant language barrier to cross due to the fact that I grew up in a household where Spanish is spoken. Little did I know the Spanish in Spain has a ton of unique sayings and word usage. In order to fully appreciate the differences in word uses and comedic phrases that form part of Spanish Spanish (as opposed to the Spanish I grew up with), I will write in Spanish now. (Do not worry, the English version comes after).

Spanish Version

Primero aprendí que coche en España es lo que conduces y carro es donde pones a un bebe cuando estas paseando. Para expresar que algo está muy bien, dicen “que guay”, “que chulo”, “como mola” o “mola mogollón.” “Que va” es como decir de ninguna manera. En vez de decir “ok” dicen “vale”. Una “torta” en Latinoamérica es un pastel, pero en España puedes “dar una torta” a alguien, que significa que pegas a esa persona. Pero se complica más.

Una tendencia de la gente aquí es exagerar, y esta tendencia se puede ver en la cantidad de frases que tienen para expresar cantidad y emoción. Para decir que hay mucho de algo, se puede decir, por ejemplo, “había tantas personas” seguido por “para parar un tren”, “que no veas”, “que te mueres”, “que flipas”, “a punta pala”, o “por un tubo.” También “cada dos por tres” significa que lo que estas describiendo pasa frecuentemente. Para decir que algo es un aburrimiento puedes decir que algo es “un rollo”, “un tostón”, “una castaña”, o “un peñazo.”

Las personas fastidiosas son “pesadas” o te “dan la lata”. Las cosas que cansan son “una paliza” y si lastimas a alguien le “das una paliza.” Si alguien hace algo con malas intenciones, lo hacen con “mala leche”, pero algo que está muy bien es “la leche.” Si alguien no te cae bien puedes decir que te “caen gordo”. Una persona amable es “maja”, mientras alguien o algo que es lindo es “mono”.

También hablan mucho de la nariz. “Hago lo que sale de las narices” significa que haces lo que te da la gana. “Tocar las narices a alguien” significa que estas molestando a alguien, pero “tocarse las narices” significa que no estás haciendo nada.

Si estas contando una historia de algo que te paso y quieres seguir añadiendo detalles de tu anécdota, puedes decir “y encima”, “además”, “por si fuera poco”, “para colmo”, “para más INRI” y “para rematar (la faena)”. Si te sientes más descriptiva, puedes usar colmar en otras formas.  Algo que es “la gota que colmó el vaso” es lo que llego al final de algo, y “colmar la paciencia de alguien” significa que ya has llegado al final del límite de tu paciencia. También una persona que tiene mala suerte tiene “mala pata.”

“Ser una morosa” significa que eres una persona que no paga. La vida nocturna es “la marcha”, que enfatiza la dedicación de los españoles a ir de fiesta. Una persona muy rica tiene mucho “pasta” o dinero. Finalmente llegamos a unas frases cómicas. “Una caca pinchada en un palo” significa que algo no tiene valor, al igual que algo que es “un cero a la izquierda.”

English Version

The first things I learned in Spain include the difference between “coche”, which means car, and “carro”, which is used to describe a wagon or baby stroller. These two words have switched meanings in the Spanish I learned. To say something is really cool you can say “que guay”, “que chulo”, “como mola” or “mola mogollón.”  “Que va” means “no way” and “vale” means “ok”, even though this word literally translates to “it has valor.” A “torta” in Latin America is a cake, but in Spain if you give someone “a torta” it means that you slapped them. But it gets more complex.

Spaniards like to exaggerate, and this can be seen in the number of phrases there are to describe quantity and boredom. To say that there is a lot of people, for example, you can say, “habian tantas personas” (there were so many people) followed by the following expressions: “para parar un tren” (literally to stop a train), “que no veas” (that you can’t see), “que te mueres” (that you die), “que flipas” (that you’d freak out), or “por un tubo (through a tube).” “Cada dos por tres” (two for every three) is used to describe something that happens frequently. Something that is boring can be described as “un rollo” (a roll), “un tostón” (this has many definitions, but primarily means toasted bread), “una castaña” (a chestnut), or “un peñazo.”

Someone who is annoying is “pesado”, which literally translates to “they weigh a lot”, or “te dan la lata” which translates to “they give you the can.” Things that are tiresome are “una paliza” and if you hurt someone you give them “una paliza”. If a person acts with bad intentions, they do it with “mala leche,” which means “bad milk”, but something that is really good is “la leche”, which means “the milk”. If you do not like someone you say “me caen gordo” which literally means they “fall you fat”. Someone who is nice is “majo”, while something that is cute is “mono”, which would mean “monkey” in Latin America.

The word “nose” is often used. “Hago lo que sale de las narices” (I do what comes out of my nose) means “I do what I want”. “Tocar las narices a alguien” (touch someone’s nose) means that you annoy that person, but “tocarse las narices” (to touch your nose) means you are doing nothing, much like when we say someone is scratching their belly.

If you are telling a story about a bad day and have to continually add details to your tale, to say “and also” you can use “y encima” (and on top of that), “además”, “por si fuera poco” (if all this were not enough), “para colmo”(to reach the limit), “para más INRI” (INRI refers to a title given to Jesus) y “para rematar (la faena)” (to finish the job). Something that is “la gota que colmó el vaso” (the drop that makes the cup overflow) is something that reaches the limit, and “colmar la paciencia de alguien” means to reach the end of someone’s patience. Also, someone with bad luck has “mala pata” or bad foot.

“Ser una morosa” means you are someone who does not pay. Nightlife in Madrid is called “la marcha” (the march), which I think shows the Spanish dedication to partying. A person who is rich has a lot of “pasta” (literally translates to pasta), which means money. Lastly, here are some comical phrases. “Una caca pinchada en un palo” (a poop on a stick) is used to describe something that has no value, as is “un cero a la izquierda” (a zero to the left).

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A Taste of Home

by Mateo, Tufts 1+4 Participant

If I was asked what my favorite part of living in Nicaragua was, I’d immediately start talking about my host family. They’ve been the biggest influence in my experience thus far, and without them I don’t know what I’d do. They are smart, funny, and above all, caring. Not to mention, it’s been quite an adventure having four new brothers (Like, seriously. I grew up in an all women household). Though things are great with them, I wish that we had more time to spend together. We are all very busy, so it takes extra effort to carve in quality time. Nonetheless, I try to make sure that we are able to do something together every now and then.

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