Jon's Travels

I am back in Canada again for a short stint.  Today is my first year anniversary on arrival into Nicaragua, and ironically I am spending it in Canada.  Since November I have learned a lot as a person, and seen many things that were very difficult.  I realise that I am a lucky person, and I know that there is much work to do to accomplish what I strive towards in Nicaragua.

I got sick when I arrived back in Canada a few weeks ago.  My body simply shut down and became sick after stopping and getting some prolonged rest.  I was sick for just under two weeks, and had lots of time to think about things.  Everything about Canada is different when compared to Nicaragua.  I realise that we have it quite good in Canada.

Some differences that are quite profound between Canada and Managua are as follows:

• No need to constantly look down while walking.  It is uncommon to find holes in the streets, or sidewalks, or protruding pieces of metal, garbage, etc.
• The amount of sidewalks in Canada – you don’t notice them until you have to do without them.
• The beautiful parks we have – not so many nice parks in Managua, and the majority are littered in garbage and dangerous at times.
• The ability to walk around at night – In Managua, it is not always wise, or safe to walk around at night.  Trusted taxis or rides from friends are preferred ways to move around.
• The vast amounts of recreation available to the masses – In Managua, we have a few choices of fun things to do – seeing a movie, eating out, drinking a beer, going to the gym, and going to swim…..that is about it.
• Availability of good cheese, meats, breads, etc.
• Availability and variety of restaurants – there are handfulls of good restaurants in Managua – but the ethnic food (Chinese, Indian, Greek, Thai, etc.) is sorely lacking
• Multiculturalism – the vast majority of foreigners in Nicaragua just there to work, or volunteer.  There is not much diversity in the ethnicity of people living in Nicaragua – In Canada that is never a problem.
• The weather – it is crisp and cool outside now in Canada – I miss 4 seasons.

These are by no means a knock on Nicaragua, but sometimes it is good to get a break, and get back to Canada in order to appreciate what I never appreciated before.  A few trips to Canada a year, can refresh and renew my outlook on life, and get me ready to contribute more effectively in my endeavours with SchoolBOX.