Explaining the Unknown

We are officially half way through our training here and we are all feeling a bit down. It feels like we aren’t doing much here right now. However, just as I was thinking that, I had the following conversation today with my host family over lunch. If nothing else, I can say that I am TRYING to educated the Nicas about the true United States, and trying to learn about the REAL Nicaragua.

My host dad starts the conversation out with the topic of suicide. Apparently hanging oneself is one of the more popular methods here. Other methods include drug or alcohol use, or using a gun. (as I type this, I’m seeing that I have unusual conversations) So I naturally ask what some of the reasons for suicide are and if it is very common. It seems that poverty is the number one reason for suicide according to my host dad. Then he asked me about suicide in the States. Whenever I am asked about a topic/scenario for all of the US, I feel a huge obligation to be diplomatic and try not to stereotype. I told him that like any society there are many reasons and methods of suicide. We got into drug/alcohol use, stress of jobs, unhappiness with relationships, feeling that there is no other option, etc.

This conversation segued into one about poverty in the United States. My host dad is convinced that there is no poverty in the States and that everyone who wants a job has one. He thinks that if you don’t have a job and a house, then you are basically lazy. (Just for the record, I’m pretty sure my host mom doesn’t feel the same way) I tried to explain that there are many wealthy people, but that the U.S. also has poor people. Some people have lost their job to the economy, some can’t get jobs because they are untrained or others will work for less, some are over trained and no one wants to hire a college grad because they have to pay them too much, etc.

My host dad says that many people from Nicaragua have gone and they have jobs. So of course this got us on the topic of illegal aliens in the States. He doesn’t understand how his friends have jobs in the states, but I know people that don’t. He says he knows people that work and make $300 a week (!!!!) and he doesn’t know how anyone couldn’t work for that amount. My host family was talking about all the things they could do with $300 a week.

So then we talked about the standard of living in the States versus here in Nicaragua and what all we have to pay for apart from food, electricity and water. They are amazed that we have to pay so much to the government and have to pay so much for insurance.

This went on to talk about inflation, minimum wage, worker unions, and lots of other stuff. It is amazing how everything ties in together and I am so happy that my family is curious. I just hope they believe me when I say that the US has its own set of problems!