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Monday, November 30, 2015

"Differing Cultures" by Leslie R.



            Life gets hard for everyone. We see the lives of others and compare theirs to ours.  As much as we may appreciate what we are fortunate enough to have, we often get sidetracked and find it hard to remain content and strive to get more. This is due to the society we have been lucky enough to live in, but unfortunately there are many people who aren’t so lucky.
This past summer the idea of other people living with a different mindset became very real to me. I went to visit my family in Nicaragua for the first time since I was two years old. When we landed, I was shocked to see the amount of bright green trees lining the streets and breathe in the fresh, non-polluted air. As I traveled through the country I saw all the beauty the country had. There were dense forests and white sand beaches along the coast. While I was there I saw active volcanoes and waterfalls and was in awe at the beauty of the architecture of the monuments in the capital. It truly felt like paradise where joy and laughter were constant. The people there added to the landscapes and brought them to life even more with their happy personalities and obvious pride in their mesmerizing country. I became infatuated with everything Nicaragua had to offer and couldn’t wait to explore as much as I could in the two weeks I was there.



            
However, all the beauty the country was filled with wasn’t the full story. Life there seemed to move at a different pace than it did in the U.S. All the people I met were proud of the jobs they had and worked hard but never stressed the importance of attaining more materialistic things. Rather, it seemed that no matter what, family was the most important aspect of life and sharing laughs and talking about your day at a dinner table was a daily occurrence. This was surprising to me because most of the time my family ate together and talked but usually we all had to do something else and our interactions rarely lasted an hour at a time.
            On top of the different speeds at which our countries moved, there was a very different lifestyle in Nicaragua. Homes were much smaller than they are in the U.S. and most didn’t have the commodities of washing machines and dryers, or air conditioning. Most people only had a few fans to deal with the extreme heat in Nicaragua unless they were government officials or they had family in the U.S. that sent money to help them pay for such luxuries. Often times, families were dependent on one income and sometimes had more than one family living in one house due to the high level of poverty in the country. People have very low income in Nicaragua and that made it much harder to have things like insurance or proper health care. Old age in Nicaragua was extremely hard because although people are given government pensions, the amount of money they get isn’t nearly enough to pay for all their medicines and bills. Most of the elderly have to work to have enough money unless they have children who give them money or are part of the government, in which case they can retire easily without worrying how they are going to get their next meal. Public hospitals are stocked with very few supplies, have no air conditioning, and charge high prices for medicine and vaccines.
            This was eye opening to me because of course I was aware that people in other countries had less than we did but I had never actually seen it in person. I became frustrated with myself because I took time to get used to the different life style in Nicaragua. I realized how dependent I had been on all the luxuries that we have all the time and when they were gone, it took me some time to figure out what to do with such limited resources. The lack of medical attention in the country and the hardships people had to go through to take care of their families was shocking. I find it interesting how different my life is from that of my family in Nicaragua and how while my family doesn’t struggle as much, there are people who don’t know where they are going to find money to pay for medicine or food and I spend my time worrying about having enough to buy a new pair of shoes. My trip to Nicaragua really opened my eyes to see all the blessings I had in my life and how grateful I am to live in the U.S. and I learned how we should all appreciate the simple things we take for granted because many people in the world don’t have such luxuries available to them.
           

19 comments:

  1. I have always cared a lot about people in third world countries. Knowing that I have food on my table, a family, and a bed keeps me from complaining about my day because I know that there is a great amount of people in this world who don't, and I just happen to be lucky enough to have all those things. I have a lot of resentment towards my parents because I am half Nicaraguan and half Colombian but I cant share a single thing about my Colombian side and know very little about my Nicaraguan. I find it embarrassing to not be able to speak Spanish and know where my blood comes from. My parents claim they don't know what to share or they don't want to share it because it is nothing compared to american culture. For the past two years I have been trying to convince my mom to let me go to Nicaragua with my uncle to see the town they were raised in and where my family is from. Im so jealous you got to see everything and it made me happy that you shared pictures. I can only imagine what a culture shock it is to experience but I have heard so many times about its beauty. Thank you for sharing your photos. They genuinely do struggle and it should put all our lives in perspective. They know whats valuable in life and I think we lose sight of all the important things like you said.
    Jeannette Martinez Period 2

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  2. Leslie, thank you so much for sharing your experience! I loved how you added pictures so it gave me a visual on how beautiful and different Nicaragua is from the United States. I think it is true on how we mostly spend time with family during dinner time only. It's the only time everyone can gather, because everyone is busy doing their own things. For me personally, family means the WORLD to me. It is interesting on how we take things for granite, and sometimes we are aware of it yet we still do it. Your piece can really show how lucky we really are and we should be thankful for what we have! Great job!
    Brenda Do P.2

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  3. Leslie! I love this piece, and not only because Im Nicaraguan but because it truly shows why you should not take things for granted. Being a minority i completely understand since my parents were born in their third world countries. You could see that these people there have a fourth of what we have and still are completely grateful. Its amazing and everyone should be like that.
    Jazlynn Garcia
    Period 2

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  4. I can see how you feel because I have poor family in another country. It is true that we do have many great luxuries that we should be thankful to have everyday. You have a great message throughout this piece. Nicaragua looks like a beautiful place I'd like to visit.

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  5. It is truly an amazing journey that you have went on, I want to visit Nicaragua one day too. I usually travel to third world countries as well and it is hard to live without my phone or the resources that we depend on here in the US. Thank you for sharing it with us! Great job!

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  6. When we were talking about what to write for the blog, i didn't realize this piece would be so captivating. I know when you talked about your family in the third world country it made me realize to appreciate everything. Great Job Leslie !!
    Ariel Foster
    Period 3

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  7. When you opened your piece with the beautiful description of Nicaragua I had no idea it would get so deep. It really showed how different life in the U.S can be and how much we take for granted on a daily basis. I can only imagine the impact seeing it firsthand had on you. The pictures were a nice touch and live up to how you described Nicaragua.
    darian henry
    period 2

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  8. I'm happy that you had an experience in Nicaragua. It's beautiful to understand that they have a great community and such a landscape to live on. I do agree that we take things for granted in our country in contrast to others. I hope a day comes where people in such conditions continue to have their life style, but with the proper care such as: medicine, and health care.

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  9. Nicaragua is beautiful!

    I think the visual provides the infrastructure of that statement, especially the reasons as to why you would write about an experience that I'm glad you were able to share. Maybe even add a little dialogue or some more background on experiences to further accentuate your point? Just a suggestion!

    But so far, I haven't read a piece that everyone can really relate to: visiting our home country and synthesizing the variants in our lives and society and the former. It kind of brings back a lot of the discussion my class had during "Heart of Darkness," where we were trying to decide if U.S. contamination on other developing countries would ultimately change a country's wonderful aspects that make it wonderful.

    Food for thought: are they better off? Thank you for making me think more! Good job.

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  10. All I can think of when I read this was my trip to Mexico City last summer in which I visited my family as well. I can really connect to what you're saying. There's such a humble and wonderful vibe in Mexico, it feels like home every time I go despite only going once a year. The importance of family in Mexico and in Nicaragua as you said is so valued I wish it were the same here in America. It was a very well written piece! Thanks for sharing!
    -Abby Elvis
    Period 3

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  11. I can totally relate to this entry on multiple levels! I visited my family in Mexico this past summer, and it was definitely a different environment from the United States. Your use of imagery and pictures helped me visualize what life is like in Nicaragua. Also, like Nicaragua, people center their days around their families in Mexico as well. This entry led me to reminisce the good times I spent with my family this past summer. Thanks Leslie, great job!
    Natalia Garcia
    Period 2

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  12. Rochhaaaa! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS! I connect with this on so many levels especially because Ive had the wonderful opportunity to live in Central America for a small period of time and my parents both came from humble beginnings. I have a strong connection to Mexico, it has a special place in my heart. Being able to see how others live it makes you value and be grateful for how we live. Thank you for sharing this, especially the photos. As a reader it allows you to connect to your story on a deeper more meaningful level. Great Job!

    Allyson Bol
    Period 3

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  13. Leslie,this was such a wonderful, eye-opening experience you've shared with us, and it can be appreciated on so many levels. Often in America, despite the hot pot of cultures that lie within as well as the stories we hear almost everyday pertaining to the rest of the world, we fail to fully understand the situations that occur all over the world. Your experience not only shows us the importance of practicing empathy, but furthermore reminds us to appreciate all that we have. This piece was a great read and it leaves readers with a meaningful message. Wonderful job!

    Danelle Angeline Baronia
    Period 2

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  14. Leslieeee! This is such a great piece. You did an amazing job in sharing your experiences in Nicaragua and comparing it to the U.S. I can truly relate to this because I have also been to a third world country very similar to Nicaragua and experienced the different lifestyle. keep up the good work. I Love it!

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  15. When my parents immigrated here, there was no easy beginning. My parents started off with barely any money and sufficed with a small apartment. What kept them going was just being with each other. Even to this day, my parents don't ask for much. As long as they have our small family and friends, nothing could make them happier. A lot of us tend to forget what we have by wanting more. Truly living life is by living it with others, not to bedazzle it. I'm glad you had a great experience in Nicaragua and learned from that experience.

    PD 2.

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  16. When my parents immigrated here, there was no easy beginning. My parents started off with barely any money and sufficed with a small apartment. What kept them going was just being with each other. Even to this day, my parents don't ask for much. As long as they have our small family and friends, nothing could make them happier. A lot of us tend to forget what we have by wanting more. Truly living life is by living it with others, not to bedazzle it. I'm glad you had a great experience in Nicaragua and learned from that experience.

    PD 2.

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  17. Leslie, I want to start off by saying how amazing this is. Your experience allowed me to reflect back to my trip and my life in the Philippines. I had a similar experience with you, being in shock when I landed at the airport and seeing how different their lifestyles are compared to the people here. You helped me see how fortunate I am to have the things I have and that I should treasure family.

    -Noelle Mariano
    Period 2

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  18. Leslie this was an amazing piece. This truly shows that our society and generation really shouldn't take what we have for granted because a lot of people have it worse. It was very heartwarming and I loved how you contrasted the two societies of Nicaragua and the US. Fantastic work and keep up it up!

    Joseph Jacinto
    Period 5

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  19. Leslie, this was such an amazing piece. You had such a detailed account of all of the differences, making them even more real. Adding the photos even further exemplified just how beautiful and different Nicaragua is. The huge contrast between the beginning with the beauty and the end with all the struggles and hardships was a real eye-opener and really showed the differences in the two countries.
    -Aubrianne Milton
    Period 5

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