the little differences

15 months in, I'm still definitely North American. To wit:

1. My friend I. was over here visiting earlier this week, and pointed out that the way our living room is organized is decidely "gringa". "You have the kitchen table near the door," she observed. "Yes," I said, "because it's closer to the kitchen that way. Why? How would a Nica do it?" She replied, "well, we'd put the couch/chairs closer to the door, so that way as soon as guests enter the house, they have somewhere to sit."

2. I went to lunch with a friend from Panama last week, and after opening my soda I started to drink it straight out of the can, when E. said, "No, here, take a straw. You don't know if that's clean."

3. I had company for dinner last Wednesday, and afterwards M. proceeded to do the dishes...now, when I wash dishes, I wash and rinse each one as a go with the water running. But M. soaped up all of them and then turned the water on to rinse them.

This last one stopped me in my tracks, and made me consider my privileged background, because in the USA I would totally take an endless supply of water for granted, but Nicaraguans conserve it like gold because it is (a) expensive and/or (b) often hard to find.

I think I still have a lot to learn.