"You Play Favorites!"

That was a blast I got from a member of the BECA team last week.

"Es parcial, Walter y no me gusta." ("You play favorites, Walter and I don't like it.")

Given that one of our themes for 2013 is "impartiality" it might be considered a low blow.

When I asked for clarification, it was suggested that I give preference to certain members of the staff.

My response?

It's true.

I believe that the foundation should be a meritocracy.


I ask that each member of the BECA team give 100%.

And the staff members who respond by busting their butts for BECA Nicaragua should be rewarded.

In my way of thinking, they earn their perks fair and square.

It isn't personal.

It's about rewarding passion, dedication, and hard work.

Is there something wrong with that?

So yes, dear staff member, I play favorites.

And I won't make any apologies for it.

Ticolandia with a [Gulp]

Back from ten days in Canada. A cold ten days.

[Parenthesis: Does your blood thin when you live in a tropical climate? This doctor thinks not, but that's what everyone else tells me.]

I think it's time for another break.

Now off to Ticolandia for a week.

"But you just got back from Canada," BECA Coordinator Sorania Dávila suggested.

Yeah . . . but . . . well . . .

Sorania just isn't aware of my master plan: To empower Team BECA Nica by leaving them to their own devices thereby encouraging self-sufficiency, independence and project management.

I figured I was on to something good. Really good.

That is until Assistant Director Maryury Ruíz piped up "we don't really need you that much, Walter."

[Gulp]

Make that two weeks.

Say Cheese

I'm a sucker for a beautiful smile. Here's some evidence:

Not always, though.

You see, I used to be super-jealous of my sister's beautiful smile. Kelly always received compliments on her infectious smile.

ALWAYS!

Her smile was even rewarded on television once ["When will this end?"]

Sister Kel and her Beautiful Smile

Nevertheless, somewhere along the way I became a big fan of big, beautiful smiles. (Maybe moving away does that, I dunno.)

And I'm happy to say that here in Nicaragua I have a Kelly-smile surrogate in my Nicaraguan day-to-day.

You see, we have someone on staff who has the Kelly smile of Nicaragua.

BECA Coordinator Sorania and her wonderful smile

Sorania may not realize it but her smile has the power to light up an entire room.
Methinks she could give Kelly a good run for the money. Smiling olympics, anyone?

My money's on . . . .

I'm in Shock

After a very long Wednesday (miérrrrrrrrr . . . coles) of flying, I'm back in Canada for a quick ten-day visit.

(The occasion? My nephew's 18th birthday.)

I often hear people talk about "culture shock" when they come to Nicaragua. 

But have you ever heard of a Canadian experiencing "culture shock" when they return to Canada?

You have now.

I can only describe it as a general feeling of displacement and/or disorientation. And it seems to grow with each trip back "home."

Does this mean that I am feeling less and less Canadian and more and more Nicaraguan with each passing day?

I dunno.

But that isn't necessarily a bad thing, is it?

Eh?