A Walk On Water: The Jinotepe Market

Today was my last day at the Jinotepe market. Every Tuesday Kristie and I have taken the responsibility to go shopping for groceries for the house. Let me describe our system to you first. Five days a week dinner is prepared for the whole house. During those days, one pair of volunteers (Kristie and my day was Wednesday) cooks dinner for all of us. On Tuesday mornings before we head to the market each pair writes their grocery list. Those lists, combined with the grocery lists that our housemaid Doña Corina makes for all lunches throughout the week, are compiled.

The market is busy, loud and full of culture. Going to the market has been a time for us gringas to absorb and build relationships with the vendors. We love shopping with Doña Corina because she knows who sells the best vegetables, and who sells them for less. We often find ourselves paying more for food because we are white and foreign. To add to this, when shopping with Doña Corina we often have to hide ourselves so she (Nicaraguan) can get the best deals! Its quite funny but at times frustrating.

As I was strolling through this fast paced vending place, I began to process all that this place had taught me. 1) I give much respect to the people of Nicaragua for getting up every morning willing to earn money by selling vegetables, fish, q tips, flash lights, and any other random items we privileged can find at our local Wal-Mart. I don’t think I would ever have motivation to sell such things. But this is how they provide for their families. 2) Time at the market is time for people to converse and get to know one another. 3) When the men say “good-bye” they are really are meaning to say hello and converse to us in English. 4) Prices for vegetables in the states are outrageously out of this world in comparison to food here in Nicaragua. 5) Taking time to buy and prepare food shouldn't be seen always as a "waste of time," or something to slow us down. Take time to enjoy the fruits of life!

Below I have included some photos that I took today on my last day. One is with a man named Fernando. We always stop at his vegetable stand because it is the best and he gives us great prices. Today he saw me noticing a new fruit to me called granadia and gave it to me as a gift. It’s a fruit that is often used to make juice and it was very nice for him to give it to me.