I Should Have Brought My Heels

Tonight I went out on the town and boy does Nicaragua have a booming nightlife! I have to say, I was shocked by the music, fancy (and cheap) clubs, and endless amounts of alcohol for free or cheap! When packing for Nicaragua, I left behind flashy jewelry, high heels, and the majority of my “club”wear; however, after seeing the scene tonight, I see that it is certainly appropriate, and common to dress up just like I do back home. Luckily, I didn’t come to Nicaragua for clubbing, so I am not really at a loss. It’s just interesting because it was the complete opposite of what I had been advised and from what I read in travel books and articles. This experience relates to social class and “young culture” – that younger people and of middle to high class will be the ones out at these clubs rather than the majority of the population. Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere, behind Haiti, but so far, I have been exposed to the middle class environment which does not feel too different from back home. Many of the families I have encountered have cars, all of the international students I have met have wifi in their homes, and every Nicaraguan I have met has a cell phone (which if they are young, they are glued to just like in the US). Also – as I mentioned earlier, they have all the reality TV shows that we enjoy, maybe secretly, in the US like Jersey Shore, The Kardashians, and Say Yes to the Dress. The TV in my house has several channels that are completely in English. Either way, I am more shocked about the similarities rather than the differences in the culture here, which is shocking. Below is a picture of some Nicaraguans we have met as well as a couple of the international students in my program.


 - Kine Camara

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