I've been in Granada for a week and three days as of today.  Life here is so different from life in the States.  It's so easy to lose track of time and to want to nap every waking hour.  Everyone here takes their time doing everything.  Unlike the cars, buses, and motorcylces, the people never seem to be in a rush to go anywhere.  An expression I've been hearing alot here is "Nica Time."  If it's Nica time then punctuality  is out of the picture.

The weather has been so much cooler the past three days than it has been when I first got here.  I guess they have been anticipating rain for quite some time now and it's been raining here and there, but never enough to cause any inconvenience to anyone's way of life because it's just little sprinkles.   When it does pour, I'm always inside here at Euro Cafe or at the house.  Here's a picture of Euro Cafe.  That guy in the white tee will be my Spanish instructor. 

 I love it when it rains here because at both places I can see the rain drops due to the fact that alot of homes here have an open courtyard in the center.  It gives this illusion of being one with nature, yet protected from it. 

The kids and the families of the barrio are always on my mind whether it's hot and humid or pouring rain.  Their living condition is so sad.  I wonder how their makeshift homes can protect them from the rain and how they fare as water starts pouring through their dirt floor.  Their homes are made from found scraps of wood to pieces of plastic bags. Kathy said alot  of volunteers come here with the desire to make a difference in the lives of the kids, but the volunteers were the ones that left here changed.  I believe it.  In just a few days of staying here I can't say that I am not moved by the harsh conditions that some of the people here lived, yet they continue to face life and it's harshness head on with such grace. 

When I first got here, Cathy took me out to have dinner at Tequila Vallarta.  There we met Amannuel (I'm not sure about the spelling of his name), a street kid, while he was selling gum and cigarettes to the everyone he runs into on the streets. I truly envy Cathy for having the ability to communicate with these kids because I don't and I want to.  He was so cute.  He said he's 12 years old and lied to Cathy that he's going to school.  I saw him last night while we were out having dinner again at Tequila Vallarta with Mathieu, guy from Montreal and a proud owner of a piece of land in San Juan Del Sur.  I just saw Amanuel with his two other buddies while I was coming in here to work.  We somehow were able to greet one another with my bad Spanish.  He asked me buy lunch for him and his buddies because they are hungry.  I told him to show me his money as he did and counted 12 cordebos.  I told him to give me his money and he reached into his pocket to get the money out for me.  I just laughed and told him I have no money.  Here's a photo of my new friend from last night.