"Nica" Time

The concept of time is one difference between the United States and Nicaraguan cultures that has made the adjustment to life here just that much more interesting.  If I have learned anything so far, it is patience.  Here is a helpful guide to “la hora Nica” for anyone planning on working here in the future:

Nica Word    Meaning in Nicaragua           Actual Meaning

Entre poco    Soon                                  A week, a month…

Un rato        A while                               Sometime that same day

Un ratito      A little while                        Within the next 8 hours

Ahora           Now                                  Within the next 3 hours

Ahorita         Right now                           30 minutes or so

Ya               Right right now                    10 minutes

Another aspect of Nica-time is that it makes it very difficult to estimate the time needed to do certain things.  To me, setting up a meeting with my supervisor is something that should be relatively easy.  Scenario in my head: I go to her office, ask her what time is best for her, and then show up to her office at that time to chat.  What really happens: I go to her office, the door is locked.  I go to the library next door to ask where the director is, the librarian doesn’t know.  I walk to the next class building and find the assistant director; she doesn’t know where the director is either.  I finally ask for directions to the director’s house, go there, and set up a meeting.

Other things, however, that I estimate will take days, happen before I can realize what is going on.  The fact that the recreation room had zero electricity was a detail that I had been worried about since the beginning.  I thought that it would be an expensive project—but obviously necessary.  I used long extension cords from the other class buildings for the first half of the internship, but then realized last week that something needed to be changed.  I asked the director how to go about getting an outlet installed in the room, and she directed me toward Ernesto, the school’s Mr. Fix-it.  I explained to Ernesto that the recreation room needed electricity and he made a phone call to one of his buddies.  Within 10 minutes, two of Ernesto’s friends arrived with all of the supplies.  The removed the ceiling tiles and did some re-wiring and presto!  Lights!  What I thought would take three days and about 100 dollars took only 3 hours start to finish and 11 dollars!  In Nicaragua, I am amazed every day...