For most Nicas … time is NOT money.

Submitted by Daddy-YO on 13 April, 2008 - 21:09.

Time is life. It’s heartbeats, it’s when people fall in love, when babies are born, when a family member dies. Discussing politics with friends is time well spent (The word is wrong here; it shows my cultural bias.) Better said, discussing politics is time well lived. To the clock-trained mind the behavior of many seems grossly non-productive: hanging-out watching their neighbors, or just loafing until opportunity comes knocking, or a friend drops by.

I sympathize with you business-types here on NL. I’m not one; I live in Nicaragua half the year, not to earn money, just to enjoy. But, hey, whoever gave you the idea that making a profit in the second poorest country in the hemisphere would be easy? And, whoa, to say Nicas don’t behave according to the rules back home? They’re not punctual and they lie. Mercy me.

Here on NL guru Phil offers good, practical advice to foreign guests (yes) doing business in Nicaragua. But even he gets hung-up on “they can’t see that time is money” and “they don’t realize thinking is working.” Dude, pushing a shovel or swinging a pick all day under the tropical sun IS work. (Consider it a local definition.) Back in the research-driven industrial North you can get paid to think (though ideas must be communicated, eventually). In Nicaragua (and latinamerica) people (politicos, lawyers, magnates) get paid to scheme. There’s a difference.

Punctuality. Ha ha. “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” The original Latins didn’t have clocks, and they lived, loved & died as many do today in Nicaragua. But that isn’t the point, you’d say, rather how can they conduct business in today’s global economy. The majority are not ambitious. Is that a sin in your book? Look to the marketplace, the bazaars of the world: people get a living interacting with their neighbors. They get by. OK, they’re economically poor by modern industrial standards, but they’re happy and love their kids.

What’s wealth anyway, if not life itself?

Nonetheless I concede that these lovely, close-to-the-earth people will inevitably be pulled into the materialistic rat race. Just look at the dirt-floored shacks with TV-lit interiors. Coca-cola & Mickey Mouse, that large as earth capitalist rodent, are everywhere. Even where people suffer from malnutrition you can buy a bottle of that carbonated sugar-water, provided you have the shekels. The bright colors & simple designs are all aimed for their value as psychological subterfuge: want, crave, buy! Whether you need it, or whether it’s good for you & yours is irrelevant. And so they will learn to conform: to divide & govern their lives by seconds, minutes and standard international hours. That is, if they want a job that pays well enough to buy the gewgaws their neighbors are showing off. And if money rules.

But now, today, many of these beautiful people are free. And shamelessly happy. Let them enjoy life. And though you may miss your conveniences and luxuries, why not join them while in Nicaragua?

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i have been

Submitted by Che Guevara on 14 April, 2008 - 17:07.

talking to others a little older than i. the common theme is they don't want to stop working. 1 recent retiree who did a job similar to mine says, "i'm bored." one told me that finding others to do things with you is difficult. that suggests to me that retiring in place leaves you prone to your friends who are still working not being able to do anything with you. hence one more reason to retire in nica, away from the treadmill? any comments on that idea?

when government grows, liberty yields, thomas jefferson

You're right on, Che

Submitted by Daddy-YO on 15 April, 2008 - 10:47.

And it's not revolutionary. When you're working for THE MAN (o patron o jefe) for years, you get use to being told what to do, and then when they cut you loose you have to answer for yourself: what to do?

No one retires from LIFE. And so it is with most Nicas, they've found a nice gliding pattern and, God & the government willing, it'll carry them on thru to the END.

And yes, I believe Nicas can teach retirees from the cold North a great deal about life itself, if they can listen. Sitting elbow to elbow, applying FdC helps!

che would know the lyrics

Submitted by dirtbag on 15 April, 2008 - 14:47.

hows it go?..The Best things in life are free..just give me money..that's all I want..just give me....that's all I want

in memory of the sage

Submitted by Che Guevara on 15 April, 2008 - 15:40.

Beatles - Money Lyrics

MoneyThe best things in life are free But you can keep them for the birds and bees Now give me money That's what I want That's what I want, yeah That's what I want

You're lovin' gives me a thrill But you're lovin' don't pay my bills Now give me money That's what I want That's what I want, yeah That's what I want

Money don't get everything it's true What it don't get, I can't use Now give me money That's what I want That's what I want, yeah

That's what I want, wah

Money don't get everything it's true What it don't get, I can't use Now give me money That's what I want That's what I want, yeah That's what I want

Well now give me money A lot of money Wow, yeah, I wanna be free Oh I want money That's what I want That's what I want, well Now give me money A lot of money Wow, yeah, you need money now, give me money That's what I want, yeah that's what I want Money

when government grows, liberty yields, thomas jefferson

Thankyer, thankyervermuch.

Submitted by dirtbag on 15 April, 2008 - 16:22.

I don't know if you heard. All these people in my house yelling at me to stop singing so loud.."what kind of song is that anyway"? aah..these poor demented creatures if they only knew..to be a child of the sixties.

A fitting tribute by the way. He would have had a lot to say on this very subject.

he

Submitted by Che Guevara on 15 April, 2008 - 18:37.

sure would have!

when government grows, liberty yields, thomas jefferson

thanks,

Submitted by Che Guevara on 15 April, 2008 - 12:30.

the road less traveled....(frost again?)

when government grows, liberty yields, thomas jefferson

I don't want to take a

Submitted by nicoya on 14 April, 2008 - 22:05.

I don't want to take a simplistic approach here but, to most Nicas, time is not money because most of them do not own anything, it means no debt or responsibility. What’s the point of rushing anywhere when you can get by without it and when you do so, you get peanuts in return?

"Donde come uno comen tres", it's the attitude.

Time may be valuable to you if you make hundreds of dollars a day with your thinking (God bless you!).

When I first arrived here, I remember that I wanted a job; I wanted a piece of the American dream (as I had seen in the American movies) or better yet, win the 6/49. Shortly after I arrived, I was blessed with a job and I worked six days a week. I was happy the 2nd and 3rd week and THEN, I realized I had to do the same every week of the year. I was literally horrified. Not so much at the fact that I had to work (I enjoyed the work) but that I was not going to have any free time to enjoy the little money I managed to have left after paying all my bills. I felt trapped. If I was to choose another way to describe it; I felt that I was putting way too much time for such little in return. Eventually I got used to it.

Boy was I naive back then!

It's like my daughter's first day of school when she told me, full of excitement, "Daddy I really liked school today, can I pleeease go back tomorrow?..."

the Truth is always simple

Submitted by Daddy-YO on 15 April, 2008 - 11:20.

You're right, nicoya. It's in the line from 'Me & Bobby McGee' - 'when you got nothing, you got nothing to lose'. (Kris Kristopherson was in Nicaragua a good while.) But I would submit that their time is valuable, as their lives, and why trade it for peanuts, or some damned politicians' war?

And yes, sharing food is wise, and extends the sense of life beyond family to community. Merely look North, at the obese and the diabetes epidemic in the lands of 'plenty'. Most Nicas are healthy and eat well. Nicaragua has an abundance of good food.

And what you describe about the workplace, working for yourself or others, we must trade our time, from our lives, for money. So why not be as clever as most Nicas and get by with a smile on your face.

My main point is that there is a wealth, True Wealth, that is NOT money. It is LIFE. That great mysterious scum that covers the surface & the waters of this planet. Gaia. And TIME cannot be separated from LIFE.

Quotation

Submitted by Alra on 15 April, 2008 - 20:34.

"When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose" Is a line from Bob Dylan's song 'Like a Rolling Stone'

"Freedom is just another word for nothin left to lose" is a line from Kris Kristofferson's song 'Me and Bobby Mcgee'

Al

Thanks, Al

Submitted by Daddy-YO on 17 April, 2008 - 10:57.

It would appear that my B.Dylan neural circuitry overwhelmed the scant bits for Kristofferson in my cerebrum, such that a Dylan synapse bit into the KK line. How else to explain it? A brain fart?

You are trapped

Submitted by fyl on 15 April, 2008 - 06:26.

That's exactly the problem I see with "a job". I haven't had one since 1983. I feel lucky to have figured that out and 25 years ago managed to move from "a job" to getting paid to do something I like to do.

On the other hand, I see Nicaraguans here that sit in a tienda all day, actually doing something maybe one hour a day. For them, it seems they would see time is money. That is, they could "move up" to either working one hour a day and accomplish the same or they could take the free time to acquire new skills to increase their job options.

That "I only finished 4th grade and all I can do is sit in a tienda" attitude is the one that I find depressing. Not just for the individual but for Nicaragua/the Nicaraguan economy as well.

Lack of Education, another Trap.

Submitted by dirtbag on 15 April, 2008 - 09:39.

although such a broad term, does produce a kind of Herd Like hopelessness, lack of initiative, exceptional individuals aside, that do hustle to make an opportunity for themselves. Unfortunately, the brightest usually get out. Then they become "Outsiders" sending money home to perpetuate the cycle. To be able to read, assuming access to books, enables dreams, ambition, knowledge. It's a complicated issue yet surely it starts with education. Especially early in life. That same girl or guy tienda sitting, could be reading a book about how "You figured that out" and go..ha! I could do that.

Aha!

Submitted by fyl on 15 April, 2008 - 18:25.

I think we got to what was supposed to happen in the 1980s. Education and health care were the two big items on the Sandinista agenda. A war was not. But, Nicaragua was a "threat of a good example" and that had to be prevented. So, the 1980s were the years of the war against the U.S.

No, I am not trying to spout FSLN party line here. I am trying to offer the reality. If the government hadn't had a war to fight, I think two things really would have happened:

  1. The education campain would have really succeeded and today you would be seeing all those benefits.
  2. What was "the Sandinistas" would have split into three political parties and a real democracy could have been born out of the revolution.

That is a huge point

Submitted by rholmes on 16 April, 2008 - 06:04.

I often wonder what it would be like if Nicaragua did not have to deal with contra war, which was operated in spite of the U.S. Constitution. I make that last point because of the irony, George, Ben, Thomas J, John A, Madison et. al., were spinning in their graves when the greatest document in the history of Democracy was prostituted in the 80's. The irony of the irony is that if they were living in that place at that time, I am pretty sure they would have been wearing red and black.

We will never know what could have been. It is easy to say the Sandinistas could not have pulled it off, but they did not even have the chance.

'if you see someone who has lost their smile, give them one of yours'

it's a whole new world out there

Submitted by dirtbag on 14 April, 2008 - 18:53.

The whole concept seems to have changed, as far as retirement from a working life is concerned, freedom 55 was a good slogan if you had the money of course, that hasn't changed. Apart from being able to afford getting off the bus, most retirement 55 to 65 year olds I know just couldn't bear the boredom and have found ways to start again keeping busy and useful. I would imagine it would be difficult to start a whole new life in Nicaragua (Apart from Winter Sojourns) unless you had the Company of like-minded friends, some good arguments and a challenge now and again to keep you on your toes.

i have

Submitted by Che Guevara on 14 April, 2008 - 20:26.

i have 1 six year old and 2 two year olds. miles to go before i sleep, (frost.)

when government grows, liberty yields, thomas jefferson

Milestones; before I sleep

Submitted by dirtbag on 15 April, 2008 - 10:24.

a lot of Milestones to go through.. without any sleep!

no sleep?

Submitted by Che Guevara on 15 April, 2008 - 10:30.

bummer dude!

when government grows, liberty yields, thomas jefferson

Attitude

Submitted by fyl on 14 April, 2008 - 18:35.

When I worked for government, there were people around me counting days (that were in thousands) until retirement. That was one of the reasons I realized I didn't want to work for government.

I am always full of new ideas/projects. While I look forward to sipping a beer in the Geek Ranch bar next year, I mostly want to "not work" so I have more time to do the work I want to do.

From the people I know, it seems more of the Gringolandia crowd are here to "do nothing" and those that settle up here seem to want to fill up their life with projects. I guess that is good as it offers a choice.

right now

Submitted by Che Guevara on 14 April, 2008 - 19:08.

i envision impressionism painting, a little fishing and a little boogie boarding. surfing if i still have the strength. maybe some woodwork. at 65, no more economic ventures...

when government grows, liberty yields, thomas jefferson

Not for most

Submitted by fyl on 13 April, 2008 - 21:52.

I agree that time is now money for most Nicaraguans. I think that is fine. But, for me, time is money.

It is frustrating to have this not be recognized. Nicaraguans seem to be perfectly willing to accept someone if they speak bad Spanish, if they are gay, vegetarian, not Christian, ... I just feel frustrated that most anything is ok here but, if I think time is money that gets ignored.

Now, probably not by everyone. My socia gets it. And so does Lupita. She's six. We spent about an hour going over some Spanish reading with me offering some English translations and her even trying to pronounce the English. At the end of the hour she thanked me and it was clear to me she was saying "thanks for taking the time to do this with me". So, maybe she will be another adult someday that understands that, for some, time is money.

Now, I have an added twist—I am really not motivated by money. I am motivated by doing stuff I like to do. The Geek Ranch is such a project. But, it needs to pay its way. To do that, we need to get all the building materials on site before it starts raining. So, um, time is money once again.

Children & Time

Submitted by geobear on 15 April, 2008 - 12:54.

To children anywhere in the world, time isn't money. Time is love. They thrive on having someone spend time with them and pay attention to them. That's a value all human beings are born with.

Equating time with money, or seeing time as having almost no value at all are both concepts that have to be taught.

A personal reply, guru

Submitted by Daddy-YO on 14 April, 2008 - 11:32.

I can dig where you're coming from. You are managing many projects simultaneously and you have schedules. But I suggest that the longer you work in Nicaragua (i.e., the longer Nicaragua works on you) time (your time) will begin to flow like the liquid clocks in Salvadore Dali's surreal landscapes, and life itself will overwhelm your digital universe. (It can be reversed by immersing yourself in the computer-minded, money-ruled North country.)

Could Lupita be saying,"thanks for helping me; thanks for being a good man who cares about me"? A six-year-old may be able to tell time, but what can she know about 'taking time'. It's heart you showed her, bro.

Your motivation to do what you're doing is what, I'm sure, you'd like to be able to instill in those who work with you. Love of the job because of the personal satisfaction accomplishment brings. (For most Nicas the word 'love' only applies to God, family & country.) Your idea, mentioned elsewhere, of having your employees own a share of the action seems a good one. But you've got a big psychological hurdle to cross with Nicas: you're a foreigner. And though you're married to a Nica, you both (their thinking must go) could bail-out on them in a flash. If 'time is money' for you then clearly the more money you pay them (when the job is done) will bring it in closer to your schedule.