My new home!
Not sure if this is still current, but apparently, Managua doesn't have street names or numbers! I guess I could be intimidated about finding my way around, but for someone as directionally challenged as I am, I find it charming and exciting!!! What a city I'm going to live in!
More facts, from Wikipedia:
Managua was damaged by earthquake and fire on March 31, 1931 and by fire again in 1936. On December 23, 1972, the city was very severely damaged in an earthquake that took more than 10,000 lives. In the aftermath, when international help came in to rebuild the town, the dictator Somoza and his troops allegedly took the donations and either hid them from the public or used the donations for themselves. As a result, the downtown area, devastated by the earthquake, was never rebuilt, and it remains half-empty even today.
I have heard this, that the city was never rebuilt. Managua seems prone to natural disasters. It was also ravaged by hurricane mitch in 1998. It would be interesting to write a book looking at several cities that are in various stages of being rebuilt after destruction, from natural disasters or political tumult, I suppose. (That would have been a great Watson! Damn! Although I guess it might be too relevant to the world.)
Managua is also the birthplace of Nicaraguan Sign Language. The Sandinistas gathered deaf children who never learned to speak, but who could communicate clumsily with parents and family members using gestures, and put them together in an effort to engender "socialistic" education. The children then proceeded to communicate among themselves, and, in doing so, invented one of the world's newest languages.
Wow!!!!!!! Those Sandinistas are crazy!!!
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Managua"
Also, this article is interesting because it succinctly explains the affect of international economic policies on Nicaragua (which I'm going to have to get really good at doing fast, and for someone as inarticulate as I am, that's a big challenge). Wow, this whole adventure is looming like Willy Wonka's chocolate factory! (I can't WAIT to see that film...)
More facts, from Wikipedia:
Managua was damaged by earthquake and fire on March 31, 1931 and by fire again in 1936. On December 23, 1972, the city was very severely damaged in an earthquake that took more than 10,000 lives. In the aftermath, when international help came in to rebuild the town, the dictator Somoza and his troops allegedly took the donations and either hid them from the public or used the donations for themselves. As a result, the downtown area, devastated by the earthquake, was never rebuilt, and it remains half-empty even today.
I have heard this, that the city was never rebuilt. Managua seems prone to natural disasters. It was also ravaged by hurricane mitch in 1998. It would be interesting to write a book looking at several cities that are in various stages of being rebuilt after destruction, from natural disasters or political tumult, I suppose. (That would have been a great Watson! Damn! Although I guess it might be too relevant to the world.)
Managua is also the birthplace of Nicaraguan Sign Language. The Sandinistas gathered deaf children who never learned to speak, but who could communicate clumsily with parents and family members using gestures, and put them together in an effort to engender "socialistic" education. The children then proceeded to communicate among themselves, and, in doing so, invented one of the world's newest languages.
Wow!!!!!!! Those Sandinistas are crazy!!!
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Managua"
Also, this article is interesting because it succinctly explains the affect of international economic policies on Nicaragua (which I'm going to have to get really good at doing fast, and for someone as inarticulate as I am, that's a big challenge). Wow, this whole adventure is looming like Willy Wonka's chocolate factory! (I can't WAIT to see that film...)
posted by Brynne at 12:31 PM
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