The Free Food Revolution
In all the world, free stuff is the ultimate motivator. Nicaragua is no exception. Just about every day I find myself amazed at the random things that make there way to our center, whether we like it or not. Some of the gems I can remember off-hand that have come as “donations” have included: big red chewing gum (past sale date), Stater Bros 50% off sale stickers, small silk coin purses (each including two small marbles that were actually a hit with the boys), the English version of the New Testament (highly useful in a community where many still can’t read in Spanish), we even received a shipment of USAID Rice that came with an oversized poster of George Bush, the patron saint of charity. This was just days after CAFTA was officially signed, assuring the rapid destruction of San Isidro’s, and most of Nicaragua’s, agriculturally based economy. Gotta love progress.
In the name of saving money and taking advantage of all resources, my bosses have recently began a very intelligent process of requesting past date foods for immediate use in our kitchen. We serve food to over 500 people per day. As one can imagine, this gets expensive. Every day companies throw away thousands of dollars in products that are still perfectly useable but have simply past there sell date. We have in turn found an array of companies eager to donate their overstock. This change has resulted in both an increase and decrease in my quality of life.
The good news is that the Marimba Juice Company has saved our stomachs from parasite-ridden fruit juice, providing me and our students with a sealed and sane beverage option. The bad news is that the local butchers have also jumped in on the “Donate my waste product” bandwagon. Now, instead of the conventional rice and beans, maybe a soup or even a soy hash dish, we find ourselves eating minced cow heart over rice, stewed intestine and chicken foot goulash, among other fine delicacies arranged from the generosity and good will of our friends in the live stock business. This new development has left me feeling like a total prude, involuntarily watching my face curl up in disgust at each meal like a middle aged aristocratic woman whose been dropped off at an Insane Clown Posy concert. I literally threw up in my mouth the other day when I found myself spooning around my soup a set of lungs and heart still connected. My kids on the other hand are ecstatic with the increase of meat in their diets. At any given moment these days one can find a spare organ, hove, or even eyeball saved for later in the pockets of my fourth grade boys. It’s precious.
In all the world, free stuff is the ultimate motivator. Nicaragua is no exception. Just about every day I find myself amazed at the random things that make there way to our center, whether we like it or not. Some of the gems I can remember off-hand that have come as “donations” have included: big red chewing gum (past sale date), Stater Bros 50% off sale stickers, small silk coin purses (each including two small marbles that were actually a hit with the boys), the English version of the New Testament (highly useful in a community where many still can’t read in Spanish), we even received a shipment of USAID Rice that came with an oversized poster of George Bush, the patron saint of charity. This was just days after CAFTA was officially signed, assuring the rapid destruction of San Isidro’s, and most of Nicaragua’s, agriculturally based economy. Gotta love progress.
In the name of saving money and taking advantage of all resources, my bosses have recently began a very intelligent process of requesting past date foods for immediate use in our kitchen. We serve food to over 500 people per day. As one can imagine, this gets expensive. Every day companies throw away thousands of dollars in products that are still perfectly useable but have simply past there sell date. We have in turn found an array of companies eager to donate their overstock. This change has resulted in both an increase and decrease in my quality of life.
The good news is that the Marimba Juice Company has saved our stomachs from parasite-ridden fruit juice, providing me and our students with a sealed and sane beverage option. The bad news is that the local butchers have also jumped in on the “Donate my waste product” bandwagon. Now, instead of the conventional rice and beans, maybe a soup or even a soy hash dish, we find ourselves eating minced cow heart over rice, stewed intestine and chicken foot goulash, among other fine delicacies arranged from the generosity and good will of our friends in the live stock business. This new development has left me feeling like a total prude, involuntarily watching my face curl up in disgust at each meal like a middle aged aristocratic woman whose been dropped off at an Insane Clown Posy concert. I literally threw up in my mouth the other day when I found myself spooning around my soup a set of lungs and heart still connected. My kids on the other hand are ecstatic with the increase of meat in their diets. At any given moment these days one can find a spare organ, hove, or even eyeball saved for later in the pockets of my fourth grade boys. It’s precious.
posted by Mike Gonsalves at 11:35 AM
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