Monthly Archives: November 2010

San Juan Del Sur

The Pierces arrived at the Pacific coast town of San Juan Del Sur.  We’ll stay here for a week or so in a two bedroom apartment we’ve rented with a great view of the bay.  Then we’ll be meeting the Scofields at the airport in Managua and head back to Mata de Caña.

Photo here.

PC GDP @ PPP

The following is a rank-order list of nations compiled by the World Bank by per capita gross national product at purchase price parity. The information is for 2009. Mira and I like to use these numbers when we argue about who is poorer than who. BTW, it surprised me that Bolivia ranks higher than Nicaragua. Note the world average of $10,706, which includes Macedonia and everyone above. I guess everyone in the US making less than $46,436 is not taking his/her fair share.

Rank Country Intl. $
World 10,706
1 Luxembourg 84,003
2 United Arab Emirates 57,827
3 Norway 55,672
4 Singapore 50,705
5 United States 46,436
6 Ireland 41,278
7 Netherlands 40,715
8 Australia 39,231
9 Austria 38,748
10 Canada 37,946
11 Sweden 37,905
12 Iceland 37,595
13 Denmark 36,762
14 United Kingdom 36,496
15 Germany 36,449
16 Belgium 36,048
17 Finland 34,650
18 France 33,655
19 Spain 32,545
20 Japan 32,443
21 Italy 31,909
22 Equatorial Guinea 31,825
23 Greece 29,663
24 New Zealand 28,723
25 Israel 27,674
26 Korea, South 27,168
27 Slovenia 27,004
28 Trinidad and Tobago 25,705
29 Czech Republic 25,232
30 Portugal 24,021
31 Saudi Arabia 23,429
32 Slovakia 22,356
33 Croatia 19,803
34 Hungary 19,764
35 Seychelles 19,615
36 Estonia 19,451
37 Poland 19,059
38 Russia 18,945
39 Antigua and Barbuda 18,805
40 Lithuania 16,745
41 Libya 16,526
42 Latvia 15,411
43 Argentina 14,559
44 Saint Kitts and Nevis 14,548
45 Gabon 14,440
46 Mexico 14,337
47 Chile 14,331
48 Romania 14,198
49 Malaysia 13,982
50 Turkey 13,905
51 Uruguay 13,208
52 Montenegro 13,113
53 Panama 13,091
54 Botswana 13,078
55 Lebanon 12,962
56 Bulgaria 12,888
57 Mauritius 12,858
58 Belarus 12,569
59 Venezuela 12,341
60 Serbia 11,612
61 Iran 11,575
62 Kazakhstan 11,526
63 Costa Rica 11,122
64 Macedonia, Republic of 10,822
65 Brazil 10,427
66 South Africa 10,291
67 Azerbaijan 9,652
68 Saint Lucia 9,618
69 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 9,167
70 Dominica 8,896
71 Colombia 8,870
72 Peru 8,647
73 Bosnia and Herzegovina 8,529
74 Dominican Republic 8,445
75 Grenada 8,374
76 Tunisia 8,284
77 Ecuador 8,280
78 Albania 8,245
79 Algeria 8,184
80 Thailand 8,004
81 Jamaica 7,620
82 Turkmenistan 7,252
83 China, People’s Republic of 6,838
84 El Salvador 6,721
85 Namibia 6,457
86 Ukraine 6,327
87 Angola 5,789
88 Jordan 5,691
89 Egypt 5,680
90 Maldives 5,459
91 Armenia 5,286
92 Bhutan 5,120
93 Swaziland 4,966
94 Georgia[8] 4,778
95 Sri Lanka 4,778
96 Guatemala 4,749
97 Syria 4,737
98 Fiji 4,560
99 Paraguay 4,529
100 Morocco[9] 4,503
101 Tonga 4,472
102 Vanuatu 4,445
103 Bolivia 4,426
104 Samoa 4,412
105 Congo, Republic of the 4,248
106 Indonesia 4,205
107 Honduras 3,849
108 Cape Verde 3,649
109 Iraq 3,553
110 Philippines 3,546
111 Mongolia 3,527
112 India 3,275
113 Vietnam 2,957
114 Uzbekistan 2,879
115 Moldova[10] 2,858
116 Nicaragua 2,665
117 Micronesia 2,664
118 Pakistan 2,625
119 Solomon Islands 2,550
120 Yemen 2,473
121 Kiribati 2,470
122 Djibouti 2,323
123 Kyrgyzstan 2,287
124 Papua New Guinea 2,285
125 Laos 2,259
126 Cameroon 2,227
127 Sudan 2,201
128 Nigeria 2,150
129 Tajikistan 1,975
130 Mauritania 1,953
131 Cambodia 1,913
132 São Tomé and Príncipe 1,823
133 Senegal 1,806
134 Côte d’Ivoire 1,707
135 Lesotho 1,613
136 Kenya 1,572
137 Ghana 1,511
138 Benin 1,510
139 Zambia 1,431
140 Bangladesh 1,420
141 Gambia, The 1,417
142 Tanzania[11] 1,358
143 Chad 1,347
144 Comoros 1,306
145 Uganda 1,219
146 Burkina Faso 1,189
147 Mali 1,187
148 Nepal 1,156
149 Haiti 1,153
150 Rwanda 1,071
151 Madagascar 1,050
152 Ethiopia 936
153 Mozambique 886
154 Malawi 859
155 Togo 852
156 Sierra Leone 809
157 Timor-Leste 806
158 Central African Republic 758
159 Niger 676
160 Liberia 397
161 Burundi 393
162 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 320 1000px-Average_GDP_PPP_per_capita.svg

PC GDP @ PPP

The following is a rank-order list of nations compiled by the World Bank by per capita gross national product at purchase price parity. The information is for 2009. Mira and I like to use these numbers when we argue about who is poorer than who. BTW, it surprised me that Bolivia ranks higher than Nicaragua. Note the world average of $10,706, which includes Macedonia and everyone above. I guess everyone in the US making less than $46,436 is not taking his/her fair share.

Rank Country Intl. $
World 10,706
1 Luxembourg 84,003
2 United Arab Emirates 57,827
3 Norway 55,672
4 Singapore 50,705
5 United States 46,436
6 Ireland 41,278
7 Netherlands 40,715
8 Australia 39,231
9 Austria 38,748
10 Canada 37,946
11 Sweden 37,905
12 Iceland 37,595
13 Denmark 36,762
14 United Kingdom 36,496
15 Germany 36,449
16 Belgium 36,048
17 Finland 34,650
18 France 33,655
19 Spain 32,545
20 Japan 32,443
21 Italy 31,909
22 Equatorial Guinea 31,825
23 Greece 29,663
24 New Zealand 28,723
25 Israel 27,674
26 Korea, South 27,168
27 Slovenia 27,004
28 Trinidad and Tobago 25,705
29 Czech Republic 25,232
30 Portugal 24,021
31 Saudi Arabia 23,429
32 Slovakia 22,356
33 Croatia 19,803
34 Hungary 19,764
35 Seychelles 19,615
36 Estonia 19,451
37 Poland 19,059
38 Russia 18,945
39 Antigua and Barbuda 18,805
40 Lithuania 16,745
41 Libya 16,526
42 Latvia 15,411
43 Argentina 14,559
44 Saint Kitts and Nevis 14,548
45 Gabon 14,440
46 Mexico 14,337
47 Chile 14,331
48 Romania 14,198
49 Malaysia 13,982
50 Turkey 13,905
51 Uruguay 13,208
52 Montenegro 13,113
53 Panama 13,091
54 Botswana 13,078
55 Lebanon 12,962
56 Bulgaria 12,888
57 Mauritius 12,858
58 Belarus 12,569
59 Venezuela 12,341
60 Serbia 11,612
61 Iran 11,575
62 Kazakhstan 11,526
63 Costa Rica 11,122
64 Macedonia, Republic of 10,822
65 Brazil 10,427
66 South Africa 10,291
67 Azerbaijan 9,652
68 Saint Lucia 9,618
69 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 9,167
70 Dominica 8,896
71 Colombia 8,870
72 Peru 8,647
73 Bosnia and Herzegovina 8,529
74 Dominican Republic 8,445
75 Grenada 8,374
76 Tunisia 8,284
77 Ecuador 8,280
78 Albania 8,245
79 Algeria 8,184
80 Thailand 8,004
81 Jamaica 7,620
82 Turkmenistan 7,252
83 China, People’s Republic of 6,838
84 El Salvador 6,721
85 Namibia 6,457
86 Ukraine 6,327
87 Angola 5,789
88 Jordan 5,691
89 Egypt 5,680
90 Maldives 5,459
91 Armenia 5,286
92 Bhutan 5,120
93 Swaziland 4,966
94 Georgia[8] 4,778
95 Sri Lanka 4,778
96 Guatemala 4,749
97 Syria 4,737
98 Fiji 4,560
99 Paraguay 4,529
100 Morocco[9] 4,503
101 Tonga 4,472
102 Vanuatu 4,445
103 Bolivia 4,426
104 Samoa 4,412
105 Congo, Republic of the 4,248
106 Indonesia 4,205
107 Honduras 3,849
108 Cape Verde 3,649
109 Iraq 3,553
110 Philippines 3,546
111 Mongolia 3,527
112 India 3,275
113 Vietnam 2,957
114 Uzbekistan 2,879
115 Moldova[10] 2,858
116 Nicaragua 2,665
117 Micronesia 2,664
118 Pakistan 2,625
119 Solomon Islands 2,550
120 Yemen 2,473
121 Kiribati 2,470
122 Djibouti 2,323
123 Kyrgyzstan 2,287
124 Papua New Guinea 2,285
125 Laos 2,259
126 Cameroon 2,227
127 Sudan 2,201
128 Nigeria 2,150
129 Tajikistan 1,975
130 Mauritania 1,953
131 Cambodia 1,913
132 São Tomé and Príncipe 1,823
133 Senegal 1,806
134 Côte d’Ivoire 1,707
135 Lesotho 1,613
136 Kenya 1,572
137 Ghana 1,511
138 Benin 1,510
139 Zambia 1,431
140 Bangladesh 1,420
141 Gambia, The 1,417
142 Tanzania[11] 1,358
143 Chad 1,347
144 Comoros 1,306
145 Uganda 1,219
146 Burkina Faso 1,189
147 Mali 1,187
148 Nepal 1,156
149 Haiti 1,153
150 Rwanda 1,071
151 Madagascar 1,050
152 Ethiopia 936
153 Mozambique 886
154 Malawi 859
155 Togo 852
156 Sierra Leone 809
157 Timor-Leste 806
158 Central African Republic 758
159 Niger 676
160 Liberia 397
161 Burundi 393
162 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 320 1000px-Average_GDP_PPP_per_capita.svg

Gift Ideas

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Gift Ideas

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-1950s-12-AMF-Junior-Bicycle-Childrens-Bike-/360317264528?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53e4952290

http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-1960s-K-MART-ALL-PRO-ANTIQUE-KIDS-BIKE-/220693679025?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33625e4bb1

http://www.tintinboutique.com/en/catalog/petites-figurines-pvc-34/

Lots of Progress

Lots of progress has been made on the new school in Mata de Caña!  The perimeter foundation was set and bricks are being laid.  Since during the bricklaying process Robert can’t be of too much help (have you ever seen that I Love Lucy episode where she loses her wedding ring in the barbecue?) and it really is true what they say about fish and guests, the Pierce family has left Mata de Caña for a couple weeks to explore elsewhere in Nicaragua.  We’ll return to the village during the week of Thanksgiving.  Thanks to our host family, the Rodriquez’s, for putting us up for a week and hearing our gripes about the heat . . . and the cold.  Also, thanks to them for letting us take their daughter Anna with us for some travels and babysitting duty.

Next stop, the Caribbean coast!

Here’s some initial photos of the site and the great people of Mata de Caña.

http://picasaweb.google.com/rrpjr1/MataDeCana#

Lots of Progress and Photos

Lots of progress has been made on the new school in Mata de Caña!  The perimeter foundation was set and bricks are being laid.  Since during the bricklaying process Robert can’t be of too much help (have you ever seen that I Love Lucy episode where she loses her wedding ring in the barbecue?) and it really is true what they say about fish and guests, the Pierce family has left Mata de Caña for a couple weeks to explore elsewhere in Nicaragua.  We’ll return to the village during the week of Thanksgiving.  Thanks to our host family, the Rodriquez’s, for putting us up for a week and hearing our gripes about the heat . . . and the cold.  Also, thanks to them for letting us take their daughter Anna with us for some travels and babysitting duty.

Next stop, the Caribbean coast!

Here’s some photos!

Nicaragua

The Pierce family finally made it to Nicaragua.  It is what we’ve been preparing for for a long time.  We didn’t get into the Managua airport until about 7 pm, leaving no time to get out of time.  So, after one night in a flea-bag hotel we took a taxi to Granada and are living it up in a fancy hotel for one night before we get picked up and go out to our village in Chinandega tomorrow morning.  Without exception, everyone we tell that we are going to Chinandega for two weeks says the same thing, “Chinandega.  Oh, hace calor.”  It’s hot there.  Which is saying a lot, because Robert is about to die from the heat in Granada.