My diary - April 19-21, 1973
April 19, 1973 Thurs.
Dear Smiley:
We left the house at about 9:00 to Cazares. I had never been there. We stayed at the Caleros house. Its beautiful. Went swimming in the beach & in the pool in their house. Regina Salmos & her family were there too. We had fun. Got home around 8:10. I burnt & tired.
BYE!!!
Note: Adolfo Calero was a good friend of my Dads. He ran the Coca Cola company in Nicaragua and later had an important role with the Contras in the war against the Sandinistas. I remember he tried to get my Dad to go to law school with him. I am not sure why Dad didn’t; maybe he didn’t know how long we would be stationed in Managua and might not finish? I think he wished he had.
I saw my first baby shark swimming in the ocean near us. I quickly exited the waters because where there's a baby, there might be a mama!
April 20, 1973 Fri.
Dear Smiley:
Slept in. Beck went to the Country Club with Lisa. Mom, Dad & Dave went to Hingst. I stayed home & read on “The Convenient Marriage.” Doris came over & then Mom & Dad, Beck & Dave. Lisa, Steve & Joey too. Joey said my front tooth stuck out a whole lot!!! Uh! Went outside. Brought the guys over & tried to play funny Bones. No luck. Baked some brownies.
BYE!!!
Note: I was super sensitive about my capped front teeth. I broke my front teeth years earlier playing tag on the basketball court at school. The local dentist didn’t do a great job.
The Convenient Marriage is about a young girl who marries the Earl to save her sister and family. The loveless marriage becomes a true marriage, overcoming deceit and turmoil.
April 21, 1973 Sat.
Dear Smiley:
Mom & Dads anniv. 17 years married!!! Mom took us to the Country Club. We swam with Lisa. It was fun. We spent most of the afternoon there. On the way back Mr. Seehafer got a flat. David re-decorated his room. Mom & Dad had there anniv. party. It was alright & happy. Super hot though. Mike said I was very pretty.
BYE!!!
Note: Mike was a friend of my parents; I ate up compliments as I never felt pretty just tall and awkward...
April 19, 1973 Thurs. (David’s Diary)
Dear Snoop,
Today I had fun. I got up on time and we left to Casares. We stayed with the Caleros (coke). They had these dogs, a baby mutt, a baby police dog, and a dachshund. The dachshund and the mutt tasted me. My first impression of the beach was that it was awfully rocky and no waves, and sea weed. We swam a bit, played cards with this Regina, swam in a miniature pool and so on. Later, Agusto - PanAm employees and I went swimming in the ocean later on and the kid was high, not crowded and the waves!!! But I left the surfboard in the house. We got back at 8:15, ate dinner and I’m going to sleep. I missed the marching drill. Forgot about it. Good night.
Note: Although he was a lawyer and businessman – a Coca-Cola executive – Adolfo Calero became the overall commander of the so-called Contras, who launched a guerrilla war against Nicaragua's ruling communist Sandinistas in the 1980s.
April 20, 1973 Fri. (David’s Diary)
Dear Snoop,
Today again I had fun. In the morning I did little but later, we went to visit - eat lunch at the Hingsts house. Before we had swam and rode on Dave’s mini bike after lunch . By the way, before 3:00 I had to say this prayer 33 times.
I saw Steve and the Las Colinas pool with Joey. Beck swam at the NCC with Lisa. Joey and Steve were picked and Mr. Seehafer went to our house. Joey said something about her tooth being a mile too long and that it was a different shade. She took it badly.
Tavi and Ricardo are out now. Sue wanted to play funny bones, six boys and six girls. We measured for partners. Tallest - Mundo - Me and Tavi and Carlos. Moundo and I had 1” shoes. Tavis’s were worn out.
NOTE: NCC is the Nejapa Country club. Looks like Joey was referring to Sue’s newly capped front tooth.
Saying a prayer 33 times is an ancient Good Friday devotion dedicated to honoring the 33 years of Jesus Christ’s earthly life.
Yay! blog's working again!
The story of Adolfo Calero brings to mind the importance of Pan Am's role in Latin America before and after WWII. Younger readers should Google "The Chosen Instrument-Pan Am", (a term coined by the U.S. government to underscore the importance of Pan Am's diplomatic mandate.) Your readers may have wondered how your Dad knew so many "Titans of Industry" in Managua. These were, no doubt, not chance meetings. These corporate leaders could use their resources and influence to promote democracy, especially in places like Nicaragua and Venezuela.
While Pan Am's political influence had certainly diminished by 1973, nevertheless, your Dad must have had a challenging job of "straddling the political fence" with careful diplomacy to stay…
David reminded me of how we identified ourselves as to what company our fathers worked for such as the Texaco, Tabacalera, Victoria, Exxon, Pan Am etc., of course others were identified as Embassy, Point Four, Alliance for Progress, Military people ,so on and so forth.
Fun to see the front of the Nejapa Country Club - so many memories flood in - thanks Tootsie
It really is so cool how your diaries cross over and you get your two different lenses. Paints a picture. Were you aware that you were both keeping diaries?
It wasn't allowing comments, but it is working now! Technology glitz. 😀