The Most Important Business Lunch EVER!

We have been keeping the lunch meeting we've had scheduled (three times now) a secret.  Today, (finally) it happened.  And I am sure (not) you are hanging on the edge of your seat wanting to know more....

As you may recall, on Sunday we met a group of 'street' kids in front of the San Francisco Cathedral.   We had a great time with them, and as you have read, they paid me for a photo of their little brother.  It was humbling.

We decided it would be cool to print the photos (tough to do in color in Granada) and then find the kids and "sell" them the photos (for 1 $C - or .004 cents).  We decided to take the kids to lunch and then do the photo thing.  I found the ringleader (it was so cute because he jumped right into my arms when I saw him) and he agreed to find the girls and meet Marci and I near the Central Park.  The next day, we bought a huge pizza, made arrangements to have two tables (with cloths) and a waiter.  And then we waited, and waited, and.....

Finally (after two days), I was about to give up.  In a last ditch effort, I asked the Principe to step in.  Two hours later....

The kids meet up with us to see what we are up to.

So Allen found the ringleader pretty quickly (Miguel - third from the left - now pelon (bald)).  Miguel explained that he didn't show because the girls I had taken photos of were from Managua and were gone - so he figured I would be disappointed and just didn't show.

Oh well, kids are kids, and these guys are as poor as the last group.  What the heck!!!

Allan had told us that the pizza was very nice.  However, there is another place (called Tip Top) that is right off the square, that requires a 'great deal' of money to eat at, AND has a play area that the kids have heard about their entire lives.  So off to Tip Top!

Marci's new friend (she wouldn't let other girls get close)

Waiting for lunch

When we got to the restaurant, the security guard refused the kids entry until Marci stepped up and told him that they were her guests.  He seemed baffled and unsure of what to do - so she just grabbed some hands and walked right in!

The kids were WIDE EYED (none of them had EVER even been inside the building).  They looked at EVERYTHING.  Marci had given them a lecture (she is a teacher, right?) and they all sat down and were quiet.  They were trembling to get to the play equipment (again, the first opportunity to play in a place like this - EVER).  Marci got them settled, reminded them of the rules, and set 'em free!

Bursting out of the slide!

This girl was adorable!  Very proper, she carefully held her dress as she came down the slide.

This girl and her brother sit just outside the building with their parents (who sell fruit from a horse cart) every day.  This was the first time they had actually been inside.

The girls got their hands washed first - so they got drinks first

Soon the lunch was on its way.  We ordered the largest two 'family' meals the restaurant makes (it is a fried chicken place).  But on our two block walk, we'd picked up a few more stragglers and were now up to eleven kids, two young men (who wanted to be sure the kids weren't being sought for bad purposes), and Allan, Marci and I.  We needed a LOT of food!

The young men though, even after being told they could order anything they wanted, shared a basket of chicken wings.  We later learned they loved baseball but had NEVER seen a game on T.V.  These are for real poor folks.

Here are some photos of the kids when the food arrived:

Ready to eat (just washed hands - probably the first time in a LONG time)

A great day! 

One lesson we may never really learn.  Good news travels VERY fast and one of the kids'  mothers brought her other two daughters to join in the fun.  By that time we only had one piece of chicken (Marci already gave half of hers to another kid - sucker!) and a few fries.  We gathered what we could and sent it outside.  But the sisters went to the window to tell her what had happened to them.

Talking to the sister who didn't make it in time.  Note the dirty feet

The cost?  $C 1232 ($55.00 + $7.50 tip).  The experience?  PRICELESS.

After we were done, we headed outside to take a few more shots and say our goodbyes. 

A fond memory with our new Nica friends!

The Tip Top made sure that all the kids got masks.  Unlike the US - no one said, "This is stupid".  Even the young men wore masks and played and LAUGHED!

PS  People can be butt heads anywhere.  One wealthy Nica woman refused to let her grandkids play on the playground because 'our' street kids were there.  We got a few nasty looks - but also some smiles.  Oh well, the Nica's we wanted happy were ECSTATIC!  And so were we.  Definitely the best business lunch ever and a memory none of us will soon forget.....