There are two new businesses in Santa Ana since I was here a year ago.  Pictured here is an auto parts store, and below, and infinitely more important if you’re me, an ice cream shop.

Sometimes when I’m observing life, there are pictures that are just their own story.  Like this one.

But there are also those times when I’ll sit and watch a family and just get completely drawn in to all the little things that are going on.  And with a little luck, and a bit of sneakiness on my part, they never give me so much as a glance.

This family is on their lunch break.  They are on the streets of Antigua making their living.  Not in the picture, next to the dad, is a cart full of assorted nuts, which he sells in small bag fulls.  Mostly he sells little snack bags, but his cart is equipped with a small scale so he can sell by the pound if called for.  The young boy in the solid red shirt contributes to the family’s well being by shining shoes.  All of his fingers were completely black.  His tools are the little bench he’s perched on, and the shoe shine kit that’s just to left of where the little boy in the stripe shirt is kneeling.

The mom, as well as looking after the two littlest ones, has her own basket of goods for sale.  In it are things like candy, cigarettes and bics, little tissue packs, gum, small bottles of hand cleaner, anything that makes her and her basket a walking impulse item rack. While I watched them, and snuck the occasional picture, the older boy went off to buy some tortillas for their lunch.  During his absence the littlest boy was walking in circles, with the shoe shine kit in one hand and the little stool in the other, yelling a word that I can only guess was, “SHOESHINE”.  It was cute, but then again not. He was already in training for the family business.  In the second picture, the little girl is giving the stink eye to the little boy who has the fancy push toy.  This is him,

And his sister.

And lest you think this was just an idyllic day in the park, I also watched two drug deals go down.  More street stuff to follow.  No not pictures of the drug deals.