"getting by" in Nicaragua

While sitting at a restaurant on the cobblestone street, we were greeted by the children street vendors. Every night they make their rounds to each table at the restaurants in the area selling gum, cigarettes, nuts, and anything else to bring in an income. They were bothersome to many people while others found them entertaining. Regardless of what people thought of them, these children were very persistent in their attempts to complete a sale. They had approached our table at least two times before they began to play with our hair. "Que linda!" was our pelo. We had so much stimulation from these children - we couldn't just focus on one. As soon as someone took a picture, several more children came running for a photo of their own. They rushed and waited for their turn to see their smiling faces on film. We did catch that one was smoking a cigarette, after we told her how she shouldn't, she stuck up for herself by informing us of everyone else who smoked cigarettes as well along with the drugs they did the laundry list was long and disheartening. Then the seemingly innocent eight year old grabbed the cigarette stick from the girls mouth and took a few puffs herself. They were all about ten years under the legal limit to purchase cigarettes in the states and here they are selling them to tourists out to dinner, and this is their job. It is all about getting by. A/R