One Month in Nicaragua!!!

So much has happened this week and at times it has been slightly overwhelming. We had our third youth group meeiting on Tuesday. When we arrived at the school, both the director and sub-director had left for the day and the teachers didn´t hear about our meeting. After much confusion, we managed to get through our charla about self-esteem...with 40 students! It was absolutely insane! We left knowing that we were going to have to do some major changes and reorganization.

Later that night I fouind out that the school director was fired and the new director just happened to live two doors down and be my ¨aunt.¨ How convenient! I set up a meeting with her for the following day and spent some time explaining our difficulties. During our meeting with her at the school the following day, we had to basically start over...explain Cuerpo de Paz, our job and what we would like to do in the school for the next month.

We then meet with all the afternoon teachers in one of the more organized meetings I have seen so far in Nicaragua. We handed out a calender of our upcoming youth group meetings and a list of the kids in our group that would need to be excused from class. The best case scenario would be to have the meetings outside of class time, however, many students have to get home right away. So, hopefully, with everyones´ better understanding, we will not just have the teachers releasing all of their students for our meetings while they go take a break.

On top of the youth group reorganization, we gave our first real natural science class!! Alex and I prepared our charla on the food chain, a topic choosen ahead of time by the teacher, to about 25 fifth graders...and yes, completely in spanish! The kids really seemed to enjoy our fun dinamica and colorful posters and everyone participated in the group work. They were really well-behaved which is really saying a lot. In the classes I have observed (including theirs) there are usually people moving their desks, walking across the room to talk to their friends and shoutin to the kids outside. In addition, people from the Peace Corps Office in Guatemala came to observe our charla and training site to get some ideas for their program.

We then went back in the afternoon to the school for a game of soccor and a game of tag for the little ones. I think they are finally starting to get used to seeing us, a bunch of gringos, walking around...and hey, we might be kinda cool too!

So that was my crazy week! I have successfully made it for a month in Nicaragua!!!!!!!! Tomorrow, I leave for a 5 day trip to a volunteer´s site. She has been here for a year and I am totally excited to see what she has been doing in her town. Not looking forward to the 5 hour bus ride tho. Until I get back....adios for now!!

Just a little thought....

So since the time is ticking for the internet, I thought I would just note a thought/observation of the day....

It is amazing here at how fast a chair can appear! So let me explain...

Let´s say I am going to visit a fellow trainee´s family or my host family takes me to their friend´s house or my training group goes to talk to the director of the local school. First, there is a series of welcoming phrases, some kisses on the cheeck or maybe a handshake (but not to strong). Then immeditely they find you a chair and tell you to sit or give you theirs without hesitation. You may only be planning on staying for two minutes or only have one question but then they are offering you food or coffee. It is crazy how hospitable everyone is. You may not even have anything to say but that´s ok...cause it is acceptable to just sit there, in silence, rocking away in the mecadoras (wooden rocking chairs common here).

Nica Favs!

Jugo de pitaya...a bright pink juice made from fresh pitaya and lime

Morning runs at 6am with 3 of my fellow trainees

Reading on my front porch in a rocking chair

Pan con miel....freshly baked bread with melted honey inside from the panderia

Waking up to Rhianna´s Umbrella song being played by the neighbors...or whatever other popular US songs (the electricity goes out at 7am so you have to play it before then)

Having class on the porch everyday while looking out at a tropical forest...especially when it is pouring rain (:

All for now...hopefully pics next time!

¨Nothing should be prized more highly than the value of each day¨ -Goethe

Everything is going well in Nicaragua and we have almost made it through two weeks of training! Outside of Spanish class, environmental and medical charlas (lesson), we have introduced ourselves to directors and teachers in the local school, observed class and had our first meeting for a youth group that we are forming in our Pueblo. We had a great turn out with 41 kids ages 9-16 at our first meeting! For the next three months during training, we will be preparing and running different activities, games, and community projects with the youth group. It will be interesting to see how many will return to the following meetings as many are really just interested in us...¨the gringos!¨ We are slowly becoming a part of the communtity but are still objects of curiousity.

We are all working very hard at learning Spanish. By the end of the day, all the words are running together and my head is throbbing. It is easy to get frustrated and to forget that we have only been here two weeks. Already our Spanish has improved tremendously. The program is moving fast and little time is left for processing. One great thing here is that there are few distractions. Life is truly focused on staying healthy and acquiring all the knowledge necessary to become the best volunteer possible!

I am excited for this weekend! There will be many parades and activities as everyone is celebrating the day of Independence for Nicaragua. Also, my host family brother is taking us on a hike to a goregeous laguna that I got a glipse of last weekend! Fun festivities ahead! I hope everyone is well!

¡Adios!

A typical day in my new Pueblo

So it´s been almost a week with my Nicaraguan host family!!!!...

I have my own room with a double bed, a window and a dresser for clothes. I wake up around 7 am (actually more like awake at 5:00 am because of the gallos or roosters that are screaming outside my window). I then ¨shower.¨ Basically I have a bucket with cool water and a pan that I use to dump water over my head in a small concrete room that is disconnected from the house. We do not have running water or electricity in the pueblo between 7am and 4pm. We have a t.v. and dvd player and most everyone has cell phones.

I have spanish class from 8am to 12pm, then I go home for lunch. We have class again from 1pm to about 3 or 4pm. We have a lady that does our laundry and cleans the house. Just washing clothes here takes forever! We have two dogs but pets here are very differnt then in the states. You really don´t pet them.


I then spend time talking with my family, in spanish, of course. Sometimes I take a siesta and then at night I study or sit on a rocking chair on the porche with my family. It´s a tough life :P No but I am really tired by the end of the day. Talking spanish all day can be really frustrating. Our professor doesn´t speak English. So not only are we learning a new language in the language we don´t know, we are being trained in our new job many times in spanish. We will already be starting a youth group next week!! We will be starting a vivero or tree nursery with the kids in the communtity.

I love my host family! They are so patient with my spanish and are always asking how I am doing and about my day or life in the states. It is so refreshing to see people that have so little but sonehow will find a way to give to others.

The hurricane really did not affect my small Pueblo on the Atlantic side. Just a lot of heavy rain like I have never heard before. Imagine pounding rain on the top or a tin roof! You can´t hear anything else...the tv or anyone talking. Some things are just so different. For example, while walking to class one morning it was just me and a pig walking down the street! I love the randomness!