Belize

So, I should probably change the name of this blog, given that I am no longer in Nicaragua, but I figure it is easier to just leave it as it is. Plus, I like to think that I will always be at least a little bit Nicashannon, no matter where I am. I have been here in Belize for almost four weeks now. In my site for three. My first impressions are that it is very different than Nicaragua. The town where I live is called San Lazaro and it is in the north. The border of Mexico is very close and many people cross the border on a regular basis to do shopping in cheaper Mexico, (although, this is illegal and I am not saying I would ever do such a thing...) The people in San Lazaro speak Spanish but nearly all of them speak English as well. The language at school is English so I speak a lot of it and I can't say I like that part too much. I feel like my Spanish is suffering a lot for this. Another factor is the Spanglish. It is not uncommon to hear expressions like "Es muy nice." Which makes it easy for me to, when I don't know a word in Spanish, just say it in English. I am really going to have to work to keep progressing, I know. San Lazaro is beautiful. It is like a little country town where all the people speak Spanish. The houses are large, wooden and have huge yards with lawns. This is, of course, nothing like Nicaragua. Oddly, I feel that Belize, or at least where I live, is more similar to living in the U.S than it is like living in Nicaragua. This is good and bad for me. I do find that I miss Nicaragua a lot. When I listen to the radio I sometimes hear songs that were popular there and I am reminded of the life I left behind and it makes me feel a little sad. Also, I sort of liked the roughing it that I did there, even though I may have complained. It was a good challenge. But it is nice here, and I am sure in time I will grow into life here. I really can't complain. At school, the kids swarm me with hugs and the amount of pictures and stickers and candy that they have given me could fill a small garbage bag. They are very, very sweet. Fortunately, I think I have broken most of them from calling me Mr. Shanny, which was my name up until last week. As I said many speak English, but the little ones are still partial to Spanish. I work in two different schools, one Catholic and one Methodist. Prayer is a big part of the day in both schools. Yesterday I was doing a grammar exercise in the Catholic school about "was" and "were". I asked for an example of "were" and a student said "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" I had to chuckle to myself at the irony of it. Who would have ever imagined me working in a Catholic school? My address here is:
Shannon Tanner
San Lazaro Village, Orange Walk
Belize, CA
In case anyone wants to send me any mail. Letters are great! I wil post pics as soon as I get my cable from my mom.

¿Quien Causa Tanta Alegria?

Time is flying by. I have been so busy the past few days and grateful for it. I think that if I had more free time I would be going crazy waiting for the 21st. But fortunately I have had a full schedule. Friday was Purisima, a Nicaraguan Catholic holiday celebrating the conception of Mary. I had been planning on observing since it sounded a little like Halloween, my favorite American holiday. My friend loaned me a Virgin (remember its not a statue) and we made an altar out of flowers, Christmas lights and balloons. Of course I had to Shannonize it with some Nag Champa. I had initially bought three big bags of candy to give out (hence the halloween reference). To my dismay, I was told that this was not going to get me through the first half hour. Lucky for me, my friend had my back. His mom showed up in a Taxi with a huge sack of oranges, a crate of bananas, a tray of cookies, and a bushel? of sugar cane. The cane was in three foot long sticks and we had some borrachos over to chop it into four inch long pieces with machetes. Usually my friend has a big celebration at his house with his Grandma, who is extremely Catholic, but she was in Costa Rica visiting her daughter so we did it at my house. It was so much fun!! Groups came and sang songs about Mary, one group even brought along a Casio, plugged it in and started jamming on my porch. Instead of "Trick Or Treat" They say "Quien Causa Tanta Allegria? La Concepcion de Maria!" (Who is the cause of such happiness? The Conception of Mary!") We gave them treats in exchange for the singing, as per the tradition. It was a great time. I ended the night by going to some friends´ house and singing Silent Night to their altar. Not exactly a Mary tribute, but the closest thing I could think of at the moment. The next day was the first communion of Regina, my little buddy who I lived with for the first six weeks in La Conquista. She was all dressed up in her bride outfit and adorable. I got a great picture of her playing Monopolio in this get up. Priceless. The next day I went to Leon with my host family from La Paz. We visited this famous Cathedral where Nicaraguan poet Ruben Dario is buried. I also saw a naked man run through the town plaza while the cops ate snow cones and laughed. It has been very eventful. Now I am just trying to relax and search out a VCR to tape my novela while I am in the states. This has been the cause of much worry. This probably sounds ridiculous to anybody reading this but hello, ya´ll have TIVO, right? And seriously, I have watched this show since I got to La Conquista and it has been integral in my spanish progress. I look forward to it every night and I just can't miss it. Especially since it is about to end. Well, enough about my Zorro addiction. As usual, I am hungry so I am going to go eat now.

December the third third third.....

If you don't understand the title, ask Sarah or Manda...
So this will be quick. I just put up a ton of new pics from the past couple months. It's the "final countdown!!!!" I wil be home in less than three weeks!! Whoo! Unfortunately I won't be here to enjoy a full month of 24 hour electricity. The government has announced that they will not be cutting the electricity for the entire month of December which means I have been eating meat again!! Just gearing up fpr Christmas... Anyway I'll post another soon. Feliz navidad!

I finally got my hammock!

Feliz Navidad!

Graduation Dinner at my adopted family's house.

The biggest f'ing bug I have ever seen. It is not a cockroach, I have been assured. I found it in my kitchen. It is as big as my cell phone.

At the AVC our boss wanted us to "standout" so we had to wear hats that we made out of paper bags. Who knew that Peace Corps had a "special" department.

Working hard or hardly working?

The only good part about being separated from my sisters is that I can rock this white eyeshadow and there is no one here to tell me I am tacky. HA!

Katie and Deena, two of my closest girlfriends, in our hotel at the AVC.

Another of my ladies, Lori, decorating our booth at the conference. Check out that hat!! She doesn't have the repuation for being the most stylish Peace Corps member for nothing!

Nadeska and Eynard getting married!

Another wedding photo. Tia Francie.... Something Blue?

The wedding reception. That is my host sister Nelly and host dad in the big glasses. These people know how to have a good time!

More at the wedding.

Thanksgiving!! Check out those palm trees and the hammock in the background.

Katie and Lori on Thanksgiving.

More AVC hat madness.

Update

It has been forever since I have written. Been super busy with the end of the school year, but at last I am free. I have a feeling this freedom will soon give way to boredom so I am trying to stay busy giving classes in the community and such. The week of Thanksgiving was the annual All Volunteer Conference and it was SOOOO fun. There were different information sessions that we could choose from and also a dance party and talent show. Each sector did a skit as part of an intersectoral competition. Our group did a "sociodrama" about what it is TEFL volunteers do. I won't go into a full explanation but let me just say that I did not envision my Peace Corps experience would include dancing in a bikini to that song that goes "My neck, my back..." (The UNEDITED version). Needless to say we won that part of the competition. For Thanksgiving I went to one of my bosses houses with a bunch of other TEFL people. The food was awesome and it was a great time. The juxtaposition between pumpkin pie and palm trees was a little surreal though. After a week of hot showers, breakfast, lunch and dinner and cable TV I returned to La Conqui where there had been no power for two days. No power meant no water, hot or other wise and so I found myself bathing in the river. Yes bathing, complete with shaving cream and razor. I wish I had had a camera. I felt very Peace Corps. That same day we had the graduation ceremony for the seniors. I have to say that even though I was only here for a few months out of the school year I was so proud of all the graduates. It was really cool to see them all dressed up and getting their degrees. Afterwards was a party and I surprised a few of my students with my ability to dance Reggaeton. Bachata, Salsa, Merengue not quite there yet, but bumping and grinding to a hip hop beat I can totally do.
In October, my host sister from La Paz married her long time boyfriend and they had a wedding at the house. I was honored to be invited not only to the ceremony but also to come over early and help with preparations. I truly felt a part of the family while I was blowing up balloons and making sandwiches. A great time was had by all. Right now I am getting more and more excited everyday for December 21st when I will be boarding a plane for the U.S of A. I can not wait!!! Really it is all about the the three F's. Family, Friends and Food!!! I think I will probably cry when I see my family. Just thinking about it makes me well up. And the food!!! Sushi, Lattees, Cheesburgers, Oh my!! I finally found marshmallows here and introduced my friend to S'mores. A little cultural exchange. He agreed that they are "Riquisimo!!" Speaking of food I am starving right now so I am gonna go eat some pizza. I will put up some pictures this week I swear, maybe even today after the pizza, I just don't have the patience right now to deal with the technology on an empty stomach.

Cultural Experience or Animal Rights Attrocity?

So this will be very short. Just had to say that I went to a cock fight. I was very conflicted about the whole thing and still am. I saw three roosters die. I also saw a transvestite dancing with a man with no legs. It was an interesting evening to be sure. I did not pay to get into the cockfight so at least there is that. I also did not bet or anything. I feel like I am confessing something terrible here. I need feedback. Am I a terrible person?

Pictures of La Conqusita (for my mom)

This is one of the cool statues in the church.

This is my friend trying to put the antennae for the TV together. The TV saga was a nightmare. It broke the first day I had it, (It fell on the ground) but it is finally fixed as of today.

This is my friend. He hates this picture so I had to put it up.

This is the park in La Conquista.

The church and the bus.

Some townspeople in the park.

Here is the park again. It is pretty green right now due to the rainfall.

Here is a pig in the park. I had to put this one up because it reminds me of a book that Ezra likes. This one could be called "If You Take A Pig To The Park..."

This is a street next to the park. I live like two blocks away.

Here is a mural near the Centro de Salud. Apparently it was made by "gringos".

Everday is a day for Vaccination!

The Centro de Salud.

Here is one of the main streets. (There are two).

This is where I teach in La Conquista.

Another picture of the school.