Settling In

Life in La Conquista is good. I really like the town and the people in it. Whenever I leave the house at least five people say hello to me. Actually they say goodbye, but that's how it is done here. I have been able to teach a few classes and I love it. I missed a day because I was sick after being in Managua and I am starting to think that maybe there is something to the Nicaraguan creencia that extreme changes in temperature will make you sick. I say this because the whole time I was in Managua I was back and forth between the extreme heat and the air conditioning and I am still fighting a nasty cold. Other than that, I am really happy. I love being a full-fledged volunteer and not having to have my every moment scheduled. The work is great for the most part but I have had a little trouble in one of the schools with participation. Some of the kids are just SOOOO shy and they won't do anything. I guess that will be one of my challenges. I have been really lucky with everything else. Namely my counterparts. They are both great to work with. Last night I sat in the park until dark playing the Nicaraguan version of MASH with an eight year old girl named Angelica. I think we will be great friends. Also, I found a house that I may be able to rent. It is super cute and big and I think it may even have a toilet inside. Hopefully the owner wants to rent it. I have seen a couple of other vacant houses but the owners don't want to rent them because they come back from Costa Rica from time to time and want their houses. I can't wait to live on my own. So exciting. I have been enjoying the increase in independence that I have been experiencing with my new host family. I make my own breakfast in the morning, including coffee. The other day I drank milk straight from the cow because my milk in the fridge had gone bad after a power outage. The milk had been boiled so I should be okay. I bought three pineapples, a watermelon and four mangoes for about 1.75 the other day. I was so happy because nobody sells fruit in La Conquista and I have to come to Jinotepe to get it, but some guys came with a truck load. I told them to come find me whenever they are in town. I have also been washing my own clothes, which is not nearly as fun as it looks, but it should be a good work out for my arms. I also met the staff at the health center and they said I could go with them to the outlying communities when they do their rounds so that I can meet more people. I would not mind working with the health center maybe on some community health initiatives. I would start with a campaign about keeping your fridge plugged in since people here have this idea that once the food is cold, it is important to unplug the fridge to conserve electricity. That probably did not help my milk.

Swearing In

Greetings from Managua, where it is effing HOT. This is my first entry as an official Peace Corps Volunteer. Pretty exciting. The ceremony today was interesting. It felt very official. The US ambassador was there and we sang the national anthem of the US and also the Nicaraguan anthem. We had to solemnly swear to uphold and defend the US constitution, so help us God. As I said it was interesting. All of the families came in from Carazo and Masaya and we got to spend a little time with them and there was an official thank you ceremony. When one of the volunteers got up to say a little gratitude speech even my Nicaraguan dad got teary. They told me again that their door is always open and I plan on making good use of it. Speaking of doors, my host family in La Conquista was informed that they would need to put a door on my room if I were to stay there and they said that they would not be able to do that so I have to live with someone else. I am a little bummed about it just because I don't want it to be awkward with them and also because now I have no idea who I will be living with but in a way maybe it is for the best because I realized after my stay that I offered them way more money than I meant to and I was going to have to renegotiate and that would have been awkward too so at least now that won't be an issue. Being in Managua these last few days has been strange. It feels like we are back in the US eating at TGIFridays and going to the mall. Today I had Burger King and last night, I was ecstatic when while flipping through the channels on the hotel's cable television I found Big Brother 8!!! Of course I did not know what was going on but it was still super fun to watch. In a way being here seems like it is going tomake going to our sites a little harder but the vacation is nice all the same. Well, I am gonna head back to my air conditioned room now as I am melting here in the lobby.

Last Day of Training!!

Today was our big youth group presentation in Diriamba. I am very proud of our group. They did a great job even though they were really nervous. We had a nice powerpoint that Holly put together and a poster that I made in case the electricity went out, which it did but only for a few minutes. It was fun to see everyone else´s projects. I think everyone worked really hard. Tonight is my last night with me host family. Tomorrow we are off to Managua for four days for the swearing in ceremony. Tonight Holly is going to come over and we are going to play Salon de Belleza with my host sister, who is going to give us one last manicure/pedicure for the big day. I am fighting the urge to dye my hair right now. I know it´s not a good idea, and that one of the reasons I wanted to come here was to simplify my life, but after looking at pictures of my self all morning I am feeling a little scrappy-doo in the hair department. Oh well. I guess that´s all part of the process.
I never did write anything about my visit to La Conquista. In case anyone is curious, I really liked it. It is a beautiful place with tons of trees and greenery. In that way it reminds me of Oregon. My backyard is pretty much a forest. There are several little boys who are the grandchildren of my host mom. They range in ages 18 months to 4 years old. There is also an 8 year old girl and a 12 year old boy. They are all really nice but I really cannot wait to get my own place. They could be the nicest people in the world, letting me live rent free and feeding me gourmet meals every night and I would still be counting the days until I am allowed to live alone (that would be 47.) As for my counterparts, they are both really cool. I was really nervous about working with someone a lot older than me who already had their whole teaching routine down and would probably be resistant to change, but it turns out that I am older than both of my counterparts! Neither of them are married or have kids so I think we will have a lot of time to plan classes and develop materials. One of my counterparts is a twenty five year old woman with the very progressive and modern ideas. She is having her own house built just for her. This may not sound very progressive but trust me it really is. I have never heard of aNica woman living alone here. She is really cool and we have a lot in common. I will be working with her in a comarca of La Conquista. The night before I met her my director told me that she rides her bike to school and asked me if I knew how to ride a bike. Everyone was surprised when I said that I did. So the next day they found me a bike and she picked me up at my house and we proceeded to ride to Santa Elena. Well, the first few hundred meters were fine. Then the sidewalk ended. Then we came to a very steep down hill dirt "road". After about 10 meters of this I had to ditch the bike. It was seriously frigtening. I felt like I was a participant in an extreme BMX tournament or something. Needless to say I am going to have to figure something else out. I think I will be getting a dog to accompany me on the 3 km hike.

More Photos

This is a picture of the sign we made with our youth group, along with the ugly old sign that it is replacing.

This is a blurry picture of me in my room in La Paz.

This is a more clear picture of me in my room.

These are a few of the other trainees in my group crammed into a micro. There were actually 21 people in all ion this bus. By bus I mean minivan.

Some of my friends the day we went to the beach.

This is the house I have been living ina nd will continue to live in for two more days.

Cows passing my house.

Our awesome youth group.

Me doing what I do best. Supervising. Note my boss and my Spanish teacher behind me working.

One of the awesome motifs I have sported here in Nicaragua.

The church in Jinotepe.

The church again.

Me in Rancho Grande. Midway through a five hour hike up a mountain. My shoe broke shortly after this was taken and we had to wander through the mountains until we found a house where therew was a woman with my size feet.

Another picture of my nails. I think this was the first manicure.

The dolphins.

Me and GW and Cheney and some other scary looking guy at the PC office.

Dick and me.

This is at Volcan Masaya.

Me and my girl Zuha.

This is Volcan Masaya.

La Conquista

So I am really happy right now because I ended up gettting placed in the site that I wanted. I am very excited to be so close to the end of training. Only two more weeks!! I really can´t wait. The town I am going to is called La Conquista and it´s about 15 kilometers from the town I live in now. It has several rivers and waterfalls. I hear the people are super nice too, but that could probably be said for anywhere in Nicaragua. One thing that I am really happy about is that I don´t have to get to know a whole new city because the city that I come to for all my shopping, internet, phone needs will be the same one that I come to now. I have already begun pricing household items here. Another great thing about my site is that I will be able to purchase all of my furniture needs from my host that I live with now because he is a carpenter. He is going to make me a bed ¨matrimonio size¨ for about 60 dollars. If I were placed far away I would have to buy my furniture in the mercado for more money and less quality. Anyway, aside from all of that business I had a pretty busy weekend. My family threw a party for their nephew on Saturday that went from 4 in the afternoon till about one in the morning. Even I was dancing. Needless to say, I will not be watching that video. It was a really great time and much needed. Nicaraguans really know how to have a good time and when they throw a party they throw a party. Of course there was a piñata and party favors for everyone including me. I was very touched when I received my bowl of candy and a jewelry set. Everyone´s bowl had their name on it and since it was a gift from the aunt and uncle who live in Leon who don´t know me very well mine just said ¨Gringa¨. As I said I was touched. Everyone in the family, (and it is huge) is so nice and hospitable. I feel like no matter what happens with my next host family I will always think of this family as my true Nicaraguan family.