End of the Honeymoon Phase.

Hi everyone and Happy (belated) Valentine’s Day! It has been an….eventful week for me here in Nicaragua and I have a lot to catch you up on. Most of this week I would like to forget, but I feel it necessary that you all know the good things and the not-so good things about this new life of mine. So I am going to just jump right into it.
(Before I forget: if I have not called you yet and/or you want to hear from me -> e-mail me your phone numbers).

Principals Office, Vaccines and No Mula
So as I told you in the last blog, I went to Catarina two weekends ago with five other volunteers. What I may or may not have mentioned about this trip was that we were in the back of Braden’s Dad’s pick-up truck (for the record: I did not know this was the travel arraignment until we were already getting into the truck). Anyway, this is beyond common here – and although it is clearly not safe, I felt it was no less safe than riding in one of the micro-buses that has a window being held up by a hair tie.
At our tech charla/meeting this past Friday the entire group received a ‘lecture’ regarding spending time in your training towns, not riding in the back of trucks and not leaving your department. Although it had been explicitly outlined that we are not permitted to ride ‘motos’/motorcycles, it has not been clear about the truck rule. Also, blame it on lack of geography – but none of us had any idea that we had left our department. It was only about 30 minutes and seemed harmless. Obviously, no one got into trouble and it was more of a ‘general announcement’, but none the less – it happened. After I received a TB Booster and Rabies vaccine, I went and talked to the ‘Master Trainer’ about the situation and apologized. Lesson Learned. Their biggest concern was obviously our safety and also that we should not be hanging out with other volunteers on the weekend (and speaking English)– we should be spending time with our host families (which I do more than enough of).
Our banking was set up by Peace Corps and we received a debit card to retrieve our weekly ‘salary’ (which varies from 350-450 cordobas depending on travel needs, or about $20 U.S. dollars). When I left the charla on Friday, I took 300 cordobas out of the ATM and Hana and I took a micro-bus to Jinotepe to use the internet. When I went to pay for the cyber, I realized I did not have any money and my change purse was nowhere to be found. Now to say what exactly happened is impossible. I have heard stories of people getting pick-pocketed or robbed without even knowing it – and yes, it is a possibility. It is also a possibility that I just dropped the change purse – who knows. Regardless, it was very upsetting when combined with other factors of the day (me STILL not receiving my packages from my parents that have been in Nicaragua for over a week, the internet not working while I was trying to talk to my parents, group frustration, etc.). Hana handled the situation very well and was incredibly supportive and spotted me some cords (cordobas) to pay for my internet and get home.
In the big spectrum, not that big of a deal – I was safe, it really wasn’t that much money (less than 20 american dollars), etc. But when you combine a bunch of little things with homesickness, they seem bigger. Anyway, I called one of the training people and they were very supportive and the next day one of them gave me 300 cordobas. They originally told me I had to go the police station and file a report in Jinotepe to get reimbursement from the Peace Corps – but I found out today that I just had to fill out a form – which is awesome. Ironically, in the package my parents had sent me was a purse with zipper and such – which I would have been using instead of my Nike (open) back-pack. Such is life.
V-Day in Nica
Although I do love Valentine’s Day – it was basically just another day here. I did just receive your card today Stacey!! (2/18) It was such a sweet surprise and I am so proud of you! I did receive two gifts – including a bottle of wine from Hana and a teddy bear from my host brother! Both were so thoughtful and sweet. It was our first Saturday that we had a PC charla – and it was on cultural adaptation. Very ironically, we were asked to rate our moods that day for the past three weeks (mine was in the negative range of the chart at that moment). The charla was nice though and had ample timing considering my crappy week – because it talked about the highs and lows of culture shock/adaptation. Some people went through their ‘low’ during week one – so at least I made it to week 3 – 4! Things will only get better…(so I thought)….
After the charla, a bunch of us went to the pool and that was very nice to just bask in the sun. Later that day I had a slight temperature and was feeling pretty nauseas, but after a dance session with my three-year old Nica sister, Ruby – I decided to accept the invitation to go out with Hana and her uncle. We went to the restaurant he owns in our town, El Rosario. We hung out with some people in the restaurant and drank some Toña, Nica-Beer.
Later, they all decided we should go out dancing – so at about 10:30 we went to the pool, which is also restaurant/discoteca (very few buildings here serve only one purpose). It was packed with lovers and couples – which was fine by me, I love watching people dance traditional Nica/Hispanic dances. I did have my first dance with a Nicaraguan – it was less than exciting. Ha. He was a worse dancer than me! Oh, and the whole time he was asking me if I had a boyfriend in the United States. Blah. I really did not want to stay out very late, but everyone else did. I got home at 2:30am (and don’t have a key to my house – so I had to call my mom to let me in), when in reality I was ready for bed by midnight. All in all it was an interesting Dia de San Valentin.
Perros
So dogs here are quite … frequent. Bob Barker should definitely consider doing an outreach here to have dogs neutered and spade. It is not abnormal to witness a street fight of 10-15 dogs. It is incredibly scary but I seem to be the only one concerned. The same way I am incredibly offended when I see two dogs ‘getting busy’ on the street corner in front of the park – it seems that everyone else doesn’t even notice. Dogs here are not seen as pets. Most decide to have a dog in order for protection, a ‘security-system’ more or less. Basically here I am not a fan of dogs, which is so opposite of me in Estados Unidos (the US).
Which brings me to the point that OMG I MISS WESTY, my perrito. During the days before I left and I was trying not to spend money – and getting in as much television and movies as I could (p.s. How is Lost!?! Miss it), I spent soooo much time with her. My parents tell me that she still looks for me in the house. I would pay some serious cordobas to just hug my little puppy. Ah. December.
Class
The dynamics of the group are getting much, much better and all of the problemas have been addressed. Every three weeks our language facilitator changes and it was actually quite sad to have our first one leave us – Nidia, she was incredible. FYI: I taught her ‘That’s what she said’ in Spanish. It was fabuloso. Our new language facilitator is quite ‘different’ from Nidia – but I am trying to remain open to different teaching styles. This week due to all of my crap happening – I do feel that my language has not improved great lengths. I hope to reverse that this next week hopefully. The entire set up of training is very reminiscent of Study Abroad: six hours of class a day, host family, with 20 other Americans throughout the week, etc. Everything is very structured and planned out – which I feel is the opposite of a volunteer’s experience. Training is very necessary – but I do much look forward to my actual service.
24…not the show
So, this section is not for people with weak stomachs – although it will be censored. Monday night I went to bed around 9:30pm (which is late for my standards here in Nica), when I was awoken at 11:00pm from a loud rumble. No. It wasn’t an earthquake. It was my stomach. By 6:00am the next morning I had had diarrhea 8 times. I spoke with my host-mom when she woke up to tell her what was going on. I didn’t have any minutes (“saldo” see telephone section) and neither did my mom. So she went to buy some at 7:00 when the closest pulperia opened. The medical officer told me to go to the nearest town, Jinotepe, and give a stool sample (seriously) and for blood work. One positive out of this entire situation that I will say about Nicaragua is – damn their medical stuff is fast. I was in and out of the lab within 5 minutes. Stool sample and all. In the U.S. that would have been half of my day.
So we wait to hear back from the medical officers with the results as I continue to worsen. My fever is around 101 degrees and the frequency of bathroom visits is increasing. Even more than that – the amount of pain in my stomach was truly indescribable. I may have had a conversation with my stomach it was so loud. Pretty sure. One word that I would not use to describe my host mom here is...nurturing. She was shouting things at me throughout the day – things that consisted of “don’t drink anymore water” “chug this weird potion-looking, milky, thick drink” “eat oranges and pineapples” and “don’t eat bread.” All of which were the opposite of what I needed. Long story short, I understand why people die of Diarrhea here. It is incredibly difficult to explain to someone, while you feel like you are dying, that you are not going to drink or eat what they feel is right in the situation.
Back to the story, around 12:00pm I begin vomiting as well (even better, huh?). The Medical Officer finally calls back and tells me I have a bacterial infection in my GI track and that I need antibiotics. My host-mom went and got them for me and I began taking them around 1:30pm. I was in and out of sleep throughout the rest of the day in between bathroom breaks. I stopped counting after 24 (yes, twenty-four..in less than 24 hours) times – because I thought it just wasn’t necessary. I had moments of comic-relief – like when my mind flashed to a scene of Dumb and Dumber, my domestica (maid) asked me if I was pregnant and I responded Immaculate Conception in Spanish, when I was sitting in the taxi next to a rather large woman with a bag of my stool sample. I also had moments of breakdowns, like when we didn’t have running water, when I was vomiting and having diarrhea at the same time, when there was no toilet paper, when I threw up gallopinto (rice and beans a.k.a the thing that they eat at EVERY MEAL, literally) in their shower, when the toilet seat was blanketed in ants in the middle of the night, and when all I wanted in the world was to be with my parents and have my mom rub my head. Remember: this was the censored version.
Well, I am alive. I made it to the other side. Today is Wednesday and I did shower this morning and made it to class. But I ended up leaving around 9:30 because I was just so weak and still having some diarrhea. I was super bummed because I was supposed to give my first charla at the local school here to 6th graders – but I was basically a walking charla on diarrhea these past 48 hours. I rested a little and ate some crackers before going to Jinotepe for our afternoon charlas. The main reason I made myself go was because we got to find out where our Volunteer Visits are (see next section!!!). I made it through both charlas without using the bathroom. I have not eaten anything except crackers – but I will try and conquer some type of real food tomorrow. Baby steps… Still having some ‘movement’ every time I go the bathroom – and occasional conversations with my stomach –but overall SO, so much better.
The doctor said it was from something I ate or drank – and there is no real way to know what it is from. Last week I did not have ‘agua pura’ or purified water –and was drinking tap water during and after that whole water shortage. It is a possibility it could have been this – I don’t really know how long bacterial infections take to form, yada yada. It could have been the cantaloupe – it could have been the rice and beans. I will never really know. But I do know that I have a serious guard up now. I should have been more assertive with my host-mom about having agua pura (it is the first time this family has hosted an aspirante (trainee). She has now gone the other direction as well and I have three containers of agua pura in my room and some in the kitchen. Ha.
I felt a little anorexic this evening – because she was forcing me to eat dinner after not eating for almost 48 straight hours. It was carne (meat), a tortilla and some tomatoes. I am still having issues at this time and am seriously weary of eating anything – let alone a piece of meat that looks like it was from various types of animals. When she left the room I put the piece of meat back into the pan, ate a few bites of the tortilla and threw the rest out. Felt like I was on a bad Lifetime movie. Ha. For those of you that are worried – I will eat again. I am just taking very small steps back to Nica-food due to PTSD. Did get my packages today from my parents, finally – but sadly I do not think I will be eating the FiberOne bars anytime pronto. Ah, irony. (Side note: those of you that were in Mexico with me when I had Salmonella (Cara – Bueno!)– this tops it. And then some). But I better get better ASAP because I have a Volunteer Visit this Sundayyy!!!...
...Take Me Higher…
We are all assigned to different Volunteer Visits to get a glimpse of the life of a volunteer and how all of these things we have been learning get put into place – oh, and to see a different part of the country – FINALLY! The charla that was receive today was from this guy Ian (from Tennessee) and the whole time he was talking – I was thinking how awesome he was and that he was really passionate, yada yada. Turns out I am the lucky person that is going to see him!!! At that moment, all the bathroom issues – money stuff – faded away. I am so excited! He lives in San Jose Casmupa, Madriz – which is very, very northern part of Nicaragua. On the map it looks like you could throw a stone into Honduras. It also happens to be the town with the highest elevation in Nicaragua – woah! This volunteer visit was definitely not foreseen – as they told us we are normally matched girls-with-girls and I thought it would be a larger site. So this whole time I was thinking that I will definitely get placed in a larger site – but who knows! If they feel comfortable sending me to one of the most rural sites for a visit – it is very unclear where I will end up. The location of your volunteer visit could mean nothing – or it could. Only ‘they’ know. Ha. I did express in my interview that I would like to focus on HIV/AIDS prevention/outreach – and apparently he is focusing a lot on that.
One of the first questions he asked me was, “do you ride horses or mules?” And of course I responded, “I do now.” Ha. This place has got to be insanely rural. He also told me that it gets really, really cold at night and suggested bring any warm clothes I have and a sleeping bag. I did not bring a sleeping bag. But luckily, my friend that is getting sent to a warmer visit – not in the tip-top of the mountains – is letting me borrow his. He already told me about some things we will be doing – and I am so hyped to see all that we have been learning in action. Apparently on Monday we will be riding a mule/horse and hiking a very long distance to another rural community – for baby weighing and to give nutritional charlas. Then he said we will be staying the night in that town and sleeping in hammocks. Wow.
He said he was the same language level as me when he began his service, which was comforting. I will be staying with his host family because his house is not done being built apparently? So he will be staying in his half-built house and I will be staying with the host family very close by. I am super-excited and can’t wait to learn how to ride a mule. Ha. I never thought that would be an aspiration of mine. I will have so much to tell you all when I get back (and lots of photos!). He said it is incredibly gorgeous up there – and I am excited to see a different part of Nicaragua. These areas we are in now aren’t horrible – but there is trash and poop everywhere. It will be nice to just see some green scenery. So things always could be worse – I could have gotten sick while learning how to ride a mule. Not. Cute. Just to give you an idea of how mountainous this apparently is – I am taking a bus with 4 other PC trainees to Somoto (which is actually North of where I will be staying). Ian’s site is only 30km South-East from Somoto – but it takes about 3.5 hours because of how mountainous it is. Wow. In total it will take about 12 hours to get to his site. Wish me luck!

I love you all SO much. Please e-mail me little updates on your lives – I would love to hear how you are doing. I will try to respond if it at all possible – but my time on the internet is very limited (I write these blogs at home). I am thinking of making this blog private because of horror stories I have heard about people’s personal blogs being used against them or Peace Corps in general. If I do change that – you will receive an e-mail from me inviting you – if I already have your e-mail. If not please shoot me an e-mail if you would like to continue reading!
My next blog will be all about my visit to Casmupa!
You are all are amazing people and I miss you more than I can describe. Keep striving for all that you desire – and remember that you are loved <3.