Friday, February 20, 2009

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.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Nica-What.

Buenas dias mi amores. I hope everyone is well. Again I just want to thank everyone who has taken time out of their busy schedule to read this blog – I appreciate all of your support more than you can imagine. So I survived this week despite not having electricity and water three of the six days. It was interesting to say the least. I have tried to make this blog a bit more organized for the pleasure of my readers – here it goes.

Language
So I like to think that I am improving greatly in this area and hopefully most others would agree. Despite this advancement it is incredibly difficult to walk into a waiting room of strangers in the Centro de Salud (health center) and give a presentation on HIV/AIDS, including a condom demonstration. These topics are difficult to talk about in your own culture/language - imagine giving information about sex in another language. I can get frustrated with myself at times, when I am unable to pronounce a word and explain myself. But it is becoming more and more apparent to me that I need to let go of my perfectionist characteristics in order to be successful here. With time, I am gaining more patience with others – and even more so with myself (thanks mom!). (side note: Nicaragua is not the place to come to if you are self-conscious. They refer to people by describing their body or origin. Entonces, gorda (fat), ojos de un gato (eyes of a cat) and cringa are not words that you can be offended by)
It is amazing though how much I rely on non-verbal communication. Nica’s love to use their hands to explain – and it just so happens I do as well. Ha. There are also a lot of common grounds between this culture and my own. Love for music. Love for sports. Love for writing. Love for photography. It is amazing how all of these things do not require that much communication and they instantaneously create a common bond between two people. I am definitely thinking of doing a photography project with my youth group when I get to my site. Cameras are not all that common here and youth are fascinated with taking photos. My Nica-brother, Randall, is even beginning to understand the style of abstract. When I get to my site (the place I will be for two years by myself) I will have a lot more freedom to start projects of my own with my community.
Class
We have six hours a day of language training – both formal and non-formal education. It can definitely be tedious at times, but it is nothing like a language class in the states. There is very little focus on grammatical lessons – and more practical exercises. Today we practices giving directions by playing pin the tale on the donkey. Somehow I ended up outside in the street –and they were trying to get me to kiss Brad (a guy in my group). I may or may not trust my group.
This morning I gave a charla on how HIV is transmitted at the health center and I am incredibly pleased with how it went. I was paired with Evan (the guy with zero personality) to give charlas this week and next. Either the teacher thinks that I can help him become more extroverted, or she hates me. Either one. This morning did go incredibly well though – and I was impressed with how he performed (insert: that’s what she said joke).

Caterina

This past Saturday I went to Catarina, a nearby town, with Brad’s family. (cultural fact: when you invite someone to go somewhere – you are offering to pay for them here. If you do not intend to pay for them – you say during the invitation that if they want to come they have to do it “the american way”..aka pay for themselves). Catarina was the most beautiful place I have seen in Nicaragua yet. It is a lagoon at the base of a nearby mountain, about 25 minutes away. ‘Fresca’ or ‘Frio’ are terms I don’t really pay attention to here – because they think it is cold when it is 75 degrees and a little windy. Well, the warnings about Catarina were correct. It sure was cold. Probably about 60 degrees and 30mph winds off the water.
Security/Seguridad
On Wednesday we had a security briefing with Julio (who is a kinda attractive) and it was quite intense. Apparently kidnapping is kinda a big deal in Managua, where the Peace Corps office is located. Our directions when using a taxi in Managua include: check the license plate, take a picture of license plate, call the Peace Corps office and give the name of the cab driver and our location, also call every ten minutes until we arrive at our location. Intense? A little bit. It is not very common among volunteers but apparently it happened about two weeks ago to one. Also, during this presentation, four current volunteers shared experiences when they were victims of theft. It is the most common crime among PC volunteers. I am not accepting that it is going to happen, but it is likely that something will happen during these two year. I will do everything in my power to prevent it (I have only used my nice camera, Nikon, twice since I have been here – because it attracts so much attention. Hopefully when I get to my own sight and develop more of a relationship with the community, I will be able to use it more).
Site Location
During our first interview with the Program Director, Pilar, I told her about my allergic reactions to bees and that my doctor requested I be within thirty minutes from a hospital. She didn’t seem concerned, but did say that I will not be in a very, very rural area. There are some sites that are fourteen hours from Managua or another volunteer of their sector (I am in the Health Sector, other sectors include: environment, agriculture, teaching English and small business). I think I would be okay in that area – but there are countless benefits to being in a more urban area. There will be more opportunities to work with more groups, NGOs, kids, etc, more resources, closer access to internet, closer to other volunteers and easier for people to come visit me!!! J hint, hint. I have come to accept that I am limited in terms of my site locations and I am just thankful to have been accepted into the PC. The work that I will be doing here is much, much more important than the location. I did express to Pilar that I would love to continue to work on HIV/AIDS. No matter where I end up I will be working within three aspects of health, but I am able to focus on one area more than another. The three areas are: HIV/AIDS, Prenatal/Maternal Care, Sex Education. I am also mandated to start a youth group in my town which will involve health topics as well.

So currently I am giving charlas in the Health Center and we are running two youth groups (one that we formed on our own – and one that was already formed at the health center). Next week we start giving charlas at the School (4th-6th grade). These topics will be much less intense and include topics such as: self-esteem, washing hands, smoking cigarettes, nutrition (OMG THEY NEED THIS) and others. Perhaps the most exciting part about living in a medium to large size town will be having access to fruits and vegetables (as I stare at my cold tortilla and queso fresco aka the saltiest cheese alive).
Ruby
Is amazing. She is my three-year old littler Nica-sister. No matter how I am feeling, when she yells “Amaaaanda” and run up to me (sometimes I pick her up for exercise purposes…she is 49lbs. 3 years old) everything is all good. She definitely is helping me deal with being away from Ethan. After viewing a video of him smiling and laughing – I had my first little cry since I have been here. I want to be there SOO badly for those moments… I hope Justin and Erin know I am there in heart.
Random facts about my life in Nicaragua:
1. I clean my own underwear on a cement block washing board.
2. I don’t poop. Ever.
3. I am no longer scared of any bugs/insects (besides bees)
4. My mom thinks I don’t know how to look sexy – so she has made it her purpose to help me (ex. She ironed my hair a few nights ago. With an Iron. A legit Iron. Not be confused with a straightening iron)
5. I had my first dream in Spanish last night
6. I am constantly going to be talking about fluid exchange, condoms, and penis’ these next two years. Daily.
7. People drink Coca-Cola here like it is agua.
8. Nicaraguans are missing the middle of the food/nutrition pyramid (fruits, veggies)
9. It is normal to pass a pig, a chicken, a dog that looks dead and an immense amount of poop while walking down the street.
10. The most English I have heard here has been “I love you forever” or “Beautiful” while passing by Nica-men.
11. It is very common to have a ‘pulperia’ or store attached to your house. They do mix business with pleasure.
12. ‘Boots with Fur’ is currently at the top of the music charts here in Nicaragua.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

1st real post to get you all up to date!

Greetings my loved ones!!! I hope you all are well…I miss you all terribly – but I truly am enjoying every second of this great adventure. It has only been a little over a week, but it feels like so, so, so much longer. It has been jam-packed with charlas (meetings), vaccinations, classes and much more. But this first blog is my attempt at catching you all up on my new life here in Nicaragua. I wish I had time to call and write all of you – but it is just very difficult. Entonces…(There will be a lot of ‘Spanglish’ in my blog) I thought this would be a great way for you all to keep up with what is going on with me. I am going to attempt to go in the ‘Cyber’ or Internet café once every week or so to keep you all posted.
(side note: My Spanish has improved immensely over the past eight days. Unfortunately, my English skills have seriously taken a blow. So people (ahem..mamma) do not bash me for serious grammer/spelling issues).
Where to start? I guess from the beginning. After all the partying, dining and packing was finished…the enormity of what I was about to do hit me. I cried myself to sleep (for two hours) after Desmond and Megan left my house around 1:30 in the morning. After a quick little siesta, I woke up at 3:30 to shower and finished tidying up my parents ‘guest room’ (which served as my room for the last three months). My parents and Westy took me to the airport and we arrived around 5:00am. As my mother walked me into the check-in counter I began to shake. Was it nerves? Was it just flipping freezing? Probably both. I somehow get by check-in with my enormous amount of luggage (which surely was overweight despite everyone’s effort) likely because I was crying..haha. Saying goodbye to my parents was just as hard as I expected maybe even more so. As I stood in an insane line for security, I wore my sunglasses as I continued to cry. As soon as I saw this insane line my first instinct was to text message my parents to tell them about it. Cue the withdrawal from communication systems.
My flight to Miami was fine. Cried a little. Slept a little. Then realized there was a dog in the person’s bag next to me. Normal. Upon arriving in Miami, I received both of my bags quickly (which for anyone that knows of my past travels, knows this is miracle). My taxi driver was named Jose and he had the Titanic soundtrack playing when I entered the taxi. For some odd reason this comforted me. I began speaking with him in Spanish because … never too early to start practicing, right? The DoubleTree Hotel we stayed in was beautiful. Better than beautiful, it was delicious! After checking in (500 hours early) they gave me a warm chocolate chip cookie. It was as if they knew me all my life. Despite the lack of appetite, I ate the cookie in less than 60 seconds. Next, I called my parents, Liz and my grandmother and cried a little more. Then it was time for a very serious siesta. After sleeping approximately three hours I met my roommate, Danielle, from Austin, Texas. Again. Fate. We chatted for awhile and then went to our Peace Corps (from here on out PC will be Peace Corps) orientation. I will save you from the details of the next six hours. In a nutshell, we talked a lot about policies, anxieties and aspirations of our PC experience, policies and…rules. Ha. Cicely, a former PC volunteer in Nicaragua, was phenomenal. She spoke a little about how amazing it is that on the first day of Barack Obama’s administration, we were doing exactly what he asks of all of us… to serve others. The inauguration definitely made everything a little more emotional. The PC Mission Statement mentions the term “international peace” – something that seems so far away, so foreign after enduring these past eight years. Yet I remain hopeful, that our efforts individually and collectively, will help to take one small step towards this amazing concept. International Peace. At first I was definitely sad to leave the United States at such an exciting time, but I now see it in a completely different light. I think the timing is perfect. I have never been prouder to be an American than right now – what better time is there to go to another country and represent America?
Holy hell, I am writing a LOT. I haven’t even gotten you up to date with me landing in Nicaragua. DIOS MIO. Okay. I wanted to tell you a little about my group. There are twenty-one of us from all over America. Seriously…all over. Maine, Connecticut, Georgia, Virginia, Florida, Texas, Minnesota, Utah, Washington, California, Alaska!!!, Ohio and of course… DELAWARE. Represent the first state (p.s. no one knows this fun fact). One girl from Florida went to school in Pennsylvania and was born in Christiana Hospital – (go ahead… ‘it’s a small world after all – Nicole! Cheapest vacay everrrr).The group is full of funny, intelligent, passionate people – who all are coming together for a common purpose: to improve the health situation in Nicaragua. Ages range from 22 to 31. Most people are between 22-25. That night in Miami we went to a restaurant called Los Rancheros and our server was from.. Nicaragua. He actually gave us his mother’s address in Nicaragua, in case we want to go visit her. The plane ride to Nicaragua was delayed over an hour – but it wasn’t noticed that much due to everyone talking and getting to know one another.
Okay. So the next three days were kind of like summer camp. We were separated between boys and girls and I am pretty sure I took the coldest shower of life. I screamed when I got in and woke up everyone else in the ‘compound’. It was kind of like baby-steps when we got to Nicaragua. The first three days we were not permitted to leave the campus besides one short fieldtrip to downtown Managua. During this short field trip we were able to see the beautiful lake Managua. And by beautiful I mean biologically considered dead (meaning that there is no living organism in the Lake because of all of the garbage). People literally just throw their trash anywhere. And apparently there was a hospital at the top of this hill that put all of their waste into this lake. Yummy. Cannot wait to go….water-skiing? Entonces, there were a lot of meetings and overviews of the next three months of our lives. We also had a language interview in which I forgot the word for church (iglesia – in case you were wondering). Somehow I tested into the “intermediate-low” group, which is pretty damn good. We are all very similar in levels of Spanish. They require that we test-out at the end of training at the intermediate-middle level. No hay problema. Getting dropped off at our host families was definitely intimidating. We had spent three straight days with all of the other volunteers and had been speaking English. As we were about to be dropped off to a family that was picked because they knew no English – it was …intimidating, to say the least.
As the van full of people dropped me off to my host family, my eyes filled with tears. As I somehow held back the feeling in my stomach, I proceeded to my room. It is very modest – and actually a lot better accommodations than I expected. I have a full-size bed and a small mesa (table) with two chairs. I also have a sort of cubby-like dresser for my things (which fit everything). I have a three year old little Nica-sister named Ruby, who is the cutest thing of life, a pistol, but so cute. I also have a brother, Randall, who is 12 years old. My mother, Karla, speaks incredibly fast but is so cute and sweet and only 34 years old. They all sleep in one of the other bedrooms and the abueltio (grandfather) sleep in the other (apparently it is his house .. I am still trying to figure out the dynamics of my familia). My only real complaint about my room is the paper-thin mattress. But we do have running water during the day and electricity in the early morning and evening hours – so I cannot complain really.
After sleeping pretty well Saturday evening, I wake up around 9:00am on Sunday. I pretty much spent all day unpacking and spending time with my family. My brother is fascinated with me – and we have spent a lot of time together. He took me to the park during the day and we also played X-Box. Seriously. Even though we sometimes do not have electricity, this little guy has a business. He sells time for kids in the pueblo (neighborhood) to play his Playstation, X-Box, etc. It’s all about the Benjamins Baby. Orrrr cordobas (the local currency here. It is 20 cordobas to one American dollar). Either one. *FYI: I will be making 35 cordobas a day here, which is equivalent to $1.75 US. Ballinnn. I have not had any trouble though and mostly go through the days without spending any money. To get to the town over that has internet, it is only 5 cordobas and then 12 cordobas per hour to use the internet. So round trip and one hour of internet is equivalent to about $1 U.S. dollar a.k.a. a days work.
Monday we began our language lessons bright and early at 8:00am. In my group is Evan (from Connecticut), Hana (CT), and Braden (Georgia). Braden is muy muy serio (serious), but I think I balance him out. He has moments of greatness. Evan is…always late, and wears timberlands and pajama pants to class. I really am gonna pass on commenting on this one. I am sure you can all gather how I feel about it. I get along really well with Hana and I am glad that she is in my group. We update each other daily on our bathroom activities (she is acting as a substitute since I cannot talk with you Kimmy!). For the record, I know you care, I am so not ‘regular’ while using the bathroom. Three times. Since I have been here. For me = not normal. I am eating a lot less, but seriously? Three times. Okay I will stop, but I could go on.
Which brings me to my food. Is there a name of an anti-atkins diet? Because I am on it. A few examples for you: rice and beans… with EVERY meal. For breakfast one morning I was served two slices of white bread, a slice of bologna, tomato, mayonnaise and ketchup. No joke. The other day for lunch I had five different types of carbs on my plate (potato, rice, spaghetti, bread and beans). My family thinks that I don’t eat, because I only eat three of the carbs they give me. Although I really do love living with a family, I cannot wait to cook my own food and try and be nutritious. Because Lord knows I was not healthy before I left for Nicaragua. Still savoring that taste of ice cream cake and nachos in my mouth. Variety is not necessarily Nicaragua’s forte. Their idea of variety is having two types of rice with a tortilla. En serio..just ate it.
Class is going well and I think I will just continue to improve in Spanish. I have had to let go some of my perfectionist tendencies and concentrate more on maintaining energy while talking, even if it is all wrong. Ha. One of our projects while we are here is to form a youth group in our town. Sounds great, but it is very difficult. There are plennnnty of young people (60 percent of Nicaragua’s population is youth), but it is difficult to form a group so quickly. We walked around on Tuesday and handed out 40 invitations to the youth of this small pueblo. I felt confident in how it went..and was excited to see the turn out. My brother has been a huge help with this project and invited all of his cousins (which is everyone I meet. My madre has 11 brothers and sisters). So when the big day came on Thursday, there were…(drum roll please) three people, including my brother. Haha. But you know me, I was determined to find more people. I walked the streets with my brother and his friends searching for more people for our group. Braden did the same and we ended up with 10 youth for our first meeting. It took a lot of walking, persuading, candy and time – but we did it! It went really well . My part of the presentation was about PC (el Cuerpo de Paz) and one of the little boys knew JFK began the PC..I was very impressed.
We just had our second meeting (Saturday) and only five of people showed up – but it was beyond inspiring. We are responsible for choosing a mini-project within the community (el Rosario is the name of my town). The amount of trash is very concerning and apparently it is one of the most advanced towns in trash-disposal. It is truly shocking. Anyway, these girls were between the ages of 12 and 18 and are so incredibly insightful and intelligent. We asked them to discuss what one thing they could change about el Rosario and it turned into a beautiful conversation. They talked about the problem of trash everywhere, the lack of activities for young people, the condition of the only park in town, ‘gangs’, drugs, domestic violence, teen pregnancy and sex education. I actually got chills at one point and swelled up with tears. I somehow explained to these kids in my limited Spanish capacity, that they are the future and that they are where change is going to start. Isn’t it true everywhere in the world? Young people have the capacity to observe what is given to them and instead of just accepting it – making positive changes. It is so inspiring. I cannot wait to start working with them. We are meeting twice a week to complete this project over the next two and a half months. This is sort of a ‘trial run’ for when we are placed in our site for two years. Right now we are working with a teacher and each other to conduct surveys, give charlas, and form youth groups. But when we are placed in our site – we will be doing all of these things and more on our own. Basically these three months are a mini-preview of what our next two years will be like. It has been and will continue to be very intense – but I know it will be worth it.
This coming Tuesday is our first charla. It will be given to people at the Centro de Salud (the health center where we will be working) who are waiting to have an HIV test. We will be giving information on prevention, doing a condom demonstration (get excited), types of contraceptives and much much more. It is exciting and scary at the same time. Our first charla will be about a very serious topic, with very minimal Spanish skills. I do feel a bit more confident because I have had experience in working with HIV education – but I will let you know how it goes!
Went to the pool today and now I am going to be that crazy ‘red’ cringa. I am burnt to a crisp. Only went for two hours – and even my legs burnt. My legs never get sun. Guess I am kinda on the …Ecuador. Weird. Was just letting my little sister listen to my i-tunes, she really liked ‘So What’ by Pink. Taught her the rockstar sign (love you Jillian <3). She is a natural.
So I found out yesterday that there is already someone going home from our group. And it is honestly the last person I would have thought, his name is Tim. He apparently had a very difficult time adjusting to the culture. A lot of people have a hard time with identity, because it is very difficult to stay true to yourself and express yourself when you are learning another language. He also has a serious girlfriend who is studying in Mexico – I am sure that is difficult as well. Undoubtedly more people will go home from our group, I just didn’t expect it to happen so quickly. I know I will face barriers and times of difficulty, but I am still feeling very confident in my decision to take-on this experience. I think it helps tremendously that I have so much support from you all, especially my parents – don’t know what I would do without you. Also, this family here has taken me in as one of their own – and I feel very fortunate. It is the first time they have hosted a PC volunteer – which definitely could have gone either way.
I have not had any problems with bugs/bees (knock on wood). I haven’t even put up my mosquito net in my room that the PC gave me, because I have not been bit once. I hope it stays this way. Also, I have decided to buy a cell phone here. They are only about $20 American dollars and it will be worth it. They suggest waiting until you get your site location to make sure it has service. But “claro” is very popular and is available throughout Nicaragua. It will just be better for having my parents call me on that and keeping in contact with Karla, my Nica madre. If you all want to call me on that number, I will have my parents post it on this blog site or facebook. You dial (011)+(505)+ 847-1380. I know my parents are getting a pretty decent plan with Verizon and also calling from skype is very cheap as well.
Okay, one funny story for you before I end this incredibly long blog. I like to call it the ‘Coca-Cola’ fiasco. There is not a lot of light near the bathroom and I was very tired a few nights ago when I went to go brush my teeth. My family prepares for no water in the evening, by filling empty Coca-Cola bottles with water during the day. I grabbed one of the coca-cola bottles and commenced a very invigorating tooth-brushing session. After finishing, I tasted a very serious ill taste in my mouth. As I placed the Coca-Cola bottle back to where I got it… I caught a flash of blue-tint from the bottle’s contents. Oh wait, I just brushed my teeth with a cleaning supply. Turns out, it with ‘chloro’ or what they use to clean the incredibly dirty floors. Needless to say, my teeth are a little whiter – and I will be a little more careful when using our multi-purpose coca-cola bottles.
I truly hope all of you are doing well. And I would love to hear updates on what is going on in your lives. I know it is an exciting time for many of you (Kimmy – are you so excited for Florida? Megan – how is ING? Tell your family hellooo – I miss you muchooo. Paul – harass any babies lately?).
I miss you all so much. You enrich my life more than you could imagine. And even though we cannot talk as often or see each other – you continue to enrich my life and affect everything I do.