Working it Out

Hola

I decided to write a quick entry about my first trip to the gym in Nicaragua. My host mom started going to the gym about a month and a half ago with her friends. Every time they came back from the gym they would ask me when I was going to come. I would say oh soon, soon I am going to go. I finally gave in and thought it would be good for me to hit the gym!

Monday was my first time going to the gym with my host mom and her friends. They have a whole routine worked out and they very nicely showed me how to work the machines. It was really funny, because a lot Nicaraguans are short, so in Nicaragua I am considered tall. There were several machines that I literally couldn’t use because they were made for people who were 5’3 and below or no one knew how to adjust them because they never needed to. My host mom was like, we need to get you special machines because you are so tall. It was pretty funny but I made it work. After my first workout I felt good and I know it will make me feel more settled in here in Nicaragua and healthier. I think it will also we a great bonding experience for me and my host mom and her friends. I will feel like one of the girls and gossip haha. I successfully made a joke when we left the gym (I had to explain it twice).. We also went to the gym yesterday at 5 am! It was brutal but at the same time if felt good once I was finished. I am apart of a group now! Hahah That's what I told them when they were skeptical that I would get up at 5 am.


Nos Vemos

Pochomil

Hey There,

I don't really have much to say this week. The first three days of this week I was in a place called Pocomil. We had a training there. All the Peace Corps volunteers from my group invited all the teachers we will be working with to a conference. At the conference we talked about our cultural differences and how to work with that in a professional setting. We talked about different teaching methods and our goals for the coming school year. I was again impressed with the level of English that all of the teachers have. We were able to have in depth conversations with them in English. During the meeting we found out that school isn't going to start until February 15th when it was supposed to start at the end of January. So I still have about a month left of vacation haha. I think that the free time will start to get old soon. We also found out that because of the coming election, we will probably end school early. This should be a very interesting school year. I am going to be working with four different teachers so I am sure that will be a challenge but hopefully we can all work together. In the mean time I am just spending time with my host family and getting to know my community.

The hotel that we stayed in was called Vistamar. It was a pretty nice hotel. It was right on the beach and the food was really good. It was good to see all my friends that I hadn't seen in awhile. We all enjoyed spending time together!. Our next Peace Corps training isn't until March, so it will be awhile before I see most of them again. Well that's all I have for you. The pictures all speak for themselves! It was so beautiful and it was my first time in the pacific ocean. I took a sunrise and a sunset picture!

FACE CAMP

Hello All,
I just got back from helping out with an English fluency camp for teachers run by the US embassy. It was a really great experience. I learned a lot and met some really great teachers. The schedule was really tough. We were up at 5:30 am and didn't go to bed until 9 pm! every night we were exhausted. I help out at the came with two other peace corps volunteers from my group and then three Nicaragua teachers. The teacher that I helped, his name was Julio and he was great. He had really good ideas and knew exactly what activities to do to help the teachers. He was also really funny. In the afternoon, the PC volunteers, taught the teachers about American Culture. We taught them about our individual states (MD, AZ, MN), and different types of American music (Jazz, Country Hip-Hop), and a little bit about US government. We also had a lesson where we talked about any stereotypes or myths that had to do with US culture. Apparently people from other countries think we eat meat everyday and that our parents don't care about our relationships haha. There were some really funny things that they wrote down.

We also got to know the teachers really well. They talked with us about why we came to Nicaragua and wanted to know everything about us. It was really cool to see how passionate they are about their jobs and their students. They don't get paid much at all and yet they are willing to do everything they can to improve their English and in turn help their students have a chance at a positive future. Also I was super impressed with how much English they knew. There were different levels of English at the camp but they were all very competent. We also had a talent show and all the teachers worked really hard to create dances, and tell jokes and sing songs. even though I was tired every night, I had a great time. I was sad to leave when it was over. I am glad I was chosen to help with the camp. I have posted a few pictures from the camp.

More Holiday Fun

Feliz Nuevo Ano to everyone! I can't believe that it's already 2011! I have almost been out of college for four years, that's really scary.

The past couple of days have been really fun. My friend Julie has spent the past couple of days with me at my house. We are helping out with a camp that the US Embassy is doing. She lives up north in Jinotega so she came to spent new years with me until we leave for the camp. The first day she came, we went to this place called Coyotepe. It use to be a fortress for the liberals against the conservatives. Down below there are chambers were they use to torture the prisoners. We had a guided tour of the holding sells it was really scary and a little eerie. It was really dark and cold down there so I got an idea of what it might have been like back then. Coyotepe is at the top of this big hill. The air is so fresh up there, the breeze felt so good. I wasn't sweating for once! We took some pictures and then walked back down. It was also good exercise. (Something I haven't been doing much of but I am trying to change that in the new year) The trip to Coyotepe was a great way to introduce Julie to my town.

On New Years Eve, Julie and I went to Masaya to walk around and do a little shopping. We met up with Stephanie, another volunteer from our group who lives there. We ate at a Mexican restaurant which was pretty good. It wasn't as good as Mexican food at home, but it wasn't too bad. They had flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas which I was pretty excited about, and chips and salsa. After we left Masaya, we went back to my house to relax until the family party at night.

We went over to my host mom's mom's house around 8 pm. As Julie and I are making our way over to the house, we see lots of scare crows or life size dolls, sitting in chairs on front porches of almost all the houses. In Nicaragua, it's a tradition to light a scare crow on fire at midnight on new years to burn the old year and bring in the new year. It's pretty insane. I am going to try and upload a video so everyone can see it. But before midnight, my host mom's brother Paul invited Julie and I to go to a bar to hang out for a little before midnight. We stayed there for about two hours and talked with Paul. Julie and I were proud of ourselves because we talking the whole time in Spanish and even making jokes. We also got really excited because at the bar they were playing lots of American music and we were singing along. Close to midnight we left to go back to the house to ring in the new year and watch them light the doll on fire. It was pretty funny. Something completely different from how we do things at home. There was also no count down, I looked down at my watch and all of a sudden it was like 12:05. After we gave new years hugs, we ate our new years dinner of rice and chicken and potatoes. I was pretty hungry at that point. Overall it was a really fun night and I think Julie had a lot of fun with my family. It was a great way to celebrate the new year and another good memory.

Happy New Year


Picture
#1-3- The first three pictures are when we were at Coyotepe. I am with my host mom and brother
#4- I picture of Julie and I on New Years
#5- A picture of the burning doll
The video won't upload! I will try again another day
I will put more pictures on facebook