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

Feliz Navidad

It’s definitely strange spending Christmas in another country. First of all it was hot and sunny and that really threw me off. Of course I am not with my family and I am eating different foods. Also in Nicaragua they celebrate Christmas on the 24th of December so that’s different as well. But at the end of the day Christmas is about spending time with people that you care about. I did that this Christmas. Before Christmas, I got together with a bunch of my Peace Corps friends and we had a little party to celebrate Christmas and one of the volunteers birthday. We made pasta and salad for dinner. Later on we made popcorn on the stove and played games and talked. It was really good. It was really fun to get together with friends during the holidays because it makes it feel a little like home. We were all saying that it is so cool that we have made such good friends from Peace Corps and that we will be friends for a long time.

For Christmas I went to my old host families house in San Juan de Oriente. My new host family was sad that I wasn’t with them for Christmas but the understood that I promised my old family before I met them. So when I got to my old training town, my family was happy to see me and wanted to know how I like my new town. I was worried it was going to be strange to be back since I don’t live there but I felt comfortable right away. Megan, who was also in my training town was back for Christmas as well so we walked around San Juan and said hi to our old friends. Everyone I have met in San Juan is so nice and friendly and welcoming. So in Nicaragua it’s tradition that you have Christmas dinner around midnight on the 24th. So you have to wait the entire day to eat. My family ate around 11 and by that time I was starving. We had a big dinner just like at home, there were about 15 people at the table and we had chicken, and beef and salad and rice of course haha. It was really good. I really felt like part of the family. Then at midnight we all hugged and said Merry Christmas, and then the fireworks started. They celebrate Christmas the way we celebrate new years. There was champagne and wine and fireworks and some dancing lol. It was interesting. Then I gave my family their gift, which was a framed picture of the whole family that I took. I think they really liked it. I was so exhausted by 1 am so I went to bed.

Then on the 25th, I was feeling a little sick, I think it was because I ate close to midnight and then went to bed soon after. I felt better later in the day. My host mom was really worried about me because I didn’t want to eat the whole day haha. I also got to skype with my mom and sister and pearly in the afternoon. I also called some of my other family members to say Merry Christmas. That made me feel really connected as well. I so thankful for technology! Megan and Sam (another volunteer) and I watched a Christmas Story at her house to get into the Christmas spirit. It was really fun. Overall I had a good Christmas and I am looking forward to new years. I am going to spend new years with my new family so that should be fun. Ok well hasta pronto ☺


Pictures
The Christmas tree and all the rocking chairs
The table with the coke-a-cola center piece haha
My host mom, her husbasnd, Alejandra and Isaura.
Alfredo and Tito being silly and dancing
The adults had wine and were toasting so the kids decided to toast with the coke
The candle on the table

Holiday Time

Hello All,
So I have been in my site and things are going well so far. I am slowly but surely getting to know my community. I have learned where the Internet cafes are, the pharmacies, the fruits and vegetables stands, there’s a gym and there is a pizza place too. I usually get lost about once a day but not for long because it's really not that big ha.

I started my service at a fun time in Nicaragua. Since it is close to Christmas there are a lot of celebrations going on. I have realized that I feel the most out of place here when I am at a social event. I never realized how comfortable socializing in the at home is to me. I know exactly what to do when I go to a party, how to greet people, where to site, what to say. But when I am here in Nicaragua, all that goes out of the window. For example I went to a baptism here at the Catholic Church, which was very nice and very similar to baptism I have been to in the us. It was for my host mom’s niece. My host mom and dad are the godparents. After the baptism we went to the family’s house for a little party. When we first got there I didn’t know where to sit. Everyone was looking at me like who is this girl? I ended up sitting in an area where no one else was sitting. Then we all sat down and I was thirsty, but unlike parties in the U.S. you can’t service yourself. They bring out pre-made drinks on tray with ice in them for you to take. After the one drink you get your eat your food. (Which is also pre-made on a tray) Then there is cake, which here in Nicaragua, they usually eat in napkins. I haven’t found out why yet but the cakes here are really good. Then of course I am just sitting there like a mute because I am having trouble understanding what people are saying and then I usually answer “si” to something that didn’t need a yes or no answer. Or I am being asked if I like the food in Nicaragua and if I am going to get married here haha. It doesn't bother me though. So it’s just very interesting learning different ways of doing things in another country. Cultural norms are so familiar and comfortable and to get use to new cultural norms is not easy! I am excited to go to more events here in Nicaragua and see how things are done and try to fit in better.


Well that’s all I have for now. Sometimes when I watch tv, I turn to the few American channels here and see all the Christmas commercials. It really makes me miss home! I am sad that I won’t be home for the holidays, but hopefully I will enjoy myself here and have some unique memories of Christmas in Nicaragua. Oh also I have a new address. If you want to my new address just email me, but it’s also on my facebook page. Later gators!!

Pictures:
I hate how it organizes the pictures when I upload them :(

The first two pictures of of the baby and my host parents at the baptism.
The next few pictures are of my host brother and sister before my host brother’s first communion (Communion here is a really big deal and everyone dresses up and attends the mass).
Also a pictures of the inside of the church.

First Few Days in Site

So I have almost completed my first full week in my site as a full time volunteer. This isn’t exactly the most exciting time for us. Or should I say this isn't the busiest time. Since school is out and there are no classes, I find myself having a lot of free time. This is the point when I am supposed to be getting to know the community. This may seem fairly easy but for me it is kind of a challenge. I am not the most outgoing person in the world, so putting myself out there and introducing myself is something I am not use to. I think it will be good for me though, because it forces me to come out of my shell.

Yesterday I went to the finca or the farm with my family. It was pretty cool. At the farm they grow a lot of different things such as bananas, mangos, plantains, avocados. We packed up the family truck and headed over to the finca. My host mom’s mom made pollo asado which is grilled chicken. Also I tried sheep’s meat, which was really good on the grill. We also had a salad and plantains. We stayed there for about four hours and just talked. It was fun, and I got to know my family a little better. I am supposed to go to another lagoon with them on Tuesday, which should be fun.
I am also glad that we have a phone plan now where we can call and email anyone for Peace Corps for free. I have a feeling I am going to need a lot of support and will be giving a lot of support to people over the next few months.

Also sadly one of my friends from my group has decided to go home. I am really sad to see her go because we were really good friends. I support her decision and I know her number one priority is her health and happiness. I am hoping we will keep in touch! She said she would send me packages! A part of me is a little jealous because she gets to see her family and friends and sleep in her own bed! I wish we could take mini breaks every three months. I know it doesn’t work like that but it would be nice. Haha Ok well until next time….

Pictures:
These are all pictures of the farm.