Nicaragua: The Ups and Downs

Below, please find a list of some "Ups and Downs" of life as a PCV in Nicaragua:
UP: No preservatives means you lose weight. DOWN: There are no brownies to reward yourself with for losing the weight.
UP: Living close to the equator guarantees for plenty of sunshiny days. DOWN: All those sunshiny days will probably lead to a skin fungus.
UP: Getting to learn Spanish. DOWN: Not understanding Spanish.
UP: Getting to see the array of scenery and wildlife in your front yard. DOWN: Getting to see the array of scenery and wildlife in your living room.
UP: Hammocks. DOWN: Fringed ropes tied to unstable bases.
UP: Cheap transportation. DOWN: Sharing your bus seat with 3 other people.
UP: Being recognized by all in your community. DOWN: Losing anonimity.
UP: Cell phone service. DOWN: Shitty cell phone service that's fracken expensive.
UP: Teaching at the local school. DOWN: Having school be cancelled on account of "International Wash Your Hands Day."
UP: Living with a host family that cooks for you. DOWN: Inventions like bologna-ketchup-honey sandwiches.
UP: Locals showing an interest in English. DOWN: Locals showing an interest in English during the Entrepreneurship course.
UP: Motorcycles. DOWN: Riding and Driving motorcycles being prohibited.
UP: Using toilet paper as opposed to leaves. DOWN: You CAN NOT throw that toilet paper in the toilet.
UP: Bragging rights by living in Nicaragua. DOWN: ???

Thongs (I meant to say Things, but the typo was to funny to erase) are improving here in good ol' Nicaragua. I'm in as much of a routine as I can be, making friends and meeting new people on a daily basis, so no complaints there. NEWS UPDATE: I move into my new place in one week. WOOHOO! Bad news: There are scorpions, bats, spiders, and snakes that also believe my house is their residence... damn. I'm sure we'll get along though =)
This week is my week long spanish workshop, followed by a Coctail Party Fundraiser to raise money for the National Business Competition that is sure to be a good time. I just realized that I mistook my ipod charger for my camera picture loader cord, so pictures to come soon! PAZ (Peace in Spanish)

Aleia

P.S. Pictures officially LOADED! Coctail party and the new house, plus gallo pinto a typical Nica dish.

Put the Lime in the Coconut and Mix it all up

Time flies by when it`s going so slow. Here`s an update on my life in Nicaragua. Hope it satisfies your liking:
1) I wake up at 5:30 am (even though the roosters have started crowing 2 hours prior). Everyone is already up by then because days end at 8:00 and start at 5:00. If there`s a holiday then the days don`t end, but rather pile into one. There`s a lot of holidays. I can`t keep them straight. When I wake up, the radio is blaring, and recently it`s been blaring American music, probably for my benefit. I`ve heard such songs as "Disco Inferno," to "Do you really want to hurt me," to " You put the lime in the coconut and mix it all up," the latter of which is my personal favorite, and consequently probably not the correct title of the song at all, but that`s neither here nor there.
2) I work in three different schools, and go to them each twice a week. One is in the town I live in, the other 2 are about a 1/2 hour bus ride in the opposite directions. However, a trend is evolving. I wait for the bus from anywhere from 15 - 60 minutes. After walking to the schools, I wait in the "faculty lounge," for my counterparts to come in so we can go over the plan for class. After waiting, someone comes in and informs me that my class will be cancelled because a)the students have to practice marching for Independence Day b)the students have to clean an abandoned house to sell food out of during the fiestas in order to raise funds for graduation c)it`s Friday. So then I smile,depart, and wait for the bus again. I have been fortunate enough to have met some nice people in each of the towns I work in. For example, one lady is Angelica, who gives me 2 free bananas just because I come visit and kiss her elderly mother who calls me a doll (muñeca) at their store.
3)When I get home to my host family, I usually help the 6 year-old (Ezequiel) with his math homework, and play with the 2-year old (Fransisco) who likes to pull my hair and scream so loud that it makes all other sounds inaudible. But he`s got such a cute face and a charming smile, that one can`t help but love him. Later my host-mom (Estela-shown above with Fran) makes me a delicious dinner (see picture of stove above) of gallo pinto (fried rice and beans), platanos (see above), and a fresco which is a fruit drink. Afterwords we all gather around the television set to watch our favorite tele-novelas, Nicarauga soap-operas if you will. I am particularly obssessed with "Dónde está Elisa?" a tele-novela that has me on the edge of my seat every night from the hours of 7:00 until 8:00 pm, regardless of the fact that I don`t understand all the words.
4) Sometimes I go on walks either before or after dinner with my 17-year old host brother Negro (a nick name I might add). He`s a funny kid who loves to talk, which fits well since I love to listen. He talks a lot about Gregorio, a volunteer who consequently is his best friend who lived with them 4 years ago.
5) I see a lot of animals here. Cows and pigs roam the streets, dogs are always around (the poor things aren`t exactly treated as man`s best friend here either), frogs can be heard at all hours of the night and like to make an appearance in our house often as well. Luckily they`re easy to sweep out with a broom. Other animals include spiders, mosquitos, snakes, scorpions, ants, dragonflies, flies, etc...
6) Everyone has a cell phone here. The main cell phone company (Claro) is basically a monopoly. You have to pay by the minute, and minutes go by quick. Needless to say with my "salary," calling people in the states gets a little tricky. But that`s the life of a volunteer and I`m happy to live it.
7) There are 2 seasons in Nicaragua. The rainy-humid season is from May to November, and consists of frequent power and water outages. For this reason, you have to store water. It`s important to have a best friend in Nicaragua, and I recommend it being your fan (see picture above). However, perhaps it should be the electricity, since without this the fan is uselss. The dry season is from November to May, and I have yet to witness it.
8) When I have free time, as I often do, I read books, draw, go for walks, or sit in the rocking chair and wonder. I have read about 6 books so far, and am currently reading "The Idiot," a russion classic written in the 1800`s, which I surprisingly am enjoying very much.
9) I will be moving into a house (the size of a room) in November, and am very excited about this. The volunteer who currently lives there will be selling me her stuff (a mini-fridge, thick mattress, bike, clothes, books, movies, dvd player, dishes, stove, etc...) for $100, so it`s a good deal on my end. I`ll post pictures when I move in, seeing as someone lives there already =)
10) I live on a different planet. That`s as close as I can come to describing the differences between Nicaragua and the States. But I`m beginning to love this new world.

I hope you all are happy and smiling. I miss you and I will be home this Christmas to have a beer and tell you stories of the gringa who lives in Nicaragua. Off to have a new adventure.

Love,
Aleia

Run chicken RUN!

I am officially a volunteer. Woohoo! My site is a small town of less than 2,000 people, and currently I am working in 3 schools, with 8 sections of classes throughout the week. Pretty exciting stuff eh? Currently, I am just adjusting to my new surroundings, so not much to report. Today I went to one of the major cities to go the the bank and have lunch with a friend... in an air conditioned environment. It was glorious! I will never underestimate air conditioning and toilets again. I have attached some pictures of my new place. There`s the chicken that tried to run away (silly chicken), my room and closet (rope running the length of my room), my shower and bathroom (bucket with water and latrine), and a little artsy goodness. Enjoy and I will fill you in on the details when they happen. Love and miss you all. Remember to smile, always. aleia

Look what I can do!

Hola amigos!
Sorry it´s been so long since my last post. Apparently my memory has not improved since moving to Nicaragua... sad. Anyway, recent news! I am officially going to become a PC volunteer in 2 weeks! After which I will be moving to my new site to live for the next 2 years. Exciting right!? I think so! I cannot leave the name of my new site for security reasons, but feel free to email me if you´re curious. The site has 2,000 people (but I don´t know where the other 1,800 are hiding), a river, no toilets, no showers, no bank, no panaderia (bread store), and I´m basically going to be camping for 2 years. How´s THAT for extreme? But, if you want to visit, don´t worry. There´s a big city an hour and a half away by bus (the only form of transportation here really) so I´ll put you up there. I will also be commuting to 2 nearby towns (30 away by bus and rough terrain) to teach the entrepreneurship course to high school students, and probably English courses too. Should be a good time!
We recently had to make an American-style dish for our host families. Luis, the guy with the sweet goggles above, prepared spaghetti for about 15 people, and the pictures prove it. It was delicious! These cool cats are only going to be my site-mates for another 2 weeks so we are bound to have some more fun times in a compact amount of time. Hopefully I will have my camara with me during said times. I will make sure to post pictures of my new site and try to remember to bring it to the swearing in ceremony. Until next time, miss you all and remember to smile.
-aleia

Aleia did NOT fall in the volcano!

Hi my blogger followers.
Hope life is going well for each of you! And if you think your life is bad, just think about how bad your life would be if you fell into a volcano... yea... life´s looking pretty good now in´it?
Well, I "hiked" Vólcan Masaya the other day. I say hiked because we took a van most the way, and then I climbed some stairs. Worth it! This is an active volcano people, and I gotta admit... I´m impressed with myself for not falling in. It was hard to overcome, but I took the challenge, and then I smashed it with my fisticles! New word, feel free to pass it on.
Anyway, I had my spanish interview today, and I will find out what level I am at on Monday. Also, our PC training staff bought us pizza at a lecture last week, and I thought I was going to faint. You´d be surprised how much a simple slice of pizza goes. That reminds me. MOM: I am going to request that when I come back home in a year/year and 1/2, I would like to go to Olive Garden.... I know, shocker.
Attached are some pictures of the volcano, a mural that was in the museum upon entering the volcano, some of the trainees (shout out!) on the bus, me and some amigos, and Dave looking into the pit of hel..uh.. the volcano. Don´t worry, he didn´t jump.

Love to all,
Aleia

Sha Na Na Na Na Na Na Na!!!!!

I just got done with my 4-day volunteer visit in Camoapa, Boaco (Cam-wap-o, Bwa-co) with a very friendly volunteer who has just hit her one year mark. It was really cool getting to see the projects she was involved in, and how she interacts with the community. However, it also reinforced the fact that machismo exists in every town, no matter how long you have lived there. Looks like I am just going to have to get used to cat calls for the next 2 years.
One of the funniest parts of this mini-adventure was when I was listening in on the volunteer and her counterpart making the lesson plan. I got distracted because somewhere in the distance, and by distance I mean right outside the classroom, I could have sworn I heard Guns N´Roses... next thing I know, 6 male students just bust out singing "Welcome to the Jungle".... quite accurately I might add. Apparently 80´s rock music didn´t just inspire Americans. So, Guns N´ Roses, the Nicas solute you!
I have posted some pics of Camoapa (it´s green there...shocking), my host-volunteer´s kitchen, and my personal favorite: Sharron´s (pronounced Cha-rrrr-on) birthday party. Piñatas are very popular here, but the catch is, you have to dance for a few minutes, take a swing, dance some more, swing, dance... you get the picture. I´ll be honest, I was extremely entertained.
Now back to my normally abnormal life in Nicaragua. Love to all!
aleia

Rice, Beans, & Pancakes?

Hellllllo amigos!
Well, to put it simply, I am living off of beans, rice, and thick corn tortillas. However, it is BULK! I don´t know how I´m going to lose weight when they feed me like I´m a newborn. Hopefully it´s not some attempt to fatten me up so I can be their sacrifice... I don´t think that would fly with my director.
Moving on... I have also been very privileged in the way of pancakes. No joke. I get pancakes every other day for breakfast, with syrup! It´s awesome, but filling. When I am not being fed pancakes for breakfast, I usually get fed bologna sandwiches or pan con jugo de naranja (bread with orange juice). The best meal is LUNCH! I always get a new dish, and I get a delicious platano on the side. It´s kind of sad... I´ve relied so heavily on my boiled platano that if I don´t get one, my face drops and my eyes get watery. It´s a little pathetic, I´m aware.
NEWS: This week I am giving my first charla to a class, teaching them the ways of entrepreneurship and what-not. The problem = I still don´t speak Spanish... Wish me luck =)
I have attached some pictures that I took today to appease you all. Above are my site-mates Luis, Paul, and Nga. Our classroom switches every 3 weeks to a new house, and our profesora changes every 3 weeks as well. Also, I have posted a picture of the police station. There was a riot here last week, and most of the furniture and police vehicles were destroyed. I don´t really know if I have the right to explain the story much further, so if you are curious, shoot me an email.

Love to all!
Aleia

I Got to Shave my Legs Today

So, now that I feel like a woman again, I would like to share some news. First off, I am officially mostly not sick anymore. If you´ve seen the Princess Bride, you can understand the beauty behind that statement. Secondly, I am more busy than I ever have been in my life... I am currently:
1. Working with a youth group to develop a product for commercialization, which will be judged in a national competition in 10 weeks or so
2. Working with the volunteers in the Small Business sector to create a community bank to demonstrate the importance of saving
3. Observing classes at a local high school (Institute)
4. Preparing to teach entrepreneurship courses at a private school in another town
5. Taking spanish classes from 8:00 am to 3:00
6. Interviewing a business owner from a ceramics shop every week

And this is all for training during the next 3 months... Thank goodness I prefer to keep busy eh? =)

I have officially posted pictures... check them out below. My host mother is Gloria, and she treats me extremely well, like I´m her own little hija. The rest are of my room, my casa, and the church that is the offical center point of Catarina. For example, when people write their addresses, there are no numbers or streets. It´s all about how many blocks away you live from the church or some other main area and then in which direction. My house is translated as being located "1 block north of the park." Gotta love this small town living.

News update... it´s raining here like crazy! Which means, my clothes may never get dry. P.S. I miss washing machines and dryers... my knuckles are a little bloody after my last attempt to clean my "ropa interior" as they say. Not fun.... not fun. But, doesn´t pay to complain. Everything here´s fantastic. I went to a concert on Sunday and Nicaraguan music is fricken awesome! I mean, I don´t know what they´re saying... but the music... bueno...

Love to all!
-Aleia-

Catarina!

Buenas!
Catarina is beautiful!!! Flowers, el parque, and 2 pharmacies just for me!!! yessssss. Everything is going well. My host family is extremely nice. Gloria, my host mother, is in her 60´s and is very in tune to people´s emotions, which is good since we don´t speak the same language yet. Manuel, her husband, speaks extremely slow spanish so I can understand him. Also, there is an 8 year-old granddaughter who I have dubbed my maestra (teacher). Her teachings consist of multiple games of tick-tack-toe and hangman, so obviously I´m ennjoying my time. I am still not used to bucket baths, but don´t mind the cold water because it´s fracken hot here! I have spanish classes each day of the week, I start a small youth group project this week (but have to find the youth), and I have to present myself to a classroom to begin teaching a component of La Empresa Creativa. They keep me busy, but busy is good. Still no pictures, but soon to come. I should be able to update this once a week. If you have any questions, feel free to post, and I will get to them ASAP.

Love to all,
Aleia

=)

Address

Hey guys! Here is my address for the next 3 months. I will update it when I move out of my host family´s house. =)

PCV (My Name)
Cuerpo de Paz - Nicaragua
Apartado Postal #3256
Managua, Nicaragua, Centro America


Thanks!
aleia

Training in Granada

Hola!
So I am in my 3-day training period in Granada, and a friend of mine let me use her computer. Everybody say THANKS MARGARET! So far, I have thrown up 3 times, sweat more than I ever have in my life, and contracted an eye infection which made me the 1st of my entire 45-person class to contact the medical officer. But, I found the pharmacy and I shall survive. Leaving to live with my host family on Saturday. Wish me luck =) Pictures to come soon. Love you all!

aleia

Bienvenidos

Hola!
I leave for Nicaragua next Wednesday at 1:00 am after a one day orientation in Virginia, and I'd say I'm a good combination of excited and scared. The good news is that my brain seems to be moderately on track after my attempt to unlock my neighbor's house (it looks shockingly similar to my parents), and my endless amount of shopping trips to retrieve things the PC has instructed. How the hell am I going to fit all of this stuff into 2 suit cases? Too bad they don't make suitcases with trap doors... Hmm, I smell an invention in the making! Magicians and over-packers unite! Well, during the first 3 months of training I should be able to update this thing pretty often, so be sure to check for pics and stories every week or so. Also, feel free to ask questions or leave remarks in the comments section below the blog post. I miss you guys already! Thanks for being awesome, and don't forget to smile.