Well i am doing better, thank you all for the concern and support. it was hard being so far away from home, all i wanted was my confy bed (which i then realized that i sold it before i left, so even if i was home i wouldn´t have lol) but i´m doing well. going through the motions. i taught on thursday, horrible time managment, but i am learning, and it is a process. it´s called training for a reason i suppose. And i find out my site on this coming wednesday! we are all so nervous and excited. keep your fingers crossed for me guys!
Friday, October 19, 2007
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Parasites, Amoebas, and Bacteria, oh my!
Well this has been an interesting week and a half. We are currently in the process of getting our site assignments, so we had our volunteer visit and had a site fair in which we learned about all the different departments. Friday we had our mid-training language interview which i did horrible on, but oh well.
By far, the most exciting thing that has happened to me so far, is having the oportunity to experience what it feels like to a whole little party of parasites and bacteria living inside of me! Ok, so maybe exciting is the best adjective to use to describe this experience. Last week, the overwelming feeling of nausea forced my host sister and i to go to a labortorio in the next town over, after carrying my lovely sample with me, then getting blood taken (which luckily was just a prick on the finger, but i did NOT know that going in and was nervous as all good be), and waiting an hour to get the results that i had.... lumbrices (huevos de lumbrices to be exact) living inside of me! But that´s just the beginning, but yesterday I got to go the lab again, different side effects this time, and i currently am in the possession of amoebas and bacteria! Not gonna lie, i´d prefer the worm eggs right now, but I´m doing well, got some meds (gotta take 3 different kind!) and i´m just sleeping alot. The lab i went to yesterday was beautiful by the way, so that was reassuring. And i really can´t complain, bc like i´be been saying, i want to make all the mistakes possible during training so that i´ll know how to handle things when i get to my site! I trully feel prepared now. hahahahaha
The only thing that bums me out was that i didn´t get to enjoy my afternoon off yesterday or go out with my friends last night! I have been looking forward to that for weeks now!
I wish i had time to really talk about Nicaragua. All of my friends i feel have shared very insightful opinions about the country and culture and the similarities and differences between here and the US. I promise i´ll get to that, but you know it will be long so i´ll save it for another day!
Also, currently Nicaragua has experienced heavier than usual rains and a lot of flooding and landsliding has been the result. All of the volunteers from the northern departments have been evacuated from their sites and are safe and sound, all others are awaiting further notice, but while the peace corps community in Nica is safe, many Nicaraguans have not been as fortunate. Many are sick, stranded from help, are missing or unfortunately did not survive, please keep the country and the region in your thoughts. The massive amount and constent pace of the rain has over saturated the ground, and even in urban areas there is a lot of flooding.
By far, the most exciting thing that has happened to me so far, is having the oportunity to experience what it feels like to a whole little party of parasites and bacteria living inside of me! Ok, so maybe exciting is the best adjective to use to describe this experience. Last week, the overwelming feeling of nausea forced my host sister and i to go to a labortorio in the next town over, after carrying my lovely sample with me, then getting blood taken (which luckily was just a prick on the finger, but i did NOT know that going in and was nervous as all good be), and waiting an hour to get the results that i had.... lumbrices (huevos de lumbrices to be exact) living inside of me! But that´s just the beginning, but yesterday I got to go the lab again, different side effects this time, and i currently am in the possession of amoebas and bacteria! Not gonna lie, i´d prefer the worm eggs right now, but I´m doing well, got some meds (gotta take 3 different kind!) and i´m just sleeping alot. The lab i went to yesterday was beautiful by the way, so that was reassuring. And i really can´t complain, bc like i´be been saying, i want to make all the mistakes possible during training so that i´ll know how to handle things when i get to my site! I trully feel prepared now. hahahahaha
The only thing that bums me out was that i didn´t get to enjoy my afternoon off yesterday or go out with my friends last night! I have been looking forward to that for weeks now!
I wish i had time to really talk about Nicaragua. All of my friends i feel have shared very insightful opinions about the country and culture and the similarities and differences between here and the US. I promise i´ll get to that, but you know it will be long so i´ll save it for another day!
Also, currently Nicaragua has experienced heavier than usual rains and a lot of flooding and landsliding has been the result. All of the volunteers from the northern departments have been evacuated from their sites and are safe and sound, all others are awaiting further notice, but while the peace corps community in Nica is safe, many Nicaraguans have not been as fortunate. Many are sick, stranded from help, are missing or unfortunately did not survive, please keep the country and the region in your thoughts. The massive amount and constent pace of the rain has over saturated the ground, and even in urban areas there is a lot of flooding.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
he regresado!
I returned yesterday night from a ciudad in the department of Matagalpa. Amazing place. Went through matalgalpa, matagalpa (capital city of matagalpa) and it was awesome. the mountains are soo pretty and views the clouds and the sky of every hue of light blue imaginable. Definately was a visit that was interesting. The town i visited was large, and i am now definately thinking that i want to go to a small site. Which is strange b-c of you would have asked me before i left, one of my biggest fears was that i would be placed in a site that was small. I definately feel like a town of 15,000 ppl is too huge for me. a few thousand would be perfect. But who knows where they will send me. I wish i could say that i returned rejuvenated and ready to work, but i think i hade more motivation before i left. at least more idealism-optimism. Now i see how things can set in and how easy it is to just do the status quo. I don´t want to just do the status quo. That´s definately not my reason for being here. If anything it is the exact opposite. I think i have officially come into what Cuerpo de Paz calls the second phase of adjustment. The "honeymoon" period has worn off and reality is setting in. Or my perception of reality which is false and totally nitpicky. hahaha. i will adjust, the visit helped a bit with reality check too. I know that I can do this job, and that was something that I needed to be reassured of. However, the trip back was an interesting one. I returned solo (my trip there was with another aspirante). I took a bus that went straight to managua so i did not have to go through the dept. capital. However, the bus was packed with ppl! And i don´t mean sitting 3 to a seat packed, i mean crammed like sardines standing in the aisle packed. I was scared of squishing the little boys standing beside me when we took a sharp curve. For roughly 3 of the 4 hrs i stood. Which stunk not only b-c i was tired and hot and feared my nausea from the night before might return, but b-c i missed the view, i couldn´t see out the windows! But finally, about an hour outside of managua, the old man sitting in the seat next to me stood up so i could sit down, very kind of him considering it really looked like he could use all the rest he could get. And THEN I SAW THE VIEW, mountains and a river that looked so peaceful, and the rain started so the clouds came in, and i LOVE the rain (as you all know) IT was wonderful, made the 3 hrs of standing totally worth it.
This week has sped by. I cannot believe that my 5th week here is over! However, i am glad to be back in my training town with my host family. They are so comforting, they really help me feel at home. Especially when my stomach is cramping and they tell me that i am not allowed to have eggs or milk b-c that will make it worse, and when they check my body temp. b4 they serve me coffee just to make sure i am not too cold (b-c that would just make me worse). They have already invited me back for christmas, and i could not be more excited. well maybe if all my family and friends from the states came down to visit, but i am not seeing that as being a possibility. :)
We still have so much to do before training is over, and we really do not have much time!
I wish i had a funny story to tell, I am sure i will after this weekend. We are finally going to visit the volcano! Definately recommend to all of you to read the Moon Handbook to Nicaragua, its amazing and the deatials are awesome. written by RPCVs (returned peace corps volunteers) that did their training in one of the pueblos blancos también.
Next week i am going to visit a dump! sooo excited, will explain more later!
This week has sped by. I cannot believe that my 5th week here is over! However, i am glad to be back in my training town with my host family. They are so comforting, they really help me feel at home. Especially when my stomach is cramping and they tell me that i am not allowed to have eggs or milk b-c that will make it worse, and when they check my body temp. b4 they serve me coffee just to make sure i am not too cold (b-c that would just make me worse). They have already invited me back for christmas, and i could not be more excited. well maybe if all my family and friends from the states came down to visit, but i am not seeing that as being a possibility. :)
We still have so much to do before training is over, and we really do not have much time!
I wish i had a funny story to tell, I am sure i will after this weekend. We are finally going to visit the volcano! Definately recommend to all of you to read the Moon Handbook to Nicaragua, its amazing and the deatials are awesome. written by RPCVs (returned peace corps volunteers) that did their training in one of the pueblos blancos también.
Next week i am going to visit a dump! sooo excited, will explain more later!
Friday, September 28, 2007
Long week
Wow what a long week! My heat is pounding as i sit here staring at this screen, but i have to write and tell how great things have gone this week. First, thank you soooo much Aunt Nancy for the care package, sooo sweet and the coloring books, crayons, and stickers are a big hit with my sobrina. (the other aspirantes loved the peeps) My fav was the pictures tho, and the crystal light packets. For future reference, anyone who would like to send me things, chocolate is always good, preferably something sealed well b-c it will melt, pictures, and crystal like packs, or emergen-C packs. there are other things también, but i can´t think of them right now. plus i really can get a lot of things here, but finding good quality markers and crayons has been impossible.
teaching went well. i didn´t make any huge mistakes. the lesson was simple. its amazing how much i underestimed the amount of time they would need. i definately went like 15 min over. but the teacher was cool with it, she is great, already asking when i will be back. best behaved 5th grade class i´ve been to (with the exception of Mrs. Foster´s class of course ;) who i miss dearly!)
sunday i go on my volunteer visit, and return on wednesday. will finally get a chance to see what its really like and what i´ve really signed myself up for. i´m actually going to an area that they say gets fairly cool at night, so should be interesting. i have a good 6 hrs to spend on a bus, so plenty of time to think. lol
will write again when i return!
teaching went well. i didn´t make any huge mistakes. the lesson was simple. its amazing how much i underestimed the amount of time they would need. i definately went like 15 min over. but the teacher was cool with it, she is great, already asking when i will be back. best behaved 5th grade class i´ve been to (with the exception of Mrs. Foster´s class of course ;) who i miss dearly!)
sunday i go on my volunteer visit, and return on wednesday. will finally get a chance to see what its really like and what i´ve really signed myself up for. i´m actually going to an area that they say gets fairly cool at night, so should be interesting. i have a good 6 hrs to spend on a bus, so plenty of time to think. lol
will write again when i return!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
1 month today!
One month today! Don´t have much time. But wanted to say happy B-Day thomas! love and miss you of course. hope you got my voicemail! Also, today marks the 4 week point that i have been here. crazy. i teach a class tomorrow! can you believe that, i can´t. I really hope i don´t screw up and end up cursing at the kids instead of telling them to raise their hands before they speak. lol wish me luck.
So far things are going well. really really busy this week with planning my lesson and our meeting and preparing for my volunteer visit! will write again soon! love you all!
So far things are going well. really really busy this week with planning my lesson and our meeting and preparing for my volunteer visit! will write again soon! love you all!
Friday, September 21, 2007
Attempting to be Nica
Felt like writing in this color b-c i feel that it describes my mood! hahahahah today was long, and busy. and i definately went through some different moods. but all in all the day ended so positively. We had training all day. Which is good b-c we get to meet current volunteers and pick their brains apart about every possible scenario that could happen in the schools or at our sites in general. the meetings (charlas) always run long, i´m sure they love us! hahahaha. I also met the volunteer that I am going to be visiting in a week! YAY! I could not be more excited to see how things are at a site. It is definately really really far from where i am now, but hopefully i´ll be able to travel most of the way (4 hr bus ride) with another aspirante and then she will meet me in the department capital and we will ride another 2 hrs by bus to her site! That is definately going to be an adventure! hahahha. I am really hoping to go shopping tomorrow! hahahahha yeah im defintely roughing it huh. hahhaaha actually i have not been yet, and its not like i am going to be going to a mall. definately some outdoor markets. Hasler, you would definately appreciate it when i say that i times i feel like i am living in the Suzanna y Javier book. hahahhaha
All in all i have no complaints. I just hope that my spanish is improving more than i can tell. As my facilitator (spanish teacher más o menos) told me, we are each our toughest critic. But i know that i speak easier than before (out of necessity as well as practice) but i am wondering how much vocab i am really truley remembering and how much just comes in one ear and gets lots in translation.
This is week has been the longest by far, and from what i can tell they just get busier. I am slowly but surely gaining confianza with my new family, i truly do love them all dearly. I have one mom (her husband passed away 5 years ago, but was dearly loved, and i wish i could have met him, he was an agriculture engineer and new everything about the environment from what they tell me) I have two older sisters. One is in her late 20s and the other only a few years older than i am but has 2 children. So I have two neices, ages 8 and 2 1/2, that i absolutely adore! And all of her friends as well. But they are great, have a great sense of humor, and are extremely patient with me - and love to talk with me which is extremely important.
Nica people are definately some of the most hospitable i have ever met! Its amazing how i can walk up, introduce myself and they will invite me to sit in a rocking chair with them (b-c everybody has at least 4 in their home) for hours literally and are all patient with my broken spanish. It rains at night, which reminds me of the rain in florida and tends to get me missing the beach and my family at moments, but then i wake up in the morning to a new day, some coffee and pinapple and look out the front door at the street and realize that this is where i am supposed to be!
All in all i have no complaints. I just hope that my spanish is improving more than i can tell. As my facilitator (spanish teacher más o menos) told me, we are each our toughest critic. But i know that i speak easier than before (out of necessity as well as practice) but i am wondering how much vocab i am really truley remembering and how much just comes in one ear and gets lots in translation.
This is week has been the longest by far, and from what i can tell they just get busier. I am slowly but surely gaining confianza with my new family, i truly do love them all dearly. I have one mom (her husband passed away 5 years ago, but was dearly loved, and i wish i could have met him, he was an agriculture engineer and new everything about the environment from what they tell me) I have two older sisters. One is in her late 20s and the other only a few years older than i am but has 2 children. So I have two neices, ages 8 and 2 1/2, that i absolutely adore! And all of her friends as well. But they are great, have a great sense of humor, and are extremely patient with me - and love to talk with me which is extremely important.
Nica people are definately some of the most hospitable i have ever met! Its amazing how i can walk up, introduce myself and they will invite me to sit in a rocking chair with them (b-c everybody has at least 4 in their home) for hours literally and are all patient with my broken spanish. It rains at night, which reminds me of the rain in florida and tends to get me missing the beach and my family at moments, but then i wake up in the morning to a new day, some coffee and pinapple and look out the front door at the street and realize that this is where i am supposed to be!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Week 3!
So i´m in my third week! wow this is going by fast. In like 1 week i´m going to be doing my volunteer site visit! that´s just crazy!
K, sad thing, i totally forget the really funny story i was going to tell in my last blog. hahaha, typical huh. no worries, i´m sure it wouldn´t have been nearly as funny for you all to read as it was for me. But lots has happened since my last post. I am totally loving my new family, not that i didn´t totally love the last one as well, and i still talk to my sister from my other family so that is great :) But yes, things are going well at home, i am starting to wonder how much weight i am going to gain considering 75% of my meals are fried, hahaha. gotta love that. at least i get fruit for breakfast everyday, which i totally love! And i went on a hike with some of my fellow aspirantes that live in the surrounding pueblos. we hiked all the way down to Laguna de Apoyo. OMG was that long, it took us 30 min to get down there, and it is one steep hike, and a good hour and 20 min to get up. I thought i was going to lose my legs they were so tired. But i´m totally stoked b-c i learned that there is a place to rent kayaks on the laguna!!!!!!!!! A friend and i are hoping to go soon! Oh i miss kayaking soo much. And the laguna is beautiful. Crystal clear and deep blue. Its really deep too, but calm and beautiful. After the hike, we went to the Mirador in Catarina, which is a huge tourist spot and i totally understand why. You can see the city of Granada from the mirador and lake nicaragua! It´s amazing! The three days of body pains is totally worth the swim in the lake. It was so refreshing! And i definately recommend that if you come to visit me you have to see this!
We also had our first meeting with our grupo de jóvenes last night. oh the joy, actually it was fun. we made a community map and talked about this saturday when we get to make our Vivero! Going to be soo exciting, i can´t wait! We had all the kids volunteer to bring tools, i couldn´t believe how many kids were like, i´ll bring a machete! I was just standing there thinking, guess its better you than me considering i have never even held one of those things before! Guess that will be changing soon tho! Wish me luck b-c next week i am giving my first charla to a classroom in the elementary school! ahhhhhhh i hardly feel like i am capable of doing that, but i guess i´ll find out soon. Well i think we are going to go get some icecream tonight! which i am totally stoked about!
hope you are all doing well and enjoying the beginning of fall! the weather is still the same here, hotter than you can imagine or cool and rainy. Keep up the comments, i love them!!
K, sad thing, i totally forget the really funny story i was going to tell in my last blog. hahaha, typical huh. no worries, i´m sure it wouldn´t have been nearly as funny for you all to read as it was for me. But lots has happened since my last post. I am totally loving my new family, not that i didn´t totally love the last one as well, and i still talk to my sister from my other family so that is great :) But yes, things are going well at home, i am starting to wonder how much weight i am going to gain considering 75% of my meals are fried, hahaha. gotta love that. at least i get fruit for breakfast everyday, which i totally love! And i went on a hike with some of my fellow aspirantes that live in the surrounding pueblos. we hiked all the way down to Laguna de Apoyo. OMG was that long, it took us 30 min to get down there, and it is one steep hike, and a good hour and 20 min to get up. I thought i was going to lose my legs they were so tired. But i´m totally stoked b-c i learned that there is a place to rent kayaks on the laguna!!!!!!!!! A friend and i are hoping to go soon! Oh i miss kayaking soo much. And the laguna is beautiful. Crystal clear and deep blue. Its really deep too, but calm and beautiful. After the hike, we went to the Mirador in Catarina, which is a huge tourist spot and i totally understand why. You can see the city of Granada from the mirador and lake nicaragua! It´s amazing! The three days of body pains is totally worth the swim in the lake. It was so refreshing! And i definately recommend that if you come to visit me you have to see this!
We also had our first meeting with our grupo de jóvenes last night. oh the joy, actually it was fun. we made a community map and talked about this saturday when we get to make our Vivero! Going to be soo exciting, i can´t wait! We had all the kids volunteer to bring tools, i couldn´t believe how many kids were like, i´ll bring a machete! I was just standing there thinking, guess its better you than me considering i have never even held one of those things before! Guess that will be changing soon tho! Wish me luck b-c next week i am giving my first charla to a classroom in the elementary school! ahhhhhhh i hardly feel like i am capable of doing that, but i guess i´ll find out soon. Well i think we are going to go get some icecream tonight! which i am totally stoked about!
hope you are all doing well and enjoying the beginning of fall! the weather is still the same here, hotter than you can imagine or cool and rainy. Keep up the comments, i love them!!
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