So my mom keeps telling me "You haven't updated your blog!!! We're all waiting to see what's going on with the funds you raised while home over Christmas break!"

I totally understand and apologize for not getting this entry together sooner. But in response to the many requests, here is where some of your donations are going. Thank you so much to all those who have supported the Nicaragua: A Dream Come True fund. Your contributions are already having an impact in Somoto!

Since arriving back in Somoto, I have begun a new adventure called teaching at an elementary school. The school, called Monte Sion, is benificiery of the funds you all have donated. Monte Sion was started by a good friend, Glenda Espinoza, 2 years ago. The school has about 70 students and includes pre-school through 4th grade. It is technically a private school because it doesn't receive funds from the government, and stays afloat by charging 5$ per month for each student. These funds are used to pay the 5 teachers a below average pay of about 50 dollars each month. The public school teachers are paid better (and to be honest their salary is pretty horrible as well) but have to deal with worse teaching conditions.

Glenda started this school because she felt the Somoto community needed a really good quality school. One that gives personal one-on-one attention to its students, has classroom's with small class sizes (the public schools have up to 60 kids in a classroom while Monte Sion has a maximum of 23), and instills good values and morals like respect, discipline, honesty, patience, and understanding.

All the kids receive one class a week in basic Biblical studies that teach and reinforce these values. But don't worry this is not a radical religious school. The kids that attend are actually from various religious backgrounds.

I must tell you that having worked there several weeks now teaching English and giving basic lessons in health and personal hygiene, that these kids are bright, so well behaved, they are absolutely adorable and most importantly eager to learn. Each morning as I enter the school to bring them a new lesson, they swarm me at the gate, saying "Good morning Miss Lima" trying to practice the new English they learned. Some even hug me and others have bought me snacks at recess time to show that they appreciate me. At the end of each day, they are so excited to practice with their friends the new vocabulary they have learned and are sad when I tellt hem I won't return untill the next week.

This is why I think it is so important to invest in the school and its students - because it has so much potential, just lacks funding to provide the basic things it needs like textbooks and other materials and enough money to pay a decent salary to the teachers.

So far the Nicaragua: A Dream Come True funds have been used to give 1 year scholarships to 3 students who couldn't afford to continue their education. I have met and taught these three students and all are very hard working and good students. Unfortunately, they come from very poor families that are struggling to keep their kids in school. In the next week I hope to take a picture with them so that you can see who is benefiting from your generous donations.

Today, I will be spending some more of the fund's money to buy textbooks for 3rd and 4th grade. The textbooks will be for Spanish and Social Studies classes that are currently taught for these grades. The school's director, Glenda, and I sat down last night before my trip to Managua to decide which books and for which classes, and let me tell you she is just absolutely thrilled that her students are going to now be learning with textbooks. She was practically in tears as we discussed the integration of this new learning tool into her school.

If we receive more donations in the coming months, I will be buying more textbooks for other classes such as science and math. But meanwhile the kids are going to learn so much quicker and better how to read because they have materials to practice and develop their skills with. Here are some pics to help you get to know the Monte Sion school and its students.

The entrance to Monte Sion school. It is located at the side of the Baptist church which provides the classrooms free to the school. The church also is sponsoring 3 students this year with scholarships.

Alison with 4th grade kids Edward, Noe, Hansel, Judith, and Adriana. (this pic and the others was taken last December at the end of the school year. Some of the kids didn't return to the school this year, likely due to an inability to pay the 5$ fee)

3rd graders hard at work

2nd gradersThe school's Director, Glenda Espinoza (right), with one of last year's teachers and our 3rd grade darlings! (Fran, Marcio, Ivania, Cristel, Janielska, Gorgieli, Jorge Ramon). Uniforms are required in all schools in Nicaragua, public and private alike, but as you can see some kids can't afford them so they wear their regular clothes.

Gorgieli presenting her work while Cristel and Ivania look on. These 3 are some of my best students in that class.

To start a series of cultural posts, I thought I would start off with a very important part of life in Nicaragua: Transportation. From animals to bikes, cars, and tractor trailers, there is a wide variety of ways to get you and your stuff around.

Which means of transportation does Alison use?

I use buses, trucks, taxis (mostly in Managua, the capital), some walking and occasionally I mount a horse for a good time's sake!

What about Nicaraguans?

Let´s start off with ANIMALS.

Donkeys or "burros" are everywhere in my part of the country. My town, Somoto, is even called the City of the Burros. Donkeys are used for transport of goods, especially firewood and sacks of food like beans, rice, and corn. They can hold an amazing amount of weight, and have a fascinating ability to walk to specific places without having a person herding them. I often see them walking alone down my street where I live carrying heavy loads without any human being leading them...I don't know where they are going, but they sure do! Donkeys are also commonly used for transport of people, especially children.

Bulls are used in transport in two ways. They pull large wooden carts used to move large objects (like furnature) for cheap prices. They also are used for riding during cultural events like rodeos which are held in my town during all major festivals. There is even a mini-running of the bulls event in the streets during the annual November Carnaval in Somoto.

Horses are a large part of Nicaraguan life no matter where you live. You can see them even on highways in the capital city of Managua alongside tractor trailers, cars, and motorcycles (see below). Principally they are used to transport people from place to place, herd animals (sheep, cows, donkeys, bulls), control the bulls during the rodeo, and during the festivals' horse and cowboy/girl parades which are called "Hípicos". Horses are even used during Fiestas Patronales during the competition to choose the Reina or queen of the festival. One of my personal goals is to learn to ride a horse before I finish my service.

Now let's talk about transporting with VEHICLES:

In order to move in and out the many items produced and received here like beans, corn, and soda, it´s necessary to use tractor trailers. I often see these because they come and go on the highway that passes my town on their way to Honduras- I live about 20 minutes from the Hondoran border. Tractor trailers are also used to transport the occasional migrant worker home from other countries such as Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala.

Trucks are one of the most common vehicles used by Nicaraguans to get around. Very few people own their own cars here so most people catch a ride with a friend, neighbor, or unknown person passing by and going their way. People pack into the back of trucks like you would not believe...a safety hazard, but a free ride and often the only means of getting around. I use a truck in my job as we travel to rural mountain communities to teach about sexual and reproductive health to adolescents. They can also be used to transport materials for building structures like houses and latrines.

The SUV is rather uncommon here in Nicaragua, though it would be an ideal vehicle for getting around the rough roads, if only it didn't eat up so much gas! SUVs are, however, used as ambulences in each county and you can find the Nicaraguan rich riding around in them in Managua and larger cities.

Cars are used most commonly as taxis but some are used for personal use as well. I will note that the Toyota Echo, my mom's car, is one of the most popular here amongst private owners, and goes by the name Yaris in Nicaragua.

The bus, I would say, is the other major means for transportation amongst the general public besides trucks. Buses go to nearby communities and far away cities like the capital. Every state capital has a bus station and you can even get to other countries using the bus. Bus rides tend to be an interesting experience. Most are old school buses from the U.S. sold to Nicaraguans, and some still carry the old U.S. city's or school's name on their sides. The owners often paint them as they like with various colors and the names of the major cities the bus will go to.

The buses are always really really packed with standing people leaning in to where others are seated because there just isn´t enough space. At major stops, vendors will get on, usually women and children as these are amongst the poorest jobs, selling food like fried chicken, enchiladas, ice cream, and drinks. They even sell natural medicines, jewelry, and anything else people will desire to buy for cheap.

Sometimes a church member will get on asking for donations to build their church, and children, the physically disabled, and the poorest of the poor in general will get on and outright beg for a peso (worth about 8 U.S. cents).

You can see some pretty funny and crazy things on the bus. A few of my personal favorites have been: a live pig kept in a bag with its head sticking out so that it doesn't get away, people carrying live chickens upside down (next month's dinner), Nicas wearing funny Tshirts in English without realizing what they say (I once saw a a large guy from the campo get on with a shirt that had a picture of a latrine and said "Luke, don't force it Luke!" in reference to someone making use to that latrine, and a lady carrying a bucket with freshly chopped cow legs hanging out of it. Needless to say, the buses are hot, a little smelly, cramped, and noisy...but somehow I still very much enjoy taking them for the adventure...plus they are cheap.

Motorcycles are common amongst Nicas that work for NGOs and government positions that require them to travel to the rural communities. Lots of men also purchase them, as they are cheaper than a car and most women do not drive here.

Tricycles are bikes with a sitting cart in front for transporting people short distances that have some baggage. I personally like to use them for getting myself and my groceries from the store to my house as they are cheaper than taxis and more fun.

Planes are principally used here for travelling long distances out of the country, but one can also take a plane to reach the Atlantic Coast states where there are some major Nicaraguan tourist sites. There are buses that go, but the roads are long and in really rough shape.

For a lot of Nicaraguans, walking is their prime way of getting around. Walking doesn't cost money and its often the only option for those that can't afford or don't have access to other means of getting around. People here walk hours on a daily basis for various reasons: to get water (carrying buckets on their heads), to get to school (anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours of walking to school), to get to a health clinic, to go shopping in the nearest city for food, clothes, and other items, to go to work, and to visit friends and family, amongst other reasons. I often see mother's carrying babies and small children and men with heavy sacks of food walk 10 or more miles to reach their destination. It is both heartbreaking and astonishing to see what Nicaraguans endure because of poverty.

Trucks are a major transport here for people. This is our work truck we use to reach rural sites to give health workshops. These trucks are often packed to the brim with people inside and out.

Here I am on a horse during one of the cultural events in Somoto called the Fiestas Patronales, or Patron Saint festival. During the festival there is a rodeo with bull riding, a cowboy horse parade, a competition to choose the queen of the Fiesta, a big dance party, and some parading around the city of a figurine of the Patron Saint by Catholic community members. oh, and lots of yummy food!

Donkeys are used for transportation of goods like firewood and people, especially kids!

Lots of people get around short and long distances on bikes. This example of 3 people on a bike is not an uncommon tale (it´s like carpooling!) and always provides me a chuckle.

Alison Lima is a Taunton citizen currently serving in the Peace Corps as a health volunteer in Nicaragua, Central America. She graduated from Taunton High School in 2001 and Iowa State University in 2005. She misses home quite a bit, but is having the time of her life in Nicaragua. She would like to request that her friends and family immediately send her Kale soup and linguica sandwiches, as she is a little tired of rice and beans.

One of my favorite things about growing up in Taunton, Massachusetts was the cultural and extracurricular activity opportunities that seem endless and so overflowing in the city. I remember as a kid never having a dull moment or too much free time. If I wasn’t practicing for the next weekly game of girl’s softball, I was heading to dancing school or practicing my flute for the middle school band’s upcoming parade performance. Whether it be music, sports, theatre, or arts and crafts, Taunton’s kids had and have plenty of recreation activities to choose from. And even though I didn’t notice it as a kid, the light bulb is starting to finally go off as I say to myself in Somoto, Nicaragua: “These activities were not just fun and games; they were important means of personal development and learning of life skills!”

Think about it. You name the activity, I bet it will help your kid build self esteem, become more goal oriented and disciplined, and learn how to create and maintain healthy relationships. For girls, it plays an essential role in developing strong female leaders and community members who value themselves and their role as women in their town, or as we like to say here, “pueblo”.

Extracurricular activities teach kids skills necessary for a healthy life and successful career…like how to respect and value yourself and others, how to be a part of a team, the true meaning of hard work and dedication, and the importance of setting goals and working together to achieve them.

I never truly came to appreciate these seemingly routine parts of an American kid’s life until I stepped foot in Nicaragua. While Nicaraguans take much pride in the sports and cultural activities they have available (they love baseball, soccer, and traditional folkloric dancing) and appreciate and recognize the value of such activities for the development of their youth into strong leaders and healthy and responsible community members, they are often limited in being able to “aprovechar” or take advantage of these powerful learning tools.

Why you ask? Well, in a country where 83% of the nation lives in poverty and too many households have to choose between feeding their children and buying them basic necessities like clothes without holes and shoes that actually fit and will endure a year’s worth of walking mountain roads to school 2 hours each day…it’s hard to think about how you will pay for a child’s uniform, softball glove, or dancing costume (which will be used for years, unlike Americans’ costume change at each recital).

Extracurricular activities here are not by any means routine, although the Nicaraguan people would love for them to be. But when you are so poor that your family lives in a house made of dried mud and sleeps on a dirt floor (44% and 49% of the population in my town, respectively), and when you have to pull your child out of school in the fourth grade (kids in the “campo” or rural pueblos on average go to school for only 3.3 years. More than 70 % of residents in my state of Madriz live in rural areas.) so he or she can help full time in coffee or corn harvest so that the family can afford a rice and beans dinner each night, the dream of playing on a sports team or learning to play a musical instrument (which might cost more than 6 months of your entire income) just doesn’t seem much more than a that…a dream.

And what are the consequences of not being able to afford and provide extracurricular activities? Kids don’t have an outlet for personal growth and life skills building. They too often turn to what is available: alcohol, drugs, and sex. My Peace Corps town has a major problem with alcohol, and it’s not just old drunks I see lying on city streets on a weekday afternoon, it’s young kids too. These kids and adults then find themselves not only alcoholics, but also the cause of major and multiple acts of violence in their homes and communities.

Another problem that stands out and could be prevented with the help of lessons learned from cultural and sports activities is teen pregnancy. 50% of women in Nicaragua at age 20 have at least one child. Teen pregnancy becomes a catalyst for terminating a young girl’s education and job opportunities and further promotes the cycle of poverty and the devaluing of women. Yes teen pregnancy is often the result of a lack of education about family planning, etc. But all too often I see it here as well in girls that have plenty of knowledge…what they are lacking is self esteem (which is necessary to fight off male dominated cultural pressures to have sex and make babies), guidance in setting personal goals, and an outlet (besides sex) to express themselves.

So why am I, your fellow Tauntonian, writing to you about how sad the world is for Nicaraguans? Well, (1) to share my eye-opening experience as a Peace Corps volunteer with you and promote awareness of other people’s cultures and living conditions. Through my two years of service and a few blog posts, we can learn together about this beautiful, but greatly challenged country.

And (2) to offer you an opportunity to take this eye-opening experience, open your heart and then your wallet, take action, and make many people’s dreams come true with very little effort. How, you ask? By donating to a fund I am initiating called “Nicaragua, A Dream Come True” which will be used to support and provide local cultural, educational, and sports activities in my Nicaraguan community of Somoto.

Somoto is a county of about 40,000 people, half urban and half rural (and very very poor) in which close to 50% of the population is 18 or younger - the population that directly needs support for extracurricular activities that will build life skills and offer diversion from a life stricken with poverty and hardship.

Taunton does an exemplary job of offering its youth opportunities for personal development and recreation. Realizing this, I say who better than Taunton’s citizens to enlist in sharing their passion for youth promotion with communities around the globe, starting with Nicaragua! And what better time of the year than the holiday season to offer a child or young adult something he or she needs that they’ve never had before?

Want examples of how you can make someone’s dream come true? Here are ways that your donations will be used: to buy textbooks for a school that has never been able to afford books for their students, to buy sports equipment like gloves, bats, balls, and uniforms for a women’s softball team I am co-creating with a local physical education teacher (women’s sports in my town are practically non-existent, although there is a strong demand for them), uniforms for a co-ed dance troupe and both boys and girls soccer teams, and musical instruments for new classes that will be offered in drums, guitar, violin, and marimba (an instrument used to play Nicaraguan popular folk music).

A lot of friends and family have asked me if there is anything I need here in Nicaragua, if there is anything they can do to help me during my Peace Corps experience. Well yes, there is. Send money. Send cash or a check (made out to “Nicaragua, A Dream Come True”) to the address below. Your donation may be as little as 5 dollars, but it’s enough to provide those who need it most with a very precious gift this holiday season: the gift of opportunity. My sincere thanks for your kindness, and Happy Holidays!

Alison Lima

728 Burt St.

Taunton, MA

02780

You can also give donations directly to my mother, Joan Lima, at the Taunton High School Guidance Department.

Here's a cute photo of me with the kids I work with in the weekly radio program Zona de Riesgo: Sexo, Drogas, y Roock! (Risk Zone: Sex, Drugs, and Roock!) It was taken this week at a meeting to evaluate how the project is doing and to plan for upcoming months' radio topics.

So I have put my photos on snapfish.com...there were far too many to put here. So if you want to see them and weren't already invited by email...just send me an email and I will send you the link and how to access them...you have to be invited by the program, otherwise I would just put the directions here on my website.

They are super fun and tell my Nica Peace Corps tale better than words, so check them out.

My email: limalison@gmail.com

Enjoy!

This is just a belated (but none-the-less heartfelt) HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my soon to be brother-in law Bob....Hope it was fantastic!!!

In the spirit of love and photos, here´s a couple to be admired! Congrats Rochelle and Bob on your engagement! XOXO

Here´s a pic of Donald, my boyfriend, and I in front of his house. Just for those of you curious about what he looks like... I will be posting more pics this weekend so keep an eye out.

It's midafternoon. the hottest part of the day has come upon us, and it makes me decide to walk instead of jump onto the bike I've brought and ride away. When it's hot, my body prefers to move slowly - the bike's much to fast for this kind of heat.

On my way out of the internet cafe or ciber as the Nica's call it, I turn to see the Somoton Mercado off in the distance. It was newly built and quite large and comparatively luxurious...unfortunately it's also quite far from where I live and eve too far from where I am standing in this moment for me to get the ganas or desire to walk to it.

But I want fruit. I've been craving pineapple or watermelon or maybe something uniquely Nica. I spot a medium sized fruit and veggies stand just a half a block down the road and make my way over remembering that I also need to buy some veggies for this week's giant pot of soup. Don't even ask why I eat so much hot soup when it's 80-110 degrees outside...I couldn't tell you.

When I reach the stand, I notice there are two vendors there. I always feel bad choosing one so I decide to buy something from each of them. First, the young woman...I ask for platano, a banana like fruit that is a staple here, and ask that she pick out a good one for me. She looks confused. Nicas often like to pick out their own produce so my request for her help in the selection process has her puzzled. I tell her I'm not good at choosing and that it's for a soup...with my broken spanish I can tell by the look on her face she finally gets it. I'm extranjera, a foreigner, and don't know what I'm doing (completely - I've learned one or two things thus far, but still have not mastered the art of fruit and vegetable selection).

She picks out one and collects the 10 cents or 2 cordobas I hand her. I smile and thank her moving on to the male vendor to the side. He has a wider selection and here I buy a yuca - a staple root in many countries including my own Cape Verde - when I was a kid my Dad used to share a piece of his yuca with me while watching TV or on the front porch. In Cape Verdean or Creole, they call it Manioc (sp?) and my dad and I used to eat it crude or uncooked. Here in Nicaragua, it's strictly yuca and almost always found in soups.

To fill my craving for fruit, I ask the prices of the watermelon and another local fruit called mamon. Since watermelon is out of season it's expensive and costs about 1.50$. A bunch of mamon (it comes in a bunch on a vine like grapes) costs just 4 cords or about 25 cents. I choose the cheaper of course. They don't pay me enough to live the life of out-of-season fruit.

I put my bag of produce in the basket attached to the front of my bike, which makes me stand out terribly in the crowd since Nicas don't have baskets on their bikes (and I feel rather like the wicked witch on top of it - all I need is the theme music da dat da dat da daah duh, da dat da dat da daah duh, daaaaaah!) I thank the vendor who looks disappointed I won't be buying more than 45 cents worth and take off on my bike - it's time to head home.

As I reach my house exhausted from the hot climb up my street and dismount, I remember that I need to buy water- purified that is...since I am out of beverages in the house and still have the lemons from my boyfriends backyard tree in my frige so I can make lemonade. After putting the bike inside - it might get stolen if I leave it unguarded in the street- I head on a mad hunt for gallon sized water. There are several pulperias within a 3 block radius (small corner stores) but it's always a wild guess which one will have water on any given day.

I hit them all up with no luck and end up finding a pulperia a bit far that has small prepackaged purified bags of water. I buy 7 , enough to make 2.5 pitchers of lemonade, and also some culantro (cilantro for those unkowing). I like to cook with it in my soups and in salsa for my Mexican style soy tacos, but haven't been able to find it close to my house until now. I explain my appreciation to the pulperia owner when he tells me they always have it available- "we'll be seeing you then" he says. "si, seguramente" I tell him, yes surely.

Returning to my house I stop one last time for a bag of pineapple juice (we drink from bags here alot), but am disappointed when I take a sip and realize it doesn't mix well with the metal taste I've had in my mouth the past 2 days - a side effect of the medication I am taking for the parasites I'm harboring, amoebas. This is my first time with amoebas and I am having a hard time adjusting to the side effects. Most volunteers in my training group have had parasites several times...this is my first and I am lucky for that!

Last night I couldn't sleep at first because of a strong headache and second because of insomnia - both side effects of the meds. I ended up getting up at 2 am and working on preparing some materials for my English classes in the coming weeks till 5:30am when finally I felt I could shut my eyes and drift off (but not of course without first checking for scorpions, spiders, and other crtitters in my bed!)

But back to today. I squeeze the lemons into a pitcher of the just bought water, add some sugar, and drink...yum, fresh lemonade on a hot day, nothing like it. suprisingly it seems to agree with the lingering metallic taste in my mouth.

What to do now? Well since there's no running water like always till 4:30pm or so, I can't wash laundry like I need to. How about a good book? yeah. in the hammock on your back patio? hell yeah! In 30 seconds I'm there book and cellphone in hand (in case the boyfriend calls from Panama...oh how I miss him!). Within a minute of lying down in my precious and treasured relaxation device - aka hammock, the Gata (literal translation female cat) is looking to jump up and join me. No I tell her- she's dirty and I want to be comfortable and not have to share space. She gives me a "jerk"! look and settles for a spot 4 feet away on the banister of the patio. She looks content. I feel content.

I begin to read "Reading Lolita in Tehran" and get through about 5 pages when I hear my neighbor making noise in the mango tree that hangs over my fence and drops ripe mangos when the season is right "plop" right into the back corner of my yard. The kids love to climb that tree and spy on their neighbors, especially the gringa (that would be me). I give him a pathetic look and continue reading.

The Gata catches me glancing her direction and thinks it's her I'm looking at and not him. She takes my stare as an invite for hammock snuggling and before I know it she's in my lap. I feel bad pushing her yet-again pregnant belly out of my space (this will be her 6th litter, 2nd while I am here) and decide to let her stay, petting her pretty little head. All these distractions make me decide I'd rather be writing about them and reflecting on my day than reading about the observations of someone else in Iran (the Lolita book). I pull out a notebook and pen from under the hammock and begin my discourse.

The Gata falls alseep. I suck on some mamon, take in the fresh air, listen to the ranchero (think country gone Mexican) music playing from a neighbor's backyard, and think about when I will be able to post what I have written in my blog. After all, the friends and family fan club is waiting to hear about my everyday afternoons and ordinary nights...

So I know, I know...it's been awhile. I have been getting complaints from all over the world from Iowa to Massachusetts to Texas to Switzerland that I haven't been keeping my readers updated with what the heck is going on in the life of Alison. So after a short break, I'm back and long winded as ever! Hope you enjoy the following exceedingly long blog entry, filled with juicy details and frightening tails. And I will try better in the future to be consistent with my posts. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

I should warn my readers that I was in a very sarcastic mood when writing this blog post, and have included a few profanities (oops, sorry mom).

My Peace Corps Service in Numbers...Number of:

Pounds I have lost: somewhere between 10 and 15...it fluxuates depending on (1) if I have been sick or not (currently there's a party going on in my stomach hosted by my dear friends, the amoebas - that's a parasite for all you that don't have a clue) and (2) whether I have access to McDonald's and PizzaHut or not. These fabulous fast food restaurants, sadly, are only available in that distant land I like to call Managua, aka the capital city. thus I have a hard time maintaining my fat deposits.

Bugs that have threatened my life and nearly made me shit my pants: 2. The first one was a giant scorpion that I came across on top of a pile of dirty laundry I had next to my bed. It was the size of my palm and wanted to kill me, I am convinced. How do I know this, well because after I dumped almost an entire can of Raid on the little bastard he continued to charge right for me with his stinger lunging at me about three times a second. I eventually won the battle, but have not been the same since...read next week's blog to find out how.

The second bug I have not recovered from was a giant (and I do mean giant) spider. This I found inside my mosquito net which covers my bed hanging just above my head. I was reading a letter lying in my bed, calm and relaxed, trying not to think about the scorpion I had found the week before, when I glanced up to see an arachnid the size of a tarantula hanging above me about 2.5 feet away. Yes folks, Alison did panic this time. This thing looked like something we only find in pet stores. I actually considered trying to capture it and sell it on the black market as a circus pet, but decided it would be best to kill the son of a bitch before it could breed any more demons like it, or worse attack me. Let's just say killing it was a thrill, but not the kind I would like to ever have again in my life.

New noteworthy hobbies I have acquired: 1. And it's called riding in the back of a truck, holding on for dear life while travelling up and down dirt and stone mountain roads in the presence of pure beauty...the mountains are absolutely gorgeous...I find it very difficult to describe just how gorgeous they are, but just know, there's fabulous. Sometimes I feel like Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music singing the Hills Are Alive with the Sound of Music. Other times I feel like I am on the roller coaster ride of my life. I practice my new hobby 2-3 times a week usually when we travel to distant mountain communities to give workshops on sexual and reproductive health. let me tell you my new hobby is 110% fun and adventure. I am often reminded of how a dog looks with his head out of a car window, tongue hanging out, with a face of absolute content and thrill, when I imagine the expression my face makes while practicing my new hobby.

Hot boyfriends that I adore: 1. Yes folks, Alison has a boyfriend. His name is Donald and he is 100% Somoteño (Somoto is the city I live in), though he works a good portion of the year in Panama coordinating the logistics of a shipping and trade company his cousin owns. He is a fabulous and passionate dancer and I must say quite the intellect (He's definitely smarter than me, and I'm pretty furious about that....j/k). He comes from a very loving and kind family that takes good care of me and keeps me company while he is gone at work...We started dating at the beginning of May and I must say he makes me very happy. We have so much in common and I really think we compliment eachother well. In fact we were born just 5 days apart (he April 2nd, me the 7th of 83). As soon as I finally download my pics, I am going to post one of us.

Communities I work in: 24. Even though I live in Somoto, my work requires me to travel all over the state and I work in a total of 24 towns or pueblos each month giving workshops to teens. The kids range from age 11-22 and they are fantastic to work with.

TV commercials I have organized the production of: 1, and there will be 2 more in the future months. In addition to a weekly teen radio show I co-direct, the project requires that we produce commericals about health topics related to teens. Yesterday a team of professional TV producers (writer, director, casting crew, etc) came to Somoto to give an acting workshop I organized and tape a commercial with the kids on teen pregnancy. It was quite amazing to participate...the NGO Puntos de Encuentro was the production team and they are world renound for their media communication productions. We are currently thinking about producing a radionovela in the next year, which could be a huge project, but quite an interesting experience to participate in, should it go through. I'm starting to realize I really like working with health communications and maybe want to focus my Public Health degree in that (yes I am still planning on doing med school for sure :) So far my Nica experience has made me want to be a doctor even more!) There's nothing like doing a double degree! I also realize I really like working with sexual and reproductive health...who knows, OB/GYN could be my future :)

ok so I am running out of time and money...this isn't going to be as long as I hoped...but next week I plan on posting another entry entitled "a day in the life of" in which I walk you through the ins and outs of my experience, the ups the downs, the suprises, the thrills, the things that make me smile, and the things that make me learn. So keep an eye out folks...hasta pronto.

These are some pics of my experience in Nicaragua. I'm wearing red the day we swore in as volunteers. The one with the sash is the day I found out my permenant site...Somoto. All remains well...Hope you enjoy!

So I have had a lot of people ask what I am needing, how they can help, and what they can send. There's two things that have been on my mind that I am sure I could use.

1) music. make a cd of your favorite stuff and send it. In particular, I could use some easy listening stuff (jazz, artists like Norah Jones, John Mayer, Missy Higgins, Damien Rice B-Sides CD, Bobbie Eakes, etc) But I will take whatever I can get and love it! There will be lots of down time to chill and relax when I get to my site, especially in the evenings when I am cooking and cleaning (yes...Alison is learning the domesticated trades...but not because she is a woman, rather because she wants to expand her skills set).

2) arts and crafts stuff. you can pick up any kind of art kit that you might think I would enjoy...cross stitch sets are great, stained glass kits work too...places like Hobby Lobby, Michael's, and other craft stores should have kits that are small and fun and that you can easily send.

To send me packages, mail the items in an envelope, perhaps padded, but preferebly not in a box because they get stolen, to:

Alison Lima

Voluntario del Cuerpo de Paz

Apartado Postal 3256

Managua, Nicaragua

Central America

Your gifts will be much appreciated! Thanks to all of you who have been leaving messages and sending me emails. I will be responding to each of them individually as soon as I have the time. :)

So I was going to wait till I got back from my site visit to write about it, but I decided that I was too excited and wanted to share my experience now!

I've been in Somoto since Saturday...that makes 3 days. And as of today I absolutely love it!

Somoto is a city, but it's not like any U.S. city I have ever seen. It has about 30,000 people but there are no tall buildings, no major business offices. It is more like what Americans picture as a town in other countries. It's surrounded by mountains and has a beautiful view no matter which way you turn to view the horizon. Even better, it gets really green starting around May and is very lush and spirit lifting apparently...I can't wait to see that! The climate right now is pretty warm during the day (I wear a tank top and skirt or shorts) and fresco or chilly at night. We will have a very hot and rainy season starting in about a month and running about 5-6 months.

The first night I arrived I felt quite overwhelmed. The host family I am staying with now and that I will be staying with for the 1st 6 weeks of service as a volunteer lives in let's just say humble conditions. My room, I found, was pretty much a hole in the wall. It was quite dirty with no place to hang my clothes and my bed is basiclly a wooden box with a very thin (1.5 inches thick) mattress that has been used beyond it's days. It's quite uncomfortable and I will definitely have to buy a new mattress so I don't worsen my back problems. So I was a little disappointed to find my living conditions like this.

But then it got worse. Night came and so did the mosquitos...and I forgot my mosquito net so I had to deal with them trying to attack me all night. Plus, I am living in the land of insects. There are giant (harmless but nonetheless scary) ants that climb all over the walls and on me while I am sleeping.

Then the first night as I am laying in bed trying not to think about the giant ants, I hear a weird airy noise coming from above. I turn on the dim light that's in my room to find that a BAT has slipped through the crack between the wall and the roof and is now trapped in my room and hovering frantically above my head....don't try and imagine the terror...you just can't until it happens to you...and I hope it never does.

So in my moment of fear and panic, I decided that not even prayer would help this situation...the only thing that would was me believing that what I could't see or hear couldn't harm me...so what did I do...I turned the light off, closed my eyes, covered my ears, and hid like a 4 year old under the covers and tried to go to sleep. to make a long story short, I woke up the next morning in one piece...with a slightly achy back and very tense muscles.

I have also made amends with the curious and numerous lizards that climb all over our walls. They eat the giant bugs that scare me so we're cool now. I just wish they wouldn't capture and devour them right in front of me in the kitchen while I am trying to eat my dinner of beans, sour cream, and tortilla...yeah it wasn't the best "welcome to our home" dinner, but my host family did what they could. The meals have been better since, in case you were concerned. and I found out today there is an awesome smoothie place right near my house so I am super psyched.

I probably have been giving Somoto a bad wrap up to this point...which is bad, because I really like Somoto. these are just some common things people have to deal with when living in certain parts of certain countries. (I don't want to say 3rd world or Latin America because one can have different experiences in those and not just one like this).

Somotans are great people. Everyone's been super nice (including my Somoto host family) and they are pretty fun to hang out with. Oh and they love to dance AND they can dance pretty well. my host brother who is in his late 20's took me with him and his friends to a local club and we had a blast. I saw nica men that cuold dance, and I learned an important lesson...Somoto men are freakin gorgeous (as are the women). so that's a positive.

I also got to see the apartment that I will most likely be staying in permenantly after my initial 6 week host family stay... it's huge and has a backyard with lemon and guayaba trees and a patio and plenty of space to start a garden, have barbeques, and host meetings for my youth or women's groups. It will be super sweet to have friends and family stay at when they come to visit and I will have a nice kitchen set up with a stove, refrigerator and everything. And the current volunteer is gonna give me her nice mattress for free (she is super nice and even more amazing) and her bike which will come in handy. I am also gonna buy a hammock from another volunteer finishing her service and some chairs and a table.

I can't wait to make it my own and have some get togethers...I'm gonna learn to cook (with veggies and fruits from my own garden) and have great parties and reunions with locals and fellow volunteers. the past volunteer liked to keep it more to herself but I just see it as a great way to be social and make connections with friends and the people I will be working with.

Why do I love my site the most though? because of the work I will be doing...

On Friday I met with one of my counterparts in Managua. Counterparts are Nicaraguans that work in health and will be my main co-workers...we'll collaborate on projects together and be working side by side throughout my two years. The counterpart I met on Friday was awesome. We hit it off right away...our personalities are very similar and she's very fun and great to work with. She is in charge of social communication at the medical administration office where I work and is in charge of the two groups of youths that run the health programs on the 2 radio stations in town...so I will be working with her quite a bit on putting together a radionovela (soap opera for the radio with teens) about health topics with those youth groups.

Another major part of my work will be training youths to be health promoters in their communities. But I won't be doing this in the city of Somoto much...rather I will be going on "salidas" or day trips to pueblos and very very rural communities 1-3 hours away and giving training sessions to teens there on sexual and reproductive health as well as self esteem and communication (and other topics important for teen health) so that they can then form youth groups in their small communities and teach them the life skills that they have learned.

So a major part of my job will be creating and facilitating these training sessions, but also it will include evaluating how current and these future training programs are working and making suggestions to the community health education team on how they can improve them.

We went out on a salida today to a community called San Lucas and I participated in my first training session. It was pretty amazing. The kids from the campo are pretty inspiring. They walk up to 2 hours to get to class every day and have to walk home that distance too. After our training session we drove a few of them as far as we could on their journey and it was eye opening. They really do live isolated from so much and it was so interesting to see how the people live and what they go without on our journey.

For the first time in my Peace Corps experience I feel like I have seen the true face of poverty and understand clearly why I am here. I have seen the people I can help, the people I am compelled to help, the people that would give you the shirt off their back if you needed it although that is all that they have, the people that will teach me more about life than I could ever teach them about health. It's been a very eye-opening and mind-transforming day and I feel a 110% more motivated and understanding of my purpose and potential as a volunteer and future international health worker. And I am sure that every day will bring more learning experiences, more understanding, and more inspiration.

Aside from these major training and radio projects I have mentioned, I also can work on secondary projects if I wish and get involved with the community in other ways. Some of the ideas I have had so far include:

joining the local women's softball team;

starting a youth or women's group to do gardening and teach about the importance of fruits, veggies, and a balanced diet (in my backyard garden of course);

teaching the women at the "casa materna" (a short stay hospital like place for women with high risk pregnancies who will be delivering soon) to crochet and making blankets for their soon to be newborns, meanwhile casually chatting about important health topics such as the value of breastfeeding and child nutrition as well as family planning and sexual health;

starting a reading group for youths at the local library;

taking bi-weekly trips with friends and locals to the nearby canyon where there is fishing, water sports, and rock climbing;

visiting friends in Ocotal and other nearby cities and watching movies with them every few weeks;

and of course throwing barbeques in my backyard from time to time.

I also really want to get back into arts and crafts and will likely be asking for people back home to send me some supplies I can't find here in Nicaragua (cross stitching sets for example).

Well that's it for today. This entry really doesn't do justice to what I have seen and learned recently about my new home and my newly understood purpose here, but hopefully future entries will help paint a more complete picture.

Until next time...I'll end by repeating the title quote which is appropriate for how I'm feeling about my PC experience right now:

"Not all those who wander are aimless".

What a fabulous trip I had to Nueva Segovia! The mountains are gorgeous and the air is so fresh. I think the best part of my trip was the reinforcement that it brought for my desire to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer. As I left for Dolores all I could think of was "wow, am I pumped to get started".

I was very lucky in that I was able to be placed with quite possibly the most motivated and amazing health volunteer in Nicaragua. He's been in service just one year and already he has done some major projects that are impacting the masses in Nueva Segovia. What's more, he served as a great example of how to integrate into one's community...everyone there loved him!

During my visit I spent a lot of time at SILAIS, the health administration center where he works. We talked a lot there about his job responsibilities and how he got started with his projects, the challenges he faced and how he dealt with them, and other tidbits about service that they can't teach in a classroom. We had meals with 2 families that he is close with...they were both very kind and great to spend time with. We also ran an activity with disabled children in the area in which we made Valentine's Day cards with them and shared some snacks, music, and fun. I really liked this because it showed that Volunteers can work on multiple projects that interest them and impact their communities in different ways.

We also played some football which was great because I got to show off my mad quarterback skills (thanks dad for the arm). He was totally impressed (as he should be) with my abilities, even though I had some difficulty catching as always :)

On Valentine's Day there was a dance being held at the local discotec by high school students. We decided to go since some of his Nica friends were going and we both love to dance. It was pretty fun even though 70% of the people there were under 18 and I was asked to dance by a number of young boys no older than 15 :) My favorite part of the night was when they played Vanilla Ice "Ice Ice Baby" and he and I went loco dancing and shouting the lyrics...I think all the nica's were staring and thinking "crazy gringos" hehe

I was very sad to leave the O.C. as he likes to call it, but I'm sure I'll visit again if not to serve then for vacation. We should be finding out in about 10 days where our permanent sites will be...very exciting!!!

Another experience I must mention was the garden practicum that we had today. This was a class on everything you need to know to have a healthy and successful garden. It was great because it was all outdoors and very much hands on. I learned how to make compost several ways; how to plant, transplant, and care for seedlings; how to fertilize and insecticize (yes I did just make up that word) crops, and how to get seeds from one's own garden.

Given my family history of green thumbs, I was as happy as a kid in a candy store. I am super psyched about starting my own garden once I get to my site and teaching others how to start one as well. It's even more neat because I will be able to grow fruits and vegetables that we don't have in the U.S. so I get to experiment with new species.

Tonight some of the trainees are getting together to go dancing with some Nica host siblings so it should be a blast. Time to once again get my dance on!

That's it for now...take care everyone!

Hello all. just wanted to let you all know that I will be taking a 4 day trip beginning Sunday to the region just below the Hondorus border called Nueva Segovia. The trip is a visit to a currently serving volunteer so that I can experience what it's really like once my service starts and get more one-on-one time with a volunteer. I'm rather excited since many have told me how beautiful and fun this mountainous region of the country is.

I'm also psyched because the volunteer I'm visiting is working with promoting health messages over the radio (which is what I am doing with my youth group) so I think I will be able to learn a lot from him. He's also a member of the GUIA committee which is a volunteer committee focused on sustainable development. He has a ton of experience with this topic, and I'm really interested in getting on the committee...so it will be great to talk with him about it.

I'll be on my visit during Valentine's Day so that will be nice to be around an American friend and not alone in my training site (well I do have 3 other buttheads with me here in Dolores but they don't count ...just kidding...you guys know you're the best!)

well here's some random (but often funny) things I have learned since coming here just to make this entry a bit more interesting:

1. Dryers are GODS! While I don't mind washing all of my clothes by hand on a flat cement board (it's hard ass work, and I'm getting muscles!), it is kind of a pain that everything has to air dry. Why? well because the hand washing really stretches everything out and usually I would use a dryer to shrink it back to size. but without one, my clothes keep expanding in size. What does this mean? well two things... first that I now have several shirts of nightgown length...and second that it's a whole lot easier for me to gain weight because as I eat more and more food, my pants aren't restricting my waist and letting me know I need to watch what I'm eating. As my waist grows, my pants do too...craziness. luckily I think I have begun to manage the food intake better and my weight is starting to decrease again....but man would I love a dryer right now.

2. I am petrified of mice. I used to think I had no problem with them. I even used to make fun of my mother, sister, and her boyfriend for their fear of them...but the other day I was in my room at night and I saw something go flying across the floor out of the corner of my eye. I wasn't sure if it was a cockroach or something else (luckily I haven't seen a roach in my house yet), so I went and got my host mom. she came in and moved some stuff around and there it was running across the floor...a small mouse. And what did Alison do? She totally flipped out. I ran from my room screaming at the top of my lungs and doing the jump from one leg to the other petrified dance...my host family found this hilarious...I wanted to cry. Luckily my host brother caught and killed the mouse, though he made me throw it away afterwards.

3. Fresh juice is wonderful, but you have to be wonderwoman to make it. at the rate I'm making juice, I'll have arthritis by the time I'm 30...but somehow it's still worth it...yum!

4. Showers in a bucket rock! They use less water, you can take one whenever the hell you want if you save the water ahead of time (faucet showers depend on when there is running water), and you can heat up the water. faucet showers are freezing cold. I swear my biggest daily challenge is getting the nerve to voluntarily walk under a freezing stream of water each morning.

5. My 4 year old sister can "shake it like it's hot" better than me! I'm still in the process of closing my mouth from the shock of seeing her break it down the other day to some reggaeton. But this is normal here. most of the kids can dance really well.

6. "cool" is out "salvaje" is in...

7. People that have the least, share the most. The kindness and selflessness of many of the people here is really humbling.

Well that's it for now. Happy Valentine's Day everyone.

So it's Superbowl Sunday and I'm very far away from American football :(

I found out that the Patriots were out of the running like 4 days ago which is so sad (sad that they lost and sad that I just found out). ...but the good news is that us trainees are having a superbowl fiesta at one the host family's houses in Santa Teresa...so it should be a fun night. I'm going to bring my Patriot's superbowl champions banner so that my boys will be represented.

Well, don't have much time so until next time.

It's the beggining of week three in Nicaragua and I am finally feeling like I'm settling into my training town called Dolores. It's a small pueblo of about 6,000 people and it's located 5 minutes (in taxi) away from two fairly larger towns. In Dolores there is a central park (like a town square), a health center, the mayor's office, a police station, several small places to buy basic foods, and little convenience stores called "pulperias". We are very lucky in that we also have an internet place in our town where I check my email a couple of times a week and make phone calls to the U.S.

I'm living with a very nice host family that I adore. I have a 19 year old sister (we are good friends because we are so close in age), a 17 year old brother, a 13 year old brother, and a 4 year old sister (she is the most darling little girl - I want one just like her!). My host mother is a trained secretary but is not working currently because she is so busy taking care of her beautiful but grande family. My host father works in Managua, the capital, as a business administrator.

I spend lots of time with my host family including:

1. watching at least 2 hours of telanovelas (soapoperas) every day with them - I'm such an addict!

2. going to piñatas of family and friends - these are birthday parties for kids in which there is lots of music, treats, and some serious piñata hitting. These kids don't mess around when it comes to getting that candy :)

3. going to see my host dad play soccer (futbol) in the local league

4. playing soccer with my brothers and the little sister in our patio. The boys are pretty good and the little one is hilarious because she doesn't like to speak up so she grunts when she wants to express an emotion and makes one of her many dramatically adorable faces.

5. going to church. my family is evangelical and while I don't particulary agree with the beliefs of their church I enjoy going with them and meeting their church friends and community. ( I also attend the Catholic church on Sundays which is great).

6. going dancing with my oldest sister and her friends. There's lots of opportunities since Nicaraguans can't get in enough dancing and they have festivals and religious events ALL the time. it's quite interesting because they are religiously based holidays, but they are notorious for serious partying, drinking, and having a fabulous time!

My training is going well though I often feel overwhelmed and frustrated. They are putting alot on us and we are trying to keep up with all of the readings, projects, and language training that there is often little time to ourselves. I was expecting this to happen and so I'm handling it the best I can. Things should go smoother in a few weeks after I have some work under my belt.

For those wondering, I have been strangely healthy since I arrived. I have had 0 stomach problems (or what I like to call "E. coli pains"). Lots of people in my training group have not been so lucky and a couple have even been diagnosed with amoebas. (all fairly normal and easily curable) It's amazing how comfortable we have become talking about daily experiences with our gastrointestinal tracts. We basically have no shame :)

I've come to the conclusion that at some point I will get Dengue fever. It's not as serious/deadly as one may think (I learned this in my "Malaria, Dengue, and Chagas Disease" training session) but it's rather prevalent here and certainly sucks to go through. Oh well, at least I will have a cool disease to tell stories about when I'm older.

As for my work, I have several projects I'm working on right now. The major one is a youth group that I formed with kids from all over the pueblo. We meet once each week and do fun activities. A lot of them are brigadistas or community health workers so they have lots of preventative health experience which is amazing given that they are all teenagers. As the weeks progress, we will be working on health announcements for the local radio station with a special emphasis on HIV/AIDS and STD's.

I will also be giving them some charlas or health presentations on topics such as vaccines and nutrition. I will also be giving at least one charla at the health center in Dolores each week and several in the two schools we have here (one's elementary and the other is middle school/high school).

Another project I'm working on is putting together and conducting a health survey for Dolores on the knowledge of community members in the prevention and treatment of diarrhea. This is one of the major health problems in this region. Educating the community about how to prevent and treat it will be likely a part of my work when I begin my 2 years of service after training.

My Spanish is coming along quite nicely. I'm in the most advanced language group so I have a bit of an advantage going into service. Even still, it was hard at first to understand a lot of what people are saying because they have their own accent and sayings which I was unfamiliar with. I know I'm getting better though because people here mistake me for a local all the time even after I open my mouth and speak :)

As for all of you that kept saying I was going to find a hot Nicaraguan to fall in love with...no such luck yet...there are certainly lots of good looking men here and many kind and intelligent ones, but I'm trying to stay as professional as I can in my community and keep that aspect of life called dating suppressed for the time being. :)

I got packages from my best friend and an Aunt the other day and it totally made my week...I couldn't stop smiling the rest of the afternoon. So keep sending me letters and cards!!! The address is located below. If you can't write by regular mail, send me an email...it's equally spirit lifting.

Well I hope all is well at home. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers as you are all in mine :)

Hasta pronto.

Hello all! I have arrived safe and sound in Nicaragua. I have been going through orientation and some basic training the past couple of days. I also met with the medical staff and got a rabies shot (ouch!). I will be in Granada until Saturday and then will be moving in with my training period host family for 3 months. Nicaragua so far has been great. The country, though very poor, is full of life and beauty. I can't wait to see all of the amazing and unique sites and to get started working in my community. Nicaraguans are very very kind and so far I am really enjoying to get to know them and my fellow trainees (there are 20 others in my group). The food here is pretty tasty. I've had chicken on skewers, gallo pinto (beans and rice), steak, a yummy Nicaraguan fish, new vegetables, and fresh fruit (to die for). It seems I will be eating a well balanced and tasty diet while here.

There is constantly salsa, reggeaton, and other latin music playing so that makes me very happy. Oh and from my orientation hotel I can see a giant lake and volcanos not to mention palm trees. The weather is very warm during the day and muggy, but really perfect in the early morning and after 7pm or so. I am thoroughly enjoying it. getting to know the other trainees has been wonderful because we have so much in common - interests in global issues and health, public health, medicine, and even latin dancing! I feel like I really got lucky with my placement. well I don't have much time so I'll write more later. Hope all is well back home.

Alison

Here's my address for the first few months I'm in Nicaragua. Don't send anything too heavy or I may have to pay fees when it arrives. Do send me letters, music cd's, pictures, and anything else that will make me smile.

Alison Lima, PCT

Voluntario del Cuerpo de Paz

Apartado Postal 3256

Managua, Nicaragua

Central America

Hello All. This site is for me to post my thoughts, experiences, and insights before and during my Peace Corps experience in Nicaragua. As of January 11th I will be training for 3 months as a community health educator in-country. I'm excited, nervous, and all of the other crazy emotions that come with taking a giant step in the right (but rather unpredictable) direction.

I've contacted 2 other Nicaragua trainess Carly and Bill (he's just finishing training) and have heard of another girl Erin who is supposedly also in my trainee group. It feels nice to already have a network of contacts/future friends.

If anyone else is going to Nicaragua in January or afterward, please let me know. It's always good to keep in touch. Check back for more posts.