Mother’s Day doesn’t come around in Nicaragua until May 30th but Nicas have the right idea and celebrate mothers for the entire month. And moms deserve it…at least an entire month. Even though I’m away from my mom this Mother’s Day, I think my time away has helped me realize the pure and awesome "amazingness" that she is. Though I’m all the way in Jinotega, she has made sure that home does not feel so far. I’m never short of moisturizers, chocolate covered matzo, or games and crafts because she never fails at getting a package out to me just when I need it. I’ve called her with good news and with sad news, and no matter what the topic, I always come away feeling better than I did before talking to her. Her support has helped me to finish my Peace Corps service, for a while I didn’t think I could or that I wanted to…but even though I know she would have preferred it if I just came home, her support made it ok to stay. Sometimes I don't think she realizes just how important she is to me.I love you and miss you, mom and cant wait to see you in July!

To GRANDmoms too!...To moms we're really missing...To surrogate moms taking care of us when we're away from home...

To lots of moms for holding big families together... So let’s take a cue from Nicaragua and continue celebrating moms for the entire month of May…because aren’t moms just the best.

so sue me for running with a theme....but give me some credit for switching up the type of bean.

i’m not one of those people who depend on my daily cup of coffee. i don’t need it, but oddly enough i admire those addicts who get more jazzed over a fine caffeine rich brew than i get over just about anything these days (yes, im bored and jaded with nicaragua, couldn't you tell)...but I certainly do love to savor a bitter cup, black, when the mood strikes. And after living in coffee country for the past two years, i know more about the little bean than i ever thought possible. The department of Jinotega produces some of Nicaragua’s highest quality coffee beans (if you like Peet’s Coffee, you might be familiar) and it is BIG business. November-March is harvest time and people will literally drop everything to participate, uprooting families and transplanting from coffee farm to coffee farm across northern Nicaragua. Money rains down from the mountains. Coffee is a big deal.And we all love coffee. We all drink coffee. And we’re all left with coffee grounds. My mom always throws it out onto the flowers in front of our house in NY and I knew for this reason it works great as a fertilizer. But within used coffee grounds lies a wealth of practical and valuable applications.My favorite: I take a big scoop out of the bottom of my French press and scrub that lovely caffeine filled grime all over my face. FACIAL SCRUB. Smoothes, softens, and revitalized my sun-torched skin. Use them in brown hair too, to give it a lovely deep coffee sheen. Just be careful and try to catch the grounds before they go down the drain, large quantities of coffee grounds will clog it!

I’ve figured out the equation for making amazing bean burgers while living here (cant get away from beans! So instead of having rice and beans all day every day, I’ve done a lot of experimenting). They are easy and healthy and you can make them with whatever you happen to have in your pantry. Here is the general equation and some of my favorite combinations…again, no measurements:

Mashed Beans + Finely Chopped (sautéed if you want) Vegetables + Egg + Carbohydrate Binder + Seasonings

Lentils

+

CarrotsOnionsGarlic

+

Egg

+

Brown Rice

+

Curry PowderGaram MasalaSalt/PepperRed Pepper Flakes

Black Beans + OnionsGarlicPeppers + Egg + Bread Crumbs + Taco SeasoningOr…CuminRed Pepper FlakesSalt/Pepper

Red Beans

+ OnionsGarlic + Egg + Oats + Italian SeasoningSalt/Pepper

Just mash everything together (if you have a food processor, just throw everything in minus the egg…throw that in later). Keep adding the carbohydrate of your choice until the mixture has a good dense consistency that can easily be formed into patties. I use ground oats for the most healthful option, but I’ve also used matzo meal (a lovely Passover gift from my mom!). If you’re using brown rice, you might need to add some extra breadcrumbs or oats to soak up the excess moisture.

Form into patties and coat with a little more bread crumbs/oats/etc. and let set in the fridge for about 20 minutes.These patties can be sautéed in a pan, but I prefer to bake them. Put them on a lightly greased cooking sheet and bake at 350 until golden brown, turning the patties over after about 15 minutes. Patties will take about 30 minutes to cook, but check them as they go.

It’s mango and avocado season now in Nicaragua, and though I unfortunately overdosed on mango last year and cant stand the sight of them this time around, it’s still a gastronomically exciting time here. Produce is hitting some wonderfully low prices and even strawberries and blackberries are making an appearance in the market here in Jinotega.

Unfortunately we can’t enjoy this bounty all year round, so I’ve developed some staple recipes for tomatoes, onions, and beans…crops that can be found all year round. Gallo pinto (pictured to the left: rice and beans) is the dish of choice for Nicas...I make a lot of chili, but recently it has just been too hot to want to eat chili, so I decided to make this chili themed bean salad that I really encourage you to try (measurements are not relevant for this or really any of my recipes):

Black beans (I used black beans since they were cheaper that day at the market, about $0.40/pound. Black beans stay at low prices here since Nicas, well, just don’t like them, but this recipe would be good with red beans too) 'Plain Yogurt 'Chopped tomatoes (I bought 4 pounds of tomatoes for $0.50 the other day! I had to figure out something to do with all those tomatoes) 'Chopped onions 'Optional: chopped ANYTHING else, I used cucumbers last time 'Seasoning: Salt, pepper, cumin, smoked paprika

Mix together, smash up the beans a little, and enjoy. The cumin gives it that good smoky chili flavor, but there is no cooking involved (unless you’re using dry beans).

more food/beauty tips to come...

Up until this point my “blog” has been a scarce spattering of musings and activity updates about my life as a peace corps volunteer here in Jinotega. Well, I got bored and you got bored…yadda yadda yadda things are new and different here yadda yadda so rewarding and challenging yadda yadda look at this cute little Nicaraguan child in a third world setting yadda. So when I was chatting with elyse last night and telling her that she just had to try conditioning her hair with coconut oil, she proposed I start putting some useful information like this on the interwebs. So I’d like to share some of my beauty and cooking experiments and successes from my time here in Nicaragua. They should be useful to a whole lot of people on a budget and looking to improve their body (I’d say that just about describes, well, everyone). Nicaragua has taught me many things, not the least of which is how to take care of myself on the cheap. I’ve lost about 10 pounds here and my skin and hair have never looked or felt better. I’ll attribute some of the success to Mother Nature and sunshine, but I’ve also managed to get creative with my diet and beauty regimens. I’d like to start sharing my findings, none of which are avant-garde, but I’ll give my personal testimony from Nicaragua to the affordability, ease, and accessibility of the products and recipes....starting with: COCONUT OIL I’ve been on somewhat of a bender lately telling all of my girlfriends and family about the wonder that is coconut oil. I was recently turned on to this beauty secret in a bottle by my friend Jill. We stopped into a small shop on the beach in San Juan del Sur where she picked up a recycled wine bottle full of virgin coconut oil, hand-pressed in the east coast of Nicaragua. After a day spent poolside, full of sun and cocktails (every so often we like to pretend not bound to our own reality of a ~$30/month discretionary spending budget) we were fully crisped and popped the cork on the coconut oil. I’ve been hooked ever since. I went and bought my own bottle the very next day (my friend Kristen and I split a 800ml bottle that cost $25, more than I would spend normally on anything here in Nicaragua, but considering facial moisturizers cost about $15 for a tiny little tub here, it really was a reasonable price…especially since a little bit of oil goes much farther than the same amount of lotion). It has quickly become my very favorite beauty product. It is all natural, locally made, and smells delightfully of toasted coconut. Here are my recommendations for buying/using coconut oil: - Buy virgin or extra virgin coconut oil. Coconut oil solidifies at a certain temp, so all of you not blessed to live in the tropics, you might find it for sale in its solid form. Just dip the container in some hot water to liquefy it for use. - I use it as a body and facial moisturizer. It gets fully absorbed into your skin so just give it a minute or so and you will not be left feeling greasy at all. My skin tends to be on the oily side and I’m prone to breakouts, but the coconut oil has not irritated it at all. A lot of moisturizers have coconut oil as an ingredient, but why waste your money on all the extra ingredients and chemicals when the pure, all-natural oil does the trick. - ***Hair Conditioning*** This is my favorite use for coconut oil. Comb a healthy amount into your hair at night before you go to bed. Put your hair up in a bun and let the oil soak in and work its magic overnight. After you wash your hair in the morning, you will find shinier, softer, more beautiful hair! I do this about twice a week now. My curls are less frizzy and can handle the Nicaraguan heat and humidity better than ever before. I have about 3 months left (gracias a Dios) and am desperately trying to maintain a certain level of productivity, both professionally and personally, during this time. So I will try to post at least one tip/recipe a week now until I leave. If you still find yourself interested in what life is like in Nicaragua and/or how my work here is going, email me and i'll give you an update, but after two years I honestly cant think of anything new or interesting worth posting. Life is life, lived in any country, with the same tumult you could imagine or see with your own eyes. I live it in a different language, under a blazing sun, but with you just the same.

so i have been working all year with a group of high school seniors in their entrepreneurship class. 13 student business groups were formed and last week they presented their hard work. the fair was a definitely a success...success defined here as "the fair happened." the journey was tough, but I felt such pride listening them to present everything they had learned during the year, watching them sell their products, and having the whole school participate.things here certainly arent all calamity...

one night during training I decided to number the weekly calendar in my day planner with all the days I had been and will be in Nicaragua. There were some long boring stretches during training. Recently while I was in the peace corps office in Managua, I was scheduling and rescheduling several activities when I realized, !*$%, I’ve been in Nicaragua for exactly 500 days. That called for some serious reflection. Here’s what I’ve learning, 500 days is TON of time, maybe too much. Maybe I should have left things sweet at 400. But 500. On my 500th day in Nicaragua, I realized just how much I have learned and grown. How worlds away my mindset is now from what it was on day 1. As my dad says, I’ve lost a lot of my idealism. This is true. I’ve lost a lot here since day 1. Lost inspiration and motivation. Lost a certain degree of hope for change. Lost a bit of the belief I once had in the Peace Corps as a whole. This is hard work. Or let me rephrase, the “work” isn’t necessarily hard work, but life here is hard work. What I’ve learned in 500 days is that to be a Peace Corps volunteer you need more dedication, more motivation, more support than in most other jobs, if only to get out of bed in the morning. Just “going” “doing” “being” is work. So I worked and I went and I did and I was…and it was tough yet totally possible and fully rewarding. Only when I found myself being completely stripped of a support system did I realize how trying this work was. 500 days is a lot of time. And I have gained much more than I lost. While my mindset my be, well, more “realistic” my life has been so incredibly enriched. I know now that I am one of the lucky ones. I have a family that loves and supports me no matter what. My close friends would do anything for me and vice versa. I have more love in my life than anyone really deserves. (unfortunately, most of it is in another country). Hey, I speak Spanish now, and that’s awesome too. I’ve done a lot of good work here in the past 500 days. Im working harder now on making the rest of my time here, however long it is, the best it can be. Therefore, I’ve been keeping a list of things that make me happy, here are 500 of them (or as close to 500 as I could get…maybe closer to 100…please comment and add to the list things that make u happy…maybe we can get to 500). **not in order of importance (minus number 1 maybe) 1. mom, dad, elyse

2. my dog ziggy

3. my friends

4. the gals

5. big dancing

6. coffee

7. denise austin workouts

8. eggplant

9. extended family

10. the jersey shore

11. the jersey shore (the TV show)

12. levi jeans

13. rainbows

14. mountains

15. skyscrapers

16. new mascara

17. languages

18. good music

19. bad music

20. pretty shoes

21. peanut butter and jelly

22. wearing brown and black together

23. washers

24. dryers

25. hot water

26. grapes

27. apples

28. apple picking

29. pumpkins

30. pumpkin picking

31. soy products

32. graffiti

33. smiles

34. chocolate

35. yoga

36. ballet

37. family dinners

38. laughing

39. Ziploc bags

40. Indian food

41. thunderstorms

42. dishing

43. spending money

44. saving money

45. talking to friends

46. strawberries

47. scarves

48. sharpie markers

49. surfers

50. spain

51. Spanish food

52. wine

53. flamenco

54. hippies

55. jippis

56. purple

57. lady gaga

58. dove soap

59. klean kanteens

60. gear

61. hot corn tortillas

62. frijoles molidos

63. people watching

64. kayaking

65. reading

66. yogurt

67. holding hands

68. hugs

69. cooking

70. experimenting

71. chai

72. jokes

73. cooking shows

74. bagels and lox

75. being barefoot

75 was all I had the patience for…keep it going.

Rainy season is here in force. Roads are flooded. Skies are grey. Things are just expected to get worse. Please bring back my lovely central American sunshine. I haven’t showered in ::cough::incomprehensible number::cough:: days because it has been so cold here and being dirty just seems better than taking an icy cold shower. Here’s a vegetable soup recipe that has been sustaining me for the past few days- nothing new or innovative, but delicious: 2 large onions chopped 5 small carrots sliced into coins 4-5 large celery stalks 1 cup dried lentils 1 cup chopped squash 1 tbsp. salt black pepper and parsley flakes for seasoning 1 tbsp. olive oil 1.5 liters of water sauté onions carrots and celery in olive oil with half of the salt. Cook for 5-10 minutes until they become translucent. Add water, more salt, pepper, parsley flakes. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 1 hour. Check to see if the seasoning is correct. Add lentils, let cook for 15 minutes. Add squash, let cook for 15 more minutes. Good to go. New recipe I’m experimenting with 1 cup quinoa 3 cloves garlic 1 eggplant lots of fresh spinach olive oil ½ cup plain yogurt 1 tbsp. curry powder pinch of salt black pepper red pepper flakes cook quinoa with salt and 1 clove of garlic in the water. Apart: Sauté spinach, eggplant, and 2 cloves garlic in olive oil with a pinch of salt. Add yogurt, curry powder, red pepper flakes and pepper, let cook for a bit. Put eggplant and spinach mixture over quinoa. UPDATE: I was NOT happy with how this quinoa dish came out. If you want to experiment and give me some tips let me know, it was kind of flavorless. Coming soon: student business fairs…reading circles...

Someone, somewhere coined that phrase about peace corps. Ask the me of 3 weeks ago and I’d agree. But that was lifetimes ago, and I find myself realizing it’s certainly not the “job” I love. The job is a job…is a job. I go to work. I come home from work. I worry about work. I’m frustrated by work. I could do that anywhere in the world. Not to mention, I work for the united states government and though we are buffered from most things “political,” everything else that u might imagine going along with working for the government, well, does. No, no, it’s not the work. I thought maybe it was the adventure. New and exotic. Places to explore. Doing something different. The foreignness of it all. The delicate balance between altruism and hedonism that only other peace corps volunteers could ever understand. Quickly though, I realized that adventure could turn hostile. Nicaragua quickly turned hostile. Without going into the details of accusations, investigations, and interrogations, the adventure turned nightmarish, and I felt like I just was not wanted here anymore. It was something I never, in all of my dreams of a peace corps future, could have imagined. Things seemed to be crumbling. Then the ground fell out beneath me, and your finding me here in this blog, still falling. I’ll reassure for friends and family at home that my physical wellbeing is fine. Unfortunately, for a variety of different reasons, several members of my peace corps group, Nica50, including some of my closest friends (not just from Nicaragua, but in the world, in the universe) are now back stateside. It hurts how much I miss and worry about some of them. We were, we are family. I wish that everyone and no one had to realize what I did. I realized it was the people that make this experience everything that it is. Oh, “duh” you say. So I wont delve into the mushy or obvious. This is a realization of the luck I have in my life to have the strongest, funniest, greatest, prettiest, most wonderful friends. Period (written out for emphasis). I’d put my group of friends up against any of yours. Any day. So if I had to, or decided to end my experience here in Nicaragua earlier than expected, I’d leave with that. Now im back in Jinotega, where nothing has changed really, but everything feels different. And I will leave you to navigate the labyrinth of this truly nebulous blog as I navigate that of regaining the faith I once had in what I was doing. Suerte.

of work, fun, frustrations, nicaland, etc.

- Entrepreneurship classes at the high school are going...maybe not well but going. there isnt much sanctity to class time in nicaragua, so my students are about a month behind in our course due to: earth day, mothers day, international day of the book, international women's day, impromptu teacher conferences, census work, rain, etc. but the kids are hilarious and im happy to be there catching them up.

- Intro to small business classes with my adult students...fun, fine, will end in july and i think i'll have lots more free time.

- just started taking aerobics classes at a gym in jinotega with my sitemate lauren, a new PC health volunteer. every weeknight from 630 to 730 i am witness to the hilarity of a 20 something, hot shot instructor high kicking and flexing while 20 or so nica women try desperately to follow along. semi-required attire for the class:

- finishing up a 2 month marketing workshop with a group of university students at an NGO in town. group started at 8, now we're down to 2. cant complain to much tho, if those two keep showing up, so will i. they have requested a human resources workshop next, we shall see.

- it's rainy season now, flies and mosquitoes, and therefore diarrhea and dengue are out in full force. aside from one wrenching and retching 24 hours spent in my bathroom, i have been spared the worst of it. at least the rain has brightened the mountains to a lovely hue of green once again after the brown summer months.

- starting what looks to be a promising business advising project wit nt women who come into the bigger cities to give birth at the hospitals. they provide them with a place to sleep, some food, and education sessions on things such a sexual rights, domestic violence, breast feeding, etc.) they are looking to start some new income generating activities and im gonna try to make sure they arent losing money in the process.

- the new small business peace corps group arrived about a month ago, weird to not be the new kid in town anymore. been contemplating this 1 year in country mark a lot lately. its a crappy place to be at first. asking what have i done? what can i do? did i really do that? whered my sanity run off to? but its also a nice little accomplishment, and i do believe year two will be just as delightful and delirious as the first.

- went back to america to celebrate my grandma's 90th birthday. got to see friends and family and it was just the most wonderful :)

- still teaching a wonderful little weekly english class to a group of 6 university students. last week we played simon says to practice the body parts.

installment two of my little photo project with juan carlos...

when left to their own devices what do nicaraguan boys find more interesting than anything else, why baseball of course.

so i have started working/mentoring/meeting with this boy named Juan Carlos here in my site. i met him a few months ago through a couple from California who was here working with the organization Circulo de Amiga (an NGO i think i've mentioned in previous blogs). After they left they asked if i could continue to work or check up on him. i've just started meeting with him, so we'll call what i hope to be a continuous blog series, the Juan Carlos Photo Project. I dont like to take pictures, he does, so i gave him a little job, show my family and friends at home where i live. hopefully every few weeks i'll have a few new pictures. I'm also working with him on some basic photo editing in iPhoto, here's what we got so far:

juan carlos went up to a town called San Rafael de Norte, a little north of jinotega, and took some pictures of a lovely church there...

here are a few photos of his two younger brothers and mother, he is the oldest of 6 kids...

im still trying to find somewhere with fast enough internet to upload my video tour of jinotega, so far no luck, but the search goes on.

here's a quick video tour of where i live in nicaragua. the picture quality isn't so great, and neither are my film editing skills (i'll leave that to elyse) but i guess you can get a little better idea of the life i'm living here.

p.s. video content was taken by my counterpart who was working on a project about waste management for a class. as we all know, peace corps volunteers are not allowed on motorcycles.

…Lived in a world of utter extremes? Gone from scorching hot to freezing cold? Blissful to depressed to hopeless to laughing harder than you thought was ever possible? Where having a freshly made, still hot tortilla can make you smile all day, and a simple misunderstanding or missed opportunity is nothing short of devastating? Not really been sure if you LOVED or HATED something/someone/somewhere

…Manifested these extremes with only the simplest qualifiers? Where everything is either the most or the best or the least or the worst. Superlatives for the world. With nothing in between, except perhaps for the bizarre.

…Operated on HIGH…always? When everything is important, life altering, impactful…and you find love quick, frustration even quicker, confusion of course…

…Existed with seemingly no restrictions or consequences? And you and only you are responsible for setting these nebulous, impossible, irrelevant boundaries. And you and only you can enforce them. And only if you want to. And who cares if you push or even demolish them.

…Acted completely recklessly, stupidly, but never had more fun? And in doing so, recognized a lack of faith even when “Dios quiere” was the mantra that got you there

…Spent most waking moments battling entirely opposing emotions, each felt with equal force? So you can’t help but question you own sanity…always.

…Been closer to and farther from your dearest loved ones simultaneously?

…Felt foreign?…always?...been early? always?

…Tried to build meaningful and consequential relationships in a different language? When even superficial chit chat can be a struggle. And then succeeded in doing so? And then broke it…

…Realized the knot in your throat and the water behind you eyes at the sight of an impossibly beautiful sunset? From total, unpolluted, never-before-felt, purest of pure awe

…Experienced, in your own joints, the strain of trees as they reach for the sun?

…Climbed through the clouds in a school bus?

…Changed more in 10 months than 24 years?

…Explored?

i guess that's what peace corps will do.

(ps. just got my camera back, working on the video tour)

the new year has really just begun for me, I’ll call December and January a “lull” in my peace corps service, as it is summer vacation at the schools and at best I can say I was bored, at worst it was nearing melancholy. The transition from 2009 to 2010 has really been pulling at all of my emotional and irrational strings. It ended and began in saying adios to my students, a wild trip to the beach, a bittersweet trip back to New York, a final upheaval of our entrepreneurship curriculum, the end of a tumultuous relationship and now finally the dust is starting to settle.

In talking business, January brought lots news for the small business program here in Nicaragua. The ministry of education has finally adapted peace corps’ entrepreneurship course (formerly called “la empresa creativa”) into the national curriculum. This means that every senior in every high school in Nicaragua will be required to pass a course entitled entrepreneurship in order to graduate. It has been the goal of the small business program since the inception of La Empresa Creativa, so we all feel the excitement. It doesn’t really impact my work, aside from the fact that I am working with older students (which after 2 weeks of classes is proving to be a blessing; seems that the extra two years of school bring with them a maturity that any teacher can be thankful for…ie. I don’t want smash my head against a wall after each class). Fortunately I am working with my same counterpart from last year. We haven’t really gotten into the swing of things as she was out of town for a workshop during the first week of actual classes, but that just gave me some quality time with the kids.

Also, at the end of January Peace Corps held a 3-day leadership and entrepreneurship camp for our students. Each small business volunteer got to bring 2 students to Selva Negra, a hotel/nature reserve/organic farm about 15 miles south of my city. I co-facilitated 2 sessions, one on Leadership and what defines a leader, and the other on good listening skills and maintaining a positive attitude. All of the kids seemed to have a great time. For many it was the first time they were away from their parents overnight, or away from their hometown in general. There was even a campfire complete with s’mores ingredients on hand.

This was the first week of classes at the adult school I work at, so we are just working on introductions at this point. No updates there, aside from the fact that I am happy to be back.

I have laid the groundwork of what could be a really fun side project for me. At the end of January one of my bosses came up to Jinotega for me second site visit. While she was here she wanted to observe a class/workshop/training, and since my classes at the high school hadn’t begun, I worked with a local NGO and had a session with a group of high school and college girls. A few girls approached me after the session expressing their interest in continuing, so now I am working on making it a series of marketing workshops.

The weather is getting HOT here in Jinotega, and supposedly just going to get hotter as the summer wears on. I guess the cool mountain air couldn’t stick around forever, I am in central America and should probably get used to the heat, though the browning mountainsides aren’t nearly as comforting a sight as the lush green of November. I used to go for walks when I was stressed or needed to clear my head, but now the outdoors just aren’t as appealing. Rumor has it there is a pool in Jinotega, so I am on a mission to check that out.

be on the lookout for a video tour of jinotega, i'll be posting it soon.

No, i just havent had anything interesting to say really. I’m facing what I’d call my three month slump…well, plateau more so than slump. I’ve settled in. I’ve met people. things are familiar, but still foreign. I’ve stopped being any sort of novelty, most people don’t realize im a gringa anyway. people have stopped reaching out. I’m used to life. im succumbing to the lonely side of living in a “city”, and I felt this way while living in boston, the ol’ lots-of-people-around-but-I’m-still-alone feeling, and I really don’t like it. so I am on the hunt for new projects. I have a few organizations that I am looking to speak with in the near future. especially as the school year is ending here, if I don’t make something new happen, December and January will not only be boring, but I’d be letting down myself and Peace Corps. and I need to do something to get myself out of my own head! which is where I am trapped. which is where the lack of blogging stems. all of my thoughts are stuck, or blurry, or manifest themselves in the really absurd dreams I’ve been having lately, full of giant psychedelic millipedes, where the settings are almost always airports, restaurants or hotels, and strangers, that is, mostly new and imagined faces populate the stories. I wont delve much further into my own scary grey matter. My love life is just about the only interesting, or at least ever-changing, I dare say complicated situation. and while it does a good job at occupying my thoughts, I’d much rather be focusing my energy into my work than trying to translate text messages and untangle the thoughts and intentions of Nicaraguan guys. three months is too soon for the banality to sink in, right? I know there is more to discover, and I know my own disposition to laziness has added to this slump. plateau? whatever. it is something I am trying to work on here. I’ve also recently felt first hand the wrath of projects falling apart. and it is terribly disappointing. my aspiring business owner has seemingly disappeared. ballet class has been delayed. I expected it, they told us to during training, projects fall apart, people lose interest, priorities shift, it happens more often than not. so I am not surprised or heartbroken, just disappointed, and trying to figure out what to do differently next time.

So I am on my way to niquinohomo tomorrow for a weeklong peace corps language workshop. I think it will help bring some me back to some sort of “sensicality”(did you know that though nonsensical is a word, sensical is not? and I think that should change); the closest thing to going home as I can find here. I can escape for a little bit from the inanity, from this feeling of being used, and do something productive. I cant wait to see my nica family. They have called me every month since I moved to Jinotega, just to check in. I am so thankful for them.

I think I will make stuffed peppers for dinner tonight. Oh, I guess since my last blog I have moved. I now rent a room with a different old lady. I can use the kitchen to make my own food, which has improved my QOL immensely. The woman is just precious, little, and has this sweet little voice resulting from her dentures that don’t quite fit her correctly. Among the other tenants are two teachers; a girl about my age with her 3 year old daughter who has the most hilarious laugh and spends all day calling at her mom, “¡Mamiiii! ¡Mamiiii!....te amo,” it really couldn’t be more adorable; a young guy who works at the gym and lets me go for free; and Beau from the Bronx, a retired guy who I can get my Yankees updates from in between talks with me parents. I feel a lot less lonely here, it’s very comfortable. And I have my own bathroom. I would upload photos of the new place, but I cant seem to locate my memory card reader, so those pictures will stay stuck on my camera for a while longer. You’ll also get to see my room flooded with about 1 inch of water after a torrential downpour that just overloaded the drains here (fortunately I was home and nothing but my floor got wet). Oh, and a giant caterpillar, look forward to that too.

And so should you. As I lay in bed, listening to the drunks outside my house belt out…well, i dont know exactly what, ranchero maybe, could be a mangled version of some 80s power ballad that they love so much here in nicaragua, i just finished watching a TED talk by William Kamkwamba, a young man from Malawi who brought himself and his family electricity and water by constructing windmills outside his home. he was entirely self-taught, garnering his knowledge from the few physics and energy books he could get his hands on (this was actually a follow-up presentation and my second introduction to William, as he gave his first TED talk two years ago; he makes an impact each time). I love his story. It gives me faith in the human mind and spirit. It emboldens the confidence I have for development in Africa (in another TED talk, one presenter claims that by the end of this decade there will emerge an Einstein out of Africa, and my bet is now on William Kamkwamba). (another side note: yes, I have been watching tons of TED talks as they are the fasting loading video podcasts I can get on my slow and sporadic wireless connection). It gives a short pang to my heart that I am here and not there with peace corps. I am hopeful that the same spirit exists here in Nicaragua.

Perhaps it is. The other week, the director of the school I work at here in Jinotega approached me asking if I might be able to translate a document for him. So I said, sure, id take a look. Then I was handed a 45 page manual on how to construct a wind turbine. I’m still staring at it, wondering how I can make this 45 page document, written in English, relevant to this school (and also wondering why the group from the United States who came to build the first turbine would leave this 45 page document with a group of people who do not speak a word of English).

I also wonder if this killer headache of mine will ever go away, if the boy I am tutoring in english will ever grasp the “th” sound, if my high school students will ever take me seriously, if I’ll ever digest the mass quantities of tortillas I have been eating, if I’ll ever have a fluid conversation in Spanish, if cindy lauper really is as amazing as Nicaraguans believe.

So I am going use this crush I have on William Kamkwamba, and believe, just believe, and maybe he’ll notice and we can run away to Africa together in August 2011.

Been getting busier here with work, but still finding time to get some reading in...here are my reviews and reflection:

The Irreversible Revolution by Shane Claiborne

I would recommend this to any Christian looking to point their religion in a productive and loving direction. Just a touch self-righteous and naïve, but with a big heart. Some good tips on sustainable living.

Rumi in a Nutshell

Excerpts from Islamic philosopher and poet Rumi. Eh, nothing very inspiring. Main message: be learned and do good.

The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut

The longer I sit and ruminate on this book, the closer I feel to tears, and I’m not quite sure why. Told with the cunning wit and creativity that is Vonnegut, it's my favorite of his so far. He speaks of love, greed, foolishness, God, beauty, a perfect world, the meaning of life.

Child of the Dark by Carolina Maria de Jesus

Signet Classic version has a dumb, irrelevant cover for this book. It is the diary of a poor black mother in the slums of São Paolo in the 1950s. It is raw, no flowery language, some fleeting characters, worth your time.

Tortilla Curtain by TC Boyle

A compelling story following two opposing couples: a pair of suburban whiteys and two struggling illegal Mexican immigrants. I think Boyle’s writing style is too obvious. Go read it, enjoy the story and the insight, but try not to be distracted by the blaring stereotypes.

So the United States does not necessarily have a history of youth respecting their elders. It’s not part of our culture, or lack there of. I have always admired my grandparents. My grandma Pearl was the most elegant woman I’ve known. Grandma Skip, she’s a spitfire, the matriarch, and at almost 90 years old she might be more active than me. Grandpa Harry is quite the character; he’s got strong opinions and a strong will. Even with these influences in my life, I can’t say I’ve been put too much thought into respecting my elders.

This Peace Corps experience is certainly expanding my outlook. There are four older volunteers in my group of 33 that arrived in May. And as some of the young folks have left for a variety of reasons, these four are holding strong. And they amaze me. One left behind his wife, his life, to follow his dream. Their courage and motivation are immense.

In this past week, I have connected with 3 older (older than me that is, not retirees just yet, I’m thinking late 50s early 60s in age, I just can’t think of a less loaded word than “old”) people. One woman just came on vacation with a Nicaraguan friend of hers. And she fell in love with the place. And road in the bed of a pickup truck. Her exact quote is that coming to Nicaragua is “better than Disney.” And no offense Allie and Pam, but I agree :P She also introduced me to someone who she was helping with English. As she left, I have taken over. He’s really bright, and we’re working on pronunciation, because that seems like the hardest part for most people studying English here. Many times even if people speak some English, I can’t understand a word they say because of pronunciation problems. So that’s a new side project I’ve started. I enjoy working one on one with someone, it’s a nice break from working with classes of 30-40 students.

I also had the pleasure of meeting a couple who has been coming to Jinotega every summer for the past few years working with an NGO called Círculo de Amigas. They are so motivated, and have done a ton for the community this NGO works in. Though from California, I must say I’d have pegged them for Midwesterners, maybe from Minnesota. Pretty unsuspecting. People who I could definitely see sponsoring a child in a foreign country, but maybe have never and will never leave the U.S. And I would be WRONG. They wore fanny packs and spoke broken Spanish, but the love and caring that they have for this organization and the people it supports is just incredible. They are definitely not in it for the tax write-off. One of their projects that I found particularly interesting is the films they make about the projects Círculo de Amigos is involved with. Starting as a video to give to donors showing where their money was going, the project has grown. They train kids (~10yrs to 17) to use all of the equipment they have, cameras, lighting, etc. And the kids help write the scripts. And they are of course the stars. These short films have won awards at film festivals and have been shown on Nicaraguan television. Can you imagine the excitement of a 12 year old Nicaraguan (and they work with children in a very very poor area), being trusted with expensive equipment, seeing themselves on TV?

And they completely welcomed me into their enthusiasm. Through them I will be starting two new and exciting projects. This organization works with a group of women who crochet recycled plastic bags into beautiful purses (they really are great, I just bought one, and not just because I’m a hippy peace corps volunteer, the stylish New Yorker in me took the lead on that decision). Right now their processes are a little sluggish and expensive, and hopefully I can provide some help by bringing some ideas to make it more efficient.

Now, this next project I am the most excited about. Just the most. The details haven’t been worked out yet, but hopefully by the end of September, maybe October I will start to teach a ballet class to the young girls in the organization! EEEEP! I’m kvelling. I need to start investigating the possibilities of getting a ballet barre made. But in reality, one of the best aspects of this is that no additional resources are needed. The girls can take the class in socks, or barefoot. And most of the names of positions and moves are in French anyway, so the pressure of translating shouldn’t be too heavy. I have the entire nutcracker soundtrack on my computer, so that is a place to start, but here is a:

***CALL TO ACTION*** If you have some time and would like to download or purchase a CD of ballet class music to send to me, that would be AWESOME. Sending it in a padded envelop shouldn’t be too expensive. I have a new address, a PO box here, check the side bar →.

So anyway. I’m feeling rejuvenated by the energy these older people, (guh, people with more life experience? Professionals? If you asked me to describe them, I wouldn’t say old.) have brought to Jinotega.

Adios mi amor.

chica bonita, la mujer más linda.

Wouldn’t it be lovely? To hear these words. Whispered to you. Everyday.

How romantic. Well, I do hear these words…whispered to me…everyday. And no, I haven’t found a nica boy. And no, I don’t feel special at all, since every other woman here in Jinotega hears these same words…whispered to them…everyday. So here it is, one month into service and I have finally been pushed to the breaking point on Nicaraguan cat calling. I used to walk with my eyes up and head held high, but I find myself staring at the sidewalk more and more. Avoiding eye contact doesn’t make a difference though, except for the fact that I don’t have to remember what the creep looked like. The men here have a way of making you feel completely naked walking down the street. They wait until you take one step past them, your back now facing them, to hiss whatever “romantic” slur they’ve come up with, letting you know that they are still looking as you walk away, rigid now, trying desperately not to swish your hips, which is tough for a hippy girl like me.

Listen, I’m pretty girly. I like to wear makeup and dresses. I like floral prints. I think the color purple is fierce. I use the word fierce. But I’m considering wearing a burlap sac accessorized with greasy hair and no make-up if it means I wont get cat-called on the street anymore. At first it made me laugh. Maybe a nervous giggle of culture shock, but still. And sometimes it still makes me laugh (I’m telling you, some of the things they come up with are outrageous). But feeling eyes on you at all times is just not comfortable. Now people will throw around the word machismo. Excuses. I don’t buy it. And this certainly isn’t an ailment of all Nica men, I have met plenty of perfectly respectful guys here. But, there is a “type” and I am worried by its omnipresence. So this is a call to all Nica dads out there, teach your sons right.

And don't worry, i have a super positive, upbeat post in the works, cuz life is great for the most part.

WOOOOOOOO It has been a rollercoaster ride indeed this whole Peace Corps thing. Been in Nicaragua over 3 months now. Uh-huhhhhhhhhhh. Miss me? Some days are certainly harder than others. And sometimes those tough days are strung together into weeks. And sometimes I am bored, or homesick, or anxious, or lonely, or all of the above. Fortunately, things have just taken off this past week, like, up-up-and-away style, and I must say it feels pretty good. In the matter of a few days, my schedule has done a complete turn-around, from mostly free time, to mostly booked. I have no one to thank more than Sarah, for sending me a moleskin day planner during my first few weeks in Nicaragua. It is turning into a lifesaver for sure.

So, what happened this week you may ask? Small things mostly. Miniscule really. I’ve been spending a lot of time with one of my students from the adult school and his family. His wife and kids are just precious. He wants to open a bakery and I will be working with him one-on-one writing a business plan. I’m so thankful for people like him who have reached out to me, brought me to their homes and made me feel like part of the community. I have also just arranged to tutor one of my other students from the adult school in English. Another one of the professors from this school has introduced me to his daughter who is studying to become an English teacher, so we are working out an intercambio of sorts, where she can practice her English and I can practice my Spanish. She is about my age and just hilarious (as is her dad, he wants me to teach him how to cuss in English). She has also promised to introduce me to her translator friend who she says is dying to befriend another native English speaker.

I’ve also been meeting more PC volunteers who live in the area, which has been a blast. I guess its hard not to be awesome if your doing Peace Corps. I feel pretty lucky to be in the city since most of the volunteers who live in the surrounding areas venture in relatively frequently. I also feel fortunate to have connected with several Americans who are down here doing volunteer work for shorter stints. I like introducing myself as the Peace Corps volunteer in Jinotega, though as of yet I couldn’t provide much assistance beyond what they already know.

What else? I put the word out that I am currently looking for a new place to live, and the response has been tremendous from my co-workers. They are dead set on finding me a good place to live at a good price. And I couldn’t be more thankful for their support and enthusiasm. I’ve been checking places out, and I think I’ve found one I really like.

I’ve adopted a new name as of late. Daina (as in Day-nuh) seems to escape many native spanish speakers, so I am now also responding to the name Diana (but Spanish style, like Dee-ah-nuh; the English Die-anna will never be my name). So that’s kinda fun…in a really broad definition of the word fun. Along with my new name, I’ve been drinking Nicaraguan tap water for almost a month now and no problems to speak of. I’ve been listening to reggaeton almost exclusively lately. And I wore an outfit the other day that eerily resembled something Lucrecia wore on an episode of Mi Pecado. I guess I’m adapting.

get to know my new home:

moutains everywhere

this was about 2pm on a wednesday:

the most successful bake sale ive ever seen:

view of jinotega from la peña de la cruz

another PCV jeffrey at the top of the cross

my turn:

that hike was tough and on the way down it started to rain and the steep paths turned, well, to mud, slippery slippery mud. it was pretty hilarious though. a group from an evangelical church helped us down. i stumbled a few times, got my clothes pretty muddy, but it was a blast. overall great weekend. spent some time with one of my students and his family. feeling like im adapting, slowly but surely. feel like my spanish has taken a good step forward.

if you've been too fully engrossed in my writing and haven't checked out the right hand side of your screen, i suggest you do so now. i have links to the blogs of my friends and family who are also doing amazing things in the world. i also recently added my address in jinotega, so you can experiment with sending me a letter directly (though i am most likely moving in a few weeks). i have also added a wish list, yes, the shameful begging of a poor peace corps volunteer for all-natural peanut butter.

I’ve taken to listening to pretty sappy music recently. Like, really sappy. Like, really bad sappy 90s classics. Topping the list has been Jewel’s Foolish Games. I didn’t even know I had it in my music library, but now that it’s been discovered, it’s climbing on the play count ranking (still has a ways to go before it tops my most played song, Shake It, by Metro Station). Celine has also risen to the top. I’ll omit reference to the select boy-band songs that have reentered my life. So I dug deep to see where this change in taste stems from. Well, not that deep. The answer is pretty superficial. I’m far away from friends and family and don’t have anyone to hug me here. And I kinda get that warm fuzzy feeling from sappy 90s songs. I’m meeting people and making friends (sort of, I’ve gone out drinking with co-workers), but how do you replace friends and family? You don’t, that’s how. You get used to it. Oh, and I’ll place partial blame for the music choices on the insomnia I’ve been suffering with as of late. Sleep deprivation make you do crazy things.

So here’s the call to action: Email me some new music! Just a few mp3 files will do the trick. Keep me hip. What’s on the radio these days? Or what do you think is an essential iTunes track. No reggaeton please.

I’ve been able to swipe some spotty wireless recently in house here in Jinotega, go figure. The following link is therefore brought to you by this recent development, your thoughts of “shouldn’t Daina be out practicing her Spanish,” and the letter F (for fierce): advancedstyle.blogspot.com (you’re welcome, trust me)

I taught my first class WITH a counterpart this week. Guess what? It went WAYYYYY better than the classes I gave on my own. DUH. My counterpart can give all of the cultural contexts and anecdotes that totally escape me. She also has the authority. They stay quiet for her. I’m just the silly gringa speaking broken Spanish. They compliment my outfit or earrings, ask me how to say a few things in English, and then pretty much disregard the rest. Also, the fact that I’m only a handful of years older than many of them doesn’t help. I have a 21 year old in my class of 3rd year students. Though he is probably my best student. There goes my argument out the window. I hope they learn to take this class seriously. Because it is new, less regimented, we build things out of straws, and do lots of riddles, many consider it a free period. I think if the teacher commits, they will follow suit, and it will be way easier to motivate her.

Speaking of encouraging and teaching youth, I just listened to an episode of This American Life that I found especially interesting. A brief summary of what was covered in the first act: among other things, what I want to focus on is that poor children in the United States hear something like 20 million less words in their first 3 years than middle to upper class children, and the majority of what they hear is discouraging diction. The amount of language, the pure quantity of words, that a child is exposed to in its first 3 years has a dramatic affect on its future success. I’ve heard about these studies elsewhere, but mostly in the context of standardized testing, and college acceptance, how certain kids are at a disadvantage. This podcast was about a man who was using it to break the cycle of poverty in Harlem through baby college (teaching parents in Harlem all the fancy baby things that parents in the suburbs know) and charter schools (teaching those babies when they’re no longer babies). His kids test at or above state levels. Go dude! (cant remember his name).

So here is another call to action, for myself, a goal I am setting for myself here: work with the casa materna, or casa de la mujer either getting the word out, or reading to kids. I toooooootally understand children’s books in Spanish. Maybe I’ll try to set something up with the Health volunteers here who do a lot of work with pregnant women. And hopefully, if something catches on, in 16 years or so the Peace Corps volunteers here in Nicaragua will have a MUCH easier time getting kids to pay attention in class, because during their formative years they got ahead of the game. And those volunteers will shower me with thanks, and I will nod and grin my 30-(or maybe 40)-something-year-old grin of wisdom, thinking back on my service and how insufferable the kids could be sometimes and say “no no, I just did what I thought was good at the time, you guys are the real difference makers” HAHA! I hope you’ve learned by now that I write most of these blogs in the weeeeeee hours of the night, and am prone to nonsensical outbursts. I encourage you all to track my mental state throughout the blog, and if you start to worry, please let me know, I don’t want to spiral. During training, the host sister of another PCV told us that everyone goes crazy after a few months in Nicaragua. I’ve taken heed of that warning. I do feel a tad schizophrenic here, considering I can have a full conversation in Spanish with one person, and then turn to my right and not understand a damn thing someone else is trying to say to me. Poco a poco.

Jinotega:

I am grateful for the diversity you offer. Homogeneity is sometimes mundane, other times a stimulus for prejudice, many times a fact of life in Nicaragua. To clarify, i am not saying all Nicaraguans looks the same, because they dont, far from it; I am speaking of homogeneity in the sense of everyone looking similar from the back of their head (and I realize that statement may have convoluted as opposed to clarified). When I sat on buses in Masaya, I was witness to a sea of brown-black hair, framing faces with sharp features, sitting atop of miniature bodies, in similar dress, all at the same height. But Jinotega, you wouldn’t settle for such a monotony of gente. Your mountains, proximity to Honduras, cooler climate, (and american involvement with contra fighters, though i couldnt provide concrete evidence) have allowed diversity to flourish. Though quite startling at first, the site of Nicaraguan gingers (and they are the gingery-est gingers I have ever seen, even though they have pigment in their skin) is a pleasant change. There are short people, tall people, fat people, skinny people, different shades of brown hair (!!!), green eyes, brown eyes, light skin, dark skin. None is better or worse. It’s an exquisite mosaic of humanity. I found Boston’s lack of diversity insufferable…well, fully uninteresting to say the least. So I left. To come to a Latin American country where I really couldn’t have hoped for a change. So I thank you, Jinotega, for being a visual delight.

Faithfully Yours,

Daina

mine and kristen's going away festivities in niquinohomo. guess i need to close that chapter before starting this new one in jinotega.

me and my niquinohomo family :)

kristen taking a swing at the piñata

doña ivonne, being as cute as ever

PIÑATA!!

PIIIÑÑÑÑAAAATTTAAA!! :P

me and vidalia

me and carlita, keepin it real

tiger puppy...notice the stripes

the moon was out during the sunset

it was quite magical

proud that i have brought the jumping picture to the children of nicaragua

Another blog written on a weird Nicaraguan high. That sounds wrong. But I really think there is something in the air that makes me act strangely here. I kinda dance my way everywhere I go. I think staying in touch with everyone from home so often has helped keep me so…happy. I really cant express how much I love getting updates from people at home. I guess this is the biggest difference between Peace Corps circa 1960s and the present, we don’t just disappear. Hearing about your days, even if they weren’t so great, keeps me sane. Why else am I floating around in this giddiness? Great classes, mountains, I think it is also the confidence boost that is Nicaraguan men (and boys). I need to keep my ego in check if I am going to live here for 2 years. One of the funniest things I got this week was during my first class at the secondary school I am working at. I handed out a survey to my students so I could learn a little more about them and about Jinotega, leaving the last part open to any question they might have. Half of them asked me how I liked Jinotega, what kind of music I listen to, if I had a boyfriend (mostly girls asking), but the funniest question I got was “why are girls from New York so beautiful?” Let me tell you, they learn at a young age to be charmers here. I am so happy to be working at this school. The kids are sweet, though rowdy, and discipline aint my thing. Another tough part of this job is, though I’m working with 3rd year students in high school (about the equivalent 10th grade in the US), a bunch of my students are older, like 18-21, so when they invite me to go to a party, of course I want to go, cuz I’m desperate to make friends here, but I know its probably not the best idea to bacanalear (to party) with the kinder. Fortunately i also work in an adult school where i can interact with people my own age and older, and after only 1 class i have already been invited to dinners and to visit them at their homes and places of work, meet their families, etc, and i realize that this situation makes me even more nervous...i can plan and teach a class, but one on one communication still isnt my strong suit in spanish.

It’s weird, because I still don’t really consider myself teaching in the long run, yet I have the most fun when I’m at the head of a classroom. I may have to reconsider the life of travelling and waitressing and bumming that I have always dreamed of. Teaching might be where it’s at. Though I wont attempt that in the States for a while, I know from my dearest Laura that teaching gigs are few and far between.

Can I have a quick interlude right here and mention that all of my students have names that are IMPOSSIBLE to pronounce correctly. A few examples: Junielka, Lisbeyling, Jarithza, Jurguen. It is in these cases where my knowledge of the pronunciation of “G’s” and “J’s” dissolves into nothingness. I might have the students wear nametags for a bit so I have a slim chance of learning their names.

The woman who’s house I’m living in thinks I’m anorexic I’m pretty sure. Force feeding has started. I just cant stomach the same quantities of carbs as most I suppose.

I wake up at about 7 or 8am every morning here, which I consider impressive seeing as my earliest class begins at 1pm, and still I cant help but feel as if I’m being a total slacker, as my lovely force-feeding host dawns at 6 and begins making cheese immediately. I’m trying to do some math in my head, and I believe she must make a decent living selling cheese. If she sells 1LB for C$20, and sells about 12-20 lbs a day, that’s probably averaging C$300ish/day. And she doesn’t take any days off. I’d say she probably makes almost twice as much as I do as a PCV. And she collects rent for two rooms in her house. Make that money Rosario.

Gonna try to find a dance class here, dancing around my room isn’t cutting it anymore. Fingers crossed that it will be a ballet folklórico class. I don’t know if they do many adult dance classes, or if you missed it as a child your S.O.L.

Oh, speaking of dance, I know this is probably premature, but if anyone knows of any interesting dance scholarships floating about, let me know, I have a student that I want to work with.

I’m experimenting with Nicaraguan tap water. That is, drinking it. So far so good a little over one week in. This would be an incredible development, seeing as two full years of boiling, bleaching, or buying would have been a hassle. And I aint scared of no parasite. Bring it.

Topping my play count on iTunes as of late has been Wisin & Yandel, Georges Brassens, K’naan, and Girl Talk lately. I give myself credit for being a worldly music aficionada. I’m finally diving deep into my collection seeing as I cant download anything new.

I think the mosquitoes in Jinotega have supernatural powers. I cant for the life of me follow one flying by me for more than 1 second, it just disappears.

My peace corps provided bug repellent smells exactly like Camp Waubeeka, which is a nice throwback.

I may or may not have severely pulled a muscle and stubbed 3 toes just moments earlier “breakin it down” to some hip hop joint. This is why I think it might be safer to place myself in a dance class.

Please comment if stream-of-consciousness is NOT why you check my blog, I will adjust.

I believe that since I have sworn in as an official Peace Corps Volunteer, I have full authority to go on a hippy rant about humanity, no? First I will be perfectly honest with what I have been doing during my free time here in Nicaragua, and unfortunately it is not studying Spanish. I’ve been watching TED talks podcasts that I downloaded in Managua and reading lots of books (in English). I’ll also note that this is influenced by the fact that I dropped my laptop and now The Darjeeling Limited is desperately trying, yet failing repeatedly to escape from my CD drive, so movie watching is out of the question for now (any tips on how i can fix this would be greatly appreciated). I feel both enlightened and informed and hopeful and joyful after reading Norman Doidge´s The Brain that Changes Itself (I wasn’t kidding in my book review, I’m already passing it along to as many of my fellow PCVs as possible, go read it now. And then give Elyse a hug because she recommended it to me, and because I was also very proud of her after reading her analysis of the book. She continues to be one of the most influential people in my life. I don’t think I’ve met anyone who has things quite so together as my sister) because I am now certain beyond a doubt of the sheer awesomeness of people. Just people. Ordinary as can be, everyone has this brilliant force that, though untapped for the most part, can overcome and discover the most amazing things. And I don’t think we give each other enough credit. Or we give credit to something or someone bigger, better, higher, nebulous. But it’s there right in front of you. Or next to you. Or across the street. Wherever. I think maybe because I can’t necessarily understand everything people are saying to me, my other methods of reading people have become heightened. I have to look a little deeper to understand. I taught my little sisters and cousins here during my training a little yoga, and the good ol’ word namaste, which as difficult as it is to define in English, is even harder to explain in Spanish to a bunch of 10 year olds. But I tried, and I’m going to take some more authority to fully secularize namaste, so when you express that you are acknowledging and bowing to the light or life force or spirit in your fellow human, it is wholly human-made, hecho de mano. They created it. And the only reason there is hate and war is because we don’t realize the potential of each and every human, and we don’t take responsibility for our own actions. Blame and credit are too often externalized.

Oh, and did I mention that I LOVE where I am living, and am on kind of a giddy high from being very content. You might just have to ignore the nonsense above and chalk it up to a temporary mental collapse caused by an overdose of serotonin, or maybe the air is just thinner up here in the mountains. But why not go with it and list the reasons why Jinotega is special.

- It’s beautiful. In a valley. The backdrop to every vista is lush green mountains.

- There are countless second-hand clothing stores. I bought a shirt and a dress the other day for C$ 30 (that’s $1.50 USD)

- There’s real coffee

- The people are beautiful

- It’s fresco (“chilly” one might say)

- Strawberries grow up here (though I haven’t seen them being sold anywhere, I’m not sure when they are in season)

- There is a pretty well frequented karaoke bar

- There is a 24 hour convenience store

I also think I’m managing to win over the skeptics at my places of work. It’s really very difficult to show people you are competent and enthusiastic when you only have an intermediate level of Spanish. I was relatively convinced one of my counterpart teachers hated the idea of working with me, and she very well may have felt that way, but after our first planning session, I managed to put together a few questions asking about her family and work experience, and promising that when I can speak more Spanish I will speak more Spanish. At which point she extended on open invitation to visit her house for dinner. So I guess that worked. Hopefully I can win the students over too. Hopefully the novelty of having an American in the classroom will buy me some time to win them over.

I considered several times while writing this post just deleting the whole thing and waiting til I was in a more focused state of mind to write something coherent and perhaps less offensive, but for those of my dear friends and family willing to sift through the word vomit, I applaud your patience…or boredom…or procrastination from whatever else you should be doing right now.

well billy budd has done me the favor of reminding me to post the fact that i am an official peace corps VOLUNTEER. swearing in was on july 31 at a swanky hotel in managua. we had to say some super official oath to the government and god i think, signed something and then we received a peace corps pin, and then we ate cake.

they did in fact try to hamper my pursuit of small business development in nicaragua when my name was "accidentally" omitted from the initial program, and then once again "accidentally" forgotten when they called everyone up to sign our lives away, but so goes the game of being last alphabetically, peace corps just cant seem to remember i exist. o well, i dont mind being able to disappear into jinotega for a bit.

some small updates that i must give about jinotega:

during my daily exploratory trips of the city i have found a kareoke bar and a 24 hour convenience store. wow. oh, and also a place with great espresso.

i taught my first class today at the adult technical school. it was mildly terrifying, but i think the students are excited about the class and about having me there.

the cyber i am at has web cams and very fast internet, so lets set up a skype date. use the claro website to send me a text. weekends early are probably best.

i have a more extensive review of the past week on my laptop, but felt like i should heed mr. budd's suggestion and post this immediately before i became totally outdated.

well, twitter wouldnt let me post any updates today, so ill blog them and take this newfound character freedom and only limit myself to 200 characters per review. sometimes when my brain gets totally overloaded with spanish, i find great respite in reading in english...heres where its taken me so far:

The Brain that Changes Itself by Norman Doidge

Do yourself a favor and read this book. It will inspire and leave you in awe of humanity and your own capabilities . Engaging writing on brain science.

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

I dont enjoy MG’s writing style; I find it redundant & oversimplified. Liked the subject (what really can be deduced in the blink of an eye), had it been 150 pgs shorter it would have been great.

A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah

Read this book in two days, shed many tears, moving story of a child soldier in Sierre Leone. Vivid and tragic. Definitely would recommend it.

The I Chong by Tommy Chong

Don’t waste your time, go talk about gov’t conspiracies and pot legalization with your favorite stoner friend. We’ve heard it all before. Only interesting or creative part is his view of salsa dancing as the antidrug.

Naked by David Sedaris

It usually takes me a while to get into Sedaris’ style, sometimes the stories just seem irrelevant and outrageous, but you can’t deny his sense of humor. Man is hilarious. Quick read, why not.

Tristessa by Jack Kerouac

Kerouac stumbles through Mexico, trying but never connecting with the life there. Beautiful, lyrical. Loved reading it while in Nica, could relate to the foreignness and the chickens.

What is the What by David Eggers

This book was glued to my hands every time I got the chance. It was brilliant, lovely, tragic, romantic, informative. I’m sad it is over. Has an undeniable impact.

so my cell phone provider in nicaragua, claro, has a free online text message service: http://www.ideasclaro.com.ni/sms2web/ put my number, 83574587, in the first line, your name in the second, write me a message in hit enviar. i look forward to hearing from you all :P LOVE

Fiestas Patronales de Santa Ana. Every town has a celebration for their patron saint, ours was this past weekend and it was just beautiful. (Vidalia, 10, in the green is my little nica sister; fernanda, 7, in the red is my nica niece; and karla, 10, in the purple is my nica cousin)

view from the school i will be working at...Jinotega is lovely and surrounded by mountains

the school i will be teaching at:

so you get the pre and post-analysis all in one today…lucky (so read the entry before this first). So as I said, never would I have imagined that I’d be in such a well serviced environment during my time is a PCV. To add to that, never would I have imagined that I’d be in such a wintry atmosphere during my time in Nicaragua. Now you might say, wintry? Daina, be real now, are you already jaded by the oppressive heat of Managua and Masaya? You’re near the equator, how cold could it really be? Well. Not that cold. BUT, chilly enough up in the mountains that I needed a sweater every day, slept under a sheet and a heavy blanket, and almost cried during the ice cold showers I took every morning. And yes I know it is winter in Nicaragua and rainy season, but gosh does it rain a ton in Jinotega. And we all know that dirt roads + heavy rain = mud! So I’ve packed entirely inappropriately with not nearly enough long pants or rainwear, and as my minor weight loss is accentuated by expanding hand-washed-line-dried clothes, I believe I will be needing an entire wardrobe overhaul in the next month or so. We’ll see how far my monthly living allowance helps with that. I have a feeling I’ll be put in the predicament of choosing between buying rain boots and paying rent. So I guess what I’m trying to say is it is best not to have expectations. For as much as I tried to avoid them as I entered this new phase of my life, my few, generic speculations have been shattered to pieces and burnt with the rest of the garbage here.

So Jinotega is BEAUTIFUL. Situated in a valley, surrounded by mountains, it is small and quaint…best known for being the most war-torn part of the country during the times when Augusto Cesar Sandino gained his fame. For the first six weeks I have a room in a house of an older woman and her dog named traviesa (English translation: naughty/misbehaved). Two other Nicaraguan women rent out the remaining rooms, and it is my goal to make them my first friends in Jinotega. The older woman is sweet, but bless her little heart I can’t understand a damned thing that woman says. She punctuates every phrase with ¡OIGA! which I know means listen, or excuse me, or hey I need your attention (or any phrase in English with the same such sentiment), but I’m not exactly sure why she uses it so liberally. I’m listening to her, carefully, minutely (as she speaks quickly, curtly, in true Nica form) yet when she barks ¡OIGA! I paradoxically lose all concentration and stare like a fool until she acts it out for me. She’s quite a spitfire. I like her. I will take it as a true achievement when I can have a fluid conversation with her.

My counterparts are lovely and warm and have tons of enthusiasm for the program. What more can I ask for? I hope I don’t let them down. I can understand them when they speak, and we’re working on an “intercambio program” which would help them with their English as I improve my Spanish. Unfortunately (maybe) it is assumed that anyone who can speak English can teach English. I will do my best to uphold the integrity of my native tongue while helping those interested parties, though I don’t think I know how to explain verb conjugation in English, and I feel it might be a bit condescending to start with numbers, colors, and days of the week with the director of the school I will be working at.

Training will be over in two weeks and everything will change. and i will settle, hopefully into what life is really like here in nicaragua.

Site assignment day was today…and I now know that I will be living in Jinotega, Jinotega, a department capital in the north of nicaragua. I never would have imagined in joining the Peace Corps that I’d be living in a city…with a supermarket... and a bank... and a post office... and a coffee shop... and internet cafes. Is this what I signed up for? Is this what I wanted when I applied? And I think…it is. I will be working with one secondary school to implement the entrepreneurship course La Empresa Creativa (the creative business) and with an adult education technical school to teach an intro to microenterprise class. I don’t think I’ve described exactly how the Small Business Development program for Peace Corps Nicaragua works (or at least our main project): Peace Corps has been working with the Ministry of Education in Nicaragua to development this entrepreneurship course, La Empresa Creativa. It is divided into Pre-LEC, LEC, and Economics for 3rd year, 4th year, and 5th year secondary school students respectively. The Nicaraguan school system is under a system of “transformation” right now, and after all schools have completed the transformation process, they should have a required 4th year course of productivity in which the LEC will be taught. SBD volunteers have the responsibility of helping to implement this new course into the schools and train the teachers in how to teach it. So the program has promise and longevity. I also have opportunities to work with multiple NGOs and microfinance organizations. But…But? But this is what needs to be done. It’s just certainly not what I expected. I expected a hut in Africa…I’ll get an apartment in Central America. But I know that Nicaragua’s population is booming and job creation…isn’t. And I went to Babson. And I know that an entrepreneurial spirit is essential. And supporting the development of a middle class is critical. I just haven’t quite wrapped my mind around this new vision of the Peace Corps experience. I will be living with less (my yearly earnings will be about 3000 USD), but comfortably. And we (well, maybe me and Robin) know how awful it is to just be comfortable. How unchallenging. How uninspiring. How am I to develop the tortured soul needed to write beautiful prose and poetry? BaHa! O yes, now I remember. Nicaragua is beautiful. And buzzing. And who wants to write poetry anyway.

I survived my first earthquake today (july 6, 2009). It registered a 5.4 on the Richter scale. Not sure where the epicenter was (since july 6 i have learned it was in the Atlantic coast region). I was in Spanish class and my rocking chair began to rock from side to side instead of front to back. I kept searching the ground looking for answers, thinking something was stuck under my chair, or that Casey’s chair was bumping mine. Never did it occur to me that it might be seismic activity. Then my Spanish teacher says “¡Había un temblor!” so then I knew, but if she hadn’t said anything I’d still be ignorant as to what was shaking my chair. Us New Yorkers don’t get much of that earthquake action. Nothing even fell off a shelf. I’d like to say I’m a tad disappointed, but if guess I had to be part of it, that is about the extent of an earthquake I care to experience.

yes i did:

Volcan Masaya:

most of my training group at the volcano...yes i had to ruin the picture with a dumb face

Spent a lot of time with the fam this weekend. Some dancing, drinking, it was pop’s birthday, so we went to spend it with some aunts uncles cousins and the like in another part of town. Overall it was fun bonding time with my Nica host family. I’ll preface the rest of this recap by saying that I have faithfully maintained my vegetarianism (with a minor slip from my host mom of feeding my some campbell’s chicken noodle soup) while here in Nicaragua, have declined several invitations to the circus, and have expressed my distaste for cock fights, trying to stick to my guns and stand up for the animals. Apparently animal cruelty, scratch that, unique cultural traditions are unavoidable, and the neighborhood we were in was celebrating…well…I’m not sure what…but the tradition involved hanging live ducks upside-down, about 20 ft up in the air out of a tree and men on horses rode past attempted to grab the ducks head and pull it off. I believe the lucky winner then throws the head into the crowd and whoever it hits has good luck for the year. From a distance I cringed, almost cried, managed to not gag. It was pretty gruesome to say the least. Now, we’ve discussed culture shock with the PC and all the touchy feely whyyy do you think this new culture/tradition/act/etc. is weeeird…might it just be different...try not to judge…but this was a bit to much for me to handle.

During our 5th week of training we got to visit a current SB volunteer to see exactly what we are getting ourselves into. I ventured up north to Somoto, Madriz to see Katie, a volunteer just finishing up her first year here in Nicaragua. She was just a wonderful host and I had an amazing time and I cannot wait to be done with training and get on to real volunteer life.

Here’s a short recap of my trip:

It takes about 1.5 hours to get to Managua from my training site, a taxi ride to another bus station, a 3 hour bus ride from Managua to the bus stop in Madriz, another 20 minute bus ride into Somoto. But I wasn’t exactly there yet. Katie works with an NGO up in a town called Cusmapa, another 3 hour bus ride up a mountain on an unpaved road. But wait, the journey didn’t end there, there was some rock throwing, some police calling, some bus sliding in the mud and getting stuck in a ditch. So tack on another hour and a half. When we finally got to breathe, Cusmapa totally won me over. It is tiny, on the border of Honduras, we stayed in a volunteer house with another volunteer from the NGO. Katie taught me how to make bread and we had delicious veggie lasagna and I was soooo eternally grateful to not be eating anything deep fried. I tagged along to her work, we walked to a lookout called la mano del diablo, it was cloudy, but I’m pretty sure we could see Honduras. The air was pretty thin up there, but it was cool enough for pine trees and blackberries to grow. We ventured back to Somoto, stayed in the house of a volunteer couple who was on vacation in the states at the time. It was lovely. Met many of Katie’s students and coworkers. Helped her with an advising project she is working on with a local business owner. Did some more cooking. As much as I love my training family, I cannot wait to be on my own. Last day we ventured into the city of Estelí, where there is this great natural foods restaurant (pictures below). The trip certainly rejuvenated whatever enthusiasm had started to wane as training gets a tad redundant and a ton exhausting. Thanks to Katie for keeping it real.

mmmm...hummus.

water pump made from a bicycle

So I don’t exactly know how to express my immense gratitude for all of the wonderful packages and letters I’ve been getting! My heart just bursts with sunshine and smiles whenever I hear from you guys. I will be doing my best to write back, but since many of you are/will be in other far off lands, and my access to a post office is quite limited, and unfortunately I am not financially or physically able to send such thoughtful and caring gifts as I have received, I wanted to post this blog to say thank you. And that I miss you too. And that everyone in my training group is crazy jealous of the love I’ve been getting. And I really feel like the luckiest girl in the world. So as I slowly but surely get to writing notes back, just know that you guys are the best people in the whole world and having your support has made the transition for me in Nicaragua about 539082 times easier. Oh, and Sarah, where in the world did you find the Go Girl?!?!? HAHA!

and this one had an impact:

‘Go in search of your People:

Love Them;

Learn from Them;

Plan with Them;

Serve Them;

Begin with what They have;

Build on what They know.

But the best Leaders

When their task is

Accomplished,

Their work done,

The People all remark:

“We have done this

Ourselves.” ‘

Lao Tsu, China, 700 BC

So I will admit that so far one of my favorite things about Nicaragua is all of the amazing and exotic fresh fruit I get. In addition to favorites such as mangoes, pineapple, and watermelon, I’ve been introduced to several new and wonderful tropical fruits. Here are a few:

• Calala (how musical, right?)

• Pitahaya!!!! (this has been my absolute favorite…I’ve only had it in juice form, but it is this brilliant magenta color…looks completely artificial, but is just a lovely gift from Mother Nature)

• Guayava

• Níspero (my guess is that this is a fresh fig, but I’m really not sure, kinda tastes like cake)

Here is my disclaimer about the Spanish words I use in my blog, such as charla, artesnîa, etc. As to not be perceived as haughty or boastful, I must say that I only use words in Spanish in this blog when that is how the concept was first introduced to me. I guess I could say “training session” instead of “charla”, but no one in Peace Corps has ever said that to me, I just learned “charla.” So there it is, my self-indulgent plea to all my English-speaking friends and family who probably get annoyed when I speak Spanglish; heck, I annoy myself. Sorry.

Is a question I’m sure many of you are asking yourselves, since I guess I haven’t really delved into much detail about what it is I’m doing here everyday.

Aside from Spanish and technical classes, I have a few training projects going on. One is a youth group that the four trainees in my training town have put together. It is a group of students from the local secondary school. We meet twice a week with the ultimate goal of competing in a product fair against the other trainees’ youth groups at the end of July. In the process we are giving lessons in technical subjects such as costs and prices, marketing, and accounting; life skills sessions on HIV/AIDS and self-esteem; and helping them through the process of creating a new product to sell. We have a group of 15 students, about 14-18 years old I would estimate, and they are WONDERFUL. Smart. Outspoken. Funny. One kid I am convinced will be the president of Nicaragua some day (and not in the same pattern of tyrants Nicaragua has had, I’m talking about one of the inspirational nation changing leaders). I think we’re well on our way to winning the product fair.

Teaching. During my 3 months of training, I need to teach at least 3 classes at the secondary school. My first class is June 9th. For this first one I taught with the other trainees in my town, the rest I am on my own for. Our first lesson was “My Life in 10 Years.” Goal setting is the focus. The class went well. The students were responsive and enjoyed the lesson. It is a little tough, since classes are only 45 minutes long, to get much done, especially with my level of Spanish. But communication is certainly getting easier and things are going smoother. This is practice for what my main job here in country will actually be: teaching a course called La Empresa Creativa (the Creative Business). It is a terrifying task to say the least. Hopefully some day my Spanish will be at the level where teaching a 90 minute business class doesn’t seem impossible.

The last main project of my training time is called ASBO (Advising Small Business Owners). This project involves interviewing our families about the businesses they run, and conducting a study of one particular type of business in our community. Though the project is called Advising Small Business Owners, this experience is really all about getting us to practice our technical Spanish, and help us learn about the small business environment in Nicaragua. This is an ongoing project that we will present at the end of training. So far I have just been discussing with my host sister her clothing business. She sells clothes out of the home, a very small operation, but has the goal of opening her own clothing store at some point in the future.

I’ve gotten into some good habits since getting to Nicaragua. Better and more regular sleep patterns; flossing; making eye contact and greeting people on the street; being conscious and very conservative in my water usage; maintaining a fairly tidy room; staying on top of my studies and workload. This place, this change has been good for me.

I’d also like to document some goal setting I have on my mind. We’ve had a lot of current volunteers come talk to us thus far during training, and many talk of the side projects/groups that they’ve created during their time in country (ex. computer classes, soccer/baseball leagues, summer English camps). And it all sounded great and motivating, but I couldn’t find anything inside of myself that really called out to projects like these. But, whilst doodling during one of my technical charlas (I read an article somewhere about a study that showed that doodling while taking notes or during class actually increased the amount of information students retained…I swear), it hit me. A foggy idea of what unique project I want to attempt to bring to my community (I need to keep in mind that what really matters is what the community wants, cant force anything).

Now some of my friends from home may laugh at this, as I have jeered many a time at “poets” as it seems like every other young, trendy, American Apparel wearing, wanna-look-like-a-cokehead, 20-something writes “poetry” to express themselves…BUT Nicaragua indeed has a poetic soul. And though many a Nica can quote Ruben Dario in a moment’s notice, I wonder how much creation is really fostered. We [will] spend a great deal of time and effort as SBD volunteers trying to “teach” creativity in the business world: bringing innovative products and services to the market, pushing for more creative marketing and branding, encouraging creative, more efficient processing/production. But what about art? music? poetry? The department of Masaya, where I am now for training, is known for their artesenia; which is really just a flowery term for homogenized handicrafts, such as painted cement mushrooms, rocking chairs, chachkas for tourists.

So in a delayed effort to get to my point, I have a vague idea of wanting to create some type of “culture club.” Depending on the desires of the community, it could be an art club/camp for kids, a book club for women, poetry writing sessions/workshops, mural design and painting, a mosaic of recycled materials, any time of CREATION that is just for the sake of art, of beauty, of fun. My god this is such a beautiful country, and I want to reflect on that, and I want to see how the locals reflect on their lives in this country.

Goal 2: if possible, I’d like to keep a “pet” chicken while in site. This will of course depend on what my site is like, but I think it would be special to get a little chick and raise it. I guess some research would have to go into how to raise a chicken, but I guess I can just ask my Nica family, they have a bunch. I wonder if I could train it to walk on a leash? I like the name Francis or Finn for a chicken.

6/7/2009- genre: starring in my own movie…this dream is a little foggy, because I didn’t write it down right away, but it was a fun one. I had moved to a ski town with all of the other PCTs in my group. It was kind of like if the kids from Saved by the Bell had gone on a ski trip together (did they?). We all went skiing in the morning before school one day (apparently I can ski in my dreams), and on our way through the lodge before we left, one of the kids from my training group told me that I had a note waiting for me at the front desk. It was sort of cryptic, go to this house at this time, but I guess I knew what it meant, and was a little scared. When I get to this house, my archenemy from school, Lindsay Lohan, is there too, with the same note. All of a sudden, what I can only describe as the wind, or ghosts, or spirits, grab on to us and we’re being pulled away into the unknown. Fortunately I have the good sense to grab onto the handrail of the stairs where we were, and they leave through a black hole of sorts without me, with Lindsay. Not sure what this one means, but it was really vivid at the time.

Overwhelming might be an understatement in describing my transition into nicaraguan life. Every day, all of my senses, all of my strength, all of my knowledge and all of my values are tested.

What I’m dealing with right now is an incredible sense of smallness and frustration. I’ve struggled with a less than enthusiastic language facilitator for the past two weeks, and feel like my group will be playing catch-up until the end of training,. I have a knot of anxiety in my chest almost always.

As we attend charla (technical training sessions) after charla, they make it more and more obvious that as a small business volunteer, we are not only trying to impart business skills to various community groups, we are trying to break people of, or at least challenge their belief in long held cultural norms and habits, impossible much?

For example, and these all of course are generalizations, Nicaraguans are innately averse to taking risks. Much of this is practical. People need to put food on the table, they do not have the luxury to risk a job or livelihood to pursue personal ambitions.

Nicaraguans have a strong culture of “copy and paste.” If one person opens a successful store, or starts producing an innovative product, it wont be long until their neighbor starts in the same exact endeavor. No one wins. No innovation is to be found. Related to aversion to risk, people stick with what they see. And their aren’t really enforceable copyright laws.

Nicaraguans are terrified to be wrong. Giving a wrong answer in class, or a slip of the tongue will likely result in teasing and taunting, by children and adults alike.

The most important aspect of Nicaraguan life is the family. Nice right? Except for when people are hindered from personal pursuits or hiring qualified people because family ties prohibit them.

Nicaraguan have no culture of savings or investment. Any extra income is spent on what I might classify as frivolous materialism.

Nicaraguans have a history of corrupt and tyrannical rulers. Will their hard work be protected?

How in the world can we teach entrepreneurship when their way of life is diametrically opposed? I ask myself that quite a bit. But…those are the doubts I have, because I don’t want to be jaded and have unrealistic goals, and I don’t want to feel like my way is always right.

At the same time that I’m wondering if it’s even possible, I am extraordinarily excited to dive into the projects they have been describing to us. Secondary education. Business plan competitions. Youth groups. Community banks. NGO work. Gosh, what more could a girl want? And I think it’s important. And I think that people can change. And I think that people are good. And Nicaraguans especially are so welcoming and giving and willing to help. And I’m having so much fun with my new family and friends here. And I’m scared that the next two years are just going to fly by too fast.

I must say, as of yet I don’t feel like I’m part of it. I don’t know a lot of people. I’m bad at small talk in general, in another language I find it nearly impossible. I still feel like a guest. It still alludes me. I smile, say adios to people in the street, take the public transportation. I live and play and work with my Nica family. I certainly feel more comfortable here than I did on day 1. And I think that training just amplifies stress because 2 years of service are spoken about like they will all happen tomorrow….that is a gradual process never really factors in to our charlas. Maybe the training schedule doesn’t leave much time or brain capacity to get it.

Have I regretted the decision I made to come here? Not once. Not even a little. I love that I’m learning and doing and busy and constantly saying to myself “am I really here??” It certainly is a bizarre, trippy, and wonderful experience thus far.

I plan on posting some of the bizarre dreams my malaria medicine has been giving me(those tame enough for internet publication at least)...here is the first:

5/29/2009- genre: TERRIFYING…Wild Birch Farms had somehow become a new Neo-Nazi hotspot. At some point my entire family was running for our lives when we ran into a parade that was going through the main road in the condos. It was a bizarre, New Orleans, funeral style procession, and everyone was in crazy costumes and masks, and a horn band was playing with a sad trumpet and a pronounced tuba, and I could see the Nazis slipping in between the performers in the parade, giving secret hand signals and commands. And then the first person was killed. And there was blood. And the Nazis rallied. And I woke up and heard that sad trumpet and pronounced tuba playing, and was terrified for a moment that dream life and real life had in fact collided. So I clicked on my headlamp to check my clock, which read 4am. But my panic quickly subsided as I realized it was Mother’s Day in Nicaragua, and the festivities had begun.

(from the prospective of a small business development trainee in Nicaragua after 2 weeks in country)

Things I wish I brought

•Vitamins

•More pictures/gifts/talking points to show my host family

•More manageable luggage (I have a 3-day pack and a very large suitcase and it is difficult to maneuver all of my belongings. Note: I will have to get to my site on my own, so things might get tricky)

•Small notepad (for taking notes while walking around town)

•Day planner (training is 6 days/week, and though they give you a weekly schedule, it would be nice to have something to put all my assignments, meetings spots/times, notes, etc. in)

Things I wish I left

•Toiletries/medical products of all kinds (they give you a medical kit your 3rd day here with everything you could need, including Sudafed, Tylenol, ibuprofen, Benadryl, bug spray, sun screen, cough drops, hydrocortisone, Neosporin, Pepto-Bismol tablets, ace bandage, Band-Aids)

•Conditioner (because I take bucket showers, conditioner just weighs my hair down, a small bottle of leave in conditioner would have been better)

•Cash (there is no time to exchange your USD, just bring enough for travel expenses)

Things I’m glad I brought (and might not have been on the packing list)

•Facial cleansing wipes

•Baby powder

•Small mirror (many trainees I’ve spoken with did not bring one and regret it; there may only be one small mirror in the bathroom)

•Headlamp (electricity goes, the headlamp is awesome)

•Bandanas

•Shower gloves (it’s hard to exfoliate otherwise)

•Deck of cards

•Frisbee

•Laptop and a few DVDs

•Nice clothes and mascara (looking nice when I just feel like a sweaty mess really does help my spirits, and I’m glad I didn’t succumb to khakis)

Products I would highly recommend (most are for women)

•Secret Clinical Strength deodorant (it is hot down here, and I sweat, but my armpits have never been so fresh and so clean)

•Palmer’s cocoa butter with SPF 15

•Biore Skin Preservation moisturizer with SPF 30

•Fiber One Bars (chocolate and oats)

•Ben’s Tick and Insect Repellent 30 Deet (I brought the almost empty bottle of Ben’s that I had, and a new bottle of Natrapel, bc I didn’t want toxic deet, alas I cannot endorse the effectiveness of Natrapel)

Things you could send me if you really wanted to (but avoid big packages, cuz customs can be pricey)

•More pictures

•Any little chachkas for my 10 yr old sister and my many little cousins

•DVDs

•Letters updating my on your lives!

Note to future volunteers, including friends, family, and strangers: Honestly, I don’t think that I over-packed, which is what most people warn of, I just think I brought one bag that is way too big, and one that is too small. My suggestion: two medium sized bags (either one on wheels and one back pack/duffel, or two on wheels) and a daypack (I also brought a purse). That is plenty of room if you pack well, and you can lift each bag easily. Airports give limits of 50 pounds on bags…shoot for 40 lbs in each bag and you’re golden. I brought six pairs of shoes, which seems to be perfect, and an equal amount of work and play clothes. I know I have it easier as a small business trainee in Central America, as I didn’t have to worry about bulky things like solar chargers, big hiking boots, etc. but I figured I’d share my experiences.

1.I am in the 50th group of volunteers to come to Nicaragua since PC returned in the 90s, PC will be celebrating its 50th anniversary during our service, therefore Nica 50 has been dubbed el grupo de oro, the golden group…high expectations

2.During training, I get paid about 300 córdobas/week (that’s about $15 USD)

3.Food: I have a tortilla at almost every meal; They serve “queso” with almost every meal…I would describe it as a salty, spongy, feta cheese; Almost all food is fried in oil, including rice and beans (gallo pinto)

4.There is no running water in my home during the day (re: bucket baths)

5.The nica accent is similar to that in southern Spain, ie. impossible to understand

6.I can see a volcano from the main road in my town

7.Almost every leader that has come to power in modern Nicaragua has been a corrupt tyrant: corruption, debt, and politics rule the country

8.I have over 20 Nicaragüense cousins, most of which live in my town, some of which I believe my mama is trying to marry me off to

9.Naipe, jaquis, and rayuelas have become part of my vernacular (cards, jacks, and hopscotch)

10.Horses are a legitimate and widely used form of transportation

11.Waking up at 4am with the roosters is no big thing

12.The national sport of Nicaragua is baseball (re: go Yankees!)

13.I work 6 days/week 6 hours/day, spend 2 hours/day of reading or homework, and full time at improving my Spanish

14.It…Is…HOT

15.Music: Aventura is the band of choice, bachata and reggaeton the music, though if you ask my sister, Christina Aguilera and Hannah Montana are where it’s at

16.PC must be the most high functioning part of the US government…everyone is knowledgeable, quick to respond, and very caring

17.I have a cousin here named Carlos, but everyone calls him Negro or Negrito, and I’m not sure why. I don’t think he lives here, but he’s in the house most days before I wake up and stays still after I’m asleep. There is quite an open door policy for family here.

18.Costa Ricans and Nicaraguans hate have a strong distaste for each other

19.Daily mood swings/slight schizophrenia are my new norm

20.Burning garbage is the official scent of my town

21.Everything is dusty

22.My malaria medicine has been giving me craaaaaazy dreams

23.There is no such thing as street names or addresses…directions are given in reference to landmarks (ex. the peace corps office address is Del Hotel Brandt, 1 ½ al sur…meaning it is 1 ½ blocks to the south of Hotel Brandt…hopefully you know where that is)

24.It is winter in Nicaragua now, ie. the rainy season. The storms here are outrageous.

25.Have you seen the youtube video “My new haircut”? yea, I think every young guy in my town has, and they’ve taken gelled hair styles to new levels.

Life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around once and a while, you could miss it.