... these are the thoughts and updates on my life as I begin my 27 month service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nicaragua in the health sector, "Estilo de la vida saluable.." This is for my family, closest friends, anyone interested in the Peace Corps, or anyone interested in Nicaragua really. Enjoy!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Halfway through entrenamiento

      We are rounding the end of week 6, the halfway point of our 12 weeks of training. This past week was "Practicum Week," where 10 of us (including me) went to the department of Esteli, and the other 10 went to Chinadega to get a glimpse of the life of current volunteers. I can say that I am now much more comfortable with "charlas," which are presentations. We gave health charlas in schools, a police department, health centers, youth clubs, and billiards tournaments. I can now talk about the process of HIV/AIDS more easily in Spanish than English. It was really great to work with current volunteers as I'm going to be one of them (hopefully!) in just over a month.

Our Esteli group got to take an afternoon excursion to a waterfall.

What my first half of training has taught me:
-it IS possible to fit five more people on that bus that you think is beyond capacity
-gallo pinto is a staple component of breakfast, lunch, and dinner; if it's not gallo pinto, it is rice and beans that haven't been mixed together yet
-there are a lot more fruits in this world than I ever thought possible, I still don't know the names of all of them, I just eat and enjoy them
-the chicken and eggs here are delicious (Schafer-farm caliber)
-pointing with your lips is cool, although it looks as if you're trying to kiss everything
-1 dollar can get you a ride to Managua from Dolores (an hour away)
-actually, 1 dollar can get you a lot of things (1 dollar = 23 cordobas)
-don't worry about being on time, no one else is worried either
-the flora in this country is just magnificent
-trashcans are rare and recycling is nonexistent :(
-Coco Cola Light is only sold in the department capitals or touristy areas
-fair rides can be even more unregulated than the ones in the US
-waste not, want not
-calling people "gordo," "negro," "chino," or "gringo" isn't meant to be offensive, they're just descriptive words
-if I need to shower at my house, I need to do so before 10am or after 3pm

...these are just some, I'm sure the other trainees could throw in a million more. So far, training has been a whirlwind. The language and technical classes are sometimes long, but every day has has a way of teaching me something new or giving me a little moment to cherish; I'm really enjoying every day.  I'm really excited about what the next half of training will bring, we just got our site lists last week and the PC Country Directors really did a great job finding great sites for us. There are 10 possible sites that I could live in for the next two years of my life and I must admit, some called out to me more than others but a lot more factors go into site placement than my opinion of wanting a surf camp near me (half joke). We find out a week from today, so expect to hear from me when I know my humble abode!

Peace out (or "paz afuera" for the direct translation, not sure if that has the same meaning)

Monday, February 6, 2012

Nica Time...

If there's one thing that I've learned in my three weeks of training thus far, it's Nica time. Oh I'd heard stories about this "Nica time," but now I've seen it with my own eyes. In America, we've got phrases like "time is money" and "early bird gets the worm." Well, in Nicaragua, it's "hay mas tiempo que vida.." meaning "there's more time than life."

My host family is amazingly social and loves brining me along for the ride, so I've already gotten to attend a baby presentation at the church, a baby shower, a wedding, a open house for Ferany's school. I'll use the wedding for an example of what a Nicaraguan's perception of time is.... I read this beautiful wedding invitation saying the time and date.





As you can see, it was Saturday at 5pm... So I was questioning our attendance around 5:30 when everyone's still just chilling at the house. However, 6 pm rolls around and we start meandering down to the iglesia and lo and behold, everyones still standing outside the church! It was a beautiful wedding (and the first time I ever got to throw rice at the bride, which is really fun!) and ended with all the wedding guests piling into the back of a big farm truck which took us to the reception.

Anyways, things just don't start on time here. The 3:30 pm birthday party started at 4:30, so I'm starting to see a pattern of anywhere between 30 minutes to 1 and a half hours behind schedule. Once you just learn and accept the pattern, the better everyone is. As long as it's not my wedding, I think I'll manage.