John's Peace Corps Experience

Salve a Ti Nicaragua

2009-12-10T07:31:00.000-08:00

Long ass time huh? Well, as most of you already know from reading my facebook, I was robbed again when my friend came in July for a visit. We were asked to go out for Chinese food by some of my community English students, and then we went out and had a few drinks, and by the time we got home, I realized that we had been robbed. So this is why I have not had any access to a laptop to write. So The name of this blog is called “Salve a ti Nicaragua”. Thank god school is done with, and the summer vacation has just begun!! I had had it with the students….eeekkss. That’s all Im going to say. I will soon be going home for Christmas (and for the first time since coming here last May) and I am so excited. It will be nice to see all of the friends at home (which a huge party better happen. I’m talking like stretch limo, and paid paparazzi and shit!) It will also be nice to see the family as well. It’s weird to know that when I come home (back to Nicaragua) I will only have 6 months left, and that’s just sad. Ive been here for quite some time, but it has flown by unbelievably fast! Weird to think that this place (where I have been living the last 18 months) will only be a memory in just a few months. I’ve gotten so used to living here and used to the way they live, it’s crazy to think that I will be returning back to Wisconsin, and have to jump back into my old life. Geeesh. So, I’ve been recently thinking about trying to find a job here in Nicaragua, so I can spend more time here, and possibly experience things that I have yet to experience, and other possibilities there are for me. Who knows if I will feel the same way in 6 months, but that’s where I am as of right now. Recently, we had an AVC (All Volunteer Conference) in Managua. All of the volunteers came to meet each other, and go to different presentations from different volunteers from different sectors. Liz and I were asked to give a presentation on current events, and what volunteers may have missed since coming to Nicaragua. I think we were selected because we are the best S.O.Bing presenters on the face of the earth, CLARO! It was a hit, and I think we did so well that I think I even saw a few tears out there, but enough about how awesome we are. The last night of the conference, there was a talent show, and we were in it!! How did I get dragged into it? Well sit back and relax, and I’ll tell you how. Another volunteer came up from the South and spent the weekend in Granada, which means a welcoming party was in order. We walked down “La Calzada” and found a restaurant serving 2 X 1 (DOS POR UNO, BABY!!!) so we sat and caught up for a a short “all-nighter”. Riding back to Liz and Dianne’s house in the taxi, and singing “CELOS, TENGO CELOS” to the radio; someone started singing “Beat It” by Michael Jackson. Upon entering the house, we all started singing the song and began to throw out Michael Jackson moves, we thought we knew. I looked over at Shyra, and I saw the light bulb go off in her head. The then informed us about the email she had received about the talent show for AVC. Then and there the NICA 47, “Beat It” performance idea was born. After hours of back breaking learning, and practicing, we were ready for the performance. I will try to add a link right here so you can see the video. Its pretty hilarious!! We pretty much brought the house down, and will probably be asked to travel across the world as, quite possibly, the best “Michael Jackson cover back up dancers” in the history of back up dancers. But don’t take my word for it…. Ba dum dum. That night was a major shit show, that’s all I’m going to say. Recently I have been hanging out with my new wife, Fatima. I met her through a mutual friend of ours, and ever since then she has fallen in love with me. I helped her and Juan move into their new house, and required a lot of work. (IN A NUT SHELL… Fatima got beat up by thieves at her old house and she needed to live with a strong, manly man.) We had to clean her house for a party for her birthday, that was being thrown on the very day they moved into the house. Impossible task you ask? Hellz nah. Not for me and Fatima. We cleaned that house like 2 Merry Maids cleaners on a kilo of blow. (Metaphor of hilarity and in no way explains the quickness of the cleaning) We had the chairs and tables brought to the house and we threw that together faster than you can sing Ba Ba Ra Ba Ba Ba Ga Ga Ra Ba Ba Ba (inside joke Fatima). The party was a huge success! Except for the fact that they guy who was supposed to bring the music, forgot it. Then to my delight someone had brought a guitar, and I thought the night was saved. While moving in my chair, to hear the music better, he began to bust out all this music that made my ears bleed, I instantly walked back to the jungle juice in the 30 gallon blue cooler and refilled my cup. After everyone had left, we went out to the disco and had a wonderful night! The next few weeks before I go home, I will be very busy. I offered to help a fellow volunteer at the English summer camp in her town. This morning I went to Masatepe and began the workshops we are giving the teachers today, tomorrow, and Thursday before the English camp starts next week. I’m kind of excited because I will very busy so I won’t think about coming home so much. Ok maybe I will. Yeah, I will. Oh yeah, a couple of weeks ago, when my friend Tessa came and visited me, my mom called and let me know that someone had gotten my check card from the States, and stole all my money. It shocked me because I had the check card still on me. After talking to the Peace Corps security coordinator, we decided that my card had been cloned from an ATM machine, or when I used it to buy something at the store. I had to call the bank from here and wait on hold for a customer service rep, and try to figure out what the hell was going on. I had to go through the history of my usage and then fill out a discrepancy form to argue the charges. Found out some one in Managua, now has a brand new $931.17 computer; hope they enjoy it. So I have the money back, PROVISIONALLY, and I hope they don’t take it back. I got a new site mate, she’s cool, but not as cool as me, which may cause problems in the future. Sometimes I have to steal a quote from Liz to remind her and say, “I’m better than you, so get over it!” She knows now. Well Tengo sueño ( I have sleepyness) See you all later! Have Happy Holidays, and a great NEW YEAR!!!!

Reason 844 Why I'm going to Hell

2009-05-29T07:42:00.000-07:00

The rainy season is now upon us, which any Peace corps volunteer here in Nicaragua will agree that yes, it is nice that it is no longer 850 degrees on a daily basis, but here in Masaya that means only one thing....pull out your canoes boys and girls!! In many of the more developed cities here, the rainy season is not a problem, but in Masaya the people have yet to learn that throwing all of your shit in the streets is not a cool thing to do. You see, what happens is that when the trash is thrown in the streets and no one cleans it up it, tends to block and clog the gutters where the rain is supposed to go causing major flooding. Matt, Peyton and I were recent victims of said flooding. (Law and Order man's voice) In the city of Masaya, Nicaragua people's littering in the streets is especially heinous, the men and women who volunteer their time in third world countries work for a group known as the Peace Corps... these are their stories DUNG DUNG.....

So we had just gotten back from watching a movie in Managua, and we caught a microbus ( little van made for about 20 people but they fit about 40 in it making most people stand) back to Masaya. On the way home there was a woman standing behind me who hit (not tapped) hit my shoulder and told me to move because she needed to get out. There was absolutely NO room for me to wiggle my ass around ANYWHERE to let her through. I told her that once the bus stops, we will all get out and allow her safe passage out. She continued to hit my shoulder telling me to move over; patience running low, I explained that there was no room, and not to fret, as she will get out at her stop. This was not good enough for her. She then began to push me and yelling for me to move, then pushing and yelling and pushing and yelling. I had had enough, and most people who know me know that when I confront people who really piss me off, I like to make a big scene, so off I went. Putting my thumb and pointer finger together (for more dramatics I suppose) I spoke loud enough so that everyone in the bus could hear me ask her, “ Por el amor de dios, no tiene orejas, mujer? Acabo de decir que no hay maldita espacio para moverme para que salgas. Hay que esperar hasta que pare el bus, si no quieres esperar puedo ayudarte salir por la ventana. Ten paciencia y maldita respeto para los demas” (sorry for not using accents and stuff, but laptops suck for those) which ruffly translates to “ For the love of god, do you not have ears woman? I just got done saying there is no god damned space for me to move so you can get out now. You will have to wait until the bus stops, if you don't want to wait for that, I can help you get out through the window. Have a little patience and some god damned respect for everyone else.” So when the bus stopped she began to push her way out so I stopped turned around and gave her one of those “Ima slap you in the face bitch” looks. Once we got off the bus she threw her money at the man collecting the bus fare and said there was no F*%@#*$ space..blah blah blah. So we got back on the bus and everyone stared at me for the rest of the ride home. After that (what I like to call) little cultural integration, our stop came and we got off.
On our way home it began to rain...hard. Since we are still young growing boys, we needed food to aid in the growing process so we decided to combat the rain and walk to the nearest comedor (place that sells mediocre tasting food to go) once we reached the comedor, it began to rain like nobody's business. We got our mediocre food and decided to eat it there under the shelter of the tin roof to see if we could wait out the rain... we were wrong. Having begun raining even harder, we thought we could pick up the pace and make it home quick...we were wrong again. The water had now risen onto the sidewalk and Matt and I only had on sandals so we thought we better hurry. We came to the intersection 2 blocks from my house, and we all gasped to see the rough water that lie ahead. We had three options. Option 1: Call the US marine guard to help helicopter us back to my house. Option 2: Spin around in circles and turn into our hero alter egos and fly to my house or option 3: Try to walk through the rain and get as least wet as possible. Sooooo we got out our phones to dial the US marine guard but the number was busy. Damn it. With only one real option left we began to spin around for our “hero change” until Matt and Peyton collided heads. Double damn it. After waving goodbye to Noah and 7 pairs of each animal in his ark flowing down stream, we hiked up our shorts and began the life changing journey back home. Matt went first, at 6'1”, the water in the intersection was up a little over his knees, so I knew I would be in trouble. I jumped in and began crossing the street. I came across 2 men on the way. One was offering to baptize anyone for a low fee, and the other man, a local drunk (Moises), crazily hitting a walking stick on the ground I supposed hoping to part the “sea” like his old Hebrew counterpart Moses. Big surprise, it only works in the movies, and old fiction Books. Barely getting across the intersection alive, I took what I thought to be my last breath.... and there it was... the other side. As I stepped up on the other sidewalk, fighting the current of a thousand yesterdays along with the freezing katabatic arctic winds, my damn sandal began slipping off my foot. “Don't let go Jack” it said to me. As soon as I promised to never let go, there it went flowing down the river like the old paper boats my dad used to make for us on rainy Wisconsin days.(Everything floats down here...get it? The movie It? No? OK) Completely upset for the loss of my dollar pair of Old Navy white shower sandals Danielle bought for me 2 years ago, I took my other sandal and threw it at the water in hope to tame the beast. I'm sure by now, my sandals are either in Costa Rica, or the giant land mass of garbage (the size of Texas) floating in the ocean near Hawaii. They will truly be missed. (a ceremony will be held in their memory. TBD). After giving Peyton a few rescue breaths to revive his almost dead body, we continued back to my house...me...barefoot.
Once inside my house, we peeled off our cloths and headed for the shower (not all together of course.....or did we? ;) ) as the water we just got done walking through probably contained 300 different staphylococcus strains, 15 different STDs and a partridge in a pear tree. We needed to scrub our feet well, don't want any fungus. Upon leaving my shower I spotted a few cockroaches that made their way into my home to find refuge from the rain. Grabbing the new can of Raid, I decided to begin a Holocaust-like genocide of these nasty insects. BIG MISTAKE. As soon as the Raid disbursed into the air and those four roaches began to shake and die, one would have thought I had awoken the scorpion king, as 50-60 cockroaches from the drain began running, nay, crawling for their lives. They were ALL OVER the walls, climbing in my sink, trying to climb on us. HOLY SHIT I had never seen such thing. It almost made me believe in god. OK OK OK it didn't but YOU WERNT THERE, YOU don't EVEN KNOW!!!! After completing the holocaustic genocide of the huge quantity of roaches, and using almost the entire can of Raid, I swept them up into a pile and took a picture for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

A couple of weeks ago, my old counterpart that I worked with last year, the English “department head” told me she wanted to have an English singing competition at the school. The reason I no longer work with her is because when we co-planned for classes, she would give me the book, and tell me to create the class while she walked away and did nothing, or had “important” English meetings to go to. After I completed the plans for class, I would tell her what I thought would be a good idea to do. After we were both on the same page, we would go home. Then when I got to class to teach the class I planned, I would begin and then she would tell me that SHE had already taught that class, so I had to create another class ON THE SPOT, and she wouldn't even help, she would sit in the back of the room and do nothing. So I decided that I'm not going to to her job any more and I stopped working with her. OK back to the English competition. So a few weeks ago she told me that we were going to have one, but she didn't know when but she would let me know. I told her to let me know in advance so I could ask a few other volunteers to come and help be judges. Well last Thursday she told me that the competition would be held the following morning at 10 AM and the afternoon at 3:30PM. She reminded me about 20 times and told me, “Now remember to call your friends because you said you were going to have your friends come”. So I informed her that I needed to know in advance because the other volunteers have their own schedules, but I would ask them anyway. Turns out they had off, so they were able to help. The next morning when we got to the school, my old counterpart had not even figured out a place to have to competition. In the end, we had the competition in the small computer lab. There was not even enough room to turn around, but the one good thing was there was air conditioning. So we were told the criteria on which to judge the songs, rhythm, pronunciation, content of the song, and enunciation. They were to be judged out of 100 points. Liz, Diane and I decided that content if the song was not a good indicator so we were going to give everyone the maximum 25 points because I could care less what the song was about, just as long as they sang. Before the contest started, 2 other English teachers came in to be judges as well. After everyone sang, (no Latin American Idols at my school this year) we calculated the points and I went over to the other English teachers to see what scores they had given them to add the points in to find the winner. They had told me that they didn't give any points, but they knew who they wanted to be the winners. The two English teachers of course chose their student to win, and they were telling me that our judging was bad because “so and so used a guitar” and “they sang a rock and roll song” so they shouldn't win, and they completely took the judging into their own hands. I explained that we were told to judge on certain criteria, and that no one never said you couldn't use a guitar or sing rock and roll songs. They wanted their students to win because if their student won, they would look like good English teachers. So I confronted them both and told them that you cannot just pick your student because you know them, as this would be a popularity contest and not a talent contest and if this is how the judging was going to be, I wanted no part of it. (The winners they chose earned 4th and 5th place (out of 8)). They were upset with this, and decided to leave and didn't return for the PM judging. Oh well, I could really care less how they feel about this because that is the point of having many judges and then adding the scores together to find the over all winner. Maybe thats how contests and Ahhhemm ::::elections:::: are done here, but it is not the right way.

This morning while I was planning what to teach for my secondary project: a community English class, there was a knock on my door. Right away I knew it was a Nicaraguan because anyone with manners knows about the 5 knock rule. You knock 5 times, ya give it a minute, then follow that up with 3 knocks to let them know you're still there waiting. But NO, the person knocked about 25 times. So opening the door, and gazing into their fake smile (you know those smiles where head is tilted to the side, and their eyes are almost crossed), and their hypnotized look, I knew right away they were religious. Jehovah's witnesses I guessed to myself. Bible in hand, they began rambling their pre memorized speech they get at their weekly “pep-talks” from the “big guys”. All I could think about was, “How in the hell am I going to get out of this?” They went on about how they were from Guatemala and there are about 40 thousand witnesses there, but in Mexico there are about 400 thousand. At some point in time I sneezed, and it hit me, the perfect exit strategy... SWINE FLU! I began to tell the guys about how coincidentally I had met a witness on my recent trip to Mexico. I tried to remember his name but told them I was too sick to remember, because I had a fever and a bad headache, and thought I may have come down with something, so I sneezed to prove my point. After a few open handed coughs in their direction, I stuck my hand out to shake their hands and asked them their names. The one over confident guy's eyes turned to saucers and he stepped back a bit. He began again with his shpeal about how when so and so was 900 years old she did something really important. He asked me how amazing I thought that was, to which I replied, “What I find amazing is that with all the new technology we have today and treatments for illnesses, we can still barely reach 100 years old. They must have had excellent doctors back then.” I had to end with a deep cough, you know one of those coughs from deep inside. Pointing at myself, leaning into the door frame, I thought out loud what I could have come down with, but I didn't worry because I have faith. I have faith that god will help me get over these FLU LIKE SYMPTOMS I RECENTLY GOT FROM MY TRIP TO MEXICO....I just needed to pray. After a another side step back, he handed me one of their little booklets of information, and they bit me a farewell. Like I said reason 844 why I'm going to hell. This week's witness topic is: How parents can help children cope with the stresses of school, homework, extracurricular activities, and trying to get into good college. Hee hee. If your going to bring an American created religion to Nicaragua, you might want to contextualize the content of the booklet. First off, I have never met a student that worried about ANYTHING to do with school down here. You know that ONE homework assignment per month really wears the kids down. As for extracurricular activities such as huffing glue, defacing government and religious buildings and smoking crack in their schools never appeared in this issue, but volunteering in retirement homes and clean-up campaigns do...right.

The other day during class, my counterpart pulls out this little metallic tube looking thing (looks almost like a tire gauge with the gauge pulled off) and tells me to smell it. So being the dumb American that I am, I do and I ask what that horrible smell is. She then informs me that she confiscated it from a student. When I asked what it was, she let me know that a few days ago, she caught a student smoking crack cocaine out of the pipe in the upstairs portion of my school. I guess I had no clue that crack cocaine even existed here in Nicaragua, but she schooled me on the different ways they smoke crack cocaine and then proceeded to point out the student who she caught smoking it, and the other drug dealers in my school. When I asked her why the student was not expelled, she said she didn't have a reason. She then asked me what I thought she should do with the pipe...ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I told her to go dig a hole and bury that shit. How nice would that be to get caught with a NICA-rigged crack pipe when it's not even yours to begin with.

OH youth.....they're our future you know!!!

Speaking of future, I think I am going to go to Granada this weekend, as Liz's friend is here from the states on a pilgrimage to hear our angelic voices sing karaoke. I guess our vocal reputation has made it to the states. Also I need to download some music for my community class. They told me that they want to learn the lyrics to a few songs. In just a few short days, I will be teaching them “Heal The World” by Michael Jackson, “Isla Bonita” by Madonna and a few pre-cocaine Whitney Houston songs.

Well ladies and gents, thats all I got for ya now. Until next time.

Liz and I celebrating.....something.

ITS GETTIN HOT IN HER!!!

2009-04-16T12:53:00.000-07:00

One thing I really hated before I came to the Peace Corps was when I found a blog that I liked, they only updated their blogs once or twice a month and I told myself I wasn't going to be one of those people, but alas, I AM! Whatevs, heres the going ons down here. :::Consults pre-made list::: Ahh yes.....

One of my friends who lives in Chinandega, thought it would be a nice gesture to take out to lunch, her landlord's granddaughter and her boyfriend. This would seem a great way to make new friends in a country where everyone thinks you're a tourist, and also living in a big city. So once she brought them out to eat, the boyfriend who owns a moto taxi (rickshaw) brought her to her school so she could begin teaching her classes. She thought it was very nice of him to bring her all the way to school, and really thought she had made some new friends....BUUUUUUTTTT NO! Once he dropped her off at school, he returned to her house and robbed her blind! He stole her apple laptop, her digital camera, her cell phone, and some American dollars. When she got home, she returned to all of her nice things missing, so of course she called the Peace Corp security coordinator (who is AWESOME), and the local police. When the local police got there, they began investigating how the person(s) got in the house. They noticed a shoe print in the toilet, and were able to match the shoe print to the landlord's granddaughter, and when she was taken into custody.....she sang like a song bird......telling the police that the boyfriend had taken all the things to different houses, so they were not all in the same place. When they went looking for the things, a little boy approached the police and asked them if they were looking for the stolen things, and by some cosmic mishap, or he had just gotten home from church; he told the truth and led the police to the stolen merchandise. So the granddaughter and the boyfriend were arrested and placed in jail. Once would think that justice was served......NAY....that was only the beginning. After a few days, she was told that the granddaughter had stolen things from her grandmother in the past and sold them for a lot of money. Not only this, it had been suggested by many people that my friend drop the charges, and let them get out of jail. Now anyone with any sense would say that that is ludicrous, and that how are people supposed to take responsibility for their actions. But it makes sense to drop the charges down here, because everyone knew what happened, and once they actually DID get out of jail, you would have a target on your back and revenge being sought. Later on, my friend decided that she was going to move out and received a phone call from the culprit's family in the United States telling her that if she dropped the charges, she could live there for 2 months rent free while she finds a new place. There are other details to the story that were asked not to be blogged about, but they are awesome (knife and gasoline fights, matrix style battles) the list goes on.
So as my blog title says, IT IS GETTING SO VERY HOT HERE...aHHHHHHHHH. Some days are just absolutely crazy hot, I just sit in my underwear ((and this awesome sleeveless (yes sleeveless) shirt that I bought for 50 cents)) and sweat, and sweat some more and right when I realize that I stopped sweating, I start sweating again just from moving my head to noticed I had stopped sweating..still following me? Then once 9 AM comes around, it gets even hotter. I remember, in Wisconsin, complaining about 70 degree weather, which now makes me laugh, which makes me sweat. I think I started sweating the other day just by THINKING how hot it is. So, basically I've been rendered useless by this ball of fire in the sky that we depend on to survive day in and day out. Here's me: ROCK---> ME <---Hot place.

Next point. There is a child screaming bloody murder and crying nextdoor, and I think I am going to do what my mother used to do to us. NO! I won't beat them with a sock full of oranges and tell them, “I'll give you something to cry about”, I'll simply ignore it. OK since writing this, he has cried so much, he started choking and gaging. Get over it kid. MOVING ALONG!

I did a Biggest Loser video the other day with Liz and it was hell. I was out of breath putting the DVD in the player and pressing play, I needed some fresh air. I lit a smoke.
The next morning, I felt like I had suffered through the Spanish Inquisition, thank god it was Sunday. Day of rest.......and all was good.

This last week, they celebrated Semana Santa (Holy Week) here in Nicaragua, and it was a great time to reflect a new year, and new beginnings, and having a thousand 6 year old girls scream, “¡¡Cristo Viene, Cristo Viene!!” (Christ is coming, Christ is coming!!!) at 2 o'clock in the morning. I mean come on, really? How else would one celebrate the Easter holiday? Now me? I spent it in a much better fashion. I watched 9/11 conspiracy documentaries, and argued them with (who I think might be) the only conservative Peace Corps volunteer I know. We also argued over whether or not we should abolish the Federal Reserve. We agreed on one of them, I'll let you guess which one. Did you know that we have to work for FOUR months out of the year, just to pay our income taxes? We work for four months for free, just to pay back the Federal Reserve (Huge private banks) for only the interest of the money they have generously “provided” us. Makes one think. (www.zeitgeist.com)

Recently, I was matched with a teacher in the United states through a correspondence match program. It's exciting, he teaches 4th grade in Albert Lee, Minnesota and I received an email with many many letters from the students asking questions ranging from my favorite color to “How long does it take to get to Nicaragua? A day? A month?” It's fun, but very taxing.

So I have been trying to get Internet for my house, and things are not going very well. Every time I go, they tell me that they don't have the equipment, and to come back in a few days. So I go back, and I get the same thing. So I asked the woman if I could have the phone number for the main office in Managua, as I was going to call and complain because honesty how can you advertise promotions on Internet and NEVER have the equipment when Masaya is only 40 minutes by bus or 25 minutes by private car from Managua. She told me that they don't have a phone number, so I asked for the phone number for HER store so I could call and ask if they have the equipment so I didn't wait time walking to the store. She informed me that THEY don't have a phone number to call with questions either. Another thing that pisses me off, is that in the states, cell phone store workers are trained to know how to use the cell phones, so they can show off their selling points. Here, they are not. They do not have ANY knowledge on ANY of the phones that they sell. If you ask how to do something on the phone, or how an accessory works, but they tell you to buy the phone and read the instruction manual. They need to work on that. So, I am still waiting and sweating with no Internet, but at least my site HAS Internet cafes, some places are small and don't have Internet access.

Chunche (my cat) has been escaping from my house recently, and the first time she escaped, she was in a space between the wall and the ceiling crying so I thought I would help her. I stood on my lavandero (thing where I wash clothes and dishes) and I tried to get a little closer so I stood on what I thought was the edge of the lavandero, but no, it was where my faucet came out of the wall. Needless to say, the plastic tube snapped, I fell and water started spraying all over the place. NOT FUN! I found the water source and closed the valve and went out in search of my landlord to tell him I needed some help. As it was Semana Santa, he and his family had left, and there was no one to be found to help me with my situation. My neighbor came over, and with a smile and fire-breathing alcohol breath, offered his help. He brought over this major super glue that gave me a headache just catching whiffs of it, and started applying it to the broken tube. While the tube was drying, we sat and B.S'ed for a while (and if you know me, you know how much I like to B.S with people I don't really know :( ) So after offering me a last whiff of the glue, and me declining, Juan takes a big ole whiff, shakes a little and asks me about my family, friends, and mi tierra (my “land”). After waiting a while, Juan decided it was time to check if there were leaks to apply more glue. When I turned the valve on (this is soooo funny) all I heard was him screaming “APAGALA, APAGALA” (TURN IT OFF, TURN IT OFF), but it sounded like he was drowning when he said it. I hurried back into the house to find him SOAKING WET with water dripping out of his mouth. It was a great bonding experience, so to bond more I took a whiff of glue. Just kidding. After realizing that that was not going to work, he offered me another whiff of the glue, and left when I once again declined. So I bathed out of a bucket for a couple of days. I told my landlord about the accident, and he said he would send someone the next morning. That night I had a bad experience sleeping, as Chunche was sad she couldn't leave the house so she was crying. I woke up the next morning with LOUD bangs in the door. When I opened the door up, there was some old mad saying he came to fix my faucet, and that he would come back at 8AM. I thanked him, and looked at my cell to find the time. IT WAS 5 AM!!!!! HE CAME OVER AT 5 AM TO TELL ME HE WOULD BE BACK AT 8?!?1? ARE YOU KIDDING ME. So I grab the cat and a blanket and fall asleep in the hammock. I am awoken with another knock on the door, and it was my landlord. I crawled out of the hammock and opened the door, and he tells me, “Vaya, parace muerto.” (Wow, you look dead.) He then tells me I sleep to late, and he gets up ever morning at 4:30 AM and I should get up earlier. After he leaves, I look at my cell, and it's 7AM!! Maniacally and insanely laughing, I fall back asleep in the hammock. Once again I wake up to pounds on the door, I open the door up and the old man says, “Todavia está dormido, Pues” (Still sleeping, huh?). Instead of trying to explain to him that I TRIED TO SLEEP BUT THEY KEPT COMING OVER WAKING ME UP, I told him I was sick. He then asked if it was el gripe (the flu). ANY time Nicaraguans sneeze, cough, or are too tired, they blame it on the flu, and go to a pulperia and have some random business owner give them an injection of anti-flu vitamins in their asses. So here I am in the same position again, if I say no, it's not the flu, and try to explain, it will take forever and he will challenge me, and tell me about one of his aunts' sisters' brother of a friend who had the same symptoms, and it was the flu, and how I should go get an injection of vitamins at this one pulperia that uses sharp needles so it doesn't hurt as much, which is located at : From where the old lady who survived the 1970 earthquake by hiding in her car used to live until she died, 5 blocks north and 3 blocks west. I gave in.........said it was the flu. So now after recovering from “the flu”, Chunche keeps running away only coming back when she needs water or food, which makes me sweat.

With the recent change in NBC staffing, Conan was taking over for Jay (thank god) and who else but.....wait for it.....wait for it.....JIMMY FALLON was taking over for Conan's spot. With my media prayers answered, I couldn't wait for the changes, which “happened” like 4 weeks ago. For the 1,342,983rd time in my life I have been disappointed. Jays still on, and Jimmy Fallon sucks...bad. I thought because he was so funny on SNL, he was going to be great with his own talk show. WRONG! People who know me know that when I watch TV (ex: American Idol) and someone sings really bad, I tend to hide my face because I am so embarrassed for that person. Many times I find myself doing the same thing during Jimmy's show. I think that the writers for the show should either be shot execution style (I in no way mean this, it is a figure of speech. I have no intentions on having the writers killed from here in Nicaragua) or Don't stop them from smoking their “herbal influence”... I don't know but it's bad. From this poor quality show, I have found a better way to spend my time which gives me more pleasure.....stabbing screwdrivers into my eyes. The countdown clock is ticking until your show gets canceled, Jimmy. STEP IT UP!! SNL is really sucking bad as well. Enough said.

I am thinking of starting a FLIKR web page with all of my photos for you guys to see when I get Internet (why does spell check always want to capitalize Internet??) Much easier then adding a lot of them at an Internet cafe. So thats a work in progress.

Had an uneventful Easter, we tried to make our own version of green bean casserole (which I love by the way) and it didn't turn out how I remember it, but it was good. Wish I was at my grandma's house eating ham, and green bean casserole, and all the other great food. But I talked to my mom for a while and she too had an uneventful Easter, so I didn't feel too bad! (Hi mom!)

Didn't have school for Semana Santa, which was great but school started again on Monday. Even though I KNEW no one was coming to school, I still went, and then promptly turn around on my heels and walked right back home. Then tonight (Tuesday) I sent a text message to my counterpart asking if there was class or not today (to which she never responded). So I went to school and asked her if she received my message and she said she did, but “Fijate que” (which 99 times out of 100 a lie is about to follow that) I didn't have any money on my phone, but she already told me she pays monthly on what she uses, but she just didn't want to spend the money. I told all my counterparts that I will pay for their phone calls if they call me and tell me there is no class.

The cat just came home, but I'm sure she'll leave me when I'm sleeping....whats new.

Killed another bat. Sorry P.E.T.A.

Jimmy Fallon is on, it's time for me to grab the screwdrivers. Check ya'll later!

Diane´s BIG Mangoes

Patties of sweet corn cooked between banana leaves.

Diane searching for cheap clothes, in a VERY Nica mannar...thorw it all in piles and let the customers sort it out.

My neighbor who offered the glue sniffing party.

Liz and I integrating into the community by watching a local parade for Good Friday.

After integrating for over an hour, we were approached by a group of men carrying a bloody christ corpse on their shoulders.

A Fun picture I took

Liz and I on the bus!

new blog coming in next few days

2009-04-13T13:55:00.001-07:00

Mellow Pong Masters

2009-03-24T13:53:00.001-07:00

Hey there, it's been a while since I wrote my last blog, but I figured it's time for another one! Let's see. Paul came to Nicaragua for a visit, and it went really well, we did a lot of things that my parents couldn't do because of time constraints and weather conditions. One thing we got to do was go to the isletas “islands” in Granada. Many people go to the main street in Granada and pay about 10 bucks a person, but they might not know that if you walk or take a taxi to the water edge and go into the park (it costs 5 cords to get in, but only Americans pay the entrance) you can negotiate your own price from the men that try to get you to buy tours. They will start out an a CRAZY price, but if you can negotiate, you'll do fine. A suggestion for people thinking about coming to Granada to go to the isletas is make sure that you verify that the boat will drop you off where they picked you up! What happened to us, was that we said we would go with the first person that solicited us, and we hopped on the boat. After the tour, they brought us to the main “hub” where the boats dock, and told us the tour was over and we had to get off of the boat. But they made sure that we knew that their friends (the taxi drivers waiting for us) would give us a good price on a taxi ride, instead of having to walk 30-40 mins to walk back where we boarded the boat. SCAM!!

I'm really excited, as this visit provided me with the opportunity for my first try at the infamous “Beer Pong” weeeeeellll we have dubbed it “Mallow Pong”. You see, ping pong balls, are not really a hot commodity with high demand down here in Nicaragua, so the only thing that Lara and Adam found that could work, were :::drum roll:::: MARSHMELLOWS!! “What a crazy substitution” you must be asking yourself, but I tell you when you have Liz and her extraordinary “drying assembly line” (These ones are almost dry, these ones are mostly beer soaked, and these ones are completely wet) I had a great time, and I've decided that when I get home, I am going to masterize the “Jai Ho Jam”. That song from Slumdog Millionaire is really popular with some of the cooler Peace Corps volunteers down here (A.K.A. Me and Liz). So after taking it easy on me, Lara and Adam have made me...... a mallow pong man! Thanks guys! When finding a place to quench our recently developed thirsts, we found a great place offering a free sandwich with the purchase of your first beer, which was overly diplayed all over the bar. We though what a great idea, not only do we get a free sandwich, there is karaoke going on, (as I may have mentioned before, Liz and I, recently got Facebook posts and twitter tweets from the “Man upstairs” asking us to join His team and sing to the “new arrivals” at the Pearly Gates.) So after being swept into the bar to spend money, we order our first beers, and upon receiving our beers, we inquired what kind of sandwiches they had, we were informed that not only that they do not have that offer, but there was no karaoke. We then asked for the bill, and the waiter got pissy and and brought the bill. On our way out, I walked up to the manager, and let him know that we were leaving because they lied to us at the door about karaoke, and that there were no sandwiches although it is displayed all over the place, so I called them dishonest, and were going to let the other tourists know about this place. So the manager assured us that when we sat down and got another beer, they would bring us the sandwiches, but we know what upset cooks do to food. We decided to move on.
The next morning when we were getting ready to leave, we stopped in the park for a few things we had to do. We were then approached by a lady who asked for some money to buy milk for her children. I was in a helping mood, so I usually don't give out money, so I decided that I would go to a pulperia and buy her some milk. After leading me to a certain seller in the market, she points to a big container of Nido powder. Nido power is baby formula, and it was 350 Cordobas (17 dollars). I told her that I agreed to buy her milk and not expensive powder. So I bought her a bag of milk, and she took it and walked away leaving me to pay for the milk, without a thanks. When I got outside, Liz and Paul were waiting for me, and I had to walk by the women to say “You're welcome”. We walked around for a little longer and when walking back through the park, we saw the woman that I bought milk for had given it to one of the sellers who sell soda, and water. She only used it to sell it to make money. This is why I do not give money to people asking for money.

This year, the Ministry of education decided to change the curriculum for 1st-3rd year, and all of the teachers are in an uproar. I can admit that it isnt the greatest, but it makes our job easier when it comes to co-planning because they give some ideas on things to use. They include a lot of activities that would make great handouts, but that is not possible because the teachers cannot afford to make photocopies of all the handouts for all of the students, and because they made public school completely free, the teachers cannot ask the students for the money. Teachers have been used to the old curriculum and the way they used to teach the classes because once you made the lesson plan, you can reuse it for many years to come. Now they have to plan every class again for the first time. One more thing that has changed at my school is that because too many kids are failing, there are no more exams, but we will evaluate the students on 8 different homework assignments worth 100 points each. This is to help more students pass. I find this makes class much more difficult when you have 65 students in a class (when the Ministry of Education says there can only be 35 students in each class) who don't have to listen or want to listen, because they know that 1 student in the class understands whats going on, and they will copy their homework. But the best thing I can do is go to school with a smile, and do my best.

Chunche is doing well, she has kind of stopped peeing wherever she wants, but now she likes to climb up my mosquito net, and when she does, the dust from the top falls on my face, and I am woken up. She has also begun some stage in life where she is “playing” by biting me and scratching me and becoming aggressive. I'm not sure if this will ever end, but I have recently been told by Liz that she may be suffering from multiple sclerosis or may have slight kitty retardation. Either way, I love her the way she is. She is doing great as a cockroach killing machine, I guess she gets them during the night, because I wake up and find them peppered all over the floor. Watching her play with them is great, she really messes with their heads before killing them. She will walk up and slap it really hard, and once the cockroach recovers from the initial shock, the then grabs it in her mouth and lays it on top of her blanket, and watches it get out, then runs ahead of it to ambush it, and brings it it back to the towel right after slapping it again. Then she pretends like she wants nothing to do with it, while it desperately searches for any crack it can escape into, then at the last second she runs and grabs it, and starts the process over. Then she kills it.

Lets see, what else. I went down to Granada to do karaoke but when I got there, I was denied entrance into the bar because I was wearing shorts, and it was formal nights, although when I went the first time, I was wearing the same shorts...hmmmmm..... so we went somewhere else, and I watched Avi and Liz glide across the floor dancing the Bachata with their own little Gringo touch.

I was supposed to get internet installed 2 Wednesdays ago, but they never came. They said they were going to come between 10-11AM, and we waited until 7PM and they never came, BIG SUPRISE! So I called them back, and left a message yelling at them telling them that no one there had any respect to call me and tell me that they couldn't come. I said that their company and customers service is an embarrassment to Nicaragua. So I am looking to a different company to get it. I know some of you think that I am very spoiled by getting it, but when your family and friends call each month, they spend a lot of money on phone cards, but if they all pitched in, they could spend less than a quarter they would normally and we could talk for free WHENEVER, so it just makes sense. Not to mention that if I ever need ideas in class, I can go to www.daveseslcafe.com and find great activities for class.

I have one quick question here before I depart. I bought a rice cooker when I moved into my house (a spending splurge gone wrong) and when I try and cook the rice, it never turns out right, its either too wet, or way too dry. I have tried experimenting with different amounts of water, but to no avail. I also heard from many people that you need to brown the rice in hot oil for a few minutes before cooking the rice. I tried that. It didn't work. So now, I'm wondering if I should not put the rice in until the rice cooker pops over from warming to cooking. Maybe that will work. It really sucks, because I like rice, but if I don't cook it myself, the only other option is to go to a comedor, but that gets expensive and old really quick.

OK really last thing.. I recently got matched with with a teacher in the States through a correspondence match program. He is a teacher in Albert Lee, Minnesota, which is really nice to be matched with a teacher close to my hometown. I will correspond with the teacher and his students about life in Nicaragua, and answer any questions they have for me about living abroad. I'm really looking forward to it! I'll keep you informed!

Well I have got to get to bed, I have a lot of fake smiling to do tomorrow for class, and it really takes a lot out of a person. Below are a few pics from Paul's visit.

Me tackling Diane on the beach after a wonderful LOBSTER dinner!!

The awesome view from the hostel we stayed at!!

Me taking a quick minute to pose for a pic, before ordering another beer.

Liz and Paul finding songs to sing at karaoke in Granada

Me and Liz after we sang.

Liz's response to a nun asking for donations....what a horrible person!

I thought if I cross my eyes and look at the camera, it might turn out better? Im not so aure about that!

Diane using the public restrooms which drain into the Cocibolca Lake!

I'm going F-ing Batty

2009-02-18T11:02:00.000-08:00

Hey there, I'm back again with another installment of the Days of My Life. Lets see what has happened lately... Oh yeah, the other day, I came home from School and decided to take a little nap, and when I sat on my bed, under the mosquito net, I laid my head on the pillow and pulled the covers over me, and was given a great whiff of cat poop, and a little a small hint of cat piss. After a few seconds, I spotted a rather large chunk of poop :( Had it been gold, I probably could have quit the Peace Corps, and retired. So, I took the cat and threw it against the wall, and kicked it a lot... you know, you gotts teach them right? I mean come on, my parents did the same to me, and I learned not to defecate and urinate in bed, so it should work for cats right? OK so maybe I'm kidding...or am I?? Things have been a lit better with the cat, she comes up to me now, and wants her belly scratched and always meows when she wants me to know she is out of food or water, even if it's at 4 AM. I came home from class today and she was passed out on the chair, so of course I had to take a picture.

Classes are really going great! We are having a lot of fun, and I think the students are as well. One of my counterparts, is just great; she really wants to improve her English and is always asking questions, and asking my opinions about activities we do. The other counterpart I work with cannot co-plan, so I tend to go to class and find out what we are teaching that day. This is a little more difficult for me, as I like to know what we are teaching in advance so I can look in my books to make sure I can explain everything in the easiest way. Today the teachers were given their supplies for the entire semester, and what did they get? They each got 1 ream of white printer paper, and 1 black white board marker. I asked if I would be able to get a ream of the paper, because I could really use the paper for teaching materials in class. I was told because I'm not “really” a teacher, I am unable to receive the ream of paper. What I think is funny, is that a lot of the teachers don't even use the paper, but rather sell it to students to take exams, or just pack it away on top of the other reams of paper they received but never used. Oh well what can ya do, eh? I have decided that many of my students were “given” a passing grade in last year's English classes because in my third year classes we are reviewing the conjugation of the verb “to be” ( I am, you are, (s)he is...) and out of 47 students in one of my classes, not ONE student answered a question correctly on their homework!! I have to laugh though, one of the pictures I put on the board was a picture of bottles of perfumes and I wrote the question, “What are these?” LOL and her answer was (and I am not joking) “Yes, sister had are these” Ahhhh English, isn't it fun!
The other night Matt (another volunteer) came over, and we were watching a movie when I saw this quick flash of something fly near my face, and I came to find out it was a bat. And anyone who knows me, knows that I absolutely f-ing HATE bats, they freak me out; I always feel like they are going to jump on my neck and bite me. And really, being a vampire isn't my thing. So I began to throw random shit I found at it, and swinging my broom, and it disappeared. I knew it was still in the house, but didn't know where. When we were making dinner in the kitchen(al) area, when I turned around and BAM there it was hanging onto the wall. I just wanted to get it out of my house, and while I was thinking of ways to get it out alive, Matt grabs my broom and like a steroid infused A-Rod, swings the broom and smacks it onto the floor. Now a normal person would wait to make sure it wasnt moving, but no, he continues to hit the thing while it's on my table and when it falls onto the floor, continues to repeatedly whack it. Watching him do that cannot be described by anything less than a mixture of Lizzie borden, and a young Jeffrey Dahmer. He completely kills the S.O.B., he never saw it coming. Sooooo I'm friends with a killer. I think I even saw a slight smile. But I cannot say anything because as of an hour ago, I too have joined the ranks of bat killers. I was watching Biggest Loser (love that show!!) and another bat flew by my head, needless to say, I followed in Matt's footsteps and used the good ol' broom on it! But because I either wanted to show everyone the bat, or because I am a sick freak, I decided to take a picture of it. I'm not sure how big these pictures go (try clicking on the picture) but you can see the teeth that thing had. I'm glad I got it before it got me.

So I went back to the women's place to find out whether or not I can use a room to teach English to market vendors. She told me that there would be no problem, but then followed that up by asking me how much money I am going to be donating to them. I told her that I cannot donate any money myself, because what I am offering is worth a lot of money, but I will ask the students on the first day to donate what they can. While she tells me how I have to donate some amount of money, I noticed the wall was scattered with plaques saying “This building was donated by the loving citizens of Luxembourg” next to it “Large portion of this building was donated my Japan” and there were about 10 others showing the many other countries that have donated money to their building. So I told her once again that I myself will not be donating money but will ask the students.

Another fun fact I found out: Every three months your body replaces it's eye lashes. In your lifetime you will have had 600 pairs of them.

Well I have to go, my neighbor brought her daughter over for a little help with her English homework. Talk to you later.

Que sera, sera

2009-02-10T13:25:00.000-08:00

As someone (probably a teacher) once said, “All good things must come to an end.” By good things , I am lead to believe, mean vacations, and here too good things have ended. I am now back to school, which means dreams of new back packs, pens and the smell of new notebooks bouncing in my head. The government has recently changed the curriculum for schools, and also the content of English classes around the country. The week before school started, all teachers had to take part in a week long seminar on the new curriculum. The first entire day was nothing more than Sandanista propaganda, and what it means to be a good Sandanista, and what values we must have to be one. From then on, we all spoke about the new curriculum, but the only problem was that no one has a copy of said curriculum, and we were more or less told to “just trust” that it was better. So to celebrate surviving the week of boredom, Liz and Diane ever-so lovingly opened their doors to other volunteers and threw a dance party. Volunteers from around Nicaragua came to their house and we went out to dinner and went back to their house and, well, danced the whole night. It was another flawless party they threw, and a great way to end our vacation. I am still working with one counterpart from last year, and also a new one who I think is going to work out very well. The first class, one counterpart and I decided to give a pretest to the students to see what they remember from last year. No no one's surprise, they didn't remember much. There were a total of 54 questions, and the average score was about 7 correct answers, although I had one student who achieved the highest score with 39.
This week, we are going over the exam, mostly having to conjugate the verb “to be” and also playing different games to try and instill the different forms. One game we played was called “El pingüino” (The Penguin) What the students had to do, was put a 5 Cordoba coin in between their knees, and walk across the classroom while saying the conjugated forms of the verb “be” (I am, you are, he is etc.) Once they got to the other side of the room, they had to drop the coin into a container. If at any time, the coin hits the floor during the walk or when they drop it to try to get it into the container, they must start all over. I find that this exercise helps the students lose “pena” to speak English in front of me and the other students, because by the end of the year, each and every student will have “walked like a penguin” in front of each other; and not to mention, it makes class a lot less boring.
Today I went with my counterpart to a local women's building to ask them if they can donate a classroom they have so I can start my English classes for the workers in the tourist markets. I didn't know what I wanted to do for my secondary project until I was walking in the market and saw a vendor reading a book titled, “Learning English Without a Teacher” so I asked her if she was learning anything and she said she was learning a little, but the only problem was, was that she didn't know how the words are pronounced. So I told her I would look into finding a place to hold the classes, and would start classes for her and a few of the other vendors in the market. I hope everything turns out, because I think this would help a lot of vendors to better communicate with the tourists that peruse their goods for sale.
Oh yeah I forgot, I got another cat!! This one, I decided, would not be left in the hands of Diane, as kittens turn out to disappear when left in her care. (Oops, think you got a little meat in your teeth there, Diane ;) ) Its a 5 week old kitten, that was abandoned by it's mother. It's tan with stripes, and has tiger looking stripes on her stomach. The first couple of nights she stayed under my bed, too afraid to come out, but after a while she started exploring the house, and is less afraid. Unfortunately, she has not really learned where to go to the bathroom, for one morning I found a little present left in my t-shirt, she'll learn!
So it's been really windy here lately, and during a night's deep slumber I was awoken by the sound of my roof being ripped off my house. Clearly, first thing that came to mind was that I was getting robbed, and these guys just didn't care how loud they were; so I jumped up, and reached for my machete when I realized it was a random 4AM strong gust of wind, so since that night, every time the wind comes around it sounds like my roof is coming off my house.........I better go ask they landlord to fix that.
The other day, I was coming home from Granada, and once I got home, I realized that I had left the keys to my house on Liz's TV stand. LOL I was soooo pissed, I really didn't have any other option, as since the break in, my landlord provided me with new locks, and gave me all the keys, but returning to Granada and getting the keys. I knew that right inside the door, hanging on a hook, was the other set of keys to my door. Knowing that I couldn't reach them, I took out the long pieces of glass in my “persian” window, and tried to figure out how I was going to get those keys. Next thing I knew, my neighbor lady had shown her creativeness, and was walking towards me with 2 broom handles nailed together, and THAT pole was stuck into a little tube thing with a hook on it. Right behind me were about 6 other neighbors shouting at her telling her how to get the keys, and they all had 6 different ideas. It was F-ing crazy. She was fishing my keys off the wall with this contraption, when she knocked them off the hook onto the floor, everyone gasped in unison. After a little more fishing around, she got them!!! So in return, I gave her a little gift, and the extra set of keys. Don't worry, this is the neighbor I really trust, shes the one that every once in a while, cooks some extra food and brings it over for me, and when I make an American meal I will bring her some.
I finished the Harry Potter series, I'm a little sad it's all over.
Liz recently got bit by a dog, and it's a little gross, but when the dog released his grip and pulled it's teeth out, it ripped a little chunk of fat to the outside of her arm. No worries, she did a little “Peace Corps home surgery” and cut it off. (By the way Liz: I read on web MD, and that green ooze coming out, and the patch of green fur, you either have a staph infection, manic depression, or cancer. I'm not sure, but you should really look into that!) I heard a fun little quote, “Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana”. I thought it was clever .
So I was teaching class right before I came to the internet café to post my blog, and all of a sudden these crazy loud sounds started coming from the doorway, and after a few minutes students started running all over the place, and SMOKE started coming in the classroom from all over the place. The school administration thought that today would be a good day to FUMIGATE the school. Now one with half a brain cell would realize that men coming in with fumigating tools, and gas masks should mean that the students need to get out of the school first, but no. Students were trying to fan the smoke out of the way so they could see where they were going, and even one girl started gagging. I went directly to the principal and asked why they would do this while there were students, because this is toxic smoke and can really cause damage. His response, “The Ministry of Health doesn’t work on the weekends”. How wonderful!!

Well thats it for now folks, I'll see you around.

Parents Cont.

2009-01-27T12:29:00.000-08:00

We also decided that we would wake up at the butt crack of dawn and take a day trip to Selva Negra in Matagalpa. We were told that we could also find a coffee tour when we got there. Once we got up there we decided that we would do a little hiking first. Before you actually DO the hiking, there is a map of the hiking paths on the wall of a building, of which I am very glad we took a picture because without the map, you see, we would probably still be hiking in the hills of Matagalpa. Although we heard many of the howler monkeys “howling” in the hills, we didn't see any, but we did have the opportunity to see an animal which was a mix between a rabbit and a squirrel, so all in all the hike was much more pleasant than I thought it was going to be once we had arrived. Upon getting back to Masaya, we decided to invest a little time and go to the market and go shopping for souvenirs for the family. We walked all over the market for a good couple of hours and we saw everything from the bread vendors and the fish market to hammock and key chain vendors. One little note for those of you that might find yourself in the markets in Masaya. There are many people that walk around and come up to Americans or White people and begin to talk to them and tell you that they know all of the vendors and they will help you get better deals on the items. Now whether or not you speak Spanish, I would strongly suggest that you let them know you do not need their help. The will ask you every from what you are looking to buy, and how much money you have on you. In the end, these people really do not help you get any lower prices, in fact you may even pay more with these guys on your side. We allowed one of the guys to talk to us, and try to “help” us, and all they really did was translate for us (even though he told me that my Spanish was “very good”) and tell us the prices that they said, and then told us, “Dis iz a berry chip price” when I already knew that the price was not very good. Then of course the real reason came out why he helped us. He let us know that with his help he saved us a lot of money, and we should give him a tip, so I threw him 5 cords; he then followed that up with, “...you should give me all the coins in your pocket.” I let him know that that was not going to happen. Another last note when trying to negotiate prices. When you find something that you like, don't walk up really excited about it (because they know you want it, so they'll charge you more) but rather ask with a kind of disgusted face how much it costs and then act like it's not worth it and you'll find the prices fall faster than the Dow Jones ticker.
Something funny happened to us while we were in Leon. We had decided to pay 2 dollars and go to the top of the main church, and on our way up we were helping my mom, as she is afraid of heights. While we were on the top of the church, we saw great views of the city, and even better views when we walked on top of the domes that were protruding from the top of the church. While getting weird looks, we were trying to figure out why everyone was looking at us with such disgust. Well, needless to say when we were walking to the bottom of the church, we noticed a sign on one of the doors (which we had missed because we were walking backwards to help my mom up the stairs) that proclaimed, “DO NOT WALK ON THE TOP OF THE DOMES”. It wasnt written only in Spanish, but in English as well. Man, did we feel dumb, so we decided to pull the “stupid American” card.
Once getting back to Masaya, I had mentioned that I found it weird while walking through the not-so-monetarily-fortunate neighborhoods that they have casinos all over the place. Once the word casino left my lips, my mom's ears perked up like a dog's when hearing the opening of the Beggin' Bits bag open. So after a few ours of asking, and a couple life threats, we meandered over to the casino to try our luck. We all cashed in 100 cords ($5) and sat down to see what we could do. Well in 30 mins, I was 400 cords in the whole, and thought I would cash in another 100 cords and call it quits. Down to a few coins I won 200 cords, then another 150 and then 200 more, so I decided to quit while I was even. My dad won 400 cords, and then my mom hit the JACKPOT!! 900 smackaroos; well cords that is, so she won about 45 bucks. The casino bit was pretty fun, so we ate a great dinner on the casino, thanks casino!!
We decided to end their trip in Granada. We met up with Liz and Diane and walked around for a while and decided to go down to the Lake (Cocibolca) and take a boat trip to the islands that are found in the lake. On the islands are homes of the rich and famous, and one islands even has monkeys on it (wonder how they got there? Can we say tourist trap?!) When we got down to the lake, it was super polluted with plastic bags, chip bags, and any other trash you can think of. It looked like it was going to rain and the the wind had picked up producing good sized waves, so in the end we decided that we didnt want to have to swim back to the shore. That night, we decided to be really American and take part in KARAOKE!! We went out for dinner, and a few drinks and made our way to “Quijote” bar, owned by 2 American women. We knew that we wanted to sing but we didnt know what songs. After a little liquid inspiration, we decided it was time to sing. Liz and I went to the front of the bar to show off our choral abilities and sang “Come together” a wonderful song from the past. After we were done, and everyone stopped applauding and wiping tears from their eyes, we sat down. Now if they want peace in the Middle East, just send Liz and I over there and I give us 3 songs and well have everyone “come together”, because that girl can harmonize like nobody's business. If you find yourself in Granada or are planning a trip to Granada, I would strongly suggest staying at the Bohemian Paradise Hotel. It is a few short blocks off the main street (Las Calzadas) but a lot less in price. We stayed in the Deluxe room and were pleasantly surprised with the jacuzzi and the AWESOME bathroom. The shower area (which consists of two shower heads, a bench and some local plants) does not have a roof, so you can shower under the stars; and best of all for a Peace Corps volunteer... REAL HOT WATER!!! The cost of this room is $80.50 a night which is a lot less than the $140 La Alhambra or Colon hotel.
The trip back to the airport came and went without problems, and I was a little sad to see my parents (mom) leave. It was nice showing them where I have been living for the last 8 months and things I experience everyday, and not to mention everything we did was funded by my parents' bank accounts and not mine :) Hope you two had fun mom and dad, and I'll see you again for Christmas.

P.S. My cat, Lupin, is still missing, so I will be getting a new cat very soon.

Parents Vacation

2009-01-16T09:27:00.000-08:00

Well my parents are finally here, and their trip in Nicaragua began with a bang! Well more like a loud boom, and a long scratching noise. You see, I didn't understand why the taxi driver was driving so slow to go to the airport, but after we picked my parents up I realized why. To preface the story, one must have a visual idea of this car. First, a small green Toyota Atoz which appeared to have suffered through 3 world wars, a 2 nuclear holocausts, and a rabid partridge from a pear tree. The inside looks like it was left unlocked in Detroit with a steal-everything-inside-of-me sign. There was a tape player, mind you, but the face had been torn off, and only 2 pieces of tetanus bearing metal was visible. I will go out on a limb here and say that in about 5 years the floor boards will go out, and we'll have a genuine “Flinstone” vehicle. Anyhow back to the story... Every time he turned the steering wheel, a loud noise was made from under the car, and we went over a speed bump (which was also followed by a loud scratching noise) We turned onto the highway, we drove no more than 100 yards when all of a sudden we heard a loud BOOM and then the car began to swerve. Once we pulled over we got out of the car to figure out what the hell had happened. We were soon scratching our heads asking ourselves how all 4 lug nuts were able to come off allowing the tire to completely fall off of the axle. Needless to say we waited for our taxi driver's friend to come and pick us up to bring us back to Masaya. In the meantime a whole bunch of organized chaotic driving was occurring on the side of the vehicle...Big fiasco I say. We decided that it would be in everyone's safety that my mom got out of the car, just in case someone wasn't paying attention while driving (just in case, of course) and shit ended the back of the car. We did however have a lot of cultural experiences during our wait; we saw a wonderful display of Nicaraguan fireworks, haphazardly flying every which way; we also met a good portion of the sweatshop workers walking home after their shift ended. (They make 40 bucks a month by the way) To boot, we even got to watch the sun set while standing on the side of the highway. Very romantical!There's more, oh yes my friends there's more. So once our taxi drivers friend quickly drove to pick us up (an hour later (Masaya is 15 minutes away)) we transferred the luggage into the new taxi. While waiting in the taxi, our new and old taxi drivers took a lug nut off of each of the NEW taxi's wheels, and put them on the OLD taxi so they could drive home. I am told that a car can really be drivable with three lug nuts on at normal speeds, but did the new taxi driver drive slow and cautiously? NAY! He was driving as is he were driving to hit up Walmart's “After Thanksgiving day” sale. As soon as we took off, the car was not only shaking left and right, but his shocks needed some work as well, so we were bouncing up and down. Wonderful taxi ride I say, just wonderful!
But the best part of the night...CHRISTMAS PRESENTS! We decided that instead of having presents sent through the mail, that they would just fill a suitcase with stuff and pay the 25 bucks for an extra suitcase and save on the shipping. So I opened my gifts and it was wonderful! I got clothing, a new laptop (which works AWESOME and thanks to everyone involved!!), a lot of randoms and enough dulces to make the insulin of each and every worker at the Diabetes Center of America rise a good 100 points. I'm excited to share the candy with the neighborhood kids, because I'm sure they've never had good old Farm and Fleet angel food candy. BOO YEAH! Well thats it for day 1, and I'll keep you all abreast on the upcoming days of the trip.

Dancing our faces off with a little liquid inspiration

2009-01-02T14:06:00.000-08:00

-Old blog entry-

So I just got done watching The Biggest Loser, and I am so excited that Michelle just won! She had been my favorite since the first episode and I knew that she was going to win. Then came on Momma’s Boy, BLAH so I decided to write on my blog.
Last week, I went to visit Liz in Granada while her site-mate and everyone’s favorite “chinita” was in the states on vacation. He had a lot of fun doing absolutely nothing. We did do a little walking around the city, and we came back to the house and enjoyed singing along to the Beatles and random music from our MP3 players…she is one hell of a singer… in a group of mutes, SHE would defiantly win in a singing contest! Therefore, in our singing mood, we decided to go out to Karaoke and watch the local singers. Some were better than others, and others made our ears bleed. Liz and I decided that next weekend we are going to do a little singing of our own. I don’t want to toot our own horns, but when we sing together, people cry; it’s almost like two angelic cherubs singing to greet the “man” for his second coming. OK well, there is no second coming, and people do not really cry, but we can harmonize like nobody’s business. I think we will probably sing something from the Beatles, or something fun, but it will be a blast, and something you should not miss.
I have recently been trying to organize my parents’ visit here to Nicaragua, and I am FINALLY done with the hotel reservations and everything… AHHH feels so good to have everything done; now I can’t wait for them to come down here and see where I have been living the last eight months. I’m pretty excited not only to see them, but I’m getting another laptop to replace the one that I ever-so-unselfishly donated to a fellow Nicaraguan (AKA I got robbed). Matagalpa should be fun, we are going on a coffee plant tour, and are going to the Selva Negra which I have heard mixed feelings on, but we’ll see. I already know that they are going to like Granada, because they liked Granada in Spain, and this is very similar…well kind of.
A few other volunteers and I were talking about how this Christmas just does not really feel like Christmas. I know for me, a Wisconsinite, 10 feet of snow on the ground makes it Christmas and maybe that’s why it doesn’t feel so. Also we are so used to being around our family and friends during the holidays, and now we are with our new family and friends here yet still it doesn’t seem the same.
On a brighter note, I have decided to go to Granada with a few of the other volunteers for Christmas, and then after Christmas we are going to Chinandega for a little time on the beach. I am not sure what I am going to do for New Years but I’m sure I will have a great time.
Well nothing else really to report so I’m going to get back to my Harry Potter book, and jump back into the wizarding world; check you “muggles” later!

So I hope everyone had a good Christmas. Because mine here was great! We had a huge feast with homemade mashed potatoes, stuffing from good old America (thanks mom!) chicken…oh my. We decided that we were going to marinade the chicken with a little of this, and a little of that and then cook it in the oven, but after two failed attempts of trying to light the ghetto style oven, and almost 6 (would have been) accidental deaths (due to exploding ovens) we decided to pan cook the chicken. After the Christmas feast we headed down to San Juan Del Sur. In three words to describe San Juan, I would throw out: Overpriced, mediocre, and not-worth-it! Blah I say, Blah. Although we did splurge and get a wonderful lobster meal in a restaurant on the beach, spending a good portion of our monthly allowance, we decided to blow the old proverbial Popsicle stand, and made our way to Granada. Being alone in the house alone, Stephanie, Patrick and I, we noticed there was music playing and a bottle of rum. Unopened. LIQUID INSPIRATION. With 3 light bulbs going off at the same time, we took care of that and decided to have our own “Dance Party America Extravaganza 2000” and we literally danced our faces off. After taking a quick minute to find our faces, we called it an early night. 3:30AM. Once we fell asleep, and sugar plums began dancing in our heads, what night would be complete without the neighborhood band playing music while parading down the street. Waking up, with our heads pounding, (must have somehow drank some tainted Coke) we continued to enjoy our New Years Eve morning. During the night, we headed over to a house that was being rented by the parents a fellow volunteer (hello Richman family) we listened to the music of a Nicaraguan band. After the New Year came, we headed downtown to see if Karaoke was still going, but it wasn’t. we headed home and stayed up for a while longer and reminisced about our wonderful night. The next morning, Andaring with Goma, I headed back home.
Now I am waiting for my parents to begin their journey to Nicaragua, getting my house settled, and cleaning it. Which really reminds me, I should really get back to that. Here are a few pictured below of what’s been happening. Oh yeah I got a cat. I named him Lupin.

WHILE DANCING OUR FACES OFF

ONCE PUTTING OUR FALLEN FACES BACK ON...some of us had problems

YAY STOVE TOP, AND I HELPED!

SELF PERFORMED RHINOPLASTY. IVE SEEN BETTER, BUT IT WORKED

ME AND MY GATO

Having a shitty day

2008-12-07T16:27:00.001-08:00

ok well contrary to the name of my blog, I had a wonderful day. I spent the night with Liz in Granada, and we walked to the Lake Cocibolca to go kayaking. She knows someone who is trying to spread the name of his business around, so he was giving a free day, so we kayaked (if that is even a word) and when we were walking home, we noticed a little cabana bar on the beach which was open 24 hours from Thursday thru Sunday. Were talking about how that explains why there were so many drunk men passed out alongside the road. Not a few minutes after that, I look to the left side of the road and see a man laying on the ground passed out in the fetal position. With a double take, he had his pants around his ankles with his bare ass hanging out. With a triple take, his ass wasnt the only thing hanging out. He must have been trying to go number 2 when he tipped over and passed out, there was a big ol´piece of poopy hanging from his butt. It was times like those that I would have LOVED to have my camera on me. Oh well better him then me I say.

On a random note

The taxi drivers in Masaya love to rip people off, and they are always trying to charge more than they quoted when they reach your destination. I have come up with a fool proof plan. check it. So people in Nicaragua NEVER EVER EVER have change for larger bills, not even 100 cordobas. so they will tell you that they dont have change, and unless you dig in your pockets and purses and find it, they will not sell you what ever you are buying. So for example you go to an ice cream shop and get a cone worth 20 cords (1 dollar) and you give them a 100 cord bill, they will tell you they dont have change, and if you dont come up with the correct change, they will make you give them back the ice cream cone and refuse the sale. So the other night, Liz and I took a taxi to a club in Masaya whi SHOULD have cost 20 cords (10 each) but then we get out of the taxi and he is like, "woah woah it is 20 EACH" we were arguing about this, and I had the bright idea to whip out my 500 cord bill. BOO YEAH he looked at me like "ARE YOU SERIOUS" and told us to get out and drove off. see. FLAWLESS PLAN!! I have no worries that ANY taxi driver will have the change for a 500 so I shouldnt be ripped off any time soon.

ok t it for now, back to reading Harry Potter!

ADIOS

Its an OBAMA-NATION

2008-11-05T13:39:00.000-08:00

What an eventful night HUH?? Pretty damn exciting if you ask me, although you didnt Im just telling you. I thought we were going to be in for a long night last night, but faster than you can say "Maverick" even FOX News called the election for Obama!! This is really exciting I think and our future is SOOO bright, Im already wearing shades. Jan 20th couldnt come any sooner.

Well I went to Matagalpa last weekend for a Halloween party, and it was incredible! Matagalpa is such a wonderful city, with things to do, MANY clothing shops, and the weather cant be beat! The costumes were (to say the least) original yet effective. Some of my neighbors came over today and said congradulations on the election, and they were greeted with my support for Obama. I made a sign and posted it on my door just for this election.

My mom called the other night and we kind of planned out their trip when they come here to visit, and as of today we are going to Masaya, Matagalpa, Granada, San Juan Del Sur, Ometepe, and Leon. It is a lot of places to visit in 13 days but I think well manage, I just hope they dont get too bored while down here. ill try my best to uphold my promise to be the best tour guide or your money back.

The elections are going to be here in Masaya on he 9th, and we cannot leave to go anywhere because they have us on standstill, just in case if any violence breaks out, oh well I have 4 strong walls.

This school year is coming to an end which is nice because we have a minor break from the ~~little bastards~~ students. Classes have been going GREAT for the last few weeks because I think they know the final exams are coming and none of the teachers actually make the students THINK on exams so they know the rest of the year will be a cakewalk.

Well I dont have really much else to say now, but I promise you the blogs will be much better and conatain more "meat" once I get my new laptop during X-mas. it just sucks to have to pay for the internet AND write your blog. If you have any suggestions of thinkgs I could write about, please let me know.

ADIOS
IM PROUD TO BE AN OBAMANATION

Randomness

2008-10-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

The other weekend, Liz and Diane came for a visit and we were just bumming around, going from market to market, when we decided to go to Payless shoes because I thought they were still having their BOGO sale, but when we got there we found that it had ended... too bad for them (I got 2 nice pairs a few days before). Dianne (who everyone calls Chinita or chinese girl, even though she is Korean) decided that she wanted to see if she could get a discount of her own. She went up to buy the sandals at the counter and asked the clerk if she could get a discount because she's "chinese" (and the sandals were made there) and she's pretty sure her grandmother MADE them, so that warrants a "family discount". With a straight face, Diane tilted her head to the side patiently waiting for him answer. The clerk had NO CLUE how to respond to that and in the end told her that there would be no such discount offered to her. Oh well it was worth a try, and because Liz and I bet her 10 cords that she wouldnt do it, she got a 20 cord discount in the end.
On my last visit to Granada, which was a blast to say the least. **wink wink Diane** Liz, Avi, Diane and I went to some other Americans' house (which was like a 6 star hotel compared to where I live) and I re-learned how to play canasta and we did a little drinky drinky of the ever so tastey Flor De Caña rum. On the taxi ride home, we decided to hit up a discoteca where we danced local dances until 3 AM. It was fun. The BEST part of it all, when I got home, I WASNT ROBBED!! I have been waiting for a few weeks to go on any over night journeys since the robbery.
OK well there are people waiting to use the internet so I gotta go now, ill be bak soon. CIAO

You win some you lose some

2008-09-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

Dell laptop $800.00, credit and debit card $15,000, USB stick $10.00. The fact of knowing that someone broke into your house and stole all of the above... priceless. So yeah just a little update that someone broke into my house this last weekend and stole some of my shit. I went to Granada on Saturday and when I came home on Sunday, I was going to watch a movie, but there was no laptop. I called the police and 3 hours later when they arrived (thank god I wasnt getting raped, and REALLY needed their help) one of them stayed in the truck and slept, while the other two took my police report. They decided that the person or persons got in through one of the doors, and the next day my landlord put new locks on the doors. I also went to the store and bought one of the rocks to sharpen my machete because I will be hell bent of they try to do it this weekend when I am home. I decided I would like to keep all the lights off and wait for him to come back and Ill chop his ass up. Ive already verified it with police that if I do hurt him, I will be OK because it was self defense. Soooo yeah Im still a little pissed, but a lot less pissed than I thought I would be.
On a brighter note, the new Ugly Betty, and Grey´s Anatomy are on tonight!! The office is new as well, but it´s at the same time as U.B. Damn it... choices choices choices. But there is a thunderstorm coming and Im sure the electricity will go out soon, so Ill come back in a few days and write about something else, who knows maybe Ill get the computer back... ADIOS everyone.

Its a beautiful day in the neighborhood

2008-09-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, I have been very lazy lately. Well I mean on keeping up on my blog, otherwise I have been very busy! I decided that things were just not working out with the host family that I was living with, so I decided to move out into my own house. I am now living in the old home of Paul and Holly, and couldn't be happier! The first night was a little uncomfortable as all I had was a mattress and I had to sleep on the floor, but oh well the bed is very comfortable! The last few weeks I have been getting things for my house. I have made about 35 trips to the market buying everything from silverware, plastic tables and chairs (which are very expensive by the way), to laundry detergent, wood tables for my bedroom and living room, and bricks and planks of wood to make a bookshelf. It was fun buying the tables and very painless. The weird part was that I hired a local bolo (drunk) to put the three tables on his cart, and then push the cart through the streets to my house. At first he decided that we wanted to charge me 40 cords (2 bucks) but when he got to the house he said, “Well I pushed really far, and it weighed a lot and I'm really tired, I think you should give me something else.” I told him that I would give him 50 cords and we'd call it even but then he said, “No, I mean give me something from your house.” I decided that I had had enough so after I got the tables in the house, I gave him the 50 cords and just closed the door.
I think it was my third day, when I woke up at 8 AM, there were already 10-15 bolos out in the streets who had already “got their drink on” and had probably had it on for about 3 hours, they were singing, unfortunately it was no Latin American Idol by any means. These performances, by the way, were all being performed on my door step. It took a while to wait for them to get off the steps, and as soon as they started wandering off the steps, I took Holly's advice and started sweeping and then took a bunch of water and threw it all over, because the drunks wont sit on the steps if it's wet. That night I was getting ready for bed when I heard something jump my patio fence. Then I heard something start screwing around with my clothes line outside of my house. I walked to the back room and I could hear two people whispering and someone breathing loudly. What a fricking welcoming committee, I think, and of course I have nothing to defend myself with when he breaks in. So I did what any strong, well built man would do. I grabbed the bottle of Raid and I started spraying it out the opening of the roof/ceiling. I kept spraying and spraying, and after a while there was no more deep breathing, so I decided that they left. Now I'm trying to figure out if it was two men, or two really big cockroaches. The next morning I made my 38th visit to the market and bought myself a 20 inch machete... just in case. Every night I swipe the machete across the wall, just to let the bolos outside know that if they break in, I will not think twice to cut a bitch!
I think I have a best friend already after only a few days in my new house. He's 11 and his name is Roger. Paul and Holly said he was a good kid, and for the last couple of days he come over like 5-10 times a day, always when I'm watching a movie or watching “fair and balanced” Fox News. (I know, I know, but in my defense its the only good news station I get here.) On many of my journeys to the market, he tags along with me and helps do some of the shopping. When we were in the market and looking for a new hammock, the prices of course jumped up when they saw me coming so when we got home he told him mom, and she let me know that she would go with me and get things I needed for better prices.
I'm not exactly sure whats going on around this barrio because since I have moved in, people have been dropping like flies around here. You see, the way they let everyone know that someone has passed away, they attach huge speakers to a taxi, and the taxi drives around playing a recorded message letting everyone know who has passed, their brothers and sisters and when and where the funeral will be. It's weird because as I have said before they don't have addresses here such as 1505 Lopez Lane, but rather they use directions like “From the Faith Pharmacy three block north, and two block East”. So just the other day I was talking to Roger's family when said taxi drove around playing another death notice, and when they said the address of the person, everyone lifted their hand in unison and followed the directions counting the street blocks and at the end all realizing who it was. It seemed a little strange to me at first, but now I've gotten used to it.
One of my counterparts has introduced me to a few of her friends, “just to meet me” and in the end they all want free English classes. I have no problem giving free English classes, but I can only offer classes to so many people and I don't think she gets it. She really has no interest in having any English classes but wants me to teach everyone else. Just the other day I was introduced to another friend of hers, who also works at another school (FYI another death just happened, the taxi just went by) anyways. I met her and she asked me the normal question if I would be able to work with her students by offering them an advanced speaking class. I said I would talk to my boss to see if I could work at another school, because really if they needed a Peace Corps volunteer, the Peace Corps would have sent someone there. While talking about the classes my counterpart asked her how much they were offering to pay me. Before I had a chance to say that I cannot accept payment for my classes, she said that they have worked with PC volunteers and that we cannot accept payment. I asked her when the classes were, she dropped the bomb. They are on Saturday mornings from 8- noon, and if I could squeeze it in from 1PM-3PM as well. Right then I came to the conclusion that they don't have a teacher for this class, and since I work for free, why not take advantage of it...right?! I said I would call her after I had talked to my boss, we had our meeting at like 2PM. That evening between 6-7 she called 4 times to see if I had talked to her yet. I decided that I will work with them, but only if they follow the PC rule. There must be an English teacher in the room working with me, as I cannot teach a class alone, and my primary job here is a TEFL teacher trainer, and not a substitute teacher. Also I will do it every other Saturday because I need time for me as well. This afternoon when I went to school my counterpart asked me if I had gotten a hold of the teacher yet because they need me to start this Saturday and the next three Saturdays and she wanted to know if I was only going to work the 8am-noon or both shifts. LOL...WOW can we say FORWARD MUCH?!
On a better note, my mom emailed me and let me know she bought her tickets for the trip down here! Now I have to decide where I am going to bring them for their trip. I know for sure we will go to the Volcano here in Masaya, and prolly a day trip to Granada. I was also thinking the Selva Negra in Matagalpa. And also going to the Island of Ometepe. It is in the running for being one of the world's 7 natural wonders of the World. Not sure what there is to do there, but Ill have to talk to some of the volunteers on the island to have a better idea on how much time to spend there and what there is to do.
I think we will be skipping Managua because its not such a great place to be, with recent violence in the area towards foreigners and I know that if we take precautions we should be safe, but I would rather skip it and just be safe.

The least few days we were celebrating independence day here in Nicaragua, so we didn't have school from Monday-Wednesday so Lara, Adam and Elizabeth decided to stop by and spend a few days here in Masaya. It was great to see everyone, because it's been 7 weeks since I had last seen them. The first night we decided to join the local bolos and enjoy a little Flor de Cana, a wonderful Rum made here in Nicaragua. There were 6 of us, so the bottle that Lara and Adam brought didn't satisfy our needs so we decided to walk to the Pulperia, a little home based store where you can find most anything, to purchase another bottle. When we got to the store, the store owner was very very inebriated, so Lara thought it would be a good idea to try her bargaining skills and see if the owner would lower the price of the Rum. I thought it was a great interaction to watch! Kind of like going into Walmart and telling the clerk, “I will not pay more than 7 dollars for this 9 dollar bottle of Rum”. Well needless to say her bargaining skills were not up to par and we paid full price. Either way we had a great time, except for Elizabeth who decided it was the right time to come down with a little touch of something and spent the night resting in bed between visits to the bathroom. While having a conversation about what we planned to do after the Peace Corps, because you know that 670 days is JUST around the corner, Lara spotted a mouse running on the floor on my house, so as any normal person would do, we grabbed a headlamp and a 20 inch machete blade and went in search of our friend, Mr Mouse.(see picture below) We didn't find him, but we sure had a great time doing so.
The next morning we decided to go to the Laguna de Apoyo a little lake that was created by a crater, for a little dip and even more Tona. After swimming, we decided to try and hitchhike back to the highway because it is a long walk back UP the road to the highway, unfortunately the cars passing by were not having any of it, so no rides were offered. We decided to walk a little ways to the bus stop and wait for a taxi. We got home safe and sound with nothing major to report.
A few days ago, my next door neighbor brought me to the market to get some fruits and a hammock. She came over a few hours later and asked me if I would like her to show me how to make a refresco or a drink. I agreed and let her come inside to show me. She cut the oranges for me and squeezed the juice into the container and showed me exactly how much sugar and water to add. She used water from the faucet and not the bottled water I had but I decided when in Rome. After washing all the dishes she used, she told me that I had a lot of dust on my floor, and that I should really sweep that up. I informed her that Sundays are the days I do my cleaning when she looked at me and informed me that, “Hoy es domingo” Today IS Sunday. And grabbed my mop and started sweeping my floor with the mop and then proceeded to mop my floor for me. When she left she gave me an “Adios” and let me know that, “Te dejo con la casa limpa” I leave you with a clean house. What a nice lady she is. (Side note: I sure hope the taxi with the speakers doesn't come passing by reading her name)
After taking the advice of my neighbors and waiting until Independence Day, because there might be some good sales, I went to all of the stores looking for my good sales. Not a rebaja or sale in sight! I decided I could not wait any longer for a fridge, so I am pleased to announce that I am the owner of a brand new Mexican refrigerator. It's nice to actually be able to drink something cold and not room temperature... AND I NOW HAVE ICE... How great is that. Thank god for my bank account at home, as I spent a month and a half salary on the dang thing. I just hope that This fridge isnt like appliances back home... made to break. I decided to go with the cheaper of two fridges because after talking to the salesman at the store, he informed me that although the more expensive one comes with a three year guarantee, it's made in El Salvador and is more likely to break. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hope this buggers lasts two years.... Oops be right back, have to fill up on my ICE water!! Ahhh it's so nice to say that... ICE WATER.
OK back. Well there is nothing more to report on as of right now, I am finishing this up and I have to go to class. We'll see if any of the kids actually come to class because I was told by most of the teachers that since the students had Monday through Wednesday off, most likely, the will not come until next Monday. Well I leave you with a few pictures I have take from the last few weeks. I'll talk to you all again soon!

** yeah no class today, hardly any students came, so they told the ones that did to go home, and cancelled classes***

Lara not realizing Adam was drowning, he sure will be missed!

My front lock was stuck shut, had to have a neighbor come over and but me out of my own house....waste of 3 bucks for a lock.

THANKS Kayla for my first real meal I had at my apartment!

Lara VERY serious hunting for the mouse in the house.

Next door neighbor Roger.

The guys that clean the streets.

Our taxi ride to Laguna de Apoyo, what a tight ride!!

If Its Yellow, Let It Mellow

2008-08-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, just a few updates since the last entry. Well we had a security meeting in Granada this last week and we talked about, well...... security, and we went over statistics of Peace Corps volunteers like robberies, assaults and such. There were nine of use that decided to stay the night in a hostel so we could all have a nice dinner together, and then go out afterwards. We waited for all of the girls to make themselves look pretty and then we headed out. I like Liz's statement when she said, “If two applications of that make-up don't make you look better, that just means your ugly...get your asses moving!” They took FOREVER to get ready, but I digress. We got on our way to the restaurant, all looking great, we were about a block away from the eatery when I heard a loud scream. I assumed it was just some of the volunteers screaming, you know when you get girls together they scream when they are excited, but when I turned around towards the scream, I saw Kristel fighting with some man, he had grabbed her purse and she was fighting to pull it back. In return he grabbed her around the shoulders and kinda pulled her whole body. Finally she let go, raised her hands (kind of like OK I give up) and the man took off running with her purse. It was really weird because I had never seen a robbery take place in person. Although it sucks some bastard stole her purse, she didn't lose her money or credit cards, because she kept all that in her pocket. She did on the other hand lose her digital camera, some make-up and her inhaler. Makes me wonder if we hadn't waited for so long for them to do their make-up if the man would have been there... either way SORRY KRISTEL!!! In the hostel there were signs in all of the bathrooms letting us know that sometimes the city shuts off the water due to a water shortage, and they give us a little rhyme to remember whether or not we should flush, “If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down.” I kinda like that.
So I'm still in the market for an apartment as I haven't found anything. I walked around for 3 hours today looking for places and didn't find a damn thing! I thought I was onto something when I came across a house that said for rent, so I asked the neighbors if they knew about it and they told me the mans name and that he was a doctor. His clinic was in the market, all the way across the city. I decided to make the trek, and hiked my ass across the city and meet him in person. Well I made it to the clinic, sweating HORRIBLY, and I think I scared the poor doctor. After waiting for one of his clients to leave, I found out that he had sold the house last year, and that I had walked all that way in vain. When I got home I called the number like I should have done in the first place, and when the woman answered, she told me it was 200 bucks. F-that I say, there is NO way that the house costs 200 bucks. Oh well. What ev. I found another place that was for rent, and when I went in and looked it was more or less 1 room with a little wall seperating it into 2 smaller rooms, with a really small bathroom, and the man let me know it was 175 dollars. It just sucks that as soon as they see white skin, they assume we are walking bank accounts and wipe our butts with 20 dollar bills. I think I am going to take another approach, I am going to have my counterparts call for me and ask, and see how much it REALLY costs. I recently found out that when you buy your first gas tank for your kitchen stove, it costs 800 cords (42 bucks). I don't think we get enough money to even survive, I'm surprised how some of these volunteers do it. Some people were told that if you don't earn enough money, you should use some money from home or that your parents could help This is not right in my opinion. WRITE TO YOUR SENATORS TELLING THEM TO INCREASE PEACE CORPS WAGES. LOL Now I sound like Tessa...write your senator. OK enough bitching.
Anyways, so I thought it would be funny to write a few ironic t-shirts that I have seen here that I think are too good to pass up and not share. Many people here wear t-shirts that they are not even sure what they say or what they mean. For example, my host mom in Dolores was telling me about when she lived in California, her neighbor's son gave her a t-shirt of a “pretty green plant”, well it turns out it was a marijuana leaf; needless to say that once she found that out she never wore it again. So the first t-shirt I saw in Jinotepe when walking home from the bank. It was a pregnant woman walking with another one of her children, and the t-shirt read, “I'm easy” Hmmm BIG surprise there huh? The second shirt I thought was funny I saw when I was walking to school. It was a downs syndrome girl whose shirt read, “Keep staring, I might do a trick.” LOL . And finally there was a little girl whose shirt said, “If you're rich, I'm single”. This reminds me of something. As soon as I began observing classes and introducing myself to my students, many of the girls asked if I was married and had a girlfriend. Well I knew it would be easier to say yes, I have a girlfriends back home so I told them yes. Then the teachers told me later that many of the girls wanted to be my girlfriend. That worried me a lot because the teachers didn't even bat an eye at that, and they thought it was normal. I guess its not too taboo for a young girl to date an older man, and I am talking about a 16 year old girl with a 26 or 27 year old guy. Just walking to class today I saw one of my students who is prolly about 15 or 16, and she was leaning against the church across the street and she was kissing a guy who looked like he had to be about 30. This really worries me, but here I guess it's normal.
One last thing before I let you go here. We have to co-plan with our teachers before we teach. Co-planning consists of us looking at the book, and what they are required to teach and us deciding some time of activity for the students. I have a policy that if we do not co-plan (without good reason), then I will not teach with them but rather I will go to class and observe. So I asked one of the teachers when he wanted to co-plan and he said on Monday at 7:40 am. Well I got to the school, and looked around for him for a while and went to the teacher's lounge and found out that he had left to go home; when I checked my watch, it was 7:46 am. Well on Tuesday I went to school, he handed me the book and said, “You are going to teach this” and then proceeded to walk to the back of the room and sit in a chair like he always does when I teach. (He sits in the back of the room and watches me teach the entire hour). I had had enough, so I told him that I wouldn't be teaching anything because we didn't co plan. He then responded with, “Well, you never showed up, I waited but you never came.” I couldn't do anything but laugh, because he tells me that I was late after I spent a good 10 minutes looking for HIM and HE already left to go home. Anyways I asked him when he would like to co-plan so I can start teaching again. He said he wanted to co-plan Tuesday at 8:20. So I made sure that I was going to get to the school on time, and about a block away from school I saw him riding towards me on his bike. I waved him down and asked him where he was going and he responded, “I didn't think you were going to come because you never came yesterday.” I answered, “Well I DID come yesterday, and I am here today. This is my job, I always come to school, and I am always here on time.” With an arrogant voice he asked me, “Well what time is it anyways”? It was 8:15. Then he responded with something like oh well you've finally arrived on time. So he was upset that he had to turn around and go back to school, and we went upstairs and began to co plan. After co-planning for our first class that I was going to teach, he decided to tell me that I am supposed to co-plan ALL of his classes; meaning the classes I teach with him and the classes he teaches alone. I told him that I am only worried about the classes that we teach together, because he asked me to co-plan his other classes for him last week and I agreed. Once I helped him decide what he should teach, we asked me if I could make all the materials he would need for the classes. I told him that I didn't have the materials to create the things he would need, and he responded by telling me that it wouldn't cost me too much, but he couldn't afford to do it because he gets paid to little. LOL I just am not sure what to do. I know that when we have the summer break during November, December and January, I am going to keep one of the teachers I currently work with and find 2 new ones. I am here to HELP the teachers, not do everything for them...ya know?!? I realize that working with me actually adds MORE work for them, but if they want to better their English and learn how to incorporate fun activities and different methodologies into their classes, they will have to WANT to work with me, and I completely understand if they don't have the time, as some of them have 2-3 jobs and work 7 days a week just to pay the bills.

OK WOW this blog entry seems really negative, and seems like I am having a difficult time here, but really I just needed to vent a few things, and I honestly couldn't be enjoying my time here any more thank I am. I have met a lot of cool people, and things are going better with my family and my students and my third teacher I work with makes up for everything else. She is SOOOOOO eager to learn and is always asking me how she could make her lessons better, and to be honest (which I tell her) she is doing everything that many teachers lack. She brings in pictures for the students, brings in realia (things students can touch) and has the students come to the board to participate.

Well here are a few pictures I have recently taken that I thought I would throw up on the internet.

**
Ok a few days later, I think I may have found a place to live, not sure but in the process of negotiating prices.

Boy sleeping outside my house

Food I eate, gallo pinto, fried bananas, and fried cheese

view of my host familys house

everyone in Granada chillin out

First week in Masaya!!

2008-08-03T15:17:00.000-07:00

Hello again! Well, I have gone through the change! No not THAT change you weirdos, the change from trainee to volunteer. It really feels nice to finally have the training wheels off. My biggest worry was how I was going to get everything to Masaya. I had all of my possessions staring me in the face at the hotel in Managua, and I was thinking about leaving half of everything at the PC office, then coming back in a few days to get the rest of my stuff but in the end I decided to take my chances and bring everything. I had my big backpack, two gym size bags full of clothes, my laptop bag, and a big “saco” (sack) full of books. Well I got safely to the bus station and successfully got onto the microbus and spent an uneventful 40 minutes on the bus. Now the fun begins. I got off the microbus and started loading everything onto my bag, and carrying everything in my arms. HA HA I would have loved to have been one of the people in the park watching me try to walk the 3 blocks to my house, having to stop every 15 steps to gather my breath and switch hands. After a half an hour I got to the house where I will be living for the next 6 weeks.
The first couple of days I went to the school and observed classes and talked to the teachers and gathered their schedules so I could create my schedule with the teachers. I asked them which classes they would like me to assist with so I could offer the assistance and they let me know. Turns out I have Mondays and Fridays off, which will be nice but that also gives me a lot of free time. In a few weeks I will also be starting my secondary project working at a telecentro, (a place where they offer different classes to children and adults) so maybe I can work there on Mondays and Fridays. I am also thinking about starting an English club with the students but have yet to figure out the logistics of it all. I have never started an English club before so I'm not really sure what we should do; I know we can play a few games but other than that I'm not really sure what to do, so I guess I'll have to ask other volunteers what I can do. There are also a few NGO's in Masaya that I could work with so that should also take up some of my free time. There is world vision and Masaya Volcano which were listed in my booklet as NGO's that I could work with, now I just have to find them.
I am also looking for an apartment to live in after the 6 weeks. The problem is that not everyone advertises that they are renting a place, you have to pretty much ask everyone you know or meet. I decided to ask the landlord of Paul and Holly if she knew anyone that is renting out a place, and she said that she didn't but she would be willing to rent the place to me if Paul and Holly move out. I think it would be a nice place to live, but she told me that the place is about 100 dollars a month, which takes up a good portion of my monthly allowance the PC gives me, so I think Ill continue looking. I also asked one of the men that owns a pulperia (a little “ma and pa store” where they sell random things one would need) and he said he would be willing to rent me a room for 90 dollars a month which includes water and electricity. That seems a little high to me, but if there is nothing else I know I always have a place to live, but I'm really looking for a place to live on my own and nothing against the family I live with now, but I cant wait for the 6 weeks to be done with. I will feel so much more integrated when I have my own place to live, it'll be nice to buy my own bed, my own refrigerator, my own everything... ahhhhhh the clock is ticking I better end this here and get my butt out there and look for a place.
I have been reading a lot lately, and I have started reading “The Hobbit” but I'm just not getting into it. I think one of the reasons is that it is written in British English and for the most part, I can understand almost everything but a few things are a bit difficult. The last two nights I have been watching the Harry Potter movies, and I think I'm going to try and get my hands on the books, because I think they would be great reads. Ohhhh I just saw on TV while typing this that there is another Harry Potter movie coming out: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.... cant wait till it comes out, I think I'll have to go to Managua to see it!!!
So I finally got the chance to wash my own clothes, and let me tell you, it was an experience! In the states, we have our washing machines. I guess you can say I had a washing machine in Dolores as well, her name was Isolina. My host mom refused to let me wash my own clothes, I'm not exactly sure why, but my best guess would be that it is the woman's job to do the laundry. I don't really agree with that but thats how the galleta crumbles. So I asked my new mom if I could wash them and she agreed. I started out with my undies, lathering them up and scrubbing them on the lavadero (little scrub basin, see photo) when it came to my white undershirts, I wasnt exactly sure how to wash them because I knew that if you scrub them too hard or too much they will stretch out, so I asked for a little help. She was explaining to me (in Spanish of course) how to do this, and I just was not understanding. Its one thing to talk about everyday things like what I did on vacation, or what my life was like at home, but when you start getting into concrete things where I don't have the vocab for, it makes it a bit difficult. As for my understanding now, you just wet the shirts, and rub a bar of soap on the necks of the shirt and in the armpits, then you transfer the soaking wet shirts into a little bucket with some other soap in it, then you put a plastic bag over everything and let the sun do the work. Not really sure what the sun does, but then after you let the shirts sit in the soapy water under the sun, you rinse the shirts and I guess they are clean. While I was doing this, not only was my host mom out watching me, but my two sisters were out there watching as well...talk about stage fright, I just couldn't perform. I got a little frustrated because my mom kept spouting out directions, and then shaking her head so I let her know maybe a little too bitchy that it was my first time every having to wash my own clothes here. But I think it all turned out well, as I have to wash them again tomorrow.
I start teaching on Monday, and the last few days I have been co-planning with 2 of the 3 teachers I will be working with. The third teacher, I don't think he understands what co planning means, but well see what happens. I feel really bad for the students as well as the teachers here in Nicaragua because none of the students have books, only the teachers do, and the English books they DO have are from the 1970-1980's and they are rugged, ripped and VERY out of date. So if the teachers want the kids to read something from the book, they have to write the dialog on the board and then the students copy that into their notebooks, which wastes a LOT of class time! They do not have the resources for photocopies for students to have, but they do have some photocopies for exams, and those who cannot get photocopies for exams, have to write the exams on the board, and then the students complete the exams in their notebooks! I thought that some resources were lacking in Spain last year, but now I realize I was very spoiled over there teaching!
Last night around 2 AM I went out for a cig, (as I just got done watching Harry Potter) and I heard someone in the grass around the corner and I got a little freaked out, because there are a LOT of drunks around here that drink all night and then pass out WHEREVER, so I sat down and continued and then I herd this crazy noise and came to find out there was a couple of horses eating in the grass and then they came over to me and stared at me for a while and continued on their journey.
Well I need to get done with this entry here so I can watch the third Harry Potter... you know I got to set my priorities!! See you all later. I will get more pictures up once I take them.

Here are a few pics I have taken from swearing in and a few others

Elizabeth and I before swearing in... DONT WE LOOK JUST HOT

Pic with my host mother from Dolores, Isolina, and my ¨nephew¨Alexander after swearing in.

Everyone from TEFL Nica 47... what a great group!!

George Baldino the country director, Naiomi Till our training lady, and of course the focus of the picture...ME!

In the jeep back to the hotel after swearing in.

Elizabeth looking sexy while packing before heading to Chinandega! Hope the scorpion situation turned out for ya!

A fruit that I was given by my host mom. Mamones Chinos. They are a little sour but still good.

Out of the frying pan into the fire!

2008-07-27T08:09:00.000-07:00

Well as the name of my blog says it all, I am now leaving the comforts of training and jumping into the wonderful world of becoming a volunteer. Over all the training was really a great way of getting used to the Nica lifestyle and a GREAT way of meeting other volunteers. The last few days have been pretty nice, other than my stomach playing games with me. I am seriously dreading going to the PC office and gathering the rest of m things to begin the journey to Masaya. I know the microbus guys are going to charge me an arm and a leg for the stuff, but I just want to get it done now rather than leaving some of my things at the office and then having to come back in the next few days. We are all sitting here in the shade of our little breakfast nook trying to consume the last bit of American food we can. Some just ordered the breakfast served here in the hotel while others walked to Burger King and ordered the yummy BK breakfast. I'm looking over at Stephanie and I'm thinking of assaulting her and stealing her Crossanwich. But ill fight the urge. Well I wanted to tell you all how it's going, and I think Im going to jump in the shower and make my last tour of the city before I jump to Masaya. ADIOS everyone... I'll be back.

I'm officially a Volunteer!

2008-07-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

As of noon today, Peace Corps Nicaragua added 38 new faces to the family, and I am one of those people. It was a great swearing in today!! It started with a despedida (going away party) with our families. My host mom and my nephew came and it was great to see them again. Apparently I forgot a shirt at the house so she ironed it and got it back to me...what a great mom! The ambassador to Nicaragua was also there and he gave a nice speech. I guess today was his last day of service, and will be moving to Miami to work on another project. Now I am sitting at the hotel next to the pool watching Scott pull a coconut off a tree and cut it open.... have fun on the island. We are going our for dinner right now, so I will come back later and write more but just wanted to say a few words before I lose the chance to use internet. Talk to you in a minute.

Hi everyone

2008-07-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

In a just a few short days from now, I will be done with training and will say goodbye to my host family. We are being sworn in on July 25th, 2008 in Managua and will no loner be trainees but volunteers! At first I couldn't wait for this, but now I realize that training has gone way too fast and I have become accustom to seeing my friends everyday and having more Charlas (training sessions) than anyone could ever need in a lifetime. Soon this will all be over and we will spread out over the country to live for the next two years in our own cities. Its a very bittersweet thought because I am going to miss the hell out of all the friends I have made during training, but I am very excited to get to Masaya and get to work teaching English to the youth of Nicaragua. It will be nice to move from a town of about 5,000 people to a city of around 159,000 people but I will also miss walking down the street and random people saying, “adios John” or “Adios Chele”. (chele= white person)

So I have been trying to think of things to blog about but I cannot seem to think of anything. Mainly because I haven't done anything exciting in a while, but also the things that I thought were weird or different when I got here have become part of daily life and I no longer find them weird or different. So with that said, I will need your help on things to blog about. If you have any thoughts or blog ideas, let me know. I think in the next few days I will go around the city and take pictures of Dolores so I can put them on the internet. I do have a shutterfly account where I would like to put all of my pics, but it takes forever to put the pictures on the internet because it is very slow here.

Lets see what can I say about the last few weeks. Umm Ive taken up reading again... I know right?! ME...READ? BLASPHMY. I am currently reading Janet Evanovich's One for the Money which seems like a promising book. Before that I read, Two Dollar Bill, Me talk pretty one day, Possible Side Effects, and The Kite Runner. When I went to the Peace Corps office I hit up the library that they have there and I grabbed a few more books which I'm sure I will have read in the next month or so.

The other night I was asked by my sister's husband if I could help him look on the internet for a soldering gun; he fixes TV's and his old one broke. I assumed this could be a simple task because he said that we could buy it online and ship it to his brother who lives in Miami and then his brother would send it here to Nicaragua. Well we went online and I looked on Google, of course, to see where I could get a nice one at a good price. After about an hour of looking he asked me if it would be faster if he gave me the name brand and the model of the gun he was looking for. LOL After we got the model number we looked for a while longer and he kept saying that it was not the one he wanted. I was getting a little impatient because we had looked and found the same model on 20 different sites, but they were not what he was looking for. After a while he found the one he was looking for on Craig's list. Turns out that the model I was blindly looking for is over 20 years old and is made out of bronze instead of aluminum or copper like they are now-a-days. He said that he wanted to find it at a store new, and not used. I had to explain to him that we were not going to find this model new ANYWHERE because of it's age. He kept insisting that we HAD to find it somewhere new because it was a good model. I then had to explain to him how things work in the US, and that although it may have been a good model, companies are always finding ways to make products for cheaper by using different and cheaper materials; I also said I was content to keep looking but I honestly thought that we were S.O.L. He finally agreed and I sent the website to his brother in Florida to look at and inquire about.

Last night we went out to the bar to celebrate everyone's July birthday in our group. There are four of us celebrating July birthdays: Me, Sonia, Scott, and Erin. A few of the girls left the bar saying they had to make a few calls home before the places closed. A few minutes later they came back to the bar with 3 cupcakes and candles and sang happy birthday to me, Scott and Erin and we enjoyed a delicious treat! Thanks for the birthday cake guys!!
Today is the day of the Revolution so we are unable to leave our sites because they feel that it is too dangerous for us to be traveling all over the place. Starting last night they began lighting off bombs to celebrate. When I say bombs, I don't mean bombs as in car bombs, but more like fireworks that just explode in the air without the colors. These things are loud! Many times when they begin lighting off the bombs, the car alarms start going off because these bombs could raise the dead. They are not thoughtful by any means when they light these things off; they start lighting them off around the clock. 3 AM is the earliest that I have heard them go off.

It's been a while

2008-07-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

Well ladies and gents, my fate has been decided. I shall live the next two years in the great and artistic city of MASAYA!!

Before we went to the meeting to find out where were are going to live, we decided to play with fate a little bit, and have everyone throw in 10 cords (50 cents) and guess where everyone would be sent to, and the winner would keep the pot. The total got up to 120 cords, and the winner was Lara with an unbelievable 4 correct guesses. Way to go Lara! You still have a way to go before you can call yourself a psychic, but that 120 cords sure helped pay for your beer at the bar. (And of course when I say beer and bar, a rough Spanish translation would be coffee and and coffee house, respectively.) I have been told that some of the TEFLers out there are not telling where they are going but, I'm going to let you in on a little secret where the people from Dolores are going. I will be going to Masaya, Masaya; Elizabeth is going to Chinandega, Chinandega. Lara and her hubby are going to Leon, Leon and Ryan is going to **ahhem** Villa el Carmen, Managua. We are all going to capital cities except for Ryan. (see Ryan, I told you by giving them money, they would send us to nice places...you should have listened to me!) It was a great surprise to everyone where they are being sent, but when I got my name called, I was excited and could do nothing more than an enthusiastic fist pump! Below are a few pictures of us when they called our names, just so you can see how happy we were.... well most of us.

The last few days, Elizabeth and I have been talking about how when we move to our new sites, how said it will be that she wont be able to see me. Oh yeah and that I wont be able to see her either. So we decided to jump on the Nicaraguan bandwagon (yes, they have them here too) and buy a picture of us printed on a piece of wood. But these are not like any ordinary pictures, you see, they carry the picture of the person superimposed on a wonderful background such as a garden, or a waterfall; they also have butterflies (also superimposed) and about the size of the person's head flying in the background. We were so excited to see them man walking around our city today we took a picture to him. On Monday Elizabeth and I will join the ranks of the elite, by becoming owners of said picture. Oooh I cant wait. I will take a picture of it and put it on just as soon as I can, so I can share it with the world. Until then, I will share the pictures that we gave the man. You will notice that we are not smiling, but rather are carrying somewhat of a serious face. We decided that we want to be able to look at the picture an laugh our asses off when we are alone, without each other.

**************** a few days later***********************************

Well, I went on my site visit, and it was somewhat of an awakening. I really realized that I should enjoy the time I spend with my friends here in Dolores because in about 2 weeks, I will not have them in close proximity for the next two years and that is very disheartening to think about. The first night was very uncomfortable. I came there very late at night, and the meeting we at the meeting beforehand in Managua we were supposed to be served dinner, but that never happened; I arrived at the house and my counterpart told the family that we did not eat so they busted out some food and made me dinner. The entire next day, and the following half day, I didn't converse with my family much, and when I did, it seemed very weird. But that passed like a horrid B.M. The third day, they brought me to the Laguna de Apoyo on the outskirts of Managua, which used to be a volcano, but for some reason is now filled with water and is an awesome lake/ excellent place of rest. From then on, my family and I spoke a lot more and I felt a LOT better about the whole situation. I suppose it was a little weird for them as well, as I was the first PC volunteer that has stayed with them, so I'm sure they didn't know what do do/expect.

On my site visit, I met with all of the English teachers and also met the chief of police of Masaya. She seems very nice, and as a matter of fact, she has family that lives in Madison, Wisconsin so we had something to talk about. She told me that if I ever need any help or just want to talk around the city with her (so that everyone knows that I am friends with the chief of police so they don't “F” with me) she was willing and happy to do so. She even gave me her personal cell phone number, so we are like BFF's now.

I thought that I was going to have a very sad and uneventful day on the 4th of July, but it turned out otherwise. There is a group of American Legion people from the states (St. Louis I believe) and they hosted a party with free beer, hot dogs, and hamburgers for all American and British people in Granada. I guess the Brits were included because it's sad they lost the war. The first thing Liz said to everyone after opening her first beer was, “Way to win the war guys!” I thought it was funny... because war is something to laugh about. Totally kidding. Either way, we met a lot of American who live in Granada who are in charge of NGO's and great people to get to know. They were great!! THANKS AMERICAN LEGION GRANADA POST #1 for a great time on my first 4th of July out of the country!!

When I came home it was great to see my family! I was welcomed home with a big bowl of Albondiga soup! MMMMMmmmmm. I love that soup. My host mom also let me know that when the man came to deliver our pictures to us, she gave him a piece of her mind! The man had told us that the pictures were going to cost us 250 cords, and when he came to the door my mom started the conversation, “How do you think that you are going to charge these people 250 cords for these pictures, that is ridiculous.” The man (red in the face) answered, “Well, I never told them a price, but I'll give it to them for 200 cords.” My mom answered that with, “well it looks like you made those pictures in vain because I will not let them buy those pictures for 200 cords either, you are without shame sir, trying to steal the money of volunteers. They don't even get paid enough money to survive here, let alone buy frivolous things like the pictures. Looks like you lose a sale.” He then offered to sell them for 170 cords and she accepted the offer. LOL. She is a great bargainer.

Well, for now that is all I can think of, so I will leave it here. ADIOS

Man, I feel like a woman

2008-06-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

OK so I don't REALLY feel like a woman. Yesterday we were asked to be judges for an English singing/dance competition for one of the local high schools. They were able to sing an English song instead of taking a final English test, which is an awesome idea; less work for the teacher and more fun for the students. All of the groups did a great job, but in the end, a group that “sang” and danced to “I feel like a woman” by Shania Twain took home the gold. OK well they didn't take anything home, other than the fact they they now get to participate in the regional competition. After the competition, we thought it would be a great idea to talk to the English teacher and tell her that if they would like, we would work with them on the pronunciation of the song. The teacher asked them, and they liked the idea. So pretty much what I am trying to say is that with our help, they will win.... hand down. It was a lot of fun listening to Ryan and Elizabeth singing, “Men's shirts, short skirts, oh oh oh oh” well mostly Ryan, but he was totally into it, which makes me wonder about him... Does he really like Shania? Oh well we all have our own tastes I guess ;) Below are a few pictures of the singing competition and our beautiful piñata that we made with our youth group. If you would like the rest, send a S.A.S.E with a small donation of 500 buck to my mom, and she will send them out to you.

Yesterday was Día de San Juan or for those of you non-Spanish speakers out there, “Day of Saint John”. THATS ME!! minus the saint, but thats neither here nor there, ANYWAYS I came home from going to Jinotepe, my host mom handed me a gift bag, and inside was an agenda, and a rag. Its funny because I was looking to buy an agenda for when I get to my site and start doing things. And the rag for when I go to my new site if it's too hot, I can wipe the sweat from my brow. I think they were great gifts. I was thinking the other day that it will be very difficult to leave here when I go to my site. Firstly because I like this family a lot, shes a great cook, and they invite me to almost everything they do. And Secondly, I'm going to miss hanging out with the other Trainees. I'm still wondering if I should call her mom, or continue calling her by her first name. I called my host mom in Spain “mom” and she replied with, “My name is Maria”. But I think I might just throw it out there and see how she reacts. Of course, she will never replace my real mom (because my really love my real mom and not to mention she has access to my bank account, and I wouldn't want to upset her) LOVE YOU MOM!

We find out on Friday where they are going to send us for the remainder of our 2 years here in Nicaragua, and I can't wait to find out! I have my preferences, but I guess where ever they send me will be fine! ( I have to write that, the Peace Corps may read this =) Ryan and I walked to Jinotepe today to price out beds, fridges, and table top gas stoves for when we make the move. It was really funny because we both walked into the store together and said, “Estamos buscando una cama matrimonial” or We are looking for a matrimonial bed (thats how they say double bed). We failed to mention that we were BOTH looking for a bed, not one to share. It was funny, I wonder what the sales people were thinking. It keeps them thinking I guess. The beds range anywhere from C$3,000 cords- C$ 4,500 cords ($156.25- $234.00) A fridge (small one) will be around C$6,000 cords ($312.50) and a table top stove is about C$450 cords ($23.50). I hear our moving in allowance will be around C$4,000 so we will have to come up with other methods to earn money. Whats that you ask? Why yes, my birthday IS coming up very soon (July 22nd) now that you know, theres no excuse for no gift. And I have ways of tracking who has visited this site. So once again, my mother will be taking donations for this special ONCE A YEAR occasion. So there is no confusion, my name is spelled John Cunningham for all of you check writers out there (hint hint, nudge nudge. wink wink)

Well thats all for now, I will be back Friday, or Saturday to let you all know where I will be living.
P.S. Happy Birthday Paul. Hope your feeling better Linda. Glad I got out of UHG when I had the chance. Hope you have fun on your around the country excursion Tessa and Anna. Hi Karla at UHG (and everyone else) Kate, I'm glad you added me on facebook! How was Ukraine? If you answer Ukrainey... so help me god! Hi Whitney (I tried calling you the other day, but I think you were working) HI D☺RI!! and Peen, you are NOT the baby's father! And for the guy who asked me what time it was the other day, and I didn't understand until after I walked past, it was 12:30.

P.S.S I recently changed my UWEC email password and forgot what it was... so email me at cunninjj@gmail.com

GOODBYE EVERYONE :::waves goodbye, and tugs on right ear::::::

Cockroach Hunting

2008-06-22T18:01:00.000-07:00

Forgive me readers for I have sinned. It has been 9 days since my last blog entry. Whats that you say? Only 1 hail Mary..... SWEET. Hail Mary full of grace, ermm something something something something something amen. AAnnnndd DONE!! Lets see whats new since the last time we've talked. Umm I had a great time visiting Patrick in San Jorge, and got a lot of pointers for when I too am a volunteer, like which rum is the best quality, and which women of the night are clean and which ones are not. I can't wait to put these pointers to good use, THANKS PATRICK!!

Lets see, we have a new youth group, as our last group decided they were to cool for school, and didn't want to hang out with us. Our group went from all males 18 and up, to all females aged 15, and then one boy. We asked them what kind of project they wanted to do with us, and they decided that they wanted to make a pinata, and then have a fiesta and break it. So we spent 2 days making the pinata from scratch. Instead of using a balloon and using paper-mache, they use a clay pot and then wrap paper around it. Either way it served its purpose, and we are ALMOST done with the pinata.

We also had our second language interview, and it went pretty good, everyone in Dolores moved up to the advanced level, therefore we do not need classes any more which is awesome! I think I'll miss the classes a little bit, because they were fun going from house to house and having classes in a spare room or in the patios of the houses, but then on the other had I will not miss the homework that they gave us to do. We had our last class on Thursday, so we had a little party, with some cake and coke. a cola. It was Fun Ivania, but our time has ended. She was so excited she did a little dance of liberation.

The other day when I came home from class, my host mom was pulling piles of wood away from the wall outside and using a broom to get all of the cockroaches out and she was sweeping them into the back yard. 10 feet above us on the roof of the house next to us, were about 30 hungry birds licking their beaks (wait do birds even have tongues? Either way), waiting for us to move so they could swoop down and take advantage of the free buffet we had just served up for them. We may have made a discovery though, while looking for more cockroaches we found this one type of cockroach that burrows itself in the ground. Being as smart as she is, Isolina (host mom) went and boiled a pot of water and then poured it over the ground. Seconds later a family of 20 of the newly discovered cockroaches comes climbing out of the ground, and Isolina screamed. So to kick her while she was down (because thats how I roll) I tickled her back with my fingers and yelled ¡NO SE MUEVAS HAY UNA CUCARACHA EN SU ESPALDA! (don't move, theres a cockroach on your back) LOL and she yelled like a little ninny girl. Why do I get off on that kind of stuff? God, Im a total F****er. I think with that stunt, I have surely secured my spot in the fiery pits of hell.

On Friday, we had yet another charla (chat) and they had a site fair, as we are almost dine with training (YAY). During the fair, they had Volunteers from all around the country come and talk to us about where we could be going to live. After listening to all of the spots, I decided that I like to go to Matagalpa, Leon, or Masaya. Now where they send me is a different story, but at least I let them know where I would like to go. They said there are many things that are taken into consideration before they place us, like language ability, personality and so forth. So in other words... I'm screwed.

Today I spent a good majority of the afternoon fixing my hosts sister's roof on her house. We would slide the large pieces of aluminum over and then bring them down and cut them using a machete and a hammer. We were almost done and then.... HERE COMES THE RAIN AGAIN!! So we are outside playing with the metal roof when its raining like a hooker, with thunder and lighting. Lets test out the old theory of playing with metal during a lightening storm... yeah we're smart!!

Im a murderer

2008-06-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

Hello all of you beautiful people out there reading my blog! How are ya? Me? I'm doing just great! Today was a great day, we got to meet up with the business group, and we had a few activities together. It was nice to see them all, as it doesn't happen very often. One of the best things of all, we finally got to find out where we are going for our volunteer visit. We do the visits so we can see what life is really like before we go to our sites. I am going to San Jorge, in Rivas. Ryan is also coming with me, as his volunteer canceled at the last minute so we are the only ones going as a pair. I hear it is on the beach, so I think we will have a good time. I will be there from Sunday until Wednesday, so if you call me and Im not answering thats probably why.

So, the other night while I was writing in my journal before going to bed, in the corner of my eye I saw a little cockroach run from under my door, alongside my floor/wall and then under my bed. I decided that this one's time on earth will soon come to an end. I dashed to the other side of my room (if you know my room and how small it is, this means I leaned over to the left) and grabbed my best friend... RAID!!! I grabbed a flashlight and my camera and laid on the floor. I gave a few sprays of Raid and as soon as the raid hit the cucaracha, it jumped onto it's back and began its slow and painful death. The following picture and video are proof of my matanza (killing).

Things are still going great here in my training town, although a few people have fallen ill. One of the girls believes she may have gotten e-coli, as she spent three days in the hospital in Managua. I hear it's like a five star resort there, with CNN in English and air conditioning to boot! Once I heard that I thought about drinking some tap water to see if I can secure myself a reservation for a 2 day stay.
I am still taking language classes, but I hope that once we have our second language interview, I can jump up to the advanced level from my current intermediate-high level. If I can achieve that, this means I will not have to take any more language classes. There is also a part of me that knows if I do get to that level, then I will be told I have to teach more English classes instead of taking Spanish classes.

I ALSO GOT MY PACKAGES!!! I was sooooo excited to see Douglas the bus driver walking up with a bunch of packages for the volunteers. When I got home I was excited to see the t-shirts and shorts I was sent. Also I got a small, mouse for my laptop, and a headset for SKYPE (if I ever get the chance to use it) I also got kool-aid packets sent to me and it was oh-so-wonderful. When drinking my American lemonade I felt like I was back in Wisconsin on a hot summer day... even thought it only lasted for a few seconds, it was a great. I also got the movie Across the Universe sent to me, I cant wait to watch it..again.

This last weekend, we traveled with Lara's mom to Granada. It is a really nice city, but very very touristy. We sat down under a canopy and ordered a coffee. While smoking a cigarette and taking in the city, I thought that I was in Spain again, with the way the city looks, as it has a very colonial feeling to it. That was until I got a sip of the coffee. Then I was thrown back into reality that I was in Nicaragua, and not Spain. Even though Nicaragua has a large export of really good coffee, you rarely go anywhere and find the “good” kind of coffee, it's mostly instant coffee crystals. I digress. We were approached by a man who asked us if we wanted to take a boat ride in the Lake of Nicaragua and see all of the isletas or islands. There are about 365 small islands in the lake, and quite a few of them have homes on them where rich Americans and rich Nicaraguans make homes to which they visit once or twice a year. On one island, a rich Chinese family built an awesome home, with a Pagoda-ish roof. We also were brought to an island where there were monkeys.. YAY for monkeys right? I asked the driver, “How did the monkeys get on the island, its pretty weird for monkeys to be on an island in the middle of a HUGE lake.” Then he let me know that the monkeys were brought there pretty much so they could use them as a selling point for the tours. Oh well, better them then me I say! Overall I think that Granada would be a great place to bring my parents to, as it doesn't seem too dangerous once you get out of the bus station, walk past the people outside singing for money, and past the pick pocketing nuns from the local convent. I'm kidding... there were no people outside singing ;)

Hurricane Alma...and all that Jazz

2008-05-29T17:07:00.000-07:00

So, once again I have decided to update my blog. I am such a horrible blogger. So in a nut shell, what has been going on.. let me see. I went to a bull riding thngy the other day, and Im pretty sure one of the men was either paralyzed or killed. The way it works here, (it seems to me) that the men drink all day, and then once they are drunk enough that they want to show off, they put on a hockey mask and jump on the bull. This one man got on his bull, and after three jumps of the bull, the man´s back stopped bending, and thenhe was thrown into the air like a rag doll and landed ever so softly onto the ground. Then the bull was pissed off, and he decided he was going to jump into the airr, and land on him with his back two feet. thank (insert higer being here) that the bull missed, but the one clown guy (that gets the attention of the bull) was also caught by the bull and thrown into the air. Now remember the man on the ground? Well yeah, in the states, they would have shot and killed the bull or whatever, but made sure that the man was still alive, but not here my friends. Instead of making sure his neck-back wasnt broken, they grabbed the poor man by one of his arms and drug him out of the arena. If that man was to ever walk again, I think they f@"!ed that up for him. That´ll learn em!!

On a brighter note, there is a Hurricane coming towards Nicaragua, and it is supposedly supposed to get realy bad tonight or tomorrow, so I thought I would update this blog thing before I lose power, or lose my life by one of God´s natural disasters. But seriously guys, since Im in the Peace Corps I am totally safe, Alma (hurricane´s name) totally knows not to mess with us Peace Corps volunteers, or she will have to answer to the American people... and sometimes we can be bitches... really I think she´s scared and will turn away!!

On an even BRIGHTER note, belive it or not, I should be getting a cell phone on Friday. It is mother´s day here in Nicaragua on May 30th, and there are many rebajas (sales) so for all you people out there that want to call me, you ill have the chance to do so. Well thats all I´ve got for now.

PS. Liz, just an update, it wasn´t crabs I had, they were pieces of rice that fell of my plate from dinner last night. So there´s no need for you to be worried!! WERE STILL CLEAN!!!

Life in Nicaragua

2008-05-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

Hey there everyone, I just thought I would give everyone a little update on how things are going here in Nicaragua. I like my host family, they are great, its just a mom and a dad, and their son lives nextdoor. Its super hot here, and sometimes unbearable. Umm lets see, I was asked the other night if I wanted to do an activity by my mom so i said wure why not. Well after a 10 minute walk and a 10 minute truck ride, I found meself in the front row of an evangelical church service. I couldnt listen anymore, so I told my host mom I would wait outside because it was too hot for me, and I thought I was going to pass out. Then the next night, she asked me if I wanted to go and talk to children to practise my spanish. so of course i said yes, and found myself in the back yard of some mans house praying once again with a group of evangelicals. lol. they must really want to save me.

Since we have arrived, there has been a strike of all transportation (taxis and buses) and a few trucks have been burned in the streets and many many tires have been burned in protest of high gas prices. Last night, the strike ended, as they had got what they wanted... I hope its over for good!!

This is my first weekend to do what I want, so I think Im going to go visit a few friends in Santa Teresa, a little city a few Kilometers from here. Well I will update a little more when I have a chance, but wanted to let everyone know that I am doing fine.

Well thats it for now.... ADIOS

Bienvenidos a Nicaragua

2008-05-07T21:01:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to drop a quick line out to let everyone know that I made it to Nicaragua in 1 piece. I got no sleep last night and then once I got here we had more training, and I almost fell asleep. But we have a few more days of the retreat here at the hotel, and then I will be meeting my host family!! Tomorrow, we have our Spanish language tests, to see what level we are in, and then we get our shots tomorrow as well!! Cant wait...god I love needles :)

Last Day on American Soil

2008-05-06T22:02:00.001-07:00

THE STAGING IS OVER!! Thank the lucky stars. It was pretty much information that if you have traveled abroad, you would already know (don't go out after dark, if you do go in pairs..etc) The last few days have been so fun filled, I don't know if I can contain myself.

I am leaving in about 3 hours to fly to Nicalandia, and I cannot wait. I hear that it is the rainy season; although the temperature will be around 95. I think the weather is now what I'm worried about the most.

I should really write more, but I think Ill try and get a FEW hours of sleep before I have to get back up.

More to come...

Leaving On A Jet Plane

2008-05-03T23:06:00.000-07:00

OK, so once again its been a while. I am now just 12 hours away from leaving!!! Ahh its been a long road, from application to invitation; many hours of paperwork, hundreds of dollars for doctor's bills, but I'm sure it will all be worth it. I'm sitting here typing this while I should be spending more time with my friends and family, but I really needed to update this blog for my 1 loyal reader... THANKS MOM!! I dont think it has kicked in yet that I am leaving, and for some reason I think that when I do, it will be one hell of am emotional jump, but enough about this emotional crap... Im thinking that I have way way too much luggage. Ive seen a few pictures of other PC volunteers in Nicalandia and they have much less stuff. I have my big hiking backpack and a medium/small sized rolling luggage to check, then I have my laptop and another bag for carry on. ¡¡EEkks muchas cosas!! I will have to post pics of all my luggage, but Im using a friends computer as my moms internet is out (damn charter and bad storms). I will try to do another update when I get to Washington, but I dont know if the hotel will have wireless. OH YEAH I almost forgot. Here is my address while I am in training:

John Cunningham
Voluntario del Cuerpo de Paz
Apartado Postal 3256
Managua, Nicaragua
Central America

So if you feel the need to send a letter or large sums of money, feel free!! Im going to watch the newest and LAST episodes of Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, and The Office that I will see for a very long time. Please feel free to update me on the going on's of Betty and her struggles, the doctors of Seattle Grace, and the employees of Dunder Mifflin (ask her to marry you Jim!!). Ill keep in touch, and also I crested a new email for while I am gone. it is cunninjj@gmail.com Ill be using this more often while I am gone.

HASTA LUEGO!!

Things I'm Going to Miss (and things I won't)

2008-04-06T23:33:00.000-07:00

With very little free time on my hands in between work M-F, and going to parents every week end with plans of cleaning out car, but never getting around to it; I find myself thinking of the things I'm going to miss. I have compiled a list of things I'm going to miss, and those I won't.

Things I'll miss(in no particular order):

- My car
- Hoodies
- My friends and family
- Big Bertha
- Internet when I want it
- Cable (i.e on-demand)
- Jade Garden
- Big Screen TV
- Free refills
- Bottle and Barrel (bye Kelly!)
- Grey's Anatomy
- Marlboro Menthol Lights
- Consistent running water and electricity
- Starbucks
- Wal-Mart at 3AM
- Ugly Betty
- The Office
- Diet Mountain Dew
- If I want something, I go get it
- Warm Showers
- 2008 Election (Yay for absentee ballot)
- Nintendo Wii (bowling)
- Holidays
- Air conditioning
- Suspending from the ceiling with hooks in my back ;) TOTALLY Kidding... or am I?!?
- Elk Lake in the summer
- Long drives on warm evenings

...Damn I'm spoiled...

Things I won't miss:

- Gas Prices
- Fixing my car
- Busy rush of things
- MY BORING JOB!!!!!
- Paying $90.00 for going 600 text messages over
- RENT!
- Snow (I think Ill take that back later, but Wisconsin snow says it all!!!)
- Driving in Snow
- Bills
- Copays/deductibles
- Telemarketers (on cell phone)
- Traffic
- Worrying
- Sun/heat
- Mean people

OK well thats all I can think of now, I'm just trying to fall asleep, as I am too excited to leave!! So I made a slightly inappropriate bumper sticker for my facebook. I'll put it on here for you to be the judge.

Till next time, take care of yourself, and each other!!

26 DAYS LEFT.. EKKKkkk!!!!!

The Packing begins...(somewhat)

2008-03-30T19:42:00.000-07:00

So over the last few weeks and months, I have been making a list of things that I will be bringing with me. It's very difficult to decide what I need and what I want to bring. So I am going to begin my list of things. If you think I am missing something, or if you think I can live without something, let me know!

Things:

- Eagle Creek 90L bag.
- Sleeping Pad
- 2 Quick Dry Towels (body)
- 2 Quick dry towels (face)
- Swiss Army knife
- Clothes Line
- Head Lamp
- Commando Hooks
- 8 maids-a-milking
- Zip Lock bags
- Laptop
- Digital Camera (Kodak Z812)
- 3 2GB chips (I love me some pictures)
- Batteries (12 e2 Lithium)
- MP3 Player
- Books (A Thousand Splendid Suns..not sure the other)
- Pillow?
- A Few DVDs to watch on laptop (when electricity is available)
- 2 Nalgene bottles
- Flash Drive (Not sure size) To write and save emails, and letters.
- 2Flat Sheets
- Duct tape (?)
- Nag Champa incense
- alarm clock (battery)
- wind up radio
- Card Games

clothing

- 3 dress pants (blk/tan/grn)
- 3 pairs shorts
- 7 white undershirts
- 1 nice outfit
- 4 pairs quick dry boxers & 3 others
- 5-7 button up shirts
- 2 long sleeve
- 3-5 short sleeve
- 1 Jacket
- 1 bag of socks
- 1 Sweatshirt (?)
- 2 pairs of jeans
- 1 pair of dress socks
- Chaco Shoes
- Chaco sandals (Z/2)
- Chaco flip flogs
- 2 bandannas

Toiletries

- 1 tooth brush & toothpaste
- 2 deodorants
- Shampoo/bodywash/loofa
- Razor and many replacement blades(I'd imagine they are expensive)
- Chewable Pepto
- Hand Sanitizer

So this is it so far, I have most of these things, but there are a few things I still need to get. I am still waiting for my staging kit... and getting very excited.. because then I know I can quit my job.... FREEDOM!!!!!! 35 days left ladies and gents.

So it's been a while

2008-03-14T00:24:00.000-07:00

So yeah, its been a while, a very long while. I'll admit it, I'm a bad blogger, I hope I can do better while I am away. So lets see, whats new, OH YEAH still hating my job, sitting in a cubicle for 8 hours and doing the same thing over and over and over. Don't fret my pets, as I shall wash my hands clean of said work environment as of April 18th ::::and the crowd cheers::: Also I am having a graduation slash going away party on the 19th of April. If it is half as great as my high school graduation party, that would mean not only half as many people would be arrested, but many more memories for the future... aaand Im kidding.

Well, the snows seems to FINALLY be melting after like 100 years of cold weather!! That is one thing I don't think I am going to miss; well maybe those days where it's 120 in the shade. As of right now, it still hasn't kicked in yet that I am leaving soon, 52 days!! I know it will either kick in when I receive the staging kit, or the moment that the plane lifts off out of Minneapolis on my 2.5 year journey. Sooner or later it'll kick in I guess. The last week or so, I have been making a mental lists of all the things I want to bring with me. I think it's good to start early, because then you have that much more time to talk yourself out of bringing unneeded things. I am mostly worried about the weight restrictions, and I recently read that airlines ::ahemm US Airways::: will be charging people to check a second and third bag. Do they not realize that some of their customers are leaving their homes and moving across the world, and are not the weekend travelers? Oh well, I'm done complaining..about that.

Another thing I am thinking about: a thrift sale!!!! Now sure if people have thrift sales in April in Wisconsin. I guess I'll have to wait and see!!

So until next time people, Help control the pet population; have your pet spayed or neutered!!

My Invitation!!!!!

2008-01-18T22:24:00.000-08:00

Well, I woke up from a nap before going to work today, and Wham! Sitting in my little mailbox was a big packet from the Peace Corps. I opened it up and took a few breaths before opening the packet, as I will now know where I am going after my almost 12 month application process.

When I opened the packet, I was pleasantly surprised; I am headed to Nicaragua my friends! Land of lakes and volcanoes!!! I thought I would add a map of where Nicaragua is, for those of you who failed 6th grade geography.

The program that I will be working in is the TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) teacher trainer. From what I understand, I will be working with English teachers by introducing new teaching methodologies, as well as helping them better their English. I will also be working in high schools teaching English to students. I have experience teaching students while living in Spain last year, and it was a blast!! But I have never taught teachers before, so this may be somewhat of a challenge.

I thought it would be all downhill from here, but I was totally wrong!! Now I must rewrite my aspiration statement, my résumé, and file for a government passport. Well, enough blogging for now, I have Peace Corps paperwork to do!!