I totally told myself before I came to Nicaragua I would keep this blog up-to-date because I loved blog stalking during my application & wait to leave for country. However, it is sometimes really hard because during my limited internet time I really want to do things like facebook stalk/ skype/read postsecret/other random stuff. And during training I was so busy! But as a newly sworn-in volunteer...I am going to try to update more often and adjust my internet time so that I'm actually being productive (a little bit!).
So training is officially over and Monday was Nica 51 swearing in ceremony. It was such a great day and I couldn't stop smiling as I finally became an official Peace Corps Volunteer. The weeks preceeding swearing in were crazy, including our site visit, our final charlas, youth group ceremony, interviews, and random PC briefings...now I suppose its time to relax a little! :)
I passed my final language interview with flying colors! Coming in with such a limited spanish ability was challenging, but I am now so excited with how much I learned and achieved during training. Although I am by no means fluent, I can complete most daily tasks and hold pretty great conversations. Over the past few weeks I've learned so much about my host family from our conversations and I'm glad to have developed my relationship with them. Seeing them leave on Monday after swearing in was extremely sad. They were a great host family and really introduced me into the culture and life of Nicaragua. I will definately mantain a great relationship with them over the next two years and look forward to cooking food with american cheese, going to the beach, and being absolutely crazy with my sister and cousins!
Tomorrow morning I officialy leave for my site as an official PCV. Its very exciting and also a little bit nerve-wracking after 12 weeks of training. During training, everything is so structered and we spend so much time with the other trainees..its going to be strange really being out in Nicaragua by ourselves. Most of us in the training class are nervous, but talking to other volunteers about the first couple months and knowing they survived ensured me at least that I will make it though. Plus, after AVC (all volunteer conference) this week, I am very excited to get to site and start implementing some amazing ideas! Also, I'll be busy with promciones, PACA tools (YES! YES!), finding a house, and complete community integration! WOO!!
In some ways it really is crazy that I'm actually starting this journey. I swore-in as a PCV about 1 year after recieving my nomination to Peace Corps. Seeing this dream and reality come true is absolutely amazing and I am so excited to dedicate my next 2 years in service to Nicaragua!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Ok..so I know its been a month since I last posted..so for a really quick update (I´ll do a better one next week when I´m in Managua and have free interent)
I have my site assignement! I will be spending my next 2 years living in La Paz Centro, León!!! More about this and my site visit later.
Life in Nicaragua is wonderful as always and my spanish is doing great! I´ve been able to travel more which is awesome..Nicaragua is such a beautiful country!
Swearing-in is in one week!! Yay!
I have my site assignement! I will be spending my next 2 years living in La Paz Centro, León!!! More about this and my site visit later.
Life in Nicaragua is wonderful as always and my spanish is doing great! I´ve been able to travel more which is awesome..Nicaragua is such a beautiful country!
Swearing-in is in one week!! Yay!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
¿Tiempo Libre? ¿Que es esto?
So training has been progressing along quite nicely and I´m crazy busy all the time! However, I´m learning tons and am getting more and more excited to finally be sworn in as a volunteer!
My volunteer visit was last week and it was absolutely fantastic! I visited a small, small pueblo (about 400 people) and about 1 hour away from Juigalpa. Not only was it a great chance to learn about the life of a volunteer, but I also was able to see more of Nicaragua, use the public transporation system, and also realize that one day I can cook my own food again! Although, I´m really going to miss my host mom´s gallo pinto and refrescos when I leave my training town!
Anyway, the trip to Juigalpa was absoluley crazy as fully expected. Myself and 3 other trainees left our training pueblos at 6am, took an Expresso to Manauga, a taxi to the other bus terminal, and then after being bombarded by men wanting us to get into there taxi or bus, we finally found the bus we needed to Chontales. 3 hours later (through which i slept during...waking up ocasionally to find a new seat mate) and I woke up just in time to see the sign for Juigalpa...I managed to used my ROCKIN spanish skills to ask my current seat mate where the final stop was (which we were at!) and ran off the bus! We met up with our volunteers, did a little shopping, ate pizza and finally Caralyn and I returned to her site. The next few days were filled with walking to schools, stalking the alcalde (mayor), teaching classes, hanging out at the library, cooking ridiculous amounts of food, cleaning up cat vomit, jamming to taylor swift, teaching kids how to use dictionaries, watching the office, and hanging out with some amazing Nicas. I had so so much fun and it made me so excited to find out my site, move there, and start working in my community!
Speaking of which, 2 weeks from yesterday we find out our site placements! Environment 51 recived our site packets yesterday and we have our site fair tomorrow. This is huge...one becuase it really, really means that we are halfway through training..and getting towards the end! And....I am looking at the 20 potential places I could be spending the next 2 years of my life! SO EXCITING! I took a look through the site packet and there are a lot of great sites...I definately want a small to medium sized site..not all about the big ones!
Otherwise, today we had our mid-training language interviews..I did pretty well...my spanish is crazy improving! Not sure when I´ll find out the results..but I know I´m certainly on the way to get to reaching Intermediate Mid!!!
Last Saturday we went to Volcán Masaya...amazing beautiful...however my camera chose to not be charged right when we got to the top. haha And then we went to the acutal city of Masaya...ate a ridiculous amount of food and then went to the market..where i bought a new pair of sandales for a fantastic $3.75! YAY!
So thats my life for now..One day I will get pictures up...someday!
My volunteer visit was last week and it was absolutely fantastic! I visited a small, small pueblo (about 400 people) and about 1 hour away from Juigalpa. Not only was it a great chance to learn about the life of a volunteer, but I also was able to see more of Nicaragua, use the public transporation system, and also realize that one day I can cook my own food again! Although, I´m really going to miss my host mom´s gallo pinto and refrescos when I leave my training town!
Anyway, the trip to Juigalpa was absoluley crazy as fully expected. Myself and 3 other trainees left our training pueblos at 6am, took an Expresso to Manauga, a taxi to the other bus terminal, and then after being bombarded by men wanting us to get into there taxi or bus, we finally found the bus we needed to Chontales. 3 hours later (through which i slept during...waking up ocasionally to find a new seat mate) and I woke up just in time to see the sign for Juigalpa...I managed to used my ROCKIN spanish skills to ask my current seat mate where the final stop was (which we were at!) and ran off the bus! We met up with our volunteers, did a little shopping, ate pizza and finally Caralyn and I returned to her site. The next few days were filled with walking to schools, stalking the alcalde (mayor), teaching classes, hanging out at the library, cooking ridiculous amounts of food, cleaning up cat vomit, jamming to taylor swift, teaching kids how to use dictionaries, watching the office, and hanging out with some amazing Nicas. I had so so much fun and it made me so excited to find out my site, move there, and start working in my community!
Speaking of which, 2 weeks from yesterday we find out our site placements! Environment 51 recived our site packets yesterday and we have our site fair tomorrow. This is huge...one becuase it really, really means that we are halfway through training..and getting towards the end! And....I am looking at the 20 potential places I could be spending the next 2 years of my life! SO EXCITING! I took a look through the site packet and there are a lot of great sites...I definately want a small to medium sized site..not all about the big ones!
Otherwise, today we had our mid-training language interviews..I did pretty well...my spanish is crazy improving! Not sure when I´ll find out the results..but I know I´m certainly on the way to get to reaching Intermediate Mid!!!
Last Saturday we went to Volcán Masaya...amazing beautiful...however my camera chose to not be charged right when we got to the top. haha And then we went to the acutal city of Masaya...ate a ridiculous amount of food and then went to the market..where i bought a new pair of sandales for a fantastic $3.75! YAY!
So thats my life for now..One day I will get pictures up...someday!
Friday, October 2, 2009
The interesting culture of Nica.....
I've officially been in Nicaragua for a full month!!! Its absolutely crazy and i completely feel like i've been here for a really long time...yet the time seems to be flying by! Its crazy to think I've been here for a month!!
Well, rather than boring you all with stories of training [class, class class!!] I decided to write a little bit about my cultural adjustments to Nica life!
Here in Nicaragua toilet paper is not flushed down the toilet...i'm guessing alot of this is due to undeveloped septic systems and what not. Anyway, I have become completely successful at throwing my toilet paper in the trashcan. It was kinda of hard at first..I mean you go your entire life just throwing it in the toilet. And then wham..you have to switch! But i'm happy to say I have become completely sucessful at throwing my toilet paper in the trashcan!! YAY!
In Nicarauga, you say "Adios" to people as you walk by them on the streets. It was extremely odd to me at the first since in the US we always say "Hi". But I'm slowly adjusting. I still say "Hola" sometimes but its getting easier and eaiser to just throw in an "Adios" as I walk past the people in town. Also, in Nicaragua...they don't use thier "s" so my Adios is acutally "Adio" :) But i love how friendly people here are. The tortilla lady walks by our house and chats for a few minutes..asking about how our days are...Its such a nice welcoming culture!
However, my toughest culture adaptation so far is the difference in manners. We in the US are obssesed with Please, Thank You, and Your Welcome. I never realized it until I arrived here in Nicaragua. I seem to say "Gracias" way more than I need to...becuase its what is acceptable in the States. I say it when my mom brings me food, at the end of meals, when she washes my clothes...all the time..becuase I am thankful! Shes an awesome host mom and justs helps me so much! But I feel like I might just be saying "Thank You" more than normal in the Nicaraugan culture. So its my goal to work on....expressing my thankfulness without going to overboard.
Anyway, I have volunteer visit this week and I am SO SO SO EXCITED!! I'm going to C hontales which is further south..and a little more east! Its going to be great to finally be seeing volunteers in action!! :)
Well, rather than boring you all with stories of training [class, class class!!] I decided to write a little bit about my cultural adjustments to Nica life!
Here in Nicaragua toilet paper is not flushed down the toilet...i'm guessing alot of this is due to undeveloped septic systems and what not. Anyway, I have become completely successful at throwing my toilet paper in the trashcan. It was kinda of hard at first..I mean you go your entire life just throwing it in the toilet. And then wham..you have to switch! But i'm happy to say I have become completely sucessful at throwing my toilet paper in the trashcan!! YAY!
In Nicarauga, you say "Adios" to people as you walk by them on the streets. It was extremely odd to me at the first since in the US we always say "Hi". But I'm slowly adjusting. I still say "Hola" sometimes but its getting easier and eaiser to just throw in an "Adios" as I walk past the people in town. Also, in Nicaragua...they don't use thier "s" so my Adios is acutally "Adio" :) But i love how friendly people here are. The tortilla lady walks by our house and chats for a few minutes..asking about how our days are...Its such a nice welcoming culture!
However, my toughest culture adaptation so far is the difference in manners. We in the US are obssesed with Please, Thank You, and Your Welcome. I never realized it until I arrived here in Nicaragua. I seem to say "Gracias" way more than I need to...becuase its what is acceptable in the States. I say it when my mom brings me food, at the end of meals, when she washes my clothes...all the time..becuase I am thankful! Shes an awesome host mom and justs helps me so much! But I feel like I might just be saying "Thank You" more than normal in the Nicaraugan culture. So its my goal to work on....expressing my thankfulness without going to overboard.
Anyway, I have volunteer visit this week and I am SO SO SO EXCITED!! I'm going to C hontales which is further south..and a little more east! Its going to be great to finally be seeing volunteers in action!! :)
Saturday, September 19, 2009
What another crazy week here!! I am entering week three of training Monday...time is flying buy already. Yet it feels like i´ve been in Nicaragua for at least a month or 2!
Monday was a national holiday (Independence Day) and we didn´t have class! Instead I went with my host mom to watch my sister and cousin dance at the assembly and parade. After the parade, I went to Nandasmo (the bigger city closer to where I live) to watch there activities. Its very interesting because the parade is full of students marching..along with dancers, "cheerleaders" and marching bands...every school has a marching band..it was so cute to see the little kids carrying drums!!! Also, the assemblies are used to recognize the top student in the school as well as the best teacher. They both recieve a regalo, rather than plaque, which is something personal they could use. I thought it was really cool that so much thought is put into these awards. After the events in Nandasmo, I went with another aspirante and his family to "agua arie" which is bascially a super nice river to swim...it was awesome, beautiful, and an amazing treat from the heat of Nicaragua. The best part was on the hike back to the car we saw MONKEYS!!! OMG. I was so excited. I guess monkeys used to be very common but now a lot of their habitat has been destroyed. However we were near volcan mombacho where they are still pretty common!
The rest of the week was full of spanish class everyday, technical sessions, and building a huerto (garden) this morning. We have a youth group meeting tonight...haha..a nice test of my spanish abilities. Oh...Sunday I went to the national zoo..with my family and then to Tip-Top the national fast food chain!! Excellent.
And....I´ve seen a kid wearing a University of Cinncinati shirt...I thought it was really funny...my host family didn´t seem to understand!
Monday was a national holiday (Independence Day) and we didn´t have class! Instead I went with my host mom to watch my sister and cousin dance at the assembly and parade. After the parade, I went to Nandasmo (the bigger city closer to where I live) to watch there activities. Its very interesting because the parade is full of students marching..along with dancers, "cheerleaders" and marching bands...every school has a marching band..it was so cute to see the little kids carrying drums!!! Also, the assemblies are used to recognize the top student in the school as well as the best teacher. They both recieve a regalo, rather than plaque, which is something personal they could use. I thought it was really cool that so much thought is put into these awards. After the events in Nandasmo, I went with another aspirante and his family to "agua arie" which is bascially a super nice river to swim...it was awesome, beautiful, and an amazing treat from the heat of Nicaragua. The best part was on the hike back to the car we saw MONKEYS!!! OMG. I was so excited. I guess monkeys used to be very common but now a lot of their habitat has been destroyed. However we were near volcan mombacho where they are still pretty common!
The rest of the week was full of spanish class everyday, technical sessions, and building a huerto (garden) this morning. We have a youth group meeting tonight...haha..a nice test of my spanish abilities. Oh...Sunday I went to the national zoo..with my family and then to Tip-Top the national fast food chain!! Excellent.
And....I´ve seen a kid wearing a University of Cinncinati shirt...I thought it was really funny...my host family didn´t seem to understand!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Yesterday was my one week aniversary of my arrival in Nicaragua!!! However, its seriously feels like it has been weeks and weeks....a lot due to the events over the past few days!! :)
Last Friday, our entire group left Mangua [Capital of Nica] to head to our training sites. All of the environmental volunteers are training around Mesetepe [in Masaya] and I live in a small farming town that is the suburb of a suburb. But I LOVE my little town and my host family is super nice. I have a host mom, a host sister who is 12 and two host brothers [14 & 22]. Additionally, my entire extended family lives really close to me and we have a continual flow of cousins [who are super cute] and aunts and uncles through my house! Its super fun! On Sunday, my family took myself and one of the other Aspirantes Robert to Catarina. Which is an awesome little town and overlooks a volcanic lake. It was absolutely beautiful. I seriously can't describe it!! I can't wait to go back and take more pictures. When I went last week I didn't realize how pretty it was....my host sister told me there was just lots of shopping! :)
Monday was the start of Spanish class. Its amazing how quickly my Spanish was improving!! We have 6 formal hours of Spanish class. From 8-noon in the morning which is more class-like and is based on vocab and practicing speaking. Then we have an hour for lunch. Class resumes at 1 and goes until 3. This part of Spanish is more focused on activities within our training towns. Finally, we have an additional 2 hours with our host families inwhich we are practiticing and such. I have a lot to learn...but I was picking it up pretty fast!!
However...currently I am back in Managua and staying at a hotel. Several people in our group are sick and the Peace Corps is observing 4 of us to ensure we also aren't sick. However, I absolutely can't wait to return to my training site and get back into the swing of things!
Along with this post are 2 photos from Nica. One is the entire Nica 51 group [we are the 51st training class to enter Nica since 1991 (i think)] and the other is of the Environment sector of Nica 51. There are 20 enivronmental trainees and 19 TEFL trainees!!
Last Friday, our entire group left Mangua [Capital of Nica] to head to our training sites. All of the environmental volunteers are training around Mesetepe [in Masaya] and I live in a small farming town that is the suburb of a suburb. But I LOVE my little town and my host family is super nice. I have a host mom, a host sister who is 12 and two host brothers [14 & 22]. Additionally, my entire extended family lives really close to me and we have a continual flow of cousins [who are super cute] and aunts and uncles through my house! Its super fun! On Sunday, my family took myself and one of the other Aspirantes Robert to Catarina. Which is an awesome little town and overlooks a volcanic lake. It was absolutely beautiful. I seriously can't describe it!! I can't wait to go back and take more pictures. When I went last week I didn't realize how pretty it was....my host sister told me there was just lots of shopping! :)
Monday was the start of Spanish class. Its amazing how quickly my Spanish was improving!! We have 6 formal hours of Spanish class. From 8-noon in the morning which is more class-like and is based on vocab and practicing speaking. Then we have an hour for lunch. Class resumes at 1 and goes until 3. This part of Spanish is more focused on activities within our training towns. Finally, we have an additional 2 hours with our host families inwhich we are practiticing and such. I have a lot to learn...but I was picking it up pretty fast!!
However...currently I am back in Managua and staying at a hotel. Several people in our group are sick and the Peace Corps is observing 4 of us to ensure we also aren't sick. However, I absolutely can't wait to return to my training site and get back into the swing of things!
Along with this post are 2 photos from Nica. One is the entire Nica 51 group [we are the 51st training class to enter Nica since 1991 (i think)] and the other is of the Environment sector of Nica 51. There are 20 enivronmental trainees and 19 TEFL trainees!!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
The Trip to Nica!!
What an adventure the past few days have been!
Tuesday : Staging for Peace Corps in Washington DC. It was super awesome to finally meet my entire training class! Basically we went over the basics of PC...mission, rules, and our fears and such. AMAZING! :)
2am Wednesday: We left for the airport..only to arrive and discover that the airport was actually closed...hahah. Soooo..we sat outside of our check-in area until 3:30am when the check-in lady checked us and we got to stand in a multitude of lines, including bag check-in, the bag security line, the actual security line, and the breakfast food line all at 5am! Yay. The flight to Miami left at 6am..and I'm pretty sure the flight NEVER happened because I slept through the entire thing.
Our arrival in Miami welcomed us with the fantastic prospect of a 3 hour delay. Which then turned into a 5 hour delay. Which was amazing...nothing is more fun then hanging out it the airport...we did go to bahamas though! :) Finally we left Miami around 3pm...putting us into Managua about the same time!
Arrival in Managua was super exciting! I paid my $5 entrance fee and the was greeted by some PC staff and then volunteers. After standing around for a while waiting for our luggage, we went on to discover that infact our luggage was in Hati. Excellent.
Thursday: Today was our first official day in Nicaragua. This morning we were lucky enough to meet the Peace Corps Director [Aaron Williams] and hear him speak about his vision for the Peace Corps. It made me so excited to be a PC trainee. The rest of the day was full of medical interviews & vaccines, language intervies, and information sessions.
Tomorrow I'll move in with my host family. Excited and nervous!
Nicaragua is beautiful. Everyone in my training class is amazing. Loving PC so far!
Tuesday : Staging for Peace Corps in Washington DC. It was super awesome to finally meet my entire training class! Basically we went over the basics of PC...mission, rules, and our fears and such. AMAZING! :)
2am Wednesday: We left for the airport..only to arrive and discover that the airport was actually closed...hahah. Soooo..we sat outside of our check-in area until 3:30am when the check-in lady checked us and we got to stand in a multitude of lines, including bag check-in, the bag security line, the actual security line, and the breakfast food line all at 5am! Yay. The flight to Miami left at 6am..and I'm pretty sure the flight NEVER happened because I slept through the entire thing.
Our arrival in Miami welcomed us with the fantastic prospect of a 3 hour delay. Which then turned into a 5 hour delay. Which was amazing...nothing is more fun then hanging out it the airport...we did go to bahamas though! :) Finally we left Miami around 3pm...putting us into Managua about the same time!
Arrival in Managua was super exciting! I paid my $5 entrance fee and the was greeted by some PC staff and then volunteers. After standing around for a while waiting for our luggage, we went on to discover that infact our luggage was in Hati. Excellent.
Thursday: Today was our first official day in Nicaragua. This morning we were lucky enough to meet the Peace Corps Director [Aaron Williams] and hear him speak about his vision for the Peace Corps. It made me so excited to be a PC trainee. The rest of the day was full of medical interviews & vaccines, language intervies, and information sessions.
Tomorrow I'll move in with my host family. Excited and nervous!
Nicaragua is beautiful. Everyone in my training class is amazing. Loving PC so far!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
"First, leave home. Get out there, where if you care to listen, you will find many other people dreaming of making connections and changing the world, just like you. The only mistake is in thinking that you will make an important difference in the lives of the people you're among. The profound difference will be in you."
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