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!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
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!! :)
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