Starting all over…

   Now, that I am a volunteer I have been assigned what they call a “site” which is where I will be living and working for the next two years. I live in a small city of about 60,000 (approx. 30,000 live in the urban area). I have access to internet at internet cafes that they call “cybers” and have cell phone service throughout the city. I am using an extremely cheap phone ($12 to be exact) with a SIM card that was provided by Peace Corps. They have all the volunteers and staff on a family plan so that we may contact each other at any time. I do have running water but it is not consistent so it is certain that I will be taking many bucket showers throughout my service. I have to wash all my laundry by hand which loses it’s novelty quite quickly, especially in the wet season when it takes days for your clothes to dry and then they end up smelling musty and you have to do the process all over again. 

   It is required to live with a host family for the full-term of service which I originally thought was a bummer but it does have its benefits as well. They will help me integrate into my community and will probably prove to be a huge resource. Not only this, but I’ve heard that many volunteers who live alone usually end up spending lots of time with a family that lives nearby for company.  They say the requirement is for security reasons, meaning you are less likely to be assaulted or robbed by the locals if they know you are part of a Nica family versus being some random white person in town. My family is great. They are very nice, open-minded and easy-going. My host family consists of my host mom and two host sisters that are in their 20s. The oldest, who is actually 24, has a 7 month year old daughter who is adorable (even though I usually don’t like kids). I live on the outskirts of town so it takes me 25 minutes to walk to the center of town. They have mototaxis that I can take in town but all those nice rides can add up quickly and seeing as how my living allowance is minimal, I plan to invest in a bike and/or do a lot of walking. The city itself has a small town feel but has a lot of the amenities of a big city. There are plenty of businesses in town that will be great for potential side projects. Also, I live about a 40 min bus ride from the beach!!!! Something I’ve always wanted. I definitely plan to hit the beach every chance I get. 

   I am working in four high schools and working directly with seven teachers. Two of the schools and two of the teachers worked with the previous volunteer that lived here, whereas the rest are completely new to the entrepreneurship curriculum and have not worked with a Small Business Volunteer. This means I will be spending a lot more time with the new teachers. Good news is that only the follow-up schools will have the chance to participate in the local, regional, and national business plan competitions. The new schools will have the opportunity to participate next year. This takes some pressure off and I was relieved to find this out. For the first few weeks in site, my job is to organize my schedule with the schools, observe classes, as well as introduce myself to community leaders and local businesses. Basically, work on integration  while figuring out what my community's resources and needs are. 

   When I received my site assignment I was a little disappointed because it wasn’t very exotic and it didn’t seem like it was going to be the idealized, living in the middle of nowhere, rough experience that Peace Corps is famous for. I've now realized how cool this city is and how there is still plenty of opportunity. Just because it is a bigger site, it does not mean that I won’t be of use to the people here. Plus, living in a central area makes it a lot easier for me to travel to other parts of the country!!!

From Trainee to Volunteer!

   Last night in my training town of Masatepe, I come home to find my family surprised me with a goodbye cake. I was so touched because I know the money they used to buy the cake could buy a week’s worth of food but they seemed to enjoy it as much as I did. It was delicious and so fresh that the plate it came on was still hot. My host sister found it hilarious to wipe cake all over my face. I found it funny that tradition has made it all the way to Nicaragua as well. After hanging out with the family and gorging myself on cake, I went to hang out with my fellow trainees who were having a karaoke party at a host family’s house. We tried to sing a bunch of old Mexican Ranchera songs which I’m sure the neighbors didn’t enjoy as much as we did. Perfect way to spend my last night in Masatepe. 

   Thursday, May 23^rd I woke up at 4am to finish packing (BIG SURPRISE, once again I find my procrastinating self in the same situation) and still found myself running late for the 7am bus.  I ran out of the house dragging all my bags and barely saying goodbye to the family. I knew I would see them the following weekend to grab the last of my things so I didn’t feel too guilty.

In Managua, we were put up in this nice hotel that had a pool and hot water!!!! I realized I hadn’t taken a shower with hot water since I was in the U.S.  The little things we take for granted back home. At this point, I’ve been in Nicaragua almost three months and EVERY morning I still have that debate with the shower. I stand there, turn on the water and have that minute or so where I’m literally talking myself into getting under the ice cold water that is running before my eyes. You’d think after so much time here I’d grow accustomed to it but that hasn’t happened yet. 

   Friday, May 24^th, 2013 I was officially sworn-in as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nicaragua. This means that I successfully met the requirements during training to continue with two years of service. The ceremony itself was held in the Hilton Princess hotel in Managua which is very extravagant, especially for us volunteers. They provided refreshments and cake! We all cleaned-up quite nicely and put on our finest for the ceremony. Of course, later that night we went out to a club in Managua and celebrated. There was a lot of dancing and minimal drama which is the way I like it. 

   The next day we all got up late and tried to recover from the night before. A group of us went to lunch at an awesome sushi joint and then saw a Star Trek 2 in an air-conditioned movie theater. It was so surreal. We were all gringos, speaking in English and enjoying the amenities that we are accustomed to when at home. All day I felt like I was back in the U.S.  We all agreed how it was the perfect way to soften us up before we go through the hardest part of our service (which Peace Corps claims to be the first 3 months of service). Still, it was a nice break before heading out to do the big kid’s work! 

-             Almost forgot to mention…… the morning after the night out (when still feeling the remnants from the festivities of the night before) I noticed that my waitress serving me breakfast had a shirt that said, “I like to stab big balls with large needles” in English. I almost fell out of my chair laughing. The worst part is that she, more than likely, had no clue what it said. A few friends and I text each other whenever we see a Nica (short for Nicaraguan) wearing a ridiculous shirt in English. 

       Some photos of Masatepe, a family member making nacatamales (which are delicious), and the recycled American school bus that is used in Nicaragua for public transport. We are usually squeezed in there like sardines with no air-conditioning and they throw our luggage on top. Fun times!