Late at Night When All the World is Sleeping I Stay Up and Dream of Food

Hola Companeras,

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve written.  I’m starting to leave the honeymoon stage and enter the holy shit; this is going to be my home for 2 ½ years stage.  I’m in a new city, getting to know it a bit better along with the ciudadanas.  I have to start over and in about 2 ½ months the process will begin again when I move to my permanent site.  Things seem to be going well, though they can, at many times, be incredibly overwhelming. 

Next week, we will have many firsts.  We will conduct our first charla at the Centro de Salud, which will center on methods of family planning; begin finding participants for and conducting our survey; and conducting our first charla with our primary and secondary youth groups.  It’s a lot and it’s getting to me.  Fortunately, today I had some time to myself to breathe.    

After my last run, Chepe told me about a route that he used to run that goes from Diriamba to Dolores.  It’s about 2.5 km each way.  It was liberating, to say the least.  The route was littered with runners, covered by an ascending shade, and nearly free of dust.  It gave me some time to recharge and reflect while enjoying the new Macklemore and JT albums.  I feel a bit safer and more aware of my surroundings as well.  She doesn’t even go here!   

I definitely need to make a concerted effort to take time to myself each day.  Whether that means going for a run or just leaving the house to explore the city during the day.  In the states, I generally have a space for this in the house, even if I don’t make an effort to get outside.  In my house, however, it’s much more of a community, which I love.  But, I feel guilty and anti-social, at times, when my family is watching TV together and I take time to myself in my room. 

During my run, I passed Hotel Lupita, which is equipped with a pool where you can enjoy a cool tona.  I passed my companeras on the way back and now that we know we can walk there during the day, we can save the 7 cords each way.  This totals about 50 cents both ways but as we’re getting paid about 250 – 300 cords or about 10 – 12 dollars a week, it ends up being a relatively costly ride.

This past week, we aprovechared an excellent opportunity to cool down from the inferno, that is the Nicaraguan sun.  Vamos a la playa!  I’m generally not a big fan of the beach.  You end up with sand in every possible part of your body and the last time I was there I froze my buns off.  This beach, however, was spectacular.  It appears to be a relatively new beach as the sand is very coarse and dark.  Upon arrival, we ran to the water where Isabel was determined to drown.  My first attempt to follow her resulted in being knocked on my ass.  It didn’t take long for us to see that the ocean, more or less, wanted us the hell out. 

We played Frisbee with Roxie’s kids and her mom made us a delicious lunch.  The ride is about an hour and costs 19 cords.  Well worth it as the ride alone will make you relish the next cold shower you take.  Outside of the house, was a farm where pigs and chickens fought over the discarded bags of jocotes.

Today marks the first day of  Semana Santa, todo el mundo tiene vacaciones, while Cuerpo de Paz is holding out on us.  Pues, we start “vacation” (we still have a mountain to accomplish before next week) on Wednesday afternoon.  From this point on, our entire weekend will be ours to enjoy (que le vaya bien Saturday classes).  Anyway, my whole family has been cooking, cooking, cooking all the day long.  They made this delicious desert with jocotes, mango, and sugar.  I have developed a slight allergy to one of the following: my pillow case, mango, or jocotes.  I’ve yet to determine which.  Regardless, I devoured the whole thing.  Other than that, so much beans and rice!

Giant rats still hold the number one spot for greatest fear which was greatly heightened by the fact that the house next to ours was recently torn down.  This created what I can only imagine as the first scene in Wilfred.  When I asked my host family how they get rid of them, they told me they place poison throughout the whole house.  So, they generally die midway through the house.  Buenas Dias! 

My dreams are still pretty weird, though they seem to be returning to normal weird.  I’ve had dreams where I’ve been chased by The Dark Lord before so it’s not like this came out of nowhere but last night was the third one I’ve had.  I also keep having dreams that it’s the night before we leave for service or I’ve been given a chance to go back to the States one last time.  Each time I pack things I desperately wish I had brought.  Last night I had a suitcase full of my favorite pillow/pillowcase, my favorite jeans, my New Orleans shirt, some sheets, and my movies.  Mom, this is probably an indication that those are the most important to send. 

On the subject of movies, if anyone knows of anyway to watch Modern Family/Parks and Rec/New Girl outside of the U.S. please, for the love of God, leave your suggestions.  

All of you that are reading this stateside, enjoy your biscuits and gravy.  I’ll be dreaming of the food you’re eating.

El Gringo se me urino...

Today, around 10:30 we had a ten minute break wherein our professor made us coffee (thank God!).  Isabel and Lucy were chatting and Patrick was doing God knows what, so I decided I would play with "Gringo."  Patrick has 2 dogs and a cat.  One of the dogs is a 6 month old German Sheppard.  Now, two of my dear friends have German Sheppards and they hold a special place in my heart.  They are smart, kind, and full of personality.  "Gringo" is no exception.  When I approached him outside, he was sitting under the sink where laundry is done.  When I called him over, at first he seemed reproachful.  "Gringo" can be very excitable and often jumps on visitors.  Most dog owners discourage this behavior.  Patrick's family is no exception.  Regardless, as he began to warm up, his immediate response was to jump on me.   He then began to pee all over my feet.  I immediately shut the door and exclaimed "que hasgo!"  When our professor asked what happened, I explained "El Gringo se me urino."  After she finished laughing, she helped me wash up. 

Around 4, I embarked upon my first run with Patricio's sister, Roxy, and her friend, Mary.  It was my understanding that we would be walking/running for 5 km.  I was taken aback, therefore, when she told me it was 5 km out and 5 km back.  Regardless, it was an excellent experience wherein I was able to strengthen relationships with Nicas, explore our site and the surrounding pueblos, while all the while practicing my Spanish. 

Pues, during our 2 hour walk, we had plenty to talk about.  So I of course told them about what had happened earlier that morning.  While telling the story, I kept referring to "Gringo" and saying "El Gringo se me urino" or "[The] Gringo peed on me."  When I finished telling the story, Roxy laughed and told me that the dog's name was actually Ringo.  At this point, Mary told us that she didn't realize Roxy had a dog named Ringo.   So the whole time I was telling this story, she thought I was talking about "The gringo" who "peed on me."  The gringo, she took, to be Patrick. 

When we got back to the house, I inhaled a tortilla filled with cotija cheese and the best avocado I've ever had.  With a boost of energy, I thanked them and headed home.  Today is one of the best days I've had in my training town.  As tomorrow marks the beginning of our third week here in Nicaragua, I'm glad my second week is ending on such a positive note.


Va pues.       

It's Not Your Fault You're So Gap Toothed

When I was about 8, my sister, her best friend, and I went to a casting call.  I distinctly remember watching her mom speak with the agent and looking at me.  When she came back she told me that I wouldn't be selected because of the small gaps between my two front teeth and the rest of my top row.  Gaps are big now, I get it.

Yesterday, I was really sick (nothing a little Dramamine couldn't fix), so I've been having very light meals throughout the day today.  Tonight, I had mango, watermelon, and jocotes (a local fruit about the size of a grape that has a very sour flavor).  I began with the mango and as I began to peel it, I noticed some friends.  There were white, almost transparent, worms, smaller than a grain of rice coming out of my mango.*  I, of course, screamed.  My host mom responded by taking it away and replacing it with a different kind of mango.  This time, I approached with greater caution; peeling off chunks attached to the rind or cascara.  As I gained greater confidence, I asked my host dad if I could just eat it like an apple.  "Of course, the seed is the best part."  I then proceeded to make love to this last part of the mango.  When I finished devouring my prey, I was left with mango in every last crevice of my teeth. 

As I flossed as though my life depended on it, I noticed my teeth that were closer together had very heavy chunks wedged amongst themselves.  Never, in my life, have I been more grateful for that gap in my teeth. 

*The worms are not parasites, as most kids and adults eat the mango with them there and go on to lead successful and fulfilling lives.  They are instead, a result of buying your fruits and vegetables pesticide free.

Mierda Matters

Today, March 14th, 2013 marks our 6th day in Diriamba.  As a present to myself, I purchased a USB that allows me to connect to the internet on my computer regardless of where I am.  The last post I left you with some information, which upon arrival, is not entirely true.  I live with my 2 padres anfitrionas, 1 sister and her 2 year old, who is a handful.  When we first met, he was very shy.  When he warmed up a bit, he started asking tons of questions trying to figure out who I was and what I was doing sleeping in his house.  At this point, he knows who I am. The day before yesterday, I was journaling in the park when my family walked by.  As I had my hat on (representing my Rangers), I was unable to see them.  He, however, yelled out "Amanda" which was awesome.  Soon after, this man approached me saying "hey, hey."  Guarded by my hat, I pretended not to notice.  Some older kids, seeing this, called him away from me.  This not only made me feel more like part of a community and less like a guarded foreigner.  I couldn't help but attribute it to the fact that they had seen me say hello to my family (The fact that you hang with D and I, well...it speaks very highly of you). 

In adjusting to life here, there have been some interesting obstacles.  Por primera, the Peace Corps requires that we take anti-malarial medication.  This comes in the form of Chloroquine tablets (what are marijuana tablets?!)  or doxycycline.  They started us on Choloroquine.  One of the side effects of this medicine is intensely vivid dreams.  For this reason, our Medical Officer suggested watching a trippy movie before bed.  This side effect, however, is no joke.  For the first 3 or 4 days, my dreams were like an alternate reality where, for example, my sister and I were brutally trying to kill each other.  Lucy, a companera of mine, has suffered the same symptom with frequent cameos by killer clowns.  At this point, my dreams have become less vivid.  Tomorrow, I am going to discuss this with our medical officers to see about switching to doxy.  Taking antibiotics, however, also has it's side effects, specifically for women. 

Of my many firsts, Tuesday we had our first day without electricity and running water.  When I went to bed, I had taken a shower beforehand, as my host mother suggested.  Which, by the by, I am still enjoying hot showers.  I had not, however, considered that not having electricity would affect my alarm clock.  I woke up cursing, thinking it was past 8 (when Spanish class starts) as the rest of my family was awake.  So, I turned on my computer which stated 8:05.  To make sure, I looked at my watch which said 9:05.  Thinking that TX time is an hour ahead, I went with my computer and assumed I was late.  I rushed to get ready and as I hurried out of the house, apologizing to my family for not being able to eat breakfast, I passed their clock, to see that it was, in fact, 7:15.  I begged their pardon and sat down, embarrassed, to a delicious breakfast of fresh watermelon, papaya, and banana, alongside my fresco or fresh juice with sugar.

After breakfast, I had to use the restroom.  Confused, as I was, about how one would use a standard toilet without water, I awkwardly asked my family for help, without knowing the word for toilet.  Fortunately, we learned the word in class that day.  Unfortunately, as I was not armed with that information, I had to mime what I was talking about to my family as they sat comfortably eating their breakfast.  As I was the first one to use it, we could simply flush it.  In class, we had a formal tutorial.  As you are flushing the toilet, you have to pour a bucket of water down with your waste "con fuerza" or it won't flush.  After successfully completing this task, I celebrated with a victory dance as I re-entered our class.  Our Spanish classes are very informal and are held in the living room of our respective houses.  As I am here with 3 other volunteers, we started with Patricio's family. 

The food.  Oh, the food.  A lot of it is beans and rice.  Gallo Pinto is a specifically Nicaraguan plate that is basically wild rice and black beans.  It is eaten for breakfast and dinner in most cases and depending on income levels, can be eaten for all meals, as it's not very expensive to make.  We also eat soup for lunch, though it's hotter than I can say.  We had a great soup yesterday with rice, a plantain, and shredded chicken which was de-licious!  In terms of keeping cool, as any Southerner knows as a necessity, helado or ice cream is a favorite as well as relaxing on the porch in the late afternoon as it cools off.  To feel the breeze, chat with family, and greet neighbors.  On Sundays people will dress up because they know that most people will be sitting outside their houses to say hello.

My job.  So, I am here working in the health sector.  Specifically, in the areas of teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS prevention, and family planning.  Yesterday, we visited the main Health Center where we will be giving charlas or talks about these various topics.  We met several volunteers (all of whom are women), 2 nurses, and 2 doctors.  We will be observing our first charla on Monday. 

Our training consists of an integration model and as such is designed to give us a taste of what is expected of us as volunteers.  For this reason, we are expected to give 3 charlas at the Health Center, to create a youth group and empower them to serve as peer educators and also take a survey of the biggest health concerns the community faces.  Therefore, on Saturday, after our technical training in San Marcos (which is a beautiful city we visited today), we will be meeting with a youth group. 

We have been go, go, go since we got here.  So, I am super excited to have found a running buddy.  One of Patricio's host sister's is really nice and is excited to see me every time we see each other.  She told me today that she runs with one of her friends 5 km each day M - F.  I asked if I could run with her and she said of course.  She also said that her friend is a gordita (which isn't really a bad thing to say as it might be in the States), so they run/walk.  It will definitely help to mitigate the stress of these first few weeks and throughout training. 

Lastly,  Semana Santa is at the end of the month.  Everyone generally has of Thursday and Friday and most families head out to the beach.  As we are about 30 km from the beach, I'm thinking there's a pretty high likelihood that we'll be able to go.  Ojala! 

Nos vemos. 

Diharrea Divas

Today, March 8th, 2013, I was assigned to my training site.  I will be in Diriamba with my host family.  My mom and dad will be more like abuelos as they're about 64.  Their kids, however, will be more like padres; they're in their early 30s.  I will also have a sister who is about 6 months old.  So, though my training family doesn't have a little one that I'll be able to practice my Spanish with, I am hoping the baby will make a great opportunity to speak with my host family about different things, especially as a jumping off point to talk about the reality of maternal health here in Nicaragua as that is one of the major areas that will be concentrating on as health volunteers, alongside healthy lifestyles (sexual education).

In Nicaragua, photos can be very expensive to have made so when photos are taken, people generally don't smile, so their photos can be reminiscent of mug shots.  The photo of my family is in black and white and my family seems very serious.  We were reassured, however, that all of our families are very sweet.  Though I'm nervous, I'm excited to begin with training.  Additionally, right now I'm feeling like I'm embarking upon a greater unknown so it feels more difficult to leave.  Though, just a few days ago where I am now was an unknown and now it feels like a giant cocoon of safety.  We're basically locked inside of this hotel though and really only left today to visit the Peace Corps office in Managua. 

Over the past few days a great deal of other things have happened.  Primarily, I got a rabies vaccination that is still sore.  I got it yesterday and it was hard to sleep on.  Por lo menos, if a bat bites me (?) I won't get rabies.   We also got our medical kits yesterday and included were our misquito nets and EMERGENCY DIHARREA KITs.  When our Medical Officer was explaining it to us, though he kept referring to it as 'diharrea' which we all thought was hilarious because we are collectively in third grade. 

Lastly, Nicas use vos which is awesome because it'll give me a better handle of what I was introduced to when I was in Argentina.  They also leave their 's' out of words.  I have been waking up to the radio here and the first day I did it the radio announcer said escucho but it sounded more like ecucho. 

Today, we had our first Spanish class.  It was really interactive and a lot of fun.  We played a lot of games, or dinamicas.  We were actually placed in our training towns so we would be with people who are at our same level of Spanish in our same field.  So in my town I am with Isabel, Patrick, and Lucy who are all around intermediate level.  So, we are all health volunteers in the same town with our instructor Maritza.  All our health peers are in three other towns and are no more than 12 km from us.  So, though some of us that have become will be separated, we will still be close to each other.  The business volunteers will be about 40 minutes from us and we will have some meetings where we are all together. 

As it's our last night here at Hotel Ticomo, I am going to go ahead and finish this post so I can be as present as I can with my new frands ("family").  Goodnight!       

No Sleep till...NICA!!!!

Right now, I'm sitting by the pool writing this post to you from our hotel in Managua.  Getting here and what we've learned thus far has been quite a journey.

Yesterday as mom and I drove to the airport she asked me if I knew where staging was or how I would get there.  I had posed this question to the Facebook group that I had joined but, alas, received no response. So, as I was sitting in the boarding area awaiting my flight, I noticed a guy dressed in business casual with his blue Peace Corps folder inviting him to serve.  As I said my goodbyes to friends and family over the phone I kept him in mind.  When I landed and was not greeted by signs that said Peace Corps I found solace in my new friend, Kyle.  He was, of course a Peace Corps volunteer and we rode to the hotel where staging was to be held together. 

There, I met all 32 volunteers and though I am still having a bit of trouble with learning and hearing names correctly, I am thoroughly excited to have met all of my new "family."  My fellow volunteers have a great sense of humor (thank God!) and are all very sweet.  Several icebreakers, a pop tart, some pistachios, and a nutter butter later we all went out to dinner where I had some pork belly, a slice of pizza, an apple and almond salad for my last meal. 

During staging we had to read over the Peace Corps mission and select a section that really resonated with us.  I chose the characterization of the P.C. as "a nontraditional government agency that reflects the most enduring values and ideals of the American people: generosity, civic pride, a strong work ethic, and a commitment to service."  When I returned from Ecuador I felt very disillusioned as an American and as though I didn't really identify with that part of myself because I disagreed so strongly with a lot of the actions of the United States government, especially concerning foreign policy.  In reading this, however, I realize that being an American citizen allows me to dissent from the government.  Not only that, but to create a better reality with my version of truth and justice.  I was in a room full of people that were doing just that, as Americans. 

This morning we had to be at the airport by 2 a.m. so,got a full 15 minutes of sleep (Ballin).  The airport counter didn't even open till 4 a.m. (Hello Bananagrams!).  When we passed through customs there were volunteers with welcome signs that said "Stay Healthy" as a nod to our health extension group (v. the small business development group that is part of our family as well.) I was SO excited to be here I'm pretty sure I was saying "hehe!"  All of the feelings of sadness for leaving home and self doubt dissipated and were instantly replaced with ecstatic excitement and confidence.  Volunteers took our bags and we all piled into vans for our 45 minute trek to our hotel in Managua. 

We had some excellent food which included rice with veggies, chicken with roasted peppers, fried plantains and fresh melon juice.  It was so damn good.  After that we went onto more icebreakers and information.  A lot of us are runners, crafters, musicians and we share a lot of the same fears: homesickness, creepy crawlers, and bathroom accommodations (poop in a hole?).  I did learn, however, that most sites either have a tureen or a toilet.  Better than pooping in a hole?  We'll see!

We are going to have a language assessment tomorrow which will set us up for where we will be but I learned that we will be in one of the four following towns for training:

1. La Paz
2. El Rosario
3. Dolores
4. Diriamba

We will soon learn where exactly I will be placed as we meet our host families for our pre-service training on Saturday.

It's hot here but it's beautiful.  Most volunteers have sled down the San Cristobal Volcano, hiked Volcano Concepcion, and ran a 25 K atop one of the various volcanoes here.  It's cool now that it's evening.  Perfect weather.  Welcome to Nica. This is how we do it!

Will I be a Ravenclaw? Griffyndor? Slytherin?

Today, March 5th 2013 marks the beginning of my journey into the Peace Corps. 

It is now just shy of 12:30 AM and I just finished packing.  Of course, my mom had been on my ass for the entire month that I've been here to start. But, what better time to start packing for a two year adventure than 3 nights before you leave?  Besides, I had a heavy schedule of living like Sally Field at the end of Forest Gump - waking up at 11, subsisting mainly on burgers and pizza.  Naturally, now that I've packed, I have about a million things running through my mind as to what it is I might have missed or glossed over.  I am comforted, however, by the wise words of a RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer).  When I was first offered this position, back in November, I was freaked the fuck out.  I didn't know where to go because I felt simultaneously ecstatic and terrified.  The time between being offered and accepting a position is about 10 days.  In that time you are given information on your position and assigned country which includes letters from RPCVs.  One of them spoke directly to me, citing that "wonderful" period of the unknown, that I was living in.  She advised using the time in the States to spend as much time with friends and family as possible and eat all the food you can.  Well, in that aspect, I have no regrets.  I have a phenomenal support system here and they have propelled me to where I am.  I love them all dearly.  The food is on the same par. 

Though, at this point, it feels like all I've been doing for the past several weeks is talking about my feelings, I feel a rush of reality brushing against my face like a cool oceanfront breeze.  It's not harsh, it's welcome, but it's so surreal.  I've been perpetually doubting my decision, as I have done with all of my decisions (from 6 pack hair scrunchy 6 v. 12 pack to Salem v. Southwestern).  Being in the Peace Corps means I will be far from home in an uncertain environment for 27 months.  Is that a risk I'm willing to take?  What's surreal about it is that as I finished packing my bags I realized that this is one of my dreams coming true, a dream I've had for a while.  To join the Peace Corps, to build community in a Spanish speaking country, to be able to speak Spanish fluently, etc.  And here it is.  Maybe that's why I've been so reticent to pack, because I didn't actually believe that this would pan out.  The whole process took eons and for the actual day that I leave to be today is unreal. 

The job that I will have is referred to as a health promoter.  In this particular sector, in Nicaragua there are two projects that currently exist.  One of which is targeted towards maternal and child health while the other is more focused on informal sexual education, specifically targeted towards teens.  What's so cool about this job is that it is exactly what I was looking for, whether it would have been in the States or abroad.  I am excited about the new people that I will meet and of course, for the new food that awaits. 

I've purchased a few books on Nicaragua and just finished "The Country Under My Skin" a few days ago.  This book tells the story of the Sandanista revolution through the life of an upper class woman who joins the ranks in the very beginning.  This book got me excited to learn more about the history and culture of the country. 

Additionally, I've have people on the inside.  A professor of mine who did his field work there in the 80s and fellow Southwestern alumna who studied abroad in Managua.   My professor gave me a great selection of books to read as well as an eagerness to live with the incredibly kind Nicaraguans and my colleague gave me some insights into life in Nica please! 

Timeline:

March 5 - Staging in D.C; Leave DFW @ 8, arrive at 12 to begin staging at 12:30 (I'm still unsure as to what staging means)

March 6 - Leave D.C for Managua (the capitol of Nica).  Marks the beginning of 3 day retreat with all 33 volunteers.

March 9 - Leave Managua for training city (TBD - I believe determined by outcome of language test) where I will be with 3 - 4 other volunteers

End of May - Sworn in.  Receive instruction on post.  Leave training; begin service.