Elections

As it gets closer to the elections, things are getting a little more heated.  There are more rallies and such going on all around Nicaragua, closing streets, etc.  Thankfully, it hasn't been too crazy in Boaco.

Andrea and I had a workshop today in Boaco on pronunciation and it went pretty well, but then we found out that because of all the rallies in Managua today, the buses weren't really running because they were blocking off certain areas/streets in Managua.  So, Andrea had to leave quickly after the taller and Jasser had barely made it home from Masaya and he said that people had been throwing rocks at some buses, including his.  He showed me a picture of where a rock came through a window and ripped a bus seat.  He said one almost hit him in the face.  Yikes!  I was a little nervous for Andrea to go home on the bus, but she took a taxi most of the way.  Frank is stuck in Managua (in a safe hotel) with another PCV that was unable to leave Managua today because of the rallies.  I'm supposed to go to Managua Monday to give a charla Tuesday.  It should be fine by then though because the week before elections is called the week of silence, where they are not allowed to hold rallies, etc.  So, that will be nice.

On other news, I went thrifting again today, but with Jasser & Liz.  Most of the stores were closed but we each bought one thing.  I got a cute colorful tank top--hope you are jealous that I'm wearing tank tops in October!  Actually, I'd rather be wearing a sweatshirt & lounge pants right now (of course in a much cooler climate).  I'm super excited for December because of that.  I know it will be sooooo cold, especially for me coming from Nicaragua, but it will be a nice change in climate (and clothing).  Can't wait to snuggle up in front of the fireplace with a blanket :)

We still don't know what days we will have off of school because the elections will control that.  I'm thinking though that there won't be any school this next week, and probably no school the week after elections.  Then, school is supposed to be over November 24.  We pretty much only have 2 weeks of school left for this semester, but I think it's gonna be kinda crazy.  Vamos a ver! (We'll see!)

Absent.

Sorry blog followers!  I haven't really thought about my blog lately.  My mother must not have sent me any emails or text reminders.  Hmm...gonna have to get after her for that ;)

Anyway, not much has been going on since I last posted.  One thing cool though: I visited Frank last weekend and the little girl that lives at his house (she's 1 1/2) can now say MY name :)  Yay!  She says "ank" for Frank, but she actually got Megan!  Wow!  I was so happy.  It's precious hearing her say my name.  One day when I was there she called out "Megan" and I turned around and she waved and said "hola".  It touched my heart.  I can't even think how wonderful it is for your own child to say your name, or mommy/daddy.  Something to look forward to in the way beyond future haha  But, I'll settle for this now. 

Let's see...this week is my last week of community classes because I have to give some charlas in November which conflict with class days and the elections biz kinda messes up everything.  Then, December my folks are coming down here again, but this time with my gramps & my bro.  Super exciting!!!  Can't wait for that :)  THEN, I'll be going to the States with Frank to be with his family which wraps up December and begins January.  Wow, it's almost 2012...yikes!  Ok, I won't get too ahead of myself. 

Today I taught two AWESOME lessons if I say so myself haha  My counterpart complimented my lessons and told me that he wishes his class was like mine.  Well, it is OUR class & I tried to encourage him to teach as much as possible, but sometimes it's good for me to model a lesson and for him to repeat in another class.  Anyway, I felt super because I finally got to teach with him after so long (this isn't my MIA counterpart...) instead of "observing" (sitting & staring at the wall) the other classes.  The kids were totally into the lessons and he even commented on that as well.  Yay!  Hopefully he'll listen to more of my ideas.  I feel like I've said this before.  Wow, it has been a roller coaster of a school year!

It's close to the end of the school year and I'm actually very thankful for that because I'm really looking forward to a "do-over" haha  I feel like I came in a little unprepared and now that I kinda know how the school year goes (tons of vacay & fiesta fiesta), I'll have a better idea of how planning can go.  Also, I know my counterparts much better and can use that to my advantage.  It's great that we are much more comfortable with each other and we can communicate better as well.  Hope for a good school year (and overall good year) in 2012! 

I think that good energy from the lessons kept with me throughout the day.  I felt like doing a lot of things.  I washed my mosquito net (in the washing machine--it said I could), went to the bank to pick up my rent & internet money for next month, stopped by the thrift store and bought a couple of cool things for super cheap, bought some nails & fixed my mosquito net (I've always hated how low it was & I finally did something about it) & also fixed my "clothesline"--an old shoe lace strung between two nails where I put my "hang-up" items (nice shirts, pants, skirts), I put up some maps I wanted to put up for awhile, re-arranged my pictures & wall decor, and I'm trying to get myself to clean my bathroom, but I don't wanna do too much in one day ;)  We'll see!

I gotta get back to my book.  I've recently found an online organization tool which totally rocks my socks, but it's super duper addicting and I could seriously spend all hours of the day online, but that's just bad for my back...  Darn wooden chair.  I just saw my book on my desk & I've made a lot or progress and now I wanna get back into it because I really do LOVE it :)  It's "Pride & Prejudice" by the way.  So romantic--LOVE LOVE LOVE!  Ok, I'm gonna get off this computer now & get back to my three-dimensional world. Peace!

SSSLLOOOOOOWWWW down

This week has been rather slow and the rain has helped to keep me indoors.  I went to the instituto Monday morning, but they were turning in grades so my counterpart had left because they weren't teaching after recess.  What?  Yeah.  I called him and he said he forgot to tell me.  Oops.  So, I went back home and worked on some things. 

I went back in the afternoon, after texting my other cp to see if my lady cp was there and not home sick again.  He told me she was there and asked for me to look for him when I got there.  Oh goody!  Maybe, he wants to plan with me (finally).  Nope.  He asked me to help him with this crossword puzzle in English and then said goodbye.  Oh, and that maybe we can plan sometime.  Hmm, ok.

I found my lady cp and the students were finally getting to do their presentations on asking for/giving prices and I was actually excited to see the effort they put into them.  It was fun and they did a pretty good job answering questions.  I was impressed by some of their drawings too. 

Later that day I was supposed to meet with my cp (that ditched me in the morning) so I passed by his house and he told me that he had to Managua Tuesday so we could just meet Tuesday evening when he got back.  Ok.  On my way home, I stopped by the ministry of education (MINED) building to let the superintendent (delegada) know we were going to give a workshop for the teachers this weekend.  She wasn't there so I left a note, and then I saw some pretty cool Nicaragua maps just lying there so I asked about those and walked out with a free map.  Score! 

So, back home and not much to do.  Good thing Frank told me about this cool show called "Raising Hope".  We watched a ton of episodes this past weekend and I checked out a couple more in my free time :)  Also, nobody showed up to my adults English class that night (most likely because of the rain we've been having and their forgetfulness...), so I had plenty of time to myself and I made a delicious soup.  Yep, it's soup weather right now!  I started with a base of cream of mushroom and then added fresh veggies: carrots, string beans, onion, green bell pepper, garlic, potatoes, and a free pieces of tomato at the end so they wouldn't get mushy.  It was delicious!!  I shared some with my sick little sister and she enjoyed it too. 

Tuesday was pretty slow too, but I actually got a lot done.  I just took my time and went at my own pace.  I didn't have classes since my cp was in Managua.  So, I worked on making materials for classes coming up and planned some things for the Embassy camp.  I had my kids class in the afternoon and I was happy for that because I got out into the fresh air and the rain had stopped briefly. 

I came back home and got to work on things.  I sort of avoided lesson stuff and went into organizing all of the supplies I have and sorted them out to distribute to some teachers.  It feels so good having things organized and in their place :) 

I didn't really have anything to plan for the next day since I wasn't going to have any classes, so I did my own thing.  I picked up a book that Frank brought me, Pride and Prejudice.  I absolutely love the movie, but I hadn't read the book yet.  He saw it in the the PCV library in the office so he picked it up for me--how sweet :)  I started that and as expected, I love it.  Great to have a good book to read, especially in this weather!

Well, today I got to sleep in again.  It feels awesome!  I'm not going to get used to it, but I might as well enjoy it while I can, right?  Yes!  

I read a little and tried to fix the slowness on my computer.  I think it worked because it's agreeing with me more which I like.  My host mom told me that my cp (host uncle) was heading to Managua today, so that meant I was not going to be able to plan with him this afternoon.  Hmm, my schedule is freeing up by the second.  Then, I got a text from one of my sitemates saying that I had a package! Wahoo!  I got a package from one of my mom's BFFs, Laurie.  She's so sweet.  Always sending me fun stuff.  Thanks :) 

So, I guess I should plan my lessons for the Embassy camp and make some phone calls since I really have no excuse to avoid them.  Ha.  I have been enjoying the slowness though.  Hmmm, I'll consider doing something productive as long as I can stay in my pajama pants ;)

Getting down to business

When I finally got back from all the craziness that is Managua, the rain had settled down a little and I got to help out my small business sitemate with her entrepreneurship competition.  I went Friday morning & I immediately felt bad for her as the people changed the location on her the night before and then said there weren't going to be any tables, chairs, sound equipment, etc.  Well, good thing she's a tough cookie and fought for those chairs!  Everything ended up coming together just fine, but it made for a stressful morning & a little late start (but what really starts on time here?!).  Anyway, it was a fun experience for me to see this competition and I was the official photographer/videographer.  That's always a fun thing to do--you get to walk in front of people and stand up while others are sitting and mosey around to check things out and not look awkward because you are taking the pictures, and not just a random person taking pictures, THE official pictures.  I tried not to let it go to my head. haha ;)

Judges' table

Some student tables

I was impressed by some of the projects.  The SB PCVs have said before that it is a little difficult to get the students to think outside of the box and create different products than ones that already exist, but I don't know if I could have done that in high school.  Good for them :)  It was cool and I look forward to seeing more in the future.  *Oh wait, I guess I did FBLA in high school, but I didn't create any new products or anything...just did a presentation on some fundraisers. 

One of the presentations

One of the groups was selling this mango cinnamon marmalade.  It was delicious!  I bought a container of it and even though the stuff is delicious, I'm a little more excited about reusing the awesome Tupperware dish with a screw-top lid that it came in.  Is that weird? 

Another group made this chocolate milk sort of stuff and stole the Chick-fil-A logo which I didn't notice at first, but another PCV from the south pointed out to me.  Funny.  They didn't win, so I don't think they'll have any worries with copyrights...

This one group made a facial mask/soap from different tree barks which was interesting.  I almost took some home to try, but then thought it probably wasn't best to "try something out" on my face.  Glad I thought twice about that! 

Some group made some natural medicine mixture with garlic that was supposed to cure the cold, but smelt very potent and probably wouldn't taste very good straight up.  It smelled great for cooking, but not sure about taking shots of it. 

I'm interested to find out what other groups have come up with from different departments around the country. The group who won this competition made some drink mix that is similar to popular drinks here (in texture) and they'll be going to Matagalpa soon for the regionals. 

Well, I gotta get back to making materials for classes this week.  I got to plan with one of my counterparts (host uncle), but my other one is still MIA.  Or I should say my other two.  The lady is sick and wasn't there all last week, which is a bummer.  Hopefully she'll be there tomorrow, but the other guy hasn't really let me know when he wants me back.  I'm thinking it just won't happen, but I've already come to terms with that.  No worrying about that now. 

Peace!

Stormy Days

Tuesday I had a couple meetings to go to in Managua so I got up at 4:30am, left house a little after 5am and took the 5:30am bus.  Because of a huge rain storm and horrible traffic in Managua, my bus was 30 minutes late getting in.  I had called a taxi to pick me up at 7:30am, but then called again and said I’d be about 20 minutes late.  So, I was at the bus station at 8am waiting and the taxi didn’t come until 8:30am.  So much for getting in early for my 9am meeting!  I had to drop off some things at the PC office before going to the US Embassy for a meeting for a camp I’ll be working at in January.  We also had to pick up two other PCVs going to the same meeting because they were stranded at other bus terminals.  The taxi overcharged us because of all the rain and traffic issues (apparently they were overcharging a lot of people), but we finally got the Embassy which was an interesting experience in itself. 

The first step: Show your ID cards and be escorted inside the first building.  Then, metal detector #1 and confiscation of all items.  They went through all of our things—worse than the airport—and took any food items, water bottle, chapstick, any other liquids, cell phones, cameras, etc.  Then we walked through the metal detector.  They told us they were not allowed to guard any money for us so we had to remove that from our bags and carry it on us.  I made a joke about that, saying that “Oh, you’re just allowed to keep all of our valuable items that you could sell on the street.”  They were young and had a good sense of humor and knew I was making a joke so I didn’t get detained or anything :)  It was sad having to turn off my phone and give it up…  

Next step: escort across the courtyard and into the main building.  We went through another metal detector there.  Is this really necessary?  Not quite sure about that.  Then we had to sign in and write why we were there and who we were meeting.  We sat in the lobby with the guard until our escort came.  She had to wave at the guard to electronically open the doors as they were all locked.  High security here.  She took us to our meeting room and we finally got down to business around 9:40am.

The meeting went really well and I’m really looking forward to working with the other PCVs and Nicaraguan teachers.  The camp is going to be in January for Nicaragua English teachers to give them an opportunity to participate in a 5 day camp to practice English, learn new methods and cultural activities, and receive support in their job.  I’m excited, but I have a lot of work to do starting now…gotta get planning so I can submit my first lesson plan next week.  

We got to have lunch at the Embassy which was fun and the food was yummy and decently priced.  I chatted with the other people in the meeting and met the new English Language Fellow from the US.  She’s super nice and she offered me a ride back to the PC office after the meeting with her and her taxi guy.  Sweet!  

Back in the office, I got together with Melissa, another TEFL PCV, and we cleaned up our power point presentation and ran through our activities.  We got things ready and did a dry run with our tech trainer.  Since we were in the office late, we chatted a little with our country director who offered us a ride to our hotel or wherever we were going.  We invited her to come to dinner with us and she accepted.  She picked us up at our hotel a little later and took us to a nearby restaurant and we had a nice, relaxing dinner.  Then, she surprised us by paying for it all :)  Even after being rain soaked and running around crazy, it wasn’t a bad day after all. 

This morning I slept in a little later then the day before, but only until 7:30am.  I got some breakfast, got ready, and headed over to the office to get things ready for our charla.  We printed things out and looked over everything to make sure it looked good and we were ready.  We had planned to do a fun “trainee Bingo” game throughout our presentation so we picked up some candy on the way.

It started getting stormy again on the way to Diriamba, Carazo, but we were comfortable in the PC vehicle and not crammed inside a damp bus.  It was a pretty chilly day and since I’m not used to the cooler weather, I didn’t have a sweater, just my polo, capris, and sandals.  Oh well. 

Kelly did a charla first with our tech trainer, and then Melissa and I were up after the break.  We did a charla on giving teacher workshops.  It was new information for the trainees so they found it interesting and we had random slides with pictures of them pop up to fill in their Bingo cards (to which they eventually won chocolates for Bingos) so that kept their interest as well :)  

They are a fun group of trainees and I had fun working with them and hope to work more with them in the future (well, I at least have one more charla with them).  I’m sad that no new PCVs are coming to Boaco, but I’ll see them around.  

We finally got back to Managua around 7pm and Melissa and I ordered some pizza to be delivered to our hotel.  We all hung out and everybody was pretty much exhausted so it’s nice not to have anything tomorrow.  I’ll be heading back to Boaco and I have a class in the afternoon, but the students will be doing presentations.  Hope it goes well :) 

It’s been nice staying in the hotel, but unfortunately, there hasn’t been any hot water, which is the main draw to staying in hotels in Managua.  Bummer!  Guess I’ll have to wait until next time. 

Sweet Notes

It's too late to write a blog about the events that have passed today so I will save that for tomorrow, but for your reading pleasure until then, here is a link to the blog post that our recent visitor, Claire, wrote about her visit.  It was really nice :)

Claire's Blog

Passing through

I'm in Dario this weekend again because I have a meeting up in Matagalpa tomorrow so might as well stop by Frank's on the way there, right?  :) 

Also, something interesting this weekend, a friend from back home told me her friend was traveling through Nicaragua and asked for any suggestions of places to visit.  I gave her my email address and we wrote back and forth and she actually came to Dario today and hung out with us.  Frank's friend even took us up into the church bell tower for an amazing view of Dario and the surrounding hills. Tomorrow, we're all going up to Matagalpa together.  She's really nice and it's been fun so far.  It's neat to have someone visit from the States and share our experiences here with them. 

I'm excited to go up to Matagalpa tomorrow because it's a cool place to hang out with friends and there are some good restaurants and coffee shops.  I'll be planning a charla, but we're meeting at this nice coffee shop that has wi-fi and AC!  Yay :)  Can't wait!

Orange chicken dish that Frank & I made for out 6 month "anniversary" dinner :)

Candlelit--so romantic hehe

Very happy to be together

Wedding from last weekend

Wedding cakes

Fresh squeezed orange juice Mmmm :)

Church bell tower in Dario

Climbing up the old wooden stairs...

Huge open windows and quite a view

Sharing chemicals

Between the fumigations here (truck driving around spraying chemicals in the air toward your home that contain diesel) and people dumping chemicals in the sewers (which come directly into your house), I CAN'T BREATHE!  Ugh!!  I woke up this morning and opened my bathroom door which faces the back patio and I was overwhelmed by a cloud of fumes.  It was weird how it was only in my bathroom and hadn't seeped into my bedroom yet, but I guess my bathroom has a window to the back patio (and a curtain that apparently trapped the smell inside) and it has a large drain directly connected to the sewer so the fumes were able to come in, but where could they go?  I opened up the door and turned the fan on higher to dilute the smell, but I could not go back to bed.  Double ugh!!  When my host mom came out of the bathroom out in the back patio, I asked her what the smell was and she asked "what smell?"  You know, the overwhelming gasoline smell???  Oh, she says.  They did fumigate in the area... and, apparently the car shop nearby has been pouring car oils into the sewer and I guess this is pretty common.  Hmmm.  That's not safe considering the poor sewer system here and that all the tubes go straight up into everybody's homes, forcing chemicals on them.  I guess it can't be extremely toxic since nobody has dropped dead in the streets during the fogging, but it makes it difficult to breathe.  I remember walking through the outdoor market as a fogging was taking place and the man fogging was wearing a big gas mask but spraying directly into the little shops.  People were coughing a lot.  Does this also contaminate the food they are selling?  All the exposed grains, beans, etc.

Glad I'm leaving for the weekend...

Making progress

I didn't go to many classes this week, but the ones I did go to were pretty good, at least today.  The students were talkative like always, but I managed to get them to quiet down enough to get down to business.  We were talking about money and using the questions "how much is/how much are...?" to talk about prices.  I presented a poster with "Megan's store" on the top with drawings of objects that you'd find in a store selling school supplies.  I asked the students to choose an item, which had the English name, and then we asked "how much is the notebook?" and I gave a price and we wrote the sentences.  This part wasn't super exciting, but they participated so that was good.  Then, I told them that they were going to make their own stores and draw some items they would like to "sell" and make questions with prices.  They worked in small groups and I was surprised that all the students were working.  I gave them time to ask me questions about vocabulary they might not know, because I let them choose whatever kind of store they wanted, so some chose hardware stores.  Even the kids that never really do anything in class, they were actually working with their groups and writing things down.  Awesome!  I was happy :)  Can't wait til Monday when they present their "stores".  I'll have to take pictures--can't forget my camera at Frank's again!

Better

Today I didn't do a ton of things (the day's not over yet), but I felt better about things.  I went to the embassy class this morning and the students did presentations on famous places in Washington DC.  I had given a presentation on Washington DC and assigned them some homework to research other places and present it to their classmates.  It was fun and they did the whole presentation in English.  Although some copied a large portion from the internet, they at least read it out loud in English haha  It wasn't a graded assignment so it was pretty low key.  I was impressed by one student in particular that has pretty good pronunciation and I can tell that she studies a lot and really cares about the class and her schoolwork in general.  She seems like a great kid!

After class, I walked home and then worked out with my host mom.  We hadn't worked out in a little while so it was fun to get back into it.  Also, we were talking and I found out that there's a gym close by our house that I never knew about.  Hazzell really wants to go so we might check it out later.  I'm really excited because I had only heard of/seen one gym here in Boaco and it's up in Boaco arriba (up all the hills) and it's only open during weird hours of the day.  You know, like 5am.  Who gets up at 5am, right? hehe  Not me.  That's for sure.  :) 

Anyway, I watched a movie and then chatted with my host mom & aunt for a little.  And now I'm headed over to my counterpart's (host uncle) house to plan for next week.  Hope it works out!  Cheers to a better day :)

Bored

I like being busy.  Even though things might seem crazy, I like having plans and a loaded schedule.  It's nice knowing what I'll be doing and having things to get done.  I've been kinda bored the past few days though because I haven't been able to plan with my counterparts, which means that we haven't been teaching.  One of my counterparts was sick today so he didn't go to class--fortunately though, he called me in the morning so I didn't go to the school and wait for him. 

Anyway, I've just been feeling really bored, useless, and lazy.  I'm lacking some motivation right now, and I know that it happens here, especially during our "mid-service crisis".  Right now I'm about a week away from being exactly in the middle of my time here--almost half way done!  I'm not sure if I've accomplished all I've wanted to do, but I've heard that's natural to think that way as well.  We all have good intentions coming here and desiring to serve and make a difference, but the reality is, most of us will not see a big change where we are working.  We might see bits and pieces of progress and/or development, but change takes time.  I just have to remember that when I'm feeling low.  I am making a difference in many different ways.  Cultural exchange is a big part of why I'm here.  It's even part of Peace Corps' goals.  I've learned so much and gained new perspectives.  And I also have the opportunity to share these things with people back home.  I get to show Nicaraguans that not all Americans walk around with thousands of dollars in their pockets (as some believe) and that I don't have to live with AC.  I've introduced them to my parents and they've seen some of my friends on Skype.  I teach them English and they teach me Spanish.  It is an great experience and I wouldn't trade it for the world, even though I do feel bored sometimes.  I just have to remember that there will be ups and downs, but there are some things that remain constant.  God and the support, encouragement and love from family & friends.  Some things come and go, projects start and sometimes finish, opportunities arise and some pass by, but I can be thankful for what I have and be responsible for what I can control. 

Reflection

By the time I'm done here in Nicaragua, I will be able to share pictures, stories, projects, and adventures, but nobody back home will fully understand the experiences, challenges, people, culture, and happiness I've encountered, undergone, tolerated, fought, etc.  It has been quite a roller coaster of a life here so far and I'm sure the second year will have much more in store for me.  Teaching has become a little sporadic lately, and I'm having feelings of not being able to accomplish much and laziness, but I need to move on and just continue with the things that I can control.

I feel incredibly blessed by the encouragement and support from family and friends outside of my little Peace Corps world, outside of my Nicaragua bubble.  I also feel so blessed for what I have here.  This is a part of me.  It's different.  It's strange sometimes.  It's overwhelming.  It's so different than moving to another city to go to school for 2 years and renting an apartment.  I'm living with these people.  I've become part of their family, and they're part of mine.  My Peace Corps friends and Nicaraguans alike.  I've been asked to be the godmother of my little nephew here.  It's certainly going to be hard to leave this place and have to say goodbye, but I have all of next year to prepare myself.  I'm not sure exactly how that will go, but I know that God has been preparing me for this.  It's incredible to see the kinds of people I have met here (both American and Nica) and how they've shaped my world view.  An experience like this definitely opens up your eyes, mind, and heart to see, listen, and feel who others are and what they are about.  Although we may share different beliefs, cultural dynamics, backgrounds and experiences, we are still able to communicate, live, and share our lives together.  I think of this as an incredible learning experience.

I like the word "incredible" because it means "beyond belief".  I never could have imagined how my life here in Peace Corps and in Nicaragua would be.  I never could have imagined who I would have met and what I would have said.  But, I love it.  It's things like this that take us for surprise and take us beyond what we ever expected and force us to trust, hold on tight, and enjoy the adventure.

Busy Week

This week was kind of crazy.  On Monday, no students showed up to the school in the morning because of an event the day before, but I did have class in the afternoon.  We also had a little birthday party for Hazzell at our house.  It was a bummer because my host mom, dad, and Ruth were at the finca, but I convinced Jasser to stay Monday and invited others over to give her a little surprise.  I made a cake, somebody brought coca cola, and Jasser brought out some decorations.  We had a great time dancing and even the power went out for awhile, but we had birthday candles! haha  Unfortunately, I do not have pictures to post right now, because I think I left my camera at Frank's house.  Oops!

Tuesday, my boss came into town to do a site visit and meet with my counterparts and principal.  My principal didn't show up, but all my counterparts were there so that was good :)  I also had my kids English class that afternoon and then packed up my stuff for Managua.

Wednesday, I taught a culture lesson with the embassy students and then hopped on a bus to Managua.  I grabbed some lunch with another PCV at McDonald's--the old me would scoff at this, but it sounded absolutely delicious.  I was supposed to meet with one of the doctors because she and I were giving a charla Thursday, but she was unable to come into the office because of some family things, so I just hung out with other PCVs in town and got some grub. 

Thursday, I headed over the office early but the doctor wasn't able to arrive until right before we had to leave, so she and the other PCV giving the charla had to brief me on the way to Carazo.  Fortunately, it was a charla that we were facilitating and the new trainees would be sharing most of the time, so it wasn't to difficult to get organized.  We started at 8:30am with the first group of trainees and split up into 2 smaller groups.  The topic was coping with stress.  I remember this charla last year when I was a trainee and talking about lack of privacy, different foods, language progress, etc. that was a big stress in my life.  I heard similar stories and it made me realize how far I have come and it gave me hope for the new trainees.  It was really fun to talk to them and swap stories.  They asked me questions about my service, etc. so that was fun too.  After the charla, we went and got lunch, and then headed over to another town to do the next charla.  We didn't finish up until 3:30pm and then didn't leave until about 4pm.  This means that we didn't get into Managua until a little after 5pm so I had to rush to try to catch a bus.  I got one headed toward Matagalpa because Boaco buses usually don't leave that late and I finally arrived in Dario at 8:15pm.  I was exhausted to say the least. 

I stayed with Frank in Dario for the weekend because it was our "6 month anniversary".  I know it might sound silly, but 6 months is significant for us :)  We looked up recipes online to make something special and decided on orange chicken.  We bought all fresh ingredients from the market, even fresh oranges, and whipped it up.  Oh my gosh.  We surprised ourselves with this one.  It was AMAZING!  We both could not believe that we made this delicious dish.  We enjoyed our food together in the dark patio with a small candle and relaxed after all the hard work. 

Saturday we went to another town to pick up some things and buy some veggies.  We also got ready that afternoon to go to a wedding.  One of the teachers that Frank works with was getting married.  He also knew the groom too and was friends with him.  We got all dressed up and headed to the church that evening in Dario.  This was Frank's first wedding so that was neat too.  I was making some comparisons about this wedding and weddings I've gone to in the States.  I had never been to a Catholic service though, so the ceremony was a little different.  The reception was pretty similar though.  We ate, drank, danced, and then ate some more (cake).  I almost caught the bouquet but another girl jumped in front of me.  I had a piece of it but she was vicious and I wasn't that desperate hehe 

Today we got up and made fresh orange juice and toast on the stove.  It took us quite a lot longer to get things ready because we didn't have a toaster and didn't want to just buy a jug of orange juice, but it was worth the wait.  I helped Frank clean his room a little and hang up some pictures and then I headed out for Boaco. 

I got back in the late afternoon and I unpacked.  I had scheduled time to meet with my counterparts to plan, but things came up and that didn't work out.  Oh well.  At least I have some time to relax and get things together for this week.  I can plan for my adults and kids English classes.  Those, I can control.  Well, if the students show up haha  The kids always do :)