Greetings

Today was a little exhausting and it's only 1:30pm... I had two classes with one counterpart at the beginning of school, went to my other school for a presentation and talked to the students about the importance of the class, etc., then went back home to grab a snack, and then back to the instituto to teach a double class (they have 45 min classes and 90 min double classes).  I got to the class a couple minutes early and looked through my notebook at the plans.  We have been studying "greetings" in 7th grade but today we were moving on to another topic.  As the students lined up outside the open door waiting to enter, several of them started eagerly saying "hi teacher" and "good morning teacher" and my heart melted.  These 7th graders are the cutest little ones.  They're in "high school", but they're so tiny and so willing to learn.  It's precious.  I wasn't too excited about a double class at the end of the school day and I was a little tired, but they made me smile and it made me feel so good that they were really trying to show me they has practiced their English. 

The older grades have their pros and cons.  I work with 7th, 8th, and 9th grade at the instituto (the kids in the Access program are 10th and 11th graders).  I can't really be sarcastic with the 7th graders because they take me too seriously, and the 9th graders are getting to that "too cool for school" stage so I can't be quite as silly as I am with the 7th graders.  8th graders usually enjoy a mix of both humor. 

Anyway, I think this 7th grade class is probably the best behaved class I've worked with so far.  They quiet down quickly, they participate (not everyone all the time), and they show me respect, which is huge in my book.  The greetings brought a little sparkle of joy to this somewhat gloomy (overcast) day, and encouraged me.  Who would have thought something that small could make such a difference?

Tortillas

After planning with my counterpart (host uncle) today, my aunt taught me how to make tortillas :)  I had asked her last week if she could teach me sometime, so today was the day.  Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera to capture this moment, but my sis ensured me that we will make tortillas again.  It was fun and I felt like I was experiencing more of the culture.  I've seen people make tortillas and it's a big part of the Nica life.  Usually women get up very early in the morning to make dozens of tortillas and then go around and sell them door to door for breakfast.  People usually buy them in the morning to last the whole day (or a few days).  Tonight we made tortillas from corn flour.  They were delicious of course :)

In Trouble

Oh man am I in trouble.  Nothing with the law though ;)  If I thought that getting motivated to do school stuff was difficult a week ago, I just don't know what I'm gonna do with this little one around...

I think the flash got to him :)

Work it out!

No, I’m not sunburned, I just got done working out and my face matches my shirt.  I’ve even turned purple before—in the States too so it’s not just a Nica thing. 

Anyway, it was a good work out, as you can tell by the redness in my face and the sweat pouring down.  I haven’t been working out every day, but I’m doing pretty good so far.  The most important thing is that I feel good about it.  I exercise not for other people, but to feel better about myself :)

Full House

Guess what?!?!  Ruth, her husband, and little Dyland are moving into our house today!  It's so exciting :)  I actually just found out yesterday that they were going to be moving to Boaco, and here they are, with all their stuff, and I'm the babysitter hehe 

I already got to play for an hour or so with Dyland as they moved their stuff into a bedroom.  I wanted to help with the bed and such, but I think I was being a better help with the baby :)  I love that little one and I'm so happy he's going to be here in Boaco!  It just fills my heart with happiness every time I see him.  It's been so fun being able to watch him grow and I feel that every time I see him he looks a little different.  This will be fun to have him in the house and get to see him everyday.  He's learning to walk so that's fun too.

I thought that things were going to be a little lonely around the house this year since Jasser went back to school in Managua and Hazzell will be starting soon, and my host mom is usually at her mom's house or the finca.  Now that Ruth's husband got a job here in Boaco, Ruth & Dyland will always be here during the day, and I'm sure my host mom will stick around more :)

Translator

Today I had class at the colegio with the Access kids and it went well--they're working on a little project with me on the topic: requesting express services.  They'll be presenting on Monday so today they were practicing and such.  I was planning on going to a hardware store after class to check some prices of some things for a project that Frank's working on and as I was getting ready to leave class, I had an idea.  I thought it might be fun to ask a student to be my "translator" to practice their listening and speaking skills in a real-life situation.  I chose a student that is pretty outgoing, helpful, and has a higher English level and he told me he would help me.  I explained to him what we would do and we practiced some things before.

We got to the hardware store and found someone that wasn't busy and we began.  I told him to tell the lady that we just wanted to ask about some prices, and then I started listing off things in English and he translated that into Spanish.  The lady told him the prices in Spanish, he told me in English, and then I wrote them down.  It was difficult for me not to interfere and start talking to the lady in Spanish and also when she responded with the prices, a couple times I started writing them down before he told me, so I had to stop myself.  Well, we got through it all, and the lady caught on that I knew Spanish, so she asked my student "Is she quizzing you?" haha  He smiled and said yes.  It was pretty fun and my student did a great job.  He told me after that a lot of people come to town (missionaries) looking for translators and he would like to help with that.  I think I might try this with some other students--it's good practice for them ;)

Without a plan

Yesterday I went to the Access class and everything went well--I helped with some pronunciation, a little role play stuff, and had some laughs. 

I went to the instituto after that thinking I was going to be working with 7th grade in the 2 hour session, but arrived to see an 8th grade, 1 hour session.  Hmmm.  Well, apparently the schedule is still working its way into publication, changing each day.  Yesterday the schedule was changed drastically and by mid-morning they were able to give me today's schedule.  Unfortunately, one of the teachers I work with doesn't usually work Monday mornings, but she does on Tuesdays so her schedule for today was changed and she arrived not knowing where or what class she had.  I helped her out with the 7th graders and then moved on to my other counterpart. 

We were doing some review from last week's vocabulary.  My cp was rushing through the phrases and not really giving time for the students to repeat which was a little frustrating--the point of this practice is for students to practice.  Anyway, after he finished that, the vice principal brought him a paper and he told me he would be back.  45 minutes later...he came back to class only to ask me for another favor--to stay for the next class while he finished his paperwork.  Uh, no.  I reminded him that I'm not supposed to be teaching by myself--he can't observe or learn from me if he's not in the classroom...and we can't support each other either. 

Before he started asking me for the favor, I was telling him that the students were being very disrespectful to me--not listening, talking while I was talking, not following directions.  It was frustrating and I knew they only did it because he left the classroom.  Then he started talking about favors... I decided to be firm and told him to listen to me.  I repeated what I had told him and asked him to talk to the students about their behavior.  He said oh yes, yes.  Then continued on with his own business. 

Needless to say, I did not teach the next class.  I actually left the instituto.  I should have left the first class and went to look for him because he knows he's not supposed to do that, but I wanted to finish the project with the students.  This job is really difficult sometimes.  It's frustrating.  I know that it might not be the intention all the time, but I feel like I'm being taken advantage of.  I want to help, but I feel like I'm just there to be tagged in when my teacher wants to leave the ring.  He has done this before--not usually for the entire class, but I've timed him almost every time he says "I'll be right back--you stay here".  Yeah, ok.  Next time, I'll just say, ok I'm going with you.  I need a break too.  Too harsh? 

For me especially, working without a plan is frustrating, but when I can't coordinate well with the teachers I'm working with I feel like I'm letting everyone down.  People keep asking me when I'm going to have community classes and that's stressing me out.  I want to have my schedule at the instituto figured out first before I can plan community classes.  They aren't exactly required, so I might just have to not have one of those community classes since it's causing so much stress right now. 

Good thing: Access program.  It's not perfect.  The teacher isn't perfect.  The students aren't perfect.  But, it's a consistent schedule and I enjoy being there.  Even though sometimes I go to class without knowing what the plans are, I still feel comfortable showing up and jumping in.  Also, we speak English in that class.  I have to get after some students, but for the most part, it's English, English, English :)  Isn't that the way English class should be?  Yes!

Tomorrow I'll be going to the Access class again and I might stop by the instituto and check in on the schedule, but I think the vice principal is getting annoyed with me asking her every hour if they have the schedule ready, so I might just ask my cp.  Vamos a ver! (We'll see!)

P.S. I do have a workout plan--highlight here :)  I've started working out again--yes, it goes in waves, but so far I've worked out twice this week and I feel so good!  I love the way exercising makes me feel--I've been feeling down and stressed lately, so this definitely is a mood booster! 

Ostriches, llamas, and snakes oh my!

So I went to the circus last night and my, was it quite an event.  There were shows at 6 & 8pm but Jasser told me the 8pm would be better because the earlier show would have more kids and such.  Well, the 8pm show didn't start til about 9pm and went until 10:45pm.  Yikes!  Good thing I didn't have to get up too early today.  Anyway, on to the details...

In the words of Barnum & Bailey: "Ladies and Gentlemen! Boys and Girls! Children of all ages! Step up, step up! Come one, come all, to 'The Greatest Show on Earth!'"

Well, I wouldn't call this the greatest show on Earth, but it was pretty entertaining.  I eagerly waited outside the large tents with Jasser, Hazzell, and her friend.  We bought the tickets and then got in line to go inside.  (side note on lines in Nicaragua: people cut.  It's unfair.  It's dumb.  I don't like it.  No matter where you are--post office, internet place, street restaurant, health center, etc.  Some people just walk up right in front of you because you weren't close enough to the front apparently.  Sometimes I feel invisible.  I've tried to step up and push my way through but I feel so rude--definite cultural difference.)  We finally got to go inside and pick out our "seats".  There were two prices: one for general admission (wooden bleachers) and one for "VIP" (plastic chairs on the floor in the front).  Jasser said that if you sit in the plastic chairs the clowns both you, so that was a definite tip to stay far away from those chairs.  (another side note, but on  clowns in Nicaragua.  If you hate clowns in the USA, then you'll hate these clowns even more because these ones love to pick on gringos...and sometimes they're hard to avoid because they get on buses and do their act there--all I want to do is just ride the bus home...). 

So, we walked very carefully up the wooden bleachers to pick out our seats to see the action from the best angle.  Why did we have to be extra careful?  Well, because these bleachers were just put together with long planks of wood with no parts in between (you know how bleachers usually are, where you sit on the bench part and there’s a part below where your feet go so you don’t have to put your feet where the people in front of you sit, well yeah that part wasn’t there) leaving large gaps that I dared myself not to fall through.  It didn’t help that the wooden planks rocked a little while you stepped from one to the next.  I can’t believe we sat near the top.  It was just an adventure getting to our seats, and then why did they have to be selling popcorn?!  I have a weakness for popcorn, so down Hazzell and I went, holding hands to support each other on the way down, and then once again back up, now we the distraction of a full bag of popcorn in one hand.  Neither of us fell into the black abyss below thankfully.

                                                                  

                                                                             Safety regulations???  
 

The show started with a little presentation of the Nicaraguan flag and introduced some people that would be participating from various countries.  The first act was the man on the motorcycle inside the large metal ball.  He rode around in circles from the top to the bottom and around the side so he was parallel from the ground.  The next part was crazy.  He asked for volunteers to step inside the ball with him.  Um, no thanks.  A young man and woman both entered and stood in the middle of the ball while the man zipped around them on his motorcycle.  There weren't any casualties at this circus.

There was a man who laid on his back and spun things around with his feet, clowns on tightrope wires, and lots of animals: horses with monkeys on their backs, twin llamas, and large snakes/boas (they put them out on the ground in the circle and turned off the lights--it was hilarious to hear all the screams, only because I was up high on the bleachers...)

I really enjoyed watching the guy do the fabric spinning type thing in the air, kind of like cirque du soleil.  Also, the kids on the trampoline were pretty fun.  Although that trampoline looked way dangerous!

 

Then it was time for the man to walk inside the metal cylinder as it spun around with a weight on the other end.  He did a couple "tricks" where he was blind-folded, jumping rope, and "fell" but landed back inside the cylinder.  He got me the first time--I thought he was a goner. 

That was pretty much all of the acts, oh wait, I forgot to tell you about the part in the middle where they let the audience come down to greet the animals and take pictures...

Yes, that's real and I was a little scared...  Jasser was even more though because he made me hold the head haha

Will you be my Valentine?

I visited Frank over the weekend to celebrate Valentine’s Day early since we have classes this week (yes, school finally started).  It was a nice little weekend visit before getting back in the grind…

We went to one of our favorite places up near Esteli for brunch on Saturday called “La Casita” where they make fresh wheat bread, delicious yogurts, cheeses, jams, teas, honey, hummus, and other yummies.  Everything is fairly inexpensive so we like to get a lot of small things and have a picnic.  It’s a really beautiful place with lots of plants and flowers where you can walk around and enjoy nature.   Then there’s the outdoor “dining area” with table and benches made from slabs of wood.  It’s really a neat place to visit—wish it was closer to us, but then again, maybe it would lose its “specialness” if that was the case.

After our brunch, we took the bus back to Frank’s site and bought some things to make a delicious dinner later.  I helped him with dinner (even though he was going to surprise me haha) and we made grilled chicken (his family had this thing to make grilled chicken, go figure), garlic mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli (they had a steamer too), and caramelized onions.  It was all very delicious.  To top it off, while I was putting together some things in the kitchen, Frank set up a table and chairs in his room, lit some candles, and put on some romantic music for our dinner.  So sweet :) 

This is "Peace Corps romantic" ;)

Ready to eat a delicious meal with my honey :)

Today, the actual Valentine's day, I celebrated with my ACCESS English class.  Yesterday I went to class to give them instructions on how to make an envelope to put on their desk and to make little Valentine's cards for everyone in class.  I told them they could bring treats too.

Well, they did well with the treats.  I got them started with making envelopes first so the glue could dry and they were so excited to use my special paper that Frank's grandparents gave me for Christmas--it was construction paper but some had glitter in the pages and some had a marble effect.  They are really neat and the students thought they were awesome too since they had never seen anything like those before.  I don't want to say that they were fighting over the paper, but they were pretty excited haha  Thankfully there was plenty to go around :)

Then the teacher had someone deliver these little heart shaped cakes covered in chocolate for all the students and me.  It was so nice.  Also, one of the students had her mom bring ice cream and another brought coca cola.  It turned into quite a party.  Nicas really do know how to party :)  Since we had cups of ice cream as well as cups of soda, I of course had to teach my students what a float was and poured my soda into the cup of ice cream.  They laughed, but tried it anyway—some were a little hesitant at first, but they loved it. 

Teacher Edwin--he's very enthusiastic and I enjoy working with him

Yummy treats :)

My envelope

Some Valentine's cards I received :)

 

Ok, and last, but not least... Peace Corps sent out a funny list of reasons why you should date a Peace Corps volunteer which I thought were definitely share worthy (I didn't write these, but I wish I had):

12 reasons to date a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer:

1. We can woo you in multiple languages. Who else is going to whisper sweet nothings to you in everything from Albanian to Hausa to Quechua to Xhosa? That’s right. Only a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer.
2. We’re pretty good dancers. Yeah, we don’t like to brag, but after 27 months in Latin America or Africa we know how to move it.
3. We’ll eat anything. Seriously. No matter how bad your cooking, Returned Peace Corps Volunteers have had worse and will eat it with nary a blink. Sheep’s eyeball? Water buffalo gall bladder? Grasshoppers? Bush rat? Bring it.
4. We know all about safe sex, thanks to our very thorough Peace Corps health training. In fact, there’s a chance that we’ve stood unblushingly in front of hundreds of villagers and demonstrated good condom technique with a large wooden phallus.
5. We’ll kill spiders for you. Well, actually, we’ll nonchalantly scoop them up and put them out of sight.  Same goes for mice, geckos, frogs, snakes. Critters don’t faze Returned Volunteers.
6. We have great date ideas: wandering a street market, checking out a foreign film, taking in a world music concert, volunteering…. Romantic getaway? Our passport is updated and our suitcase is packed. With us, life is always an adventure.
7. We like you for “you”… not your paycheck. Especially if we are freshly back from service, a local joint with “character” will win out over a pretentious eatery.  Living in a group house? No problem. Does it have running hot water? What luxury!
8. You won’t get lost when you’re with a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. Navigating local markets on four continents, we’ve honed an uncanny sense of direction. Or else we’ll ask for directions. We’re not afraid to talk to “strangers.”
9. Waiting for a late train or bus? Don’t worry, we’ve been there, done that. We can share lots of funny stories about “the bus ride from hell” that will make the time go quickly and put it all into perspective.
10. Our low-maintenance fashion style. Returned Peace Corps Volunteer guys are secure in their manhood and don’t mind rocking a sarong. Women often prefer flip flops to high heels. We don’t spend hours in front of a mirror getting ready to go out.
11. Marry us, and you won’t just get one family — you’ll get two! When we refer to our “brother” or “mom,” you’ll want to be certain we’re talking about our American one or our Peace Corps one. You might even get two wedding ceremonies, one in the U.S. and one back in our Peace Corps country.
12. And last but not least, we aren’t afraid to get dirty.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!!!   

Share the L♥VE :)