ooo hey everyone...so, it's been a while. my ac adapter for the macbook is broken so i'm waiting to get a new one from kristen's dad when he comes next week so until then i will be computer-less again for a while...before you start reading i want to let you know that there are TWO really exciting points to this article so I will try to keep them brief, but make sure you make it to the second half...
Part 1
first, this past weekend we went to Esteli...or a little reserve just outside of esteli. We were spoiled by a nice bus to take us to the city, and then put back in our place with the bus we had to take to the hostel...moved at approximately 5mph up a steep rocky mountain..we shuold have walked. At this reserve/cloud forest we had a lot of fun (this time it was everyone but greisy, sarah and xander came). The 5 of us checked into our room and ate lunch. Then we asked what we could do BEFORE dark. Remember that part later. They told us we could go up to the "mirador" (look-out) to watch the sunset. So, we hike up to the top, Lora and I made it up first and the other 3 shortly after. This is also an important fact to remember. We walked aroudn for a while and didn't see anything because it was so cloudy (in the cloud forest...). But it was so nice we hung out for a while. Xander kept warning us it was getting dark so we should head down soon, it was going to take about 15 minutes to get back. HAH. so the trail was really well marked, except at top. Apparently the last part of the trail we didn't even realize wasn't really a trail, but just a grassy area. And, it didn't help that we didn't all come up together. Now, naturally Lora and I think it's hilarious that we keep ending up at this same trail blocked off by barbed wire 4 times and I'm pretty convinced we're in the twilight zone. Kristen is scared, Sarah is just quiet like always, and Xander keeps announcing which way his sense of direction senses we should go. Eventually we make it down, using cell phone lights to guide the way. Thank God we escaped all those headlines...Anyway, we make it down and there's kind of 2 paths to take back to the Inn...the one we're supposed to take, and the other one. It was so dark we didn't even realize when we got to the turn so we ended up taking the wrong one..aka deep deep mud. I lost a shoe in there temporarily and we were all covered in mud by the time we got back. I'm not sure if I'll be bringing my sneakers back to the states but it's Friday now and I think I've finally gotten all the mud out of my clothes at least.
So after we clean off a little we sit down to get a little dessert and drinks. I decided to try coffee because it's supposed to be excellent there. I surprised myself when it was basically black coffee but I actually liked it. Lora told me not to get my hopes up because not all coffee tastes like that. Boy, was she right. Now, I am pretty convinced there was something fishy in that coffee because granted we were in the middle of nowhere in some cabin, but that night the 2 of us could not stop freaking out. I couldn't close my eyes or keep them open because I saw freaky things either way. So I'm having the time of my life lost on top of a mountain but I can't fall asleep because I think someone's trying to break into our room...definitely something in the coffee. The next day we attempted to find a waterfall but settled for a smaller, much closer one. The way back took forever due to limited bus service to our Inn and limited service on Sundays in general. We finally arrived back in Managua but not before meeting another Nicaraguan who spoke English and had several friends on this bus. Jorge's favorite music includes Jack Johnson, RHCP, etc, cool right? And his friend Manuel and Noella (??) rode all the way to Managua with us. The next day we saw them at the printing place in UCA...loveeee how small this country is.
Part 2:
This week has been pretty normal with the exception of one day. We've seen our language partners a lot, had lunch with them, our shower broke, water went out for a few hours, fotografia was canceled with no given reason, still haven't had the Desarrollo test I was supposed to have 3 classes ago, etc. Standard Nica week. Except Tuesday. On Tuesday we are all sitting in Ethics and a whole parade of people dressed in white FSLN shirts walks by the classroom making a lot of noise and handing out flyers. Okay, kinda disruptive, but that's the least we can expect before election week, right? (Their elections are Sunday, November 9...and we've been told there's about a 99% chance there will be no elections the next day and we should just stay in our house...cool) So after class we're having our usual post-ethics chat session since all our Nica friends are in that class with all 6 of us FU kids. We start to hear some really loud cheering. Not entirely unusual because it's not uncommon for there to be loud music playing out of random speakers on the sidewalk, but this was really loud. We decided to take a walk towards the sound and on the way were greeted by our Spanish teacher, Mercedes, who told us we needed to be careful...why you might ask? Because these were not just any FSLN people, they were a crazy faction of Ortega supporters mad at la UCA for publishing results of a survey they conducted about the past elections. I believe they are threatening to take away any of the funding that UCA receives from the government. Apparently this survey was a big deal, and UCA students for and against Ortega joined together to get these people off of their campus with chants like "FUERA FUERA FUERA" /" que se vaya, que se vaya" / "Ortega y Somoza son la misma cosa" (the first to basically mean get out, and the last one Ortega and Somoza are the same thing..Somoza was the president/dictator before the Sandinista Revolution in the 80s.) Eventually there were a few hopeful cheers of, "nicaragua, nicaragua" - Nicas fighting Nicas is sad, the students just wanted to be heard...Even if the students were for Ortega, they did not support this faction because they forcefully entered campus.
Carlos was right up front in the fighting. I think these language partner pairs were done exactly right. A lot of our other Nica friends and some Fairfield people kept being like "Carlos gets mad too easily." I've never seen him mad before Tuesday. I think if you're not going to stand up for what you think is right, then what are you going to stand up for? If you don't fight for what you believe, you're part of the problem. Props to Carlos for speaking his mind. Of course, we already knew he would do that because he's a political activist and will probably actually transfer schools soon to be a politics major (they don't have it at UCA). Anyway, there was some pushing and shoving, some water bottle throwing, and one large chunk of wood thrown that got someone in the head. Other than that, I think any casaulties were avoided. It continued for quite some time and I think we ran into or got a call from every professor / administrator we know at UCA to tell us to be careful. Of course Lora, Greisy and I were watching everything (Marcello was protecting us!) while the others went off into more remote locations of campus for a while. They suspended classes for the rest of the day so the administration could meet (My classes were already done..) After the students finally succeeded in pushing the crazies off campus, who do I run into but Mario Gutierrez (the Sustainable Development teacher). He says hi and asks if I'm okay and I am. Now usually, I try to avoid any further conversation because he is long-winded, but today I wanted answers. For the next probably half hour he proceeded to explain current Nicaraguan politics to us. I'm not going to bore you with details right now (although they are anything but boring) but I'm sure I'll have plenty more to say in the coming days. This upcoming election is for mayor and the result in Managua will make a huge impact on the whole country because Managua is 1/3 of the population. Basically, it comes down to voting for the FSLN candidate where nothing will change and the rift between poor and rich will widen while corruption continues and only FSLN supporters get government help OR voting for the opposition even if you don't compeltely agree with it (the opposition is a party that broke off from the left because they didn't like Ortega and joined the right because they didn't get enough individual votes last election to still be considered an independent party). However, if the opposition gets elected, Ortega will most likely turn a blind eye to any of its concerns and won't given any support and the situation will probably get worse until the 2012 elections (when the people would have a chance to vote Ortega out of office). lose-lose...but I think you all know what I'd do. The rest of this week we've had to show our IDs to get into campus (thank God we finally got them last week!) and all the gates are locked at all times. I'm guessing this will continue until at least a few days post-election.
Part 3
Okay, so I said 2 parts, but this past weekend Carlos went to Guatemala with an oranization called "Un techo para mi pais" (A roof for my country) to build houses with people from Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica and Nica. In a few weeks they're building in Managua and he said we could go! I'm not sure if the other FU kids are going but I definitely am. He said when they were building houses the first day they got to meet the lady who's house they were building. They invited her to eat lunch with them and she said, no, it's okay I'm going to go eat with my children. They insisted saying, "We are all the same people, eat lunch with us." And the woman began to cry. She felt bad that she didn't have something better to offer them, but they didn't want anything else. The next day she had the students over for lunch at her home with her family. It's going to be a challenge for me to have that kind of experience in Spanish, but then again I didn't speak the language at all in the Philippines and I got by just fine (with the help of the kids that spoke English at least..) Anyway, to say the least, that story made me miss the Philippines harddddd core.
MAHAL KO ANG PILIPINAS!!!!!!
ps, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Life is very short, and there's no time, for fussing and fighting, my friend...
So last week I forgot to mention what we did after volunteer. We had a meeting to discuss a few upcoming events, as well as choose a letter written by a student in from one of the various projects run by the Pastoral (Camp. Min.). We don't necessarily know this child, but we buy them a gift for Christmas. The letter was so full of thanks, I couldn't help myself but post it below..in Spanish for those that can read it so that it doesn't lose meaning...
For those that can read Spanish, here's the letter.
Hola Niño Dios. Espero que te encuentres bien de salud tu y tu familia y que Dios los bendiga.
Estoy en 5 grado. Estoy en el proyecto chateles. Me llamo Anieka Tamara Castillo Sánchez. Tengo 10 años. Soy morena. Le pido por favor si me puede regala una muda de numero 8 y unos zapatos 35. Por favor, espero no sea muchas cosas. Gracias. Espero no pedir mucho. Gracias. Que Dios los bendiga a usted y su familia. Muchas gracias. Adios.
Translated:
Child Jesus, I hope this finds you and your family in good health and that God blesses you. I am in 5th grade in the Project Chateles. My name is Anieka. I am 10 years old and I am "morena" (dark hair, skin, etc.) I am asking if you could please give (but literally gift me, to give is a different verb) a outfit (size 8) and shoes (size 35). Please, I hope this is not too much. Thank you. I hope I'm not asking too much. Thank you. God bless you and your familiy. Thank you very much. Bye.
Now, I know I've been living the sweet life here in Nicaragua, and being at a private university, I have met some of the most fortunate people that live in this country. It's hard to balance the study abroad experience that everyone expects (lots of traveling, souvenirs, going out, etc.) with the reality of life here in Nicaragua. I'm so glad that for even 3 hours a week I can help these students who are struggling, and probably still aren't among the least fortunate, but really do need help. When I'm feeling down, the children always put everything in perspective. They are not as fortunate to receive the same education as me, and I they do not have as many things. And when they want one little thing, they are not begging (although I do encounter that on the streets a lot), they are asking God for a little bit of something, and are very careful that they do not ask for too much. In the material world we all live in, it's hard to believe that all this child wants for christmas is an outfit to wear to school. God bless them.
Changing subjects...this weekend we went to San Juan del Sur. After being tricked, just as our guide bus warned us we would be, into getting on a bus to Rivas and being forced to pay a tip to a guy that led us to the wrong bus, we finally ended up in San Juan del Sur where we stayed at a really cool international hostel called Casa Oro. It was $6.50/night/person to have our own private room for the 4 of us girls. We chose this hostel because they also helped organize day trips. While there we encountered even more English speaking people...mostly Californians and Australians there for the good surf on the deserted beaches. The first night we just hung out and got a late lunch/early dinner by the ocean. BEAUTIFUL. The 3 of them went out to a little bar for an hour or so while I stayed in nursing my 1847564th migraine of the trip. I think I'm finally immune to my medicine.
In the morning we got up for breakfast and then took a "bus" aka jeep with no real seats/seatbelts to a nearby beach called Madera. The actual San Juan del Sur beach is nice, and not really crowded, but it's also a fishing town so there are a lot of boats. At Madera, there may have been 2 other people there besides the 6 or so that came in the Jeep with us. Beautiful. Unfortunately, this is where my luck ended. Our stuff kind of got soaked by the tide coming in while we were in the ocean and of course the only thing that got ruined (other than some drenched beach towels) was my phone. RIP. After that I was hot and in a bad mood, so Greisy and I went back to the hostel, showered, got lunch, went online, etc. We met up with Lora and Kristen for a quick dinner and then headed back to the hostel for the Turtle Expedition. I think that's the legitimately the only thing we've done in Nica that costs more than $15, but the money went to a good cause. In Nica, turtles are very endangered so they are trying to protect them beginnign with a movement called "No como huevos de tortuga" (I don't eat turtle eggs.) They also have reserves like the one we went to where people patrol to stop people from stealing the turtle eggs or the actual turtles. We weren't lucky enough to see any of the big turtles burying their eggs but we saw some little guys digging their way out of the holes. It was so cute. Interesting fact: Turtles always return to lay their eggs at the same beach they were born, that's why such big nesting sites such as this one at La Flor exist. Also, turtles basically swim the whole world traveling in ocean currents. Pretty sweet life right? Only down side to the night, the last pair of flip flops I brought with me finally broke so I had to walk with one bare foot the whole night...ooo well, worse things have happened.
On Sunday we didn't really know what to do so after breakfast and finding a new pair of flip flops, we began our journey back to Managua..bus to Rivas..bus to Managua..taxi home. Basically just hung out the rest of the day...didn't really have any hw to do and didn't have my computer anyway..
Monday our early class was canceled, I wanted to check on my computer since they could no longer call me, Lora's computer was also broken, and Kristen wanted to drop off some clothes for dry cleaning. So the 3 of us met up before our 11am to run some errands. About 5 minutes into the trip, my new pair of flip flops breaks :( So, then I walk with one bare foot through dirty Managua to La Union and buy 2 new pairs..God willing these will last me the next 7 weeks. I also bought super glue in case I can fix some of the old ones or in case these new ones break...Then we went to GBM where they immediately recognized me and brought out my friend so we could speak in Spanglish..turns out they fixed my computer and everything was covered by warranty. It was great and everyone was so nice. I kind of wish they fixed dells too so we could go back and chat with them some more about Lora's computer haha. Then we finaly found a place for Lora and she dropped her computer off, but she might not be as lucky as me because she thinks her warranty has expired. Greisy wasn't with us so we were all tested with our Spanish..I think we succeeded though! After this trip around the city, I'm sitting in photography and I notice my ankle is pulsating (idk if this is a word but you know what i mean). GREAT. as if my computer, camera, phone and flip flops breaking weren't enough..my ankle still kills if I walk too much.
The rest of the week aka 2 days has gone pretty smoothly.
Yesterday I went to MetroCentro to try to get a new phone since Greisy and Lora had bought theirs pretty cheap..like $20ish. Come to find out, these same phones are now $50..no thanks. I think I'll go without a phone for a while. Then we went down to the food court to look around. While checking out the menu for one place, someone heard us speaking English and turned around saying, "This is the best place." Now, I'm not sure if he recognized us first and then said that, or if we all recognized each other at the same time, but it was none other than Ricardo, our hustler/tour guide from when Kristen's fam was with us in Granada. Now normally, Ricardo doesn't shut up. However, yesterday he was completely smashed at noon on a Tuesday, with his boss. He realllly didn't shut up then. It was crazy. We tried to sit away from him and he followed us. Then his boss came over, who looked and talked completely American and asked where we were from. We said NY & CT but we all go to school in CT. He's like oh really, I'm from CT, what college do you go to? We said Fairfield and he made a face, we assumed because he had never heard of it. Turns out he's from Fairfield, built the development of houses behind the townhouses (verrrrry nice houses if you've seen them) and owns a house on the beach. This was all verified by his passport. Crazy, small world.
Side note: We haven't had a single gecko in our room the first 7.5 weeks. Last night we had 3. Personally I think they're cute, and completely harmless. I've never seen them anywhere but on walls so they won't bother me, plus they eat bugs. Kristen is a little sketched out, but I think she's happy they're eating the bugs so we're dealing with them just fine.
Again, sorry for the length, I just never know what to leave out! And my camera is still kind of broken, but I can still take really zoomed out pix, so maybe I'll start putting a few up again or stealing from other people.
I'd love to hear from everyone!!! <3 <3 <3
ps-I'm obsessed with the new genius sidebar on iTunes. check it outtt.
For those that can read Spanish, here's the letter.
Hola Niño Dios. Espero que te encuentres bien de salud tu y tu familia y que Dios los bendiga.
Estoy en 5 grado. Estoy en el proyecto chateles. Me llamo Anieka Tamara Castillo Sánchez. Tengo 10 años. Soy morena. Le pido por favor si me puede regala una muda de numero 8 y unos zapatos 35. Por favor, espero no sea muchas cosas. Gracias. Espero no pedir mucho. Gracias. Que Dios los bendiga a usted y su familia. Muchas gracias. Adios.
Translated:
Child Jesus, I hope this finds you and your family in good health and that God blesses you. I am in 5th grade in the Project Chateles. My name is Anieka. I am 10 years old and I am "morena" (dark hair, skin, etc.) I am asking if you could please give (but literally gift me, to give is a different verb) a outfit (size 8) and shoes (size 35). Please, I hope this is not too much. Thank you. I hope I'm not asking too much. Thank you. God bless you and your familiy. Thank you very much. Bye.
Now, I know I've been living the sweet life here in Nicaragua, and being at a private university, I have met some of the most fortunate people that live in this country. It's hard to balance the study abroad experience that everyone expects (lots of traveling, souvenirs, going out, etc.) with the reality of life here in Nicaragua. I'm so glad that for even 3 hours a week I can help these students who are struggling, and probably still aren't among the least fortunate, but really do need help. When I'm feeling down, the children always put everything in perspective. They are not as fortunate to receive the same education as me, and I they do not have as many things. And when they want one little thing, they are not begging (although I do encounter that on the streets a lot), they are asking God for a little bit of something, and are very careful that they do not ask for too much. In the material world we all live in, it's hard to believe that all this child wants for christmas is an outfit to wear to school. God bless them.
Changing subjects...this weekend we went to San Juan del Sur. After being tricked, just as our guide bus warned us we would be, into getting on a bus to Rivas and being forced to pay a tip to a guy that led us to the wrong bus, we finally ended up in San Juan del Sur where we stayed at a really cool international hostel called Casa Oro. It was $6.50/night/person to have our own private room for the 4 of us girls. We chose this hostel because they also helped organize day trips. While there we encountered even more English speaking people...mostly Californians and Australians there for the good surf on the deserted beaches. The first night we just hung out and got a late lunch/early dinner by the ocean. BEAUTIFUL. The 3 of them went out to a little bar for an hour or so while I stayed in nursing my 1847564th migraine of the trip. I think I'm finally immune to my medicine.
In the morning we got up for breakfast and then took a "bus" aka jeep with no real seats/seatbelts to a nearby beach called Madera. The actual San Juan del Sur beach is nice, and not really crowded, but it's also a fishing town so there are a lot of boats. At Madera, there may have been 2 other people there besides the 6 or so that came in the Jeep with us. Beautiful. Unfortunately, this is where my luck ended. Our stuff kind of got soaked by the tide coming in while we were in the ocean and of course the only thing that got ruined (other than some drenched beach towels) was my phone. RIP. After that I was hot and in a bad mood, so Greisy and I went back to the hostel, showered, got lunch, went online, etc. We met up with Lora and Kristen for a quick dinner and then headed back to the hostel for the Turtle Expedition. I think that's the legitimately the only thing we've done in Nica that costs more than $15, but the money went to a good cause. In Nica, turtles are very endangered so they are trying to protect them beginnign with a movement called "No como huevos de tortuga" (I don't eat turtle eggs.) They also have reserves like the one we went to where people patrol to stop people from stealing the turtle eggs or the actual turtles. We weren't lucky enough to see any of the big turtles burying their eggs but we saw some little guys digging their way out of the holes. It was so cute. Interesting fact: Turtles always return to lay their eggs at the same beach they were born, that's why such big nesting sites such as this one at La Flor exist. Also, turtles basically swim the whole world traveling in ocean currents. Pretty sweet life right? Only down side to the night, the last pair of flip flops I brought with me finally broke so I had to walk with one bare foot the whole night...ooo well, worse things have happened.
On Sunday we didn't really know what to do so after breakfast and finding a new pair of flip flops, we began our journey back to Managua..bus to Rivas..bus to Managua..taxi home. Basically just hung out the rest of the day...didn't really have any hw to do and didn't have my computer anyway..
Monday our early class was canceled, I wanted to check on my computer since they could no longer call me, Lora's computer was also broken, and Kristen wanted to drop off some clothes for dry cleaning. So the 3 of us met up before our 11am to run some errands. About 5 minutes into the trip, my new pair of flip flops breaks :( So, then I walk with one bare foot through dirty Managua to La Union and buy 2 new pairs..God willing these will last me the next 7 weeks. I also bought super glue in case I can fix some of the old ones or in case these new ones break...Then we went to GBM where they immediately recognized me and brought out my friend so we could speak in Spanglish..turns out they fixed my computer and everything was covered by warranty. It was great and everyone was so nice. I kind of wish they fixed dells too so we could go back and chat with them some more about Lora's computer haha. Then we finaly found a place for Lora and she dropped her computer off, but she might not be as lucky as me because she thinks her warranty has expired. Greisy wasn't with us so we were all tested with our Spanish..I think we succeeded though! After this trip around the city, I'm sitting in photography and I notice my ankle is pulsating (idk if this is a word but you know what i mean). GREAT. as if my computer, camera, phone and flip flops breaking weren't enough..my ankle still kills if I walk too much.
The rest of the week aka 2 days has gone pretty smoothly.
Yesterday I went to MetroCentro to try to get a new phone since Greisy and Lora had bought theirs pretty cheap..like $20ish. Come to find out, these same phones are now $50..no thanks. I think I'll go without a phone for a while. Then we went down to the food court to look around. While checking out the menu for one place, someone heard us speaking English and turned around saying, "This is the best place." Now, I'm not sure if he recognized us first and then said that, or if we all recognized each other at the same time, but it was none other than Ricardo, our hustler/tour guide from when Kristen's fam was with us in Granada. Now normally, Ricardo doesn't shut up. However, yesterday he was completely smashed at noon on a Tuesday, with his boss. He realllly didn't shut up then. It was crazy. We tried to sit away from him and he followed us. Then his boss came over, who looked and talked completely American and asked where we were from. We said NY & CT but we all go to school in CT. He's like oh really, I'm from CT, what college do you go to? We said Fairfield and he made a face, we assumed because he had never heard of it. Turns out he's from Fairfield, built the development of houses behind the townhouses (verrrrry nice houses if you've seen them) and owns a house on the beach. This was all verified by his passport. Crazy, small world.
Side note: We haven't had a single gecko in our room the first 7.5 weeks. Last night we had 3. Personally I think they're cute, and completely harmless. I've never seen them anywhere but on walls so they won't bother me, plus they eat bugs. Kristen is a little sketched out, but I think she's happy they're eating the bugs so we're dealing with them just fine.
Again, sorry for the length, I just never know what to leave out! And my camera is still kind of broken, but I can still take really zoomed out pix, so maybe I'll start putting a few up again or stealing from other people.
I'd love to hear from everyone!!! <3 <3 <3
ps-I'm obsessed with the new genius sidebar on iTunes. check it outtt.
Monday, October 20, 2008
*whooah, we're halfway there, livin on a prayer, take my hand and we'll make it I swear, livin on a prayer...*
I had every intention to update my blog tonight, but tonight turned out a little different than I originally planned. Details on my weekend and my crazy whirlwind of a day today are coming soon...probably while I procrastinate studying for my first 2 tests of the semester (not including ethics which doesn't count because it's in English...)
I did have to post this though because I've been saving these song lyrics for weeks now...today marked the exact halfway point of my time in Nicaragua...I hope that there are twice as many happy times in the next 7.5 weeks because I don't know if I can take anything else breaking or any more tension between the group...53 days...can't decide if I'm happy or sad..probably both.
"And I may be strong, but I know that I won't make it if I don't try,
And I can't go wrong, if I start believing that I can reach the sky
And maybe I'm just halfway there this time
It's okay cuz I'm already halfway there..."
I did have to post this though because I've been saving these song lyrics for weeks now...today marked the exact halfway point of my time in Nicaragua...I hope that there are twice as many happy times in the next 7.5 weeks because I don't know if I can take anything else breaking or any more tension between the group...53 days...can't decide if I'm happy or sad..probably both.
"And I may be strong, but I know that I won't make it if I don't try,
And I can't go wrong, if I start believing that I can reach the sky
And maybe I'm just halfway there this time
It's okay cuz I'm already halfway there..."
Thursday, October 16, 2008
somedays i feel like crying, don't matter if it's rain or shine
so, it's been a little while since I've updated you all..thanks for all the Mac hints, I took it to a store today so hopefully they can fix it and I won't lose all my files :(
I was going to do highs and lows, but it's been so long since I wrote that would take forever. But let's just say the highs have been coming more frequently in the past few days. The end of last week was a rough time for me. I was having a lot of trouble dealing, not with the Nicaraguan life, but with some other issues here. It was hard not to have all my best friends to turn to, so I kind of reverted into pre-college Jenn that likes to keep everything inside. This didn't bode well with some people, so not only was a feeling like crap, people were mad at me for not talking because they thought it was rude...great. I hope we're past that now and I can just keep my mouth shut when stuff bothers me because that's all that seems to work :/ (alyssa-don't be mad, you taught me well, it's just not working here! haha) Thursday mass actually came at exactly the right time. And this week, Greisy and Lora are coming with me. I miss masses at Fairfield where I can go with 20 other people and the kiss of peace takes a full 10 minutes.
I don't have Friday classes yet I had 5 straight hours of classes this past Friday. Apparently in Nica, when a professor has to miss class, they can reschedule it since all the students in the same carrera have the same schedule. This meant class from 1-3 on Friday afternoon..good thing we weren't traveling anyway. We also had Spanish from 10-1. After class we went to the mall to buy a present for Marcello because it was his birthday on Tuesday and his party Friday night. We told him we were gonna get a pinata and he seemed into it so we did...it was interesting walking into a party with a pinata but everyone seemed to have fun so i'm glad we did. It was so fun to walk into his party and see not only our language partners, but also people we knew from Ethics that we knew were going to be there. Walking in further, KVV and I spotted a girl we knew from Desarrollo. Basically, we knew everyone there and it felt really cool to actually belong in Nicaragua..and also to be at a house party instead of the club..much more to my liking :)
On Saturday Lora, Kristen and I left for Matagalpa. (Sarah and Xander didn't want to come, and Greisy had too much work). By this time, I was pretty sick and probably shouldn't have gone, but I was almost immediately better upon reaching Matagalpa and it's cool, clean mountain air. It was wonderful. Since we took a bus bound for Jinotega, we didn't go to the Matagalpa bus station, we just got dropped on the side of the road. That made finding our hostel a little challenging (Alba knew someone so called and made reservations for us..we end up getting a room and breakfast for $7!) We found a nice taxi driver who really took care of us and even spoke to the hostel owner on the phone to make sure we were going to the right place. Another guy was in the taxi with us and he spoke English. He then talked to the cab driver for us and the guy that spoke English assured as we were in good hands. It was a really cute exchange. While still in the cab, we saw some people that could have been Nicaraguan, or could have been American. They saw us and called out something along the lines of "Hey girls, how do you like Nicaragua", in English mind you. We laughed it off and continued to the hostel. No sooner than 2 blocks down the street from our hostel on the way to lunch, we run into them again. Turns out they were California, and now living in Matagalpa. I think by the time we leave, we will have met everyone from the United States that lives in Nicaragua.
Some days I wake up dreaming
Feels like I've never even woke
I answer life's big questions
As if it's one big joke
The rest of the day we just explored the city. I bought a shirt for $2 at a cute little shop and we got coffee/smoothies at a little shop. For dinner we went to this chicken place (aka gallo pinto for Jenn!) where the guy soon figured out we spoke English and started speaking to us in Spanglish. He really hooked us us, and when we didn't want soda he went out to buy us juice. On the way out he told us in both English and Spanish to be careful...everyone is always looking out for us!
In Matagalpa there were kids everywhere, and they weren't all beggers like in Managua. I started my photo project there because you could really see so many different emotions and stories in each face. I know where I'm going if I need more photos for my project.
I was going to do highs and lows, but it's been so long since I wrote that would take forever. But let's just say the highs have been coming more frequently in the past few days. The end of last week was a rough time for me. I was having a lot of trouble dealing, not with the Nicaraguan life, but with some other issues here. It was hard not to have all my best friends to turn to, so I kind of reverted into pre-college Jenn that likes to keep everything inside. This didn't bode well with some people, so not only was a feeling like crap, people were mad at me for not talking because they thought it was rude...great. I hope we're past that now and I can just keep my mouth shut when stuff bothers me because that's all that seems to work :/ (alyssa-don't be mad, you taught me well, it's just not working here! haha) Thursday mass actually came at exactly the right time. And this week, Greisy and Lora are coming with me. I miss masses at Fairfield where I can go with 20 other people and the kiss of peace takes a full 10 minutes.
I don't have Friday classes yet I had 5 straight hours of classes this past Friday. Apparently in Nica, when a professor has to miss class, they can reschedule it since all the students in the same carrera have the same schedule. This meant class from 1-3 on Friday afternoon..good thing we weren't traveling anyway. We also had Spanish from 10-1. After class we went to the mall to buy a present for Marcello because it was his birthday on Tuesday and his party Friday night. We told him we were gonna get a pinata and he seemed into it so we did...it was interesting walking into a party with a pinata but everyone seemed to have fun so i'm glad we did. It was so fun to walk into his party and see not only our language partners, but also people we knew from Ethics that we knew were going to be there. Walking in further, KVV and I spotted a girl we knew from Desarrollo. Basically, we knew everyone there and it felt really cool to actually belong in Nicaragua..and also to be at a house party instead of the club..much more to my liking :)
On Saturday Lora, Kristen and I left for Matagalpa. (Sarah and Xander didn't want to come, and Greisy had too much work). By this time, I was pretty sick and probably shouldn't have gone, but I was almost immediately better upon reaching Matagalpa and it's cool, clean mountain air. It was wonderful. Since we took a bus bound for Jinotega, we didn't go to the Matagalpa bus station, we just got dropped on the side of the road. That made finding our hostel a little challenging (Alba knew someone so called and made reservations for us..we end up getting a room and breakfast for $7!) We found a nice taxi driver who really took care of us and even spoke to the hostel owner on the phone to make sure we were going to the right place. Another guy was in the taxi with us and he spoke English. He then talked to the cab driver for us and the guy that spoke English assured as we were in good hands. It was a really cute exchange. While still in the cab, we saw some people that could have been Nicaraguan, or could have been American. They saw us and called out something along the lines of "Hey girls, how do you like Nicaragua", in English mind you. We laughed it off and continued to the hostel. No sooner than 2 blocks down the street from our hostel on the way to lunch, we run into them again. Turns out they were California, and now living in Matagalpa. I think by the time we leave, we will have met everyone from the United States that lives in Nicaragua.
Some days I wake up dreaming
Feels like I've never even woke
I answer life's big questions
As if it's one big joke
The rest of the day we just explored the city. I bought a shirt for $2 at a cute little shop and we got coffee/smoothies at a little shop. For dinner we went to this chicken place (aka gallo pinto for Jenn!) where the guy soon figured out we spoke English and started speaking to us in Spanglish. He really hooked us us, and when we didn't want soda he went out to buy us juice. On the way out he told us in both English and Spanish to be careful...everyone is always looking out for us!
In Matagalpa there were kids everywhere, and they weren't all beggers like in Managua. I started my photo project there because you could really see so many different emotions and stories in each face. I know where I'm going if I need more photos for my project.
Some days I feel like singing
I sit back and just groove the day away
Maybe pick up a guitar
And play what I want to play
When we finally got on the bus home, we soon realized it was not an express bus, but rather a bus like we took to Rio San Juan that decided to stop for every breathing being on the side of the road (including chickens). It was interesting to say the least. It only took about an hour more than it should have and made for a few good laughs...definitely part of the Nica experience. They were transporting some things on top of the bus as well, and when someone needed to get something down, one of the boys working on the bus climbed up to get the package. As soon as it hit the ground, the bus started again...and completely unphased by this, the boy climbed down as the bus was moving. I was so scared for his life, but he was so used to it I guess.
Back in Managua, I found out my computer wouldn't start. I was trying everything, and at one point I unplugged the tv to try plugging my computer in that outlet because we were sure it worked. A little while later Kristen noticed her internet wasn't working. We checked to make sure I didn't mess anything up and finally realized that my computer was broken and her internet wasn't working...great right? Except when I said that just for the hell of it I would plug the TV back in just so that everything was just how we found...immediately her internet started working again...only in Nica...can anyone explain this one for me?
Today I feel like laughing
Seems to be no reason at all
And if the world stops spinning
I'm not afraid to fall
Quick update on the week - had my Spanish finals, and we all got A's!! Got a new group in Desarrollo Sostenible and they're really awesome..we worked on a project the other day then went to the teacher to have him check it over before it's due..lovinngggggg that i'm in the overachiever group! We have a test in historia on friday (orignally Monday, but apparently it's completely okay to cancel classes and reschedule them for Fridays...) I'm a little nervous, but hopefully it will be fine. We have our first real assignment in fotografia, but Kristen Lora and I are just working together after we sort of got used for our cameras by some other girls in our class. Hopefully we get that project done while we're in San Juan del Sur this weekend. The first Ethics test was also this week, easy A for all us English speakers and I don't think the Nica kids did bad either. The only other important thing that happened this week is we went out to eat a lot aka spent more money than we usually do in Managua. When I asked Kristen what else was important she said, "Well, we went out to eat a lot, which is kind of proportional to our happiness." So, true.
Today, Greisy went with me to the Mac store and after a while we finally got a guy that was able to help us. I understood most of what he said but a few times Greisy translated or confirmed things for me. After her doing that 2 or 3 times, the guy breaks out in perfect English. I thought it was hilarious. After that we talked Spanglish for a while and got everything sorted out. They're going to run diagnostic tests this weekend and I should have some more information by Monday at the latest. After that Greisy and I hung out til we met Lora for mass. Then the 6 of us Fairfield kids, Isabel, Andrea and Carlos went back out to Ola Verde (the organic place). I was going to try something new, but when they didn't have what I wanted I couldn't think fast enoguh and ended up with the same delicous meal. Then Carlos took me and Lora to the post office so we could mail a few things and then we got ice cream because obviously hadn't eaten enough already. Did you know they make Chips Ahoy McFlurry's now?? Then the 4 of us came back to hang out, watched part of Flight 93 or United 93, we weren't sure which. Then, we rented Georgia Rules and Carlos brought his DVD player over so we could watch. Carlos and Lora just left, but all in all it was a great day. I'm glad we actually got to do something at night instead of stay in our room doing nothing. It's great to have friends with cars :)
Sorry it was so long, a lot to catch up on. And sorry for the lack of pix..camera is STILL broken. San Juan del Sur this weekend! For those with facebook, check out Kristen's pix since she is the only one of the four who still has a working camera...
ps-next blog entry - perhaps stealing from elyse? i thought the Ecua looks like, smells like, etc. was really interesting...
Seems to be no reason at all
And if the world stops spinning
I'm not afraid to fall
Quick update on the week - had my Spanish finals, and we all got A's!! Got a new group in Desarrollo Sostenible and they're really awesome..we worked on a project the other day then went to the teacher to have him check it over before it's due..lovinngggggg that i'm in the overachiever group! We have a test in historia on friday (orignally Monday, but apparently it's completely okay to cancel classes and reschedule them for Fridays...) I'm a little nervous, but hopefully it will be fine. We have our first real assignment in fotografia, but Kristen Lora and I are just working together after we sort of got used for our cameras by some other girls in our class. Hopefully we get that project done while we're in San Juan del Sur this weekend. The first Ethics test was also this week, easy A for all us English speakers and I don't think the Nica kids did bad either. The only other important thing that happened this week is we went out to eat a lot aka spent more money than we usually do in Managua. When I asked Kristen what else was important she said, "Well, we went out to eat a lot, which is kind of proportional to our happiness." So, true.
Today, Greisy went with me to the Mac store and after a while we finally got a guy that was able to help us. I understood most of what he said but a few times Greisy translated or confirmed things for me. After her doing that 2 or 3 times, the guy breaks out in perfect English. I thought it was hilarious. After that we talked Spanglish for a while and got everything sorted out. They're going to run diagnostic tests this weekend and I should have some more information by Monday at the latest. After that Greisy and I hung out til we met Lora for mass. Then the 6 of us Fairfield kids, Isabel, Andrea and Carlos went back out to Ola Verde (the organic place). I was going to try something new, but when they didn't have what I wanted I couldn't think fast enoguh and ended up with the same delicous meal. Then Carlos took me and Lora to the post office so we could mail a few things and then we got ice cream because obviously hadn't eaten enough already. Did you know they make Chips Ahoy McFlurry's now?? Then the 4 of us came back to hang out, watched part of Flight 93 or United 93, we weren't sure which. Then, we rented Georgia Rules and Carlos brought his DVD player over so we could watch. Carlos and Lora just left, but all in all it was a great day. I'm glad we actually got to do something at night instead of stay in our room doing nothing. It's great to have friends with cars :)
Sorry it was so long, a lot to catch up on. And sorry for the lack of pix..camera is STILL broken. San Juan del Sur this weekend! For those with facebook, check out Kristen's pix since she is the only one of the four who still has a working camera...
ps-next blog entry - perhaps stealing from elyse? i thought the Ecua looks like, smells like, etc. was really interesting...
Sunday, October 12, 2008
cuz there's a world awake outside, with injustice and music...
So my computer broke.
For any macbook geniuses out there, here's the sitch:
i powered my computer down for the weekend. it was definitely all the way off when i closed it because i've had that problem before so i'm careful.
now, when i press the power button, nothing happens. i've checked and the battery is fully charged. when i plug the power adaptor in, the green light comes on full brightness on both sides.
still nothing when i turn it on, no sound, no flashing of the screen real quick, just nothing.
applecare doesn't have an email and i'm not ready to buy enough minutes to call them for the amount of time they'll probably put me on hold or ask the same question 18 different ways like last time.
i probably wont' have time to seek out a place here until at least Thursday and hopefully i can bring someone along who's actually fluent because explaining a broken computer isn't really vocab i've bothered to learn yet :/
In the meantime, updates will be less frequent. This weekend was awesome though and filled with lots of blog-worthy stories, which I hope to be able to put up at sometime this week.
I'm not going to ask you to leave a comment this week...even though (almost) no one does...
For any macbook geniuses out there, here's the sitch:
i powered my computer down for the weekend. it was definitely all the way off when i closed it because i've had that problem before so i'm careful.
now, when i press the power button, nothing happens. i've checked and the battery is fully charged. when i plug the power adaptor in, the green light comes on full brightness on both sides.
still nothing when i turn it on, no sound, no flashing of the screen real quick, just nothing.
applecare doesn't have an email and i'm not ready to buy enough minutes to call them for the amount of time they'll probably put me on hold or ask the same question 18 different ways like last time.
i probably wont' have time to seek out a place here until at least Thursday and hopefully i can bring someone along who's actually fluent because explaining a broken computer isn't really vocab i've bothered to learn yet :/
In the meantime, updates will be less frequent. This weekend was awesome though and filled with lots of blog-worthy stories, which I hope to be able to put up at sometime this week.
I'm not going to ask you to leave a comment this week...even though (almost) no one does...
Monday, October 6, 2008
oh lately babe, i stay awake thinking this life gets lonely...
Thursday we went to the U.S. Embassy to get absentee ballots for those who didn't fill out the form at home. It was great to be "home" for the short time we were there. Despite the special privileges we got since we're citizens, the security was about 10 times worse than at airports. Good timesss.
Friday we started Spanish class again finally and it was much less painful. Plans for San Juan del Sur fell threw. I think people were overwhelmed with school work / unaware of the short amount of time we have left here. It's already been 5.5 weeks! Next weekend is our friend Marcello's birthday so we'll probably stay in Managua on Friday to celebrate then hopefully off to Estelí which is farther north in the mountains aka COOL WEATHER!
Friday night Albs and Carlos took me and KVV along with two of the Nica girls (Gabriella and Lucia) to Las Galerias to shop a little and get this - listen to live music playing on the first floor of the mall. I obviously loved it. Then Carlos bought us all ice cream. So I guess staying "home" this weekend did have a few perks other than not having to pay for a hostel...
Saturday we went to lunch at this organic and self-proclaimed socially responsible restaurant. I was in heaven with the number of healthy, vegetarian options...we might have to make this a weekly occurence so we can all try everything we want! At night Marcello took us to Hipa Hipa again. If you know me, you know the club scene is not really my thing, especially not this often so I hope we start to find other things to do...other than Kristen seeing everyone she knows there (because of the connections her mom had when she visited)...what made the night interesting was after about an hour, 3 tall African American guys walked into the club. it was clear from the way they dressed that they were not Nicaraguan so after a while KVV got up the courage to ask where they were from...Houston and NY...they are supposedly here playing basketball for a month or so although I'm still sort of confused as to who they play for / who they're playing against / why Nicaragua, etc. Anyway, it was cool to meet some Americans in Nicaragua because that's not exactly a common occurence here.
Sunday we chilled out and ran some errands at La Union. We bought some oranges, which are ironically green here. We have yet to try them but I'll let you know how they are! Today was supposed to be filled with lots of classes but my last class got canceled and so did dance so I was out at 3. That didn't really help me get much else accomplished other than catching up with a bunch of friends, but that's more fun than reading about the historia de nicaragua anyway...
Today I realized that everything that I don't like about Nica (which isn't much) and everything that I miss about Fairfield really has nothing to do with Nicaragua or its people. It has to do with how I got here. I am here with 5 other Fairfield students and as much as we all collectively try to meet other Nicaraguans, it's hard when we're still doing that in a large group. I get frustrated and wish I could do things by myself like I'm used to but that's not an option here. It's difficult not having a place to escape to because the only place I can go is my room where I have a roommate, but I'll have to make the best of it. I was also catching up on some of The Mirror (fairfield newspaper) articles I've missed. In an article about a Fairfield grad who just won a MacArthur Fellow (yay, maybe Fairfield doesn't suck as much as all the ratings say!), the grad said, "I have learned to see Jesus in everyone, and hold myself personally accountable for what I do," he said. "If you imagine you're speaking to Jesus, it is much easier to not always be in contention with them, but rather learn to work together." I think this is a really interesting perspective that I am going to try to remember next time I'm frustrated with all of the rude comments and insensitivity that have become an all too common occurrence in our little FU group...
It's midnight. I have class at 7am...I still haven't learned how to go to bed early, so I've just learned to sleep less...and my camera is broken for the time being so pictures will have to wait...sorry!!
Escribame..Ecris-moi...write to me!!!!
PS, Fairfield you can take your rain back...I want to go to the beach soon. :)
Friday we started Spanish class again finally and it was much less painful. Plans for San Juan del Sur fell threw. I think people were overwhelmed with school work / unaware of the short amount of time we have left here. It's already been 5.5 weeks! Next weekend is our friend Marcello's birthday so we'll probably stay in Managua on Friday to celebrate then hopefully off to Estelí which is farther north in the mountains aka COOL WEATHER!
Friday night Albs and Carlos took me and KVV along with two of the Nica girls (Gabriella and Lucia) to Las Galerias to shop a little and get this - listen to live music playing on the first floor of the mall. I obviously loved it. Then Carlos bought us all ice cream. So I guess staying "home" this weekend did have a few perks other than not having to pay for a hostel...
Saturday we went to lunch at this organic and self-proclaimed socially responsible restaurant. I was in heaven with the number of healthy, vegetarian options...we might have to make this a weekly occurence so we can all try everything we want! At night Marcello took us to Hipa Hipa again. If you know me, you know the club scene is not really my thing, especially not this often so I hope we start to find other things to do...other than Kristen seeing everyone she knows there (because of the connections her mom had when she visited)...what made the night interesting was after about an hour, 3 tall African American guys walked into the club. it was clear from the way they dressed that they were not Nicaraguan so after a while KVV got up the courage to ask where they were from...Houston and NY...they are supposedly here playing basketball for a month or so although I'm still sort of confused as to who they play for / who they're playing against / why Nicaragua, etc. Anyway, it was cool to meet some Americans in Nicaragua because that's not exactly a common occurence here.
Sunday we chilled out and ran some errands at La Union. We bought some oranges, which are ironically green here. We have yet to try them but I'll let you know how they are! Today was supposed to be filled with lots of classes but my last class got canceled and so did dance so I was out at 3. That didn't really help me get much else accomplished other than catching up with a bunch of friends, but that's more fun than reading about the historia de nicaragua anyway...
Today I realized that everything that I don't like about Nica (which isn't much) and everything that I miss about Fairfield really has nothing to do with Nicaragua or its people. It has to do with how I got here. I am here with 5 other Fairfield students and as much as we all collectively try to meet other Nicaraguans, it's hard when we're still doing that in a large group. I get frustrated and wish I could do things by myself like I'm used to but that's not an option here. It's difficult not having a place to escape to because the only place I can go is my room where I have a roommate, but I'll have to make the best of it. I was also catching up on some of The Mirror (fairfield newspaper) articles I've missed. In an article about a Fairfield grad who just won a MacArthur Fellow (yay, maybe Fairfield doesn't suck as much as all the ratings say!), the grad said, "I have learned to see Jesus in everyone, and hold myself personally accountable for what I do," he said. "If you imagine you're speaking to Jesus, it is much easier to not always be in contention with them, but rather learn to work together." I think this is a really interesting perspective that I am going to try to remember next time I'm frustrated with all of the rude comments and insensitivity that have become an all too common occurrence in our little FU group...
It's midnight. I have class at 7am...I still haven't learned how to go to bed early, so I've just learned to sleep less...and my camera is broken for the time being so pictures will have to wait...sorry!!
Escribame..Ecris-moi...write to me!!!!
PS, Fairfield you can take your rain back...I want to go to the beach soon. :)
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
You're what makes New England so great...My island nights are all spent dying, wait for summer to become wrought with lips, my wishful thinking...
so this update is going to be much shorter than planned because we just got a call that we're getting picked up in an hour (around 815) even though our experience has been that nicaraguans don't go out until 10 or 11 so here's the short summary...
Escribame!!!!!! pleaseeeee :)
- weekend - albs was super nice while kristen was gone and has been about herself since kristen's been back, i think she felt bad i was alone..
- sat-went to granada with greisy and lora to meet up with kvv and her mom and cousin
- las isletas, laguna de apoyo (swimming in a volcanic crater in COOL & CLEAR water and the most beautiful, relaxing place ever in the world), and lots of good food
- sun-mass at 8am (yes mass on an actual sunday) dragged mostly everyone except kvv and her mom with me!
- private bus to the market in masaya...def. going back there with a lot more money and buying new clothes and lots of souvenirs/gifts, it was crazyyyy (this would be the point in time where you tell me what you want)
- then volcan masaya which is still active...tried not to get too much sulfur in my lungs...
- back to managua for some hw and relaxin...it's weird that i actually feel like the comfort of going "home" to managua even if it's not the best living situation..
- random kid who got up in the middle of photography, asked if he could use the teacher's camera...then continued to take pictures of the class for about 15 minutes even after the teacher asked him what he was doing...
- i got up in front of my whole desarollo class to explain something...in spanish...and everyone understood me...(mind you, i don't even particapate that much in english...yay me!!)
- desarollo teacher asked us if we knew who eduardo galeano was not really expecting us to know...unfortunately i did know, thank you walter petry
- more dance class...we went at a different time though so we had a different guy who actually bothers to help us learn so that was cool
- ate really good pasta with capers and tomatoes and then a banana-cinnamon dessert like thing just like the thing michelle makes in barone....in continuing me only getting fed well while kristen is gone (maybe she's not as cheap when she doesn't have to feed both of us?)
Escribame!!!!!! pleaseeeee :)
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