tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-222191932024-03-07T14:09:36.152-06:00PeasCorps: NicaRagansHollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15310082484922984597noreply@blogger.comBlogger196125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-24594713897287128012009-06-16T08:00:00.002-05:002009-06-16T08:00:06.179-05:00The COS Bell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Every time that someone finishes his or her Peace Corps service in Nicaragua (called "COS" or close of service), he or she rings this bell that's in the middle of the office. It's a tradition that started right around the time that we got here, and today is finally our turn to ring the bell and become RPCVs, Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8VrD0-Cso0JEi_c2e3Wt0Tly8yk12AOlTcgMocVczQeQghrMiajukcUBdAsm3GbKHRJtQ_fs9J4h30Zv1vvhjCT710uJxagVlvZp2JZa_4kszeo7qad7fjPDMPbmmDNpCh0/s1600-h/09-05-05_Work_804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8VrD0-Cso0JEi_c2e3Wt0Tly8yk12AOlTcgMocVczQeQghrMiajukcUBdAsm3GbKHRJtQ_fs9J4h30Zv1vvhjCT710uJxagVlvZp2JZa_4kszeo7qad7fjPDMPbmmDNpCh0/s400/09-05-05_Work_804.jpg" /></a></div>Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230004603653721603noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-81194177773656639862009-06-14T11:23:00.001-05:002009-06-14T11:24:39.462-05:00Romel and Azalia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Whenever TEFL volunteers get together, an inevitable topic of conversation is difficult counterparts. It always made me feel a little smug that I never had anything to contribute to those chats since my counterpart, Romel, has been a really great teacher and friend over the last two years. Even though my official job here is to help him improve his English, I think he has taught me more. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I can't really say enough nice things about Romel: he works really hard to support his family, working 10-hour days teaching at two different schools. He's a really affectionate and kind father to Jeycob and Natalia, and he and his wife, Azalia were always there to remind me that the <i>odioso</i> Nicaraguans that want our dog dead or to kick us out of our house are the exception rather than the rule.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Romel and Azalia are two people that I know we'll stay in touch with and they're a big part of the reason that we will continue to come back to Nicaragua to visit. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Romel and me planning a lesson:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji4kcwIFedYIR52CuCl4jcEOiBjOc9yw_i7jEV_wL01qwQCBPRrbQ1qYwDtD-VIYfKkUs3_hr3S3As6le4wtrfzbUz8_TIKTEWUsGVfkTWYZwAjc340rd6jy-DgyO_nUhNoUo/s1600-h/IMG_1662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji4kcwIFedYIR52CuCl4jcEOiBjOc9yw_i7jEV_wL01qwQCBPRrbQ1qYwDtD-VIYfKkUs3_hr3S3As6le4wtrfzbUz8_TIKTEWUsGVfkTWYZwAjc340rd6jy-DgyO_nUhNoUo/s400/IMG_1662.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Jeycob:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3WHzasSWt0QTFZ4iBYvVJwpaHRGGRQaw5jFyc2N0YcYVSHiImf2IqvIN90EMk8WLlK1fmISFWURttj0I-sQQHPjK25bndlDqT-4IYFb8RUNnnWQXNgDd_KKpcKcaX96HwOs/s1600-h/08-12-09_Masaya_167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3WHzasSWt0QTFZ4iBYvVJwpaHRGGRQaw5jFyc2N0YcYVSHiImf2IqvIN90EMk8WLlK1fmISFWURttj0I-sQQHPjK25bndlDqT-4IYFb8RUNnnWQXNgDd_KKpcKcaX96HwOs/s400/08-12-09_Masaya_167.jpg" /></a></div>Azalia and Jeycob:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjccA2X3w2dAqJOH_NeBqIwQ21ERsO9jrZOZgfMQgredWElcNwBIS38Gd9SekV9C-DhkZ4zkG_P9kIs6nbZG_HSkZvhaoZgesSoBYnoUWXSFQ0lmivgOG6zu3ZyTvyb9pBvBM/s1600-h/08-12-09_Masaya_171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjccA2X3w2dAqJOH_NeBqIwQ21ERsO9jrZOZgfMQgredWElcNwBIS38Gd9SekV9C-DhkZ4zkG_P9kIs6nbZG_HSkZvhaoZgesSoBYnoUWXSFQ0lmivgOG6zu3ZyTvyb9pBvBM/s400/08-12-09_Masaya_171.jpg" /></a></div>Natalia:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlTq3OQFmyCFqa_1bopZtfiEE8eb0mSKlvCH7UR2sEc4Gmrp_7_UD6n9TF1lf5g5Sgb1mY60uX4EUlSD8Y6NiUGHx84Vqf8Ul_GnnGwNkYWybCpCI6PsXf6LPrJTCCZvT-ac/s1600-h/08-12-09_Masaya_177-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlTq3OQFmyCFqa_1bopZtfiEE8eb0mSKlvCH7UR2sEc4Gmrp_7_UD6n9TF1lf5g5Sgb1mY60uX4EUlSD8Y6NiUGHx84Vqf8Ul_GnnGwNkYWybCpCI6PsXf6LPrJTCCZvT-ac/s400/08-12-09_Masaya_177-Edit.jpg" /></a></div>The family at Natalia's first birthday party:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeirgVfeX_qWbu0kSFocPjyw4KSY-2o2u7LqPsWMc7VUncrCCR-4CA_2YcbfLucl5nkYbu506AmI6bNMm5KmJjypi3hwn4g6_cIJ7nWSzFFHlXKPKqCxZ9x-rL6OAkNNvVW74/s1600-h/DSC02989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeirgVfeX_qWbu0kSFocPjyw4KSY-2o2u7LqPsWMc7VUncrCCR-4CA_2YcbfLucl5nkYbu506AmI6bNMm5KmJjypi3hwn4g6_cIJ7nWSzFFHlXKPKqCxZ9x-rL6OAkNNvVW74/s400/DSC02989.jpg" /></a></div>Romel with a gigantic mutant mango:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7HZ8trg32vosh11sjiGbf3NpFl6twXi_2A3Q-M-KE3H26kl_RvPlJjSnqiQgailj8HfWHH__BGUuqtQy0sonernMPzaK9Qz5BHQurXX2Ox2iCwkB4jQ3Fcd0kQqFUxFFxA6w/s1600-h/IMG_0730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7HZ8trg32vosh11sjiGbf3NpFl6twXi_2A3Q-M-KE3H26kl_RvPlJjSnqiQgailj8HfWHH__BGUuqtQy0sonernMPzaK9Qz5BHQurXX2Ox2iCwkB4jQ3Fcd0kQqFUxFFxA6w/s400/IMG_0730.jpg" /></a></div>The family motorcycle (I worry every time I see them get on it):<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_-9NMtUyWhsdjTYEzQZ8SMpYTdmd8K7Fzk05dSwzizmv8gLRzWq6H5HFsKdgq8p71aAkARYKyS6T_DpvSSUe2ZjaU07ar3uRfLP0B5c0WL52VxeCSoX63AhahRFWmn4BCB8/s1600-h/06-11-2009_School_035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_-9NMtUyWhsdjTYEzQZ8SMpYTdmd8K7Fzk05dSwzizmv8gLRzWq6H5HFsKdgq8p71aAkARYKyS6T_DpvSSUe2ZjaU07ar3uRfLP0B5c0WL52VxeCSoX63AhahRFWmn4BCB8/s400/06-11-2009_School_035.jpg" /></a></div>Romel and me on my last day of school:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbkTbd-tlHuLB_hUnA8FS1AG0rTay1cXwS-1LffHce0j1NDpDphh5UP049oEZ1DcAhiPMgwHVALolasTO_GSNBTK3SBSN0R_ar_Y6uLlXqJm8Vu74LDVbXwtJjY3zmekMsIao/s1600-h/06-12-2009_June_Random_040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbkTbd-tlHuLB_hUnA8FS1AG0rTay1cXwS-1LffHce0j1NDpDphh5UP049oEZ1DcAhiPMgwHVALolasTO_GSNBTK3SBSN0R_ar_Y6uLlXqJm8Vu74LDVbXwtJjY3zmekMsIao/s400/06-12-2009_June_Random_040.jpg" /></a></div>Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230004603653721603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-16357529483802802552009-06-13T23:17:00.001-05:002009-06-13T23:18:42.896-05:00Carmen<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Carmen has been my counterpart at school since the very beginning. Here in the English program, we are required to work with Nicaraguan counterpart teachers so we're not taking a job away from a Nicaraguan, and so our work will be more sustainable as our counterparts improve their English and their teaching methodologies. So we plan for all of the classes together on the weekends, then teach together during the week.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first time I met Carmen was at our Counterpart Day during training, and I honestly found her really intimidating and I thought she hated me. I was even more worried because we had to live with Carmen and her family for the first six weeks that we were in Masaya. Fortunately, my first impression was wrong and Carmen turned out to be not only my colleague but also one of my best friends here.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5h7q7Uw4-jKDVUgQq-EKIKI2isdD8ppcGzdq5QtzU9HRauABRP7wZjcETDvCUtNlZO2NHWuOR-hdd-dxQGzsGGICAvUV_ZeW0ZhxBAa2JjGkmoirgTkeyDdPq4Dk6bPO4KA/s1600-h/06-11-2009_School_022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5h7q7Uw4-jKDVUgQq-EKIKI2isdD8ppcGzdq5QtzU9HRauABRP7wZjcETDvCUtNlZO2NHWuOR-hdd-dxQGzsGGICAvUV_ZeW0ZhxBAa2JjGkmoirgTkeyDdPq4Dk6bPO4KA/s400/06-11-2009_School_022.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAN0ibQq6rQBIrEC7C6Ujtt9mU-Zy4dhF6ADGZlG7HSjx-VnrfMBlF1qVU-x4Isr4KTkUr-_R8Df-keu8HvFXva_obzCPa7riGbY_IKrjme2dKQgeYZRwq4ZCULQFnH5dvNU14/s1600/03-01-2009_Lizayara's_b-Day_006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Carmen is unlike any other Nicaraguan I've come to know; she is a really tough lady and has a strong sense of fairness and right and wrong. Carmen is very different from the Nicaraguan women I met in training: she's independent and raised her daughter by herself and cares for her granddaughter while also working as a teacher. She's one of the only people that doesn't continually ask when Paul and I are planning to have kids, and she stands up for me when others ask by saying that we're still young and it's better for us to complete our educations and have jobs and establish ourselves before rushing to bring kids into the mix. Though that's not revolutionary idea to have in the States, it is quite atypical here, and is one of many examples of Carmen's modern thinking and willingness to disagree with the majority.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've come to trust Carmen a lot and can talk honestly with her about any subject. Carmen and I have a lot of free time between classes, and we use the time to talk about just about anything. She's probably the only Nicaraguan I feel comfortable talking to about the things about this country and culture that I dislike--the sexism, the way politics influences all decisions, and the way people are mean to dogs, for instance. In Nicaragua it's pretty risky for Americans like us to discuss topics like politics because people feel very strongly about those issues and are often biased by their loyalties, but Carmen is always honest and open about her opinions and she is never afraid to call it like she sees it, always while thinking critically about each topic. Carmen and I are also very similar in that we enjoy complaining and finding the irony in things, so we really were a perfect match.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">During the last two years I've also gotten to know Carmen's daughter, Lizayara, and her granddaughter, Natalie. Lizayara has been studying English in Managua on Saturdays and I'm amazed at how well she speaks after a short amount of time. She's one of the most studious people I've met here, and though she doesn't yet know what she'd like to do as a career (engineering and medical school are a couple of her top contenders), I know she'll find success and grow up to be as smart and independent as her mom. Recently Lizayara invited us to her 16th birthday party this spring: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAN0ibQq6rQBIrEC7C6Ujtt9mU-Zy4dhF6ADGZlG7HSjx-VnrfMBlF1qVU-x4Isr4KTkUr-_R8Df-keu8HvFXva_obzCPa7riGbY_IKrjme2dKQgeYZRwq4ZCULQFnH5dvNU14/s1600/03-01-2009_Lizayara's_b-Day_006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAN0ibQq6rQBIrEC7C6Ujtt9mU-Zy4dhF6ADGZlG7HSjx-VnrfMBlF1qVU-x4Isr4KTkUr-_R8Df-keu8HvFXva_obzCPa7riGbY_IKrjme2dKQgeYZRwq4ZCULQFnH5dvNU14/s400/03-01-2009_Lizayara's_b-Day_006.jpg" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm amazed at how much Natalie, Carmen's granddaughter (also in the picture above), has changed over the last two years. When we first moved in with Carmen, she was living with her son and helping care for Natalie because Natalie's mom was killed in a motorcycle accident the year before. Natalie was very shy and quiet and I'm pretty sure she found me really annoying. Now when I go to Carmen's on the weekend and Natalie is visiting, she's a lively little girl who is always scheming to get cookies and is willing to talk with me and let me help her study for her upcoming tests, and is even eager to show off the English she's learning in school.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On my last day at school the teachers threw me a <i>despedida</i>, a going away party. I had to say a few words, and as I was talking about how much I appreciated Carmen, I started to tear up, the first time since we've started saying our goodbyes. Tomorrow Carmen, Lizayara, and Natalie are coming over to have lunch with us, and we're also going to make sure that they have e-mail accounts and give them a crash course in how to use Skype so we can stay in touch. Carmen really has meant a lot to me during these two years, and it's going to be tough to say goodbye.</div>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15310082484922984597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-84862304283527828312009-06-12T13:25:00.002-05:002009-06-12T13:27:41.983-05:00Peace Corps Office<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Peace Corps office in Managua has a lot of functions: it's (obviously) an office where people go to work, a meeting point for volunteers from all around the country, a doctor's office, a library, and an air-conditioned refuge for volunteers. It is especially easy for Holly and me to get to the office because it's right off of the highway that we have to take to get to Managua, so if we have a lot of work to do, it's worth the $1.50 roundtrip to go to the office and do the work in air conditioning and with free internet since there's basically <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2009/04/its-hot.html">no place in Masaya with air conditioning</a>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is the outside of the office. Up the stairs is the entrance into the security guards' office; they are always really friendly as we sign in, and always on guard for stray cars parked in front of the office or terrorists that may be passing through (the FBI's most wanted list and various terrorist pictures are prominently posted in their guard station, just in case) :</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJPdG71XsLTtPCiYlU3kJyg5wgmjty3p3G5KCMI9m8tFpgF0nIlx4O53UCxLjKw3IfYahKj5xUZjkJXhWyyzuGjuURkljI3oe94A1QtxIRQlb9_yAD-8kOYiuIrgT8SSeEVb_/s400/PC+1.jpg" /></div>The fleet of Peace Corps Landcruisers that are ubiquitous in international development circles:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCnnD5Ilav4rsed2i9WtzDDVbkS7EL8QxpfLVI2puX2oO-yKGGLnAu_ICU1jB7uV8_EpdjDEFgeCNaHLkAe8XJmeQR788N2UUcZG2mYCkhXgL-bqfNCr16o1IZ666k7Eeh85z7/s1600-h/PC+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCnnD5Ilav4rsed2i9WtzDDVbkS7EL8QxpfLVI2puX2oO-yKGGLnAu_ICU1jB7uV8_EpdjDEFgeCNaHLkAe8XJmeQR788N2UUcZG2mYCkhXgL-bqfNCr16o1IZ666k7Eeh85z7/s400/PC+2.jpg" /></a></div>The front door:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxyM8FUWeSVuYmg8DadKaz_GO_egs0vroQfuwROGI-4Jfw6TXf2gIYsFKulde3NWNtLqp8weF4Rumc9pDm3bjwYC_QNlJo0jQMD4qcB9WfQZnfyh_wRzMipPxdRjKZKoawI78/s1600-h/PC+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxyM8FUWeSVuYmg8DadKaz_GO_egs0vroQfuwROGI-4Jfw6TXf2gIYsFKulde3NWNtLqp8weF4Rumc9pDm3bjwYC_QNlJo0jQMD4qcB9WfQZnfyh_wRzMipPxdRjKZKoawI78/s400/PC+3.jpg" /></a></div>Mimi really deserves her own entry; she is the receptionist at the office, but you can tell by the cards hanging around her office that she means way more than that to the volunteers. She has lots of responsibilities and is always busy, but she is on top of all of her duties and is never too busy to say hi when you walk in and to ask how everything is going. She also seems to recognize all volunteers' voices when she answers the phone, even if you're really sick and mumbling that you need to talk to a doctor. We really appreciate Mimi and will miss her very much when we leave. Gracias por todo, Mimi!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeuGl3C_Y1Uma9mj1z6Lviu6kOq1XHqP9e1KndNz6ZKefHdWw6SsGVVr_CgJYJ0r1HWMty5oF4OSLNxhLj_DK_8nQlQQSFXX1DwCSXjtf6aYtSHv0E5tUiF9iS38O9pSvcq60O/s1600-h/Mimi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeuGl3C_Y1Uma9mj1z6Lviu6kOq1XHqP9e1KndNz6ZKefHdWw6SsGVVr_CgJYJ0r1HWMty5oF4OSLNxhLj_DK_8nQlQQSFXX1DwCSXjtf6aYtSHv0E5tUiF9iS38O9pSvcq60O/s400/Mimi.jpg" /></a></div>Karen started working as the project specialist for the TEFL sector just a couple of months before we arrived in 2007. Before that she was a Spanish teacher in the Peace Corps. During our two years, we have had three separate APCDs (the sector boss), but just one Karen. She has been wonderful and we can't thank her enough either--especially for those months when there wasn't an APCD to help shoulder the work load.<br /><br />Here is Karen with her really adorable son, Ryan.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZN5Xcs6M1UlJgayq5_XYgRP0XJgGC7GwgeVBPZHEq0T18IWo7ILSqQIdreEsRVNkgKp97fVh7yGdnmVrjCwN8DbNxHGHOVHH6sEuf6KnSCR8Cyy895cCXKXfGaBPQCQ3pPw/s1600-h/06-04-2009_Random_084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZN5Xcs6M1UlJgayq5_XYgRP0XJgGC7GwgeVBPZHEq0T18IWo7ILSqQIdreEsRVNkgKp97fVh7yGdnmVrjCwN8DbNxHGHOVHH6sEuf6KnSCR8Cyy895cCXKXfGaBPQCQ3pPw/s320/06-04-2009_Random_084.jpg" /></a></div>Here's the entrance to the Peace Corps medical office, a place we visited far too many times. Marva was responsible for making all our appointments, filling our prescriptions, and keeping everyone on schedule (a nearly impossible task), and Maria Elena, Mariano, Marta, and Ximena were the four doctors charged with keeping us healthy and sane.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5XsDBVHTFBXYqNTnWuGJ0nMy9YFJjY16smTcC5P-bfj8rLLelR_wx5C2NSZAX2liAyLxAlxcGtvWmsERfivP6E4sH1iPECF2-yFae6xkZ7Gd8O7i5GgDVGjZCfMo_P3idNxn/s1600-h/PC+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5XsDBVHTFBXYqNTnWuGJ0nMy9YFJjY16smTcC5P-bfj8rLLelR_wx5C2NSZAX2liAyLxAlxcGtvWmsERfivP6E4sH1iPECF2-yFae6xkZ7Gd8O7i5GgDVGjZCfMo_P3idNxn/s400/PC+4.jpg" /></a></div>The books in the PC library are all donated, and since no one is really responsible for upkeep, they usually look about like this. That said, there are always good books to read in there, and it's definitely part of the reason why we both read more than usual during our two years.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcR-uHYWHTb4bGy2GTb6kxIjszCEBb2-vXanv5HYRGAUMpqB_MpIiwc54PXk_hL24bG4o03RHL1OKXE9JHuowKrj04KI8ZzvIS8Vn9nlogxMw9QC5b85BQAsgmyMCe42DNrFo/s1600-h/PC+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcR-uHYWHTb4bGy2GTb6kxIjszCEBb2-vXanv5HYRGAUMpqB_MpIiwc54PXk_hL24bG4o03RHL1OKXE9JHuowKrj04KI8ZzvIS8Vn9nlogxMw9QC5b85BQAsgmyMCe42DNrFo/s400/PC+5.jpg" /></a></div>The bulletin board is also a little on the Laissez Faire side, but it lets volunteers find out about important new events, like who was elected president. There are also glimpses of the volunteer computers; there are supposed to be two in the lounge and two in another room, but at least one is almost always broken or missing.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZ4RcSujJPxXEON3fMov7lrWjvj6GhLZ4UvzlyjC0HBaiHzrP7b4w1PJ_m1mD2VI8lYKdSMBEBm-JZrAFVfTHsvlpp1CZBqf27l69SAscGyXXm94dFnRfePj-z2I41Mhf01dT/s1600-h/PC+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZ4RcSujJPxXEON3fMov7lrWjvj6GhLZ4UvzlyjC0HBaiHzrP7b4w1PJ_m1mD2VI8lYKdSMBEBm-JZrAFVfTHsvlpp1CZBqf27l69SAscGyXXm94dFnRfePj-z2I41Mhf01dT/s400/PC+6.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWO-8JH_mhUUC5DIFj4GsOOXioBtCXJdE0-Ug5DHhqI-f-4_7in0kQR3LfoPNjYYhjGnD5aiY6X6lSy7HJriSDo7FwjRlgJnMmG2pICuJXoxeJJNpnQwZHuMf0Jpiaw2oO-gsu/s1600-h/PC+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWO-8JH_mhUUC5DIFj4GsOOXioBtCXJdE0-Ug5DHhqI-f-4_7in0kQR3LfoPNjYYhjGnD5aiY6X6lSy7HJriSDo7FwjRlgJnMmG2pICuJXoxeJJNpnQwZHuMf0Jpiaw2oO-gsu/s1600-h/PC+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWO-8JH_mhUUC5DIFj4GsOOXioBtCXJdE0-Ug5DHhqI-f-4_7in0kQR3LfoPNjYYhjGnD5aiY6X6lSy7HJriSDo7FwjRlgJnMmG2pICuJXoxeJJNpnQwZHuMf0Jpiaw2oO-gsu/s400/PC+7.jpg" /></a></div>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15310082484922984597noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-39640018323003523052009-06-11T16:15:00.002-05:002009-06-11T16:15:01.190-05:00INJOCRUMToday is my last day of classes at my school, INJOCRUM (Instituto Nacional José de la Cruz Mena). I’m actually pretty sad to be leaving the kids… though at the beginning of my service I sort of dreaded going to school, by the end I finally found my groove as a teacher and going to school became the only thing that I really enjoyed about being here.<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
Here’s where I walked daily to get from the market where I got off the bus to my school. This is also where <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2009/06/marvin.html">Marvin</a> and company always harassed me:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfK1wU7y4tP5hjphNS6SdMVCAKoMTlfthEEKiTtI6t5opo4u0zuYMmIn5mUnBLy4SXBzavtvFP6hLwXgFAZQHeZZ_Ci6L6y5T7kCJnpiKl09qMtPXQdqR9ICoHBmVPO40uBUpr/s1600-h/1+Street+to+School.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfK1wU7y4tP5hjphNS6SdMVCAKoMTlfthEEKiTtI6t5opo4u0zuYMmIn5mUnBLy4SXBzavtvFP6hLwXgFAZQHeZZ_Ci6L6y5T7kCJnpiKl09qMtPXQdqR9ICoHBmVPO40uBUpr/s400/1+Street+to+School.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">This is the outside area of my school; this is before first hour when kids are just hanging out, playing soccer, and buying snacks:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0dW7UOXVKiXuxHp1ORCZUaw1jvK_msMKl_8rKnswS9XvqRQCbTlWRZeKQDnAEtYZUddoBPFzqugQOO5pzy9YodyhISADERld-q0IoKNy7qusTCqLv44veEYFkLL6ffSxoOdbO/s1600-h/2+Kids+Outside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0dW7UOXVKiXuxHp1ORCZUaw1jvK_msMKl_8rKnswS9XvqRQCbTlWRZeKQDnAEtYZUddoBPFzqugQOO5pzy9YodyhISADERld-q0IoKNy7qusTCqLv44veEYFkLL6ffSxoOdbO/s400/2+Kids+Outside.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here’s the marching band at a competition my first year at INJOCRUM. I never liked all the class we missed for the band to practice, but I did like their cheese grater instruments. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRVCo7v_2njk1osOjAsZrxg8RhhhjhXapGqNYhMFahBrS7DRoLPStKPlk1dsiMo_valmoghHit1tlX-s_pc-mjcEpi3hFVcbHTPn6J6IYWCBzVCVo9bkenYY_MjPG4Q6QqTc0/s1600-h/7+Band.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRVCo7v_2njk1osOjAsZrxg8RhhhjhXapGqNYhMFahBrS7DRoLPStKPlk1dsiMo_valmoghHit1tlX-s_pc-mjcEpi3hFVcbHTPn6J6IYWCBzVCVo9bkenYY_MjPG4Q6QqTc0/s400/7+Band.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I spent many, many hours in the teachers lounge since my teaching schedules always had a lot of free hours in them. The barred doors in the first picture go to the principal’s office, the secretary’s office, and the vice principal’s office. The painting in the second picture is of José de la Cruz Mena, the musician for whom the school is named.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8F3LTHQImbGQ6kdnlN4wxS4rltrT7yFWmkLRZk7pO0l3M5I26GIPJRtXupXNWG4ZtExqYCfI7rf_je2gpG4u9qA8LZW3H-XfdnwJcJYOeGFb_Yl5e7vuBUe0jC0xvg3iSg6_d/s1600-h/3+Teachers+Lounge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8F3LTHQImbGQ6kdnlN4wxS4rltrT7yFWmkLRZk7pO0l3M5I26GIPJRtXupXNWG4ZtExqYCfI7rf_je2gpG4u9qA8LZW3H-XfdnwJcJYOeGFb_Yl5e7vuBUe0jC0xvg3iSg6_d/s400/3+Teachers+Lounge.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKvH6W56JAEBCW5o8kg3hsQTpFSulSXbFPMVjB9fJmQ49tIzlQYUVapZu52daB406IpXYHvZhotSgrVb0WmEZlAXE0jAntw-DQbGj6hpS8AG4CpBJ06216qvqWsbEm8wVte2o/s1600-h/4+Teachers+Lounge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKvH6W56JAEBCW5o8kg3hsQTpFSulSXbFPMVjB9fJmQ49tIzlQYUVapZu52daB406IpXYHvZhotSgrVb0WmEZlAXE0jAntw-DQbGj6hpS8AG4CpBJ06216qvqWsbEm8wVte2o/s400/4+Teachers+Lounge.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">These are some of the students I had my very first school year here, in first year (7th grade) in the morning with Francis. The one in the middle is Eddyson, and he was one of my favorites:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnYeH2n2O-JKEJH4AM5EzEgxgL9UnnKJx8EvfNLI1ACmwmcQLaflqYukm-OfEf8kGHTtcasvozdPcmGjsXYTNE2I7A-VWWLnlCN1m9_cDnWI5dBQ6AoBtZHDRLd6qVqBdmuzx/s1600-h/5+Eddyson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnYeH2n2O-JKEJH4AM5EzEgxgL9UnnKJx8EvfNLI1ACmwmcQLaflqYukm-OfEf8kGHTtcasvozdPcmGjsXYTNE2I7A-VWWLnlCN1m9_cDnWI5dBQ6AoBtZHDRLd6qVqBdmuzx/s400/5+Eddyson.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">This is my IV E (fourth year, section “E”) class from last year. This class first made me enjoy coming to school, and I was legitimately sad when I no longer got to teach them. They were all good kids that participated in class, did their homework, and laughed and my corny attempts to make jokes.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcL6hTL5A6ncmcjEBczxXkeJjHC_2F5XTAA1axSujPeoj8C65r8jOKGYoBhN8di4dsJ3UQiLShwX6_y_kH5kFHFf4HdJO5EyJLEPuMkWkuD6jIkU4Nryl_tpSNXhebpHTe266p/s1600-h/6+IV+E+Favorite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcL6hTL5A6ncmcjEBczxXkeJjHC_2F5XTAA1axSujPeoj8C65r8jOKGYoBhN8di4dsJ3UQiLShwX6_y_kH5kFHFf4HdJO5EyJLEPuMkWkuD6jIkU4Nryl_tpSNXhebpHTe266p/s400/6+IV+E+Favorite.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here’s III G (third year, section “G”) from this year. In the first picture they’re learning directions. I had many of these same students last year in second year as well. </div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6EvUxxq-3XvcRkKnhz1TB3BVXhP_IGWAjqXBoIv4bccsIC0kzQmBRyqe3NLVjs-cnFqDqH9NYO60WqJgWE7t6Lol12nQ5nYAC7L2nV2oyrar8QeePHVVlmH8gEUk7r4YnL8R/s1600-h/8+III+G.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6EvUxxq-3XvcRkKnhz1TB3BVXhP_IGWAjqXBoIv4bccsIC0kzQmBRyqe3NLVjs-cnFqDqH9NYO60WqJgWE7t6Lol12nQ5nYAC7L2nV2oyrar8QeePHVVlmH8gEUk7r4YnL8R/s400/8+III+G.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7tnbEwY3s4xAtiodNxJ0rlBse5GXZZ8BTB-O4JRD7EN9RKm5d2FbCidl6M_bGSNV3-v7AGtiHiEEANht7huAWdwNnZSAnLnpZ-ZhtqeqrjTTGVqTk-eQiBctp9u01KdokPUtH/s1600-h/9+III+G.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7tnbEwY3s4xAtiodNxJ0rlBse5GXZZ8BTB-O4JRD7EN9RKm5d2FbCidl6M_bGSNV3-v7AGtiHiEEANht7huAWdwNnZSAnLnpZ-ZhtqeqrjTTGVqTk-eQiBctp9u01KdokPUtH/s400/9+III+G.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">This is Rafael, one of my favorite kids that I had both last year and this year. He loves to ask me how to say new phrases and then practices them on me later (like, “Teacher, welcome to our class!” “I am finished!” and “See you tomorrow, teacher!”). Here he is showing off the chicken skeleton he made for science class. They asphyxiated the chicken so as not to break any of its bones, and then he carefully disassembled it and glued it back together. I think it’s really gross, but also pretty interesting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Xj4pNu3nPKjNu2NT7D-pWvWEJIpHX1Sc_yvcJEvM8Mra4BKufMsk2is1_hrFixYP2ixvAiIxSSJMmVc_krSRjRAU4oSCdKRi-fZKfxt8TDhXO71006RVgn1rwmcITqCVFJch/s1600-h/10+Rafael+III+I.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Xj4pNu3nPKjNu2NT7D-pWvWEJIpHX1Sc_yvcJEvM8Mra4BKufMsk2is1_hrFixYP2ixvAiIxSSJMmVc_krSRjRAU4oSCdKRi-fZKfxt8TDhXO71006RVgn1rwmcITqCVFJch/s400/10+Rafael+III+I.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here’s Rafael’s class, III I, learning prepositions of place.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimd20Sqfb0TRPPcVARtCf0jjbT1o3b8xF2aGLVJaQOHvwhVgz-a5DllS9LbkG5LsPVSXDCyqyuxMia9bBKTZx35TnwTJT3r1-sYm0fNdFNLV0MrCmDeych4zTUH__BzhyphenhyphenBCh57/s1600-h/11+III+i.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimd20Sqfb0TRPPcVARtCf0jjbT1o3b8xF2aGLVJaQOHvwhVgz-a5DllS9LbkG5LsPVSXDCyqyuxMia9bBKTZx35TnwTJT3r1-sYm0fNdFNLV0MrCmDeych4zTUH__BzhyphenhyphenBCh57/s400/11+III+i.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Finally, I’ll also miss the teachers. This picture is from a staff meeting where we also had a dance competition to practice our solidarity. This is Lila, who is an amazing seamstress and sews most of her own clothes (and also brings clothes and purses to school to sell to other teachers). At the far left is Iris who took a long time to warm up to me, but eventually she learned my name (“Holly Regan, but not like Ronald Reagan, that’s it, right?”) and we became friends.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycsekb8TeiyEB2P7c3lwPBcSauQyb8_MgxiQYeXYg7sVLLnDJFJ9SjmLsa1kX2yJdnz5iDkGe4tfY94aByZ0CQzciT1KQ0mcWmT_X_Z8Vb58KZfENPikYMiEpnFtan83kChpm/s1600-h/12+Teacher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycsekb8TeiyEB2P7c3lwPBcSauQyb8_MgxiQYeXYg7sVLLnDJFJ9SjmLsa1kX2yJdnz5iDkGe4tfY94aByZ0CQzciT1KQ0mcWmT_X_Z8Vb58KZfENPikYMiEpnFtan83kChpm/s400/12+Teacher.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">When the last bell rings at 5:45, the kids come pouring out of the gate to the school. I rarely get out of school quickly enough to see the whole mess of students leaving to go home; these are a few stragglers that took more than 30 seconds to get out of school.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeA8dlJducisz3qaS5MsRLfvSogZYSsHEO1EGi2jR52mZGtP-3n7aZkFBSEPifGM1eJ9StFWhTCkbslLaUAXm5eRdPiRfcaEr3zix3-kGx8M2Jmkij7fU-KrQMkVZlOZfQgSJR/s1600-h/13+Kids+Leaving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeA8dlJducisz3qaS5MsRLfvSogZYSsHEO1EGi2jR52mZGtP-3n7aZkFBSEPifGM1eJ9StFWhTCkbslLaUAXm5eRdPiRfcaEr3zix3-kGx8M2Jmkij7fU-KrQMkVZlOZfQgSJR/s400/13+Kids+Leaving.jpg" /></a></div>I never thought I’d say it, but I’ll actually miss being a teacher here.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15310082484922984597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-47370385120628000972009-06-10T21:55:00.001-05:002009-06-10T22:08:45.226-05:00Botellón<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of the many chores that I get roped into just because I'm a man (see also taking the dogs out late at night, talking to strange people at the door, and cooking) is the weekly water bottle run. In our old house there was a pharmacy with water just down the street, but once we moved the closest place with water was the supermarket in the park, so I had to <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2008/09/family-suv.html">balance it on my bike</a>. I'm pretty sure that by now with all of the frescos and helados we've had we are more or less immune to whatever is floating in the water, but it's nice knowing for sure that the water is clean.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now we're living close again to Farmacia Carolina, but only for a short time to take advantage of the close access to clean water. I'm not sure we'll be able to find a place to live in the US that has 5-gallon jugs of water easily accessible by bike and/or foot. I guess that's just another sacrifice that I'm willing to make.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XqbfIb-fv7divjQ1zA8av7EppUiVGM7_TRGO2LPA-vDa4yFWAprQN70SLN4DoYv959_tOYo-N0bi9HYRpNTjuydFlCcWFBnL2rdza4T-uJTZXbLgJ1F0117khCjHaaOV8A8r/s1600-h/Botell%C3%B3n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XqbfIb-fv7divjQ1zA8av7EppUiVGM7_TRGO2LPA-vDa4yFWAprQN70SLN4DoYv959_tOYo-N0bi9HYRpNTjuydFlCcWFBnL2rdza4T-uJTZXbLgJ1F0117khCjHaaOV8A8r/s400/Botell%C3%B3n.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">P.S. 1 week from today we'll be back in the States (and with any luck, we'll have Dorita in tow).<br /></div></div>Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230004603653721603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-47276093514188487662009-06-09T21:35:00.002-05:002009-06-10T22:10:06.215-05:00Nicole<div class="MsoNormal">We’ve said before that you don’t really choose to become friends with other PCVs—it just happens. Nicole is one of the people in our group that we probably would have been friends with anyway. We’re usually the ones that stay at home rather than go out and party, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, but we’re all a little boring. </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />Nicole and I lived on the same block during training and since her Spanish was already pretty perfect when we got here, I would go to her for homework help, and during the week we would make frequent trips to Eskimo. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2lANo5CDzaTOax2HjPH1eQ7mzKCKxKP-dm2xhfvsPqSPntq0p5QCUilHe25jm3yLy6G0ka8o7rQpIaMrZzDgtafYw_L2tcyUYP4SM1KRUAjIH767yuuo8dS1-GlhHsWqNKsM/s1600-h/Nicole+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2lANo5CDzaTOax2HjPH1eQ7mzKCKxKP-dm2xhfvsPqSPntq0p5QCUilHe25jm3yLy6G0ka8o7rQpIaMrZzDgtafYw_L2tcyUYP4SM1KRUAjIH767yuuo8dS1-GlhHsWqNKsM/s320/Nicole+1.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Even though now we live 5 hours apart, we still see her pretty often because she can stay here when she needs to pass through Managua or just needs a rest from San Dionisio. We went to visit her once, and <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2007/10/matagalpa.html">that was enough</a> for us. She and Dora are best buddies, too, and Dora treats her just like family by eating her underwear.<br /><br />I think one time Nicole came to visit us and asked, "So... where are all of your friends?" I know she didn't mean anything by it, because that's just the way Nicole is. She makes friends with everyone everywhere she goes. We tried to explain that it's different being married in a big city, but ultimately she was a pretty good example of how to be a good volunteer. Everyone in San Dionisio will remember Neeecole for years and years, and if the goal is to give people in the host country a positive impression of Americans, the Peace Corps couldn't have chosen a better volunteer than Nicole.<br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />Nicole is moving back home to Florida, and since everyone here assumes that everything not Nueva York or Virginia is just a part of Miami, we liked knowing someone that came pretty darn close to coming from the real thing. The whole family will miss her visits, and our <span style="font-style: italic;">tijera </span>just won't know what to do without her. Even though Palo Alto and Lake Worth are pretty far apart, Palo Alto and Miami are just a short drive away (or so my neighbors just told me).<br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO8Th9e91KvqFMpMOilrdMlu8bioaBIwOTd2LK7Eswm2ljbWgWe6zG54HO4C8yjzvnfPZqjjaxyiH3oLCn_REQmGfwslLb2_i6Inw1cjr9mQb3YPMDsWCpt6ql3-vroiYtb3E/s1600-h/Nicole+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO8Th9e91KvqFMpMOilrdMlu8bioaBIwOTd2LK7Eswm2ljbWgWe6zG54HO4C8yjzvnfPZqjjaxyiH3oLCn_REQmGfwslLb2_i6Inw1cjr9mQb3YPMDsWCpt6ql3-vroiYtb3E/s320/Nicole+2.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAh9fBJBXiAXYKuJT8SsrhyphenhyphenJR2JY963N2BLLpWhTjYhf_A8FKZjDez6zTZ1J3NoD_iWekLwTtzpG56EFigVgFWJtux7KFuJKh_RGdJinXcAtUb0icKHR3APDMuxVz__ZVKJpQ/s1600-h/Nicole+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAh9fBJBXiAXYKuJT8SsrhyphenhyphenJR2JY963N2BLLpWhTjYhf_A8FKZjDez6zTZ1J3NoD_iWekLwTtzpG56EFigVgFWJtux7KFuJKh_RGdJinXcAtUb0icKHR3APDMuxVz__ZVKJpQ/s320/Nicole+3.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFsY5a4HR8aKc1o9Yp1-6GZ5-basPVuiE9BPDI3wqdPx9WPesLbn5BXLPWuMVS4kpwM1MH3-NUdLpJn6QB2LjirGXBu5joy-WAIM6pWS1m7yfvK8qNwezz8NOl-ZhmfRvI0M/s1600-h/Nicole+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFsY5a4HR8aKc1o9Yp1-6GZ5-basPVuiE9BPDI3wqdPx9WPesLbn5BXLPWuMVS4kpwM1MH3-NUdLpJn6QB2LjirGXBu5joy-WAIM6pWS1m7yfvK8qNwezz8NOl-ZhmfRvI0M/s320/Nicole+4.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhzGBZaTVUpE02lBOcsfH2LIAUN9A9cRwx7nrHArC-rdVkW4bcy1JMVeu5gnUo2Xi25v2ovKWTJyv4BTRfbCx5DolHdb02iLxmapk1dD4DsqDZsn_L97JOYplUxhVI5YB4-0/s1600-h/Nicole+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhzGBZaTVUpE02lBOcsfH2LIAUN9A9cRwx7nrHArC-rdVkW4bcy1JMVeu5gnUo2Xi25v2ovKWTJyv4BTRfbCx5DolHdb02iLxmapk1dD4DsqDZsn_L97JOYplUxhVI5YB4-0/s320/Nicole+5.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEHPjhRmePhAOmdEidZAQZ7pcyD5SkURkljs87EGh4S6BT7gDzm2sa4A0Tg9jzk6G03Yz194LrR0Nq1xvtrodOfyuYBM-iw-PYL5jXQRhV5e9fUxoRzBkPZ5byrG-XG-Dsu8/s1600-h/Nicole+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEHPjhRmePhAOmdEidZAQZ7pcyD5SkURkljs87EGh4S6BT7gDzm2sa4A0Tg9jzk6G03Yz194LrR0Nq1xvtrodOfyuYBM-iw-PYL5jXQRhV5e9fUxoRzBkPZ5byrG-XG-Dsu8/s320/Nicole+6.jpg" border="0" /></a></div>Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230004603653721603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-55311342782707169812009-06-08T20:55:00.000-05:002009-06-08T20:55:52.548-05:009. Ten Things I Love about You (Nicaragua)Though I listed yesterday the things I won't miss about Nicaragua, that doesn't mean it was all bad; there are plenty of things I already begin to feel nostalgic about, and we still have a few days left here! In fact, the things that I disliked yesterday are exactly the same things I like and will miss about the place:<br />
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<b>10. Daily Life</b> – For the last two years we haven’t had to worry about jobs, health care, or (until <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2009/06/limerick.html">recently</a>) housing. In the economic security sense, it will probably have been one of the least stressful periods of our adult lives. Our main teaching duties only require about 20 hours of actual work a week, and if we wanted to, we could just do that and spend the rest <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2009/06/pauls-book-list.html">reading</a> <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2009/06/hollys-book-list.html">books</a> or playing bocce ball.<br />
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<b>9. The Weather</b>: While six months of the year are a little too rainy or hot, the other six are pretty nice. In December through February you can be guaranteed sunny, warm (but not too hot) days with a nice breeze. It goes without saying that we never have to worry about snow or ice or being too cold, and it’s been nice not to have to worry about heat or air conditioning in our houses during this time. We’ve become very finely tuned thermometers; I feel comfortable between about 82 and 88 degrees; any cooler and I feel cold, and any warmer and I feel hot. <br />
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<b>8. Food</b> – We’ve eaten our share of gallo pinto, tejadas, and arroz de leche; we can’t honestly say we don’t enjoy the food here. It’s also so much more convenient here—there are <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2009/05/helados.html">helados</a> and <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2009/05/eskimo.html">ice cream</a> and snacks for sale in nearly every house, and people go door to door selling other goods or come into buses to sell cheap, yummy food while we’re traveling.<br />
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<b>7. Inexpensive Wares</b> – I think it goes without saying that on a Peace Corps volunteer’s budget, cheaper is better. Beautiful hand-woven <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2009/05/hammocks.html">hammocks</a> cost $10 and original paintings can be had for $5. Additionally, people go door to door selling most things you could ever need, from food to universal remote controls to pillows.<br />
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<b>6. Transportation</b> – Public transportation is inexpensive and prolific. We’ve been without a car for two years, but we only really regret it occasionally. Taking the bus is inexpensive and convenient to and from Masaya almost all waking hours (and several hours before waking). Additionally, we can take a <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2009/06/taxi.html">cab</a> anywhere within our town for 50 cents or a <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2009/05/rutas.html">ruta</a> for 15 cents—I am quite sure we’ll never see such cheap transportation again, especially not in Palo Alto.<br />
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<b>5. The Critters</b> – Obviously <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2009/05/30_8110.html">Dora</a> has earned a special place in our heart, along with other neighborhood dogs, little lizards, and Dora’s friends like <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2008/11/brown-dog.html">Brown Dog</a>, <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2008/12/luna.html">Luna</a>, and Colacho. <br />
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<b>4. Culture</b> – It is still kind of a shock to meet grown men living with their mothers without shame, but it is nice that strong <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2008/05/my-counterparts-daughter-had-her-1-year.html">family</a> ties are important in Nicaraguan culture. There’s also a distinct culture here in terms of <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2008/09/da-de-san-jeronimo.html">holidays</a> and <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2008/03/festival-of-st-lazarus.html">celebrations</a>, <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2008/01/eat-like-nica-in-ten-easy-steps.html">food</a>, music, and beliefs—it’s very different from the States but sort of comforting at the same time.<br />
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<b>3. Being Different</b> – It’s always easy for our friends to find out where we live once they get close enough because they can just ask the neighbors where the gringos live. Being different also gives us a chance to share our culture and ensures that no taxi ride passes in silence. <br />
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<b>2. Spanish</b> – It’s great to know another language and we’ve learned a lot. Over the last week with the landlady drama our Spanish seems to have improved greatly. Also, English lacks some really useful phrase and words; some things like como no and fachento are just better in Spanish, and (with each other at least) I think we’ll continue to use them long after we leave here.<br />
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<b>1. People</b> – We have made great friends in Nicaragua that we’ll be sad to leave, especially our counterparts, neighbors, volunteers, and Peace Corps staff. We’ll be talking more about some of our closest friends and Nica family in our last few days here.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15310082484922984597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-40184742453528769462009-06-07T09:30:00.006-05:002009-06-07T09:30:01.023-05:0010. Ten Things I Hate about You (Nicaragua)One of the things I think I fear most about returning home after Peace Corps is having to answer the inevitable question, "So did you like it?"<br />
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Peace Corps' motto is that it's "the toughest job you'll ever love." It was without a doubt tough, and we're still not sure what the experience meant to us, let alone sure how to condense it down to a sentence or two to explain it to friends and acquaintances. Part of the difficulty is that it's been quite a roller coaster, often with lots of emotions even within one day. We've celebrated little victories and felt helpless during little crises.<br />
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Now that we overcame our housing crisis, I feel much more at peace with my Peace Corps service; though it was really stressful at the time, I'm really happy it helped us get closer to Romel and Azalia, and I'm happy we are back in our old neighborhood with people we know well.<br />
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That doesn't mean I have a wistful, romantic view of everything that happened here, though; many of the things that I love most days are things that I hated on others. As our time here fades, I think we'll begin to forget many of the things that were so difficult about being here, or that made us want to pack our bags and head home. In case we're feeling sad about leaving, here are some of the things that we won't miss:<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">10. Daily Life</span>: Even the simplest tasks are just much more complicated here. Seemingly pleasant things like going to a <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2008/04/you-know-what-happens-when-you-assume.html">restaurant</a> or ordering a <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2009/05/pizza.html">pizza</a> can be complicated, un-fun tasks, and these little things seem to happen nearly every day. Even venturing out of the house can be difficult as we have to avoid the crazy drivers of Ministry of Health trucks, people zooming down the streets in their motorcycles, and other everyday hazards.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">9. The Weather</span>: It's unfortunately that Nicaragua only has two seasons since one of them is decidedly annoying. It <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2007/10/open-letter.html">rains</a> a <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2008/10/streets-are-full-ii.html">lot</a> during October. During March right as the rainy season is beginning, it is really <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2009/04/its-hot.html">hot</a> and downright miserable.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">8. Food</span>: No matter how good food may look, there could be trouble <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2008/09/bacterial-infection.html">lurking</a>. We've imported more boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese than I'd care to count, and even the most basic supplies can suddenly <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2009/05/prepared.html">disappear</a>. Outside the home, our options are limited to pizza or <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2008/01/eat-like-nica-in-ten-easy-steps.html">gallo pinto</a>, both of which can get a little old.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">7. Inexpensive Wares</span>: Stuff here is cheap, mostly in the "poor quality" sense of the word. Most of our Nicaraguan possessions seems to have a two year lifespan and are now giving out: handles are falling off pans and pots now have holes, clothes we bought here (even from the nice mall in Managua) are falling apart, and most recently our prized plastic furniture started giving out:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfTIJ0uZOjYWAfm6v6z8b371nQKqaJWFbxpF5kn3KxthX_q10BKf-xXXwDtmctvUSgNXtBjrYczjOJtcZQvQxuCvMeVIkRGl6nkSJoXthYzdY8O59aT0CTFjF1ey5AWMR4iirt/s1600-h/%5Bgickr.com%5D_e44db4b7-1eaa-5eb4-b1d5-f8f0d2866c52.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfTIJ0uZOjYWAfm6v6z8b371nQKqaJWFbxpF5kn3KxthX_q10BKf-xXXwDtmctvUSgNXtBjrYczjOJtcZQvQxuCvMeVIkRGl6nkSJoXthYzdY8O59aT0CTFjF1ey5AWMR4iirt/s400/%5Bgickr.com%5D_e44db4b7-1eaa-5eb4-b1d5-f8f0d2866c52.gif" width="266" /></a></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"> 6. Transportation</span>: I will never miss being stuck in a tiny microbus intended for a dozen people that has 25 people in it with no ventilation because all the windows are closed because it's sprinkling. During the <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2008/05/strike.html">strike</a> there was no transportation and we were stuck, and we also really hate being overcharged in taxis or buses.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">5. The Critters</span>: We've had a <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2007/10/creepie-crawlies.html">lot</a> of <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2007/11/arachnophobia.html">critter</a> encounters during our time here. Lately our most vicious enemies have been <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2008/10/wheres-that-mosquito-net.html">scorpions</a>, culminating with me getting stung by a scorpion in my arm pit at 2 in the morning a few weeks back. Eww.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Culture</span>: It's hard to live in a culture that's not your own, and as much as we try to integrate and accept it, about some things we just have to agree to disagree. The <span style="font-style: italic;">machista</span> culture that's so accepted here just isn't cool, I don't like that people make things up instead of just saying, "I don't know," and politics here caused a lot of <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2008/11/nica-style-elections.html">uncomfortable</a> situations. Another thing we never came to accept is the different views on personal space and privacy--it's perfectly acceptable for people to blast their music any time, even if it's the Alvin and the Chipmunks birthday song over and over at 5 in the morning.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Being different</span>: Missouri isn't known for its striking diversity, and I looked just like everyone else there, so coming to Nicaragua was a double whammy: we came to a place even more homogenous than our own home, and we were totally different from all those other homogenous people in appearance, culture, and speech. People make lots of assumptions about us (like that we're rich, stupid gringos that can't speak Spanish) and it's impossible to blend in and do anything anonymously.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Spanish</span>: Related to number 10, any little thing becomes more difficult when it has to be done in a different language. I am not a fan of the usted/vos distinctions or preterit and imperfect split, and a lot of people pretend not to understand what we say even though we're pronouncing the words just fine.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">1. People</span>: Some people I just won't miss. We won't really miss the people who tried to take advantage of our volunteerism, people who throw <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2008/11/brown-dog.html">rocks</a> at <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2009/05/my-worst-day-here.html">dogs</a>, the <span style="font-style: italic;">cobradors</span> and other vendors who charge us more because they think we're rich and/or don't know any better, or people who <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2008/11/lists-of-things.html">steal</a> stuff from us, and I don't think we'll be sending "We Miss You" cards to our <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2009/06/limerick.html">landlady</a> anytime soon.<br />
<br />
The bad things are often easier to list and recall because they happen every day and stick out in our minds, and I don't think it would have been fair for anyone to expect that we would love everything about this place and our time here. Overall, though, I think the good probably outweighs to bad. I don't want to end on a negative thought, but I promise that tomorrow I will have a list of the 10 things we <span style="font-style: italic;">will</span> be sad to leave behind.<br />
<br />
With only ten days left, I think we'll make it!Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15310082484922984597noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-87066102199988782722009-06-06T22:31:00.004-05:002009-06-06T22:41:48.343-05:00Funny MoneyThe other day as Paul and I were in a taxi, we saw the driver give a woman some weird-looking Monopoly money. It turns out that Nicaragua got new money overnight:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKs0my6Pqn6-OHJzlLChbus7b4wzhVUK-gpPQGzKkoPkO208HwTI_hK7wqGKwAns7gg5TBTwNn8j5kj2sLK4jkJhCN2v-EUbRIZaINe34z9KQHdrFVkwkeWAq22-KdPNo79ka6/s1600-h/05-18-2009_Random_001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKs0my6Pqn6-OHJzlLChbus7b4wzhVUK-gpPQGzKkoPkO208HwTI_hK7wqGKwAns7gg5TBTwNn8j5kj2sLK4jkJhCN2v-EUbRIZaINe34z9KQHdrFVkwkeWAq22-KdPNo79ka6/s400/05-18-2009_Random_001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344423935784614370" border="0" /></a>Since then we've decided this money is really cool so we've been trying to collect it. Today, for instance, we just got this C$200 bill ($10 USD):<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxq0xa7QE5mn1SjP0myNpJifr9jgqz8vC0CrIWGmGN4VlsY4UukHopGB-CAnOCF-_MjUJ-54FQpXm5Ww3oAJ_lb7k9MTSxye41MaNJr7leaZfhXhjLr7hxVp-96mLFzCnldsSq/s1600-h/Money+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 195px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxq0xa7QE5mn1SjP0myNpJifr9jgqz8vC0CrIWGmGN4VlsY4UukHopGB-CAnOCF-_MjUJ-54FQpXm5Ww3oAJ_lb7k9MTSxye41MaNJr7leaZfhXhjLr7hxVp-96mLFzCnldsSq/s400/Money+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344424618483375410" border="0" /></a>It turns out that might not have been such a good idea, and we plan to spend it first thing in the morning to get it off our hands. Time Magazine talks all about it <a href="http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1900518,00.html?xid=rss-topstories">here</a>: <br /><blockquote>Most of the criticism, however, seems to indicate an underlying lack of confidence and trust in the government. There are many who remember the first Sandinista government's inventive monetary policies and the resulting mega-inflation of the 1980s. As a result, some people are now treating the new plastic dinero as if it were a hot potato. "Many people don't want these bills because they think they are valueless and they're going to get stuck with them, so they're spending them as fast as they can," says clothing vendor Fabiola Espinoza. It has unintentionally created a bizarre stimulus effect on Nicaragua's beleaguered economy. "As soon as I get one of the plastic bills, I try to pass it on right away to someone else," says shopkeeper Gloria Romero.<br /></blockquote>Apparently the money is also illegal and worthless (read the Time article for more details), so let's hope we can pawn our bills off tomorrow morning. Yikes!Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15310082484922984597noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-11871099138464942692009-06-06T15:36:00.000-05:002009-06-06T15:36:34.815-05:00Marvin<i>To have been posted Thursday June 4, 2009.</i><br />
<i> </i> <br />
A daily occurrence for women volunteers here is that we will be catcalled by random men on the street. These calls of “¡Gringa! ¡Chelita! ¡Hermosa! ¡Mi amor!” really bother some women, but I usually never let it get under my skin. On my daily walk to school from the market where I get off the bus, though, there are a couple of men in particular that have yelled to me every single day I’ve walked by them on my way to school even though I shake my head fiercely and refuse to acknowledge their existence. <br />
<br />
After my trips to the States this past spring, my first day back to school the cat calls started anew: “¡Mi gringita! Where have you been? We thought you were lost! We’re so glad you’re back!” It was at this moment my heart softened a little bit for these guys… at least they had noticed my absence and seemed to miss me a little bit. More recently, I’ve been going to school in taxi because I don’t leave the house in time to catch the ruta, so when I passed by them on Tuesday they said, “¡Mi gringita! I know you’ve been passing by in cab so you can avoid me! I’m glad you’re back!” and at that moment I decided that perhaps I should try to reach a truce.<br />
<br />
Yesterday I went shopping for souvenirs during my free periods at school, so I had to walk past them to get from school to the market. Normally when I approach the men I look straight ahead and keep walking, but yesterday I walked up to them and said hello… this alone was enough to preempt the catcalls for that visit. I explained to them that I have been ignoring them for all of this time because to Americans, those catcalls are very rude and offensive. I told them I now realize, though, that they don’t say those things to offend me, but rather because they think it’s nice. They agreed and said they meant no offense, so we introduced ourselves and agreed that I will stop ignoring them and will say hello to them when I pass, and they will stop catcalling me and say hello instead. <br />
<br />
In the end they told me I needed a picture of them to remember them by, and it just so happened that I had my camera with me yesterday. Here’s their picture:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMDiVTTDcTINR7_yeJPDgzs6SG657V4IUEtFbyqIXEvt-Ra64id1wQoRfFR8zR0_QIsa31j5erzVz0ftCUUQz1vpL8LELyaP0b-fBBUAZc3U5TpNS4s1JLHpQH7lMVP_YvWGd/s1600-h/6-4+Marvin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMDiVTTDcTINR7_yeJPDgzs6SG657V4IUEtFbyqIXEvt-Ra64id1wQoRfFR8zR0_QIsa31j5erzVz0ftCUUQz1vpL8LELyaP0b-fBBUAZc3U5TpNS4s1JLHpQH7lMVP_YvWGd/s320/6-4+Marvin.jpg" /></a></div>The big, jolly guy is Marvin and he’s the one who led the catcalls, the one sitting on the curb is Alberto, and I don’t remember the names of the other two. Marvin told me that I need to tell everyone who sees the picture, “These are the men who fell in love with me and bothered me every single day.” There you go, Marvin.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15310082484922984597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-18255207684080983702009-06-05T18:45:00.000-05:002009-06-06T15:35:34.698-05:00TEFL 44<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>To have been posted June 5, 2009</i> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In May, 2007, the Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) group came to Nicaragua as its 44th training group. Each training group is referred to by its number, so we're TEFL 44. We started off with 20 and lost a few here and there and are now down to 13. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">June 7, 2007 at Volcán Masaya during training. This was before anyone "ETed" (early terminated) but three people are missing from the picture.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpUaYvwVtDueLTKSjWZ99CB2APtOY0UVE6fWYNIHixjY149fJ39vs5YkarkEaRm0oOWC3zPJaRrN7Z7zBTfWrC0Fjdd9m3frB6CXN97Y-gcvPYBwX5qqB-1d4gFBCcm08Cjay/s400/2964811111_209c86b7ea_b.jpg" border="0" /> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Here we are at swearing in on July 20, 2007. At this point two had left, so we were 18.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6AmOjIs6Zxa6fcgQRZ-QuBO4U2m0T2QhhQ2o2Zeo3o8ehPbiirsLpCatPpntJaPI1c4kJjl4uq_7_2cbQWJlZJWRPPe5RTH69zq7CecR2Zxqxkwc8CKJxF0XZBIWQvovAC2Md/s1600-h/2965022486_9e81789e89_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6AmOjIs6Zxa6fcgQRZ-QuBO4U2m0T2QhhQ2o2Zeo3o8ehPbiirsLpCatPpntJaPI1c4kJjl4uq_7_2cbQWJlZJWRPPe5RTH69zq7CecR2Zxqxkwc8CKJxF0XZBIWQvovAC2Md/s400/2965022486_9e81789e89_b.jpg" border="0" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is from the <i>despedida</i> (farewell party) for our first boss, Deepa. We had three bosses while we were here--Deepa, Lizzet, and Joayne, and for about 6 months had no boss (though Karen did a great job doing her job and the boss's job during that time):</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA3uTzL0EVjuivSJnJdkELtLURX9wFrJa5hLNkN1ZhX5wTNtsltM0aj4FFmw_2gbV52m0b45m4u2SqOl2EQ2w8wANSGzHsSVTuphFHnimcoxx0gXmW9-fcYlRrZVY-D_556OuU/s1600-h/Deepas+Despedida.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA3uTzL0EVjuivSJnJdkELtLURX9wFrJa5hLNkN1ZhX5wTNtsltM0aj4FFmw_2gbV52m0b45m4u2SqOl2EQ2w8wANSGzHsSVTuphFHnimcoxx0gXmW9-fcYlRrZVY-D_556OuU/s400/Deepas+Despedida.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Finally, here we are near the end at our Close of Service conference in April, 2009. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjHA99j0GD4cwUWyTtT8v4ebtebiQXz7P-PUWli8k9il3wmAptUGW-fuiE-MNtCmp771CxpGYxYg3I4Bzh0m3owXihwZJQedaapEUvY4aftokHiGF-yzc8ES5qPl8fVT4uQyH/s1600-h/04-16-2009_COS_Conference_069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjHA99j0GD4cwUWyTtT8v4ebtebiQXz7P-PUWli8k9il3wmAptUGW-fuiE-MNtCmp771CxpGYxYg3I4Bzh0m3owXihwZJQedaapEUvY4aftokHiGF-yzc8ES5qPl8fVT4uQyH/s400/04-16-2009_COS_Conference_069.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's hard not to compare other PCVs to family: you don't get to choose who else is in the group, you have lots of forced quality time, and they're the people that you'll probably spend most holidays with, so you end up liking each other despite pretty big personality clashes. We also know that these people are the only others that will really understand what our time was like here, understand the drama and <i>chisme</i> that comes along with being a Peace Corps Volunteer, and for with it is totally normal to use words like <i>chisme</i>, <i>pinche</i>, <i>como no</i>, and <i>fachento</i> in an otherwise all-English conversation. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today was our final Close of Service presentation to the Peace Corps staff, and the last time we'll all be together. We had a nice dinner and began saying goodbyes. Fortunately it's not too difficult to stay in touch now with email, text messages, Skype, Facebook, and $29 flights, but we'll be sad to anyway and we're looking forward to seeing everyone again soon.</div>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15310082484922984597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-91043252432944260872009-06-05T12:08:00.001-05:002009-06-05T11:43:36.281-05:00Souvenirs<span style="font-style: italic;">To have been posted June 3, 2009.</span><br /><br />Now that we’re about to leave, we’ve been thinking a lot about what sorts of souvenirs we’d like to bring back with us to remember Nicaragua by. Masaya is the undisputed capital of arts and crafts in Nicaragua, so we have a lot of things to choose from, all right under our noses.<br /><br />Masaya’s Old Market is its tourist market and it housed in an... old market that looks like a castle.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJGy-pqjvLRwVuyLOM1z3h5LPtj8pbpHjcjopVLgszp5vTEBxwWcntZ6MEBHtVdRmBlPOE062Y9AY8uTS3m9LMET-zQjtn8nCJ_YYK7k42XHB7HapVIBmP7m4G-jBFJSU1B1-/s1600-h/Old+Market+Exterior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJGy-pqjvLRwVuyLOM1z3h5LPtj8pbpHjcjopVLgszp5vTEBxwWcntZ6MEBHtVdRmBlPOE062Y9AY8uTS3m9LMET-zQjtn8nCJ_YYK7k42XHB7HapVIBmP7m4G-jBFJSU1B1-/s400/Old+Market+Exterior.jpg" border="0" /></a></div>It’s really nice and clean and well lit, but it’s also a lot more expensive because it caters to tourists. We generally took our visitors here to get a feel for things and to pick out what they want, and then we took them to the other market. They do have a large selection of the wide variety of goods available here.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_6QiecMGpruPaJeAwMFTKSEFiqiNW0mWdVjhev7I1GoVQPv8fmcl8Z50HvgnUflD97PgA4Xg8QLXJWoT49Lx9Ad4pZ17JMISD7MRg8XvJpel7FhlFjTCbIMOTnkCg3n8J8Kr/s1600-h/Old+Market+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_6QiecMGpruPaJeAwMFTKSEFiqiNW0mWdVjhev7I1GoVQPv8fmcl8Z50HvgnUflD97PgA4Xg8QLXJWoT49Lx9Ad4pZ17JMISD7MRg8XvJpel7FhlFjTCbIMOTnkCg3n8J8Kr/s400/Old+Market+1.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFPtyL1L8bsgh9DLCzuN4zEtY25El1B5OS06YuSn-HgphI4j1AzKWZoY1FmmUpqcWwDk2nmQmlwdfqBwoAmIYnwM6TpKNXVIFFrPxOeh0zXPArAFvtiL7a1N4sBhC_z9ylZoN/s1600-h/Old+Market+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFPtyL1L8bsgh9DLCzuN4zEtY25El1B5OS06YuSn-HgphI4j1AzKWZoY1FmmUpqcWwDk2nmQmlwdfqBwoAmIYnwM6TpKNXVIFFrPxOeh0zXPArAFvtiL7a1N4sBhC_z9ylZoN/s400/Old+Market+2.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0wqskjUzuMZOsNQIVuzjM5YPWk-Tt6rChwRkxFd4slOPt_LnMV_8JU2EMPbNHL7-DGvF6IBv-8c8qq0ckfo9Eu7DynSAaQIJUfUiPkhU8ZXHBHdyPXVqk1mfWILDibb65xnP/s1600-h/Old+Market+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0wqskjUzuMZOsNQIVuzjM5YPWk-Tt6rChwRkxFd4slOPt_LnMV_8JU2EMPbNHL7-DGvF6IBv-8c8qq0ckfo9Eu7DynSAaQIJUfUiPkhU8ZXHBHdyPXVqk1mfWILDibb65xnP/s400/Old+Market+3.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wXmLDC9CPFsDduTPLAfw3cjHfloRCK46PWQlL5cwu8Zz6RW19ieKY6Ap9LoRcoJKdhKPImE5NwgnmFsUQPTmCn9HfuuvxEQ8sg-GtibwlGEdhLMbuqAxsk9NPYmn-3pi8aa1/s1600-h/Old+Market+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wXmLDC9CPFsDduTPLAfw3cjHfloRCK46PWQlL5cwu8Zz6RW19ieKY6Ap9LoRcoJKdhKPImE5NwgnmFsUQPTmCn9HfuuvxEQ8sg-GtibwlGEdhLMbuqAxsk9NPYmn-3pi8aa1/s400/Old+Market+4.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_4GJP2CNExS_uu4k9I1sMfTTTV34LgOA-aQZ9C_fUaLeqFondY2VPoTP5-pwG523FFt1XKhk-kXIrbDoUHHYv2C2FAGg6KHGe2aecUCgRBWSkEaLNDft4QNmnCpfgpH12Bmb/s1600-h/Old+Market+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_4GJP2CNExS_uu4k9I1sMfTTTV34LgOA-aQZ9C_fUaLeqFondY2VPoTP5-pwG523FFt1XKhk-kXIrbDoUHHYv2C2FAGg6KHGe2aecUCgRBWSkEaLNDft4QNmnCpfgpH12Bmb/s400/Old+Market+5.jpg" border="0" /></a></div>The New Market is Masaya’s main market where Masayans do their shopping for nearly all goods, but it also has a separate artisan section for the brave tourists. Here’s the parking lot of the market and some outside shops. The entrances to the actual market are past the big tree on the right:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFD1ugUGSgYYAxojiWR-v6pRY48J550tjcjdXLCAJ5USmJNkwEhkaUQ0z_dc2Gtk7ZEa53UomzZTYtxHDWwhkgxBvk78IeyKPZd6UQnX9KilEgToCF3RXsFACRhqvyAezoPMbK/s1600-h/New+Market.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFD1ugUGSgYYAxojiWR-v6pRY48J550tjcjdXLCAJ5USmJNkwEhkaUQ0z_dc2Gtk7ZEa53UomzZTYtxHDWwhkgxBvk78IeyKPZd6UQnX9KilEgToCF3RXsFACRhqvyAezoPMbK/s400/New+Market.jpg" border="0" /></a></div>This market is closed in and is therefore dark, dirty, and provides a fairly overwhelming experience. We don’t have many pictures of the inside because it’s too dark and there’s just too much stuff crammed inside to be able to take a picture that does it justice. Here are two attempts:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggLXe4RJsMf6IJ4fY_jtxCoYXJXV4zfx42NN-FKAQ8hJdgO3w-xGICccHDMVYBBBzf2jgXy-tZxDqtOijCj9ig_kJPbPrUwouLVtQIHPqarkZJEG4plisFFPRmLdHsCNWhROO/s1600-h/New+Market+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggLXe4RJsMf6IJ4fY_jtxCoYXJXV4zfx42NN-FKAQ8hJdgO3w-xGICccHDMVYBBBzf2jgXy-tZxDqtOijCj9ig_kJPbPrUwouLVtQIHPqarkZJEG4plisFFPRmLdHsCNWhROO/s400/New+Market+1.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1j_xwN7R-En6EdGzq3guM0h9nzjhYoU6lkzt5BiGVUSzcZFQYEeiY8YHK8UU1MdVSA2YB_msj81U0-YjUoTZShTFecQ1Dx_xzrnCK-3gyrhuDzrm0qL8AM8WFnxfPfWpVQCS/s1600-h/New+Market+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1j_xwN7R-En6EdGzq3guM0h9nzjhYoU6lkzt5BiGVUSzcZFQYEeiY8YHK8UU1MdVSA2YB_msj81U0-YjUoTZShTFecQ1Dx_xzrnCK-3gyrhuDzrm0qL8AM8WFnxfPfWpVQCS/s400/New+Market+2.jpg" border="0" /></a></div>Finally, the city of Masaya isn’t the only place to find good souvenirs. The entire department is full of artisans, and each little town is known for its own type of work. Masatepe is known for its woodwork (and sometime in the future Paul and I plan to return and buy a nice set of rocking chairs), Catarina has tons of plants and gardens, and San Juan de Oriente is known for its pottery:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq47m8kXS9j6JPewcnLv311EMooI9o3KEVc_YmQxePBIfcEsu0ZHw0XpfFRTRlz62SJlx5_e1Rg6-nxNyBDAE6M8P8tuqhCsZNFRqSuWCcHxdYuywEbjbVG9uA8Sv9i71J2yHt/s1600-h/SJDO+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq47m8kXS9j6JPewcnLv311EMooI9o3KEVc_YmQxePBIfcEsu0ZHw0XpfFRTRlz62SJlx5_e1Rg6-nxNyBDAE6M8P8tuqhCsZNFRqSuWCcHxdYuywEbjbVG9uA8Sv9i71J2yHt/s400/SJDO+4.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQAS1mZpUSB5N22xp8qYKNQAYIs2ys9yuAD8r24GBSXGonc8D_RxBu4C0yih5txXzRRtnRl-Y9svDpNOW_hD8thMyWHJY8qU1TygdQa3xaFYHbv8KKzyvqOT34cT8kLMRTmHH/s1600-h/SJDO+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQAS1mZpUSB5N22xp8qYKNQAYIs2ys9yuAD8r24GBSXGonc8D_RxBu4C0yih5txXzRRtnRl-Y9svDpNOW_hD8thMyWHJY8qU1TygdQa3xaFYHbv8KKzyvqOT34cT8kLMRTmHH/s400/SJDO+3.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB23yIqo-jW_Po9Z1IfrxueY3hwZ6esaLAUDGr1VWbYP4TBzoQJ0lH6URSaPozfqF-1LhYZ8tBF8xFKNDgNDMMVZBjqbKPmzJoWKeQacDkpG3rzAKCKSF_kV0YWXsaO8mGzyk6/s1600-h/SJDO+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB23yIqo-jW_Po9Z1IfrxueY3hwZ6esaLAUDGr1VWbYP4TBzoQJ0lH6URSaPozfqF-1LhYZ8tBF8xFKNDgNDMMVZBjqbKPmzJoWKeQacDkpG3rzAKCKSF_kV0YWXsaO8mGzyk6/s400/SJDO+2.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHob5lYnRLbvmH682lTCA2AClUkQx_zaV2sxOc1HQRxF5zq7_fvv0HQghpX94kJCgtU-Y61ms21stcOQLA5WdL-1baKKG_AqFZIWxP6dqStAcaVBVYRtN7DW6qdpVGX8mCLbf/s1600-h/SJDO+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHob5lYnRLbvmH682lTCA2AClUkQx_zaV2sxOc1HQRxF5zq7_fvv0HQghpX94kJCgtU-Y61ms21stcOQLA5WdL-1baKKG_AqFZIWxP6dqStAcaVBVYRtN7DW6qdpVGX8mCLbf/s400/SJDO+1.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br />We will probably make a couple more trips to the markets to scout out the wares we’d like to buy and bargain to get a good deal on them. We’ve decided to take some art home with us so that we can display it in our home as a <i>recuerdo</i> of Nicaragua and of our markets here.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15310082484922984597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-83976382732610132142009-06-05T11:44:00.002-05:002009-06-05T11:06:42.232-05:00Taxi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Taxis are way more common in Masaya than privately-owned cars. It's how we get around when where we're going is too far, it's raining, or too hot. Taxis don't have meters or anything--in Masaya you know that no matter where you go it's supposed to be C$10. In Managua you have to negotiate a little bit before you get in. No ride costs less than C$20 ($1), and the most expensive taxi I've taken was around C$50 per person from one end of Managua to the outskirts where the airport is. Holly and I realized recently that in an effort to avoid getting ripped off, we drive an exceptionally hard bargain. Most Nicaraguans accept the first price that the taxi driver gives them... we usually negotiate it down at least C$5.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Taxis are supposed to be highly regulated, but anyone with a car can try to turn it into a taxi for a while. The white car below is a non-registered taxi, or a <i>pirata</i>. The one behind it has the official red and white taxi plate.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltVYHPtIn7khTrggvSxw6WVp79Y1fq1qOkSQ6M-8KJpzR81zAPHAGr00hi8n1cvb2ogxAvfzRbqWUn8ZmqaVadLDxDbWJ5Y7hsZAsBFf-F6gsloSSMCfDqbTBLtY8xCUzNpw/s1600-h/Taxis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltVYHPtIn7khTrggvSxw6WVp79Y1fq1qOkSQ6M-8KJpzR81zAPHAGr00hi8n1cvb2ogxAvfzRbqWUn8ZmqaVadLDxDbWJ5Y7hsZAsBFf-F6gsloSSMCfDqbTBLtY8xCUzNpw/s400/Taxis.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The bane of our existence, the announcer-taxi: it's pretty self-explanatory, but those speakers are so loud that when they pass our house we can't hear anything else. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1X2Z5dRcJ6VPGC3avin0_R4fvkAmj-iXoI7GDTExL41W4bPAw5fnz88d_Lv9KNC4rJZmmX4-lpiDqFq6hXcFzB74rpqOeOXkHvBuX1l9TvcBSKdMoz7Lzdck53NyA9Onbfc/s1600-h/08-12-20_Dogs_048-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1X2Z5dRcJ6VPGC3avin0_R4fvkAmj-iXoI7GDTExL41W4bPAw5fnz88d_Lv9KNC4rJZmmX4-lpiDqFq6hXcFzB74rpqOeOXkHvBuX1l9TvcBSKdMoz7Lzdck53NyA9Onbfc/s400/08-12-20_Dogs_048-1.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHB4Ecagwr7YQ0L79dz4eK6M_-mi7VWXY-_p9kA7pgdM-PYREZkeYEWtM7eWB3B3DY1Kj28ta-GBr8cCR-1B9dKGCColy-wis3m_hRntdt8-sb8y0FeflL9zGLHBgYCl7A9k/s1600-h/Taxi+Roof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHB4Ecagwr7YQ0L79dz4eK6M_-mi7VWXY-_p9kA7pgdM-PYREZkeYEWtM7eWB3B3DY1Kj28ta-GBr8cCR-1B9dKGCColy-wis3m_hRntdt8-sb8y0FeflL9zGLHBgYCl7A9k/s320/Taxi+Roof.jpg" /></a></div>Taxis are usually really old, barely maintained enough to run cars, but it's a pretty inexpensive way to get around (and we don't have any other choice). It's unlikely that we'll be nostalgic about that time that we fit 8 people in a taxi, but maybe after taking a few taxis in the US our <i>pinche </i>halves will miss the prices.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230004603653721603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-3023195081261315222009-06-05T11:01:00.002-05:002009-06-05T11:02:44.293-05:00Paul's Book ListHere is my book list starting at the beginning. At least 75% of these I read in the first year before I got too busy with work (and TV). Going over this list, I remember what else I was doing while reading a certain book or I tie a memory of a person to a book. I read Underworld during my first weeks of training when I didn't have anything better to do than read an obscenely long book. Sputnik Sweetheart I read on the plane going home for Christmas the first year. I know that Nicole gave me Three Cups of Tea and Danny loaned me Amerika.<div><br /><div></div><div>I realized when I started to keep this list that a lot of the books I read were about people in unfamiliar places or circumstances. I'm not sure if it was totally a coincidence, but it was comforting to know that I wasn't the first to deal with being a foreigner and that people had survived much worse.</div><div><br /><div></div><div>Like Holly, I'm really glad that I had a time that was relatively free of modern distractions that I could use to read. Some of my best reading got done in the hammock when the electricity was out. I'm not going to count the pages (because I'm lazy and have limited internet time), but with Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings, I'd say well over 4,000 pages were about wizards, vampires, and elves, and I'm not at all ashamed about reading about wizards and elves.<br /><br />1. A Wild Sheep Chase, Haruki Murakami<br />2. Underworld, Don DeLillo<br />3. Mountains Beyond Mountains, Tracy Kidder<br />4. Empire Falls, Richard Russo<br />5. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini<br />6. To Bury Our Fathers, Sergio Ramirez<br />7. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey<br />8. Shalimar the Clown, Salman Rushdie<br />9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling<br />10. A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway<br />11. Dance Dance Dance, Haruki Murakami<br />12. American Gods, Neil Gaiman<br />13. Interview with a Vampire, Anne Rice<br />14. The Two Towers, J.R.R. Tolkien<br />15. The Return of the King, J.R.R. Tolkien<br />16. Raise High the Roofbeam Carpenters & Seymour, an Introduction, J.D. Salinger<br />17. The Dharma Bums, Jack Kerouac<br />18. The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Nifenegger<br />19. Einstein: His Life and Universe<br />20. Running with Scissors, Augusten Burroughs<br />21. Jitterbug Perfume, Tom Robbins<br />22. Naked, David Sedaris<br />23. Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer, James L. Swanson<br />24. For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ernest Hemingway<br />25. My Car in Managua, Forrest D. Colburn<br />26. Norwegian Wood, Haruki Murakami<br />27. Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson<br />28. Sputnik Sweetheart, Haruki Murakami<br />29. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers<br />30. The Death of Ben Linder, Joan Kruckewitt<br />31. The Dante Club, Matthew Pearl<br />32. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, Patrick Suskind<br />33. The Celestine Prophecy, James Redfield<br />34. Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, Chuck Klosterman<br />35. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert<br />36. A Million Little Pieces, James Frey<br />37. Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen<br />38. Life of Pi, Yann Martel<br />39. Ella Minnow Pea, Mark Dunn<br />40. The Assassins' Gate: America in Iraq, George Packer<br />41. The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien<br />42. After Dark, Haruki Murakami<br />43. Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, Alexandra Fuller<br />44. A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini<br />45. Brief Encounters with Che Guevara, Ben Fountain<br />46. The Namesake, Jhumpa Lahiri<br />47. The Third Chimpanzee, Jared Diamond<br />48. Haunted, Chuck Palaniuk<br />49. Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Aron Ralston<br />50. Law School Confidential, Robert Miller<br />51. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho<br />52. The House of Spirits, Isabel Allende<br />53. A Dog Year, Jon Katz<br />54. Lamb, Christopher Moore<br />55. River Town, Peter Hessler<br />56. Dry, Augusten Burroughs<br />57. Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer<br />58. Marley and Me, John Grogan<br />59. Amerika: The Man Who Disappeared, Franz Kafka<br />60. The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway<br />61. The Yiddish Policeman's Union, Michael Chabon<br />62. Straight Man, Richard Russo<br />63. Oracle Bones, Peter Hessler<br />64. Survival of the Sickest, Sharon Moalem<br />65. Oh the Glory of It All, Sean Wilsey<br />66. What is the What, Dave Eggers<br />67. The four Twilight books, Stephanie Meyer<br />68. Sex Lives of Cannibals, J. Maarten Troost<br />69. Getting Stoned with Savages, J. Maarten Troost<br /><br />I'm sure that there are at least a couple of books that I'm forgetting about, and I have another 3 that I've been reading on and off for way too long. We just gave away our TV, so maybe in the 12 days we have left I can finish another couple of books. </div></div></div>Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230004603653721603noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-91609585434359111372009-06-04T15:15:00.001-05:002009-06-04T16:53:27.213-05:00Holly's Book List<div align="left">Peace Corps has certainly given me a lot of free time to read books. Some books that I read were amazing and are now among my favorites, while others I read out of sheer boredom and desperation. <b style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bold</b> books are my top ten favorites, <i>italicized </i>books are the ten I <strike>hated most</strike> liked least. Here are, in the order that I read them, the books I read cover to cover during Peace Corps (skimming and quitting don't count):</div><ol><li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Memory-Keepers-Daughter-Kim-Edwards/dp/0143037145/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242963878&sr=8-1">The Memory Keeper's Daughter</a> by Kim Edwards (432 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/History-Love-Novel-Nicole-Krauss/dp/0393328627/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242963964&sr=8-1">The History of Love: A Novel</a> by Nicole Krauss (272 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mountains-Beyond-Quest-Farmer-Would/dp/0812973011/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242964040&sr=8-1">Mountains Beyond Mountains</a> by Tracy Kidder (352 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stumbling-Happiness-Daniel-Gilbert/dp/B001GCVFIM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242964151&sr=8-1">Stumbling on Happiness</a> by Daniel Gilbert (304 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lovely-Bones-Alice-Sebold/dp/0316168815/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242964239&sr=8-1">The Lovely Bones</a> by Alice Sebold (352 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Million-Little-Pieces-James-Frey/dp/0307276902/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242964249&sr=8-1">A Million Little Pieces</a> by James Frey</span> (448 pages)</div></li>
<li style="font-weight: bold;"><div align="left"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kite-Runner-Khaled-Hosseini/dp/1573222453/ref=ed_oe_h">The Kite Runner</a> by Khaled Hosseini</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">(371 pages)</span></div></li>
<li style="font-weight: bold;"><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Marley-Me-Life-Worlds-Worst/dp/0060817089/ref=ed_oe_h" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Marley & Me</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> by John Grogan</span> <span style="font-weight: normal;">(304 pages)</span></div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Sheep-Chase-Novel/dp/037571894X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242964447&sr=8-1">A Wild Sheep Chase: A Novel</a> by Haruki Murakami (368 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Haruki-Murakami/dp/0679753796/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242964676&sr=8-1">Dance Dance Dance</a> by Haruki Murakami (416 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Manhunt-12-Day-Chase-Lincolns-Killer/dp/0060518502/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242964685&sr=8-1">Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer</a> by James L. Swanson (496 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/God-Small-Things-Novel/dp/0812979656/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242964694&sr=8-1">The God of Small Things</a> by Arundhati Roy</i> (336 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Life-Bees-Monk-Kidd/dp/0142001740/ref=ed_oe_p">The Secret Life of Bees</a> by Sue Monk Kidd (336 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jitterbug-Perfume-Tom-Robbins/dp/0553348981/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242966721&sr=8-1">Jitterbug Perfume</a> by Tom Robbins </i>(352 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dante-Club-Novel-Matthew-Pearl/dp/034549038X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242966725&sr=8-1">The Dante Club: A Novel</a> by Matthew Pearl (464 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wind-Up-Bird-Chronicle-Novel/dp/0679775439/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242966734&sr=8-1">The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: A Novel</a> by Haruki Murakami (624 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Stoned-Savages-Through-Islands/dp/0767921992/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242966739&sr=8-1">Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu</a> by J. Maarten Troost (256 pages)</div></li>
<li style="font-weight: bold;"><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hobbit-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0618260307/ref=ed_oe_p" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The Hobbit</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> by J.R.R. Tolkien</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> (320 pages)</span></div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/American-Taboo-Murder-Peace-Corps/dp/006009687X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242966751&sr=8-1">American Taboo: A Murder in the Peace Corps</a> by Philip Weiss (384 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Naked-David-Sedaris/dp/0316777730/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242966759&sr=8-1">Naked</a> by David Sedaris </i>(224 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Three-Cups-Tea-Mission-Promote/dp/0143038257/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242966762&sr=8-1">Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace... One School at a Time</a> by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (368 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ella-Minnow-Pea-Novel-Letters/dp/0385722435/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242966884&sr=8-1">Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters</a> by Mark Dunn</span> (224 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/My-Car-Managua-Forrest-Colburn/dp/0292751249/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242966893&sr=8-1">My Car in Managua</a> by Forrest D. Colburn (148 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Perfume-Story-Murderer-Patrick-Suskind/dp/0375725849/ref=pd_cp_b_1?pf_rd_p=413864201&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0307277763&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=19YDM54KP1EWV49KPW8J">Perfume: The Story of a Murderer</a> by Patrick Suskind</i> (272 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Writers-Diary-Movie-Tie/dp/0767924908/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242966900&sr=8-3">The Freedom Writers Diary</a> by Erin Gruwell (320 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Running-Scissors-Augusten-Burroughs/dp/B001B46ND2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242966987&sr=8-4">Running with Scissors: A Memoir</a> by Augusten Burroughs </i>(352 pages)</div></li>
<li style="font-weight: bold;"><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Deathly-Hallows-Book/dp/0545010225/ref=ed_oe_h" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> by J.K. Rowling</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> (784 pages)</span></div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Atonement-Ian-McEwan/dp/0307387151/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242967001&sr=8-2">Atonement</a> by Ian McEwan (368 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Good-Owners-Great-Brian-Kilcommons/dp/0446675385/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242967005&sr=8-1">Good Owners, Great Dogs</a> by Brian Kilcommons (288 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Time-Travelers-Wife-Audrey-Niffenegger/dp/015602943X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242967078&sr=8-1">The Time Traveler's Wife</a> by Audrey Niffenegger</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span>(560 pages)</div></li>
<li style="font-weight: bold;"><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Pray-Love-Everything-Indonesia/dp/0143038419/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242967089&sr=8-1" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia </a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">by Elizabeth Gilbert </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">(352 pages)</span></div></li>
<li style="font-weight: bold;"><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Water-Elephants-Novel-Sara-Gruen/dp/1565125606/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242965537&sr=8-1" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Water for Elephants</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">: A Novel by Sara Gruen</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span>(350 pages)</span></div></li>
<li><div align="left"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Good-Nick-Hornby/dp/1573229326/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242965540&sr=8-1">How to Be Good</a> by Nick Hornby </i>(320 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Whisperer-Compassionate-Nonviolent-Approach/dp/1593375980/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242965551&sr=8-2">The Dog Whisperer: A Compassionate, Nonviolent Approach to Dogtraining</a> by Paul Owens (256 pages)</div></li>
<li style="font-weight: bold;"><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Brothers-Nicaragua-Rockefeller-American/dp/0674025938/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242965556&sr=8-1" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Blood of Brothers: Life and War in Nicaragua</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> by Stephen Kinzer</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span>(450 pages)</span></div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/PowerScore-LSAT-Logic-Games-Bible/dp/0980178207/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242965564&sr=8-1">The PowerScore LSAT Logic Games Bible</a> by David M. Killoran (402 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/PowerScore-LSAT-Logical-Reasoning-Bible/dp/0972129618/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242965564&sr=8-3">The PowerScore LSAT Logical Reasoning Bible</a> by David M. Killoran (541 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kaplan-LSAT-180-2008/dp/1419551809/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242965782&sr=8-1">LSAT 180</a> by Kaplan (368 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Official-SuperPrep-School-Admission-Council/dp/0942639936">The Official LSAT Superprep</a> (405 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Law-School-Confidential-Revised-Experience/dp/0312318812/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242965806&sr=8-1">Law School Confidential</a> by Robert H. Miller (352 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Graduate-Admissions-Essays-School-Choice/dp/1580088724/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242965807&sr=8-1">Graduate Admissions Essays: Write Your Way Into the Graduate School of Your Dreams</a> by Donald Asher (256 pages) </div></li>
<li style="font-weight: bold;"><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/River-Town-Years-Yangtze-P-S/dp/0060855029/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242965817&sr=8-1" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> by Peter Hessler</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span>(432 pages)</span></div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ivey-Guide-Law-School-Admissions/dp/0156029790/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242965839&sr=8-1">The Ivey Guide to Law School Admissions: Straight Advice on Essays, Resumes, Interviews, and More</a> by Anna Ivey (324 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Year-Twelve-Months-Four/dp/0812966902/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242965825&sr=8-1">A Dog Year: Twelve Months, </a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Year-Twelve-Months-Four/dp/0812966902/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242965825&sr=8-1">Four Dogs, </a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Year-Twelve-Months-Four/dp/0812966902/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242965825&sr=8-1">and Me</a> by Jon Katz (240 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Glass-Castle-Memoir-Jeannette-Walls/dp/074324754X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242966046&sr=8-1">The Glass Castle: A Memoir</a> by Jeanette Walls </i>(288 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Into-Schools-Degree-Difference/dp/B000J3EGQW/ref=ed_oe_p_bargain">How to Get Into the Top Law Schools</a> by Richard Montauk (560 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Photographs-Digital-Updated/dp/0817463003/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242966065&sr=8-1">Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera</a> by Bryan Peterson (160 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Photography-Book-Scott-Kelby/dp/032147404X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242966070&sr=8-1">The Digital Photography Book</a> by Scott Kelby (240 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Photography-Understanding-Creating-Sophisticated/dp/0240809424/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242966080&sr=8-1">The Elements of Photography: Understanding and Creating Sophisticated Images</a> by Angela Faris Belt (384 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Photoshop-Lightroom-Digital-Photographers-Voices/dp/0321555562/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242966100&sr=8-1">The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers</a> by Scott Kelby (448 pages)</div></li>
<li style="font-weight: bold;"><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Saga-Book-1/dp/0316015849/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242966340&sr=8-2" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Twilight</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> by Stephenie Meyer</span> <span style="font-weight: normal;">(544 pages)</span></div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Moon-Twilight-Saga-Book/dp/0316024961/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242966343&sr=8-1">New Moon</a> by Stephenie Meyer (608 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eclipse-Twilight-Saga-Book-3/dp/0316160202/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242966346&sr=8-1">Eclipse</a> by Stephenie Meyer (640 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Dawn-Twilight-Saga-Book/dp/031606792X/ref=pd_sim_b_1">Breaking Dawn</a> by Stephenie Meyer (768 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bonk-Curious-Coupling-Science-Sex/dp/0393334791/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242966364&sr=8-3">Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex</a> by Mary Roach</i> (336 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Economic-Hit-John-Perkins/dp/0452287081/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242966494&sr=8-2">Confessions of an Economic Hitman</a> by John Perkins (320 pages)</div></li>
<li><div align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dogs-Babel-Novel-Carolyn-Parkhurst/dp/0316778508/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242966369&sr=8-1">The Dogs of Babel: A Novel</a> by Carolyn Parkhurst (288 pages)</div></li>
</ol><div align="left">That's a total of 22,689 pages, for an average of 30 pages a day (though 3,888 of those pages were about wizards, vampires, and werewolves). I don't think I'll ever have time to do this much reading again over a two year period of time, but I think I'm okay with that.</div>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15310082484922984597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-398953050116416962009-06-04T14:37:00.001-05:002009-06-04T16:51:07.539-05:00Mother's Day<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">To have been posted May 30, 2009</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">May 30th is Mother’s Day in Nicaragua, one of the biggest holidays of the year. School is canceled the Friday before, and the Thursday before is a big assembly for all the moms to come and be celebrated. Here’s one of my school’s many murals dedicated to mothers:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhKbbRHHZujOQHsFIZM0wygplLKrNK4bwJz8vam0L_GM8XddUrMc92zLpx65-dsBJ74WmaKNXN9BT2-NQaV-0RYh38hokDIGROy2o4UDnl25J7L71SYzRQIwTh4YfpiMd4Hs/s1600-h/MDay+Mural.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhKbbRHHZujOQHsFIZM0wygplLKrNK4bwJz8vam0L_GM8XddUrMc92zLpx65-dsBJ74WmaKNXN9BT2-NQaV-0RYh38hokDIGROy2o4UDnl25J7L71SYzRQIwTh4YfpiMd4Hs/s400/MDay+Mural.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Last weekend we finally traveled back to Carazo to visit our Nicaraguan moms and catch up with them one last time. It really didn’t feel like more than two years ago that we first arrived at their houses for training and started our service here, and we were shocked to see how much our host siblings had grown. Here were Williamcito and Claudia in June 2007:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKinxbrr7j_hCJUDPbNHlqW9u9Nu945x0tHoJaeP0MuMbgaQeaT2yyY-0n88uHWIVfQgeGG-WBIVMb-PLRoIP39VJYHh_EGKUkW0THS_4tT2COGo5qgjH565ly_geYCJARlDc/s1600-h/Williamcito+and+Claudia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKinxbrr7j_hCJUDPbNHlqW9u9Nu945x0tHoJaeP0MuMbgaQeaT2yyY-0n88uHWIVfQgeGG-WBIVMb-PLRoIP39VJYHh_EGKUkW0THS_4tT2COGo5qgjH565ly_geYCJARlDc/s400/Williamcito+and+Claudia.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;">And here they are now with some bubbles we gave them:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9iyXfku3e8m8dFyYckQZA_CrcO6xJBfa5zoonMHswaW3S4hwMlbYTM2IsnHH8j6UvayRmOqUZQTALF1vQAnm-ASldaLWn7U8o_rA56Zv2PUF0UASMHOveCxUeenGdDKNyZ6ff/s1600-h/William+Bubble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9iyXfku3e8m8dFyYckQZA_CrcO6xJBfa5zoonMHswaW3S4hwMlbYTM2IsnHH8j6UvayRmOqUZQTALF1vQAnm-ASldaLWn7U8o_rA56Zv2PUF0UASMHOveCxUeenGdDKNyZ6ff/s400/William+Bubble.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhUM1eUKvidF1xwRfkm4iC4ESmYTzOsXgk0B9Tl5Hsq-9gSIdeW2DXyRpGoauaiRc1tUOfy3k2grL8DcKfDkpTYc6kMqUiqIbJ2WiepK2NHpkZk1y_WuoeX3Y0DMG01RxNur6/s1600-h/Claudia+Bubble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhUM1eUKvidF1xwRfkm4iC4ESmYTzOsXgk0B9Tl5Hsq-9gSIdeW2DXyRpGoauaiRc1tUOfy3k2grL8DcKfDkpTYc6kMqUiqIbJ2WiepK2NHpkZk1y_WuoeX3Y0DMG01RxNur6/s400/Claudia+Bubble.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;">Here’s Paul’s host sister Alejandra two years ago:</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHg7uvGzkra3j-Nj5jmi1G1to1XfzFMzablVl99hsEnUo18vtV0Igd9_X0Bb2GbcYGoNjo4ndR_kgJRdlwsIKEF_O8pOBQr_8Vh0B8NkMseavq5g9vgMFBEZGG-XrYcDB9LpDq/s1600-h/Alejandra+Young.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHg7uvGzkra3j-Nj5jmi1G1to1XfzFMzablVl99hsEnUo18vtV0Igd9_X0Bb2GbcYGoNjo4ndR_kgJRdlwsIKEF_O8pOBQr_8Vh0B8NkMseavq5g9vgMFBEZGG-XrYcDB9LpDq/s400/Alejandra+Young.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">And here she is with Paul now:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7DNs9Y8bFyrpVxaDo-OvPrigVLsi3qwylrk4rN5DZ_huBXzrWqa29GxufNMZBuoj1rVy6pgMxf2i3i-_Pz49jxmzr2NF4KM6MisdVDEp0CuwXTpzfAIPPeX7Ko9LH4qtSk6NI/s1600-h/Alejandra+and+Paul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7DNs9Y8bFyrpVxaDo-OvPrigVLsi3qwylrk4rN5DZ_huBXzrWqa29GxufNMZBuoj1rVy6pgMxf2i3i-_Pz49jxmzr2NF4KM6MisdVDEp0CuwXTpzfAIPPeX7Ko9LH4qtSk6NI/s400/Alejandra+and+Paul.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Happy Mother’s Day to our Nica moms… we really do appreciate all the work they did for us, all the patience they had for us, and everything they taught us. We will miss them a lot!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4kRawlWFlt3VaIzcrSQ2qVlBqfV6dkfuvWlEw8bXGxDES_f48TTccfrdAOoHDfycg97KzcJoqIYUQ8SUOq9pcbroxGM7gJG-NiGCbppCvfvlFfuNmq2oIPpWmewhuSx7UaAE/s1600-h/Dona+P+and+Women.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4kRawlWFlt3VaIzcrSQ2qVlBqfV6dkfuvWlEw8bXGxDES_f48TTccfrdAOoHDfycg97KzcJoqIYUQ8SUOq9pcbroxGM7gJG-NiGCbppCvfvlFfuNmq2oIPpWmewhuSx7UaAE/s320/Dona+P+and+Women.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Qv45nAqYsUC8ErQ-gTKc9xNMNhpTx4XZZFIzlaUcMX7pL-kVb1vWS8oa6MjY2MOlKAnRvha8Nbijf9PICS4gBk68qkF2guwhp-2KCxWkpAtDVheb29_Xx_f8Qg60NT12tl0z/s320/Dona+R+and+Paul.jpg" /></div>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15310082484922984597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-5316884797325744872009-06-03T20:13:00.003-05:002009-06-04T16:46:44.313-05:00A limerick<div style="text-align: left;">We know we’ve neglected our blog and our “40 posts in 40 days” commitment, but we think it’s been justified… we’ve had a pretty crazy week. Here’s what happened:</div><blockquote>This week gave us a crazy story to tell<br />
when our landlady said, “Here no more you can dwell!”<br />
She kicked us to the street<br />
in a manner not very discreet<br />
So we said, “With 16 days left, that’s just swell.”<br />
<br />
But this story has a happy end.<br />
Our friends came to help and us they did defend.<br />
We found a new house<br />
containing not even one mouse<br />
And here we’ll be until home the plane us does send.</blockquote>The story is much more complicated, but I think the limerick does it justice. If you want to hear more, the prose version of the events is free, but the epic poem and iambic pentameter versions come at an extra charge.<br />
<br />
Alo, last week this blog had is 10,000th visitor! Thanks so much for reading, and we promise we’ll catch up with our neglected posts soon.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15310082484922984597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-52003642115335046732009-05-29T10:51:00.002-05:002009-05-29T10:53:07.188-05:00Tacos La Salle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Another dining option for those days when we don't have any dinner ideas, are too tired to cook, or are too poor to order pizza is tacos. There's this adorable little taco <strike>truck</strike> motorcycle in the central park that makes delicious chicken tacos for C$15 (75 cents) each. They're not the typical hard shell tacos that we were used to, but they're pretty yummy.<br /><br />When I first discovered Tacos La Salle I would ask first if they had tacos, and then if there was chicken. I eventually figured out that they don't sell anything other than chicken tacos, so now I just ask for "two." They also know me well enough to leave off the ketchup and <i>crema </i>from our tacos.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKk6rtkEm2P4KSCvb6h1CANj1LUHsQhdUnnzqHGjwDohrPKFdDbqgMo_R9JH6HXPLpfee6aNChZ_lscXKShT9_lpErN5W4Fs4PuLK_upFaGRIYBMNQsMBNidPdTMTDeQck7DJ/s1600-h/05-12-2009_Random_009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKk6rtkEm2P4KSCvb6h1CANj1LUHsQhdUnnzqHGjwDohrPKFdDbqgMo_R9JH6HXPLpfee6aNChZ_lscXKShT9_lpErN5W4Fs4PuLK_upFaGRIYBMNQsMBNidPdTMTDeQck7DJ/s400/05-12-2009_Random_009.jpg" border="0" /></a></div>The chicken is sort of sweet, and while I like to eat my tacos with some <i>chile</i> (a mix of onions and vinegar) and cabbage; Holly prefers to eat hers plain.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvnqwQxs1rR4WBsxTPzqkaBaTMvzXPXIAcwZRIocn3eZJrBlOVmDu1fUcmfNc_GUtQlT61UyYJG7J6G-2E8mmVtePJHvhSmJ2N1C-mQ-mv3RvxI6L8s1FdTHVOA-ICFGm1In1B/s1600-h/05-16-2009_Random_018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvnqwQxs1rR4WBsxTPzqkaBaTMvzXPXIAcwZRIocn3eZJrBlOVmDu1fUcmfNc_GUtQlT61UyYJG7J6G-2E8mmVtePJHvhSmJ2N1C-mQ-mv3RvxI6L8s1FdTHVOA-ICFGm1In1B/s400/05-16-2009_Random_018.jpg" border="0" /></a></div>Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230004603653721603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-44555529306395205402009-05-28T08:48:00.000-05:002009-05-28T08:48:01.242-05:0020 - PalíWe could do most of our grocery shopping in the market... it's a little bit cheaper and the produce is a little bit fresher, but it's also an inconvenience and <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2009/05/jungle.html">disgusting</a>. Instead, we go to Palí, the Wal-Mart-owned grocery store that is found in most cities throughout Nicaragua. As far as grocery stores go, it's pretty shabby, but it keeps us supplied with the staples <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2009/05/prepared.html">most of the time</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53OUv1qDVlRuhU_WJa76zzeJ3uXOWsq1nIdEoRmkY_5giJyWg9gvIZnd247SG5siIh0L_EFI2MweuFFz0upNUqjgrN0GD3XnYXYAwUsZiwCk7iQkZD5prJsExft9sNRLSBs0/s1600-h/05-12-2009_Random_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53OUv1qDVlRuhU_WJa76zzeJ3uXOWsq1nIdEoRmkY_5giJyWg9gvIZnd247SG5siIh0L_EFI2MweuFFz0upNUqjgrN0GD3XnYXYAwUsZiwCk7iQkZD5prJsExft9sNRLSBs0/s400/05-12-2009_Random_002.jpg" /></a></div>Here is the refrigerated vegetables section. I haven't really been adventurous enough to try most of the veggies in here. I can recognize about half of them, but sometimes when you think it looks familiar it turns out to be flavorless <i><a href="http://www.worldcrops.org/crops/Baby-corn.cfm">chilote</a></i>:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Mjo1Te4XpWUD_RRVfqIM5LvjVifItRwcSphzV4gxK2c4wYO-uGhWY6mAzT320DjQ3e-JQg6e_ob7BYwoGXLXFRWz6Mq0f-32XECwuqUs33Ox8aCBXMVGbUthe3MqnWZZGUg/s1600-h/05-22-2009_Random_020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Mjo1Te4XpWUD_RRVfqIM5LvjVifItRwcSphzV4gxK2c4wYO-uGhWY6mAzT320DjQ3e-JQg6e_ob7BYwoGXLXFRWz6Mq0f-32XECwuqUs33Ox8aCBXMVGbUthe3MqnWZZGUg/s400/05-22-2009_Random_020.jpg" /></a></div>Once you pick out your vegetables, you have to take them to the one scale at the back of the store to be weighed. Forgetting to weigh your vegetables before you check out is the biggest faux pas you can possibly make at the grocery store. Yet, I try to put it off because most of my fellow shoppers have no sense of line-making or first-come-first-serve, so you have to fight to get your vegetables weighed along with anyone buying rice, sugar, or beans in bulk. This was a slow day at Palí, but trust me, it can get pretty heated.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CPuERGpGHCqzlMjgYPaXGzkjeQXVSxy2biaC1EG3mYg5ZLqjxpC8x9HIUt1Yglo0fBt7Q5AGJwNE-LawUC6PBQWQr_Z2Qp_RWue3XrentmOe96L2HifoPsEwOr5RloJBWso/s1600-h/05-22-2009_Random_017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CPuERGpGHCqzlMjgYPaXGzkjeQXVSxy2biaC1EG3mYg5ZLqjxpC8x9HIUt1Yglo0fBt7Q5AGJwNE-LawUC6PBQWQr_Z2Qp_RWue3XrentmOe96L2HifoPsEwOr5RloJBWso/s400/05-22-2009_Random_017.jpg" /></a></div>Most of the food in Palí I just pass by without noticing. There's no way that we're ever going to be desperate enough to buy sardines, spicy vienna sausages, or whatever other abundance of canned meats are deemed worthy of an entire aisle:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NVAi_BYtbcOitcoI2n4TfXBB9yXNJi73yRiBhWHh3pqAM5sn_wJaOuOUJplLfIHU7uqrsKFpj612yHovwJMYdktvSzftYY53_M97-pJTo9tn6dUkS4hYhSkcJuzqY5rEU8Q/s1600-h/05-22-2009_Random_021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NVAi_BYtbcOitcoI2n4TfXBB9yXNJi73yRiBhWHh3pqAM5sn_wJaOuOUJplLfIHU7uqrsKFpj612yHovwJMYdktvSzftYY53_M97-pJTo9tn6dUkS4hYhSkcJuzqY5rEU8Q/s400/05-22-2009_Random_021.jpg" /></a></div>Here's a cross-shot of the store. Note the weird prices: I'm convinced that it's a scam because the cashiers don't have exact change to give you so you end up losing 3 or 4 cents every time that you check out. If you buy that 3-liter of Pepsi for C$26.30 and pay with with C$27 you're lucky to get C$0.50 back, but best case scenario is that you lose out on C$0.20 (Palí accepts cash only, by the way). Also, since there's no better place to say it, I'll point out that you have to pay for your plastic bags. There is absolutely nothing "green" about this--it's just the store being super cheap.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMfa0sLYq7zGuwrp6Wi9S1OpDg55V21ZOVQ81L1GgfbotwLYrN1NksQeyDS-zRV3v1B-9QldIa166NUgfyvLLwVxjyMMfNVR0ApKJW-qGZRdFakuj5zrBrlZN5fCOhXHuPWo/s1600-h/05-22-2009_Random_015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMfa0sLYq7zGuwrp6Wi9S1OpDg55V21ZOVQ81L1GgfbotwLYrN1NksQeyDS-zRV3v1B-9QldIa166NUgfyvLLwVxjyMMfNVR0ApKJW-qGZRdFakuj5zrBrlZN5fCOhXHuPWo/s400/05-22-2009_Random_015.jpg" /></a></div>About a quarter of the small store is devoted to food. Half is cleaning supplies and toiletries (which is really just a subset of cleaning supplies) and the remaining quarter is rum:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7k_nkvx2zpk-QIWeO0aESA2obwE0F1oUiKGmLlUHNhMvCzG5nIOxtCsImpQaZmlHAKWLSY95y1n9y6YhM647vNCjkRGbXZqN-IWW4S64CkR5hjvJIkO1eEw8GNu0fCDiiVLs/s1600-h/05-22-2009_Random_014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7k_nkvx2zpk-QIWeO0aESA2obwE0F1oUiKGmLlUHNhMvCzG5nIOxtCsImpQaZmlHAKWLSY95y1n9y6YhM647vNCjkRGbXZqN-IWW4S64CkR5hjvJIkO1eEw8GNu0fCDiiVLs/s400/05-22-2009_Random_014.jpg" /></a></div>You might imagine that taking pictures in a grocery store was exceedingly awkward. It was, but it was worth it for posterity.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230004603653721603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-28580134104524438442009-05-27T08:59:00.002-05:002009-05-27T08:59:00.452-05:00Showtime: The Small ScreenThough we love our visits to the movie theater, it's not convenient for frequent visits and is too expensive. That doesn't mean, though, that no one here gets to see the latest movies. Though there are no Blockbusters or Netflix, there are pirated movies for sale on nearly every street corner, either in wooden display stands or laid out on the sidewalk.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZFsC7YBtzvs_Rn8rD6WxFwl-wM5LVPmvLsKsvIKXbX9ntnZkq_uQsv3RzFa4HfWmDubgT-FDMZUlr5p0jVCcH000xPlHHIG68I0Fd1pDmYFUZ8QeBxt_Ikh-KZxmZrAz_87A/s1600-h/05-22-2009_Random_022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZFsC7YBtzvs_Rn8rD6WxFwl-wM5LVPmvLsKsvIKXbX9ntnZkq_uQsv3RzFa4HfWmDubgT-FDMZUlr5p0jVCcH000xPlHHIG68I0Fd1pDmYFUZ8QeBxt_Ikh-KZxmZrAz_87A/s320/05-22-2009_Random_022.jpg" /></a></div>It's important to ask about the quality of the movie and if it's dubbed or subtitled. The very newest movies are always really bad quality, like handheld camcorders in movie theaters where you can hear people coughing or laughing and someone's head covers part of the screen. I think that out of this picture, <i>Angels & Demons</i> is in that phase. Of similar quality are the combo DVDs that might contain three or four movies. Popular combos are Steven Segal movies, the Harry Potter movies, or other animated children's movies. Though they're really fuzzy and often hard to hear, four movies in one is a pretty good deal.<br />
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After a movie's been out for a while, its quality increases to like an award show preview so every once in a while a notice will come up on the screen saying, "For Awards Consideration Purposes Only." These pictures are good quality, but I don't understand how non-English speakers can watch them: the subtitles are always comically bad and often make no sense at all.<br />
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The jackpot is when it's a DVD "<i>con menú</i>" and sometimes they even include the special features and deleted scenes. Most movie salespeople are pretty honest when you ask about the quality, and many even have portable DVD players so that you can preview a movie before you buy (movies always cost C$20, or $1).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJvv7IOH8JsspFoYMo9UMt3zxU3LufafCaU7wX0baOH8W3YEwYMtPyTlwQcoYGOs2vV5hE0LvocAvBKlsvw9Ji4Sjzcx_lpxA5O2j5eYG9c-j0v-OaTKpKJVTrcz8lYPPJumn/s1600-h/05-22-2009_Random_027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJvv7IOH8JsspFoYMo9UMt3zxU3LufafCaU7wX0baOH8W3YEwYMtPyTlwQcoYGOs2vV5hE0LvocAvBKlsvw9Ji4Sjzcx_lpxA5O2j5eYG9c-j0v-OaTKpKJVTrcz8lYPPJumn/s400/05-22-2009_Random_027.jpg" /></a></div>The movie sellers also keep big stacks of movies that they'll hand to you to browse through, or they'll hand us things they think we might like. Normally, their guesses are way off and they try to convince us to buy the newest Bratz movie or <i>Anime Combo 2 en 1</i> or something like that. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MvcVZF6-WzOrSP2g27ZKWd0IgPVY7D0OVyEZVmHSuckqHIDMTGS1V_xEcDUwZpf6eaiHVdNU7XQgOJCA6_Bj4jQ6Bsn9HR-xBlobHIiHUszKdL8sr-UedFmHtCXWTI552hDH/s1600-h/05-22-2009_Random_028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MvcVZF6-WzOrSP2g27ZKWd0IgPVY7D0OVyEZVmHSuckqHIDMTGS1V_xEcDUwZpf6eaiHVdNU7XQgOJCA6_Bj4jQ6Bsn9HR-xBlobHIiHUszKdL8sr-UedFmHtCXWTI552hDH/s400/05-22-2009_Random_028.jpg" /></a></div>We've seen most of these movies and many volunteers trade movies when they come across a good one ("good" in terms of cinematic value and/or good video quality):<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblpVEUt0Zvx44sOjZcB62LSTKmG1kdT0439V92xl8Rk6t6u_8RgZuSMjq6UuuSW1JEFxf9rrObK91elM9rsSvQ6etGGZspybGQTI3HpiQzx_VD_Y6augFDfqr9rim2N6utv3M/s1600-h/05-25-2009_movies_012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblpVEUt0Zvx44sOjZcB62LSTKmG1kdT0439V92xl8Rk6t6u_8RgZuSMjq6UuuSW1JEFxf9rrObK91elM9rsSvQ6etGGZspybGQTI3HpiQzx_VD_Y6augFDfqr9rim2N6utv3M/s400/05-25-2009_movies_012.jpg" /></a></div>Obviously, we would never condone the purchase or viewing of pirated films. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15310082484922984597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-67602058001982472552009-05-26T20:10:00.001-05:002009-05-26T20:40:53.535-05:00My worst day hereNormally we try to keep our blog relatively positive and censor ourselves from saying a lot of the things we really want to say, not posting on the blog when we're too angry, etc. In the (distant) future I'm sure I'll look back fondly on Nicaragua and might even miss being here, but this is not one of those times. <br /><br />I may regret writing this post and delete it when I feel better in the morning, but until then I need to vent and get my frustrations off my chest.<br /><br />I've been working really hard for the last few months on a manual of lesson plans, games, and classroom strategies to accompany the new national English curriculum. We've been working on it in a small committee and asking for the input of all the English volunteers here. The committee members have been working, but I've been especially stressed that very few of the other volunteers agreed to help us, and most of those that did agree backed out because they're "too busy" or it's too hard, leaving the few of us with even more work to do. I spent the day today in the Peace Corps office working on the manual, and that always leaves me exceptionally stressed as I realize how much work there is to do and how little time there is to do it. Peace Corps (Cuerpo de Paz) is often jokingly called the "Cuerpo de Paseo" (hanging out corps) because people don't actually work, and that seems to be the case with many in my group--they no longer even go to school, let alone help with any extra projects.<br /><br />After traveling home I took Dora outside since she had been cooped up in the house all day by herself. She went about her business like she normally does, and happened to stop to poop in the street in front of a house where people were sitting outside in their patio. As she started going to the bathroom, they started yelling at us and picking up rocks to throw at Dora even though I had my plastic sack in hand to pick up the poop. Though I told the people to stop yelling and not to throw anything since I was going to pick it up, they continued so I ran Dora home to get her safely inside before they could hurt her. I went back with the bag to pick up the poop and calmly tell the people that it really wasn't necessary, that we're responsible dog owners, and that Dora's poop being on the ground for 15 seconds is nothing compared to all the street dogs that roam around freely.<br /><br />I had hoped for an apology, but didn't get that at all. They told me they were going to call the mayor's office and report me because a dog pooping is prohibited (?), they started laughing at me for being upset, and told that they'll throw rocks at Dora to kill her if they see her again. <br /><br />I don't really know what we're going to do for our last 22 days here, but I do know that I hate being here and just want to go home.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15310082484922984597noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-77790215347926210702009-05-26T09:33:00.000-05:002009-05-26T09:33:00.825-05:00Showtime: The Big ScreenOne of the best escapes from the heat and the stresses of everyday life is a trip to the movie theater. In Managua there are several movie theaters that are pretty darn similar to theaters in the US: air conditioning, popcorn, comfy seats, (relatively) overpriced sodas, the whole works. Managua has two theaters that we've visited, Metrocentro (which is near the Peace Corps office) and Galerias (which is on the highway to Masaya). Here's Galerias' movie theater:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQJTLqT7G4bd4jtIXzePcN_QC2DapsfnzdohII-fnY0sP0gkh7My7andKVA4RlP6EGncK59ckdrdv_x6TFNvCes6BwICk_JJZKz7wvkS0URuiashfG4AkwzKHRt8NjisWmNkz/s1600-h/05-01-2009_Random_040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQJTLqT7G4bd4jtIXzePcN_QC2DapsfnzdohII-fnY0sP0gkh7My7andKVA4RlP6EGncK59ckdrdv_x6TFNvCes6BwICk_JJZKz7wvkS0URuiashfG4AkwzKHRt8NjisWmNkz/s400/05-01-2009_Random_040.jpg" /></a></div>And Galerias at night:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrX1EBVgq3nHI9sZVeYuBUEzHdqBlOvyy3voqjY-cN08SH33R6SdhhNfytWPFzF-GHYTD6OGViDdvCXcU7AG9g8560PsnTzw1_NYuLnxxJOgnNwA5Qg2wWO9mgEpvNzvPKyp_C/s1600-h/05-01-2009_Random_046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrX1EBVgq3nHI9sZVeYuBUEzHdqBlOvyy3voqjY-cN08SH33R6SdhhNfytWPFzF-GHYTD6OGViDdvCXcU7AG9g8560PsnTzw1_NYuLnxxJOgnNwA5Qg2wWO9mgEpvNzvPKyp_C/s400/05-01-2009_Random_046.jpg" /></a></div>We saw our first theater movie in Nicaragua about a month and a half into training. For those two hours during Pirates of the Caribbean 3, the four of us (Paul, me, Kelly, and Nicole) completely forgot we were in Nicaragua; I won't lie, we were all a little sad to walk out of the theater and realize we were still here. Paul's host mom threatened to spank us for getting home so late (about 7:00), but it was completely worth it, though at that moment I wasn't quite sure we'd last the full two years. <br />
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Since then, we've gone to see a few movies that we legitimately wanted to see, but we often just need a break from reality and see the best thing that's playing and that's subtitled (some movies are subtitled and others are dubbed). I think this is a complete list of the movies we saw in the theater while we were here:<br />
<ul><li>Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End <br />
</li>
<li>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</li>
<li>Ocean's 13</li>
<li>Gone Baby Gone </li>
<li>Beowulf </li>
<li>Sex & The City Movie</li>
<li>Gran Torino</li>
<li>Changeling</li>
<li>Fast and Furious</li>
</ul>Tickets cost about $2.50 a person and refreshments actually aren't that expensive; we usually go for a popcorn and soda (though no free refills here), but recently have tried nachos and hot dogs to make the experience that much more authentic. Finally, most trips end with a visit to the (also air-conditioned) La Colonia Hyper supermarket that's next door to the mall to buy other <i>fachento</i> goods like supplies for mini pizzas, cans of Dr. Pepper, cookie mixes, and pickles.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuj65qsXwRt_y9X39dUPeksfqFy9vQceAtgTwa_k8k7takDtQxgqG6UeJzRjlI_F7RnhLAmZ0cvYf-FaWPfFvv1SaNjdLcYsfPObFPj4umR1a9h5LqIOFNyoqXUHZ1tJ9NlZMN/s1600-h/05-01-2009_Random_031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuj65qsXwRt_y9X39dUPeksfqFy9vQceAtgTwa_k8k7takDtQxgqG6UeJzRjlI_F7RnhLAmZ0cvYf-FaWPfFvv1SaNjdLcYsfPObFPj4umR1a9h5LqIOFNyoqXUHZ1tJ9NlZMN/s400/05-01-2009_Random_031.jpg" /></a></div>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15310082484922984597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-67903528032281293452009-05-25T10:55:00.000-05:002009-05-25T10:55:19.106-05:00CoyotesBefore we came here, I thought coyotes were just the predatory canines found throughout North America and the guys that smuggle people across the US-Mexico border. It turns out that coyotes are also guys that hang out in the park and change dollars for <i>córdobas</i> and vice versa.<br />
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We have to change money every month because we earn <i>córdobas</i> and pay rent in dollars; the first 10 or so times that Holly and I employed the services of a coyote we were convinced that they would rip us off. There's no regulatory agency or any avenue for complaint, but they are unfailingly honest, which is surprising for guys that pack heat and carry around a huge wad of cash. In the US someone that fits that description would definitely be a shady character.<br />
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You can't see it in this picture, but coyotes always wear fanny packs. The fanny pack contains a gun and their trusty <a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3244/3142667300_49bd19ce4d_b.jpg">mini calculator</a>.<br />
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Here's Nicole changing some of her hard-earned <i>córdobas</i> for <i>dolares</i>. When we first got here the exchange rate was 18:1 but now it's a little over 20 <i>córdobas</i> to the dollar. Also, coyotes offer a slightly better value over banks and bonus drive-up service.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0TiqdB5i19hza8_on2fGxr1_b49BtX1tmljNYDijYXsvu9Y1l9G9Al9iw0sW_Ke3myCTp-FcZh6HnJa88miqX4ko4LN6zGKX5_avyUAwo_J81aL2YBEbsPgmfx0qSeQsajck/s1600-h/08-12-17_Random_009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0TiqdB5i19hza8_on2fGxr1_b49BtX1tmljNYDijYXsvu9Y1l9G9Al9iw0sW_Ke3myCTp-FcZh6HnJa88miqX4ko4LN6zGKX5_avyUAwo_J81aL2YBEbsPgmfx0qSeQsajck/s400/08-12-17_Random_009.jpg" /></a></div>Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230004603653721603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22219193.post-77658519345985726382009-05-24T09:29:00.008-05:002009-05-24T09:29:00.422-05:00Rutas<div style="text-align: justify;">In addition to the buses and micros that go from city to city in Nicaragua, larger cities like Managua and Masaya also have <span style="font-style: italic;">rutas</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">urbanos</span> that are neighborhood buses within the city. In Masaya, for instance, there are <i>rutas</i> that go from the market to the neighborhoods of Monimbó, San Carlos, Sacuanjoche, La Villa, and El Estadio. All the <i>rutas</i> in Masaya cost C$3 (15 cents) no matter where you get on or off. I never ended up getting a bike, so I took the <i>urbano</i> to school every day (Paul always tried to make me feel guilty by saying a bike would be cheaper than the cost of the <i>urbanos</i> every day, but after doing the math, I realize my daily commute over these two years cost less than the <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2008/07/heeeey.html">three</a> <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2008/09/family-suv.html">bicycles</a> he <a href="http://peascorps.blogspot.com/2008/11/lists-of-things.html">bought</a>).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The <i>urbanos</i> that go to Paul's school just got upgraded so they're now really nice charter buses, but most of them are just obnoxiously decorated school buses like the one I used to take to school when we lived in Monimbó:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-yb5UDb7cYOfNXEZgPVtplxmxZQieQDcMctjkiJ6W_svEYsfmKL2ssdDYTWH9z21aDM-H6IZhUFb5ve-l7igOqMcUpO3WF44Vz6IzV09aiYbRHLACscXxoRpMCBd-Akq_TOY/s1600-h/05-22-2009_Random_034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-yb5UDb7cYOfNXEZgPVtplxmxZQieQDcMctjkiJ6W_svEYsfmKL2ssdDYTWH9z21aDM-H6IZhUFb5ve-l7igOqMcUpO3WF44Vz6IzV09aiYbRHLACscXxoRpMCBd-Akq_TOY/s400/05-22-2009_Random_034.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When we moved to the stadium, my daily commute improved significantly (though it really wasn't bad to begin with). In Monimbó, there were only two <i>urbanos</i> and they stopped running to eat lunch between 12:15 and 1:00, which was exactly when I needed to go to school. Now in San Juan (our neighborhood) there are three <i>urbanos</i> that run all day; I can count on one to pass every eight minutes like clockwork, and I only have to walk a few steps from our front door to catch it. Here's the route our <i>ruta</i> takes (P.S. I'm proud of this map, and think I'm probably the first person to put a Masaya <i>ruta's</i> route on the Internet):</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1s8MNogDUZFkKlTXeUxXTjug7qBY8yTsZuPf8yoYEaa08e8Sm676Ola4yByHWiaWQbot045zIBgjGuyng4mfa9O-oMUOmnbNwlmLaW2OsRIjVYt_N6StV2XNFFuUdqohjGgXy/s1600-h/Estadio+Ruta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1s8MNogDUZFkKlTXeUxXTjug7qBY8yTsZuPf8yoYEaa08e8Sm676Ola4yByHWiaWQbot045zIBgjGuyng4mfa9O-oMUOmnbNwlmLaW2OsRIjVYt_N6StV2XNFFuUdqohjGgXy/s400/Estadio+Ruta.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here are our neighborhood <i>rutas</i>. This one is my favorite because there is more leg room, the seat covers aren't ripped as badly as in the others, the the <i>cobrador</i> (the guy who takes the money, standing in the second picture) is nice. It's parked in front of the market, and I always get off there then walk the block to school.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvrqlXpC-Z0JIYTUC2_wCi5lc03xBSytdwwIlffag3Ob8udGLKdnys_QG9saXxu9wdy5nF0gTgkBosF4eL-na7gqxq1BAK05FXGWIcvdZbecKgNGpk8uQ2AddtVxyzixRojz2R/s1600-h/05-13-2009_Random_030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvrqlXpC-Z0JIYTUC2_wCi5lc03xBSytdwwIlffag3Ob8udGLKdnys_QG9saXxu9wdy5nF0gTgkBosF4eL-na7gqxq1BAK05FXGWIcvdZbecKgNGpk8uQ2AddtVxyzixRojz2R/s400/05-13-2009_Random_030.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5mg0Q8_rkCSiwXcr0MiMjXVScgO_CXusxu_FS-5WP8KhelWcynKAKcJ9qQmkYOOuvx81exeTCPvDvCsI69ih-64AhOgcvbVjNlqS6O2K3YVz685i3PLZmwuVGhm6ViReApTEl/s1600-h/05-13-2009_Random_022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5mg0Q8_rkCSiwXcr0MiMjXVScgO_CXusxu_FS-5WP8KhelWcynKAKcJ9qQmkYOOuvx81exeTCPvDvCsI69ih-64AhOgcvbVjNlqS6O2K3YVz685i3PLZmwuVGhm6ViReApTEl/s400/05-13-2009_Random_022.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is my second favorite <i>ruta</i>. Its driver doesn't really like to come to a complete stop for me to get off, so I always have to jump out really quickly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4C_Bxr3wa5FeNeiYHfrLaZzHsl8wiJ3d0TfAra-BiuVNRhnqBKJXkPumbuEtyN6uvXXw4Kk1FI7U98Y6JLNlN8Rm55XXBUh19xLgnA16vTFp45uT5Eb3WJAcAbmWearmcunTM/s1600-h/05-22-2009_Random_035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4C_Bxr3wa5FeNeiYHfrLaZzHsl8wiJ3d0TfAra-BiuVNRhnqBKJXkPumbuEtyN6uvXXw4Kk1FI7U98Y6JLNlN8Rm55XXBUh19xLgnA16vTFp45uT5Eb3WJAcAbmWearmcunTM/s400/05-22-2009_Random_035.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is our arch enemy <i>ruta</i>, though I've never been willing to wait the extra 8 minutes for another one to pass in order to boycott it. We hate it because the cobrador is mean and won't let Dora on; he tells us that dogs are prohibited, but this is clearly a lie since Dora has ridden on dozens of other buses in this country. Once I did spill a bag of dog food on this <i>ruta</i> and maybe that's why he's mad, but Dora had nothing to do with that. Besides, if he would have relaxed his no-dogs-on-the-bus rule, the spill would have been a non-issue, anyway.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6uNOaqlF6d2xBoqwnF-wP_sIzmyrooKZfxJ6xQ5tQyo9TahyZ_DeSjugV8M5wqNtKaPAHA8NgAx8A9mWgg59s5TpSkL2_wFM6ZPaAjrGd0KW4zmlzlNQSZfxWIPXETxCCMcY1/s1600-h/05-13-2009_Random_035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6uNOaqlF6d2xBoqwnF-wP_sIzmyrooKZfxJ6xQ5tQyo9TahyZ_DeSjugV8M5wqNtKaPAHA8NgAx8A9mWgg59s5TpSkL2_wFM6ZPaAjrGd0KW4zmlzlNQSZfxWIPXETxCCMcY1/s400/05-13-2009_Random_035.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I can only hope to find public transportation in Palo Alto that's both as convenient and cost-effective as the <i>urbanos</i> here. I'll keep you posted.</div>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15310082484922984597noreply@blogger.com0