It’s hard for me to think of this as the end, since there are so many ends and beginnings happening simultaneously. The final grant proposal isn’t done yet, but will be finished from the States. My new friendships and my job search will be continuing. I am leaving Nicaragua, and probably not coming back for a while. There’s no way to sum everything up, but I’ll at least catch up on what’s been happening.
I had an amazing and relaxing time with Rebecca on the Caribbean coast. For anyone who’s been to a Caribbean island, imagine that, but with no cars and no cruise ships and no big hotels and no big stores and no paved roads. People speak Spanish and Caribbean English and I also heard some people speaking Miskito. The fresh fish and lobster in coconut sauce cost less than $8.
My Aunt Sally and cousins Grace and Jack were here, which was really nice. I got to tag along for the Christmas bird count that happens at my aunt’s farm/nature preserve El Nisperal and all over the world. The idea is to walk all around a specific area during one day and note all the bird species you see. Most places have a list of birds that have been seen in previous years, so the goal is to spot the usual ones and hopefully add more. It was amazing to see how much detailed information Sally, Jack, and their friend from the U.S. embassy knew. Later in the day we met up with other birders at Montibelli, another private nature reserve nearby. We got to see some beautiful birds right from their patio, and added up the day’s count which totaled 100 species.
Jack came with me to pick up Billy’s marimba in Morimbo, Masaya. It’s beautifully made, but they hadn’t packed it up for me. After a visit to the hardware store, the marimba is wrapped in foam blocks, cardboard, my yoga matt, and an entire industrial sized roll of duct tape. Please join me in hoping that despite the fact that it is the size of an 11 year child, Continental airlines lets me check it as baggage.
I spent a last afternoon in Palo Solo with Blanca’s classmate Dulce, and got to see some newborn piglets on the farm. I met the new intern at the Mariposa Spanish school, and I hope that visits to El Nisperal will continue. I met up with Sally’s friend Abby, and got to ask her about her impressions of Nicaragua. I went to the Laguna de Apoyo one last time with Blanca and friends. I said goodbye to Karla who gave me a beautiful handmade card.
For Christmas Eve I accompanied Blanca for her last minute shopping in the busy Masaya market. I ate quesillo, baho, and drank cacao. Later we went to her family’s house in Nidiri and spent the evening with her mom, aunt and cousins. We went to church and saw the end of a pageant. The service ended with everyone coming up to kiss a statue of baby Jesus, and then everyone broke into applause and gathered outside to watch a fireworks display and hear a band play. We ate delicious food and managed to stay up until midnight, when everyone (EVERYONE) set off fireworks and then opened presents.
Blanca finally found one of the cards I had written to her cerca 1993 from when we were penpals briefly. I feel so grateful to her for her friendship and companionship; I’m not sure what my time here would have been like without her. I’m also incredibly grateful to my aunt and uncle for letting me stay in their house and providing me with an opportunity to work with their organization. Also to Karla for her friendship and helping me with my work at the library, and to Claudia and Chamba who work at the house. I've had some great experiences here and gotten to see so much. I’m almost positive that I’ll come back in the not too distant future.
I have many hopes for 2011, including that I will continue doing yoga (I can do a headstand now!), speaking Spanish, and find a great new job. I’ll be in the Bay Area until January 8th, and then back in New York. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Marimba y mas
Well hello there all 2 of my blog readers! Sorry that it’s been a while. I had a great visit with Billy. He took to the crowded minibuses, fried food, and warm weather, and managed to speak and understand a lot of Spanish. We dug into the local ethnomusicology and tried to find out the mystery of the marimba’s origin in Masaya, Nicaragua’s indigenous folklore capital. We spoke with some real, live marimba experts (Billy took 2 lessons and bought an instrument) and participated in a night of traditional music and dancing that took place in private homes. We saw the local volcano, had dinner with Blanca, went to a jazz club where Billy sat in, had a Thanksgiving dinner at the Ola Verde, AND made it to Laguna de Apoyo, Leon, Granada, and Isla Omtepe. It was really nice to show him the library and my aunt’s farm, and the howler monkeys did not disappoint!
Billy carried the ayote!
I promised to write more about the library, but I think posting some pictures will do better than words. To give a little background, the Library was built 5 years ago in memory of my Aunt’s father. It is located in a rural town (about 50 families) located about 7 kilometers from the paved road. Most of the families live in houses that resemble shacks, and make their living from agriculture. The town has one 2 room school for preschool, elementary and middle school. Any kid who wants to go to high school has to walk at least an hour and half to the nearest school. The library has offered painting classes, dance classes, and computer classes, and continues to offer arts and crafts and reading activities. There is a group of about 10 children ages 7-10 that come almost every day to play and read. The most amazing part is how comfortable they feel in the Library- they kick off their shoes, make forts out of the sofa cushions, and play make believe games.
arts and crafts
a student's house
playing restaurant
reading with Karla
Since Billy left I’ve been working on job applications, a book of my photos and interviews, and revisions to the grant proposal, but I feel like time is already short! Rebecca gets here on Thursday and on Saturday we are going to the Caribbean coast for 5 days. When I get back, my Aunt Sally and cousins Grace and Jack will be here for a few days, and then I only have about a week and a half before I leave for California. Tomorrow I’m going to the library with a group of Blanca’s classmates from her postgrad class on evaluation of social programs. They may decide to do their class project on the library, which would be exciting.
Tonight I went with Blanca to Managua to celebrate the Griteria, which is a culmination of a 9 day celebration of the Virgin Mary. It’s kind of like a mix between Christmas caroling and Halloween, since groups of people stop at each house that has an altar and sing traditional songs about the all powerful Mary (perhaps personifying the pre-colonial Goddess?) and then the people in the house give out sweets and fruit. The yelling part is when people get to the house, they yell “Quien causa tanta alegria?/Who causes so much happiness?” and the response is “La Concepcion de Maria!/Maria’s Conception!”
I hope that everyone tenga mucha alegria! Happy Hanukah!
I promised to write more about the library, but I think posting some pictures will do better than words. To give a little background, the Library was built 5 years ago in memory of my Aunt’s father. It is located in a rural town (about 50 families) located about 7 kilometers from the paved road. Most of the families live in houses that resemble shacks, and make their living from agriculture. The town has one 2 room school for preschool, elementary and middle school. Any kid who wants to go to high school has to walk at least an hour and half to the nearest school. The library has offered painting classes, dance classes, and computer classes, and continues to offer arts and crafts and reading activities. There is a group of about 10 children ages 7-10 that come almost every day to play and read. The most amazing part is how comfortable they feel in the Library- they kick off their shoes, make forts out of the sofa cushions, and play make believe games.
Since Billy left I’ve been working on job applications, a book of my photos and interviews, and revisions to the grant proposal, but I feel like time is already short! Rebecca gets here on Thursday and on Saturday we are going to the Caribbean coast for 5 days. When I get back, my Aunt Sally and cousins Grace and Jack will be here for a few days, and then I only have about a week and a half before I leave for California. Tomorrow I’m going to the library with a group of Blanca’s classmates from her postgrad class on evaluation of social programs. They may decide to do their class project on the library, which would be exciting.
Tonight I went with Blanca to Managua to celebrate the Griteria, which is a culmination of a 9 day celebration of the Virgin Mary. It’s kind of like a mix between Christmas caroling and Halloween, since groups of people stop at each house that has an altar and sing traditional songs about the all powerful Mary (perhaps personifying the pre-colonial Goddess?) and then the people in the house give out sweets and fruit. The yelling part is when people get to the house, they yell “Quien causa tanta alegria?/Who causes so much happiness?” and the response is “La Concepcion de Maria!/Maria’s Conception!”
I hope that everyone tenga mucha alegria! Happy Hanukah!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving
Hola, Hope everyone is doing great. Time is flying, I can't believe that it's almost the end of November already..
Last weekend I had a great time up north in Matagalpa visitng Jeff Kositsky and his wife Aileen and their charming daughters Emma and Hannah who are living in Nicaragua for a year. They showed me around the city, and we went on a great hike at Selva Negra, a lush forest and coffee farm owned settled by Germans. The trees were huge and the whole area is covered in peaceful, rolling green hills. Jeff used to be the ED of the Community Housing Partnership in San Francisco, so we talked a bit about the field as well.
The interview I had scheduled got cancelled, it turned out that they weren't doing phone interviews. I did try advocating for myself and I felt disappointed, but I'm just going to take it as a good sign that they wanted to interview me and keep applying for jobs.
I went to the library 3 times this week, and took some photographs to go with interviews that I am doing. I also interviewed a teacher at the nearest high school and used my new recorder. I realize that I haven't written much about what the library is actually like, so I will do that soon.
My uncle Allan was in town for a meeting of his organization, the UN's Food and Agriculture Office. The whole office was in Managua to learn about small businesses that produce high quality seeds, which can really increase the productivity of small farmers. We had dinner at a local restaurant on Wednesday, and on Thursday Blanca and I met him at the hotel where the meeting was being held. We heard the last presentation of the day, and then we went out to dinner at a lovely restaurant called Ola Verde, owned by a friend of my aunt Sally's. Allan's colleagues were very nice, from Bolivia, Honduras, and Uruguay. We got to hear some of Allan's stories about Nicaragua in the 1980's.
I had been avoiding it, but Blanca and I saw "Eat, Pray, Love" on Friday night. I've read the book, and obviously I'm defensive about romanticizing travel as a way to find yourself, especially when the woman in the movie/book had a book advance before she set off on her trip (not to mention any feminist critique of how she ends up with a man, but that's another story..) Anyhow, I do think it's good to be open, get out of your comfort zone, and see people you meet as your teachers, but it's also important to be aware that what she did (and what I'm doing) is a luxury and a privilege.
Yesterday I went to a feminist meeting with Blanca and got to see where she works, which was interesting and good practice listening and understanding Spanish. Today is the first big outing from the Spanish school to the farm! There should be about 15 people in total riding horses and walking up to the library, hiking, and eating a lunch prepared by the caretaker's family. I hope that it's a success and that the collaboration continues.
I don't think I've ever been away from my family on Thanksgiving, but I'll be thinking of them and excited to see them soon (I'll be in the Bay Dec 25th-Jan 8th.) They will be having a vegetarian meal, as they are trying out being vegetarians after my mom read Jonathan Safron Foer's book "Eating Animals." I think it's cool! I am thankful to be alive,for all the people in my life, and for the opportunities that I have been given.
And finally, Billy is coming tomorrow night!! He'll be here for 11 days, and I'm so excited to see him, show him around, and go on an adventure (probably to the Caribbean coast.) Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Last weekend I had a great time up north in Matagalpa visitng Jeff Kositsky and his wife Aileen and their charming daughters Emma and Hannah who are living in Nicaragua for a year. They showed me around the city, and we went on a great hike at Selva Negra, a lush forest and coffee farm owned settled by Germans. The trees were huge and the whole area is covered in peaceful, rolling green hills. Jeff used to be the ED of the Community Housing Partnership in San Francisco, so we talked a bit about the field as well.
The interview I had scheduled got cancelled, it turned out that they weren't doing phone interviews. I did try advocating for myself and I felt disappointed, but I'm just going to take it as a good sign that they wanted to interview me and keep applying for jobs.
I went to the library 3 times this week, and took some photographs to go with interviews that I am doing. I also interviewed a teacher at the nearest high school and used my new recorder. I realize that I haven't written much about what the library is actually like, so I will do that soon.
My uncle Allan was in town for a meeting of his organization, the UN's Food and Agriculture Office. The whole office was in Managua to learn about small businesses that produce high quality seeds, which can really increase the productivity of small farmers. We had dinner at a local restaurant on Wednesday, and on Thursday Blanca and I met him at the hotel where the meeting was being held. We heard the last presentation of the day, and then we went out to dinner at a lovely restaurant called Ola Verde, owned by a friend of my aunt Sally's. Allan's colleagues were very nice, from Bolivia, Honduras, and Uruguay. We got to hear some of Allan's stories about Nicaragua in the 1980's.
I had been avoiding it, but Blanca and I saw "Eat, Pray, Love" on Friday night. I've read the book, and obviously I'm defensive about romanticizing travel as a way to find yourself, especially when the woman in the movie/book had a book advance before she set off on her trip (not to mention any feminist critique of how she ends up with a man, but that's another story..) Anyhow, I do think it's good to be open, get out of your comfort zone, and see people you meet as your teachers, but it's also important to be aware that what she did (and what I'm doing) is a luxury and a privilege.
Yesterday I went to a feminist meeting with Blanca and got to see where she works, which was interesting and good practice listening and understanding Spanish. Today is the first big outing from the Spanish school to the farm! There should be about 15 people in total riding horses and walking up to the library, hiking, and eating a lunch prepared by the caretaker's family. I hope that it's a success and that the collaboration continues.
I don't think I've ever been away from my family on Thanksgiving, but I'll be thinking of them and excited to see them soon (I'll be in the Bay Dec 25th-Jan 8th.) They will be having a vegetarian meal, as they are trying out being vegetarians after my mom read Jonathan Safron Foer's book "Eating Animals." I think it's cool! I am thankful to be alive,for all the people in my life, and for the opportunities that I have been given.
And finally, Billy is coming tomorrow night!! He'll be here for 11 days, and I'm so excited to see him, show him around, and go on an adventure (probably to the Caribbean coast.) Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Nicaragua, Nicaraguita!
Happy Friday everyone! This week I saw a Fellini film at the Alianza Francesca and ate some great carne asada, got my butt kicked at capoera again, worked through some serious mental block but finally squeezed out a draft of the grant proposal, got a phone job interview for next week (!) and saw some amazing music at La Casa de Los Mejia Godoy in Managua.
The two brothers Carlos and Luis Enrique Mejia Godoy performed, as did the younger band made up of relatives of the brothers called La Cuneta Son Machin. The brothers play classic Nicaraguan music, popular at the time of the revolution, and are so full of life and fun. Carlos wrote a Mass for the working class, and many of his songs in the 70s gave instructions on how to assemble and use rifles taken from Samoza. Everyone in crowd knew all of their songs and sang along. The younger band's music is a cool mix of the traditional with rock and sometimes even punk. I never thought I would rock out to marimba! It's neat that they are continuing the tradition, and it was great to see both generations at once.
Tomorrow I'm heading North to Matagalpa for the weekend, to visit a family from San Francisco who is living in Nicaragua for a year. The father, Jeff, was the Executive Director of the Community Housing Partnership. I'm excited to meet them and see a new part of the country!
The two brothers Carlos and Luis Enrique Mejia Godoy performed, as did the younger band made up of relatives of the brothers called La Cuneta Son Machin. The brothers play classic Nicaraguan music, popular at the time of the revolution, and are so full of life and fun. Carlos wrote a Mass for the working class, and many of his songs in the 70s gave instructions on how to assemble and use rifles taken from Samoza. Everyone in crowd knew all of their songs and sang along. The younger band's music is a cool mix of the traditional with rock and sometimes even punk. I never thought I would rock out to marimba! It's neat that they are continuing the tradition, and it was great to see both generations at once.
Tomorrow I'm heading North to Matagalpa for the weekend, to visit a family from San Francisco who is living in Nicaragua for a year. The father, Jeff, was the Executive Director of the Community Housing Partnership. I'm excited to meet them and see a new part of the country!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Things I have learned recently:
1.) Many immigrants coming from Central America to the U.S. loose limbs when trying to get onto trains, including young kids. (On Friday I saw a film called “La Frontera Infinita” on the opening night of the Icaro Central American Film Festival.) It’s incredibly sad.
2.) Nicaraguan food is great, but even better mini! The after party for the film festival had mini quesillos (kind of like quesadillas with onions) and mini nacatamales (awesome savory tamales.) I'm also in love with platanos maduros fritos. yum…
3.) Riding on the back of a jet ski on the Guanacaste Bay in Costa Rica is amazing. We even passed Michael Jordan’s house, and saw a sea turtle.
4.) Micheladas (beer, lime juice, and salt) are the solution to a bottom shelf liquor selection at an all inclusive hotel.
5.) How to dry cacao seeds (but probably not make chocolate because I missed the fermentation step..) The cacao fruit grew on my aunt and uncle’s tree in the backyard.
6.) Tolerance to the constant sound of the dogs (Jenny and Buddy Boy) barking and biting/scratching at themselves.
7.) How to take cold showers (I try to do yoga first to warm up.)
8.) What to do if a bird gets into the house (open all the doors, but wait until the bird is not sleeping. Also next time wear bug spray during this process)
9.) If I give the guy collecting money on the bus exact change, he won't over charge me.
10.) And from Obama: keep trying! “On this journey, you’re going to experience setbacks and you have to be persistent and stubborn, and you just have to keep on going at it. And you’ll never roll the boulder all the way up the hill, but you may get it part of the way up.” -Obama to Indian students in NYTimes
2.) Nicaraguan food is great, but even better mini! The after party for the film festival had mini quesillos (kind of like quesadillas with onions) and mini nacatamales (awesome savory tamales.) I'm also in love with platanos maduros fritos. yum…
3.) Riding on the back of a jet ski on the Guanacaste Bay in Costa Rica is amazing. We even passed Michael Jordan’s house, and saw a sea turtle.
4.) Micheladas (beer, lime juice, and salt) are the solution to a bottom shelf liquor selection at an all inclusive hotel.
5.) How to dry cacao seeds (but probably not make chocolate because I missed the fermentation step..) The cacao fruit grew on my aunt and uncle’s tree in the backyard.
6.) Tolerance to the constant sound of the dogs (Jenny and Buddy Boy) barking and biting/scratching at themselves.
7.) How to take cold showers (I try to do yoga first to warm up.)
8.) What to do if a bird gets into the house (open all the doors, but wait until the bird is not sleeping. Also next time wear bug spray during this process)
9.) If I give the guy collecting money on the bus exact change, he won't over charge me.
10.) And from Obama: keep trying! “On this journey, you’re going to experience setbacks and you have to be persistent and stubborn, and you just have to keep on going at it. And you’ll never roll the boulder all the way up the hill, but you may get it part of the way up.” -Obama to Indian students in NYTimes
Monday, November 8, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
Photos from Leon
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23110575@N05/5148812266/in/set-72157624964798165
I'm really sorry that I can't make this into a link. I've tried all the obvious things...
I'm really sorry that I can't make this into a link. I've tried all the obvious things...
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Work, Play, Speak Spanish
I had a great weekend in Leòn with Blanca. The main cathedral is simply beautiful (see pictures from my last post,) huge, crumbling, with amazing paintings and sculptures inside. There were at least 8 gorgeous churches, with unique exteriors and interiors. Apparently they used to be linked by underground tunnels, until one brilliant mayor thought to turn them into sewers… One of my favorite things about churches here is that people put little charms or models next to statues of saints to represent miracles that have been asked for and fulfilled. You’ll see tiny houses, hands, eyes, children, all representing answered prayers. The art museum Fundacion Ortiz Guardian was excellent, especially the modern pieces from all over Latin America. To get an idea check out http://www.fundacionortizgurdian.org/eventos.en/ni/bienal1
We also went to an indigenous neighborhood called Subtiava and met a woman who runs an indigenous women’s group and a great painter. On the second day we didn’t get to go to the volcano, but we did go to a strange museum with life sized figures of local myths and legends housed in a former jail and torture chamber. I’ll upload more photos from the weekend to flickr soon.
This week so far I’ve done some interviews, visited the homes of 2 library users, and worked on the grant proposal. I just bought a recorder which should help with the interviews, and I’m still waiting to get data from one of the teachers in the school. I’ve also had some good conversations with Karla, the library coordinator, about her challenges and some tools we can develop to help.
I just went to see a French movie (with Spanish subtitles!) at a mall in Managua with Blanca. It’s kind of a mini culture shock to go from the one room houses in Palo Solo to a mall with Colors of Benneton and Burger King. This weekend I’m meeting up with Liz in Costa Rica, so I’d better work hard to deserve hanging out on the beach! I was sorry to hear about the midterm elections, happy to hear about the Giants… Hope everyone’s week is going well. Shout out to Rebecca who’s visiting in December!
We also went to an indigenous neighborhood called Subtiava and met a woman who runs an indigenous women’s group and a great painter. On the second day we didn’t get to go to the volcano, but we did go to a strange museum with life sized figures of local myths and legends housed in a former jail and torture chamber. I’ll upload more photos from the weekend to flickr soon.
This week so far I’ve done some interviews, visited the homes of 2 library users, and worked on the grant proposal. I just bought a recorder which should help with the interviews, and I’m still waiting to get data from one of the teachers in the school. I’ve also had some good conversations with Karla, the library coordinator, about her challenges and some tools we can develop to help.
I just went to see a French movie (with Spanish subtitles!) at a mall in Managua with Blanca. It’s kind of a mini culture shock to go from the one room houses in Palo Solo to a mall with Colors of Benneton and Burger King. This weekend I’m meeting up with Liz in Costa Rica, so I’d better work hard to deserve hanging out on the beach! I was sorry to hear about the midterm elections, happy to hear about the Giants… Hope everyone’s week is going well. Shout out to Rebecca who’s visiting in December!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Happy Noche de Aguizotes desde Masaya!
I didn't take my camera, but here's a photo from the web showing the spooky party/parade I just came back from in Masaya. There were demons and babydolls on sticks and vulgar puppets and polka-type bands. The word comes from the indigenous language Nahuatl, and many of the costumes represent characters from local legends. Mayhem and fun!
Center-less City
Some of the things I have seen on my commute to the library:
-the back of a pickup truck filled with pineapples
-a horse grazing by the side of the road
-huge clouds over green mountains
-three kids riding a horse with no saddle
-a Bluebird school bus with a picture of a naked lady painted on the back window
Things are going well, Monday I went to the library, Tuesday Karla and I went searching for data, and Wednesday I went on a tour of Managua with Jac (the guy who used to live in Philadelphia.) It turns out that after the 1971 earthquake, the center of Managua was never rebuilt (a really interesting story that relates to the history of Nicaragua.) The result is a spread out city (full of trees) with no center, which some people say is the Los Angeles of the third world. Jac and his son and I walked around looking at some new affordable housing projects that have been built by the current government. I’ve been reading a lot about the history of the city and Jac is going to try to get me a meeting with the office that is building the housing. I’m hoping to write something about what I learn, perhaps drawing a parallel between U.S. cities and Managua.
Wednesday night Blanca and I went to a capoeira class in Managua. It was really fun (and kind of kicked my ass!) Maybe I’ll have a new hobby… Yesterday I went to the library and Karla and I finally managed to track down some data from the Ministry of Education, although I’m not sure how useful it will be. Today I’m trying to focus on the grant proposal and looking forward to an evening in Masaya (some kind of cultural event) and a weekend in Leon with Blanca. We may even go volcano surfing (I’ll explain later if we do it.) I’ve started my first round of postcards, but if you think I may not have your address, email it to me and you can get one too. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Here are some photos from the center of Managua:
one of the housing developments in central Managua
a very green capital city (a positive outcome of under development?)
a destroyed building left from the earthquake, inhabited by squatters
I have many more photos including an abandoned movie theater, empty lots, and the ruins of the cathedral where there could be a plaza. It would be really interesting to see whether this area revitalizes in the next 10 years..
-the back of a pickup truck filled with pineapples
-a horse grazing by the side of the road
-huge clouds over green mountains
-three kids riding a horse with no saddle
-a Bluebird school bus with a picture of a naked lady painted on the back window
Things are going well, Monday I went to the library, Tuesday Karla and I went searching for data, and Wednesday I went on a tour of Managua with Jac (the guy who used to live in Philadelphia.) It turns out that after the 1971 earthquake, the center of Managua was never rebuilt (a really interesting story that relates to the history of Nicaragua.) The result is a spread out city (full of trees) with no center, which some people say is the Los Angeles of the third world. Jac and his son and I walked around looking at some new affordable housing projects that have been built by the current government. I’ve been reading a lot about the history of the city and Jac is going to try to get me a meeting with the office that is building the housing. I’m hoping to write something about what I learn, perhaps drawing a parallel between U.S. cities and Managua.
Wednesday night Blanca and I went to a capoeira class in Managua. It was really fun (and kind of kicked my ass!) Maybe I’ll have a new hobby… Yesterday I went to the library and Karla and I finally managed to track down some data from the Ministry of Education, although I’m not sure how useful it will be. Today I’m trying to focus on the grant proposal and looking forward to an evening in Masaya (some kind of cultural event) and a weekend in Leon with Blanca. We may even go volcano surfing (I’ll explain later if we do it.) I’ve started my first round of postcards, but if you think I may not have your address, email it to me and you can get one too. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Here are some photos from the center of Managua:
one of the housing developments in central Managua
a very green capital city (a positive outcome of under development?)
a destroyed building left from the earthquake, inhabited by squatters
I have many more photos including an abandoned movie theater, empty lots, and the ruins of the cathedral where there could be a plaza. It would be really interesting to see whether this area revitalizes in the next 10 years..
Monday, October 25, 2010
Cake and Volcanoes
So to catch up from last week, I'm off to a slow but good start with my work with the library. I've been doing short interviews with students and teachers, strategizing with Karla about getting data, and have completed my research for the computer room grant that I'll be putting together. Tomorrow I'm going to the alcaldia, which is the local government, to see if I can get data on the town's population over the last 5 years. This will help me to measure the change in school enrollment which is an indicator of the library's impact. Hopefully I will have more progress to report soon!
On Friday I stayed in all day working on the grant research, and watched a movie with Blanca and my other neighbor Anielka. In the future, I have to remember that staying inside all day puts me in a weird mood. On Saturday Blanca and I went to the artisan market in Masaya and the Masaya Volcano. Both are very close by, and the volcano is an amazing active volcano crater that was spewing smoke. That night we went over to Blanca's co-worker's apartment for a party. It turned out that the party had gotten canceled, but we got to watch the baseball game (go Giants!) and I got to meet Blanca's boss who is originally from San Francisco and their LA based consultant. As I mentioned before, Blanca works for a rad organization called Puntos de Encuentro http://www.puntos.org.ni/english/ that (among other things) is producing a soap opera about social issues.
On Sunday, we had the first Mariposa Language School trip to El Nisperal, Sally's Farm/Nature Preserve. For the test run, we brought one student/volunteer (Tom), Paulette (the owner), Guillermina (Paulette's daughter), Ismael (Paulette's right hand man), Frankin (the caretaker of Paulette's horses) and a policeman (I'm not really sure of the reasoning behind this but I'm assuming it was for protection.) We rode horses from the Mariposa up to the library, and went on a hike (saw tons of monkeys) guided by Luis (the caretaker's son.) I've probably never been on such a long ride with so much cantoring and galloping, but despite some soreness it was fun. Hopefully this was the beginning of a beautiful collaboration!
Today after we came back from the library, I went to Karla's suprise birthday party with her family. They cracked an egg over her head when she walked in the door (surprise!) and also smeared cake on her face and just about everyone else's face later on.
Reasons why I feel grateful:
-I'm getting to know the local roads better, which helps with taking the microbuses to get around.
-it has been raining on and off (it is the rainy season) but overall the air is warm and there are trees with fruit on them. It's often sunny and very green.
-I get to stay in my aunt and uncle's beautiful house with 2 dog roommates.
-their neighbor Claudia who works for them helps me with household chores. What luxury!
-My neighbor Blanca is turning out to be a great friend and activity partner.
-Billy is coming to visit in late November!
-I dropped my computer tonight and the fan seems to be broken (very unlucky) but I can manage temporarily and I'm very grateful that it turns on and that nothing worse happened.
I've posted photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23110575@N05/5112943916/in/set-72157624964798165/
Bon Voyage to my sister Julia who is leaving tomorrow for Europe for 3 weeks! I hope everyone's week is off to a good start.
On Friday I stayed in all day working on the grant research, and watched a movie with Blanca and my other neighbor Anielka. In the future, I have to remember that staying inside all day puts me in a weird mood. On Saturday Blanca and I went to the artisan market in Masaya and the Masaya Volcano. Both are very close by, and the volcano is an amazing active volcano crater that was spewing smoke. That night we went over to Blanca's co-worker's apartment for a party. It turned out that the party had gotten canceled, but we got to watch the baseball game (go Giants!) and I got to meet Blanca's boss who is originally from San Francisco and their LA based consultant. As I mentioned before, Blanca works for a rad organization called Puntos de Encuentro http://www.puntos.org.ni/english/ that (among other things) is producing a soap opera about social issues.
On Sunday, we had the first Mariposa Language School trip to El Nisperal, Sally's Farm/Nature Preserve. For the test run, we brought one student/volunteer (Tom), Paulette (the owner), Guillermina (Paulette's daughter), Ismael (Paulette's right hand man), Frankin (the caretaker of Paulette's horses) and a policeman (I'm not really sure of the reasoning behind this but I'm assuming it was for protection.) We rode horses from the Mariposa up to the library, and went on a hike (saw tons of monkeys) guided by Luis (the caretaker's son.) I've probably never been on such a long ride with so much cantoring and galloping, but despite some soreness it was fun. Hopefully this was the beginning of a beautiful collaboration!
Today after we came back from the library, I went to Karla's suprise birthday party with her family. They cracked an egg over her head when she walked in the door (surprise!) and also smeared cake on her face and just about everyone else's face later on.
Reasons why I feel grateful:
-I'm getting to know the local roads better, which helps with taking the microbuses to get around.
-it has been raining on and off (it is the rainy season) but overall the air is warm and there are trees with fruit on them. It's often sunny and very green.
-I get to stay in my aunt and uncle's beautiful house with 2 dog roommates.
-their neighbor Claudia who works for them helps me with household chores. What luxury!
-My neighbor Blanca is turning out to be a great friend and activity partner.
-Billy is coming to visit in late November!
-I dropped my computer tonight and the fan seems to be broken (very unlucky) but I can manage temporarily and I'm very grateful that it turns on and that nothing worse happened.
I've posted photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23110575@N05/5112943916/in/set-72157624964798165/
Bon Voyage to my sister Julia who is leaving tomorrow for Europe for 3 weeks! I hope everyone's week is off to a good start.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Technology and Pork Rinds
I’m writing this from the farmhouse (no internet, just a Word document and half my laptop’s battery life.) It’s 6pm and dark outside, and the caretaker’s daughter who was chatting with me has gone back to their house (about 20 feet away) for dinner. I have no cell phone service and I probably won’t talk to anyone until 9am tomorrow morning when hike back up the library.
This trip has got me thinking about the role of technology in my life, especially in connecting to other people. I got an iPhone in January, and despite the convenience (especially for a person with no sense of direction like me) sometimes I don’t like how having the constant possibility of connection with other people makes me feel. Either it makes me feel anxious (did he text me back? did they get my email?) or it makes me feel dissatisfied with being alone.
When I got to Nicaragua and didn’t have constant access to the internet (and my friends and family) it made me feel like I wasn’t in control. When I finally had it, I acted like an addict who had been in withdrawal. I stayed up late and couldn’t make myself go to bed, and I woke up before my alarm wanting to check my email.
I think the sense of control I get from technology is false. I can’t control when or how often I will connect to other people (or even who those people will be.) No matter how many times I check my email, I’m still far away from my friends and family for another couple of months, and there are many interesting people around me here to interact with.
After all this philosophizing, I’m starting to panic a little that my computer is dying. I have a bed and a warm dinner and a howler monkey wake up call at 5am. I’m sure I’ll be fine.
=====================================================
Obviously now I’m back in civilization, at Sally’s house. In other news Monday I got a ride from this guy Jac (of the couple who used to live in Philadelphia) to Granada where I wandered around for a couple of hours and got to see the volcano I had climbed on Sunday from the ground. It is very touristy and pretty, reminded me of Antigua in Guatemala. I tried vigoron, which is yucca, cabbage salad, and fried pork rinds. Yum. Tuesday, Wednesday, and today I was up at the library, I’ll give an update on that later.
Happy almost Friday everyone!
This trip has got me thinking about the role of technology in my life, especially in connecting to other people. I got an iPhone in January, and despite the convenience (especially for a person with no sense of direction like me) sometimes I don’t like how having the constant possibility of connection with other people makes me feel. Either it makes me feel anxious (did he text me back? did they get my email?) or it makes me feel dissatisfied with being alone.
When I got to Nicaragua and didn’t have constant access to the internet (and my friends and family) it made me feel like I wasn’t in control. When I finally had it, I acted like an addict who had been in withdrawal. I stayed up late and couldn’t make myself go to bed, and I woke up before my alarm wanting to check my email.
I think the sense of control I get from technology is false. I can’t control when or how often I will connect to other people (or even who those people will be.) No matter how many times I check my email, I’m still far away from my friends and family for another couple of months, and there are many interesting people around me here to interact with.
After all this philosophizing, I’m starting to panic a little that my computer is dying. I have a bed and a warm dinner and a howler monkey wake up call at 5am. I’m sure I’ll be fine.
=====================================================
Obviously now I’m back in civilization, at Sally’s house. In other news Monday I got a ride from this guy Jac (of the couple who used to live in Philadelphia) to Granada where I wandered around for a couple of hours and got to see the volcano I had climbed on Sunday from the ground. It is very touristy and pretty, reminded me of Antigua in Guatemala. I tried vigoron, which is yucca, cabbage salad, and fried pork rinds. Yum. Tuesday, Wednesday, and today I was up at the library, I’ll give an update on that later.
Happy almost Friday everyone!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Hikes!
First a few things I forgot last time
-The police in La Concha don´t have a vehicle, so Paulette from La Mariposa lends them her van. This has led to some funny instances of police wearing riot gear riding in a van painted with flowers and butterflies (which connote homosexuality here)
-I´m reading ¨Open Veins of Latin America¨ by Eduardo Galeano. Chavez gave it to Obama who apparently read it. Good enough for me.
-I have a shitty Claro phone that eats minutes like a hungry dog. If you want to call me on it, the number is 011 505 86167150. Still no internet at the house but I´m getting good at threats in Spanish so hopefully they will come to fix it soon.
-I have been covered in bug bites since I got here. It´s a constant rotation of new bites appearing while others calm. I´m hoping this builds character.
Friday night I cooked dinner for Blanca and chatted with Chamba the night guard who is apparently a baseball star and almost got killed guarding tropical birds. Saturday morning I got some good practice being alone, made chicken soup and brought it to Claudia, my neighbor who works at the house on weekday mornings. We sat and talked about her 3 daughters for a bit. In the late afternoon I met up with Sally´s friend Kevin and a group of about 30 expats and Nicaraguans on a long hike which finished along the top of a ridge overlooking the local lakes and volcanoes. I met the EU ambassador to Nicaragua who told me about a local group of Jews, and a couple who used to live in Philadelphia and work in community development. The hike ended at someone´s house with a small party. Sunday Blanca and I went to Mombacho, Nicaragua´s 5th largest volcano, which is covered in cloud forest. You can see steam coming out of the ground and smell the sulfur in certain parts. We took a long hike with a guide and a french couple, and we could see the city of Granada and several lakes and other volcanoes. This week I´m hoping to get a good start on my projects with the library and spend my first night at the farm house on Tuesday. I hope your weeks are off to a productive start as well!
-The police in La Concha don´t have a vehicle, so Paulette from La Mariposa lends them her van. This has led to some funny instances of police wearing riot gear riding in a van painted with flowers and butterflies (which connote homosexuality here)
-I´m reading ¨Open Veins of Latin America¨ by Eduardo Galeano. Chavez gave it to Obama who apparently read it. Good enough for me.
-I have a shitty Claro phone that eats minutes like a hungry dog. If you want to call me on it, the number is 011 505 86167150. Still no internet at the house but I´m getting good at threats in Spanish so hopefully they will come to fix it soon.
-I have been covered in bug bites since I got here. It´s a constant rotation of new bites appearing while others calm. I´m hoping this builds character.
Friday night I cooked dinner for Blanca and chatted with Chamba the night guard who is apparently a baseball star and almost got killed guarding tropical birds. Saturday morning I got some good practice being alone, made chicken soup and brought it to Claudia, my neighbor who works at the house on weekday mornings. We sat and talked about her 3 daughters for a bit. In the late afternoon I met up with Sally´s friend Kevin and a group of about 30 expats and Nicaraguans on a long hike which finished along the top of a ridge overlooking the local lakes and volcanoes. I met the EU ambassador to Nicaragua who told me about a local group of Jews, and a couple who used to live in Philadelphia and work in community development. The hike ended at someone´s house with a small party. Sunday Blanca and I went to Mombacho, Nicaragua´s 5th largest volcano, which is covered in cloud forest. You can see steam coming out of the ground and smell the sulfur in certain parts. We took a long hike with a guide and a french couple, and we could see the city of Granada and several lakes and other volcanoes. This week I´m hoping to get a good start on my projects with the library and spend my first night at the farm house on Tuesday. I hope your weeks are off to a productive start as well!
Friday, October 15, 2010
A Full Week
Monday I went to the library for the first time. The road getting to the library is super rough, and we take a moto taxi that does some amazing driving to get there. Last post was photos from the library, so you can see the beautiful view and the lovely building and kids. I read Curious George in Spanish to a group of students, and I got to talk with Karla and Miguel who work at the library about some of their challenges.
Tuesday I stayed around the language school doing grant research.
Wednesday Sally picked me up and we went up to the library. We met with a lady who is working on a project to organize rural tourism in the area. It was interesting because she had such a long view of the process and it sounded like there would be a lot more talking than actually doing. Sally suggested a couple of ideas for the area, and emphasized the importance of fixing the road as a precursor to any possible development of tourism. Sally shared some of her perspectives about Nicaragua over lunch, and we went to see the farm house which does indeed have a working gas stove! We returned to Sally´s house outside of Masaya where I will be staying part of the time. It´s the house where her whole family lived when they lived in Nicaragua, and it is big and rambling and very pretty. There are two lovely dogs and several people who work there who have been employed by my aunt and uncle for over 20 years. Claudia cleans in the morning and Chamba is the guard at night. Sally and I talked some more about her organization over a beer and dinner, and later her neighbor Blanca came over. Blanca is about my age and we were apparently pen pals when we were little! She works at a NGO that makes soap operas with social messages for women. She seems really nice and I hope we´ll be friends.
Thursday Sally and I went to the Mariposa Spanish school for a meeting with the owner Paulette and the intern Alex. We discussed possible ways that the Mariposa students could enjoy Sally´s farm and possibly contribute to the library, and we even picked a date of next Sunday for the first trip on horseback to the farm! Then Sally and I drove in crazy traffic to a coffee roaster in Managua who bought 70 pounds of Sally´s coffee harvest from last year. I got to see the roaster and bought some freshly roasted coffee. Next we went to a big mall which Sally said is owned by Salvadoreans to go to the bank and make some photocopies. We also went to a large modern supermarket. Then we met two of Sally´s friends at a tapas restaurant and Jazz bar. Her friend Kevin is a forrester who teaches at an English language university in Managua and invited me to her house for a hike on Saturday. Abby is the head of the Psychology department at the public university and invited me to her house for latkes in December. By coincidence, a friend of Kent´s named Edwin who was visiting from Bluefields was also coming to the bar to listen to a jam session. Sally and I couldn´t stay for the music, but I got to meet Edwin and it turns out that he and Abby had worked on a documentary film together or something. Sally finished telling me about the house and then said goodbye, since she had to leave very early.
Friday (today) I got stuck in traffic on my way to meet the Mariposa intern Alex to go up to the library. The Mariposa owner Paulette and her right hand man Ismael met us up there, and we went down to see the farm house and hiked on the trails for about an hour and half. I had no idea how beautiful the trails are on Sally´s farm slash nature preserve! There are huge trees, ferns, springs, coffee plants, and cliffs everywhere you look. We sat and watched a group of howler monkeys for about 20 minutes, including several baby monkeys. It really is a special place. I´m at an internet cafe right now since the internet isn´t working yet at the house in Masaya. This weekend I hope to check out the Masaya market and maybe go the Laguna de Apoyo.
I´ve definitely felt up and down this week, but I´m excited about the work that I´m going to do here and I think once I write it up for Sally it will feel like something that I can actually accomplish. I´m also excited to see some more of the beautiful sights in Nicaragua. I´ll try to post some more photos soon. I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Tuesday I stayed around the language school doing grant research.
Wednesday Sally picked me up and we went up to the library. We met with a lady who is working on a project to organize rural tourism in the area. It was interesting because she had such a long view of the process and it sounded like there would be a lot more talking than actually doing. Sally suggested a couple of ideas for the area, and emphasized the importance of fixing the road as a precursor to any possible development of tourism. Sally shared some of her perspectives about Nicaragua over lunch, and we went to see the farm house which does indeed have a working gas stove! We returned to Sally´s house outside of Masaya where I will be staying part of the time. It´s the house where her whole family lived when they lived in Nicaragua, and it is big and rambling and very pretty. There are two lovely dogs and several people who work there who have been employed by my aunt and uncle for over 20 years. Claudia cleans in the morning and Chamba is the guard at night. Sally and I talked some more about her organization over a beer and dinner, and later her neighbor Blanca came over. Blanca is about my age and we were apparently pen pals when we were little! She works at a NGO that makes soap operas with social messages for women. She seems really nice and I hope we´ll be friends.
Thursday Sally and I went to the Mariposa Spanish school for a meeting with the owner Paulette and the intern Alex. We discussed possible ways that the Mariposa students could enjoy Sally´s farm and possibly contribute to the library, and we even picked a date of next Sunday for the first trip on horseback to the farm! Then Sally and I drove in crazy traffic to a coffee roaster in Managua who bought 70 pounds of Sally´s coffee harvest from last year. I got to see the roaster and bought some freshly roasted coffee. Next we went to a big mall which Sally said is owned by Salvadoreans to go to the bank and make some photocopies. We also went to a large modern supermarket. Then we met two of Sally´s friends at a tapas restaurant and Jazz bar. Her friend Kevin is a forrester who teaches at an English language university in Managua and invited me to her house for a hike on Saturday. Abby is the head of the Psychology department at the public university and invited me to her house for latkes in December. By coincidence, a friend of Kent´s named Edwin who was visiting from Bluefields was also coming to the bar to listen to a jam session. Sally and I couldn´t stay for the music, but I got to meet Edwin and it turns out that he and Abby had worked on a documentary film together or something. Sally finished telling me about the house and then said goodbye, since she had to leave very early.
Friday (today) I got stuck in traffic on my way to meet the Mariposa intern Alex to go up to the library. The Mariposa owner Paulette and her right hand man Ismael met us up there, and we went down to see the farm house and hiked on the trails for about an hour and half. I had no idea how beautiful the trails are on Sally´s farm slash nature preserve! There are huge trees, ferns, springs, coffee plants, and cliffs everywhere you look. We sat and watched a group of howler monkeys for about 20 minutes, including several baby monkeys. It really is a special place. I´m at an internet cafe right now since the internet isn´t working yet at the house in Masaya. This weekend I hope to check out the Masaya market and maybe go the Laguna de Apoyo.
I´ve definitely felt up and down this week, but I´m excited about the work that I´m going to do here and I think once I write it up for Sally it will feel like something that I can actually accomplish. I´m also excited to see some more of the beautiful sights in Nicaragua. I´ll try to post some more photos soon. I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Life at the Language School
The day after the conference, I tried to do some yoga (I brought my matt with me so hopefully I will develop a daily habit) and had breakfast with the other students at 7am. Then I had 4 hours of one on one Spanish classes with a short break in between. After lunch, I took a microbus (really a van) into one of the nearby towns to buy a cellphone and change money. The town was spread out and full of store fronts and small parks. When I got back, I went to the homestay house of one of the other language students Liz. We went to a restaurant to eat chicharon (pork) with her host mother, who told us a great story about how her grandfather had 40 children and many marriages, his last at 90 years old. The next day I had classes again and a nice lazy afternoon. I also had an exciting conversation with the Spanish school owner, Paulette, about potential ways that the language school could collaborate with the library. In the evening I went to a bar to meet Liz, Tom, another student who is leaving to travel, and one of my Spanish teachers who is also Tom’s host family. It’s really nice how the families that work with the Spanish school are very involved in all aspects of the school. Sunday I had my last day of class-I really hope that I can retain the grammar improvements I’ve made. Paulette gave me and a new student a tour of the grounds of the school and told us about the process of it’s development. The land has really been transformed from basically barren to a haven for birds, butterflies, and frogs. Between the wildlife and the chickens, parrots, macaws, monkeys and 6 dogs, it’s quite the menagerie. Later I went along with Guillermina, the owner’s daughter to a tiny “salon” in the neighborhood and took a walk around the town, where a baseball and soccer game were being played. I had dinner with 3 new students who have all been traveling for quite a while. Today I finally get to go to the library and I should be seeing Sally soon. I can’t wait!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Library Conference
On my first day in Nicaragua, I went to the 2nd Annual Conference of the Nicaraguan Association of Library Professionals. I went in a van with the Mariposa language school intern Alex, a guy from D.C. named Tom, one of the library employees named Karla, and a few other employees of local projects. I got to see the lush green mountains between the language school and Managua which I had missed the night before in the dark. Karla seems really great and I’m excited to work with her. In between sessions we got to talk about the library where I’ll be working, the children in the local community, and the problems that exist there. The conference was held at a private university in Managua, and had about 150 people in attendance from all over Nicaragua. Many of the speakers had started their own lending libraries in small towns where few books were available. One speaker mentioned that satiating Nicaraguan’s desire for reading is especially important after the literacy campaigns of the 1980s.
Many spoke about how most children and youth in Nicaragua only get to see text books and don’t read for pleasure. They discussed how to inspire students to love reading, how to create the habit of reading, how to make it fun, and how to involve families and teachers. Most of the American speakers used a translator, and I wondered why they haven’t learned Spanish after living in Nicaragua for many years.
Several programs have mobile libraries that visit as many as 40 rural communities every few weeks and lend books. Some have cabinets on wheels that go from classroom to classroom within a school. One library will provide a seed library of 100 books to anyone who wants to start a lending library. This can help some people get used to lending books, as they may be nervous initially about whether or not they will get them back. We attended a session given by a Fullbright recipient about the idea of information literacy, which is the ability to seek out relevant information.
I couldn’t help but think of the irony that physical books are on the decline in the developed world, but I don’t think that really applies to books for children. Today at breakfast my Spanish teacher told me that the first book he ever read was in university, so the issue must be relevant. Overall, I was impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit of the organizations present, and the emphasis on getting as many books as possible out to as many people as possible. One speaker said that anytime she sees a book that looks like it is new, it makes her sad, because it means that few people have gotten to read it.
The library that I will be working with already has 1,200 books and a robust lending program, so I am excited to see it and see first hand the services it provides as well as possible ways to expand them.
That night I ate dinner by myself, finished one of the books I had brought (Little Bee), and went to bed thoroughly exhausted.
Many spoke about how most children and youth in Nicaragua only get to see text books and don’t read for pleasure. They discussed how to inspire students to love reading, how to create the habit of reading, how to make it fun, and how to involve families and teachers. Most of the American speakers used a translator, and I wondered why they haven’t learned Spanish after living in Nicaragua for many years.
Several programs have mobile libraries that visit as many as 40 rural communities every few weeks and lend books. Some have cabinets on wheels that go from classroom to classroom within a school. One library will provide a seed library of 100 books to anyone who wants to start a lending library. This can help some people get used to lending books, as they may be nervous initially about whether or not they will get them back. We attended a session given by a Fullbright recipient about the idea of information literacy, which is the ability to seek out relevant information.
I couldn’t help but think of the irony that physical books are on the decline in the developed world, but I don’t think that really applies to books for children. Today at breakfast my Spanish teacher told me that the first book he ever read was in university, so the issue must be relevant. Overall, I was impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit of the organizations present, and the emphasis on getting as many books as possible out to as many people as possible. One speaker said that anytime she sees a book that looks like it is new, it makes her sad, because it means that few people have gotten to read it.
The library that I will be working with already has 1,200 books and a robust lending program, so I am excited to see it and see first hand the services it provides as well as possible ways to expand them.
That night I ate dinner by myself, finished one of the books I had brought (Little Bee), and went to bed thoroughly exhausted.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Safe Arrival and Monkeys
Not much to report yet- the trip went smoothly (a good burger and no problems at George Bush Airport in Houston..) and the language school seems very nice. It's about an hour from Managua. The air is warm and humid, there are tropical plants, monkeys and toucans in cages, and I had a classic anxiety dream about oversleeping and missing the conference today. no such problem, I was up early and I met the owner's daughter. I am looking forward to the day and I hope you are having a good day as well.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Yawn
So here it is! Thank you so much to everyone who came out on Saturday night and last night. And thank you to Billy for his help and for being part of all of it. Right now I am tired and unbelieving that I will be getting on a plane to Nicaragua later today. Last time I did a travel blog, blogging was not such a big thing, but you've asked for it and I know it's a good way to stay in touch. Another difference between this and my other trips is that this particular journey started when I quit my job and will continue long after I come back from Central America.. but that's another story. Happy Wednesday! Talk soon.
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