Penultimate Week of Training and Youth Group Fair!

Today was the youth group product fair, and I am sad to say despite all of the time and effort we put in, our group did not win. We did get 5th place out of 12 teams though. Our kids were pretty sad but they are all excited that we were able to sell our product and make some money. For those of you who don´t know, we made Mango Chutney as our product. Which one might think with all the mangoes here it would be a no brainer. But the truth is, where I live, during mango season the fruit literally rots in the streets because there is so much of it. I just see thousands of dollars rotting in the streets considering that a mango in the states (that is green and doesn´t taste very good) can be almost $3! But overall I think the kids learned a lot and we are all excited for our goodbye party tomorrow! Also in our defense the competition was pretty steep, there were some great products like ice cream, natural soaps and hand made glass candle holders.

The rest of this week has been activity and work filled, preparing for final project reports, presentations, and the youth group fair. I haven´t worked this hard since business school folks! I am tired! I am excited to start service so I can take things a little slower the truth be told.

Tuesday was the Día de la Revolución here in Nicaragua. It was celebrating 32 years of the Sandinista Revolution over Somoza. There was a huge celebration in Managua with tens of thousands of people that I watched, safely from the TV in my fellow trainees house as we worked on one of our many projects. It was interesting to talk to my homestay family about their experiences in that war/revolution and how they had dug a hole in there patio to sleep in so that if a rocket was shot into the house it would miss them. We also watched a video they had on the event. I am very lucky to say I have never had to experience something like that in my life, and I highly doubt I could ever understand what it would be like.

On a happier note, I went with Yessica and Carlos and their host mom Doña Cleo to a friends Finca (or farm) where they grow all sorts of products. I saw how the red beans grow (the ones they eat everyday) corn and where baby corn comes from, Plantains, Mangos, a Nicaraguan fruit called mamon, and several others. It was so nice to be in a forested area, out of a city and have it be quiet! The family that lives there was very kind and were excited to show a bunch of city-slickers how it all works. I will put up the pictures as soon as I get them from Yessica.

Next week is full of more training talks and the last minute details before we swear in next Friday. I will be moving to Matagalpa officially on Sunday the 31st! I am very excited to get there, but also a little sad to be leaving behind great friends here in Masatepe as well as the 20 other small business volunteers and the 19 agricultural volunteers who are such good company. But as I am in one of the biggest sites, I am sure I will see them all soon as they come to restock their pantries every month! Hope everyone is doing well! Miss you all dearly!