March is going to be a crazy month and it hasn't even started yet!!!!!

So for some reason this week, writing a blog entry is really difficult for me. It has a lot to do with how tired I am, how I feel that my time is no longer my own, and just the fact that there is so much that I have done in the past week or two weeks that I don't even know where to begin.

Like I said last time, the school year is in full effect. And with that comes weekly planning sessions with each of my counterpart teachers, re-doing class schedules over and over again, and my bi-yearly site visit by one of my bosses. But first, I attended a two-day training workshop here in Matagalpa given by a local chapter of "Junior Achievement." In fact it was an interesting workshop, but was a 6 week course condensed into 2 days, and in my opinion could have been better tailored to the needs of the teachers. But it was a start and thats what's most important right? It pretty much ate up my weekend, and Sunday's gym workout left me as a heap of a sweaty mess on the floor, so I don't feel like I really had much of a weekend. (But this is not my complaining, I love my work and am thankful that I get to be doing what I get to do, I only mention this because it is quite a change from just one month ago, when my time was MY time.)

Monday was my site visit, and it was great to get to spend time with my boss and go visit all of my counterparts and local bosses. I got a lot of great feedback, some areas where I can improve, and had a chance to really connect with my Peace Corps boss. I was glad to finally get to show her who I really am, and not the totally freaked out and messed up trainee that I was in training. I know we are both happy to see the real me again! Ha ha.

Classes have been going ok. It's hard to get students who have never met you excited about a class they have no experience with. But the good thing is one of my schools I worked with the students last year, so we are flying through the first classes, and having fun. It was nice too to see that the students and fellow teachers had noticed that I had lost some more weight too! One student even asked me why I was "more sexy" than last year. I quickly put the kabash on that talk, as I am his teacher, but secretly I thought it was VERY funny. As for the rest of my classes, since they have never met me before, I think they think I am just a strange gringa. I will work very hard to change that opinion!

Well that's it for the moment, I am sure you don't want details of how my planning sessions went... So keep making good choices and I love and miss you all!

Back to school, Back to school, to prove to dad I'm not a fool...

The school year has officially begun, and I am already running around like a chicken with my head cut off. (Speaking of Chicken’s below I’ll add the picture of a chicken that a man had on his lap on the bus the other day!) I am so glad to be back at my schools and I am excited to see the students are glad to be back as well. It has been an interesting few weeks, lots of highs and a few lows. I am glad to be back at school, but I have been helping with class scheduling, and it has been quite a challenge in all of my schools. One major reason is that the largest high school in Matagalpa is under renovation and so they only accepted about 400 new incoming freshmen and left the other 1600 that would normally be accepted (or some other ridiculous number) to the other much smaller high schools. None of my schools are exempt. So we have been trying to figure out who can give classes and where considering most of my schools have a finite number of classrooms and apparently more classes than rooms. Teachers lounges and libraries have been re-appropriated and yet, there are still some classes that are left without classrooms. Yet another reason I give thanks to the good Lord and my parents for providing me with the education have been lucky enough to receive.

Last week was Valentine’s day and Matagalpa was able to celebrate something extra as well. It was the 150^th anniversary of Matagalpa being established as a city. So instead of dates and other valentine’s day fun, most people head out to the main streets and dance the night away near one of the FIVE live music stages that different businesses or the mayor’s office sponsored. My favorite stage was the one with the 80s music and Carlos Santana covers. Unfortunately, because I was afraid of having anything stolen, I didn’t take my camera, and hence have no pictures to show you of the event. But you will just have to trust me that it was a great time, and relatively sober one as well! (I would have thought there would have been massive amounts of drinking, but was pleased to see it was much of a family event as anything else!)

Ok so although the weather in Matagalpa has been fairly cool still, I know that the HOT HOT HOT part of the year is coming up and rather quickly, so I thought it might be smart to ask people for some HOT weather recipes (pasta salads, regular salads, slaws, bean salads, etc.) I am looking for things that are not Mayonaise based (more due to the heat than me not liking the stuff). I am anticipating that when the real hot weather hits, I’m not going to want to spend much time in the kitchen, so please feel free to either post a recipe as a response to the blog, or email me (since most of you know me personally!)

Well that’s it for me! Keep on making good choices, I apparently need to make better ones, my bank account took a hit this month with too many fancy coffee outings! I know that I will do better next month though, schools back in session and I just won’t have the time! Love you all!

Adding creedence to the whole "chicken" bus theory.

Be careful what you wish for!

What a week! I did say that I felt like I should be doing more didn’t I? Well I guess I should say I should have been more careful for what I wish for because boy am I busy this week! With less than one week before classes start, I am running around getting school schedules straightened out, working with 4 small businesses, have been working to form two new community based savings and loan banks, and still had time to take two of my best students to a Peace Corps Youth camp, that unfortunately I was not able to participate in, and watch the Super Bowl in Esteli with some friends. 

Let’s start with last week, I went to a community outside of the city because an environment volunteer wanted some help starting a community bank at her school. This group had done a bank with a previous volunteer, so my role was to help them define their new rules, how much they were all going to agree on saving every month, and help them elect their leaders. It was nice to get to work cross-sectorally and help a fellow volunteer with a business-related project. On my way back from the community, I decided to run by one of my schools to say hello and see how things were coming. It was good to see all of the teachers and to see how happy they were that I was back. Warm fuzzy feelings all around, I say. Last week, I also put together a teacher training plan for the school year and will be meeting with MINED to discuss possibilities this week. I will keep my fingers crossed that I will be able to work with more teachers during the monthly planning and evaluation meetings. 

Sunday, I headed to Esteli to watch the Super Bowl with some friends and RPCVs (returned Peace Corps Volunteers). We had a great time, there were chicken wings, French fries, I made ranch dip and veggies, chips, guacamole, the whole traditional Super Bowl spread. Although this was not my first Super Bowl outside of the US, I was still a little sad to see that ESPN Latin America did not air the awesome super bowl commercials. Oh well, I guess that’s what Youtube is for right? Yesterday, I headed to another small community in the department of Matagalpa to prepare and give another community bank talk with a different environmental volunteer. (Interestingly, she has the type of house I thought I would be living in here in Nicaragua – Mango tree, lime tree, latrine, etc.) Today was our talk, and it appears that out of the 20 people who were at the informational meeting, 15 of them would like to participate! I rule it as a success in my book! This afternoon, I worked with one of the small business owners that I am consulting with to improve/change/or start their business. We had a great meeting and I look forward to working more with him.

The rest of this week will be spent getting ready for the school year, and starting to plan with my counterpart teachers. Good thing I am taking my multi-vitamin! Let the school year begin! Enjoy the pictures and keep making good choices!

First Community Bank Meeting - A Success

Participants deciding their bank rules

On my tech exchange in front of a PC World Map

Students on their way to the Youth Leadership Camp

Me with my two superstar students on their way to the camp!

And they're off!

Zahidu helping me dehydrate bananas and watermelon!

Super Bowl party in Esteli

Repelling off the water tower during the super bowl

With my friends Stephanie and Kenan at the SB party

The living room at my second tech exchange!

The Kitchen

Bathroom and Shower

My fellow volunteer and her temporary residence

The second bank meeting

Participants in the second community bank

Answering some tough but great questions!

Six months in site! Are you kidding me?

I cannot believe that the end of January officially marks my first 6 months in site. Time has flown by, and although I know I have accomplished quite a bit already, I can't help but think that I should do so much more. Good thing is that I still have 18 months to do that, so there is that, right?

Speaking of doing more, I will be doing 2 Community Bank training workshops in the next two weeks as a cross sectoral effort. This means that I will be working with two different environmental volunteers that live somewhat near me in Matagalpa to start community based savings and loan banks. I could go on for hours about the different methods that you can use to start these banks, but the most important aspect is that it empowers its members to save and loan their own money! No outside funds needed! It really is a great program and I had been looking for different ways to start one or two, and then these opportunities just fell into my lap! So horray! What a gift for my 6th month anniversary!

To celebrate, this past weekend, I went with some fellow volunteers, including one that is leaving in April :( , to a waterfall that is about 30 minutes from the city and we went hiking and swimming! It started to rain as we were leaving, and there were no buses so we had to walk about 3km before we could get a ride and we were soaking wet, but it was a great day! Its nice to get out of the city every once and awhile. Here are some pictures!

We missed our bus stop so we had to walk back a bit... oops!

Walking down to the falls!

Pretty right?

La Casada Blanca

Ryan in the cave behind the falls

Me behind the falls

Sarah and Casi after our swim

Ryan and Mclaine

Me after the invigorating swim, and loving my new Keen Sandals!

The view of the entry point from the road in case you ever want to go yourself!

At lunch after a great day, Mclaine, Me, Ryan, and Casi.

I look forward to another great 18 months in site, and many more great adventures. This week, its community banks, then back to school! Wish me luck and make good choices!

Back to Life, Back to Reality... sort of

After my family left Nicaragua, I hopped on a chicken bus back to Matagalpa. And within a second of stepping on the bus, I knew that vacation was over. I was luckily able to find a place to store my 45 pound backpack, and only had to stand for about 35 minutes (a small triumph really). The next day I spent running from counterpart organization to counterpart organization trying to get workshops set up and work plans defined, before I crashed and just spent Wednesday watching movies at home. I even was able to take two naps that day. Thursday and Friday was full of meetings in Managua and a reunion with all of the small business volunteers that are currently serving in the country. It was great to get to see everyone and reconnect after completing our first six months of service. Here are a few more pictures from vacation and the meetings this week!

Me in front of Lago Nicaragua with the Island of Ometepe

Volcano La Concepcion on the Island of Ometepe

The amazing view from the house we rented in San Juan del Sur

The most stressful lunch ever, but my brother still gave it a thumbs up!

We got sushi delivered to the hotel after our meeting! Ok so maybe vacation has continued  he he.

Zacaragua at the BEST hotel ever!

Catching up at the In-Service-Training (IST)

Best awkwardly posed picture ever! (Some of my fellow PCVs!)

Today I head back to Matagalpa and back to the routine life! Love you all and keep making good choices!

Vacation with the Family Part 3

After Granada, we headed down to Playa El Coco a bit south of San Juan del Sur, and it was pure heaven and very much a luxury for me. Rest, Relaxation, and Family... doesn't get much better than that!
So the last installation of our family vacation, will be best explained in pictures! So enjoy and if you feel so inclined, be jealous hahaha.

Talk about a secluded beach...

Lunch at the beach

Sunset view from the house.

Family lounging in the pool!

My awesome brother!

The pool at the house!

Well back to real life now, expect my next post to be less picturesque but perhaps just as entertaining! Keep making good choices!

Vacation with the Family Part 2

From Matagalpa we headed south to Granada (and with lots of luck we were only stopped twice by the police and both were routine traffic stops!) We only spent one night in Granada, as we wanted to get to the beach the next day, but we had a great time while we were there. We took a horse drawn carriage tour of Granada and then had dinner on one of the major pedestrian streets right off the central park. (too many people and vendors for my taste though). I admit, I had been to Granada once before and we walked everywhere. I think the carriage ride was the much better way to go. Here are some pictures from that part of the adventure:

A view from the front seat of the carriage!

Lake Nicaragua

Jonathan and I sporting our BC gear with pride!

All of us on the carriage, although you can´t see us too well!

Bud relaxing at the hotel Nica style!

Granada´s beautiful colonial architecture

Well I had planned on continuing the post with the rest of our journey to San Juan de Sur, but you will just have to wait as it is taking too long to upload the pictures and I am out of time at the cyber cafe.

Keep making good choices and stay alert for the next post with beach pictures!!!! Love you all!