SUNY Geneseo/El Sauce, Nicaragua Service-Learning Blog

Week 5

2009-07-24T13:21:00.000-07:00

During this week, like each of the other weeks, several interesting opportunities arose for me to take part in. To begin with, on Monday at 7:00am, I went to the Guacucal health post, like usual. There, I met Doctora Lejarza, who had come from León rather than Sauce. I worked there with Doctora until 2:00pm and then we went back to Sauce, but on the return home, Doctora asked me if I wanted to work with her the rest of that day and night in the clinic, during el tourno. I said “yes” rather quickly, and then asked what the hours of the shift were. She responded that I would have time to go home and eat lunch, meet her back at the Centro de Salud after 3:00pm, and we would stay there, attending to patients until 7:00am, at which point we would leave the Centro de Salud, take the bus to Panales, and ride horses into a country post. She said this all rather nonchalantly as we walked toward the bus stop, then paused to look back at me, standing there with my mouth open, slowly turning into a huge smile due to my embarrassing and surprise. After seeing my face, Doctora began to smile as well and laughed as I warned that, even with sleep, there is a likelihood of me falling off a horse. But with all my experience in Ocotal, riding the horses for all of an hour-and-a-half, I felt more than prepared! Well, maybe. Prepared or not, I was eager about the rest of the day.

When I got home to Ileana’s house, I excitedly told her about my plans for the evening and the rest of the day. It’s easy to tell when Ileana gets really excited or anxious about something because she becomes even more animated than normal. Her eyes open wider, she gets a big grin on her face, quickly asks what she can do to help, and if she’s really excited, she starts to wave her right hand in a way that is difficult for me to mimic. Anyway, Ileana repeated my plans back to me (to ensure no loss of communication), widened her eyes, and then asked me if I needed her to pack a dinner for me to take. I said it was not necessary because I could just have a later lunch around 2:30-3:00pm. So instead, she settled on making me a Tupperware container of coffee to bring to the clinic. After eating lunch, I went to the office to check in with the others and make sure with Yaccy that I could miss English class that night, though she only seemed to be concerned about my dinner that night. “Did you ask Ileana to pack you a dinner?” “You are going to get hungry,” “Kellan and I will bring you food”. My response was “No, Yaccy, I’ll be fine! I ate a late lunch which was far too big, as usual”. Ten minutes later, on my way out the door, she stops mid-sentence while talking to someone else to say “Sarah, we’ll send you food or stop by sometime class!” Haha, thanks, Yaccy.

I got to the Centro de Salud and found Doctora there around 3:30pm. At this point we had been without power for the entire day and the return of light was not looking very promising. Furthermore, without any windows (besides the open doorways) the rooms in el Centro were very dark. When 6:00pm came around, it started to become difficult to read or take blood pressures inside the rooms without leaning towards the doorway for a dim light source. At 7:00pm it was dark and the power still had not returned, so candles were lit and one small flashlight was brought out. I was sitting next to Doctora when I heard some commotion outside (the door to the center is always locked with a door man guarding the door to let people in or out) and then my name being called. Apparently, Corey (my roommate) been sent to bring me my dinner from Ileana. Corey also thought to bring my small reading flashlight, which Doctora enjoyed while writing her patient assessments. However, as the night went on without light, the patients began to dwindle and, for some of those who did come in hopes of treatment, little was able to be done in the darkness. This was the case for my friend Leslie from English class who had brought her son to the center for an injection and was turned away because the nurse needed more light for such a procedure. Disappointed with the conditions, I came to realize it would be a very slow night without any light sources besides a few small candles, and around 10:00pm Doctora asked me if I wanted to go home to rest for tomorrow since it was likely that they wouldn’t have many more patients for the rest of the night. I reluctantly agreed, not wanting to miss out on anything interesting that night, but also realizing that I was starting to get very tired in the darkness and should probably sleep before riding horses in the morning.
In the morning, I woke up refreshed, ate Ileana’s breakfast, and rode the bus to Panales. There, we hurriedly filled a vinyl sac with as many medical supplies as we could, brought the thermos of vaccines, and got back on the bus for another 5 or 10 minutes until we reached a different stop where a few horses were tied up. After counting up the horses, I realized that there were one-too-few horses. Hmm, this could be a problem. But as it turned out, it just meant that I would have the pleasure of sharing one of these small horses with Amparo, the nurse. It looked very uncomfortable to me, the way she perched herself behind me and the saddle, on the horse’s bare, skinny back, and had to reach around me to grab hold of the reins, but she assured me that she was a very accustomed rider and that it was not a problem. So we rode along together for about 45 minutes, set up a post at a family’s house, ate lunch there, talked with the family, and then left around 1:00pm, this time with an extra horse for Amparo to ride, thankfully.

The next couple of days passed without too much excitement. On Wednesday, the bus never showed up because it had broken-down for the day, so I went to the office to do some of my work for my Spanish literature course. On Thursday, I went as I normally did to the Panales health post. On Friday, Doctora went to León, so I planned to help Yaccy, Allie, and Corey with their presentation at the San Luis elementary school, where Allie and Corey had been giving an arts and crafts course. This presentation was a final celebration for the kids and their parents, as the kids presented their songs and skits in fronts of the small crowd of other students and parents. I was glad to come along to see how Allie and Corey had become part of these girls’ lives and how much fun the children had as Allie and Corey had taught them crafts, songs, and skits to present to their families.

Week 4

2009-07-24T13:20:00.001-07:00

Monday- Guacucal with Doctora Lajarza, Enfermera Olga, and 5th year medical student. I shadowed the Doctora and learned how to feel the stomach of a pregnant woman in order to determine how the baby is positioned and to measure the length of the baby by using a measuring tape, started at the pelvic bone, or pubis, and measuring until the end of the baby. I helped the doctor by weighing the patients and taking their blood pressures.
Tuesday- Panales Health Post with Doctora Lajarza. I shadowed the doctor again because Emfermera Amparo was unable to make it. Today I saw how a PAP smear is done, and I couldn’t believe how clearly the process enables you to see the neck of the uterus and the cervix.
Friday- We all left for León at 11:50am on the bus. After arriving, we dropped off our things at the hostel, Lazy Bones, and went to the Rubén Darío museum. Afterwards, we walked around the markets near the cathedral, I ate mango for the first time (which has now become my favorite fruit), and I developed some photos to bring back to el Sauce for my host family, the people I work with, and Yaccy and Kellan. Afterward, we walked back to the hostel, relaxed a bit, used the internet, played pool, and went across the street for dinner: pizza and pasta. After dinner some of the group went out to a bar to listen to some music, but Mike and I walked back to the hostel and just chatted for a while before going to bed.
Saturday- We woke up around 7:00am, ate breakfast there (fruit, granola, and yogurt), and walked to a hostel down the street at 7:45am to leave for volcano boarding. There, we met other people going to the volcano, Cerro Negro, and we all piled into the back of two trucks. The ride was about 45 minutes, and before driving directly to the base of the volcano, we stopped to regroup, use the bathrooms, and check out the rattle snakes, lizards, and iguanas in captivity at one of their volcano post. Then we continued to drive a bit more. When we got out, we each grabbed a board and an orange bag which had our jumpsuits and goggles. Carrying these things and my camera, we then started the 45-minute-hike to the peak of the volcano. The first three-quarters of the hike mostly consisted of scrambling up an upward bank of black volcanic rocks of all sizes. We eventually wrapped around the mountain, climbed up the steep incline, then walked on the peak of the volcano, around its crater. The view was unreal. At the top there were millions of yellow flying bugs that literally were everywhere. If you stood in the same place for more than a minute or so, you would have them all over your legs and body. As far as I know, though, they are harmless enough! Another interesting thing that was at the peak was a seismic shack that is used to measure seismic activity of the volcano. After checking out the crater, we were ready to “sled” down the volcano on our boards.
Sunday- We woke up early again, ate breakfast at the hostel (pancakes and fruit), took a taxi to the bus, and took the bus to the beach. Being my first time at a beach with real waves, I was completely amazed by the strength of the water and the undertow.

Final Post!

2009-07-22T13:59:00.000-07:00

Before I started to write this final evaluation, I sat looking out the
door at the bright street reflecting on my experience here. First, a few
ox and a wagon passed and I smiled (buey and carreta are just two of the
many new words I have learned). Then, I thought of two girls from the arts
and sports program I passed on the way to the office. They had skipped by
me, both wearing the bracelets that they made in the program, and said,
“adios”. Unlike some of the other participants, I knew a bit more
about my program and what I would be doing. However, I was still extremely
nervous and unsure how everything would turn out. I had so many goals and
plans and no experience living in a different country or with teaching.

My trip to El Sauce started early. Because I was interested in a career
in medicine (at that time, dentistry), I had asked Dr. McEwen about a way
to combine dentistry with Spanish (my major) in a service project in a
Spanish speaking country. She recommended El Sauce. The best part of this
program is that the student can design his or her own program in El
Sauce, based on the needs of the community. It gives the student a sense
of responsibility that no other class can. I took a directed study for
only two credits and happily put more hours of work into this than any
other class. The work I did for this project was not just for me. As I
learned about the high extraction rate in the public clinic through Dr.
Garcia, who recommended teaching the children about better dental
hygiene. My mind swirled with ideas, activities and cartoons that I could
use. Dr. McEwen asked me to enter it in a CASE grant competition. My
first reaction was, “Me? This is a huge responsibility and I’m pretty
sure I’m not capable.” So, I called my dad. He said what he always
says when I say I can’t do something (reminiscing the quote from Woody
Allen): “90 % of the job is just showing up. For God’s sake, Allie,
have some more confidence in yourself and just try.”

I tried and the project won! From then on, I figured I would just do my
best and just “show up,” as my dad said. I “showed up” to dental
club and Biology meetings to try and recruit and called and wrote letters
and email to sticker, crayon, toothbrush companies, and even the Girl
Scouts (who collected 3 huge boxes full). I went to the dorms and put a
box for donation of toothbrushes. However, I was having trouble receiving
enough dental supply donations, even with a “connection” from a friend
of a friend. Dr. McEwen and Kellan got in touch with the Colgate in
Nicaragua and worked very hard and the project got their support.
From then on, everything seemed like it happened so fast. I just kept
“showing up,” doing my best, and seeing everything come together. The
group of students went on a tour the first night in El Sauce and stopped a
10 or 11 year old girl selling elote to try one. She smiled and I saw her
teeth. She was missing one or two and many were covered in black. I
remember thinking about how many others were like her and hoping she
attended a school. During my first full day in El Sauce, I spent the
morning with the 200 or so teachers from the schools in El
Sauce ready to receive a lesson from the dentist from colgate. Each
student was to receive two toothbrushes, a toothpaste, and dental
activities. That evening and the next day, we organized the boxes the hand
out to the teachers. Everything seemed so much bigger than the work I had
done during the year. All that “showing up” paid off. Some teenagers
feel that because they are one of a billion people, they can’t make a
difference and they don’t even vote. I feel the opposite. I am just one
girl who just kept showing , making phone calls, writing emails and trying
her best. I can’t believe how much impact I have made on the lives of
people who live so far away from me.

During the first three weeks, I worked with Dani on the dental campaign
and present the lesson. After the first two schools, we made some changes
in the plan and I think we perfected it (making changes for the younger
and older kids). It was really cool to have someone with
me who knew El Sauce a bit better and to travel a bit to see different
schools. During these weeks, I got to see how the schools were run. Poor
dental health was obvious among the kids and mostly due to recess habits.
During recess, the kids go to buy the sugary snacks at school, chomp away
at something sugary, and return to class with a lollypop in their mouth.
The kids loved me and Dani and sometimes would give us little gifts at
recess (usually candy, which I would then remind them to brush their teeth
after recess).

I think I liked going to the schools alone even more. My favorite part about this
time of the program was my time spent talking to the teachers. I learned
about their lives, their children and their family or friends in the US.
They told me everything about themselves and what they thought about
Americans. They taught me vocabulary and threw in help with grammar. In
only one day with a teacher, I felt extremely close with them. The dental
program was great for me but I lacked getting to know people for more than
one day at a time.

But, then when there was vacation for two weeks, I was able to plan and
participate in an arts and sports program for girls with Corey. I loved
art as a kid and was excited to teach these girls any cool tricks that I
knew. This program was amazing because Corey and I were able to get to
know these girls really well. Everywhere we walked, the girls wanted to
hold our hands and walk with us. After class one time, I had three of the
girls in the program who live across from me, and three others who the
girls knew, over to my house to finish/ or to make masks. That was so much
fun (and a little crazy). Now whenever I leave my house I hear, “Adios,
Alis!!! Alisss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” The celebracion de despedidas was
so fun and I found myself getting a bit chocked up when Marialysi looked
up at me with teary eyes as she kissed my cheek goodbye for the 5th time.
I am so happy that I did this program with Corey.
The day of giving out the filters was yet another cool moment here when I
saw how big of an impact the project has on the lives of the people here.

I think it went really well. Sahrita, my host mom and local doctor, did a great job giving the talk
about contaminated water and I think it was best that it came from a
doctor. The teachers knew when and where to come, everything was really
organized (all the materials were labeled and placed in sections- Thanks
Yacarely and Kellan!) and went smoothly. I also think that the lesson
plan was really good. The only thing I would change is that I was too
timid about talking in front of the group. I could have done a better
job. However, a few teachers have come individually to the office and I
have done well explaining everything to them. I’m not the best public
speaker in English. So, public speaking in Spanish was a bit too much to
handle.

I went to Guacucal to look at the filters and saw labeled cups and the
kids using the water filter to brush their teeth. I also revisited San
Jose and saw that a student’s mom made a special toothbrush holder for
the class. It was absolutely fantastic. I wish that I could have seen some
decorated filters but the teachers did not do the lesson plan yet with
their students. I am added some of my favorite pictures of the schools that I had put a side because for some reason they couldnt add before. I hope everyone enjoys them!

Final Post

2009-07-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

Well, we are back from El Sauce and I really miss the place. The United States is a strange and scary country. There are too many cars on the road and no one says hello to you. El Sauce was an incredible experience for me. For one thing, i got a friend out of it- Juan Pablo, with whom I worked construction, and I now plan to email and talk via skype. I am looking forward to practicing my spanish with him, as I typically have a lack of opportunities to speak spanish while I am in the U.S. Furthermore, working construction in El Sauce was a great decision, although it was not my original reason for going. By doing so I was able to witness the way poorer, typical Nicaraguans live on a daily basis (alternatively, the house I lived in was absolutely beautiful). The houses we built were tiny, yet they were an improvement upon the crumbling shacks that we replaced. All in all, I worked on three different houses while I was in Nicaragua, and the recipients were always gracious, hospitable, and fun. Between laying bricks we talked about differences between here and there, joked around, and enjoyed the occasional cup of sweet coffee. Sometimes they would even give me food, not taking no for an answer, and I would respectfully eat it and disregard the huge lunch that I knew I would receive upon my return to Alida's house. The experience was incredible, although it has contributed a lot to my current sadness as I reflect upon how much more compassionate and sincerely friendly and caring these people were relative to many Americans. The houses I built, as well as Juan Pablo's house, has caused me to reflect very much upon the unnecessary luxuries that I have here and has made me feel quite guilty about the things I previously took for granted. I even felt guilty and overpriveledged there after Juan Pablo saw my overpriced ipod touch and blackberry. Nevertheless, I can only hope that the experience helps me conserve water and electricity more, and to become a bit more frugal when it comes to buying unnecessary goods. Moving forward, the literacy program that I helped out with was successful in that I was able to practice my spanish very much, and I felt that I was highly successful teaching in spanish. I feel a little strange about leaving because the students will now be left with a subpar teacher, who refuses to stray from the book or ask any critical questions, enforcing an idea that answers must be copied verbatim from the text. This is the major problem with this literacy program, and in the future Geneseo students could help out just as much with the teacher as with the students. On numerous occasions, I found myself teaching the students, as well as the teacher. However, this is by no means the fault of the teacher. All teachers are volunteers, as this is "educación popular", and it is a great to witness ordinary people helping out the people in their neighborhood who want to learn. Thus far the idea of free education with unpaid teachers has not reached our country, but it seems to be pretty successful in Nicaragua, where people have a strong feeling of community and commitment to one another. Just sitting alone in the bus stop in San Jose, people would come up to me and shake my hand, saying "mucho gusto". There is a very cool sense of community that I will surely miss in this country. Right now I am very much missing my Nicaraguan friends and my El Sauce community, and I have left with a strong desire to return and to continue to help out in any way that i can, raising money for four walls and encouraging other Geneseo students to participate in the program.

Hooray for El Sauce!

2009-07-09T20:14:00.000-07:00

I think I have posted very recently, but I am not ready for sleep yet and kind of feel like writing. Things in San Jose are going well. In fact, I think I've successfully taught long division to a spanish speaking person who has never seen division before. It needs to be gone over some more, but I was pretty impressed (at least as much with him as I was with myself). I am glad I have gotten to be a part of this literacy program. The books I use to teach are fantastic, as I get to learn along with the students. They are full of lessons about nicaraguan history and geography, as well as frightful stories about awful catastrophic natural disasters. I am hoping the next earthquake does not strike while I am here. However, the coolest aspect of this free program provided by the government is that people, no matter their age or gender, want to learn for the sake of learning. The people I am teaching have no desire to reach the top of any career ladder. They are farmers and housewives who simply want to know what they missed by not getting the chance to go to school. They want to learn the things their children have already learned. They want to know what else is out there, soley for the sake of knowing it. That is what makes this program so enjoyable. Besides the literacy program, I am excited for this weekend. I finally will not be traveling and will be able to see what El Sauce is like on the weekends. Saturday is the 30th anniversary of the liberation of el sauce and there will be festivals and plenty of balloons. There are even rumors that Daniel Ortega is going to make the trek out here to speak. That would be incredible. One other thing I wanted to mention is the amazing extent to which you cannot escape the U.S. wherever you go in this world. American advertisements and products are ubiquitous, as is American music. And Michael Jackson has just passed away and somehow I think people are even sadder here than in the U.S. Juan Pablo's brother cried when he heard the news, and I'm sure he was not the only one in el sauce to have done so. I am in a third world country, but I can never feel completely shut off from the world I know. That is comforting, though at the same time a bit sad.

Week 3 in El Sauce

2009-07-07T21:26:00.001-07:00

Monday morning I had planned to meet the Doctora Lajarza at the bus station at 6:50am, but she wasn’t there. I knew we were planning on going to the Guacucal Health Post, which I had been to on my first day of work in el Sauce, so I decided to take the bus anyway and see about meeting Enfermera Olga at the post instead. With some luck, it worked out and at the post I met Olga again, for the second time. Apparently, the Doctora had gone to Leon again, so a 5th year medical school took her place that day (instead of four years at a general university and then another four years at a medical school, here, medical students attend a total of five years of medical school without needing four years of undergraduate education).
On Tuesday, I met the Doctora at 6:30am to go to a fair in Sabano Grande with two other doctors and two more nurses. Along with some other people and the fair supplies (piñata, gifts, candy, etc.), we all piled into the back of the truck. The roads/trails were barely passable by truck to Sabano Grande and for about 30 minutes we were stuck in a creek bed because, with all the weight in the back, the truck tires sunk deeply into the sand. For at least 20 minutes we tried pushing the truck and shoving rocks under the tires, but it was no use. Finally I saw a wagon pulled by two bull cows passing us in the river. Nothing too surprising. But when the animals stopped directly in front of the truck, I realized that the wagon was not simply passing us—it was going to act as our tow truck! To my disbelief, the “towing” worked very well, and we were out of the creek within seconds of the animals beginning to pull. When we arrived at the health post, it was situated right next to a school and there was already a line of at least 60 patients. It was the greatest number of patients I had seen so far at one time, but this time there was more than one doctor, so the line went quickly and we were done by 2:00pm. One of the doctors, Jorge, met with his parents from Leon there. Jorge’s father is also a doctor and his mother is a pharmacist in Leon. I worked with Sandra, Jorge’s mother, in the pharmacy and helped distribute the medications as needed by the patients after their consultations with the doctors. It was a very good opportunity to learn from Sandra, who was very patient with by Spanish-speaking skills, allowing us to have very interesting conversations. In addition to providing physical help that day, Sandra had brought medications and other medical supplies from her pharmacy in Leon to help the patients in Sabano Grande. Unfortunately, although she brought many supplies, she wished she had brought more because the pharmacy in Sabano was lacking many essential supplies and very few of the medications that were most often used were in stock. (For example, Acetomenofén tablets for adults are very commonly prescribed, but there were only about 30 tablets in stock, and other medications, such as Indomedicina, were completely absent.) Meanwhile, as patients were being seen in the health post, next door was a very loud and exciting party of kids gathered around the piñata, dancing, chatting, and listening to the music. After nearly all of the patients were taken care of, I went over to check out the festivities with Sandra, Jorge Sr., and Jorge Jr., but we didn’t stay over there long because there were so many people inside, standing in the doorway, and around the windows, that I couldn’t even see into classroom. Everyone was very excited about the party, candy, and small gifts. Afterward, I walked back to health post to help the doctors and nurses to clean up and organize the post. Then, with Doctora Lajarza, another Doctora (a licensed doctor who I had met the previous week during the Panales supervisión), and I walked down the road a bit to somebody’s house, went in, sat down, and paid a couple cordobas for a piece of bread and drink. When we walked back to the school, the women had cooked everyone lunch (rice, beans, and tortillas) and were graciously handing them out to all the people who had worked in the post, along with a thick pineapple drink in a bag (in Nicaragua, most drinks are in plastic bags; to drink it, you either stick a straw into the top and grasp the bag around the straw, or a knot is tied at the open end of the bag so you bite a bottom corner and squeeze the drink into your mouth).
That day, after returning from the health post, it began to rain. Here, during the rainy season, rain storms usually don’t “sprinkle” rain from the sky, it is literally poured down and lasts so long that the roads are impassable by foot due to flooding. Since Tuesday night was one of these cases of rain storms, English class at 6:00pm was cancelled (most students wouldn’t attempt the rain anyways). But at around 7:00pm, it slowed down slightly and everyone decided to meet for dinner and drinks at one of the local restaurants: El Viajaron. Since I already had eaten at home, I just went to hang out and buy a drink. I ordered a juice, and was slightly surprised when I received a can of Apple nectar, which is as stick as syrup and incredibly sweet (I made sure to find out that the juice wasn’t actually nectar every time I ordered a drink after that!)
On Wednesday, I went to the Centro de Salud to meet the doctor at 6:50am, but didn’t actually find her until around 7:30am, at which time we met up with Vista Mundial (“World Vision”) and rode in the back of a pickup truck into the country, specifically to Los Loros. We only go out to Los Loros once or twice every two weeks, but it is one of my favorite places to go because the ride is so fun and the people there are always happy to see us and incredibly nice. On this occasion, we were going there in order to obtain blood samples or urine samples if the patients presented a variety of symptoms, in addition to performing regular check-ups, weighing the children to identify malnutrition if present, and providing medications to those who needed them. In Los Loros there isn’t an actual health post; it is actually the main room of someone’s house, where they also have a small business selling snack foods. The room is made of a sort of brick material, has two open doorframes, dirt floors, and two smaller rooms come off the back wall, with a light curtain serving as a door. When nearly all of the patients were finished, I decided to wander around outside a little bit and found a few boys, around 5 to 10-years-old, playing a game with marbles on the ground. I wasn’t sure exactly of the rules of the game, but I could see that the basic concept was to try to hit the other person’s marble, so I asked them if I could play. They responded by giggling and handing me a translucent, light blue marble. In the 15 minutes or so that I played with them, I didn’t think I was doing that bad, but I did manage to attract a small crowd of other kids and some adults who let out giggles through the huge grins on their faces.
On Thursday, I took the 7:00am bus to the health post at Panales, where I met the two nurses (Emparo Palacios and Chepito Sanchez). Doctora Lajarza had to work in the clinic at the Centro de Salud that day, so a different 5th year medical student-doctor took Lajarza’s position for the day. That night, the English class was cut short at around 7:00pm and everyone came back to Ileana’s house (it is also a restaurant) to eat. Except when we got there, all the students from the English class were there, and a large surprise going-away party was awaiting everyone, for the four Geneseo students (Mandy, Dani, Meagan, and Hannah) who were leaving at this three-week interval. We ate food, played games, and hung out with everyone there until about 12:00am, and then the four leaving said their sad goodbyes to all the English students.
On Friday, none of the doctors or nurses went out to health posts. Instead everyone met in the Centro de Salud to do paperwork, and then Doctora Lajarza gave a lecture/workshop on mother-child malnutrition and sickness. During the workshop, she read aloud a scenario of a medical case of a child to about 30 doctors and nurses gathered around. Then, she told everyone to split into two groups and figure out the plan for treatment. It was very interesting to take part in this and to see all the health care workers working together to collaborate their ideas.
That night at 6:00pm we met at the nun’s convent. Since a few of the girls taught English to children in the Catholic schools and since several of the nun’s themselves were students in our night English class, we were invited to the teachers’ celebration, in which the nun’s provided a show and dinner to all the teachers in the schools. Afterward, we all went out to a club in celebration of the four girls’ last night here. The activity was put on by the students of a local high school, from whom we brought our tickets.
Saturday was my first weekend staying home in el Sauce, and it was so nice just to hang out with Ileana and her family for the day. We said our goodbye’s to Hannah after lunch, and then I sat around reading and talking with the family for the rest of the day.

Week 2 in El Sauce

2009-07-07T21:07:00.000-07:00

This week at the health post was very similar to the first week, except for a few aspects. First, on Monday I did not go in to work because, after walking to the Centro de Salud at 7:00am, I talked to a few of the other people working there and learned that Doctora Lajaraza had gone to Leon for the day. Since she would not be returning until later, I didn’t work in the posts that day. Instead, I went back to the house and then the office to complete some of my reading. For the remainder of the week I worked on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at the health post in Panales. In order to prepare the post for a health inspection (supervisión), we spent Tuesday and Wednesday updating flowcharts, graphs, and medical records and making posters and door signs, in addition to cleaning and organizing the pharmacy. On Thursday, three licensed doctors came in to do inspections at around 9:00am and stayed for the remainder of the day there to check records, graphs, and other aspects of the health post. Since there weren’t many patients scheduled for appointments on Tuesday and Wednesday, there were more than usual on Thursday. Many women came in with their children for regular appointments, and there was also a man who came in for his diabetes medications, which I haven’t seen too many cases of so far. The majority of the children are prescribed sulfato ferroso (hierro) for anemia, liquid Acetaminofén, or Amoxicillin. If adult patients are experiencing some form of pain, often headaches, fever, or flu, they are given 10 Acetaminofén tablets. Amoxicillin is given for pneumonia or urinary infection.
During the weekend, another trip was planned and we left Friday at 11:00am, so I didn’t go into work at the health posts. The bus from el Sauce first went to Leon and then to Managua (about 3.5 hours). In Managua we stopped for something to eat and met Kellan, who was already in Managua with a van. Then we took the van from Managua to Grenada, which was about 45 minutes. Around 4:00pm we arrived in Grenada and went to the hostel to unpack our belongings then go to dinner. At dinner, my chicken caesar salad was especially delicious because it was the first time I had eaten salad in a while.
In the morning we left around 10:00am for Crater Lake, about 20 minutes away by car. Crater Lake is a large, circular lake that is situated on top of an old volcano; essentially, it is the crater of an old volcano. The water was nearly as clear blue as ocean water and the green mountains surrounding the crater on all sides were gorgeous, especially when we kayaked out to float in the middle of the lake. In the beach area there was a floating wooden raft to jump off, and we played several rounds of Mafia on it while baking in the sun. I didn’t realize how much sun I was getting, of course, until after we got back to the hostel around 5:00pm and my face began to resemble a tomato. Apparently, even if I had worn enough sunscreen (which I didn’t), the water in the lake would have rinsed it off very quickly due to the sulfur from the volcano. That night, we walked down town to the restaurant strip again, except that night we ate at a Mexican place, which was also delicious. During dinner we were serenaded by a band and other musical festivities on the strip.
During the weekend, another trip was planned and we left Friday at 11:00am, so I didn’t go into work at the health posts. The bus from el Sauce first went to Leon and then to Managua (about 3.5 hours). In Managua we stopped for something to eat and met Kellan, who was already in Managua with a van. Then we took the van from Managua to Grenada, which was about 45 minutes. Around 4:00pm we arrived in Grenada and went to the hostel to unpack our belongings then go to dinner. At dinner, my chicken caesar salad was especially delicious because it was the first time I had eaten salad in a while.
In the morning we left around 10:00am for Crater Lake, about 20 minutes away by car. Crater Lake is a large, circular lake that is situated on top of an old volcano; essentially, it is the crater of an old volcano. The water was nearly as clear blue as ocean water and the green mountains surrounding the crater on all sides were gorgeous, especially when we kayaked out to float in the middle of the lake. In the beach area there was a floating wooden raft to jump of, and we played several rounds of Mafia on it while baking in the sun. I didn’t realize how much sun I was getting, of course, until after we got back to the hostel around 5:00pm and my face began to resemble a tomato. Apparently, even if I had worn enough sunscreen (which I didn’t), the water in the lake would have rinsed it off very quickly due to the sulfur from the volcano. That night, we walked down town to the restaurant strip again, except that night we ate at a Mexican place, which was also delicious. During dinner we were serenaded by a band and other musical festivities on the strip.
The following morning, Sunday, we woke up early to catch an “American” breakfast, and it was well worth it! Mandy and I shared our breakfasts, which were pecan Belgium waffles and blueberry pancakes with coffee. In addition, I had a banana milkshake (or “banano con leche”). Afterwards, we walked back to the hostel, packed our things, and left by 10:00am in order to reach the markets in Masaya by 10:45am. We shopped and looked around the market there for about 45 minutes and then headed out for the active Masaya Volcano. After reaching the top of the volcano by car, we were able to hike up stairs to reach the peak, where a cross was situated. The view as we peered into the endless crater at the peak was break-taking. After seeing the volcano, I wanted to learn more about it, and I found online that the floor of the crater that I was looking into is generally covered by poorly vegetated lava. Only two lava flows have surfaced since the 16th century (in 1670 and 1772), but it continually emits a large amount of sulfur dioxide gas and several contained explosive events have occurred in the last 50 years, such as a explosion in 1999 when rocks of 60cm diameter were thrown into the sky and reached a distance of 500m from the crater.
After leaving the volcano, we grabbed lunch at a pizzeria, stopped at a small grocery store (where I excitedly bought Bran Cereal!), and then began the trip back to el Sauce in the van. Soon after we got home, we left again to go watch a movie at Irene’s house (Irene is a Peace Corps worker in el Sauce).

It is going too quickly

2009-07-05T17:53:00.000-07:00

Well, the fourth week is already over and I am starting to realize that I will very soon be missing El Sauce and all of the wonderful people I have met here. Since Mandy left, I have completely taken over her post in San Jose, tutoring the same group of people everday. One woman is older and she has difficulty recognizing letters, sometimes due to vision, sometimes because she forgets what they look like. However, I have been spending time going over letters with her each day, as well as having her fill in the missing letters of words, and following along in the level one ýo si puedo´book. She is very thankful for the help, and a bunch of kids gather around to enjoy the lesson too. The other woman that I really enjoy tutoring is very enthusiastic and loves to learn. Her husband is working in Honduras so she is all alone with her two little kids, but when I come around she is so happy and grateful that someone is helping her learn new things, like math and reading. She is a very good reader and I only have to correct her occasionally. Math is a different story however. I also help out in the class with the teacher sometimes and with some other students. I am really happy that I have finally settled down somewhere and have a better routine. The first three weeks I would always travel with a man named Erving and never knew what I was doing or where I was going. I saw some great things with him- watching the farmers hike from all different directions up mountains and through the woods to an isolated house in the campos, where their teacher waited for them, was a really cool experience. These farmers really want to learn, mostly for their own self improvement and thirst for knowledge, and it is the same in San Jose. Everyday I here ¨¨gracias, gracias. que te vaya bien¨ about 5 times as I leave each house. Meanwhile, I should be the one thanking them for the experience. I am looking forward to a new week in San Jose starting tomorrow.

A long awaited post!

2009-07-02T19:56:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been awhile since my last post and I'm sorry that it has taken me this long but i have been having so much fun. At first I thought that this week would be kind of slow. We found out last minute schools are canceled this week (in addition next week's vacation) and so, i would not be able to go to the schools for the dental health campaign. However, it ended up working out wonderfully. During the mornings, I work with Corey on an art and sport program for girls from 7:45-12. Last week and this week, in the afternoon, I have been working with the principal, Frania, of the preschool, El S.I.R Norita, which is funded bu Dr. Martin, a pediatrician from Rochester. I go with Frania on her surprise monthly visits to the students' houses and I hand out toothbrushes, toothpaste, and a little pamphlet on oral health care to the parents. The kids in this preschool are extremely poor and I will remember their houses and some of the conditions that I have seen forever. I finished the last house yesterday and I will work with my host mom, Sarah, in the afternoons instead.

As for continuing the dental program, my brother, Mike just arrived and he will use the education materials that I made in the dental clinic waiting room. He also has toothbrushes, and other dental health related games to hand out. Also, when school resumes, my last week :( , I will return to three schools to give the dental lesson.

Half of the CASE grant was spent on 25 ceramic water filters. Eight schools, who are in regions of high rates of diarrhea from poor water, will receive filters. This week I will develop a lesson plan for the teachers to teach their class on how to use the filters and how to explain to them the importance of drinking the filtered water. I'm not sure what of all the details yet, but there will an arts and crafts section in which the kids assign special badges for their role in cleaning the filters, etc. I will teach the lesson plan to the teachers in a meeting my last week (all with the help of Yaci, of course).

I have been having such an amazing time here. I talk to any Nicaraguan every chance I get and each person is like my spanish teacher. There is a girl in the arts and sports program that I nicknamed, my profesorita. She doesn't know english but she is an excellent spanish teacher. She makes me pictures of things and writes the spanish word next to the picture. She has reviewed colors and animals so far and I'm exctied for the next lesson.

I also love my host family. I have gotten extremely close with everyone in the house and I am already looking foward to coming back for a visit in the near future.

I have been trying to upload photos for the last half hour but it does not work!!!!!!! I will submit this now and work on this on monday when we get back to el sauce (we are off to leon for the weekend!)

Last Thoughts

2009-06-30T07:44:00.000-07:00

The last week in El Sauce flew by. My programs went really well and it was hard to say good-bye to everyone that I had become such good friends with. I tried to take everything in as deeply as possible for one last time.

Now that I am home and officially done with my adventure in El Sauce, I know that I chose the perfect program for me. I have learned so much about another culture and grown into a more patient and independent person. I already miss everything about El Sauce, especially the people. This experience has definitely been one of the best in my life, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Hopefully I can go back some day in the not-too-distant future!

Week 1 in El Sauce

2009-06-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

Week 1 in el Sauce was such an adventure! I am working in the Rural Community Health Posts with a doctor and nurse each day. The main health post that I go to, Puesto de Salud en Panales, consists of 5 rooms: one for the doctor’s desk and examination bed (1st small photo); a pharmacy room; a room with 2 cribs and a small desk for one of the nurses; a room with the desk for another nurse, patient files, and hanging scale to weigh babies (2nd small photo); and finally a rather empty room, which is more of a hallway for patients to wait inside if they chose to do so. The health care provided at the posts is a social service program. The medical services and treatments are free to the patients and the medical workers are paid by the government. I have proved to be more helpful so far by working alongside the nurse. I am able to see and hear the questions and responses of the nurse and patient, and during the consult, the nurse often repeats important or interesting information to me to make sure I have understood and noted the medical issue. To assist her, I take blood pressures, weigh the babies (or mothers on the adult scale), chart the percentile of the child’s weight to check for malnutrition, and retrieve the necessary medications for the patient from the pharmacy, as prescribed by the nurse or doctor.
We also travel to other places along the countryside to bring medical services to those who live far away from the city and have little means of transportation. To do so, the medical group (consisting of a doctor, 2 nurses, myself, and occasionally other community members or World Vision workers) travel in the back of a truck, often picking up individuals (usually women and their children) who are walking in the same direction or who are on their way to the health post already. One time there were 16 people, including myself, in the back of the truck and 3 people sitting in the front. The roads that these trucks ride over are so rutted and riddled with pot holes, often very steep, and include several creeks and large rocks that are ridden over by the truck, so the truck rides are quite an adventure! On the way to the countryside sites, we pass fields of the plants shown in the picture, which will be used to make sheets of paper.
This past week I worked in the health posts Monday through Thursday. Each day I would meet the doctor at the Health Center in el Sauce at 7:00am, we would take the bus or truck to our destination, and return to el Sauce around 2:30-5:30 depending on the sites we went to. Several times, I believe, the doctor continued to see patients at the center after we returned to the city and one night the doctor and nurse worked all night without sleep at a health clinic, and then met me again at 7:00am the next morning. After returning from the health posts, I return to the house where I am staying (the house of Ileana Rivera, her husband, her husband’s mother, her daughter, her granddaughter, and her son) to eat dinner at around 5:30pm. If I get back early enough, I try to get some reading done for the SPAN399 course or go the Geneseo office to use the internet. Then at 6:00pm I go the English class to help out those who want to learn the language. The English class runs from 6-8 and is one of the most fun parts of the day!

Final Blog

2009-06-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that I am nearing the end of my third and final week here in El Sauce. The time has went by so fast, I feel as if I only just arrived here. My last week here as been really good and it was a great ending to my experience in El Sauce.

Last weekend we went to Granada, it was so nice to see another place in Nicaragua. The weekend was a lot of fun and we saw so many things! We stayed in a really cool hostel and on Saturday we went swimming and kayaking in a crater lake. The next day we went to a market for a few minutes and then drove to the top of a volcano. These were all new experiences for me and they were amazing to see firsthand.

This week was also full of great memories. I had my last day of teaching English at San Luis elementary school, I was so sad to leave. All of the students and teachers were so nice and it was such a great work environment. The kids all hugged me goodbye, and tried to say farewells in English, which made me particularly proud.

The graduation party for the women of Cerro Colorado was also this past Tuesday. Dani helped me prepare decorations and go shopping for party supplies on Monday. I also ordered a cake for the women and made certificates of training to hand out during the ceremony. On Tuesday we decorated and set up the party and watched the ceremony. Two girls did a traditional folk dance which was so interesting to watch. There was also a group prayer and a ceremony to hand out the certificates. The party went great and it was a nice opportunity to take lots of pictures for my catalogue.

Overall my time in El Sauce has been well spent. I feel that I have made a difference while also enjoying my time here. It was really important to me to become involved in the community and make an effort to talk and get to know the people, and it really enriched my time here. I have had so many new experiences, and an overall great trip.

Only 9 Days left....

2009-06-19T17:38:00.000-07:00

It´s been a while since I´ve had the time to sit down and work at a computer for any extended amount of time. The 2nd group has arrived, and I´ve transitioned to a new project for the remaining weeks.

Looking back on my first 3 weeks, with the physical education classes, the sports program for girls and the English class at night, I could not have happier. I got really good at thinking on my toes and being as goofy as possible to overcome the language barrier at times. I got really close with the kids and teachers at San Luis, making me feel part of the community in El Sauce. Even now as I have begun the dental program, I still get yells from the street saying Adios Profa¨ which brings a smile to my face.

The English class for beginner adults has also been a rewarding experience. With a steady 14 people in our class, I get so excited with their eagerness to give presentations about their families, friends, work, free time, and other interests. They have made me feel welcomed and now after class we go out to socialize and get to know each other better. Needless to say, the obstacles which I thought would hold me back such as the Spanish and heat have proven to be irrelevant.

For the second three weeks, I have been working with Ally on the dental program which she prepared while at Geneseo. Colgate representatives gave a great lecture in El Sauce for over 200 teachers which was really fun to be a part of. The thing I´ve learned the most is that the kids really need this program and want to take care of their teeth. My favorite memory this week is from Tuesday after an 80 minute bike ride to a country school. When we got their the room was filled with over 115 students. Although it wasn't quite as we planned, we made it work and we able to give enough energy for everyone there.

With only a little more than a week left in El Sauce, my heart is having a harder time when it comes to preparing to leave. I can´t bring myself to dealing with the reality that pretty soon El Sauce will no longer be my home. Until that time, I try not to take a single moment for granted and absorb all I can.

The end of my second week!

2009-06-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe my second week in El Sauce is coming to an end, it seems like it was just Monday morning. I have been very busy this week, and it has gone by so fast! On Monday I taught English classes at the elementary school and then worked on some of my plans for the basket project. On Tuesday it was the 25th anniversary of the church in El Sauce so all of the schools and government programs were closed. I spent the day traveling 3 hours to and 3 hours back to Managua with Kellan and Yacarely in order to buy things for the ecotourism project. We went to the market and quoted many prices before making our purchases. The day was very successful as we ended up buying 6 beds, a refrigerator, and an oven. It was nice to see Managua again but it was a very long day!

Yesterday I went up to Ocotal again to visit the women of Cerro Colorado. It was a great trip because I was able to see first hand how much effort they put into each basket. It was nice to see and meet all the different women, and it made me really happy that I will be able to help them through my project. Next Tuesday they are graduating from their training and I am organizing a party for them and making certificates and getting food! I am very excited to travel there again, and it will also give me a great opportunity to take pictures and find out more information for my catalogue.

I have been attending English classes for adults every night as well, I really enjoy them, everyone is so nice and they are so much fun! This weekend we are going to Granada, it is supposed to be beautiful and I am really looking forward to it!

2009-06-18T13:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I was having some difficulties, but now I am finally able to post to this blog! Week two is almost over and I feel like we only arrived in El Sauce a few days ago. I am really enjoying life here, despite the heat. I started my days here by working with Juan Pablo on the four walls project, as well as doing my literacy project in the afternoon. I really enjoyed being able to help build a house for a man and his expecting wife, and despite the tiny size of the home (no more than 6' x 10') it will help them stay dry during the rainy season. After all, it rains here just about every night. It is amazing how hospitable and kind everyone here is despite the immense poverty that they face. The woman whose' home we were constructing would always give us coffee, sweet bread, and soda. Moreover, in the english class at night everyone is happy and laughing, no matter how much money they have. I have really enjoyed talking with the people of El Sauce since I have been here. Everyone is glad to engage in conversation and patient when you have trouble communicating. I am really glad that I am finally getting an opportunity to practice my spanish and I think I am getting by just fine.

Yesterday, Allie and I had a long and enlightening conversation with her host mom about the revolution and the current political situation here. She spoke about the 0bligatory service that all Nicaraguans had to the country during those years when we were funding the Contras. She also explained how frustrated and saddened she is that the country is not currently progressing politically due to the pact between the two major political parties, which makes it nearly impossible for the system to change. Just being here less than two weeks, I care enough about Nicaragua and its citizens that I am very displeased with the current political landscape. Hopefully Geneseo's initiatives here will help to relieve some of the poverty around El Sauce. Particularly, I think the tourist program in Ocotal will be very helpful to the local economy, as it is a great opportunity. now i am running out of batteries and i am going to quickly post this.

First week

2009-06-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

I am finally finished with my first full week here in El Sauce. Things are going well so far. I am still adjusting to the unpredictable and laid-back nature here, but it is coming along well. I am working with the dentist in the mornings in the "centro de salud". Today he told me that one day next week we will be going to the Rio Grande community health post. I am looking forward to seeing what these posts are like in comparison to the clinic in town. I am also working at Ruben Dario, an elementary school doing an arts and sports program with Corey. The students are very enthusiastic and mostly cooperative with what we have planned for the day. They really seem to enjoy playing outside on the basketball courts. They frequently don't have school, but I am excited to go back and work with the students some more.

This past weekend, all of us students went to Ocotal, a small community at the top of the mountains. This was a very new and exciting experience. There was no electricity and all of our host families were very isolated from one another. We got to ride on horseback to coffee farms and homes to make tortillas on Saturday. My favorite was the coffee farms, as I never knew how coffee was made, even though I do enjoy a daily cup of coffee. The people that live in this community seem completely self-sufficient which is something that is not often seen in this century. I was glad I was able to share a weekend in their shoes. I would love to go again sometime when the ecotourism project is fully completed.

We are currently in our second week here and I am looking forward to our trip this weekend to Granada. We will see how it goes! Hasta luego!

My First Week!

2009-06-15T15:41:00.001-07:00

My first week in El Sauce is over now, and it has been such a great experience. El Sauce has exposed me to so many new things and people; I am really enjoying learning about people’s lives here. I taught English at San Luis every morning last week in four different 40 minute classes, and I am really starting to enjoy teaching. I was a little bit nervous and didn’t know what to expect for my first few days of teaching. However, now I am accustomed to my schedule and have met so many wonderful kids! I am really enjoying getting to know them better and having fun with my lessons.

This past weekend we all traveled up to a mountain community in Ocotal. We went on a beautiful hike Friday to the top of the mountain and then proceeded to meet with our host families for the weekend. Sarah and I stayed with the nicest family; they were very curious about our lives and so easy to talk to. The next day we traveled on horseback and went on a coffee tour and saw how tortillas were made. Saturday was such a great experience for me as it was my first time for so many things; it ended up being a great day! On Sunday morning Sarah and I woke up really early to milk cows with our host dad and make tortillas with the mom before we left for El Sauce at 9am.

The weekend was great and it was easy to jump back into life in El sauce as I am much more comfortable now. I love my host mother; she is so sweet and will help you with anything. She is also very patient when we speak, although I do feel a greater improvement in my Spanish already. Today I started working on prototype catalogues for the basket program as I am traveling there on Wednesday to meet all the people in order to better help market the product. I can’t wait to see what comes next!

2 weeks left!

2009-06-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

This past week has been amazing. It is fun having a big group of volunteers here, and they all seem to be enjoying their time as much as I am. Monday and Tuesday I went with Eddie and Mario from MINED (ministry of education) to two other schools and also to San Jose again and got more people for me to tutor. I am excited this week and next week to get to help out at the other two schools and to tutor a few new people!

Wednesday I went to Ocotal to plan and plant the garden. Yacarely and I loaded the truck with 8 boxes worth of plants for the occasion. The truck that took us up there ended up getting stuck about 25 minutes walking distance form where we needed to go because it was raining pretty heavily on the dirt road and the tires didn't have the best of traction. Luckily, a man we knew rode by on his horse and sent a message up to the garden group (who was waiting for us to arrive to help carry the plants to the location) and they walked down and helped carry the boxes of plants up the mountain. It was great teamwork and no one seemed to mind the rain or mud or steep walk at all. But then again, everyone I've met from Ocotal doesn't seem to mind any frustrating experience at all, they take everything as it comes. Its amazing.

Thursday we got to planting. At first it was hard to decide where to put everything, and everyone had their own ideas, but we worked it out. By the end, the people kept asking my opinion on where things should go. "Amandita, what do you think?" The people up there all call me Amandita now. I feel like its a nickname of endearment and it makes me feel good like they have accepted me into their lives.

Friday the rest of the group came up for our weekend tour. We were greeted with snacks and drinks and a mariachi band. Then we hiked up the mountain to the top and saw the most amazing views ever. The mariachi band even came up and played for us at the top. Then we hiked back down and spent the evening with our host families. The father that Danielle and I stayed with, Emiliano, was so friendly and curious about our lives in the US. He asked a million questions, like whether we have chickens or fruit trees at our houses and about snow and cars. He told us about his dream to go to America to work and bring back money to help better his family's lives. Emiliano and his family were amazing.

Saturday, we rode horses to a coffee farm and learned all about the process of making coffee. Its a lot more complicated then I thought, and they do it with such little technology its amazing. Then we learned how to make the tortillas, a main staple in the diet of Nicaraguans. The people on Ocotal love to share everything they have- a trait that we could all learn from. The whole day, and weekend in general, was one of the best experiences I've had so far.

hola a todos!

2009-06-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

Everyone has told me that el sauce is an incredible experience but I couldn't really picture what it was like until i actually got here. As meaghan had posted previously, once arriving in el sauce, we drilled Kellan, Vanessa and Yacarely for specifics about what we would be doing at every specific time of the day (disregarding all of their advice that in el sauce, one needs to be flexible with schedules).
I spent the first day at the colgate conference with all the teachers. It was really cool to be here and see how everything all came together for the project. Kellan and Yacarely worked so hard to bring all of this together and it was so cool to see the impact of the work that I did with Dr. McEwen and Paula Bill (Thankssss) at geneseo in el sauce. The colgate meeting was held in Mi Rancho (a local disco/bar) and there were over 200 teachers there (I will put the pictures below). This was my first experience with the heat of El Sauce and it was quite an experience. I am working on building a tolerance and applying sunblock more often.
Anyway, so i've been here for 4 full days in El Sauce and I really like it here. Once you get over the first day or two of being a bit awkward with your host family and getting used to how to take showers here, it really is a lot of fun. I love my host family and talk with them any chance I get. I feel like my spanish is already improving quite a bit (i just need to get out of the habit of only using the present tense). I know everyone has said it and I will say it again: Los saucenos are extremely friendly and Kellan and Yacarely are so accommodating. The first week is almost over and I already can't wait for the next!

First few days!

2009-06-09T14:37:00.000-07:00

Hola from El Sauce! I arrived with the second session on Saturday night after a few plane issues. We spent the first night in a nice little hotel in Mangua. We spent the entire ride to the hotel and time before bed asking Kellan questions. I immediately noticed that the temperature was a lot warmer than in Buffalo and was going to take some time getting used to.

In the morning, we met Vanessa who was leaving after the first session. She was staying with the host family I was moving into, so I was able to ask her a lot of questions which she gladly answered. Once Kellan arrived, we took a took of Managua. On this tour, we learned a lot about the history of Nicaragua and met Yacarely for the first time. One of our stops was at a look out on top of a small mountain, and here all of us students went zip lining. It was such a great experience! We were all able to have a fun and new adventure together, which helped us all meet and get to know the group better.

After the hour drive to El Sauce, we finally arrived at our host families. I am staying with Corey, antoher Geneseo student and we are living with Xiomara. She is very nice and hospitable. She cares for two children, Alejandro who is 5 and Marcello who is 3. They seem very excited to have us here and are always fun to play with and talk to.

The first few days were getting to know our way around El Sauce. We went on a tour with some of the training tour guides and got accuainted with the Geneseo office. It is nice to know I have a place to call a second home here.

On Monday, a few of us went to a Colgate training session with Kellan and Yacarely in which all the teachers in El Sauce were trained on dental hygiene education. The dentist, Dr. Garcia, attended and all the schools were closed, so I was unable to start my actual programs. However, this allowed me another day to get better accuainted with these new surroundings. At night, I helped Mandy and Yacarely with the advanced english class with a few of the other new students. Having such enthuiastic students who were interested in learning with some additional singing and dancing really was a great ending to the day.

Today was my first day with the dentist and it went smoothly. Though there is a definte language barrier, as Dr. Garcia speaks no english. However, he made sure to use terms that I understood when he explained the patients conditions to me. He seemed very open to my presence and was a very good teacher. His office is also completely different than offices in the United States because he is in a free public clinic. His office consists of 2 small rooms, one with a chair and one for paper work. He also needs to work around limited supplies and no running water during the day, which is a task he has adapted to very well. He extracted 27 teeth from 20 patients in 3 and a half hours! I am excited to go back tomorrow and see more.

We will see what happens the rest of the week when the schools are finally back in session so I can help with my other project of teaching arts and sports to students.

New Arrivals!

2009-06-09T14:36:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Managua with the second group of students on Saturday night. We stayed in Managua for the night and then traveled to El Sauce on Sunday to meet our host families. My host mother is actually the pen pal I had from Nicaragua in my Spanish 301 class, which was a nice surprise.

Everyone in El sauce is very nice, and willing to help you with anything. My Spanish needs a little work, as I am having a little difficulty understanding people. However, I am trying to practice and everyone is being very patient with my lack of language skills.

Yesterday I traveled to a community called tres puertas, about thirty minutes away on the back of a motorcycle. I observed the literacy class there and met all of the students; I am very excited to be able to help teach them soon. Then today I went to the children’s elementary school and taught four English classes to third and fourth graders. The kids were very cute and willing to learn, and tomorrow I am going to teach fifth and sixth grade kids.

So far my first few days have been great, and I can’t wait to see what comes next!

Half-Way Point

2009-06-07T18:53:00.000-07:00

I can't believe this journey is half over! The new group arrived today, and I am excited to see them going through the process that I just went through.

This past week went really well, I feel like my tutoring with Yamilet in San Jose is actually making a difference, especially in math, and helping with the teachers in class is proving to be rewarding too because it turns out they need help understanding certain subjects as well.

Thursday was the last night of English class for the two girls who left this weekend, so the class decided to throw a surprise party for them. It was so nice and a lot of fun- singing and dancing and lots of food. It was also a good chance to get to know the students better and learn more about Nicaragua. For example, they taught me more about the war and politics here, and also about certain sayings and phrases that are commonly used here.

Friday Danielle and I went to Leon for the night and went volcano boarding at Cerro Negro on Saturday. It was a beautiful view and lots of fun! Our group was pretty roudy, with people from the states, from Holland, and from Spain. What an experience!

Tomorrow I am going with Eddy, from Yo Si Puedo, to a different town to see if I can help out with classes or tutoring there. I am excited because I think it will be a good experience to meet more people and try to help out in other places.

I am really looking forward to the next three weeks, but I hope they go slower than the past three because I don't feel ready to leave any time soon!

Excursions

2009-06-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

This week has been full of traveling. Wednesday I went with Kellan to Leon to quote prices for refrigerators, ovens/stoves, mattresses, and other things for the eco-tourism on Ocotal. The public transportation to get there was interesting, so many people jamming into a bus and people walking the isles from time to time selling snacks and drinks for the travelers.

Thursday we went to La Casita, a restaurant in Esteli that has a beautiful and huge garden like the one we hope to plant on the mountain. We got a lot of good ideas from the visit, and bought plants at a nearby store. The different plants were fun to pick out and I can't wait to start planting, hopefully tomorrow when Kellan and I go back to Ocotal.

Friday we went to Leon where we spent the night and went to the beach in the morning. Then we went to Masaya for Irene, a Peace Corps Volunteer, and her fiance Carlos' small wedding ceremony. It was interesting to see how ceremonies are performed here and learn more about the traditions.

Classes are going well. In my class in San Jose where I help with the 2nd level class I feel like a big help, especially when it comes to math-related topics, because the teacher isn't a trained teacher and doesn't always understand the problems. English class is also going well, I am learning a lot about different people in the class and the things they do, which has given me a better feel for El Sauce. I am learning a lot through the projects, and having a fun time doing it!

The first week

2009-05-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has already been a whole week in El Sauce! I've already done and seen so many new things- its such a good experience! I have to travel to San Jose every afternoon to help with the adult elementary level classes, and I tutor a woman, Yamilet, on Mondays and Wednesdays. I've only gone to do that once so far, the second time will be today, but I really enjoyed it and felt like she was learning and I was actually helping, which was gratifying. Hopefully today when I go I can set up tutoring with more people. I also get to go with Eddy sometimes to talk to other teachers surrounding San Jose or in other little towns nearby, which always proves to be an exciting experience, especially because he is so chatty and curious about the US.

On Friday I went with Kellan and Yacarely to Ocotal, which was another awesome experience. The views are gorgeous up there! We had a meeting with the Eco-tourism cooperative Saturday morning, which was really long but interesting to see how everything there works. Then we had to walk down the mountain, which took 3 1/2 hours, since there was no transportation down on Saturdays. Needless to say, I slept well that night. I'm so lucky I chose the programs I did so that I get to travel more and see the surrounding areas of El Sauce!

In the evenings I don't have anything to do so I have been helping with the advanced adult Enligsh class. I really like doing that too, the people are so willing to learn and the activities are really fun.

Everything is going really well for me, I'm having such a great time learning new things and meeting new people. I also feel like I can understand people and communicate a lot easier, which is nice. I can't wait to see what will happen tomorrow!

The first days in Nicaragua

2009-05-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

Today is the first full day in El Sauce. We arrived yesterday afternoon after staying in Managua for the first night, which was nice. The people have been really friendly and welcoming here, and very patient with our Spanish skills (or lack-there-of) which is helpful, but its still very intimidating.

I went to San Jose today to see the school and the teachers with whom I'll be working with, and to see Wes' house and talk about the garden and tree nursery that I will be helping him with. I liked the country side a lot, but the dirt roads filled with rocks was a little painful to travel on, since Kellan and I were on the back of motorcycles. It was fun, though, and hopefully I will be able to learn a lot and improve my Spanish skills while helping out in San Jose.

It is funny how everyone is always very late and no one seems to care, and that when it rains, everything stops. Now I have been waiting for the rain to stop for about two hours so that I can return with Eddie and Mario (the guys from "Yo Si Puedo" that will be taking me to San Jose) to return to observe my first class. Hopefully it will stop soon!

Getting Settled

2009-05-18T14:15:00.000-07:00

My 3 days in Nicaragua so far have proved to be very adventurous! We spent our first night in Managua, getting a taste of the food, culture, and music. On the way to El Sauce there was so much to see and learn. We discussed the history and current state of political movements-and got to hear about the Cerro Negro Volcano.

When we got to El Sauce, the heat was intense and there was no running water. My family was so generous and welcoming, which comforted me in the transition from the States. Right now I would say that the most intimidating task ahead is overcoming the language barrier. With the help of my roommate we get by, but I hope to become more confident in by Spanish speaking abilities.

The food and people are amazing-very helpful with my poor sense of direction! I still can't believe I'm actually here! Today we began to develop our plans further and were submerged into the community. I am so excited about working with ninas in a sports program, along with teaching a beginners English class for adults in the evening for the next three weeks!

3 Month Reflection

2009-03-31T15:18:00.000-07:00

In two weeks my experience in Nicaragua fulfilled a feeling of lending a helping hand of service while immersing myself in a foreign culture that complements the classes I’ve been taking in college for years. I had never studied abroad nor took one step outside of the United States until the El Sauce internship because I was intimidated by leaving the familiar behind to experience the new. But now I reflect on my journey proudly as one of the most productive, entertaining, and life changing experiences in my life.

The term service internship briefly describes two of my activities in El Sauce, the community service and the education internship. For service, patching and repairing the house of a stranger was incredible in multiple variations. I felt a feeling of accomplishment that only came from feeling tired after a day of hard selfless work, and each day I looked forward to the next. The labor was beneficial to me (now I can mix cement and build walls) and rewarding to Paco and Noel in that their house is flood proof for the next rain season. My conversations with Paco were like taking an intensive Spanish conversation class which opened my linguistic abilities beyond the class, plus it was interesting to hear Nicaraguan opinions of world politics.

The other half of the term is internship. I was an aide to Kellan and Yacarely’s English class in El Sauce which reversed my student-like position. I went from Spanish student to English teacher for Spanish speakers. I swear I was lenient with grades, and it had nothing to do with how nice the students in the class were. Three night classes a week were enough time to form bonds and form friendship. I still exchange e-mails with some of the students who I consider real life international friends who I met in their part of the world.

A lot happened during my journey which created a sense of awareness. The reality is that Nicaragua is similar to my daily life in the United States, but there are many differences that I was aware of because they were normal for the daily life in Nicaragua that I wasn’t used to. I was born and raised in the busy city of New York City so choosing Geneseo was a cultural shock in itself. The shock I experienced when I was exposed to the culture of Nicaragua was the opposite of what I expected. The atmosphere in El Sauce and the attitude of the Saueños were calm and tranquil, in great contrast to those of New York City. The tranquility from the people is so strong that I felt more relaxed just by passing by others and the calmness radiated in the air such that when I was cranky because I got to work late, Paco told me I could sleep in as long as I wanted, anything that I considered a bother or stressful was never as bad as it appeared in Nicaragua.

Adjusting to life in Nicaragua was enjoyable. The laid back sensation mixed well with learning about the customs and history of Nicaragua. I feel like I developed my abilities of communication, the Spanish language, and adapting to new unfamiliar scenarios. I feel a part of my self that grew in Nicaragua and was assimilated to my original self. I like to exercise my calm flow of Nicaragua self in problematic situations because of how well it agrees with my original self. Overall, I want to return to El Sauce and visit other areas of Central America.

Last Reflections

2009-01-20T05:37:00.000-08:00

While I only spent two short weeks in El Sauce, Nicaragua, this experience had a profound effect on my personal and academic life. Even though I had previous experience abroad, El Sauce provided me with a unique set of challenges that gave me the opportunity to reflect, expand my worldview, and grow. I will always remember my time in El Sauce not only as one of the busiest two week period of my life, but also as a major crossroads in my life. Overall, I think that my participation in the El Sauce program was the most worthwhile financial and time investment that I have made during my time here at Geneseo.

It would be impossible for me to do justice to the El Sauce experience by summarizing all that I observed and learned in just a few paragraphs, so I will do my best to mention what were, for me, the most compelling parts of my trip. The first of these experiences would be my work in the rural health posts. I am especially grateful for this experience as it gave me the opportunity to explore what a future in a helping career could be like in a practical setting. At first, as a psychology major, I felt that I might be underprepared for the rigors of this internship, but I soon found that many of the skills I have developed a psychology student were very applicable to this position. The willingness to assert myself when necessary, strong listening skills, and an open and non-judgmental attitude all were valuable assets to me as I learned the basics from Yuritsa, the nurse-practitioner. Overall, this experience was invaluable as I honed these microskills and applied them in a different cultural setting. Also, I left this experience more aware of the difficulties faced by the Nicaraguan people and health practitioners in rural areas. Many of the basics we, as Americans, take for granted (such as prescription eye glasses) are virtually unobtainable for a large percentage of the Nicaraguan rural population.

Another experience that had a major effect on me was our trip to Cerro Colorado to observe the basket weaver collective. As a young feminist, I found this to be one of the most compelling aspects of the trip. As the women of Cerro Colorado explained to us, being able to produce and sell these baskets is empowering. It provides them with the opportunity to raise their children while earning a supplemental income. With this extra money, the women gain some power in their families and can better afford basics, such as prescriptions not covered by the state or school supplies for their sons and daughters. To single mothers of Cerro Colorado, this income is invaluable as it allows them to feed and clothe their families. The experience is empowering in another major way – through involvement with the collective, the women gain a social support network. The more experienced artisans coach the younger newcomers while offering support when necessary. I am proud to have been part of the program that has organized this economically sustainable and socially invaluable program.

That is not to say my trip was not without challenges. Unlike my experiences in Europe, in Nicaragua I was exposed to a setting that was a great deal less Westernized. On a cultural level, I felt that it took more effort for me to adjust to life in Nicaragua than it had taken me to adjust to life in Spain. What I took away from these challenges was the realization that, as a foreigner, it is “okay” to make the occasional social faux pas. That is to say, I lost my cultural self consciousness relatively quickly in El Sauce.

Overall, I feel that I left El Sauce more confident in my Spanish speaking abilities, my psychology microskills, and my ability to orient myself to new and challenging situations. Most importantly, I believe that this program helped to foster my sense of independence. What surprised me most about El Sauce was the sense of community the program engenders. The saucenos welcome Geneseo students into their community and, likewise, those who have traveled to El Sauce share a common bond.

Day Twelve (el 13 de enero de 2009)

2009-01-15T09:17:00.000-08:00

Today we finished as much of the roof as we possibly could. In the morning we nailed the remaining wood planks in the roof. In the afternoon we placed the tiles over the planks. After we placed all of the tiles we realized that we needed to buy more tiles to cover the hole of missing/broken tiles we couldn't use. Using some of the funds donated to me (Thanks!) Pepe bought the tiles needed. He will probably put them up tomorrow without me, I will be going to the mountains near El Sauce for a tour of the coffee plantation and of the highest mountain point in El Sauce. After finishing two projects in a week and a half I think it's okay to take a sight-seeing break in the middle of the week. English class went smoothly as well. One of the test presentations for the students is to sing a song from their textbook (Most of which are Beatles songs). At the end they wanted me to sing one but I didn't know the lyrics to the songs in the book. I'll try to memorize a song that they can understand for tomorrow. (Photos: The roof in the morning, The roof after lunch before we put the tiles on, Esperanza the Gremlin)

Day Eleven (el 12 de enero de 2009)

2009-01-13T18:47:00.000-08:00

Monday means back to the grind and getting up early to get to work at Pepe's. Today went by slowly due to the lack of energy and lack of 3 person jobs. I helped Pepe disassemble his roof by removing tiles and wood boards to be replaced with stronger boards. Pepe said this will only be a two day project which seems improbable but we made a lot of progress in just one day. After work I went for a quick jog which ended badly. Not only did I overheat myself but everyone in the town was staring at me like I was an alien. No more exercising... Kellan and Yacarely had a mis-communication with their landlord and needed to move out of their house today so Meredith and I helped them out. That includes playing with Kellan's soccer ball with some children. We had dinner afterwords at the hotel but unfortunately they couldn't break my 500 cordoba bill -.- I ended up paying with 5USD. Well, let's see if I finish my second project tomorrow. (Pictures: Pepe's mom cooking, a scorpion that stung Pepe, and the initial work of the roof)

A day at the health post

2009-01-13T09:10:00.000-08:00

This morning, I made my way to the bus station but Yuritza met with me on the way. The medicine we needed hadn’t arrived yet, so we would have to wait in the Centro de Salud for an hour or two before making our way to the post.

I enjoy the Centro de Salud in the early morning. It’s not intolerably hot and there isn’t a crowd of patients screaming for attention, so everyone is in a much better mood. While I was waiting for Yuritza, I sat and talked with another doctor, Antonio. As it turns out, he is familiar my host family – Sonia, Alberto, and the very gracioso Marlon. Antonio has a very interesting life story – he studied in Spain and in Switzerland through scholarships and came back to Nicaragua to practice.

It’s interesting to see Yuritza in the context of the Centro de Salud. Sometimes when we’re out at the posts, she’s so capable that I forget that she’s still not officially licensed yet, but the nurses at the health post seem dead set on pulling rank on her. Maybe because of that, it took us about two hours to get the medicines we needed.

Without a ride to the health post (all of the ambulances had left for the day), we had to wait for the next bus. Unfortunately for us, much more people take public transportation at 10am than at our normal 7am. Today I didn’t ride the bus; I rode the chicken bus. The second we boarded in Sauce, it was packed because the bus had already picked up passengers in a previous city. When the driver saw that we had a cooler and a bag full of medicines, he opened the back emergency door and tried his best to fit us in. The ride couldn’t have been any more uncomfortable. The bus was hot, humid, and personal space was nonexistent. To make things more interesting, a group of girls boarded right behind us carrying chickens, piglets, and puppies. When we hit a rough turn, I got pecked in the back.

I was so relieved when we reached the post. There were already a few women waiting with babies at the gate The cases were all simple: a baby with a cough, another two who were due for inoculations, and one or two birth control consultations. We were done rather quickly – not many people come on Monday because the doctor comes for consultations on Wednesday.

So, we went on to our next task: cleaning the post. Thepost was filthy after being neglected for about a month because of the Christmas vacation.

Our first task was the worst of all: getting rid of the wasp nests. It wasn’t nearly as dangerous as it sounds: the wasp species that had built in the post don’t attack – they’re just a nuisance. They build their nests out of the polvo that gets everywhere in the dry season. The wasps also tend to build in tight spaces – so we had to look between medical forms, in cracks, and even in the boxes of medicine. Dozens of exterminations later, we emerged victorious.

Next, we visited a nearby house to fetch some water and use the latrine – the health post’s latrine had fallen into a state of disrepair. Today was a day of firsts: I’ve never before had to cross a barbed wire fence, nor have I ever had the opportunity to use a well. Though I almost gave Yuritza a heart attack with my attempt to get through the fence, I was actually decent at using the well.

The health post workers maintain a friendly relationship with the neighbors. Upon visiting, we were offered the usual tortilla. About an hour later, the family came to visit us at the post, just to hcat.

We did some pretty standard sweeping, disinfecting, and mopping. By the time we were done, the post looked fantastic. The only thing that bothered me (as usual) was the way we had to deal with the garbage – some of it was medical waste! We emptied the trash onto the lawn and set it on fire.

I guess this brings me to a suggestion for future groups: There is definitely room for

(1) Some sort of ecological awareness program

(2) More health post awareness campaigns – especially about breast feeding. The health post officials already have a good idea of what information they want to display, but the signs often rip in the wind or get damaged when patients come to the post. Donated signs should be laminated and have large and demonstrative pictures because it seems that many people who come to the outlying health posts are illiterate.

We had one late arrival – an elderly woman who had to walk down from the mountains with her granddaughter, her grandson, and her daughter. She had flu like symptoms, so we gave her the standard medication. The grandson had a rash and, again, we gave him something relatively standard. Despite the fact that they were ill, they were both in good humor. The grandson told me that he has an uncle working in Cuba and jokingly asked me if I, as an American, hated Cubans. I did my best to give the usual explanation: that the opinions of the government don’t necessarily reflect those of the American people.

I guess this all brought me to my big revelations of the day:

Health post workers, especially the nurses, have a lot on their plates. Not only are they responsible for bringing medication to the post, writing and filling prescriptions, diagnosing, inoculating, weighing, and comforting – they also have to organize the community, maintain positive community relationships, make and maintain health post educational materials, be responsible for the upkeep of the post, and chase wandering dogs and chickens out of the post. They do all this under the constraints of a public health care system that can’t provide specialized medications and a salary that would be less than minimum wage in the United States.

Today Yuritsa told me, somewhat kiddingly, that she would never see the doctors going to the well to get water to mop the post. The nurses keep the post running!

Day Ten (el 11 de enero de 2009)

2009-01-12T15:39:00.000-08:00

Last day of paradise until next weekend. After some errand running around Leon we took the bus back to El Sauce. There was a group of students from Florida on the bus but I slept most of the way. Good thing I did because the professor with those students would have driven me nuts (He sounded like he's lost touch with communicating in a sane manner as he described Obama's campaign as flawless perfection to which the entire country wept in joy of the historic achievement. Overdosing on liberalism.) Back in El Sauce I realized that there isn't much to do when you are dead tired from travelling, two hours is good enough for a nap, not billiards. For the rest of the night I wrote up my diary and went to a basketball game. Kellan's team somehow slaughtered the other team, and afterwards me and Meredith with to Viajeros with her host-brother and two of the bball players. Overall it was a good end to the weekend but I hardly had the energy to get up for the next morning. (Images: A mural in Leon and me at Viajeros [I don't know the guy in the back, he was just really drunk haha])

Tarantula

2009-01-12T09:03:00.000-08:00

12/1/09

Maybe the most interesting morning yet…

I woke up around 6:15, groggy and started to make my way out to the kitchen. As soon as I stepped out the door, I noticed something small and dark scurrying towards me. I jumped back and slammed the door almost instinctively – I thought it was a mouse. I opened the door to get another look and… My worst nightmare was confirmed: a tarantula! Don Alberto came and got rid of it straight away. Looking at it in hindsight, it’s a shame that we had to kill an animal that was so old…

Every day in El Sauce is an adventure.

Day Nine (el 10 de enero de 2009)

2009-01-11T17:15:00.001-08:00

Today started with a change for breakfast, pancakes :) and a curious cat that wanted some such he jumped in my lap to let me know this. We went sightseeing in Leon before our volcano adventure. First we saw the rubble of a church bombed during the Sandanista struggle, the church right next to it, and the entrance to a National Guard prison where Sandanistas were tortured (we didn't go in). Instead we went to an art museum to see some religious works, obras del movimiento barroco, Nicaraguan contemporary art, and some classics. One to note was Picasso's bombadero de Guernica which was combined with another painting (I was hoping to just see Picasso's original work). We had Paninis at Cafe Rosita and geared up for our Cerro Negro adventure. Unfortunately Meredith and I both forgot our cameras in our hotels but Kris took a lot of photos. It took 45 minutes to drive there, an hour or so to climb, 30 seconds to board down, and 45 minutes to drive back. I had never been to a volcano ever so this made my life so far. First off the entire volcano is BLACK. There were fumes rising from the crater and around it and sulfur and basalt developed on the slopes, rich in color. Almost at the top is a seismograph reader and at that point the wind was so strong that i almost got knocked off the volcano early. From the top I felt like a God. I dug a small hole with my boots and the soil under the surface was too hot to touch. Finally we were briefed on how to ride down. Meredith and Kris boarded down first and they both wiped out. I too wiped out but it was the most fun I've had in a long time. I want to climb and board down again because I know how to ride now. We were all covered in volcanic ash from hair to boot. After a much deserved shower we ate a much deserved dinner at a Spanish tapas restaurant called Venivé. Meredith ordered the shark jeje. The night was very relaxed, we ate ice cream at an arcade and visited a bar before calling it a night. Funny that on a Saturday in such a big city everything closes at around 11:30-12:00am. Tomorrow we're returning back to El Sauce by bus. (Photos: The cat at the Lazybones, outside the Sandanista torture chamber [the statue is of a man who killed a national guard with a rock], the ruins of a bombed church, and the gang at Yia Yia at night)

Day Eight (el 9 de enero de 2009)

2009-01-11T16:44:00.000-08:00

We finished up the wall in the morning. Most of the morning work was listening to music while plugging holes with cement. I left work early to catch the bus to Leon at noon, of course I had to run in the hot sun from my house to the station twice because I wasn't informed that hotels require passport proof. The two and a half hour bus ride to Leon was uncomfortably long. Upon arriving we took a taxi to our hostel, Lazybones, which was a breath of civilization (hammocks, shade, internet, good breakfast, COMFORTABLE BEDS!) After a much needed dip in the pool we went sightseeing. We started with a tour to the roof and cellar of the Cathedral in Leon. The views and religious murals and statues were a trip to say the least. The most interesting part is the tomb of Ruben Dario and the sad Leon in front of it. We stopped by a small historical, once Sandanista headquarters, society across the street from the Cathedral. A tour guide explained the history of Nicaragua starting before the civil war in the 70s-80s, and later we saw the Cathedral from the roof of the adjacent building right when they lit the statue on top. We traveled a lot and stayed in for the night at Lazybones, had some beer and beat Kellan at billiards (no sweat). Tomorrow is our much anticipated trip up to Cerro Negro!!! (photos: Pepe and Noel against the finished wall, the inside of the Cathedral of Leon, the Sandanista slogan in the museum, a night shot of the Cathedral, and the sad lion at the sight of Ruben Dario's grave [Leon=lion so this is how sad Leon was when Dario passed away])

Day Seven (el 8 de enero de 2009)

2009-01-11T16:15:00.000-08:00

After a great night of rest and 2 cafes I was ready to finish the first week of my project. We didn't completely finish the wall but we came very close. Pepe and Noel set up scaffolding, which would never pass a New York inspection, in fact within the first few minutes one of the supports nearly collapsed while Noel was standing on the supported boards!! PEPE!! Yo grité jaja. The scaffolding only consisted of ladders, nails, and planks of wood, some of which were for standing on and others were for supporting those boards. The only time I climbed up was to take a picture so I ended up doing the bulk of the work today fetching bricks, water and hoisting cement from the ground in buckets. During lunch I took a great video of me playing with Oso the dog, the boy who lives next door, and my lunch. Since it takes so long to upload photos alone I will have to wait until I return to the USA to upload the videos (in high quality). Also at lunch I told my host-mom that the bootleg man didn't lower the price for me today when I bought more music and dvds and she told me to pretend to buy CDs next time and REFUSE him when he tells me the price and tell him he needs to be generous. After much cement mixing and brick laying all day, we are very close to finishing. After adding one or two lines of bricks and filling in some gaps in the sides and ceiling with cement we will be done!! Probably tomorrow! English class was again very fun. I evaluated presentations and played telephone with a team. Unfortunately my team cheated like no other, but then again they were probably the best at speaking English out of the class. Much of the class was an introduction and follow up questions to Tim, a veteran of El Sauce, which was very funny (Can you write your name in the white board? No, I can't in the white board, but I can ON the white board!) To conclude the day I refilled my water bottles with purified water and went to the bar Viajeros with Tim, Yaca, Kellan, and Irene. I am very excited for my trip to Leon tomorrow. I can't wait to ride el Cerro Negro, I just hope I don't get any sunburn! (photos: the scaffolding, the nearly finished wall, and two students from English class)

2009-01-09T09:01:00.000-08:00

9/1/09

There are some things that people prefer not to mention here. The 80's and 90's were a very traumatic time for Nicaraguans, especially the Saucenos.

People will make offhanded remarks about conveniences they had before the war, especially the train that went to Leon - but there is a period of time that people just won't bring up.

The people who are willing to bring up this period of time seem to be the teens - I guess that's because they don't really remember all that much about this time period. Today, one of the tour guides showed me the grave of her uncle who died during the war and went on to tell me about how El Sauce has changed since her childhood. I was surprised to learn that up until the late 90's, there were only about five telephones in the whole of El Sauce!

Our peers are especially reluctant to talk politics. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for them to grow up in that sort of an environment. It's hard to imagine all of that instability, violence, and isolation happened in the El Sauce I'm getting to know today.

Day Six (el 7 de enero de 2009)

2009-01-08T18:26:00.000-08:00

Another day of working on the wall, teaching English, and seeing El Saucueño life. Don't ever get addicted to Nicaraguan coffee because the morning you go without it (today) will begin terribly. Today at Pepe's the large plank that me, Megan, and Kris built on Day 4 was integrated into the wall and filled with cement. It is the halfway point to keep the wall balanced. During work Pepe put on a CD of American rap songs, some of which I translated. We also took a ride in the pick-up truck to another part of El Sauce to pick up planks of wood for the next project in Pepe's house, part of the roof. The best part was standing in the back part of the truck while we drove. Unfortunately I got a bad sunburn on the back of my neck and I think it dehydrated my body such that I was like a zombie during lunch and when I returned to work. Pepe noticed how slow I was so instead of working we talked for about an hour and he bought me Traspado (lots of ice with honey). I wasn't aware of it at the time but I was instantly hydrated and energized again. Coming home from work I saw a coffin in a pick up truck with about 100 people following it (including one of the people on Kellan's bball team). I ran into Megan who briefly described how it works and the funeral in El Sauce that took place when the mayor's daughter died. She showed me her house and backyard and adorable dog Esperanza. She also told me that she was expecting a group of volunteers from PregnantCow.com of whom were going to work on a separate 4-Walls program. Ha, beat them to it. In English class, I graded 3 presentations (2 pass and 1 fail) and we role-played with the students. I helped a group form questions for Meredith in an interview and then went to Meredith's group to be interviewed with the questions she helped them form. Then the whole class played competitive pictionary. My stomach feels pressurized, probably due to a piece of chicken I ate during the wood-pick up, and even eating great food at the Hotel Blanco, I need to relax and de-pressurize my stomach. Update: I ended up throwing up all that food at the end of the night (graphic, I know) but somehow I felt instantly better. I had sweet dreams and work up revitalized!! (Photos: Me looking cool [notice the half finished wall in the background], My co-workers looking cool, Megan with Esperanza, and a night shot of a church and mountainside)

Day Five (el 6 de enero de 2009)

2009-01-07T18:37:00.000-08:00

A rough start turned out to be another great day in El Sauce. This morning I was grumpy because the house was very noisy for a Monday night and I only had Rice Krispes and water for breakfast... 15 minutes before work my host-mom laughed because I was locked in the house (I didn't have the key for the padlock to the front door -.-) and she insisted on me eating breakfast. I ended up at my worksite 15 minutes late but ironically Pepe and his friend didn't mind at all that I was late. There is a difference between time in USA and Nicaragua, one is strictly up-tight and the other is very laid back. At work I sifted pebbles and rocks out of fine soil which was mixed with cement and water into a mushy pile. First the soil and cement were mixed a few times over into a volcano like pile and then the pile was arranged into a caldera. The water sat in the middle and the outside cement-soil mix was slowly combined to make the cement. Laying bricks was nerve-racking at first, I was scared of making an unsturdy base at the bottom but after the first 3 layers the progress started adding up. Cement mixing and Brick laying was all I did for work today and over 8 hours we finished half of the wall!! Conversation with Pepe was great because today we talked about English and how strange some pronunciation is (like -tion instead of cion on the ends of words, and RE-FRID-GER-A-TOR). It was practice for my upcoming English lesson. The lecture passed by with ease, much easier than I anticipated. The students were of all ages and they were very nervous themselves! I enjoyed introducing myself, hearing them introduce themselves, and then helping them to pronounce and translate words in English. Of course with the planning of Yacarely :) She is a great teacher. Today I also got a chance to check out some of the street stands setting up for the upcoming fair (which apparently is huge, and I will just miss it by one day :/) Most of the stands offer novelties, food, or cheap merchandise and toys. I bought 85 cordobas of bootleg music and a DVD >:] (85cords is maybe 4 dollars and change!) And the work week goes on. (Photos: Pepe and his friend and the progress, a gallino in their backyard, and a picheta)

Day Four (el 5 de enero de 2009)

2009-01-06T19:21:00.001-08:00

So today was my first real day of work...and yes I am more tired than yesterday. I worked on one of the walls in Pepe's house, he knows Kellan, Yacarely, and Megan and was first in line for the 4-walls project. We talked for a little and took a look at his adobe wall, ready to fall apart with barely a shove. We all started with the wooden planks and then shoved the adobe outside of the house! There happens to be a wasp nest close to the roof. Megan also helped us with the wall, and translating what Pepe and his brother said. Ana, a girl of maybe 13 years old was around with some younger kids and she could tell what kind of music I liked so she put on some salsa and Calle Trece. At noon I took an hour break and ate like a dog. I also had a long conversation with Alida's grand-nephew, it was really hard to understand him, especially since I couldn't explain why I didn't know what he was talking about. Work from 1-4 went much faster. Thank God that this wall is on the north side of the house or else I would have burned up to a crisp in the sun. Me and Megan worked on cutting wire and bending metal into squares to make a mid-wall foundation. It will go in the wall for support, after we pile 5 feet of cemented bricks in the ground. That will start tomorrow. Conversation with Pepe and his brother was interesting, we talked about political parties in Nicaragua and USA, the WTC, the Jamaican Olympic star Hussein Bolt, and how me and Pepe are still trying to find the right girl to name a few things. I was so exhausted after work that I ate my food in a new record. Afterwards at the office me and Meredith were briefed by Yacarely for our first English lesson tomorrow and we read examples of past lesson plans. I'm a little nervous about that tomorrow because I don't know what to expect from the students but then again they are novices at English and looking to be taught. Upon returning to my host-family's house I saw Osbaldo and Alida in the back watering plants and playing with the dog Oso, which is trained completely different from an American dog. It was hilarious when the dog disobeyed Alida because she took out a bullwhip and smacked the air, immediately sending Oso back to the backyard. I am so tired that I must rest up for my day tomorrow, hopefully the calluses on my hands will go away by then. (A before and after picture of the wall we are working on. And Oso the crazy dog that attacks feet!)

Day Three in Nica (el 4 de enero de 2009)

2009-01-06T18:48:00.001-08:00

Today I woke up feeling grogy with a sore throat and stuffy nose, it may be due to the climate change or the dust in the air. Today started with a tour around the parts of El Sauce that I'll need to know. The sun was blazing out but with SPF45 only my neck got slightly burnt. We spent 8 to 12 exploring the sites of El Sauce. The simple grid-system in El Sauce is very easy to memorize. The key-points are where we each live, how to find the office, the ice cream store, and the house I'll be working on. We made some stops by the high school and an elementary school that a professor in Geneseo founded. After we passed by the rodeo we saw the baseball stadium and decided to stop in and watch the game. Kris went to get pictures of the players in the dugout while Meredith slept :P During the game I got to explain some baseball moves and rules to Yacarely. Afterwards was lunch which wasn't my favored but at least I got some chicken meat (it was chicken soup with lots of vegetables, very flavorful but not exactly my flavor). We all reunited at the office and did my favorite thing so far in El Sauce, swimming. We went to a small river called Peroles. It was a 10 minutes mo-ped ride from town and there was a group of teenagers hanging out there. When I saw the kid jump off the rock from 35 feet up I had to follow suit (and I did it like 3 or 4 times). The worst was the foot-flop, like a belly-flop on the bottom of my feet. After an hour or so of swimming we went back to the office for a meeting about the goals and objectives in these two weeks and long-term ideas. I'll be waking up bright and early at 6am for breakfast and wall-destroying at 7am. My schedule will be the 4 walls project from 7-12 and 1-4 and then English teaching from 6-8. That will be my schedule for the next two weeks so I hope it isn't very rough manual labor. After a long day of swimming I ate an entire plate of gallopinto and my favorite melted cheese-bread that my host-mom makes. Odds are I will be so hungry after tomorrow that I will eat even more. Chau (The photos: My host-family, the hallway, and bueyes en la calle)

Day Two in Nica (el 3 de enero de 2009)

2009-01-06T15:49:00.001-08:00

Day Two in Nica (el 3 de enero de 2009)
This was the day that made the long flights worthwhile. After breakfast we went to Lake Tiscapa, una palabra Ahuatal. We went on a zip-line ride through three stations around the lake. It was unlike any trip we ever went on, and the last station was done backward-superman style. Afterwards we went to a sealed off prison with pictures and information about Sandino's goal and death and what became of it. We visited the plaza of the National Nicaragua Center and the abandoned church which looked like it was inches away from crumbling, but it still had spirit. For some extra photos we went to the bay of Lake Managua which is one of the filthiest lakes in the world. But it sports a great view. There are a lot of volcanoes in Nicaragua. Mobotombo and Mobotombito are two of the many. We traveled by road to El Sauce, about a 3-4 hour drive. On the way we saw more volcanoes and very small towns, even isolated houses that exist far away from any store. The town of El Sauce is very quaint. The roads are in a grid-lock pattern and there aren't any street signs but since it is so small it is easy to manage. My host family is very nice and it turns out I know more Spanish than my predecesor. I can't wait to give them their present :) After a dinner of gallopinto y otras platas, Yacarely picked me, Kris, and Meredith up to go to a basketball game. It was interesting to see a town come out for a local league game, this is also where I met the rest of the Nicaragua Crew (Megan, Irene, and Juan Pablo). We went to a bar afterwards for some drinks and conversation. Again, we met the panhandelers. One of which Kellan had to escort from the bar (he claims she has a history of consuming paint), and another one, a child which Kellan and Megan were describing right as he walked in to hug us and taunt Megan's boyfriend Juan Pablo. On the way back, remenicing the day reminded me what a fun trip this has been in only 2 short days. Within earshot of my room is a bar still blasting reggaeton-- almost tempting me to go there. And the roosters are already at it, at 12:45am -.-

Day One in Nica (el 2 de enero de 2009)

2009-01-06T15:32:00.000-08:00

The plane flights were interesting enough to say the least. I haven't been on an airplane since I was in elementary school. When I saw Managua from the airplane I could tell that it was a large city without the towering skyscrapers. Everyone seems very laid back in Nicaragua. The people who work at the hotel (including the security guards who sit outside) live easy. When we met with Kellan and Yacarely, we went to get pizza which was amazingly cheesy. We were asked for money by panhandlers, one of which spoke English. I am ready to start my first official day tomorrow. (The photo is shot from the lobby of the hotel we stayed at in Managua)

Merri vs. Centro de salud

2009-01-06T08:54:00.000-08:00

6/1/09

Today was our first day out in the field, learning about our respective assignments in El Sauce.

I woke up around 8am (surprisingly, it doesn’t feel early anymore), had a very filling breakfast, and Kellan brought me over to the Centro de Salud to introduce me to the director. Unfortunately, the woman I’m supposed to be shadowing, Yuritza, was delayed. Apparently she won’t be back in El Sauce until 5pm – and by then the Centro de Salud will be closed. However, the day wasn’t a total waste: I was able to observe the nurses who care for the women and the infants. I guess these women overestimated my level of experience: I had to tell them that I didn’t have any medical experience when they asked if I wanted to take over.

Dozens of weighing sessions and polio vaccines later, my day was done by an early 2pm.

I’m still adjusting to the weather here. The sun is very strong and, at times, it’s noticeably humid. I'm having some issues adjusting to the climate. I occasionally suffer from migraines brought on from changes in the weather. So, as you can imagine, I'm not feeling all that well today. I guess my best option is siesta. More updates later -

_______

This evening I went to Yuritza’s house to get acquainted with her. She’s much younger than I expected – I think she’s around my age, maybe a year or two older. Surprisingly, she’s not a sauceña – she’s from Matagalpa, the central territory of Nicaragua. She recently finished nursing school, but she needs to complete a six month period of social service before she is officially licensed. It will be a pleasure to work with her.

English Class:

I never imagined that our class would already be this fluent! We had a few new students attend today, and they all caught on very quickly. I feel privileged to be teaching such a motivated, hardworking, and fun group! I only wish that I had started to develop lesson plans before I got here… By the time English class rolls around, I’m exhausted.

Posts from El Sauce

2009-01-04T07:53:00.000-08:00

4-1-09

Home in El Sauce with los Berrios:

Last night, we arrived in El Sauce safely, no thanks to our crazy van drivers.

We all got situated in our respective homes.

I'm living with the Berrios family which is about a block away from the Cathedral and about a two minute's walk from the Geneseo office. Kellan was very helpful in terms of getting us used to navigating the unlabeled streets. The Saucenos are very friendly people and are more than willing to offer help when I get lost. :P

Sonia and Alberto, my host parents, are very kind and gave me a very warm welcome. I have yet to meet my host brother, but I think he mostly stays to himself. I was so exhausted that I fell asleep almost immediately.

My room is spacious. I have two beds, a cabinet for storing my clothes, a nightstand with a lamp, and a small bathroom nook complete with a sink, toilet, and shower. The house is simple, but clean and complete with all of the basics. I think my favorite part of the house is the garden in the small backyard. It's very open and refreshing. The berrios have a lora (parrot) and a pair of chickens, so the backyard can be a loud place, depending on the time of day.

Fortunately, the Berrios have a filtro (water filter) so I can drink the tap water here! That's great because I find myself constantly drinking from my Nalgene.

I brought an mosquito net with me, but I don't think I'll be needing it: the Berrios fumagate regularly and don't seem to have a problem with insects. Also, my room is well closed off. What a relief.

At night, we had dinner together as a group and met with PeaceCorps volunteers stationed in El Sauce. It was great to meet with Sauce's gringos all at once! (lol) We had a great time, though - everyone is easy going and I'm glad that we have such good group dynamics.

2008-12-30T13:30:00.000-08:00

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A meaningful, service-learning experience allowing participants to apply their spirit of volunteerism and their education while working with the people of El Sauce, Nicaragua.