A small tour.

I went on a run this morning, looking up to avoid the horses coming towards me and looking down to avoid anything the horses left behind.  Per the request of the Peace Corps, our professor has been taking us on walks so that we may become familiar with our pueblo.  This is not too daunting a task as the longest street in town is six blocks from the cemetery to the “calderia”. 

The town is probably exactly how you are picturing a quaint Nicaraguan town to be, but quainter.  There is no post office, no market, and it is not uncommon to see a horse-drawn or bull-drawn carriage full of corn.  Today I saw one being pulled by a small donkey!

Cemetary entrance.

 

 In the cemetary.

In the cemetary.

Central Park.

A bench in Central Park.

The Fountain in Central Park.

The New Church.

The Old Church next to the New Church.

The Polic Station (blue building) and the Mayor´s office (green).

For those of you who don´t know, baseball is the national sport of Nicaragua.  There is a stadium in our town, and if I communicated correctly, sometimes national teams play there!

I have put up some pictures on a few of my old posts if anyone wants to back-track...

Disclaimer.

By the way, if my writing becomes a little too choppy over time it is probably because I am trying to speak in Spanish all day and I am using short, simple phrases.  By the end of my service, my blogs will most likely sound like one of a third grade child.

My New Home!

The School Bus.

After arriving in Managua we had walked accross the street to the Best Western, the hotel to which were confined for 3 solid days.  It was certainly a culture shock leaving the piña coladas and pool and venturing out in an old yellow school bus to our training towns.  My group is training in 6 small towns in Carazo, a "department" (district) of Nicaragua.  The Healthy Living group is training in Masaya.

 We watched from the windows of the bus as each daughter was dropped off at her Nicaraguan home into the open arms of her new family.  We will be training here for three months, learning the language, the culture, and trying to integrate ourselves as quickly as possible.

 
My small town has a central park, a big Catholic church, a health center, a police station, many small stores and not much else.  Taxis leave every 20 minutes for Jinotepe, the capital city of Carazo.  I have a Nicaraguan mother, two aunts, a few cousins, a sister, a niece and a nephew.  They all live in a few connected houses on the same small plot of land.  I have my own room with a double bed, a desk, and a standing clothes rack.  The first night here was intolerable.  So many noises.  Thankfully I brought a big container of earplugs.

My humble home.

My sister, Soraya, cooks me three meals a day.  The food is delicious, but too much.  Tonight at dinner I will practice the art of not eating everything on my plate.  With any luck I will not gain 10 pounds before I am assigned my worksite.  I have acquired a new best friend - my three-year-old niece Stefanny.  She likes to draw, dance, play soccer, and look at my things.  I don´t understand half of what she says, but she seems to like me!

There are four Peace Corps volunteers in my Spanish class.  Nelson is our instructor.  He is very soft-spoken and we found out that he was a monk in Costa Rica for a short time.  Rita, Renee, and Lenka are my classmates.  We have class for 6 hours every day at Rita´s house, but in a few weeks we will change our location.

I will come as often as I can to the internet cafe, which is really eight computers set up in someone´s livingroom. . .

The Internet Cafe.

Darn the Media!

To those of you who watched the Peace Corps segment of a cerain highly-acclaimed show last night, please know that we have had hours of safety training and will continue to train for the next 3 months.  The safety of the Volunteers is incredibly important to Peace Corps, and they have made it very clear to us.  I did not get the chance to see the show.  It it is a tragedy when any Volunteer is a victim of crime. 

We all got into Managua yesterday around noon.  The hotel is resort-like.  Beautiful landscaping and breezy weather makes me feel like I am in paradise.  Soon enough, though, I will be living with much fewer amenities.

At the Best Western across from the airport in Managua.

At the Best Western across from the airport in Managua.

At the Best Western across from the airport in Managua.

At the Best Western across from the airport in Managua.

So far we have had safety and medical trainings and our language interviews.  Mine did not go as well as I would have liked, but they are merely used to determine at what level of Spanish each of us are.  During the medical overview we received our medical kits, mosquito nets, emergency diarrhea kits, and vaccinations.  Today I recieved seasonal flu/H1N1 and typhoid, but there are more to come.  We also begin taking our malaria pills this evening after dinner.

More to come!

Adios!

Got the news that the rest of us are leaving at 1:30am!  Oh so very excited!!!!

Farther away than before!

We were scheduled to fly out at 6:10 this morning, but the smallest snowfall created a panic and our flight was cancelled immediately.  This is a big deal because not only does the Peace Corps have to pay for every night we stay here (as well as a per diem), but we are on a very detailed training schedule in Nicaragua and we have people waiting for us there.  One of the head honchos from the PC Headquarters in DC even came to visit us to thank us for our flexibility.

Our Staging Coordinator Joshua has been on the phone nonstop trying to find flights for both the Nicaragua and Panama groups.  Apparently Panama is a more popular destination because the entire group will be basking in the sun by Friday.  Meanwhile in Arlington, the crisp air has forced me to purchase gloves and a scarf from Claire's as I am not packed for this type of weather.  Peace Corps Nicaragua will be split into three groups, the last of which will fly on Saturday.  My roommate, Deanna, is leaving at 1:30am tomorrow morning with 7 others.  She is currently enjoying her last venti coffee for a months.

I met my fellow Nicaragua Peace Corps Trainees yesterday at staging.  Here we spent an afternoon introducing ourselves, discussing our personal and professional goals, our anxieties and aspirations, and what Peace Corps expects of us.  There are 45 people in my group, but only 42 made it on time to staging due to flight cancellations in Chicago.  My group consists of 7 males and 38 females.  We are all part of the health program, split up into 1. Maternal and Child Health Promotion and 2. Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS Education.
  
There is another Peace Corps group here who is going to Panama.  We did not meet any of them formally, so we loving refer to each one of them as "Panama".  For example:  "Did you eat lunch with Panama?"  The Panama group has a more evenly proportioned male to female ratio.  They will be teaching English.


Today we were free to tromp around Washington DC in our summer clothes.  An adventure I would have enjoyed much more had I been able to feel my face.  I boarded the Metro with a small group of ladies and headed to "The Mall" where we were able to see The Natural History Museum, Air and Space, and the Natural Gallery of Art.  These were the only pictures I could muster up in the Arctic chill:

I have yet to know which day I will be leaving, but tomorrow those of us who are still in Arlington will have our first day of training...

FAQ

When do you leave?
     I leave for Arlington, Virginia, at 6:10am from Oakland on January 10^th.  I will stay for two nights in a Holiday Inn (paid for by the Peace Corps) and receive a very brief orientation where I will be able to meet the other 44 volunteers in my field in Nicaragua.  Very early in the morning on the 12^th we will fly down to Managua, Nicaragua via Miami, Florida.


Where will you be?
     For the first five days I will be with the other volunteers in Granada.  On Saturday the 15^th, we will be assigned to our training sites.  After that, I have absolutely no idea where I will be. . .

What can you bring?
     I was allotted 80 pounds and 107 inches of checked bags and one carry-on.  I don’t want to bore anyone with my packing list, but thank you to those who did help me pack last night!  I almost had a breakdown trying to make it all fit.  How do you pack for a two year journey?!?

Do you know anyone else who is going?
   No.  But I will.

What will you do?
     My official title is Maternal and Child Health Promoter.  The Peace Corps is partnered with a Nicaraguan NGO called MINSA who works with this population.  So far that is all I know. . .

Where will you live?
     I will be living with a host family during the three month training period and the first three months of service.  After that I will be on my own. 

Can you visit the US during your service?
     Yes.  Volunteers receive two days of vacation for every month of service.  I plan to fly home around December 2011 once I accrue some vacation days.

How will you be able to communicate?
     I will have access to phones, the internet, and mail.  The real question is how often.  My mailing address in Nicaragua is currently:

PCT   Elizabeth Malenk

Cuerpo de Paz ~ Nicaragua

Apartado Postal # 3256

Managua, Nicaragua, Centro América

Are you nervous or excited?
     I am only excited.  This is the chance of a lifetime and I am taking it!

Peace Out!

My Peace Corps adventure began on late Saturday afternoon as I made my way through the sea of guests whom had flooded the bottom floor of my parents' house on Gibbons Drive.  I had sent out an e-vite and facebook event less than two weeks prior with hope that I would be able to see a few familiar faces before my departure.  Little did I know that I would be overwhelmed by the turnout and sense of loving support from each individual who took time to bid me farewell.  I truly feel blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life.


THANK YOU:

Aunt Kathy, Uncle Ed, Katie, Andy, Mom, and Dad for hosting the party;

Linda for documenting the night like a professional photographer (great pictures!);

All of the guests!  Thank you for bringing food and drinks, for traveling a long way to and from the party, for stopping by even for a short while.  You all have had a positive influence on my life and give me the courage to seek adventure! 

             
I seek it now. . .