1) So it turns out that there are rats living in our ceiling. Usually you don´t hear them because they often leave the house and wander around outside. But when it starts to rain they come back into the house and can be heard scurrying around in the ceiling. There was one in the ceiling in my room last week. He stayed there making a great deal of noise for probably thirty minutes. He would run from one corner to another banging around against wires and other pieces of metal in the ceiling.
2) Francisco (my host father) and I tried to make bread and banana cake a week ago. But neither were very successful. I followed the recipe and added the right quantities of everything to the bread, but for some reason it did not rise. We tried baking it anyway and it came out rock hard although it smelled really good. The inside even tasted good, but it was too hard to eat. Francisco made a banana cake, but forgot to add eggs. While it was in the oven he asked Reyna (his wife) if the recipe calls for eggs. She said of course it does, four in fact. He smiled and said oops! He then went to the kitchen and took the banana cake out of the oven. He proceeded to add four eggs to it, mix it with the blender, and return it to the oven. He and I laughed the entire time. Reyna insisted that it would not work. Well it kind of worked. The cake tasted really good, although it also did not rise.
3) I also continue to hear that it is dangerous to be a volunteer in Nicaragua and that I will probably find my spouse. In my extended host family, three of the cousins married volunteers from abroad and one is dating a volunteer from the States. I also continue to hear stories of foreigners marrying Nicaraguans. My host mother reminds me that there are some good Nica men here. She and others say that would give me a good reason to come back or to never return to school.
4) So there are two Papa John´s in Nicaragua. But unlike Papa John´s in the states they are actual sit down restaurants and have more than just pizza. they have pastas, 6 different kinds of salads, appetizers, and even desert pizza. Also they have more varieties of pizzas than the ones in the States. The flavor was the same.
5) In one of our community visits to Nance there was another soyada. This time the women made different dishes, all of which again were very tasty. One of them is a kind of soup that is very popular and common to the rural communities. Its base was soy milk and then they added tomatoes, green bell pepers, onion, garlic, and a kind of river seashell animal. The seashell animal is still in its shell in the soup. In order to eat it you have to slightly bite the middle of the shell so as to sort of break it. You then blow on the small end to push the animal out of the other end. After blowing, you turn the shell around and suck on the other end. The animal should then slide easily out and into your mouth. Well, this is what is suppose to happen anyway. I, however, had troubles. The first one worked beautifully. But I couldn´t get any of the other five to come out. I kept trying and trying to no avail. The women, Doña Ramona, Doña Juana, and Doña Mariana realized that I was having some difficulty so they came over to help. They repeated the instructions to me and watched me try. Still no success. They then began to repeat the instructions louder and with more animation, thinking that would help. Still no success. At this point my co-workers and I were laughing at my inability. The women also began to laugh and continued to repeat the instructions. Still I couldn´t do it. By the end we were all laughing about how I couldn´t do it. I think they thought it rather funny how incompitent I was at such an easy task.
6) Three of my co-workers (Juan Carlos, Cesar, Zoilita) and I went to Naranjo. This is one of the farthest away communities. It takes thirty minutes on moto on dirt roads from the main city where we work. Overall the road is fairly smooth and there are only a couple of rough patches. I road with Juan Carlos who drives very smoothly. As Reyna says you could almost fall asleep when you are his passanger. We came to the River Caimito which is probably 25 feet wide and in the shallowest parts about a foot to a foot and a half deep. Juan Carlos and I went first. However, he did not drive quickly enough. So about ten feet into the river the moto stopped and the back wheel was entirely stuck in the mud on the bottom of the river. I looked at him and said I have to get off, don´t I. He said no no you aren´t wearing proper shoes. I said we have no choice. He said true. So I got off in the middle of the river and tried to go as quickly as I could back to shore. By the time I got there my shoes and pants were soaked. Zoila and Cesar were laughing on the shore. Juan Carlos crossed on the moto and then Cesar later, but only after Zoila got off. She and I then crossed together through the mud and water. Cesar enjoyed watching us and laughing. By the time we got to Naranjo we were muddy and wet.
7) Making nacatomales. Nacatomales are a traditional Nica food. They are similar to Mexican tamales but twice as good. Inside the corn dough they have either chicken or pork with potatoes, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, and parsley. They are wrapped in banana leaves and then boiled in hot water for two hours. They have the combination of all the flavors and are incredibly tasty. We made them for the birthday of my host father and two of his siblings. none of them are twins, but they all have the same birthday. I stood with a lady from the church, my host grandmother, the guard, and my host great grandfather making the nacatamales. We stood in the outside covered kitchen of the great grandfather where they cook using firewood. We made and wrapped them on a seperate table, then passed them to the guard (Don Joel) who tied the leaves with string, and then placed them on the fire. My host grandmother decided that I was becoming Nica since I could now make nacatamales. I know I am not describing the event well, but it may be one of my favorite moments so far.
8) Dr. Green said I am beginning to sound like a Nicaraguan when I speak.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
the market
So I realized that I had not yet described to you possibly one of my favorite things here in Nicaragua and that is the market. I am not exactly sure why I like it so much, but every time I have an opportunity to go to the market, I take it. It is a very lively place and it is possible to find almost anything there.
The market in Jinotepe is in the center of town and probably takes up close to ten city blocks. It runs along various streets in front of the houses and other businesses. Most of the stalls are permanent and sit along the sides of the road so that all the people, cars, bikes, men pulling trash carts, and horses pulling carts can cross through in the center. The stalls have tin roofs and wooden walls, although some just have tin roofs. Each stall is owned by a different person so that it is always possible to find the same person or family working at the same stall. Customers then become regulars at certain stalls. My family has three stalls that they always visit when they go to the market, partially because they offer the best prices and goods and partially because they are women who they have known for a long time.
Depending on the time of the day the market may be very crowded or hardly anyone there at all. It is particularly fun to go when it is raining or just after because it is virtually deserted by all customers, but there is still a lot of great produce and other foods to buy.
As you walk through the market you step over trash and mud puddles due to the poor conditions of the paved roads. It is important to keep at least remote attention to where you walk to avoid some of the mud puddles. There are women sitting just in front of their stalls behind huge baskets filled with fresh cooked bread. They wave leaves over the baskets to keep the flies away. They yell ¨pan, pan¨as you walk by. It is hard to not buy their bread because it smells so good and rich. As you continue to walk you pass stalls selling all different kinds of beans, although red beans are the most popular. (Nicas are adiment that red beans have the best flavor.) There are other stalls that only sell vegetables and they are piled high with tomatoes, carrots, green peppers, celery, lettuce, onions, garlic, eggplant, and other vegetables that I don´t know the English word for. All of these sit in baskets at varying heights so it is easy to see what their goods. Some spices hang from the roof in small bags. Other stalls only sell fruit and it all looks wonderful. They have pineapple, mango, papaya (that are the size of a two-year old child), oranges, guava, guayava, zapote, and other fruits again that I don´t know their name in English. All of it is rich and very tempting to buy. You will also pass by stalls filled with second hand clothing and shoes that are fairly cheap, sports equipment, tires, cell phones, radios, and sodas.
As you walk you will also hear bells ringing behind or in front of you. These bells are on the handles of the ice cream carts. The men constantly touch them as they walk so people know they are coming. They shout ¨helado¨as they go by. There are other women who walk through the market shouting ¨dulces, maiz, mani¨(sweets, corn, peanuts). My personal favorite are the women yelling tortillas. There is one woman in particular and everyone knows who you are talking about. She carries the tortillas in a towel on her head and shouts tortillas like no other woman. It is high pitched and nasally and is more like ¨Torrrrrrrrtiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiillas!¨ You can hear her a long way off and it is hard for me not to laugh at times becaus it is just so amusing listening to her.
There are also supermarkets around the market, smaller than those in the states about a fraction of the size. The goods in there are more expensive and most people do all their shopping in the street market and only enter the supermarket if they can´t find what they need in the street market.
The market in Jinotepe is in the center of town and probably takes up close to ten city blocks. It runs along various streets in front of the houses and other businesses. Most of the stalls are permanent and sit along the sides of the road so that all the people, cars, bikes, men pulling trash carts, and horses pulling carts can cross through in the center. The stalls have tin roofs and wooden walls, although some just have tin roofs. Each stall is owned by a different person so that it is always possible to find the same person or family working at the same stall. Customers then become regulars at certain stalls. My family has three stalls that they always visit when they go to the market, partially because they offer the best prices and goods and partially because they are women who they have known for a long time.
Depending on the time of the day the market may be very crowded or hardly anyone there at all. It is particularly fun to go when it is raining or just after because it is virtually deserted by all customers, but there is still a lot of great produce and other foods to buy.
As you walk through the market you step over trash and mud puddles due to the poor conditions of the paved roads. It is important to keep at least remote attention to where you walk to avoid some of the mud puddles. There are women sitting just in front of their stalls behind huge baskets filled with fresh cooked bread. They wave leaves over the baskets to keep the flies away. They yell ¨pan, pan¨as you walk by. It is hard to not buy their bread because it smells so good and rich. As you continue to walk you pass stalls selling all different kinds of beans, although red beans are the most popular. (Nicas are adiment that red beans have the best flavor.) There are other stalls that only sell vegetables and they are piled high with tomatoes, carrots, green peppers, celery, lettuce, onions, garlic, eggplant, and other vegetables that I don´t know the English word for. All of these sit in baskets at varying heights so it is easy to see what their goods. Some spices hang from the roof in small bags. Other stalls only sell fruit and it all looks wonderful. They have pineapple, mango, papaya (that are the size of a two-year old child), oranges, guava, guayava, zapote, and other fruits again that I don´t know their name in English. All of it is rich and very tempting to buy. You will also pass by stalls filled with second hand clothing and shoes that are fairly cheap, sports equipment, tires, cell phones, radios, and sodas.
As you walk you will also hear bells ringing behind or in front of you. These bells are on the handles of the ice cream carts. The men constantly touch them as they walk so people know they are coming. They shout ¨helado¨as they go by. There are other women who walk through the market shouting ¨dulces, maiz, mani¨(sweets, corn, peanuts). My personal favorite are the women yelling tortillas. There is one woman in particular and everyone knows who you are talking about. She carries the tortillas in a towel on her head and shouts tortillas like no other woman. It is high pitched and nasally and is more like ¨Torrrrrrrrtiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiillas!¨ You can hear her a long way off and it is hard for me not to laugh at times becaus it is just so amusing listening to her.
There are also supermarkets around the market, smaller than those in the states about a fraction of the size. The goods in there are more expensive and most people do all their shopping in the street market and only enter the supermarket if they can´t find what they need in the street market.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Hiking Mombacha
Hello friends,
Last Thursday my host family, host grandmother, and host uncle/co-worker, and I took the day off of work to go to a nearby active volcano called Mombacha. It is a popular destination with tourists and sits about forty minutes away from Jinotepe.
After paying the entrance fee to the park we drove up the steep assent in our truck to the base of the volcano. At the base there are three different hiking trails you can do. The first is fairly easy and does not require a guide, while the second two are increasingly more difficult and both require a guide. We did the first one with the entire group and then part of us broke off from my host mother, Reyna, and her mother to go on to do the most difficult hike. This one is about two and a half miles of continual assents and descents of wooden or rock staircases that are wet due to the humidity and covered in mud and old rotting leaves. It was quite the hike! But it was also a lot of fun to be outside in nature. We went around one of the craters and then had an overlook of a second. We could also see one of the lakes nearby (Lake Nicaragua the largest lake in the country) and the various islands that lie off of the shore.
The place was incredibly beautiful. The entire hike was in the middle of a tropical rainforest that had over 125 different kinds of orchids and many different kinds of trees. We heard a couple of parrots in the trees and were told that monkeys and pumas also lived in the forest, although we did not have the chance of seeing either of them. My host brother who is nine was especially disappointed that we did not get to see a puma. He thought it would be very fun. We did, however, see some of its recents tracks in the mud just off the side of the trail.
After getting back to the trail head we were all very hot and tired, but in really great spirits from our outting. It was especially nice for a Colorado girl to spend some time in nature. I don´t get a chance to walk much here, so it was nice to walk so much. My host family was rather impressed too at the speed at which I hiked. I just kept saying this is what I do in my free time with my family. By the end, I think they began to believe me.
We left the volcano and went to eat at an authentic Mexican restaurant in another town where I got to eat mole, chips, salsa, and guacamole. It was great and by the end of the day I felt completely refreshed.
Last Thursday my host family, host grandmother, and host uncle/co-worker, and I took the day off of work to go to a nearby active volcano called Mombacha. It is a popular destination with tourists and sits about forty minutes away from Jinotepe.
After paying the entrance fee to the park we drove up the steep assent in our truck to the base of the volcano. At the base there are three different hiking trails you can do. The first is fairly easy and does not require a guide, while the second two are increasingly more difficult and both require a guide. We did the first one with the entire group and then part of us broke off from my host mother, Reyna, and her mother to go on to do the most difficult hike. This one is about two and a half miles of continual assents and descents of wooden or rock staircases that are wet due to the humidity and covered in mud and old rotting leaves. It was quite the hike! But it was also a lot of fun to be outside in nature. We went around one of the craters and then had an overlook of a second. We could also see one of the lakes nearby (Lake Nicaragua the largest lake in the country) and the various islands that lie off of the shore.
The place was incredibly beautiful. The entire hike was in the middle of a tropical rainforest that had over 125 different kinds of orchids and many different kinds of trees. We heard a couple of parrots in the trees and were told that monkeys and pumas also lived in the forest, although we did not have the chance of seeing either of them. My host brother who is nine was especially disappointed that we did not get to see a puma. He thought it would be very fun. We did, however, see some of its recents tracks in the mud just off the side of the trail.
After getting back to the trail head we were all very hot and tired, but in really great spirits from our outting. It was especially nice for a Colorado girl to spend some time in nature. I don´t get a chance to walk much here, so it was nice to walk so much. My host family was rather impressed too at the speed at which I hiked. I just kept saying this is what I do in my free time with my family. By the end, I think they began to believe me.
We left the volcano and went to eat at an authentic Mexican restaurant in another town where I got to eat mole, chips, salsa, and guacamole. It was great and by the end of the day I felt completely refreshed.
Friday, July 11, 2008
image 1) my co-worker Zoila and I painting our new office. 2) all of my co-workers, three US visitors, and I outside of a Luke´s Society pharmacy in La Conquista where we work. my host father, Fransisco is in the green polo and his wife, Reyna, is in the grey polo next to him. 3) a street in Jinotepe 4) the countryside on the way back from Managua 5) my house - this is the den looking into the kitchen.Random thoughts
I love corn tortillas! I use to think they were not so great or that I could not eat them every day. But here they make them like I´ve never had them before and when they are warm with a little avacado and cheese....mmm! I hadn´t had a tortilla for three days and I found myself craving to eat one on Wednesday.
I have a decent sized spider I named sammy living in my bathroom. He has been there at least a week. He disappears and I think he´s gone, only to show up again sometime later.
On the roads there are pedstrians, bicyclists, buses, cars, pickup trucks, and horses pulling carts.
The buses here are old school buses painted various colors that take people from one city to another.
I play uno almost every day with my host brother.
I taught my host sibling how to suffle and do a bridge - they were shocked I could do it and wanted to learn. They spent about an hour practicing.
I´ve eaten the first thing I don´t like. Thy call it mundungo which is also called cow stomach soup in spain. I ate it to please one of my host grandmother´s. I told my parents afterwards about it and they laughed about it. It has since become a running joke.
Entonces Sherry, entonces, entonces, entonces. I hear this phrase at least three times a day. It basically means so...
I have a decent sized spider I named sammy living in my bathroom. He has been there at least a week. He disappears and I think he´s gone, only to show up again sometime later.
On the roads there are pedstrians, bicyclists, buses, cars, pickup trucks, and horses pulling carts.
The buses here are old school buses painted various colors that take people from one city to another.
I play uno almost every day with my host brother.
I taught my host sibling how to suffle and do a bridge - they were shocked I could do it and wanted to learn. They spent about an hour practicing.
I´ve eaten the first thing I don´t like. Thy call it mundungo which is also called cow stomach soup in spain. I ate it to please one of my host grandmother´s. I told my parents afterwards about it and they laughed about it. It has since become a running joke.
Entonces Sherry, entonces, entonces, entonces. I hear this phrase at least three times a day. It basically means so...
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Daily life
I know that some of you are probably wondering what my basic day looks like including when do I wake up and what I eat. Well first there is no regular day here and usually I don´t really know what I am doing until about five minutes before hand, but I will try to give you an idea.
I wake up around 7 and spend some time reading and praying. Then around 7:45 or 8 I emerge from my room and wander into the kitchen. Usually one if not both of my host parents are there cooking breakfast and lunch at the same time. We talk for anywhere between 10 to 30 minutes depending on how soon breakfast is ready. I then help set the table. My host siblings leave for school around 6:30, so they do not eat with us. Breakfast consists of gallo pinto (red beans and rice), warm corn tortillas, fresh fruit juice made by my host father, scrambled eggs, fresh bread from a bakery, or some type of fruit (mangos, pineapple, papaya, watermelon). The most common is gallo pinto with tortillas. We tend to leave the house around 8:30 or 9 to go to the office.
I greet my co-workers with ¨buenas¨ and we chat for a while. I have really nothing to do when I arrive so I use the time to talk with my-coworkers or to record thoughts I had during the morning. Someone will then say ¨vamos sherry¨ (let´s go - they can´t say my name and this is close enough). I seldom know where I am going prior to getting into the car or walking to the market. I also seldom know exactly what we are going to or why. Surprises are a big part of my day.
Whatever activity we go to might last just for the morning or the entire day. Primarily our outings consist in going to the community to talk with the people and to do various workshops. This past week my outings were to paint shops, the market, and the central park. We moved offices so we didn´t go into the rural areas. If I don´t go into the rural areas I eat lunch either at my host family´s house or we go to one of two nearby restaurants where we eat tasty baked chicken, rice, beans, and fried bananas. If I go to the rural communities I never know when I am going to eat, so snacks have come in handy. Many days when we are out in the communities I don´t eat til around 3 or later, which is a long time since breakfast.
I go home from the office anywhere between 5:30 at the earliest to 7:30. The work day ends around 5 so I either check email or talk with my co-workers who are still around. We then head home after making a brief stop to buy homemade, hot tortillas from a woman who sells them from her house.
At the house I either read, play uno with my siblings, or watch american idol prior to dinner. Dinner so far has included corn tortillas, rice, beans, avocados, pupusas (tortillas with cheese and beans inside), variety of soups, baked eggplant with cheese and barbeque sauce on top, baked chicken, or a dish similar to chicken curry but not spicy. After dinner I help with cleaning the kitchen and talk more with my host family. I go to my room anywhere between 10 and 10:30 to do some HNGR homework and then to sleep.
I know that wasn´t very specific but that is because my days vary so much, but I hope it helped you to get an idea of what I do during my days.
I wake up around 7 and spend some time reading and praying. Then around 7:45 or 8 I emerge from my room and wander into the kitchen. Usually one if not both of my host parents are there cooking breakfast and lunch at the same time. We talk for anywhere between 10 to 30 minutes depending on how soon breakfast is ready. I then help set the table. My host siblings leave for school around 6:30, so they do not eat with us. Breakfast consists of gallo pinto (red beans and rice), warm corn tortillas, fresh fruit juice made by my host father, scrambled eggs, fresh bread from a bakery, or some type of fruit (mangos, pineapple, papaya, watermelon). The most common is gallo pinto with tortillas. We tend to leave the house around 8:30 or 9 to go to the office.
I greet my co-workers with ¨buenas¨ and we chat for a while. I have really nothing to do when I arrive so I use the time to talk with my-coworkers or to record thoughts I had during the morning. Someone will then say ¨vamos sherry¨ (let´s go - they can´t say my name and this is close enough). I seldom know where I am going prior to getting into the car or walking to the market. I also seldom know exactly what we are going to or why. Surprises are a big part of my day.
Whatever activity we go to might last just for the morning or the entire day. Primarily our outings consist in going to the community to talk with the people and to do various workshops. This past week my outings were to paint shops, the market, and the central park. We moved offices so we didn´t go into the rural areas. If I don´t go into the rural areas I eat lunch either at my host family´s house or we go to one of two nearby restaurants where we eat tasty baked chicken, rice, beans, and fried bananas. If I go to the rural communities I never know when I am going to eat, so snacks have come in handy. Many days when we are out in the communities I don´t eat til around 3 or later, which is a long time since breakfast.
I go home from the office anywhere between 5:30 at the earliest to 7:30. The work day ends around 5 so I either check email or talk with my co-workers who are still around. We then head home after making a brief stop to buy homemade, hot tortillas from a woman who sells them from her house.
At the house I either read, play uno with my siblings, or watch american idol prior to dinner. Dinner so far has included corn tortillas, rice, beans, avocados, pupusas (tortillas with cheese and beans inside), variety of soups, baked eggplant with cheese and barbeque sauce on top, baked chicken, or a dish similar to chicken curry but not spicy. After dinner I help with cleaning the kitchen and talk more with my host family. I go to my room anywhere between 10 and 10:30 to do some HNGR homework and then to sleep.
I know that wasn´t very specific but that is because my days vary so much, but I hope it helped you to get an idea of what I do during my days.
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