We´re getting down to actual work here in Somoto. Our supervisor, Shayne, says that he wants us to spend the next couple of weeks on our various projects and work placements, rather than enjoying the scenery and wandering. Probably a good idea as the work we have to do over the next couple months is overwhelming.
Each counterpart pair is assigned a topic. The pair is expected to organise a full day of activities and presentations based around that topic. Josue and I have been assigned the environment. We´ve decided to focus around drought and water management issues (El Nino, unclean drinking water and similar topics). There are many organizations and contacts available to us, so it should be a pretty easy task.
We´ve had a pretty rainy and mild week here in Nicaragua. I hear that it is really cooling down rapidly in Canada at this point, and I´m not the least bit jealous. Although the shock of going from this climate to Saskatchewan in 2 months may likely destroy me, I´m going to enjoy the heat while I have it.
Ah! I almost forgot to post the most important detail! A couple of fellow Canadian counterparts and I shaved our heads last night! Huge deal for me, as the shortest I´ve ever had my hair is about 2 inches long. I like the way it looks and am thinking about wearing it like this for a little while. I´ll try to post pictures again in the near future.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Activities, Activities...
The schedule is packed, and looking towards the next 2 months I can see that the time will fly.
Among the events planned for us is a trip to a beach resort near Managua in November. The resort is called The Barcelo Montelimar, and is classy even for North American standards. It is all inclusive and boasts the largest pool in Central America. An interesting fact about the resort is that it used to be the Summer Palace of the much hated former dictator, Somoza. It was converted into a resort in 1980.
The best thing about this trip is the pit-stops. Apparently we will get to stop in both Grenada and Leon, two of the most historically significant cities in Nicaragua. Woohoo! However, plans seem to change by the day here, and I´m not holding my breath for anything. I´ll believe it when we are inside of the vehicle on our way to our destination.
A couple of my fellow volunteers and I are planning a trip to nearby Esteli in the near future. Esteli is much larger than Somoto and will be a more promising destination for touristy shopping, which is the primary reason for making the trip. It is also home to the 2nd group of Canada World Youth volunteers, who we spent some time with in Toronto. Hopefully we´ll get a chance to meet up with them. We were very very lucky to be placed in Somoto. Being a larger city, Esteli has horrible air quality. Driving through it from the airport I thought my lungs were going to give out. There are no car emission standards here, and it is very very common to see vehicles with a trail of black smoke in their wake. Gross.
I´m missing home, but am still enjoying my time here to its fullest. I´m sad that I have to miss the Fall season. Being able to see the leaves change, enjoying the vegetables from Mom´s garden, and just enjoying the silence. Silence is hard to come by here. There´s always some form of loud speaker or rattling truck nearby. Even at night you would be hard pressed to find a moment of silence.
Anyway, my time on the cafe computer has run out. I´m off!
Among the events planned for us is a trip to a beach resort near Managua in November. The resort is called The Barcelo Montelimar, and is classy even for North American standards. It is all inclusive and boasts the largest pool in Central America. An interesting fact about the resort is that it used to be the Summer Palace of the much hated former dictator, Somoza. It was converted into a resort in 1980.
The best thing about this trip is the pit-stops. Apparently we will get to stop in both Grenada and Leon, two of the most historically significant cities in Nicaragua. Woohoo! However, plans seem to change by the day here, and I´m not holding my breath for anything. I´ll believe it when we are inside of the vehicle on our way to our destination.
A couple of my fellow volunteers and I are planning a trip to nearby Esteli in the near future. Esteli is much larger than Somoto and will be a more promising destination for touristy shopping, which is the primary reason for making the trip. It is also home to the 2nd group of Canada World Youth volunteers, who we spent some time with in Toronto. Hopefully we´ll get a chance to meet up with them. We were very very lucky to be placed in Somoto. Being a larger city, Esteli has horrible air quality. Driving through it from the airport I thought my lungs were going to give out. There are no car emission standards here, and it is very very common to see vehicles with a trail of black smoke in their wake. Gross.
I´m missing home, but am still enjoying my time here to its fullest. I´m sad that I have to miss the Fall season. Being able to see the leaves change, enjoying the vegetables from Mom´s garden, and just enjoying the silence. Silence is hard to come by here. There´s always some form of loud speaker or rattling truck nearby. Even at night you would be hard pressed to find a moment of silence.
Anyway, my time on the cafe computer has run out. I´m off!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Work Placements and all that jazz
So we´re finally beginning our work placements. There are 9 work placements, with 2 volunteers per placement. One Nicaraguan and one Canadian. Each work placement is in a separate rural community, mine being the community of Las Cruces. Las Cruces is a small farming community (only about 30-40 houses, max) which produces basic grains and tobacco. Very poor, composed of crumbling adobe houses.
The Organization we´re working with is called INPRHU. This is the first year in a five year partnership between INPRHU and Canada World Youth. In all five years they will be working within these 9 communities. Our project will be aiding in the diagnosis of the communities. Its our job to find out what the members of the community need most, and the logistics required to accomplish the development goal.
We will be dealing with the youth and adults of the community equally. I´m more than a little nervous, as I still barely know any Spanish. The Nicaraguans will be responsible for the majority of the work here because of this handicap, and vise versa in Canada.
Nicaraguans have a completely different sense of time than we do in Canada...and it´s driving me nuts!!!! You can always expect them to be at LEAST a half an hour late, regardless of the importance of the meeting. We were late for a meeting with a representative of the Mayor´s office today, and they were stopping to sit and talk along the way! This isn´t something I´ll miss from my time in Nicaragua. I think it´s starting to drive all of the Canadians a little nuts.
I´m happy to say that Josue (my counterpart) and I are getting along very well. He´s a really nice fellow, and is really working hard to make sure that I feel at home. I´m trying my best to prepare him mentally for his visit to Saskatchewan, but I don´t think any amount of explaining will do the trick. I just hope that the cold isn´t too much for them.
Sorry for the infrequency of my posts. I´ll post in a day or two with more details about life in Somoto.
The Organization we´re working with is called INPRHU. This is the first year in a five year partnership between INPRHU and Canada World Youth. In all five years they will be working within these 9 communities. Our project will be aiding in the diagnosis of the communities. Its our job to find out what the members of the community need most, and the logistics required to accomplish the development goal.
We will be dealing with the youth and adults of the community equally. I´m more than a little nervous, as I still barely know any Spanish. The Nicaraguans will be responsible for the majority of the work here because of this handicap, and vise versa in Canada.
Nicaraguans have a completely different sense of time than we do in Canada...and it´s driving me nuts!!!! You can always expect them to be at LEAST a half an hour late, regardless of the importance of the meeting. We were late for a meeting with a representative of the Mayor´s office today, and they were stopping to sit and talk along the way! This isn´t something I´ll miss from my time in Nicaragua. I think it´s starting to drive all of the Canadians a little nuts.
I´m happy to say that Josue (my counterpart) and I are getting along very well. He´s a really nice fellow, and is really working hard to make sure that I feel at home. I´m trying my best to prepare him mentally for his visit to Saskatchewan, but I don´t think any amount of explaining will do the trick. I just hope that the cold isn´t too much for them.
Sorry for the infrequency of my posts. I´ll post in a day or two with more details about life in Somoto.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Independance Day in Nicaragua
So, today is Nicaragua´s Independance day. Everyone is out celebrating in the street. There are lots of interesting foods and drinks available. I´ll take this opportunity to tell you about some of the interesting points regarding food and drink on the street.
Food on the street is rediculously cheap. You can buy a fair sized snack for the equivalent of 25 cents Canadian (most of the time home made and delicious). Pop is another interesting topic. Although plastic bottles are commonplace, the majority of pop is packaged in glass bottles. If you are drinking the pop within the establishment you can drink it directly out of the bottle. If you want it to go they pour it into a bag and you drink it with a straw so that they can keep the deposit. Strange ways. Beer is another item which is far cheaper than in Canada. You would have a hard time finding an establishment that sells beer for more than 1$ Canadian. Nicaragua has two main beer labels: Victoria, and Toña. Both are good, and extremely satisfying in this sweltering climate.
Another common thing to see on the street is vehicles with mounted speakers, blaring either advertisements, music, or Police Reports (the Police reports are given early each morning).
Ah! Another thing! I learned how to wash my clothes by hand today!! With the strength that it takes, I´ll surely be made of muscles by the time I get home. I definitely prefer this to washing machines. You really get a sense of satisfaction when you finish by hand, and it´s nice not having to do an entire load each time.
The cool thing about Somoto is that it seems to be completely untouched by tourism. I´m really getting the real Nicaraguan experience here. Not one McDonalds within eyesight :)
One thing to note about my blog posts: It is extremely hot here, and usually by the end of a post I do not have the energy to edit what I´ve written. So please, humour my bad grammar and spelling :P
Food on the street is rediculously cheap. You can buy a fair sized snack for the equivalent of 25 cents Canadian (most of the time home made and delicious). Pop is another interesting topic. Although plastic bottles are commonplace, the majority of pop is packaged in glass bottles. If you are drinking the pop within the establishment you can drink it directly out of the bottle. If you want it to go they pour it into a bag and you drink it with a straw so that they can keep the deposit. Strange ways. Beer is another item which is far cheaper than in Canada. You would have a hard time finding an establishment that sells beer for more than 1$ Canadian. Nicaragua has two main beer labels: Victoria, and Toña. Both are good, and extremely satisfying in this sweltering climate.
Another common thing to see on the street is vehicles with mounted speakers, blaring either advertisements, music, or Police Reports (the Police reports are given early each morning).
Ah! Another thing! I learned how to wash my clothes by hand today!! With the strength that it takes, I´ll surely be made of muscles by the time I get home. I definitely prefer this to washing machines. You really get a sense of satisfaction when you finish by hand, and it´s nice not having to do an entire load each time.
The cool thing about Somoto is that it seems to be completely untouched by tourism. I´m really getting the real Nicaraguan experience here. Not one McDonalds within eyesight :)
One thing to note about my blog posts: It is extremely hot here, and usually by the end of a post I do not have the energy to edit what I´ve written. So please, humour my bad grammar and spelling :P
Friday, September 11, 2009
Adjusting...
So, I´m slowly adjusting to Nicaragua, and am feeling a little more grounded. For the past week I´ve been dying to come back to Canada, and to see something familiar.
Today is to be my first day of work and I had a couple hours to bust, so I decided a trip to the internet cafe was much needed. My first trip outside without a Nicaraguan guide :)
You know that stereotypical image of a bunch of central americans piled into the back of an old Toyota truck?? That was me yesterday. We went to check out some of the more rural workplaces on a series of back roads (undrivable in a regular vehicle). The truck was outfitted with bars to hold on to, and my entire group of 18 people were piled into the back. What a rush. Definitely the kind of thing that would quickly get your license taken away in Canada. Not here! The rules of the road are definitely different. Much scarier! It´s commonplace for a driver to make a pass on a tight curve and think nothing of it. I´m very surprised that I haven´t seen any accidents yet.
Somoto itself is in the more mountainous area of Nicaragua, near the North-Western boarder of Honduras. The scenary is nothing short of beautiful, with a backdrop of huge mountains wherever you go.
The basic meal ALWAYS involves some kind of Rice and Bean dish, usually accompanied by Plantain. I love it now, but I have the feeling that after 3 months I´ll never want to touch another Plantain in my life. Not much diversity as far as the food is concerned. As would be expected in a developing country. The coffee is fantastic. It´ll be hard for me to make the switch back to the stuff we have in Canada.
Well, I´m off to do a couple more errands before I´m picked up for my first day of work.
Wish me luck!
Today is to be my first day of work and I had a couple hours to bust, so I decided a trip to the internet cafe was much needed. My first trip outside without a Nicaraguan guide :)
You know that stereotypical image of a bunch of central americans piled into the back of an old Toyota truck?? That was me yesterday. We went to check out some of the more rural workplaces on a series of back roads (undrivable in a regular vehicle). The truck was outfitted with bars to hold on to, and my entire group of 18 people were piled into the back. What a rush. Definitely the kind of thing that would quickly get your license taken away in Canada. Not here! The rules of the road are definitely different. Much scarier! It´s commonplace for a driver to make a pass on a tight curve and think nothing of it. I´m very surprised that I haven´t seen any accidents yet.
Somoto itself is in the more mountainous area of Nicaragua, near the North-Western boarder of Honduras. The scenary is nothing short of beautiful, with a backdrop of huge mountains wherever you go.
The basic meal ALWAYS involves some kind of Rice and Bean dish, usually accompanied by Plantain. I love it now, but I have the feeling that after 3 months I´ll never want to touch another Plantain in my life. Not much diversity as far as the food is concerned. As would be expected in a developing country. The coffee is fantastic. It´ll be hard for me to make the switch back to the stuff we have in Canada.
Well, I´m off to do a couple more errands before I´m picked up for my first day of work.
Wish me luck!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Nicaragua times!
Holy moly, too much stuff to update on. I´ve been in Nicaragua since last Thursday, and it has been a roller coaster of both good and bad. We arrived at around 5:00PM Nicaragua time after a long airplane ride. The scenery is beautiful, and it´s super hot! We met up with the Nicaraguans at a camp like set-up on the outskirts of Somoto. Really wonderful people.
We spent about 4 days in the camp getting to know each other, learning some Spanish, discussing customs, etc.
After the training camp we were paired up with counterparts. Although I love the Nicaraguans, I managed to get paired up with the only one who I have the most trouble communicating with! Funny how things work, eh? Anyway, I´m going to try and make the best of it, and hopefully things will get better between us.
Unfortunately, I don´t know if I´ll have the ability to post photographs until I get home. I only have access to the internet through some of the local internet Cafe´s. I´ll try later, regardless.
Anyway, my group awaits me outside, and I think they´re getting impatient. I´ll post again soon with some more details.
Take care everyone! :)
We spent about 4 days in the camp getting to know each other, learning some Spanish, discussing customs, etc.
After the training camp we were paired up with counterparts. Although I love the Nicaraguans, I managed to get paired up with the only one who I have the most trouble communicating with! Funny how things work, eh? Anyway, I´m going to try and make the best of it, and hopefully things will get better between us.
Unfortunately, I don´t know if I´ll have the ability to post photographs until I get home. I only have access to the internet through some of the local internet Cafe´s. I´ll try later, regardless.
Anyway, my group awaits me outside, and I think they´re getting impatient. I´ll post again soon with some more details.
Take care everyone! :)
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Just Leaving!
Woohoo! I'm in the lobby of the hotel, waiting for our bus to the airport. Scary. I can't believe that by tonight I will be in Nicaragua with my counterpart. Anyway, just a brief little message. I'll post as soon as I can!
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