As Time Goes By

Thursday marks the end of my intensive Spanish course. If anything has helped with my abilities it has been just listening and talking in Spanish in class and outside as well. Monday is the first day of the semester and I can see the whole campus getting excited for it to come, slowly I see more and more people there, signing up for classes or going to an orientation. I'm not quite sure of my schedule but I should be getting it any time now. I'm taking The History of Nicaragua (which I've actually started learning about, very interesting), Tourism, Society and Religion, and Social Philosophy. I'm interested to see what classes will be like, I'm also a little scared considering they're all in Spanish and apparently they lecture a lot more here than back home. So I'm banking on my Spanish and also my friend-making-abilities to help me.
I should soon be able to put pictures up, I'm anxious to should you what it looks like here. I actually live in downtown Managua but it's very different than downtown New York, Boston or San Francisco. You're not in the middle of a cavern of tall buildings, the main strip I walk down to school is a little like El Camino. Definitely a main road that was recently reconstructed but very different than what you actually might think is a downtown. Just up the street are some bars and restruants I'm excited to explore with a Nicaraguan friend that was at Fairfield last semester.
This past weekend I went with some friends to a beach called San Juan del Sur. It was about a 3 hour drive which was cool because we were able to see more of Nicaragua outside of Managua. The actual road leading to the beach town was absolutely filled with potholes which made what should have been a 15 min. drive an hour. It was as if we were on a roller coaster, swerving back and forth across the road. I know what everyone's thinking, but its alright, my stomach didn't act up and no one here has been thrown up on...yet. Haha just kidding, that won't happen. When we did get to the beach, the three North Americans (including myself) tried to put our towels down on the beach like we would back home only to find that the strong wind made this task very difficult and also fruitless as once we got the towels down, they would immediately get covered in sand. Not only that but if you tried to lie down and tan, you would actually get sand blasted. Besides that, the waves were a good size, but no good for surfing, they broke way too close to the shore. There was a mean ripe tide though that not everyone was used to (after you've been pulled under a million times at Capitola you learn how to avoid being pummeled). I taught everyone how to dive under the waves when they were about to break on you, some learned some didn't. As custom for me when coming back on a long trip, I fell asleep for most of the ride , overall a very nice trip.
I think we're going to plan another to Lake Nicaragua where there's a volcano island that's apparently really pretty and a really big tourist attraction. This time though I think we'll spend the night on Saturday and have all day Sunday to enjoy the Islands. There are actually two islands and when the water goes down during the day (yes there are slight tides in the lake due to its immense size, the largest in Central America!) there's a natural walkway that you can walk across from one island to the other, just like Jesus! Hopefully that works out for us.
Well I'm off to class, enjoy your warm showers and vegetables, they might not always be around...

Una Semana Pasada

One week ago, (well one week ago yesterday) I arrived in Nicaragua. I can't believe it! It seems like I've already been here a month. I know it will fly by and in May it will seems like I had just arrived but right now I feel like I'm really adapting to the culture here. At least I like to think I am. Every morning I have gayopinto which is the staple to the Nicaragua diet and contains rice mixed with refried beans and black beans. It's very good and not what I usually eat for breakfast in the States. The women that work here also make juice which is pretty good. They squeeze a couple of whatever fruit they're using and then add about two huge spoonfuls of sugar and then fil the rest up with water. It doesn't sound really good, but it is. I usually eat lunch (their biggest meal) at school. It's not always the same and usually I don't eat enough but yesterday I had a big plate of rice, beans, and some sort of meat and some salsa fresca. Pretty delish. It might come to me getting a little sick of beans and rice, but its what I signed up for. Dinner is usually just a snack, like something small you would whip up for lunch. Usually its two small quesillos which are rice tortillas and onion and a special cheese. I prefer flour tortiallas but that's alright. What actually happens but I don't participate in because I have class is that the family gathers back at the house for lunch for maybe an hour and a half and then the parents go back to work, what we think of as a siesta. I have yet to see anyone nap. Dinner is something you go through the kitchen to pick up and take with you back to your room, your homework, or the tv. They also usually eat around 8 or 9. This is pretty sweet for me because our family usually waits until this time to eat as well to the dismay of many of my friends with plans and curfews (well at least in high school).
Jill, Laura, and I are getting along very well. Laura is actually a Spanish major and therefore in a higher class but Laura and I are in a class together. We have to complete 36 hours of class to get credit so we're there for three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon most days. It's pretty intense but I can see an improvement in my Spanish.
My professor just gave Jill and I a CD of authentic Nicaraguan music to listen to over the weekend, apparently we have something about listening to it in class on Monday. I've just got out of class but already have it uploaded onto my computer and have it playing. I can understand some of it, and I'm sure as I listen to it more, I'll get most of it and definitely the jist of all the songs. The group is called Juan Solorzano y Los Macua (Macua is apparently a type of juice!) Its a pretty sweet CD so far.
Tonight, Laura, Jill and I are going to see a movie, so before then I'm going to get a little rest. More on my life later....

Como se dice...?

Ah what a familiar phrase. (for those that don't know it mean it says "how do you say..."). Thus far I think it has been one of my favorite. Most of the Nicas (slang for Nicaraguans) are very helpful and patient when you try to come up with a word or phrase, especially when there's a tip involved. I can definitely get by but I look forward to fluency. Talking on the phone is the hardest part. Life is pretty sweet here, I moved into my host families house last night and said goodbye to Peg who's catching a noon plane. I have my own sweet little room that has its own bathroom a lot of shelves (thank god because I have room to hang about 6 things), two fans for those hot nights and wireless internet! On the downside however, no hot water....who wants to take a warm shower in 80-90 degree whether anyways?

Mom took me and the other two girls from Fairfield, Laura and Jill, out to dinner last night. We had a good time and they have my number so I think I can officially say I have two friends, but we'll see. While at the resturant last night, a group of about 6 or 7 kids come up to the side of the patio of a resturant and start banging on drums really fast while one of the kids spins around while wearing a huge puppet of a woman. They start yelling something I can't understand when they break from the drums and then continue. After they're done, they stand on the edge of the patio with a hat going around from table to table asking for a couple of Cordoba. My mom's a huge sucker and always gives them 20 Cordoba (equilvlent to about a dollar) (I probably would too if she weren't with me, they're just so damn cute.)
These kids are also on the road in the middle of the lanes trying to sell a variety of items ranging from sunglasses to pecans. And when I say kid I really mean it, I've seen probably four year old as well as teenagers. Meanwhile their parents are on the side of the road waiting to collect what they're kids have gotten from the passengers of the cars that roll by. It's really sad especially because no one looks at them. You're told not to, if they see you looking at them or their merchandise, they'll hound you at the window until the light turns green.

Alright, let's quantify a couple things:
Days in Managua: 4
Movies downloaded from itunes: 1
Nights spent in host family's house: 1
Exchange rate from Cordoba to Dollars: 18:1
Times I've eaten something new: 3
People I've met that speak english well: 3
Times I've been robbed: 0 (knock on wood)
Mosquito bites : 8
Times my feet and hands have swollen due to the humidity: 4 (not swollen when I wake up 1/2 hour later, balloons.)
Times I've used ichat: 1
New experiences: 50
# of People I miss: 0...just kidding

The First Day of the Rest of My Life

When my grandmother found out I was going to Nicaragua this semester,
she was reminded of this song sung by Guy Lombardo in the 40's. I guess
my goal for this semester is to find out whether or description of the city is
accurate or not. Thus far I believe that Managua is a beautiful town even
though we haven't seen any down-town area.  I went to my host families
house the yesterday when we arrived and met my host sisterwho is 13. My
host mom wasn't there because she works but I'm supposed to met her tomorrow
when I move in. I have my own room and the house itself is really pretty.
I'll make sure to take some pictures of it.

My mom came down with me to settle me in and boy is it hilarious seeing
her speak Spanish. She tries and I can see improvement, hopefully others
can see the same in me. Our hotel is close to Lake Managua, we have a
gorgeous view of it from our room. The bell boy at the hotel told us that the
Chinese (actually the Taiwanese) are here to clean up the lake because it's really dirty.
The hotel is also across the street from a mall where we bought a local
cell phone for me. The process that we went through is funny in retrospect
especially because I'm not quite sure what my plan entails. No one really
speaks English except for my host family which is good in emergencies
but potentially bad for my Spanish.

My Spanish classes start on Monday and today I have to take a test to see
which class I will be in which is really exciting. My Spanish is a little
rough right now, but hopefully I'll pick it up quickly as my regular classes
start in two weeks (they're all in Spanish). That's it for now, but I'll do
my best to keep up.

Managua, Nicaragua
Sung by Guy Lombardo

Managua, Nicaragua is a beautiful town
You buy a hacienda for a few pesos down
You give it to the lady you are tryin' to win
But her papa doesn't let you come in

Managua, Nicaragua is a heavenly place
You ask a señorita for a 'leetle' embrace
She answers you, "Caramba! scram-ba bambarito"
In Managua, Nicaragua, that's "No"

I have been to many tropic ports
I might include even Brooklyn
If you're ever feelin' out of sorts
I'd like to recommend a look in...

Managua, Nicaragua, what a wonderful spot
There's coffee and bananas and a temperature hot
So take a trip and on a ship go sailing away
Across the agua to Managua, Nicaragua, olé
Olé, olé
Across the agua to Managua, Nicaragua, olé