Arrival to Masatepe

We had all finished our one on one language diagnosis the previous day. Some were nervous (I wanted to be placed in the appropriate level), others excited, and a few just wanted to get through hola y como estas and then declare that they did not know anymore espanol. But on this day (Friday 9th), as we sat waiting to hear our training site/host family placements, the air was definitely full of anticipation.

For my group, the anticipation was a bit less than the others. In the morning, we were split up into language abilities in order to further determine who would be placed in which training site. In the advanced Small Business group there were 4 members including me, the exact number that each training site would receive. So at the beginning of class, we were basically told that as long as we demonstrated that we were indeed advanced Spanish speakers and that we got along as a group, that the 4 of us would form one training site. FYI…the training site/group/host family are very important aspects in Peace Corps, as everyone spends the first 12 weeks in a particular site with the same 4 people and host family. So it helps to like them all.

The anticipation was building and the moment had come to announce all of our respective sites, groups, and host familias. So drumroll please…..dadadadadadadadadada dum. “Avi, Richard, Jordan, and Owen (aka the advanced Spanish group) your training site is Masatepe, Nicaragua! Masatepe is the biggest of the training sites with 12,000 people and lucky for all of you, the city is having their annual fiesta this weekend!” High fives all around in my group. “And Avi, here is your familia.” At this point they showed a picture of my family on the projection screen and the names of everyone in the household. Some families had houses of around 15 people while my house tied for the smallest with just three members.

Now, please allow me to introduce mi familia Nicaraguense. So meet Christina Sanchez Gutierrez, the mother. Meet Mario, her husband. Meet their daughters and my younger sisters, Fatima and Valery (it is especially comical that I have little sisters considering I joked the entire time in Managua about how I did not want little kids in my house…so of course that’s what I got). And while you only get to “meet” them through my words, let me set the scene of how I met them before I continue. At 8am on Saturday morning, all of the business volunteers boarded our very own private school bus (you should know them well from Guatemala) along with our luggage and set off for the department of Masaya and the five host cities in which we would all be spending the next three months. Apart from Masatepe, there is Catarina (famous for pottery making and a beautiful view of Laguna de Apoyo), Nandasmo, Niquinohomo, and San Juan de Oriente. It is very, very hot in this school bus and it definitely doesn’t help that we are trying to look spiffy for our families. We are all happily talking away about Nicaragua, what to expect for the next three months in our sites, and saying that we will be sure to visit each other soon. After 45 minutes of traveling, we arrive at the first training site, Masatepe. Quickly we arrive at the first house. Roger, one of the Peace Corps staff shouts “La familia de Christina Sanchez Gutierrez” and of course that means that I am the first to leave the bus and meet my family. I quickly put back on my dress shirt, tuck it in, gather my bags, and set off down some steps that lead to a cute little house and am greeted warmly by the smiling faces of my new family plus abuelo, the grandfather.

I really do adore this family. Christina, my mother, is wonderful and runs an American clothing business from the house which I will learn more about in week two of my training. She wakes me up every morning at 7 as I do not have an alarm clock or cell as of yet and jokes around with me a lot about all of the future crushes that I will definitely have from the girls, chavalitas, around town. My little sisters are Fatima, just turned 14, and Valery, 6, and they are ridiculously cute. Fatima is incredibly sweet and friendly and will probably serve as my best friend in Masatepe. She has already been my guide on my first trips around town and has taught me many useful Nicaraguan words and on her birthday which was this past Tuesday, I took her out for some ice cream. She is really smart, cool, is trying to teach me all the Spanish music. Valery is adorable and a little chatterbox. She talks to anyone and no one all the time about seemingly everything and is always smiling and laughing. Just this past night, she recited to me in Spanish, by memory, a good 4 minutes of the movie Shrek. She is the ultimate entertainer. I really am so fortunate to have two awesome Nicaraguan little sisters with whom to play games, laugh, and watch movies. The patriarch of the household, Mario, unfortunately has been living/working in Miami for the past nine months but we have talked on the phone a few times and he appearss to be just as kind and friendly as the rest of the family and hopefully he will return before I leave. I would be remiss not to mention abuelo, 72, who stops by the house three times a day and as time goes on and I can understand more Spanish will definitely serve to be a great source of advice and stories.

A little about my house and the town…..

My house is actually set below the road so you have to walk down maybe 20/30 feet to reach the front door. On both sides of the steps are trees and plants, one of which is a mango tree. Yes, I have a mango tree in my front yard. Score! The steps lead to a patio which is the primary source of sitting, relaxing, and chatting as it gets a decent breeze. My family, along with almost every other family in Masatepe, also has numerous rocking chairs in which I sit in almost all of my time spent at the house. Furniture especially patio-type furniture is a specialty of the Masatepe area so everyone has nice stuff and rocking chairs. Walking into the house, there is a big living room, kitchen, and a couple of sleeping rooms, one of which is mine. Outside of meals, very little time is spent in the house as it is much hotter inside the house than outside, which is saying something, considering is probably 90 degrees outside. We all share one bathroom that does in fact contain a flush toilet. Que suerte! How lucky for me! And we have warm water in the shower, but up until now, I have only being bathing in water, oh so cold. We also have a cute little dog named Minnie, who apparently is pregnant even though she is only like one year old. Is that even possible?

Once again, Masatepe has approximately 12,232 people living in and around town. In Nicaragua, it is definitely considered a ciudad, not a pueblo. The city consists of about four streets running North to South for around a mile and their crossroads, a cute central park surrounded by the mayor’s office, police station, and church, a five or so cybercafés. The big news is that there is a supermarket, albeit extremely small, and a bank (other towns don’t have either…sucks to be you other towns). The streets are more or less a mixture of cobblestone and dirt and there are tons of tuk tuks, mototaxis, rolling around. The favorite pastime here definitely seems to be just walking around the streets and sitting on the porch. More on Masatepe as I learn more but definitely not a bad place to start.

Mi familia Nica…Christina, Valery, and Fatima

The Sala of the House

My Room- Take One (Go Jags!)

My Room- Take Two (and no I didnt clean it just for the pics)

Back of the House, Bedrooms, Bathroom (My door is open)

Lookng at my lovely house from the steps

La Familia (smile, Fatima, smile)

La Hora Nica

After much thinking and deliberation, I have decided that what I am most excited about for Nicaragua is the fact that the country and the people always seem to run ridiculously late…at least that is what I have been told. And for those that know me, know that I am frequently late and some may claim that, in reality, I am never on time. However, I will refute that I am never really that late, usually getting to my destination anywhere between just in time to ten minutes late. In Nicaragua, if one arrives only ten minutes late, some may wonder why they arrived so early. Many of you have probably heard of Jewish Time or Arab Time where even though the event was supposed to start at 5pm, people didn’t really get there until 5:30pm. Well I now have a new one for you….Nicaraguan Time or in Spanish, La Hora Nica. Supposedly, Nicaraguans are always anywhere between 15 minutes and two hours late. Supposedly, Nicaraguans will show up to an event over an hour late and that is completely normal to them and frequently they will not even come at all. If all these supposed truths about la hora Nica turn out to be real truths than I, for one, will be pretty excited. I will now get to be the one who arrives early to everything!

Schweaty Balls

I am beginning to wonder why in the world did I even bother to pack a sweatshirt and a jacket. Frankly, I am wondering why Nicaraguans even wear clothes at all. It is freaking hot, H-O-T hot. I believe that I have already sweat off a good five or so pounds so for those out there wondering what diet is best for them, I say come to Nicaragua and spend a week sweating all those extra pounds away.

Flying into Managua allowed me to witness an usual site, or a whole bunch of nothing. There really isn’t too much to Nicaragua. It is country, that from the sky, appears to be a lot of vast green plains, trees, some small volcanoes (at least in comparison to those in Guatemala), a hilly region, and a couple of large lakes. There are very few visible cities or signs of human life from the air. In face, Managua, in all its glory of a sprawled out city without a center and only a few tall buildings may be the only true sign that Nicaragua has people living in it (from the air). Upon landing I was anxious, excited, and very calm at the same time. I had just returned from a Central American country and although Guatemala will surely in time prove to be different, I probably didn’t have the same levels of nervousness as those in my group who have never even been abroad before. I think that there are 4 people who had never left the country prior to the Peace Corps and boy, would I love to be in their heads right now. At least, Nicaragua would not be my first choice as an overseas experience. The other members of my group, Nicaragua 47, have had various abroad experiences, from living to studying to being born in various countries. We were also informed in Washington DC that we have a relatively diverse group with people of Asian, French, and African descent and maybe they count me as “diverse” considering I am the only Jew.

The first two days spent in DC and the next three spent at a fancy hotel in Managua were a whirlwind of activities, lectures, demonstrations, and ice breakers. All 39 of us in the group (one person never showed up in DC…apparently got cold feet) did our best to be social butterflies, chatting it up poolside after the day’s activities ended, and sharing some cold beverages at night. All in all, the group is pretty cool. 20 people are in the SBD (small business development) program including me, and 19 are in the TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) group including a married couple. The average age of our group is like 24, the oldest of which is a 35 year old girl and the youngest being a 21 year old. The group has all the potential to lead to a very fun time. Of course, during the course of the first five days, I became closer with some members of the group and look forward to enjoying a lot of fun times with those particular people who will surely show up in the blog at a later date (with their permission, of course). So, you ask, what went on during these first three days in Managua? What a wonderful question and I am happy to share that answer.

After landing, we walked through customs, which was a joke compared to the States, and entered the midday heat of Managua. My first impression of the heat was thinking that it really wasn’t that bad and that the Florida summer was worse. This impression continued to the next day and pretty much throughout my air conditioned hotel experience. In fact, I was so cold, due to the a/c, on the first night that I did sleep with my sweatshirt. Now having lived in my city/town for a couple of days and experiencing the true heat while having a limited ability to wear shorts, I know that I will NEVER sleep in a sweatshirt again in Nicaragua and that I will also RARELY be taking anything but ice cold showers.

We walked in this heat for all of three minutes as the hotel was literally across the street. We were then immediately shuffled to our first introduction session of Nicaragua and welcomed by the country director, training director, and master trainer, followed by other staff members in no particular order. All of the Nicaraguan staff seemed very professional, intelligent, and we were told that Nicaragua was a high performing Peace Corps post and that great things were expected of us. I truly do believe their propaganda about Nicaragua being a great place to serve the Peace Corps as I have only positive things to say about the staff.

Then, we went over the schedule that normally would include a tour of Managua, but at that point, no one was sure what would happen as Nicaragua was currently in the middle of a transportation strike due to the high gasoline prices. As of this posting, the strike continues. Anyways, we spent the three days learning about the Peace Corps, talking with some current volunteers, playing basketball, taking a dip in the pool, and eating some pretty tasty food. All in all, it would be our last bit of luxury for a while (a-c, wireless internet, etc.).

And as quickly as the group convened in Washington DC, introduced to each other, flown to Nicaragua, and began to form what will hopefully become life long friendships, we were all divided into groups of four to begin our 12 weeks of intensive training in various communities in the departments of Masaya (SBD) and Carazo (TEFL).

Now it is really time….

In less than seven hours, I will be on a plane that will take me to Miami to another plane that I will then take to Managua, Nicaragua. It is amazing, crazy, and scary to think that this moment right now is one the precious few I have left in the United States of America…..at least for a year or so. I have spent the last day and a half in a hotel in Georgetown (Washington DC) meeting the other 37 members of my departure group, being introduced to Peace Corps policies and positions, and learning a bit about what I will be doing for the next 27 months but more specifically the first 3 months in country. The people in my group seem really cool and even though I dont know everyone’s name just yet, I think I have at least introduced myself and had a short conversation with everyone. These people (well the ones that make it through training) will definitely be my support group and more importantly friends for the next two plus years of my life so I am very happy that so far everyone is great. I am sure that as the time goes on and everyone turns off their smiles and overly friendly attitudes, things will change, but for the meantime, I am enjoying getting to know all the geographically, racially, and emotionally diverse group.

The first few days in Nicaragua will be spent in Managua at a nice hotel as sort of a retreat. We will all become further acquainted, be tested on our Spanish levels, meet our country staff and support network, and hopefully have a great time. On Saturday morning, we will all move out to communities surrounding Masaya to begin living with host families and having every minute of our lives owned by the Peace Corps. It will be an intensive, immersive training period and to be honest, I am looking forward to it even though I know I will hate the lack of freedom and mobility that is sure to be present.

I just turned my cell phone off (and it will not be turned on again for a looong time), finished packing up my bags, and I am now officially off the grid. It feels kinda good! Still, I should have access to email soon enough, will be buying a cell phone, and will post my mailing address within the week so I expect everyone to stay in touch and keep me abreast of all the new and exciting developments in your lives. Dont be strangers and the door to my shack in Nicaragua will always be open for you…well it will probably be open for everyone as there may not be a door…but it will especially be open for you! Adios!

T-8 hours

Bags are packed…and they are quite heavy which is amazing considering that I really dont have too much stuff. I totally blame the shoes. 5 pairs that are at least 2 lbs each. Damn my big feet. Seriously, you have no idea how much easier it would be for me to pack if my feet were smaller. I also decided to bring a few “luxury” items including slippers, a Jaguars poster, a gator stuffed animal, and silly string. Still thinking about a harmonica. Hey, it could be fun?!?! I am also bringing a large jar of peanut butter that if necessary can be eaten quickly in order to reduce the weight of my bags.

I really cannot believe that when I leave my house tomorrow for the airport, it will be the last time I set foot in it for at least a year. The longest I have ever gone without sleeping one night in my bed in Jax has been five months. So double that and add a month. I am not sure that I will miss the States but I will definitely miss my home, my bed, and my family. There really is nothing like being in your childhood home, going through all the memories of the crap stored in your closet, and being completely comfortable in your skin.

I had a last meal of steak, rice, and veggies and then towards the end of the meal, my mom started to get very emotional. It’s not that I am going to be going so far away, it’s that it is going to seem like I am really far away. I will be in a different culture, new setting, strange lifestyle, and without most of the amenities to which I have grown accustomed. Still, I am not nervous at all, anxious yes, nervous no. I did just spend close to five months in Guatemala and am fully expecting Nicaragua to be about the same. But my parents do not understand that. To them Nicaragua is 100 times more foreign and far away than it is to me. So my mom became very emotional until deciding that we should get dessert. But not just any dessert. Chili’s Molten Chocolate Lava Cake. I had actually just finished reading an article about the worst possible foods to eat at restaurants and this item was on the list. 1500 calories, 55 grams of fat, a ton of carbs, and the cake is actually pretty small. Anyways, I shared this knowledge with Mommy but after discussing other dessert options it became apparent that only the Molten Lava Cake would make her happy. I quickly ran to the store to pick up some soy milk and then to Chili’s realizing along the way that a short drive to the neighborhood supermarket and restaurant would not happen again for a very long time. Anyways, I gave the ultimate sacrifice to my mother (my stomach) and ate half of the cake which of course was delicious. After finishing that cake, I have never seen her happier. So my advice to all mothers out there whose kids may be moving away…..order the cake from Chili’s and your cares will quickly fade.

And Dwight Schrute is my hero.