There really is just no other reasonable answer as to why it has taken me so long to write a new post. And because so much time has past there is no way to properly catch up without writing a 100000 word post so instead I am just going to make a list of some of this past month’s highlights and lowlights.
Highlights
Thanksgiving Weekend: The day before Thanksgiving I decided to go to Masatepe to visit my family and hang out. It also happened to be birthday number 7 of Valery so I came armed with a gift (puzzle, card, and other little toys). I always love spending time with my family and had a wonderful time catching up on Masatepe gossip, enjoying the birthday party, and just relaxing on the porch like the good ole days. Owen also made a visit to Masatepe at the same time and so we got a beer with a couple of our Masatepino friends as well. Bright and early the next day, Owen and I left Masatepe and made our way to Managua to the house of Deputy Chief of Mission, or the #2 in the American Embassy. The house was amazing, the food was endless and incredible with the turkeys being flown in from a military base in Honduras, and the drinks never stopped coming. It was the definition of gluttony.
Couchsurfing Reunion. For those that still don’t know what couchsurfing is, check out www.couchsurfing.com. In Granada, I helped to organize a meeting of fellow couch surfers residing in Nicaragua. A few kids came in from Managua and then some other travelers joined us for the night to complete the group. It was a great time as we drank Guiness beer at this Irish Pub in Granada, did some karaoke, and then some salsa dancing, all capped off by a trip to On the Run, a gas station convenient store and only 24 hour place in Granada, for some snacks and a goodnight beer. I expect more happy times ahead with couchsurfing.
Making Friends: It is finally starting to happen folks. I pick up about one every 2 weeks so at this pace, I will be full of friends in another couple of months.
Night out in Managua: One of my new friends invited me to join her and some friends for a night out in Managua, the ugly capital city. After some thought, I finally decided to go for it and have a new experience. We ended up going to some alternative bar, driving around for a while looking for a reggae place, and then finally finding one called Mr. Sponge and dancing a bit. It was a good night that probably didnt fall within the PC rules but hey rules are meant to be broken, right?
I returned the next day in time for my bball game and proceeded to foul out for the 7th straight time.
Jewish Events: We had an unveiling, conversion, wedding, and then a Hanuka celebration; all in the past 3 weeks. I can safely say that it had been a while since Nicaragua has had that many events right next to each other, and given those events probably the first time in history. A quick sentence about all 4. The unveiling was short and simple and the second time I have been to the Jewish section of the cemetery in Managua; followed by a community breakfast which was overpriced and poor. The conversion was for the bride to be; we had a mikvah, a formal ceremony, and this woman has expressed a strong desire to be Jewish and follow the Jewish tradition; the fact that the orthodox/conservative sect wouldnt accept this conversion as real is crap to me; it really was an interesting, cool moment. The wedding was Jewish/Nicaraguan so we had have nagila played by a salsa band; tons of food; tons of drinks; dancing; need I say more. The Chanukah celebration was a lot of fun and took place at the house of a retired American couple; I made latkes, I ate jelly donuts, I drank wine, and God said all is good.
Business Advising Begins. I have finally begun to work closely with some micro businesses and one in particular has a promising future. A couple who lives about 25 minutes outside of GRanada makes great bamboo furniture and other items. We are going to make them big. Bamboo is going to help reforest Nicaragua.
Raise: Amidst the world economic crisis, Peace Corps Nicaragua has given its employees a significant raise. In my case about 15 percent (in cordobas)! Honestly, not too happy about getting a raise given the current situation but I think the salary increase was long overdue, just the timing auspicious. I’ll take it thought 
Lowlights:
Sickness: Throwing up all night after eating way too much on Thanksgiving and then being sick for the weekend. My stomach illness was immediately followed by my first ever sinus infection which was quite painful. I just never knew how much it hurt when your sinuses are like that. I tried many methods to cure myself including breathing in vapor, taking medicine, herbal teas, and finally tequila. I think the tequila did the trick but then the stomach illness came back. So for those following for about ten days it went stomach, cold, sinus, stomach. I kept on keepin’ but it was taxing.
Fines: So apparently getting thrown out of my first ever basketball game wasn’t enough punishment for me. I also then had to pay 100 cordobas in order to continue playing in the league. How ridiculous is that!?!? Of course, I paid up but my guess is that the money just goes straight into someone’s pocket and not into the league itself.
Eviction: I, Avi Richman, was kicked out of the house where I was renting a room. Before you are quick to judge, allow me to explain. For those that know me, I hope it goes without saying that it was not my fault. Anyway, I had agreed to rent from this guy for the months of October and November for a fair price and then when he came back from the US in December, we were going to discuss any future arrangements/issues/etc. The short story is that I did not move into the house until the end of October, asked in advance if I could start paying on Oct. 15 instead of Oct. 1, never received a response, sent another email, and then received a very emotional, bizarre response to a very simple question. Apparently, the man did not understand the simple question or is just a bit crazy. I think that upon his return, he thought that I never paid anything which was 100% wrong as I had paid all of my rent, and so without asking questions or discussing the situation, he just told me to leave. I had strong concerns about this guy before I even rented so as soon as he said that, without thinking, I knew there was no reason to even discuss the situation. At the time I was taking care of a friend’s hotel and was staying there and now all my stuff has been moved to some other friend’s house. I am looking for a more permanent housing situation currently.
Notes:
Family Coming Very Soon! They arrive on Saturday night and are staying until Jan. 7
I am going to Miami on Jan 7-12.
I will be in a permanent housing situation soon. This is very good news. Just have to make some final decisions whether I want to live independently or with a small family.
Happy Holidays!
