Currently listening to: Coming Home
Artist: New Found Glory
These past few weeks, as I´ve explained, have fallen under Chapter 2: Lori´s Arrival. Now begins Chapter 3: Aftermath (Or, as Matt likes to think of it... Chapter 3: AfterMatt). This is the part where they fix all the damage we´ve caused.
Kidding! But we do hope to have left behind some projects and have made some impact on the community. As I sit and think about it, I am sure we have. We have taught them how to use computers and the internet, both of which are huge. I taught the kids how to play Ultimate (I expect to see leauges when I return). Lori and I taught them how to properly set up tests and take data. Basically, Lori and I taught them the scientific method! Anna and Jessica have successfully started a new business at the Solar Center, called ACESol, which could really take off and create wonderful opportunities for the center. Matt built a cool cistern and gutter system to collect all the rainwater to use for the new gardens. Pete has been all over the place, providing help for everyone. On top of that, we all have pitched in to aid with all the other various projects going on here at the Solar Center. Yeah, I´d like to think we made a positive impact.
This past weekend I kind of took it easy, still just getting over my sickness. I went to ProFamilia, where I had an exam and consultation, and got some pills to kill off the parasites as I leave. I´m going to time my medication so that it carries over into as I´m getting home, so that I can be sure all the parasites are gone. I don´t want to be sick for 6 months after I get home like Lori was. I have been taking Cipro, which Matt described really well as the Atom Bomb to the war going on in your stomach... it takes out everything. In fact, I´ve been eating yogurt to get the good germs back into my stomach.
Actually, I feel that healthiest I´ve felt in... probably ever! I´ve lost a LOT of weight. I know it´s going to scare my mom because she´s going to think that I didn´t eat, but that´s not true. I ate more than I could handle at every meal, and just a few snacks here and there. The food isn´t exactly healthy, because a lot of things are fried. However, it helps that I had rice and beans, salads and soups, and heaps of fruit every morning for breakfast. Mostly, though, I think it was the controlled consumption of food. Rather than eating a lot of little snacks and meals, it was just 3 big meals a day, at 7AM, 12PM, and 7PM. Every once and a while I´ll get an ice cream or some chips in between meals, and I almost always have a coke or something too, but it´s still dramatically different than eating habits in the US. Finally, it helps that I have to walk 20 minutes every day to get to the Solar Center, then back for lunch, then back to work after lunch, then back home after work. Then, sometimes I´ll even return to the Solar Center after work, for various reasons, meaning I have to walk back home once again. It´s a lot of walking. And the work itself is excercising too. In conjunction, of course, is all the Ultimate and Soccer I have been playing as well. Basically, I feel good.
Over the past week I have put together all my things that I am taking home, and given away my gifts and left the clothes that I am leaving to Tiende Verde. I am ready to go!
So, now comes the part that I´ve been wanting to write about for a while, but have been kind of nervously putting off. I wanted to write about Dayana, who she is, and my experiences with her here in Sabana Grande. Dayana is my girlfriend. You can see pictures of her on my facebook profile. She is gorgeous and very sweet. (I wrote a bit about how pretty the women here are... she was one of them I had in mind, of course). Obviously, I didn´t come to Nicaragua looking for a girlfriend or expecting to get one, and, naturally, I was a little hesitant to have one. But, we have been together for a almost two months now, and it has been excellent. For some reason, I can understand just about everything she says (she speaks Spanish, of course). In fact, when other people talk to me, sometimes I´ll turn to her and she will repeat what they said to me, but in a way that I get it. Also, I can talk to her easily, and she can understand just about everything this foreigner is saying. There is really not much of a communication gap here. She´ll guess what I´m trying to say, and correct me. She´s a great and patient teacher. And I can have a conversation with her just like I can have a conversation with any of you in English.
Like I said, she is sweet. For example, when I was sick, she brought me apple juice, crackers, and Ibuprofen. Of course, I always return the favors as well. I have taught her the computers and internet, and how to do testing. She is very smart (she recieves one of the Las Mujeras Solares´scholarships for school), and so it was easy to teach her all these. She learned so quickly. She now has an email account and has shared it with all of her friends. I have been teaching her some English, and one day she surprised me by telling me that she signed up to take English classes in Ocotal! That was pretty cool.
We are trying to have her come to the US. If we are still talking in a few months, which we certainly plan to, then we will work to have her come stay with me for awhile. This is a great and rare opportunity for her, and it would make me very happy to have her. The problem, however, is getting her here. You might have guessed that her family doesn´t exactly have money to spare. So, as my parting gift to her, I bought her a passport. It was $18US, and I feel that it is something very, very important to have.
The real problem in her coming to visit, though, is in the Visa. She needs to get a Tourist Visa to come to the US, which is very difficult to obtain. You have to have money in the bank, pay to process papers, and get an interview. All this is in order to prove that she intends to actually return to Nicaragua. I feel that her chances are better than others, because she has school here, a family, and a job here. She can also prove that she knows someone in the US and has a place to stay. Finally, I can put in a recommendation for her, or, even better yet, go to the interview with her. That is the preferable option, but I´m not sure how we would work that out just yet.
Anyway, so Dayana is a very special person to me, and is one of the biggest reasons this trip has been great. Her family is wonderful too (they cried when I left Sabana Grande this afternoon). They are caring and kind, and her father is an Evangelical pastor. Naturally, it was very hard to leave her this afternoon. However, we left with the promise that I would return. Even more amazingly, we left with the promise that she was going to wait for me, and her family told me that they were going to strongly enforce that.
So it is now Thursday night, the night before my departure! As sad as I am to leave Sabana Grande and Dayana, and my work, I really excited. To get home. Eat Chipotle. See the Dark Knight. Watch LOST. Pet a healthy cat and dog (key word ¨healthy¨). Sit in a couch (there are NO couches in Nicaragua! Come to think of it, it is pretty hard to find a really, really comforatable place to sit). Go to a nice bar. And, of course, see my loving family and friends. I´ve missed you guys.
My flight leaves tommorrow, Friday, morning at 6:50AM. It will be another early morning, but that is more than fine by us. We get into Houston for a couple hours, and then I think I get into Cleveland at around 5PM. I´m not sure on that, but in any case, I´ll be home tomorrow night. I´m excited to turn on my cell phone in Houston! Heck, I´m excited for a lot of things.
Second to last thing: I expect to speak a lot of Spanish when I return. Those ¨involuntary fillers¨ such as ¨entonces¨ (meaning ¨then¨), or ¨pues¨ (meaning ¨well¨) , or, my favorite, ¨¡Ay!¨ (meaning ¨¡Ay!¨), which I´ve picked up from Dayana. I think it´s her favorite expression cause she uses it a LOT. Also, completely on my own accord, I´ve appeared to have picked up an English accent as well. Instead of yelling ¨Hey!¨, I yell ¨¡Oy!¨. I like that one too. Anyway, so that is something to be aware of in my speech.
Finally, I´d like to say that, due to popular demand, I will continue blogging just a little longer. I had originally planned to write one more reflective blog after I arrived home, but now I have had several people tell me to keep going. So, one thing I will blog on is the project I hope to do with my father when I get home: build a solar cooker. My father does not know yet that I plan to do this with him, and he is going to get a big surprise when he reads this. However, I think he´ll be pleaseed. I think it is a nostalgic way to take a piece of Nicaragua back with me (I now have the instructions and the knowledge on how to build a real solar cooker), as well as a memorable way to spend some time with the family. After we build it, I thought it´d be fun to try and use it in concordance with the new solar cooking cookbook I have and try to cook a meal or two.
Ok, so I think that´s it! My last post from Nicaragua! Next time I work on the internet will hopefully be in my home study in Ohio. Wish me safe travels. And thanks for following along with me so diligently. Sincerely, I have felt your presence with me here in Nicaragua. So thank you.
Oh, and parasite medicine turns your pee into color stuff that would make glowsticks jealous.
Pace y Salud,
-Daniel
Monday, July 21, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
The WindDown
As I write this, I have 6 more days in Nicaragua. My feelings are... mixed. As I´ve mentioned before, I certainly am excited to be back home, for many obvious reasons. But I am also going to miss Sabana Grande. Especially the people. And especially one person.
The timing has worked well, however. I have completed our goals for the summer successfully. In fact, not just our goals for testing, but our goals for all of our projects for Salud del Sol. A success. The details of the results of the testing are being worked out right now in report form, and we hope to present that soon.
As far as life goes, I have finally gotten sick. My time has come, I suppose. But hey, I was the last of all the volunteers to get sick, and I didn´t get sick until my 9th week, rather than my first or second. I´d say that´s something. I did have a pretty bad fever though. Today I went to ProFamilia in Ocotal to get tested for parasites. Of course I probably have them. At any given time, it is pretty certain that every volunteer has parasites... you just don´t know that you have them. They usually don´t cause much discomfort and don´t harm you. Of course, some are worse than others, and I might just be one of the lucky ones. But it´s OK, I´m going to let them accumulate, and then take the pills before I leave and wipe the suckers out. Lori says she was sick for several months after she got home, and it was probably because she never got checked for parasites before leaving. After this whole conversation (which we had, of all times, over lunch one day last week), going to ProFamilia shot straight up to high on my to-do list.
This past Tuesday was our desperdida, or going-away party, for CJ, Jenny, Matt and myself. This is fiesta in the solar center, where all the women and their families get together, and make the volunteers play games and stuff. We had to do pin the tail on the donkey, carry-an-egg-with-a-spoon-in-your-mouth-and-run, and whatnot. It was fun. I was not, however, expecting to graduate. Indeed, towards the end, we all had to walk and recieve diplomas saying we worked at Grupo Fenix! It´s going on my wall.
Once again, I have to apologize because my time spent here on this blog was short. However, I have people waiting for me. I do plan to write at least one more blog before I leave, and one final one once I get home. Oh, and I leave for Managua this coming Thursday afternoon, and then my flight leaves for Houston at 7 in the morning. (whew, I just got chills thinking about returning to the States!)
Next time, I hope to talk a bit about visas and passports, gifts, goodbyes, parties, my final work and thoughts, and Dayana. Until then, carry on!
-Daniel
The timing has worked well, however. I have completed our goals for the summer successfully. In fact, not just our goals for testing, but our goals for all of our projects for Salud del Sol. A success. The details of the results of the testing are being worked out right now in report form, and we hope to present that soon.
As far as life goes, I have finally gotten sick. My time has come, I suppose. But hey, I was the last of all the volunteers to get sick, and I didn´t get sick until my 9th week, rather than my first or second. I´d say that´s something. I did have a pretty bad fever though. Today I went to ProFamilia in Ocotal to get tested for parasites. Of course I probably have them. At any given time, it is pretty certain that every volunteer has parasites... you just don´t know that you have them. They usually don´t cause much discomfort and don´t harm you. Of course, some are worse than others, and I might just be one of the lucky ones. But it´s OK, I´m going to let them accumulate, and then take the pills before I leave and wipe the suckers out. Lori says she was sick for several months after she got home, and it was probably because she never got checked for parasites before leaving. After this whole conversation (which we had, of all times, over lunch one day last week), going to ProFamilia shot straight up to high on my to-do list.
This past Tuesday was our desperdida, or going-away party, for CJ, Jenny, Matt and myself. This is fiesta in the solar center, where all the women and their families get together, and make the volunteers play games and stuff. We had to do pin the tail on the donkey, carry-an-egg-with-a-spoon-in-your-mouth-and-run, and whatnot. It was fun. I was not, however, expecting to graduate. Indeed, towards the end, we all had to walk and recieve diplomas saying we worked at Grupo Fenix! It´s going on my wall.
Once again, I have to apologize because my time spent here on this blog was short. However, I have people waiting for me. I do plan to write at least one more blog before I leave, and one final one once I get home. Oh, and I leave for Managua this coming Thursday afternoon, and then my flight leaves for Houston at 7 in the morning. (whew, I just got chills thinking about returning to the States!)
Next time, I hope to talk a bit about visas and passports, gifts, goodbyes, parties, my final work and thoughts, and Dayana. Until then, carry on!
-Daniel
Thursday, July 10, 2008
The Real Deal
Once again I cannot get through to www.nicaraguasummer08.blogspot.com, so I hope that you can. If you cannot, then don´t forget to try www.saluddelsol.org.
As always, I sit here at the spanish keyboard, my fingertips tingling with anticipation, deciding what to type first. I have hundreds of things I want to share, and it´s a matter of what I decide to say first and in the hour that I have.
How about, first and foremost, the work. We have been testing consistently for the past two-and-a-half weeks now, working with various different set-ups. First, we put a pressure cooker (painted black) inside the autoclave, and placed the thermocouples all over, such as in the pot, on the pot, on the walls of the autoclave, or below the glass of the autoclave. Then we tested with nothing in the autoclave, just to see how hot it can get in the varying, uncooperative weather. Now, we are testing our dry heat set-up, using a lens and a glass bottle. Next, we will test the pressure cooker filled with water, in order to actually generate pressure. The idea in all these tests is to see how hot we can get, for how long. If we can meet the standards needed, we will experiment with moving ahead with a particular design. Unfortunately, I have only about 2 more weeks to do this, and there is a lot I hope to get done.
I have played another game with La Ceiba, and we won. It was close, 4-3, but one of their goals was actually scored by one of our own. Therefore, I actually see it as being 5-2, meaning it was an enormous victory. So that is two games I have played and assisted in winning (in all honesty, I feel that I played well, and even scored a goal). One game I missed, and they lost. Coincidence? I can´t say, but I am determined to aid my team in our next game this Friday afternoon.
This past weekend we travelled to León, Nicaragua. If Granada is the #1 tourist destination, then León is #2. I learned that Granada was the first settlement city in all of Central America, and was built in the likeness of a Spanish colony, so that the Powers That Be of Spain would be impressed when they visited the New Land. Indeed, it felt European. Well, León is built with it´s own Nicaraguan flavor, and receives most the same attention as Granada does.
León is known for Volcano Boarding, which is where people pay to be thrown off a Volcano on a piece of wood. The owner is quoted as saying ¨I have no waivers. If you want to pay me $25 for me to throw you off a volcano, that´s your problem.¨ Volcano Boarding has been described as boarding on broken glass. You are given a full body suit, goggles, and a piece of wood that is the height of a small child and a finger-width thick. You are guided up the black volcano, called Cerro Negro because it is strikingly black, especially right next to its´green neighbors. Then you overlook a very steep hill, of which you can only see half of because the bottom half is too steep to see. The guide tells you how to stay on the board, tells you to hold the heck on, and then gives you a shove. When people are pushed off, sliding down the big ash-rocks the size of apples, it sounds like the opening of the zipper on the fly of God Almighty. It takes a little over a minute to get to the bottom. You go into something like this thinking it is just another corny tourist thing, but no. This is the real deal. Of course, it was a blast, and we all wanted to do it again.
Something else we did in León, which I thoroughly enjoyed, was visiting the churches and museums. In this city is the best art museum in all of Central America... and it really was. I found some new artists that I really enjoyed, and hope to look up on the internet here soon.
This past week my Canadian roomates have been travelling the country, so it has been just me and Skarleth. We have been watching Wall-E slowly but surely every night after dinner. It is a great movie! I especially enjoyed when Wall-E finds a car remote in the trash, pushes the button, and you hear a car horn way off in the distance. I also especially, especially enjoyed the Pixar short before the movie. Basically, Pixar movies are instant grants for millions of dollars, and you can always assume they´ll be excellent. They´ve proven that over at least 11 times now.
So far I have read Hocus Pocus by Kurt Vonnegut, The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, Ender´s Game by Orson Scott Card (still and always my favorite book ever), and Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Now I think I will read How Soccer Explains the World by I-don´t-know-who-yet. I think I could stay in Sabana Grande all summer and do nothing but read, it´s so peaceful here. By the way, I do highly recommend ALL those books I read, especially The Tipping Point and Ender´s Game.
So I have been meaning for awhile to mention the Ayudantes. These are people that I have a lot of respect for. Basically, the transportation here is a string of surprisingly reliable buses. They all come on time and arrive on time. However, in a bus for 40, there are easily 80 people. Well, the ayudantes, or ¨helpers¨ go around and collect the money as people board. They hop off the bus while it´s still pulling up to the stop, grab people´s luggage or little old ladies, put them aboard, and then chase after the bus after it is already leaving. Often times, they grab on the outside ladder, stick their hands through the window, and grab people´s luggage and throw them on top of the bus, as the bus is moving full speed. Then they´ll crawl around and climb back inside, and start collecting payments from the people who just boarded. This is where it starts to get impressive. They have no problem remembering who has already paid and who has just boarded. They also have no problem knowing WHEN you boarded and where you´re going, so that they can calculate how much you owe. Then, if you don´t have exact change, the human calculators will reach into their pockets and, within seconds, pull out the change you are owed. They can memorize, calculate, and dish out money while surrounded by 80 people on a bus built for 40. They seem to have no problem weaving through the sea of people to get from one end of the bus to another, collecting payments. However, they never miss a stop, where they need to get off. They also know who´s luggage belongs to who, so if they see you get off, they are already throwing your luggage off the bus.
I could never be an ayudante. Every bus gets one driver and one ayudante, and I would believe it if someone told me that they make good money. Sure they can be rude and yell at you to schooch in, but they are also very, very helpful, reliable, and trustworthy. They are just kids about my age, but are very smart and strong.
I have just signed up for my last two days of Spanish Class for the summer. I will have next Tuesday and Thursday morning, and then I have to wrap up some work before I leave! Speaking of signing up, I have also just signed up for a very large Ultimate tournament in Columbus, Ohio, a few weeks after I get home. I am very excited to get home and play some real ultimate again.
In fact, I´m excited for a few things. Of course I miss my family and friends, and my cats. But, one thing I will need upon arrival to Cleveland, is a stopover at Chipotle. Lord, how I miss a burrito. Yes yes, It´s almost the same food as here, but that means nothing to me. It is different, for the same reason that a Diet Coke is different in a plastic bottle than one from McDonald´s.
I hope you´ve enjoyed another taste of Nicaragua. Wish me luck on my testing, and the things I hope to get done before next time!
Don´t you forget about me,
-Daniel
As always, I sit here at the spanish keyboard, my fingertips tingling with anticipation, deciding what to type first. I have hundreds of things I want to share, and it´s a matter of what I decide to say first and in the hour that I have.
How about, first and foremost, the work. We have been testing consistently for the past two-and-a-half weeks now, working with various different set-ups. First, we put a pressure cooker (painted black) inside the autoclave, and placed the thermocouples all over, such as in the pot, on the pot, on the walls of the autoclave, or below the glass of the autoclave. Then we tested with nothing in the autoclave, just to see how hot it can get in the varying, uncooperative weather. Now, we are testing our dry heat set-up, using a lens and a glass bottle. Next, we will test the pressure cooker filled with water, in order to actually generate pressure. The idea in all these tests is to see how hot we can get, for how long. If we can meet the standards needed, we will experiment with moving ahead with a particular design. Unfortunately, I have only about 2 more weeks to do this, and there is a lot I hope to get done.
I have played another game with La Ceiba, and we won. It was close, 4-3, but one of their goals was actually scored by one of our own. Therefore, I actually see it as being 5-2, meaning it was an enormous victory. So that is two games I have played and assisted in winning (in all honesty, I feel that I played well, and even scored a goal). One game I missed, and they lost. Coincidence? I can´t say, but I am determined to aid my team in our next game this Friday afternoon.
This past weekend we travelled to León, Nicaragua. If Granada is the #1 tourist destination, then León is #2. I learned that Granada was the first settlement city in all of Central America, and was built in the likeness of a Spanish colony, so that the Powers That Be of Spain would be impressed when they visited the New Land. Indeed, it felt European. Well, León is built with it´s own Nicaraguan flavor, and receives most the same attention as Granada does.
León is known for Volcano Boarding, which is where people pay to be thrown off a Volcano on a piece of wood. The owner is quoted as saying ¨I have no waivers. If you want to pay me $25 for me to throw you off a volcano, that´s your problem.¨ Volcano Boarding has been described as boarding on broken glass. You are given a full body suit, goggles, and a piece of wood that is the height of a small child and a finger-width thick. You are guided up the black volcano, called Cerro Negro because it is strikingly black, especially right next to its´green neighbors. Then you overlook a very steep hill, of which you can only see half of because the bottom half is too steep to see. The guide tells you how to stay on the board, tells you to hold the heck on, and then gives you a shove. When people are pushed off, sliding down the big ash-rocks the size of apples, it sounds like the opening of the zipper on the fly of God Almighty. It takes a little over a minute to get to the bottom. You go into something like this thinking it is just another corny tourist thing, but no. This is the real deal. Of course, it was a blast, and we all wanted to do it again.
Something else we did in León, which I thoroughly enjoyed, was visiting the churches and museums. In this city is the best art museum in all of Central America... and it really was. I found some new artists that I really enjoyed, and hope to look up on the internet here soon.
This past week my Canadian roomates have been travelling the country, so it has been just me and Skarleth. We have been watching Wall-E slowly but surely every night after dinner. It is a great movie! I especially enjoyed when Wall-E finds a car remote in the trash, pushes the button, and you hear a car horn way off in the distance. I also especially, especially enjoyed the Pixar short before the movie. Basically, Pixar movies are instant grants for millions of dollars, and you can always assume they´ll be excellent. They´ve proven that over at least 11 times now.
So far I have read Hocus Pocus by Kurt Vonnegut, The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, Ender´s Game by Orson Scott Card (still and always my favorite book ever), and Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Now I think I will read How Soccer Explains the World by I-don´t-know-who-yet. I think I could stay in Sabana Grande all summer and do nothing but read, it´s so peaceful here. By the way, I do highly recommend ALL those books I read, especially The Tipping Point and Ender´s Game.
So I have been meaning for awhile to mention the Ayudantes. These are people that I have a lot of respect for. Basically, the transportation here is a string of surprisingly reliable buses. They all come on time and arrive on time. However, in a bus for 40, there are easily 80 people. Well, the ayudantes, or ¨helpers¨ go around and collect the money as people board. They hop off the bus while it´s still pulling up to the stop, grab people´s luggage or little old ladies, put them aboard, and then chase after the bus after it is already leaving. Often times, they grab on the outside ladder, stick their hands through the window, and grab people´s luggage and throw them on top of the bus, as the bus is moving full speed. Then they´ll crawl around and climb back inside, and start collecting payments from the people who just boarded. This is where it starts to get impressive. They have no problem remembering who has already paid and who has just boarded. They also have no problem knowing WHEN you boarded and where you´re going, so that they can calculate how much you owe. Then, if you don´t have exact change, the human calculators will reach into their pockets and, within seconds, pull out the change you are owed. They can memorize, calculate, and dish out money while surrounded by 80 people on a bus built for 40. They seem to have no problem weaving through the sea of people to get from one end of the bus to another, collecting payments. However, they never miss a stop, where they need to get off. They also know who´s luggage belongs to who, so if they see you get off, they are already throwing your luggage off the bus.
I could never be an ayudante. Every bus gets one driver and one ayudante, and I would believe it if someone told me that they make good money. Sure they can be rude and yell at you to schooch in, but they are also very, very helpful, reliable, and trustworthy. They are just kids about my age, but are very smart and strong.
I have just signed up for my last two days of Spanish Class for the summer. I will have next Tuesday and Thursday morning, and then I have to wrap up some work before I leave! Speaking of signing up, I have also just signed up for a very large Ultimate tournament in Columbus, Ohio, a few weeks after I get home. I am very excited to get home and play some real ultimate again.
In fact, I´m excited for a few things. Of course I miss my family and friends, and my cats. But, one thing I will need upon arrival to Cleveland, is a stopover at Chipotle. Lord, how I miss a burrito. Yes yes, It´s almost the same food as here, but that means nothing to me. It is different, for the same reason that a Diet Coke is different in a plastic bottle than one from McDonald´s.
I hope you´ve enjoyed another taste of Nicaragua. Wish me luck on my testing, and the things I hope to get done before next time!
Don´t you forget about me,
-Daniel
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
A Blog for the Impatient
If you are having as much difficulty as I am getting to this blog now, I don´t expect many people will read this. Every time I type, or click on a link to, www.nicaraguasummer08.blogspot.com, it tells me that the page cannot be found. I got to here by going to www.blogspot.com first.
Also, please be sure to keep checking out www.saluddelsol.org, because there are many photos and articles that will probably be of interest to you. One of which, in fact, should be a series of articles written by me, detailing what it is I am working with and researching here in Nicaragua, and what my plans may be for the future. Exciting news is that I have gotten a lot of input and offers of help from people far and wide already, and that is what inspired me to write such an article, so that people will have a better idea of what I am doing beforehand, and will maybe generate ideas as to how they can help.
So you remember that Roberto has moved out. Well, the day I returned from Granada two weekends ago, I came home to two canadians who have taken his spot, Matthew and Felipe. They are both great guys and I am glad to be living with them. We have a lot of fun every night with Skarleth, laughing and playing games. Matthew and Felipe are here with about 11 other canadian girls, all from a different organization. Matthew (or, in French, Machew) and I enjoy singing songs together, dancing, playing soccer together, and generally causing a ruckus.
Other news is that there is a very large soccer tournament going on now. There are four teams, and two games a week. La Ceiba, Los Proyectos, Las Sanchez, and Las Blancas. They are all named after the area in Sasbana Grande that the teams are made up of. Matthew, Felipe and I play for La Ceiba, and we played and won our first game this past Monday. ¡Adelante La Ceiba! My soccer skills, which have dwindled since two very large surgeries on my leg in high school, are rekindling. Still, it is difficult to run on this turf, because the field is gravel and, everytime a change of direction is needed, I slide on my sneakers for awhile. I need cleats!
Of course, we still play Ultimate Frisbee once a week. They are still grand successes.
We have been getting deep into testing the solar autoclave over the past 5 work days. Unfortunately, the weather has not been cooperative. The week before testing there was bountiful sun. Now, it is intermittent, shared by clouds and downpours. Very frustrating, since I cannot know whether we can really achieve the temperatures we need or not. I am confident that, given just one good day, I can prove that it can be done. Until then, however, I cannot prove it. It is not for lack of trying, though. In the meantime, what I do is construct some other devices that could be used for the autoclave, or read articles. Lately, however, I´ve been writing articles, mostly on my work. I also help out around the Solar Center when needed.
For the past several weeks I have been longing to climb the large mountain that overlooks Sabana Grande. This past Saturday, I did so with 5 others, and it was great. A long, hard day, but a great success. Climbing the mountain was one of my big goals for the trip, and I had finally done it. I was overjoyed. Pictures to come!
I realize this post is short and almost bland, but I am in a hurry today. I apologize for this, and don´t worry, I will definitely be back to my usual story-telling self soon. For now, I must be going.
¡Nos vemos!
-Daniel
Also, please be sure to keep checking out www.saluddelsol.org, because there are many photos and articles that will probably be of interest to you. One of which, in fact, should be a series of articles written by me, detailing what it is I am working with and researching here in Nicaragua, and what my plans may be for the future. Exciting news is that I have gotten a lot of input and offers of help from people far and wide already, and that is what inspired me to write such an article, so that people will have a better idea of what I am doing beforehand, and will maybe generate ideas as to how they can help.
So you remember that Roberto has moved out. Well, the day I returned from Granada two weekends ago, I came home to two canadians who have taken his spot, Matthew and Felipe. They are both great guys and I am glad to be living with them. We have a lot of fun every night with Skarleth, laughing and playing games. Matthew and Felipe are here with about 11 other canadian girls, all from a different organization. Matthew (or, in French, Machew) and I enjoy singing songs together, dancing, playing soccer together, and generally causing a ruckus.
Other news is that there is a very large soccer tournament going on now. There are four teams, and two games a week. La Ceiba, Los Proyectos, Las Sanchez, and Las Blancas. They are all named after the area in Sasbana Grande that the teams are made up of. Matthew, Felipe and I play for La Ceiba, and we played and won our first game this past Monday. ¡Adelante La Ceiba! My soccer skills, which have dwindled since two very large surgeries on my leg in high school, are rekindling. Still, it is difficult to run on this turf, because the field is gravel and, everytime a change of direction is needed, I slide on my sneakers for awhile. I need cleats!
Of course, we still play Ultimate Frisbee once a week. They are still grand successes.
We have been getting deep into testing the solar autoclave over the past 5 work days. Unfortunately, the weather has not been cooperative. The week before testing there was bountiful sun. Now, it is intermittent, shared by clouds and downpours. Very frustrating, since I cannot know whether we can really achieve the temperatures we need or not. I am confident that, given just one good day, I can prove that it can be done. Until then, however, I cannot prove it. It is not for lack of trying, though. In the meantime, what I do is construct some other devices that could be used for the autoclave, or read articles. Lately, however, I´ve been writing articles, mostly on my work. I also help out around the Solar Center when needed.
For the past several weeks I have been longing to climb the large mountain that overlooks Sabana Grande. This past Saturday, I did so with 5 others, and it was great. A long, hard day, but a great success. Climbing the mountain was one of my big goals for the trip, and I had finally done it. I was overjoyed. Pictures to come!
I realize this post is short and almost bland, but I am in a hurry today. I apologize for this, and don´t worry, I will definitely be back to my usual story-telling self soon. For now, I must be going.
¡Nos vemos!
-Daniel
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Granada, Masaya, and Lori´s Arrival
Phew. Once again, so much has happened, and I feel that I don´t have enough space to describe everything.
Granada is the #1 tourist destination in Nicaragua. After being there, it´s easy to see why. It is a gorgeous city with an almost european feel. The buildings are all different bright colors, made of of adobe, with markets all in the streets. Parks and courtyards are littered everywhere. The city itself overlooks Lake Managua, which I believe is the second largest lake in Central America.
It is also the only lake in the world with real, legitimate sharks in it. They are bull sharks, fierce creatures that adapted to the fresh water back when the lake fed into the ocean. They were, and sometimes still are, such an epidemic that people do not swim in the lake whatsoever. Anyway, kind of a cool fact.
The city is abundant with hostels, where many other student backpackers stay and form a kind of dormitory atmosphere. Vince had joined us from Managua, and we all stayed in a dorm at Hostel Oasis. This was easily the best choice for a place to stay, and I think I payed about $40 for 3 nights, breakfast every morning, and beverages all day. Complete with real showers and bathrooms too! It had a garden/courtyard, which had at least 6 really comfortable hammocks hung throughout. In a second courtyard, sourounded by trees and the clouds (or stars) above was a really, really refreshing pool. I expect to be tagged in pictures on facebook, because I have none myself... and I need them.
The first night we went to a sports bar for dinner, and I got to watch a Euro2008 soccer game, which I was every excited about. On the way to the bar, a pothole on the side of the road was exposed (with no grate on it, because the Nicaraguans steal the grates to use the metal), and, being in the front of the pack, I pointed it out and said ¨Watch out, there´s no grate on that.¨Behind, Pete repeats my words. Behind Pete, CJ has his nose buried in a map of Granada, trying to locate the sports bar. He takes a step forward with his right foot, planting it over the drain, and plummeted. Luckily, he is really freakishly tall, so he hit the bottom before pinching anything else. However, he pulled his leg out to find that from his knee down he is drenched. Matt and I thoroughly enjoyed a good laugh. =]
Saturday we rented bicycles and rode around town and the surrounding areas. We rode up to a penninsula, enjoyed the views of the lake and islands, and ate lunch at a pricey restaurant. (By pricey, I mean 150ç, or $7). This is another reason Granada is so popular... it is really cheap living. There are stories of many Americans and Europeans retiring here. Because it´s just perfect, and everything you want in a retirement dream.
Speaking of a dream, that´s what the weekend must have been, because all the travels went surprisingly smoothly, and the temperature was always perfect. It was sunny, temperate, with no rain whatsoever - in the middle of the rainy season. Also, more importantly, there were NO bugs! I think it was because of the weather, but, regardless, not once did one of us have to swat a fly away at a meal, or at a mosquito while reading in the hammocks in the garden at dusk. Yeah, a dream.
Saturday night was one of the best meals I´ve had in a long, long time. We went to Pasta Pasta!, an Italian-esque Nicaraguan restaurant. We all had the best meals with wine, bread, dessert, all for still-enviable prices. I went for the pasta, because if they include the name of the meal itself in the name of the restaurant, it had better be good - was my reasoning. It sure was good.
Sunday, the group and I went for a zip-line tour. That was fun. We drove for 45-minutes on the bumpiest road you can imagine, but worse. It´s like that scene from Ace Ventura, When Nature Calls, when Ace is driving down the road with his head out the window because it´s just too dangerous to have his head inside the car without a helmet. On the tour, we zip-lined across the canopy on 17 lines, with a group of very professional, english-speaking (!) guides. Along the way, we encountered HUGE ants, called Tiger Ants. They are black, with a large yellow posterior, and long black legs. Matt was dared to eat one for 220ç. There was no way in hell any of us were even going to touch these ants, because the name itself sounds something put on Earth by AntiChrist, but Matt accepted the challenge. It has been recorded on video that Matt picked an ant off a tree, put it in his mouth, and chomped away. He went for the quick chomp, but, as he was chewing, was kind enough to give a commentary that included: ¨Ah! He´s not going down with a fight! Very Sweet.¨ Once again, I enjoyed a hearty laugh with CJ, Anna, and Vince.
That night, we did what Matt´s travel book said was the #1 thing to do in Nicaragua, which was to see the sunset over Granada from on top of... some church. Naturally, we got sucked in like the tourists we are, and took tons of pictures. (CJ´s rule is quantity over quality, and decide on the ones with better quality later). Afterwards, we went to a bar that had karaoke. And, I actually sang. I sang a beautiful rendition of Real World by Matchbox 20. I was told I did ¨a great job¨, and that people liked it. They did clap once I was done, but they might have been just clapping because it was over.
Monday morning we left Granada for Sabana Grande, but stopped in Masaya on the way, Nicaraguas largest and best marketplace. It is the best place for tourists to buy souveniers. It really was, and I ended up with a Toña shirt (the Nicaraguan beer), a few gifts, and a really nice hammock... similar to those in Hostel Oasis, of course.
Well, just a few quick notes on the week before I go, until next time. The special cooker is done, as I´ve mentioned. Some other components are also now constructed, which are what make it an autoclave. This is a large step. Also, I have done some basic testing-set-up testing. Now, next week, I am ready to jump right into testing and getting the data we are really searching for. Further bulletins as events warrant.
Thus ends Chapter 1 of Nicaragua, The Reckoning. Now, we beging Capter 2: Lori´s Arrival.
My boss is here, and she is excited to see the progress. I am also very excited she is here because I have been looking forward to getting much done with her. Also, she brought my new camera! I now have a camera... I just need pictures. Hopefully, by next time, I will be able to post some pictures!
That´s all I´ve got for now. Please check back soon, because this time I think I expect to be back sometime in the week.
Pace y Salud,
-Daniel
Granada is the #1 tourist destination in Nicaragua. After being there, it´s easy to see why. It is a gorgeous city with an almost european feel. The buildings are all different bright colors, made of of adobe, with markets all in the streets. Parks and courtyards are littered everywhere. The city itself overlooks Lake Managua, which I believe is the second largest lake in Central America.
It is also the only lake in the world with real, legitimate sharks in it. They are bull sharks, fierce creatures that adapted to the fresh water back when the lake fed into the ocean. They were, and sometimes still are, such an epidemic that people do not swim in the lake whatsoever. Anyway, kind of a cool fact.
The city is abundant with hostels, where many other student backpackers stay and form a kind of dormitory atmosphere. Vince had joined us from Managua, and we all stayed in a dorm at Hostel Oasis. This was easily the best choice for a place to stay, and I think I payed about $40 for 3 nights, breakfast every morning, and beverages all day. Complete with real showers and bathrooms too! It had a garden/courtyard, which had at least 6 really comfortable hammocks hung throughout. In a second courtyard, sourounded by trees and the clouds (or stars) above was a really, really refreshing pool. I expect to be tagged in pictures on facebook, because I have none myself... and I need them.
The first night we went to a sports bar for dinner, and I got to watch a Euro2008 soccer game, which I was every excited about. On the way to the bar, a pothole on the side of the road was exposed (with no grate on it, because the Nicaraguans steal the grates to use the metal), and, being in the front of the pack, I pointed it out and said ¨Watch out, there´s no grate on that.¨Behind, Pete repeats my words. Behind Pete, CJ has his nose buried in a map of Granada, trying to locate the sports bar. He takes a step forward with his right foot, planting it over the drain, and plummeted. Luckily, he is really freakishly tall, so he hit the bottom before pinching anything else. However, he pulled his leg out to find that from his knee down he is drenched. Matt and I thoroughly enjoyed a good laugh. =]
Saturday we rented bicycles and rode around town and the surrounding areas. We rode up to a penninsula, enjoyed the views of the lake and islands, and ate lunch at a pricey restaurant. (By pricey, I mean 150ç, or $7). This is another reason Granada is so popular... it is really cheap living. There are stories of many Americans and Europeans retiring here. Because it´s just perfect, and everything you want in a retirement dream.
Speaking of a dream, that´s what the weekend must have been, because all the travels went surprisingly smoothly, and the temperature was always perfect. It was sunny, temperate, with no rain whatsoever - in the middle of the rainy season. Also, more importantly, there were NO bugs! I think it was because of the weather, but, regardless, not once did one of us have to swat a fly away at a meal, or at a mosquito while reading in the hammocks in the garden at dusk. Yeah, a dream.
Saturday night was one of the best meals I´ve had in a long, long time. We went to Pasta Pasta!, an Italian-esque Nicaraguan restaurant. We all had the best meals with wine, bread, dessert, all for still-enviable prices. I went for the pasta, because if they include the name of the meal itself in the name of the restaurant, it had better be good - was my reasoning. It sure was good.
Sunday, the group and I went for a zip-line tour. That was fun. We drove for 45-minutes on the bumpiest road you can imagine, but worse. It´s like that scene from Ace Ventura, When Nature Calls, when Ace is driving down the road with his head out the window because it´s just too dangerous to have his head inside the car without a helmet. On the tour, we zip-lined across the canopy on 17 lines, with a group of very professional, english-speaking (!) guides. Along the way, we encountered HUGE ants, called Tiger Ants. They are black, with a large yellow posterior, and long black legs. Matt was dared to eat one for 220ç. There was no way in hell any of us were even going to touch these ants, because the name itself sounds something put on Earth by AntiChrist, but Matt accepted the challenge. It has been recorded on video that Matt picked an ant off a tree, put it in his mouth, and chomped away. He went for the quick chomp, but, as he was chewing, was kind enough to give a commentary that included: ¨Ah! He´s not going down with a fight! Very Sweet.¨ Once again, I enjoyed a hearty laugh with CJ, Anna, and Vince.
That night, we did what Matt´s travel book said was the #1 thing to do in Nicaragua, which was to see the sunset over Granada from on top of... some church. Naturally, we got sucked in like the tourists we are, and took tons of pictures. (CJ´s rule is quantity over quality, and decide on the ones with better quality later). Afterwards, we went to a bar that had karaoke. And, I actually sang. I sang a beautiful rendition of Real World by Matchbox 20. I was told I did ¨a great job¨, and that people liked it. They did clap once I was done, but they might have been just clapping because it was over.
Monday morning we left Granada for Sabana Grande, but stopped in Masaya on the way, Nicaraguas largest and best marketplace. It is the best place for tourists to buy souveniers. It really was, and I ended up with a Toña shirt (the Nicaraguan beer), a few gifts, and a really nice hammock... similar to those in Hostel Oasis, of course.
Well, just a few quick notes on the week before I go, until next time. The special cooker is done, as I´ve mentioned. Some other components are also now constructed, which are what make it an autoclave. This is a large step. Also, I have done some basic testing-set-up testing. Now, next week, I am ready to jump right into testing and getting the data we are really searching for. Further bulletins as events warrant.
Thus ends Chapter 1 of Nicaragua, The Reckoning. Now, we beging Capter 2: Lori´s Arrival.
My boss is here, and she is excited to see the progress. I am also very excited she is here because I have been looking forward to getting much done with her. Also, she brought my new camera! I now have a camera... I just need pictures. Hopefully, by next time, I will be able to post some pictures!
That´s all I´ve got for now. Please check back soon, because this time I think I expect to be back sometime in the week.
Pace y Salud,
-Daniel
Thursday, June 12, 2008
The Green Monster
We have finished the construction of the solar cooker! As I write, Pete is back in Sabana Grande, dutifuly painting the thing blue. (I´ve asked why it´s blue and not black, and apparently it just has to do with the fact that blue and white are Nicaragua´s colors. But that´s ok, blue is pretty good). Our special cooker has a 10-inch clearance on the inside, rather than the usual 6 or so. This allows for several things, such as a stand for the pressure-vessel and instruments, or simply a pressure cooker. The focal point of the Fresnel lens is at about 7.16¨, so this allows for that too. Anyway, a big thanks to CJ and Peter for helping me so much with construction, and to Anna for doing most of the painting. It has turned out quite excellently, and everything fits like a dream.
I have found that I am quite the carpenter, and also that I am capable of working a lot. I have worked pretty hard, with few breaks, and even overtime, to try and get stuff done. Even when it come to other projects, such as digging the ditch, I found myself saying ¨Let´s do it right the first time so that we don´t have to do it right the second time,¨on at least 3 separate occasions. I´ve turned into my father. There must be something in the food here.
I have now, just this morning after class, started construction of some inserts that go inside the cooker. Unfortunately, I don´t forsee these being completed anytime soon, because this afternoon I am here in Ocotal. Tomorrow I will have two hours to work after class, and then we all leave for Granada for a little vacation, and come back Monday afternoon. This means we will be missing class on Monday and most of the day to work (though I am determined to try to work a little in the afternoon). I would love to get this done before Lori arrives on Wednesday, so that we can move ahead as planned!
So, Granada this weekend! Apparently it is quite the tourist destination in Nicaragua. It looks gorgeous, and really ritzy. Ritzy, but cheap. Many foreigners (i.e. Americans and Europeans) own summer homes in Granada because it is so nice and so cheap. We have been looking into do a zipline tour, parasailing, climbing a volcano, and, of course, hitting some restaurants and bars. I am looking forward to this. Oh, by the way, we finally WILL have Ramada Inn bathrooms and showers, which will be a nice change. We are trying to stay in a dorm at Hostel Oasis, so that we can all be together. The place has a nice pool and free internet, and is about $7 a night per person. A chance to vacation, and, you know, finally have fun for once here in Nicaragua, will be nice.
Kidding. Of course I´m having a blast here. Last night, Wednesday night, was the night I taught the locals how to play Ultimate. Disco Ultimo. They loved it. It was men and women of all ages, from young to my age to a little older, and of all talents. Some were naturals, and some will get better over the next few weeks pretty quickly. We played 5-on-5 for about an hour and a half, so it was 10 of us that played. However, about 20 were watching, very curiously, but were hesitant to play. I told them we will play next Wednesday if they are interested. Also, the captain of the soccer team, Edwin, played and thoroughly enjoyed it, and said that he will tell his team to come next Wednesday. That´s just amazing. Finally, I know that everyone who played loved it, and am certain they will tell all their families and friends about it, and so there will be more. Next week, I will explain a few more rules too. I don´t need to go into too much detail on the fact that I love Ultimate, and I think that, at a basic pick-up level, it is easy to learn, fun for everyone, and enjoyable while getting a good workout. It is my hope that they carry it on after I am gone.
So everything here is really, really green! It´s like the Green Monster just woke up and painted everything. If you´ve seen the pictures from www.saluddelsol.org , you´ve seen that it was pretty but a little brown. Now, after and during so much rain, everything is really flourishing. I love it. I also love walking down the street to the Solar Center, because the plains are so large that I can see that it is raining in one area of Nicaragua and sunny in another. The clouds here are great, and the stars are night are beautiful. There are so many more than you can see in the US, and they twinkle like crazy.
I´ve had a revelation: living here in Sabana Grande is a little like going back in time. Think about it, the lifestyle here is much the same as the lifestyle was in Colonial Europe and America, back when. It´s almost like the third world is just catching up with the rest of the world, which is very true. It´s funny, though, because now I know what it would have been like to live in the times of colonization, and know that I would have been comfortable then.
On a sadder note, Roberto has left. He left this morning for Managua, and will be going back to Scotland within a few days. It has been great having him around, and Skarleth and I will miss him. Apparently, however, we are getting 5 new volunteers next week, one of whom is Lori. Another volunteer will be staying at my house, so I will not be alone for long.
So things around here are really gearing up for our vacation this weekend. We are all very excited about it. Please wish us safe travels, and I will be back for more next week!
-Daniel
I have found that I am quite the carpenter, and also that I am capable of working a lot. I have worked pretty hard, with few breaks, and even overtime, to try and get stuff done. Even when it come to other projects, such as digging the ditch, I found myself saying ¨Let´s do it right the first time so that we don´t have to do it right the second time,¨on at least 3 separate occasions. I´ve turned into my father. There must be something in the food here.
I have now, just this morning after class, started construction of some inserts that go inside the cooker. Unfortunately, I don´t forsee these being completed anytime soon, because this afternoon I am here in Ocotal. Tomorrow I will have two hours to work after class, and then we all leave for Granada for a little vacation, and come back Monday afternoon. This means we will be missing class on Monday and most of the day to work (though I am determined to try to work a little in the afternoon). I would love to get this done before Lori arrives on Wednesday, so that we can move ahead as planned!
So, Granada this weekend! Apparently it is quite the tourist destination in Nicaragua. It looks gorgeous, and really ritzy. Ritzy, but cheap. Many foreigners (i.e. Americans and Europeans) own summer homes in Granada because it is so nice and so cheap. We have been looking into do a zipline tour, parasailing, climbing a volcano, and, of course, hitting some restaurants and bars. I am looking forward to this. Oh, by the way, we finally WILL have Ramada Inn bathrooms and showers, which will be a nice change. We are trying to stay in a dorm at Hostel Oasis, so that we can all be together. The place has a nice pool and free internet, and is about $7 a night per person. A chance to vacation, and, you know, finally have fun for once here in Nicaragua, will be nice.
Kidding. Of course I´m having a blast here. Last night, Wednesday night, was the night I taught the locals how to play Ultimate. Disco Ultimo. They loved it. It was men and women of all ages, from young to my age to a little older, and of all talents. Some were naturals, and some will get better over the next few weeks pretty quickly. We played 5-on-5 for about an hour and a half, so it was 10 of us that played. However, about 20 were watching, very curiously, but were hesitant to play. I told them we will play next Wednesday if they are interested. Also, the captain of the soccer team, Edwin, played and thoroughly enjoyed it, and said that he will tell his team to come next Wednesday. That´s just amazing. Finally, I know that everyone who played loved it, and am certain they will tell all their families and friends about it, and so there will be more. Next week, I will explain a few more rules too. I don´t need to go into too much detail on the fact that I love Ultimate, and I think that, at a basic pick-up level, it is easy to learn, fun for everyone, and enjoyable while getting a good workout. It is my hope that they carry it on after I am gone.
So everything here is really, really green! It´s like the Green Monster just woke up and painted everything. If you´ve seen the pictures from www.saluddelsol.org , you´ve seen that it was pretty but a little brown. Now, after and during so much rain, everything is really flourishing. I love it. I also love walking down the street to the Solar Center, because the plains are so large that I can see that it is raining in one area of Nicaragua and sunny in another. The clouds here are great, and the stars are night are beautiful. There are so many more than you can see in the US, and they twinkle like crazy.
I´ve had a revelation: living here in Sabana Grande is a little like going back in time. Think about it, the lifestyle here is much the same as the lifestyle was in Colonial Europe and America, back when. It´s almost like the third world is just catching up with the rest of the world, which is very true. It´s funny, though, because now I know what it would have been like to live in the times of colonization, and know that I would have been comfortable then.
On a sadder note, Roberto has left. He left this morning for Managua, and will be going back to Scotland within a few days. It has been great having him around, and Skarleth and I will miss him. Apparently, however, we are getting 5 new volunteers next week, one of whom is Lori. Another volunteer will be staying at my house, so I will not be alone for long.
So things around here are really gearing up for our vacation this weekend. We are all very excited about it. Please wish us safe travels, and I will be back for more next week!
-Daniel
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Hocus Pocus
Another half-week has come and gone. Unfortunately, I am not finished constructing the autoclave yet. Classes take up much of the morning, there are usually a few meetings in the afternoon, and the center (where we work) closes in the evenings and on weekends. We are close, though. We have created the frame, put in the insulation, and attached the reflective material. So, essentially, the main part of the body is done. There is still much to do, however.
Tons of other progress has been made in its place. Friday, I was not able to work on construction because we were all asked to help dig a ditch behind the solar center. When it rains, which is a lot for a few hours every day, a large ¨river¨tends to form right next to the center, ruining some of the gardens. To combat this, we dug a very large, very deep ditch that diverts the water into a natural runoff. It was a long, hot day of difficult work. But, no sooner than were we done digging the last little bit of it than did it start to rain, and rain hard. We ran for cover under an overhang of the center, and then just sat outside because there was nowhere esle to go. So we chatted and watched the rain. After about 5 minutes, Matt went to investigate our ditch, and yells ¨whoah!¨. We all went to check, and, sure enough, a very large, fast river had formed in our ditch and was flowing exactly where we wanted it to go, and was diverting the water exactly where we wanted it to stay away from. We whooped and hollered around in the rain for awhile, and the girls next door were watching us crazy gringos. What can we say, it was a long day.
It was a success, and now my back hurts.
Another success this weekend has been teaching the computer class to some of the local girls. Every Saturday, we take some people up to Ocotal and teach them how to use the internet. This Saturday was a particular breakthrough because now most of the girls have an email account and are emailing each other and other volunteers. We have even taken them up to more advanced stuff, like using Wikipedia and YouTube. We try to show them things that are important and useful to know, and they can even use these to find things they like. For example, some of the teenage girls were looking up boybands on YouTube. What´s important, though, is that they understand the premise that the internet has a wealth of information, and great educational potential. Next Saturday, I am going to make it a point to show them information on Nicaragua, United States, and The World from Wikipedia; my goal is to show them how to find maps.
This afternoon Matt and I went to watch Sabana Grande play... some other team... in soccer. Sabana Grande has apparently been doing quite well, and made it pretty far in the tournament against the other cities. Today, however, they lost. I am not sure, but I believe that means that they are now out of the running. If so, they did at least make it into the top 8, out of 16.
So, I realized that I´ve been writing posts for a while now, but have never really described what life is like here. I did describe the shower, houses, bathrooms, families, and so on, but not so much the daily activity. I think this could be of interest, so here goes:
It starts when the roosters crow at 3AM. As I´ve mentioned before, I´m lucky enough to have the animals right outside of my room, so I wake up just about every time. However, the only time people really wake up this is early is to kill an animal, gut it, and take the meat to the market first thing in the morning. They did attempt to kill a pig last week early in the morning, but must have had some trouble because the pig was complaining for quite a while. Eventually they got to it, though, and Robert was nice enough to explain to me, during dinner, EXACTLY how a pig is killed and gutted, and what parts we were eating that night for dinner. Such is the hunter-gatherer world.
Anyway, so the sun rises really, really early. Around 5AM. This is when Dona Carmen wakes up, gathers water from the well, and starts to prepare breakfast. Robert, Scarlett and I wake up in between 6 and 7, and breakfast is everyday at 7. By now, the men are usually at the fields, tilling or picking or leaning up against a fence. All the young girls and boys head off to school, which starts at 8, in their white shirts, navy-blue skirts/pants, navy-blue socks, and navy-blue shoes. They schools here are highly catholic, not incredibly challenging, and usually has some reason why there is no school today at least a few times a month.
I try to be at the Solar Center, which is a 20-minute walk away, a little before 8. Then Anna, Matt, Pete and I have Spanish class from 8 to 10. Afterwards, we work. Lately, I have been working very hard on trying to get the construction done. We have to leave around 11:40 to make it back for lunch at 12. Then, everybody seems to take an hour-and-a-half lunch, because I try to be back at the center a little after 1, but usually no one gets there to open it until 1:30. Then, there is more work mixed in with various meetings (such as the Las Mujeras Solares meetings on Mondays at 3). I work until 5. Afterwards is some free time, which lasts until dinner at 7. Lately, I have been spending my before-dinner free time talking with Dayana, one of the local girls, which really helps me to practice my Spanish. After dinner, Scarlett, Robert and I will usually play a game or watch a movie together. Depending on which, sometimes I will study Spanish for an hour, then I always read my liesure book before going to bed. Bedtime is the same as it was when I was 7-years-old, which is 9PM.
Hey, when it gets dark at 6 and light at 5, and when you´re digging a ditch all day in an equator-lined country, you´d be lucky to stay up past 9. Am I right?
The only times we stay up past 9 are on Saturday nights, when all us volunteers (Anna, Matt, Peter, CJ, Jenny, Roberto, Emily, and myself) get together for Movie Night. Capitalized, because Movie Night is a big deal. This is a time and place when no Spanish is allowed. (Otherwise, we all try to speak Spanish to each other). We all go over to CJ and Jenny´s, who have their own place, every Saturday night and debate on a movie to watch. The movies are copied DVD´s which come from town and are bought for about $1 each. Most of them are surprisingly great quality, usually even the real DVD´s with menus and everything. Anyway, so we all end up watching a movie, and then talking about it afterwards, laughing together and sharing our feelings and everything. It´s pretty great.
Whew! Quite a post! It is now Sunday night and I was just here at the internet cafe in Ocotal with CJ, Jenny, and Matt, who have just now left. I told them I would meet them in a few minutes because I had to write to my adoring fans first. We are going to La Yunta, a restaurant bar, to watch the Celtics play in LA for the first NBA finals game. How about that... I´m in Nicaragua and we are still going to catch the game.
Keep checking in,
-Daniel
Tons of other progress has been made in its place. Friday, I was not able to work on construction because we were all asked to help dig a ditch behind the solar center. When it rains, which is a lot for a few hours every day, a large ¨river¨tends to form right next to the center, ruining some of the gardens. To combat this, we dug a very large, very deep ditch that diverts the water into a natural runoff. It was a long, hot day of difficult work. But, no sooner than were we done digging the last little bit of it than did it start to rain, and rain hard. We ran for cover under an overhang of the center, and then just sat outside because there was nowhere esle to go. So we chatted and watched the rain. After about 5 minutes, Matt went to investigate our ditch, and yells ¨whoah!¨. We all went to check, and, sure enough, a very large, fast river had formed in our ditch and was flowing exactly where we wanted it to go, and was diverting the water exactly where we wanted it to stay away from. We whooped and hollered around in the rain for awhile, and the girls next door were watching us crazy gringos. What can we say, it was a long day.
It was a success, and now my back hurts.
Another success this weekend has been teaching the computer class to some of the local girls. Every Saturday, we take some people up to Ocotal and teach them how to use the internet. This Saturday was a particular breakthrough because now most of the girls have an email account and are emailing each other and other volunteers. We have even taken them up to more advanced stuff, like using Wikipedia and YouTube. We try to show them things that are important and useful to know, and they can even use these to find things they like. For example, some of the teenage girls were looking up boybands on YouTube. What´s important, though, is that they understand the premise that the internet has a wealth of information, and great educational potential. Next Saturday, I am going to make it a point to show them information on Nicaragua, United States, and The World from Wikipedia; my goal is to show them how to find maps.
This afternoon Matt and I went to watch Sabana Grande play... some other team... in soccer. Sabana Grande has apparently been doing quite well, and made it pretty far in the tournament against the other cities. Today, however, they lost. I am not sure, but I believe that means that they are now out of the running. If so, they did at least make it into the top 8, out of 16.
So, I realized that I´ve been writing posts for a while now, but have never really described what life is like here. I did describe the shower, houses, bathrooms, families, and so on, but not so much the daily activity. I think this could be of interest, so here goes:
It starts when the roosters crow at 3AM. As I´ve mentioned before, I´m lucky enough to have the animals right outside of my room, so I wake up just about every time. However, the only time people really wake up this is early is to kill an animal, gut it, and take the meat to the market first thing in the morning. They did attempt to kill a pig last week early in the morning, but must have had some trouble because the pig was complaining for quite a while. Eventually they got to it, though, and Robert was nice enough to explain to me, during dinner, EXACTLY how a pig is killed and gutted, and what parts we were eating that night for dinner. Such is the hunter-gatherer world.
Anyway, so the sun rises really, really early. Around 5AM. This is when Dona Carmen wakes up, gathers water from the well, and starts to prepare breakfast. Robert, Scarlett and I wake up in between 6 and 7, and breakfast is everyday at 7. By now, the men are usually at the fields, tilling or picking or leaning up against a fence. All the young girls and boys head off to school, which starts at 8, in their white shirts, navy-blue skirts/pants, navy-blue socks, and navy-blue shoes. They schools here are highly catholic, not incredibly challenging, and usually has some reason why there is no school today at least a few times a month.
I try to be at the Solar Center, which is a 20-minute walk away, a little before 8. Then Anna, Matt, Pete and I have Spanish class from 8 to 10. Afterwards, we work. Lately, I have been working very hard on trying to get the construction done. We have to leave around 11:40 to make it back for lunch at 12. Then, everybody seems to take an hour-and-a-half lunch, because I try to be back at the center a little after 1, but usually no one gets there to open it until 1:30. Then, there is more work mixed in with various meetings (such as the Las Mujeras Solares meetings on Mondays at 3). I work until 5. Afterwards is some free time, which lasts until dinner at 7. Lately, I have been spending my before-dinner free time talking with Dayana, one of the local girls, which really helps me to practice my Spanish. After dinner, Scarlett, Robert and I will usually play a game or watch a movie together. Depending on which, sometimes I will study Spanish for an hour, then I always read my liesure book before going to bed. Bedtime is the same as it was when I was 7-years-old, which is 9PM.
Hey, when it gets dark at 6 and light at 5, and when you´re digging a ditch all day in an equator-lined country, you´d be lucky to stay up past 9. Am I right?
The only times we stay up past 9 are on Saturday nights, when all us volunteers (Anna, Matt, Peter, CJ, Jenny, Roberto, Emily, and myself) get together for Movie Night. Capitalized, because Movie Night is a big deal. This is a time and place when no Spanish is allowed. (Otherwise, we all try to speak Spanish to each other). We all go over to CJ and Jenny´s, who have their own place, every Saturday night and debate on a movie to watch. The movies are copied DVD´s which come from town and are bought for about $1 each. Most of them are surprisingly great quality, usually even the real DVD´s with menus and everything. Anyway, so we all end up watching a movie, and then talking about it afterwards, laughing together and sharing our feelings and everything. It´s pretty great.
Whew! Quite a post! It is now Sunday night and I was just here at the internet cafe in Ocotal with CJ, Jenny, and Matt, who have just now left. I told them I would meet them in a few minutes because I had to write to my adoring fans first. We are going to La Yunta, a restaurant bar, to watch the Celtics play in LA for the first NBA finals game. How about that... I´m in Nicaragua and we are still going to catch the game.
Keep checking in,
-Daniel
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Together We Are One
All the people seem to love and hate
Everybody makes the same mistakes
Divided by these walls
Together we are one
We are the same blood
Currently listening to: Same Blood
Artist: The Academy Is...
Current mood: reflective
Good news! I am finally getting a camera! It is arriving here with Lori when she comes to join us from the States in mid-June. (For those of you who don´t know, Lori is my fellow colleague and the President of Salud del Sol). I have not seen it, but apparently it is an Olympus, and this means that I will be able to take pictures and (hopefully) post them! I am sure that the content of the blog itself has been interesting enough, but I am also sure that it looks quite boring without pics, and for that I apologize.
Thank you all for at least checking in and leaving comments. Know that I do read them and appreciate them, and they always make a day brighter by letting me know people are thinking of me. Facebook posts work too. Peace to you all, congratulations to those who are graduating, and good luck staying dry.
Everybody makes the same mistakes
Divided by these walls
Together we are one
We are the same blood
Currently listening to: Same Blood
Artist: The Academy Is...
Current mood: reflective
Good news! I am finally getting a camera! It is arriving here with Lori when she comes to join us from the States in mid-June. (For those of you who don´t know, Lori is my fellow colleague and the President of Salud del Sol). I have not seen it, but apparently it is an Olympus, and this means that I will be able to take pictures and (hopefully) post them! I am sure that the content of the blog itself has been interesting enough, but I am also sure that it looks quite boring without pics, and for that I apologize.
Thank you all for at least checking in and leaving comments. Know that I do read them and appreciate them, and they always make a day brighter by letting me know people are thinking of me. Facebook posts work too. Peace to you all, congratulations to those who are graduating, and good luck staying dry.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
A little rain must fall
Once again, hey all!
So things are still going smooth here. The difference now is that everything is very wet. Hurricane Alma (meaning ¨soul¨) has come through and hit Managua pretty hard, the capital city about 3-and-a-half hours south of us. It rained pretty rough here for a while, and made everything quite muddy, but I was more concerned for Vince, who is staying in Managua. They recieved 20 inches of rain and had flash floods. Homes were destroyed and people displaced because of it. Coincidentally, I have not actually talked to Vince since then, but I am sure he is allright.
Hurricane Alma came at an exciting time: El Dia del Madre! Friday was Nicaraguan (Latin American?) Mother´s Day, and it is a huge deal. People here understand how much work the domesticas perform, and gladly show their appreciation. Wednesday afternoon, starting at 3, was a meeting of all the mothers and their families in the community at the Solar Center. Or at least I expected a meeting. When I arrived in my work clothes, I was surprised to see every single one of them looking beautiful, all dressed up and formal. Concordantly, I borrowed a bike and, instead of making the 15-minute walk back to my house, sped there with haste, put on some nice clothes, and sped back to the center. Apparently I was to be a judge of a beauty competition for the mothers.
It was a fiesta! Children sang, danced, and shared stories, volunteers produced skits, and staff had the mothers play games. Then we announced the contest winners and all had a snack, and then the dancing begun. Of course, I couldn´t resist dancing. However, everytime I went to sit down or get a drink of water, one of the girls would pull me back up again. In the end, it was a blast, and went on until about 6:30 or so.
It was interesting to note that all the men and women have the capability to clean up so nicely. It doesn´t matter where they live, whether it´s in a city or in a house with no electricty in the mountains, a person can still clean up and be beautiful. The difference is, bugs and mud don´t bother the girls here, and that´s some +Cool Points.
CJ and I have cut all the wood necessary for the autoclave, and are just about ready to begin construction next week. It´s very exciting, and I am glad to be rolling ahead with the project. I am trying to have the women and staff participate as well. They can earn hours by working with us, and then use those hours to buy something from the Green Store, which could be clothes or toys or cookware, etc. Hours is an interesting and convenient form of monies for projects like this.
I have decided that I am about ready to teach the locals how to play Ultimate. I was waiting to pick up more Spanish, but it is almost time. I will make an announcement at tomorrow´s women´s meeting for Las Mujeras Solares, which occurs every Monday at 3PM, saying that I will be teaching a fun new game on the Wednesday following this Wednesday, and that they should encurage their families and friends´families to come on by. This is another mini-project that I am very excited for.
So things are still going smooth here. The difference now is that everything is very wet. Hurricane Alma (meaning ¨soul¨) has come through and hit Managua pretty hard, the capital city about 3-and-a-half hours south of us. It rained pretty rough here for a while, and made everything quite muddy, but I was more concerned for Vince, who is staying in Managua. They recieved 20 inches of rain and had flash floods. Homes were destroyed and people displaced because of it. Coincidentally, I have not actually talked to Vince since then, but I am sure he is allright.
Hurricane Alma came at an exciting time: El Dia del Madre! Friday was Nicaraguan (Latin American?) Mother´s Day, and it is a huge deal. People here understand how much work the domesticas perform, and gladly show their appreciation. Wednesday afternoon, starting at 3, was a meeting of all the mothers and their families in the community at the Solar Center. Or at least I expected a meeting. When I arrived in my work clothes, I was surprised to see every single one of them looking beautiful, all dressed up and formal. Concordantly, I borrowed a bike and, instead of making the 15-minute walk back to my house, sped there with haste, put on some nice clothes, and sped back to the center. Apparently I was to be a judge of a beauty competition for the mothers.
It was a fiesta! Children sang, danced, and shared stories, volunteers produced skits, and staff had the mothers play games. Then we announced the contest winners and all had a snack, and then the dancing begun. Of course, I couldn´t resist dancing. However, everytime I went to sit down or get a drink of water, one of the girls would pull me back up again. In the end, it was a blast, and went on until about 6:30 or so.
It was interesting to note that all the men and women have the capability to clean up so nicely. It doesn´t matter where they live, whether it´s in a city or in a house with no electricty in the mountains, a person can still clean up and be beautiful. The difference is, bugs and mud don´t bother the girls here, and that´s some +Cool Points.
CJ and I have cut all the wood necessary for the autoclave, and are just about ready to begin construction next week. It´s very exciting, and I am glad to be rolling ahead with the project. I am trying to have the women and staff participate as well. They can earn hours by working with us, and then use those hours to buy something from the Green Store, which could be clothes or toys or cookware, etc. Hours is an interesting and convenient form of monies for projects like this.
I have decided that I am about ready to teach the locals how to play Ultimate. I was waiting to pick up more Spanish, but it is almost time. I will make an announcement at tomorrow´s women´s meeting for Las Mujeras Solares, which occurs every Monday at 3PM, saying that I will be teaching a fun new game on the Wednesday following this Wednesday, and that they should encurage their families and friends´families to come on by. This is another mini-project that I am very excited for.
***
So everything above was written on Sunday, and it is now Wednesday that I am finishing this up. This is because the power cut out as I was halfway through, and would not be back on for the rest of the day. A testament to the hurricane I referred to earlier.
I did tell the women that I will teach Ultimate next Wednesday, and they liked the idea. CJ and I have also been working on the Solarr Autoclave, constructing and putting everything together. My hands are stained with paint from the work I have done today. I would also like to thank Matt and Pete for helping me out with the construction, and Roberto for giving me some wonderful input into the autoclave. Our business, which I mentioned in the first blog below, is also really taking off. I have a few other ventures in mind that would be much simpler and quicker to start up than the autoclave, which I hope to share with my teammates and work on maybe as a side project. Once again, I urge you to check out www.saluddelsol.org for the latest improved website.
An interesting story: apparently when Robert first arrived here, coming from Scotland into Guatemala, and then here, he had heard of Las Mujeras Solares and asked for them. However, he mispronounced it and asked for ¨mujeras solas¨, which means ¨single women¨. The locals were... confused, to say the least?
Spanish lessons are also really picking up. We are getting into some of the stuff that I really wanted to know, such as how to say verbs in past and future tenses, etc. Because, once I know this, I can apply it to almost every verb I learn, and at least get a better sense across than what I probably currently do. However, my Spanish is going really well. I am able to converse pretty well with most of the locals, especially the kids. My weak point, as anywhere, is being able to hear what they are saying; to pick out the different words, etc.
So, after three days, I have finally finished this blog. I think it´s about time that I get going again... I am looking for a few things here in Ocotal, then I am going to go home for dinner. After dinner, I am helping a girl study for her English test tomorrow. I also learned a pretty cool game during class today that I hope to play with Robert and Scarlett tonight, which is to write down (in Spanish!) a place, famous person, object, color, and animal that all start with the same letter before anyone else can. It is a great way to excercise vocabulary. I expect Scarlett to beat us everytime, because she´s been speaking the language for 11 years (cheat), but then we can ask her what a certain word was, and so on.
They told me everyone would get sick, but no sickness for Daniel yet. Score.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Another Day in the Sun
It has been about a week since my last post, but about a month´s worth of events have been played over. There is so much to share that I fear I won´t be able to share it all.But I promised to talk about a few things, and then some.
Soccer. Every day at 5 the community kids (and older) get together to play soccer. I´ve played with them a few times now, and it has been a blast. The rules are very basic, and there are way too many men on the field. But it´s all great fun, and I have really enjoyed it... I can hold my own in soccer. I love yelling in Spanish, because it´s just more fun that way.
As I´ve mentioned, there is a large town about 20 minutes bus ride north of Sabana Grande, called Ocotal. It has hardware stores, grocery stores, restaurants, and internet cafes, among other things. This is where we will go to do most of our shopping for food and materials, as well as to use the internet. Today, however, I am in a town called Esteli, which is a 2 hour bus ride south of Sabana Grande. Esteli is much larger, and offers a much greater variety. Here I am purchasing a few materials for the solar autoclave that I can´t get in Ocotal, as well as drawing out money, because no ATMs in Ocotal take Mastercard.
Ocotal was the first city ever to undergo aerial bombardment, courtesy of the United States Marine Corps.
The project is moving along wonderfully. CJ, who I´ve mentioned is one of the non-UD volunteers here, has been here with his wife, Jenny, since last July, and is here until this July. He has, quite literally, written the manual on solar cookers, and so is the ultimate expert on them. I have recruited him to help me with a modified solar cooker which can be used for my solar autoclave. He needs a few more pictures and details for his manual as well, so it is mutually beneficial.
We have ordered the necessary word needed for the construction, and it will be here by Friday morning. On Friday, we will work with the village carpenter, Marcio, to cut them down to size and fabricate the wood as otherwise necessary. Marcio is an exquisite carpenter, and makes gorgeous beds, dressers, cabinets, tables, ect. He runs the most profitable business at Sabana Grande.
I am excited to have their help. I am also excited that the project is finally moving ahead here in Nicaragua, after 8 months of planning. Today, as I have mentioned, I am in Esteli gathering the funds necessary for the carpentry work, as well as a few materials that are inacessible elsewhere, mainly window locks wich will be used for the door of the autoclave. This also leaves tommorrow and Thursday to get everything else necessary from Ocotal, and have everything prepared for Friday´s construction. I´m excited!
Even though it is the rainy season, it really has not rained too much yet. Patience, though.
Once again I need to express my affection for Scarlett, because she has been a great niece. She has me hold her hand when we go adventuring, and we play UNO together, as well as watched Ratatouille (my favorite animated film ever) in Spanish together with Roberto, the brilliant Scottish live-in. I have taught her how to play Egyptian Ratscrew, as well as Hangman, which is great for learning the alphabet and other words. (We play in Spanish of course). She taught me how to play Speed, even though I already knew how to play. Also, every day I take home children´s books from the library at the Solar Center, and we read them together. She reads a page, and then I read one, and then she corrects me. Every now and then, we will get something in English, which Roberto and I will have her read. Her English is very heavy, and she doesn´t understand, but she is getting better with the sounds and pronunciations.
Large groups of us did go adventuring. Saturday we all went out on a hike along a river, stepping along the stones, trying not to fall in. At the end of the rainbow was a waterfall, which fed into a very large swimming hole, into which a few locals and some other crazies (ahem Pete) did not hesitate to jump into. I watched for awhile, thinking that I knew exactly what fed into the swimming from the stream overhead. However, I can´t resist cliff diving and just general merriment, so I eventually swam too. Rather, I dove (head-first, mind you), then swam for a few seconds, them climbed right out and rinsed off. Matteo (Matt) fell ill that night. He was apparently under the weather, but swimming in the cess pool - read: swimming hole - was certainly the straw that broke the camels back.
We also hiked up a very large mountain. It was spectacular, the view. And very dangerous. Unfortunately, I still do not have a camera, so I was not able to take pictures. I do expect to be tagged in Facebook by the others, though! When Lori arrives in a few weeks, she will be bringing a new camera for me with her. =]
My Spanish has been improving dramatically, mostly because I am studying very, very hard. Like I mentioned, I take home children´s books every day, which I read both by myself and with Scarlett and Roberto. I also listen to my Spanish tapes once a day, which are in half hour sessions. Also, every morning, from 8 to 10, the four of us UD volunteers have been taking Spanish classes with 2 professors that come in from Totogalpa, five minutes away. Finally, I just try to talk Spanish whenever I can. Last night, I had a dream where I spoke Spanish!
Ok, so it has come to that time again where I need to get going. I do enjoy relaying what I can to you all, but I also have other tasks on my to-do lists. For those of you checking in from your other ETHOS locations, I sincerely hope your trips are going equally well. Also, I hope everything in the US is swell, and that gas prices have jumped down to 0.50 cents a gallon (no? What are they?).
Peace to all,
-Daniel
Soccer. Every day at 5 the community kids (and older) get together to play soccer. I´ve played with them a few times now, and it has been a blast. The rules are very basic, and there are way too many men on the field. But it´s all great fun, and I have really enjoyed it... I can hold my own in soccer. I love yelling in Spanish, because it´s just more fun that way.
As I´ve mentioned, there is a large town about 20 minutes bus ride north of Sabana Grande, called Ocotal. It has hardware stores, grocery stores, restaurants, and internet cafes, among other things. This is where we will go to do most of our shopping for food and materials, as well as to use the internet. Today, however, I am in a town called Esteli, which is a 2 hour bus ride south of Sabana Grande. Esteli is much larger, and offers a much greater variety. Here I am purchasing a few materials for the solar autoclave that I can´t get in Ocotal, as well as drawing out money, because no ATMs in Ocotal take Mastercard.
Ocotal was the first city ever to undergo aerial bombardment, courtesy of the United States Marine Corps.
The project is moving along wonderfully. CJ, who I´ve mentioned is one of the non-UD volunteers here, has been here with his wife, Jenny, since last July, and is here until this July. He has, quite literally, written the manual on solar cookers, and so is the ultimate expert on them. I have recruited him to help me with a modified solar cooker which can be used for my solar autoclave. He needs a few more pictures and details for his manual as well, so it is mutually beneficial.
We have ordered the necessary word needed for the construction, and it will be here by Friday morning. On Friday, we will work with the village carpenter, Marcio, to cut them down to size and fabricate the wood as otherwise necessary. Marcio is an exquisite carpenter, and makes gorgeous beds, dressers, cabinets, tables, ect. He runs the most profitable business at Sabana Grande.
I am excited to have their help. I am also excited that the project is finally moving ahead here in Nicaragua, after 8 months of planning. Today, as I have mentioned, I am in Esteli gathering the funds necessary for the carpentry work, as well as a few materials that are inacessible elsewhere, mainly window locks wich will be used for the door of the autoclave. This also leaves tommorrow and Thursday to get everything else necessary from Ocotal, and have everything prepared for Friday´s construction. I´m excited!
Even though it is the rainy season, it really has not rained too much yet. Patience, though.
Once again I need to express my affection for Scarlett, because she has been a great niece. She has me hold her hand when we go adventuring, and we play UNO together, as well as watched Ratatouille (my favorite animated film ever) in Spanish together with Roberto, the brilliant Scottish live-in. I have taught her how to play Egyptian Ratscrew, as well as Hangman, which is great for learning the alphabet and other words. (We play in Spanish of course). She taught me how to play Speed, even though I already knew how to play. Also, every day I take home children´s books from the library at the Solar Center, and we read them together. She reads a page, and then I read one, and then she corrects me. Every now and then, we will get something in English, which Roberto and I will have her read. Her English is very heavy, and she doesn´t understand, but she is getting better with the sounds and pronunciations.
Large groups of us did go adventuring. Saturday we all went out on a hike along a river, stepping along the stones, trying not to fall in. At the end of the rainbow was a waterfall, which fed into a very large swimming hole, into which a few locals and some other crazies (ahem Pete) did not hesitate to jump into. I watched for awhile, thinking that I knew exactly what fed into the swimming from the stream overhead. However, I can´t resist cliff diving and just general merriment, so I eventually swam too. Rather, I dove (head-first, mind you), then swam for a few seconds, them climbed right out and rinsed off. Matteo (Matt) fell ill that night. He was apparently under the weather, but swimming in the cess pool - read: swimming hole - was certainly the straw that broke the camels back.
We also hiked up a very large mountain. It was spectacular, the view. And very dangerous. Unfortunately, I still do not have a camera, so I was not able to take pictures. I do expect to be tagged in Facebook by the others, though! When Lori arrives in a few weeks, she will be bringing a new camera for me with her. =]
My Spanish has been improving dramatically, mostly because I am studying very, very hard. Like I mentioned, I take home children´s books every day, which I read both by myself and with Scarlett and Roberto. I also listen to my Spanish tapes once a day, which are in half hour sessions. Also, every morning, from 8 to 10, the four of us UD volunteers have been taking Spanish classes with 2 professors that come in from Totogalpa, five minutes away. Finally, I just try to talk Spanish whenever I can. Last night, I had a dream where I spoke Spanish!
Ok, so it has come to that time again where I need to get going. I do enjoy relaying what I can to you all, but I also have other tasks on my to-do lists. For those of you checking in from your other ETHOS locations, I sincerely hope your trips are going equally well. Also, I hope everything in the US is swell, and that gas prices have jumped down to 0.50 cents a gallon (no? What are they?).
Peace to all,
-Daniel
Friday, May 23, 2008
Tengo un Gato en mis Pantalones
Hey All!
I like using these Spanish keyboards, because they have so many more options than our boring US keyboards. ñ,ç,¿,€,¡,º,ª... esta bien. Most keys have three symbols on them, rather than two, so they require two shifts, the second being AltGr.
Anyway, I have arrived in Sabana Grande! It is as awesome and beautiful as I thought it´d be, if not more so. I erred when I said that Sabana Grande meant ¨Great Plains¨, because apparently it means ¨Big Sheet¨. It is also in a bit different location than I thought: 20 minutes south of Ocotal, not Esteli.. though it is near Esteli. My apologies.
Here I am surrounded by mountains and farmland, and there are cities nearby. We are staying in a community, with some clusters of houses here and there. The Centro de Solar, or Solar Center, is the center of activity. It is very impressive, as it was only very recently built and runs entirely on solar power. In it they have a tool room, a storeroom, a meeting room, an office, and a library. It sits on 3-and-a-half acres of land, on which they also have an automatic pump for a well, a composting latrine, and many organic gardens. They also have a construction area, where they make Adobe, and are planning to build a hotel and a restaurant. Both of these would also be run entirely on solar power, and the food would be cooked using the solar cookers! I am very excited about this, and I definitely want to come back to see them.
My house is wonderful. We have electricity (most houses in this area are connected to the national grid), and so have light at night. We also have the only refigerator (at least one of the only ones that I know of), and so that is a big deal to the community. My mother is a great businesswoman... she makes heladeto, a sort of ice treat, that she sells for 1ç (Cordoba), which is very cheap. Currently, 19ç is to $1. My mother, Dona Carmen, also pays others to do laundry, and generating business is very important in the community. As good a businesswoman as Dona Carmen is, however, she is an even better cook. I get exquisite meals, and a plethora of variety, 3 times a day: desayuno, almuerzo, y cena.
I have 28-year-old brother, Yenner (pronounced with a slightly rolled r, almost like ¨Yenen¨), who I don´t see much because he is always working, on a farm I presume. my niece Scarlett, however, I see a lot (when I am not working or she is not in school). She stays with us, and Dona Carmen has her eat with me. She is 11, and has a very large reputation for being great with volunteers such as myself. She corrects our Spanish, and is extremely patient with us. We play games such as UNO together, and she is a quiet, proud, and sweet girl. Not too mention wayy too smart to be in the community for much longer.
It is cooler up in the mountains, but it rains more. It is the beginning of the rainy season, where it pours for about an hour every day. Truthfully, the climate is temperate and perfect for me. Bugs are not too much of a problem, except for an hour after it rains (Mudflies cloud the skies, but only for awhile). Never fear, however, because I do have my bounce sheets in my room!
Showers are taken with a bucket. You get a bucket of water, a little bowl, and a closed-off area outside somewhere, and just scoop and pour. Lather, rinse, scoop, pour, repeat. It´s great. You are in much more control of the water, and don´t waste nearly as much. The temperature of water depends on the time of day you are taking the shower (I love the cold showers because they are much more refreshing here, but if you want a warm shower you´ll be taking it during your lunch break). The bathrooms are latrines, where they dig very large, deep holes, and just place a sort of open-bottomed port-a-potty over it. Sure it´s no Ramada Inn, but you learn to live with it just fine... they are even pretty clean.
I gotta tell you folks, as disgusting as that may seem to you Americans, it is great. Like I said, you live with it just fine, and there are lots of advantages to both.
I am also staying with another volunteer... a 44-year-old Scottish man they call Roberto (roll the first r). We eat and work together, and he is something else. Bob has been a wonderful help in my time here so far, because he has been able to give me all the ins and outs of the village. He showed me how to use the shower, where to get clean water, how to chase away the dogs, not to wear sunglasses when talking to people, etc. He is chock full of great information for me, which I try to pass along to the other volunteers. He is also very bright, and is extremely interested in my solar autoclave project. Unfortunately, Bob is leaving us in two weeks. He has been here for 3 months working on getting the women to cook using pressure cookers in the solar cookers rather than over a stove. He discovered that they can make Chocolate cake using the pressure cookers, which is the only reason they are excited about it (even thought there´s certainly tons of other applications). What an amazing gift from God that I brought a pressure cooker for testing too.
Several other non-UD volunteers, CJ, Jenny, and Emily, have all also been a huge help. They´ve given us maps of the community and the towns, vocabulary lists and phrases, and showed us a few other things as well.
Whew, I feel like I have so much more to share, but I am running out of time. Remind me to talk to you about Soccer, Ocotal, and Spanish.
Oh, one last thing. Unfortunately, my camera has died. I am trying to get a new one, but it could be some time. As a result, I will not be able to post any pictures until then. I am sorry, and I will post some as soon as I can.
Reminding you to conserve water, this is Daniel signing off.
I like using these Spanish keyboards, because they have so many more options than our boring US keyboards. ñ,ç,¿,€,¡,º,ª... esta bien. Most keys have three symbols on them, rather than two, so they require two shifts, the second being AltGr.
Anyway, I have arrived in Sabana Grande! It is as awesome and beautiful as I thought it´d be, if not more so. I erred when I said that Sabana Grande meant ¨Great Plains¨, because apparently it means ¨Big Sheet¨. It is also in a bit different location than I thought: 20 minutes south of Ocotal, not Esteli.. though it is near Esteli. My apologies.
Here I am surrounded by mountains and farmland, and there are cities nearby. We are staying in a community, with some clusters of houses here and there. The Centro de Solar, or Solar Center, is the center of activity. It is very impressive, as it was only very recently built and runs entirely on solar power. In it they have a tool room, a storeroom, a meeting room, an office, and a library. It sits on 3-and-a-half acres of land, on which they also have an automatic pump for a well, a composting latrine, and many organic gardens. They also have a construction area, where they make Adobe, and are planning to build a hotel and a restaurant. Both of these would also be run entirely on solar power, and the food would be cooked using the solar cookers! I am very excited about this, and I definitely want to come back to see them.
My house is wonderful. We have electricity (most houses in this area are connected to the national grid), and so have light at night. We also have the only refigerator (at least one of the only ones that I know of), and so that is a big deal to the community. My mother is a great businesswoman... she makes heladeto, a sort of ice treat, that she sells for 1ç (Cordoba), which is very cheap. Currently, 19ç is to $1. My mother, Dona Carmen, also pays others to do laundry, and generating business is very important in the community. As good a businesswoman as Dona Carmen is, however, she is an even better cook. I get exquisite meals, and a plethora of variety, 3 times a day: desayuno, almuerzo, y cena.
I have 28-year-old brother, Yenner (pronounced with a slightly rolled r, almost like ¨Yenen¨), who I don´t see much because he is always working, on a farm I presume. my niece Scarlett, however, I see a lot (when I am not working or she is not in school). She stays with us, and Dona Carmen has her eat with me. She is 11, and has a very large reputation for being great with volunteers such as myself. She corrects our Spanish, and is extremely patient with us. We play games such as UNO together, and she is a quiet, proud, and sweet girl. Not too mention wayy too smart to be in the community for much longer.
It is cooler up in the mountains, but it rains more. It is the beginning of the rainy season, where it pours for about an hour every day. Truthfully, the climate is temperate and perfect for me. Bugs are not too much of a problem, except for an hour after it rains (Mudflies cloud the skies, but only for awhile). Never fear, however, because I do have my bounce sheets in my room!
Showers are taken with a bucket. You get a bucket of water, a little bowl, and a closed-off area outside somewhere, and just scoop and pour. Lather, rinse, scoop, pour, repeat. It´s great. You are in much more control of the water, and don´t waste nearly as much. The temperature of water depends on the time of day you are taking the shower (I love the cold showers because they are much more refreshing here, but if you want a warm shower you´ll be taking it during your lunch break). The bathrooms are latrines, where they dig very large, deep holes, and just place a sort of open-bottomed port-a-potty over it. Sure it´s no Ramada Inn, but you learn to live with it just fine... they are even pretty clean.
I gotta tell you folks, as disgusting as that may seem to you Americans, it is great. Like I said, you live with it just fine, and there are lots of advantages to both.
I am also staying with another volunteer... a 44-year-old Scottish man they call Roberto (roll the first r). We eat and work together, and he is something else. Bob has been a wonderful help in my time here so far, because he has been able to give me all the ins and outs of the village. He showed me how to use the shower, where to get clean water, how to chase away the dogs, not to wear sunglasses when talking to people, etc. He is chock full of great information for me, which I try to pass along to the other volunteers. He is also very bright, and is extremely interested in my solar autoclave project. Unfortunately, Bob is leaving us in two weeks. He has been here for 3 months working on getting the women to cook using pressure cookers in the solar cookers rather than over a stove. He discovered that they can make Chocolate cake using the pressure cookers, which is the only reason they are excited about it (even thought there´s certainly tons of other applications). What an amazing gift from God that I brought a pressure cooker for testing too.
Several other non-UD volunteers, CJ, Jenny, and Emily, have all also been a huge help. They´ve given us maps of the community and the towns, vocabulary lists and phrases, and showed us a few other things as well.
Whew, I feel like I have so much more to share, but I am running out of time. Remind me to talk to you about Soccer, Ocotal, and Spanish.
Oh, one last thing. Unfortunately, my camera has died. I am trying to get a new one, but it could be some time. As a result, I will not be able to post any pictures until then. I am sorry, and I will post some as soon as I can.
Reminding you to conserve water, this is Daniel signing off.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Arriving in Managua
So I have arrived in Nicaragua! The flights and all went smoothly, and so we arrived in Managua around 11:30, local time, which is just two hours behind New York.
The view from the plane was amazing, of course. We saw many mountains and trees, craters filled with water. Lake Managua is very large, one of the largest in Central America, I believe. You can imagine, we were all very excited to be arriving. I had just a little trouble going through customs, because I was carrying multiple laptops, which added up to a value greater than the allowed cost of goods, so I had to pay a fee. It was to be expected.
We met with Amanda, who is the liason between ETHOS and Grupo Fenix. She is from Buffalo, NY, and traveled with ETHOS before graduating in ´03, and has done Peace Corps in Nicaragua since then. She now works for Grupo Fenix, who is the company that ETHOS works closely with in Nicaragua. Amanda has been amazingly helpful; she is answering our many questions and translating for us. She took us all in a van, with our luggage, to the house of the family that Vince will be staying with this summer. We are staying with them in Managua for two nights.
They fed us an exquisite lunch. It was made up delicious and fresh chicken, rice, tomatoes, plantations, and some other fruits we don´t even know. Served up with some I-don´t-even-know fruit juice and water, it was perfect.
After thanking the mother, Amanda took us to an ATM, which is by far the most trouble I´ve had so far. We need to take out enough money, in dollars and cordobas, to last us for awhile out in the Great Plains.
Then, we walked through a town for a bit, including a mall. Vince has it made. His mother cooks great food, but there´s also an ice cream place, a radio shack, a quiznos, and a mcdonalds right by him. It is quite nice. Apparently tourism around here is really booming. It is a nice city, but you have to come here with low expectations for ¨nice¨. Basically, people have cars, clothes, and homes, even if the cars, clothes, and homes aren´t the greatest. I personally think it´s all beautiful. And the people have been extremely helpful. Everyone gives us directions, and a man even gave us all maps.
We are now sitting in a very hot internet cafe (the pilot said it was 88 deg F when we landed this morning. I actually did not feel too uncomfortably hot until I sat down here). They sell burgers here, and internet for cheap. I am surrounded by my peers and locals who are asking me how to upload photos onto an email.
Tonight, Amanda said, the plan is ¨nothing¨. We will probably lay low and play some card games and get some rest, maybe try our luck at Spanish with the family (not many people here speak English at all). Tomorrow we are going to get a more formal tour of the city, including Grupo Fenix, where she works.
I am very excited to be here, and it´s hard to believe that there is much to worry about. So, don´t worry, things seem great. I am also excited to go out to Sabana Grande in a few days. Apparently my mother is one of the best cooks in the village!
From Managua, Nicaragua, I´m signing off for now,
-Daniel
The view from the plane was amazing, of course. We saw many mountains and trees, craters filled with water. Lake Managua is very large, one of the largest in Central America, I believe. You can imagine, we were all very excited to be arriving. I had just a little trouble going through customs, because I was carrying multiple laptops, which added up to a value greater than the allowed cost of goods, so I had to pay a fee. It was to be expected.
We met with Amanda, who is the liason between ETHOS and Grupo Fenix. She is from Buffalo, NY, and traveled with ETHOS before graduating in ´03, and has done Peace Corps in Nicaragua since then. She now works for Grupo Fenix, who is the company that ETHOS works closely with in Nicaragua. Amanda has been amazingly helpful; she is answering our many questions and translating for us. She took us all in a van, with our luggage, to the house of the family that Vince will be staying with this summer. We are staying with them in Managua for two nights.
They fed us an exquisite lunch. It was made up delicious and fresh chicken, rice, tomatoes, plantations, and some other fruits we don´t even know. Served up with some I-don´t-even-know fruit juice and water, it was perfect.
After thanking the mother, Amanda took us to an ATM, which is by far the most trouble I´ve had so far. We need to take out enough money, in dollars and cordobas, to last us for awhile out in the Great Plains.
Then, we walked through a town for a bit, including a mall. Vince has it made. His mother cooks great food, but there´s also an ice cream place, a radio shack, a quiznos, and a mcdonalds right by him. It is quite nice. Apparently tourism around here is really booming. It is a nice city, but you have to come here with low expectations for ¨nice¨. Basically, people have cars, clothes, and homes, even if the cars, clothes, and homes aren´t the greatest. I personally think it´s all beautiful. And the people have been extremely helpful. Everyone gives us directions, and a man even gave us all maps.
We are now sitting in a very hot internet cafe (the pilot said it was 88 deg F when we landed this morning. I actually did not feel too uncomfortably hot until I sat down here). They sell burgers here, and internet for cheap. I am surrounded by my peers and locals who are asking me how to upload photos onto an email.
Tonight, Amanda said, the plan is ¨nothing¨. We will probably lay low and play some card games and get some rest, maybe try our luck at Spanish with the family (not many people here speak English at all). Tomorrow we are going to get a more formal tour of the city, including Grupo Fenix, where she works.
I am very excited to be here, and it´s hard to believe that there is much to worry about. So, don´t worry, things seem great. I am also excited to go out to Sabana Grande in a few days. Apparently my mother is one of the best cooks in the village!
From Managua, Nicaragua, I´m signing off for now,
-Daniel
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Preparing for Departure
So it's Saturday and I'm outta here on Monday, bright and early. Actually, the sun won't even be up when I leave. I blame Vince for the itinerary and early start.
I've been home in Hudson, Ohio, for a few days now, and have been preparing for Nicaragua ever since! 10 weeks is a long time to be gone, and I have a lot to do, so I have tried to make preparations accordingly. I picked up plenty of testing equipment (Thermocouples and Data Acquisition Systems, or DAQs) from UD last week, and have been shopping for other various materials throughout. Now, I have everything pretty much laid out and ready to be put into the suitcase.
As a result, however, the house is a mess. Mother won't show the house while I am home because my room is a blackhole of clothes and various travel items. She says she's nervous about me leaving for Nicaragua, and that she is going to miss me, but I'm sure a part of her will be glad that I am gone as well.
Packing has gone smoothly, and I am extremely thankful for all my previous travel experiences, which have all combined, cultivated, and culminated into this one unique and very different travel experience. I have a few travel tips, items which I have crossed off my personal travel list:
- bring plenty of dryer sheets. Clothes love 'em, bugs hate 'em.
- bring ziploc baggies. Sometimes, toiletries explode. Also, baggies can protect things from the environmentals.
- Duct tape. If duct tape can't fix it, give up all hope.
- copies of your passport (plural if you happen to be a fugitive) and credit cards.
- don't settle for a bug spray with less than 25% deet.
- I never leave home without a frisbee. It doubles as a plate.
Research indicates that Nicaragua will be hot. It happens to lie just above the Equator, and seems to recieve little Hadley Cell wind. Sabana Grande itself means "Great Plains", which pretty accurately describes where we will be staying. Whilst it is not labeled on the map above, You can easily find Managua, and then Esteli straight above that. Sabana Grande, to the best of my knowledge, is just SE of Esteli (but really a great distance away).
Prepartions have gone pleasantly smoothly, and now we pray to The Lord for safe travels, and that the plane be completely devoid of snakes. My Continental flight leaves Cleveland, with my fellow travel companions and I on board, at 5:55AM Monday morning, the 19th of May. We travel to Houston, then arrive in Managua, Nicaragua, at 11:28AM. They are only two hours behind New York time.
With that, I am about to go finish up some packing details, and actually start stuffing my suitcase! It's likely that the next time I am able to convey something, it will be from somewhere in Nicaragua! Again, please pray for the safety, happiness and wellbeing of all my travel companions and I, and I will see you on the flip side.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Welcome to the blog
Hey everyone!
Here is a simple blogging site that I set up so that you all can check on the status of my adventures in Nicaragua this summer. I thank you all SO much for your support thus far, and am really looking forward to sharing more about my experiences with you over the next 3 months!
Remember to check here every once and a while if you are interested in seeing what we are doing/the work we are performing. At this time it is hard to say how much access I will have to an internet station, but my guess is that I will be able to fill you all in at least once a week, complete with lovely pictures and my very own stupendous prose. You can even leave comments, which I would thoroughly enjoy. (you may have to sign up, but it's free and takes about 2.37 seconds).
If you don't already know, the purpose of my trip this summer is what's formally labeled as an Internship, but is really service work. I am traveling with ETHOS (Engineers in Technical and Humanitarian Opportunities for Service-learning)... think of this as the University of Dayton version of Peace Corps, for enginerds. I am traveling to Nicaragua with fellow enginerds Vince Romanin, Matt Wills, Peter Kolis, Lori Hanna, and an enrepeneur-major, Anna Young. Vince is staying in the capital city of Managua, while the rest of us are going up into the mountains of never-never land, otherwise known as Sabana Grande, Nicaragua. Lori, Anna and I will be working on starting our business, Salud del Sol, meaning "Health of the Sun". Check out http://www.saluddelsol.org/ for our website and a bit more info.
Our plan this summer is to finalize testing on the Solar Autoclave, ending in working prototypes, and then beginning production and sales by the end of the summer. We will also be holding business education classes, teaching the local groups, such as Las Mujeras Solares and Grupo Fenix, how to run a business efficiently. This part of the plan is very important to us, because we want to create jobs for these groups and the locals, and they will have a form of income. With this knowledge, they will be able to carry on the production and sales of solar autoclaves long after we have gone back to school in August.
Anyway, that was a really long welcome paragraph, and I hate long welcomes, so I will sign off for now. Thanks again for your continued support, and don't forget to check back in!
Peace and love,
-Daniel
Here is a simple blogging site that I set up so that you all can check on the status of my adventures in Nicaragua this summer. I thank you all SO much for your support thus far, and am really looking forward to sharing more about my experiences with you over the next 3 months!
Remember to check here every once and a while if you are interested in seeing what we are doing/the work we are performing. At this time it is hard to say how much access I will have to an internet station, but my guess is that I will be able to fill you all in at least once a week, complete with lovely pictures and my very own stupendous prose. You can even leave comments, which I would thoroughly enjoy. (you may have to sign up, but it's free and takes about 2.37 seconds).
If you don't already know, the purpose of my trip this summer is what's formally labeled as an Internship, but is really service work. I am traveling with ETHOS (Engineers in Technical and Humanitarian Opportunities for Service-learning)... think of this as the University of Dayton version of Peace Corps, for enginerds. I am traveling to Nicaragua with fellow enginerds Vince Romanin, Matt Wills, Peter Kolis, Lori Hanna, and an enrepeneur-major, Anna Young. Vince is staying in the capital city of Managua, while the rest of us are going up into the mountains of never-never land, otherwise known as Sabana Grande, Nicaragua. Lori, Anna and I will be working on starting our business, Salud del Sol, meaning "Health of the Sun". Check out http://www.saluddelsol.org/ for our website and a bit more info.
Our plan this summer is to finalize testing on the Solar Autoclave, ending in working prototypes, and then beginning production and sales by the end of the summer. We will also be holding business education classes, teaching the local groups, such as Las Mujeras Solares and Grupo Fenix, how to run a business efficiently. This part of the plan is very important to us, because we want to create jobs for these groups and the locals, and they will have a form of income. With this knowledge, they will be able to carry on the production and sales of solar autoclaves long after we have gone back to school in August.
Anyway, that was a really long welcome paragraph, and I hate long welcomes, so I will sign off for now. Thanks again for your continued support, and don't forget to check back in!
Peace and love,
-Daniel
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