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
No comments:
Post a Comment