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
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
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
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