Working Conditions

I am not a self-starter. In my first ever job evaluation, it was a main criticism my employer had (that and that I didn’t smile enough) and it’s been something that I have been trying to work on ever since. Therefore, I tend to make bold decisions that force me into situations where I have to step up and be proactive. Taking this internship in Nicaragua was one of those bold decisions. I was informed that this job would be “self-directed” and I was excited and nervous for the challenge. Along with all the cultural changes, it has been quite an adjustment having a job where my boss is in a different country, and a different time zone. I have the freedom to decide upon my own hours, office space and deadlines. Sounds like an ideal job – but I’ve found it to be very daunting. I am grateful for my supervisors who are giving me the benefit of the doubt and have the patience while I try and figure this all out on my own. I’m trying to enjoy this process and am learning a lot about myself and my work ethic in the meantime.
While I'm trying to figure out what work schedule works best for me, I've been taking photos at the office.

Out and about in Managua

As I formulate my thoughts for my next blog entry, I thought I would post a few photos around Managua to satisfy anyone's cravings for a blog update.


The address to my home is "from the tree, in the San Judas neighbourhood, 2 blocks south and 2 blocks up". This is a photo of said tree "el ceibo".

This is the truck that I use as a marker for where I live. I don't think the truck is going anywhere anytime soon.

A lot of the streets here use these stones as paving. I've been told it's easier to fix the streets after an earthquake if they use these stones instead of pavement. But they also cause for a bumpy ride.

Ginger's cousins (though "cousin" is used loosely) outside my house. You can see my second floor room at the top left.

Something I am still getting used to seeing in Managua are the occasional horses as a means of transportation. I was the recipient of many whistles and cat calls from these guys after I busted out the pink camera to take this photo.

Another shot of horses in traffic.

Vamos a la playa

I apologize for the overuse of Spanish in my blog titles - but I can't help it. I was determined to get to the beach this past weekend and "Vamos a la playa" became my mantra. For many reasons, I needed to get out of the city. The pollution and muginess of the city was starting to get to me and I really wanted to get out and explore and see what else Nicaragua had to offer. I was fortunate in finding travelling companion in Dustin, another MEDA intern.
My only requirements were that I wanted to 1. Swim in the ocean and 2. Lay on a beach so we were recommended going to Pochomil - a small local hangout about an hour bus ride away.
When we arrived at the beach it definitely felt local and "undiscovered". Though there were restaurants lining the beach, capable of serving hundreds of people, Dustin and I pretty much had the whole beach to ourselves.

At first, the emptiness was a little disconcerting. But after a dip in the ocean, I wasn't complaining. Post-swim, it was time for lunch and a little siesta on the hammock. We shared a drink with another international couple (French and Italian) before heading back on the last schoolbus out of town. I could have lived without the long and bumpy bus ride back in the rain, but after a cold shower I felt refreshed and satisfied with a day well spent.

No entiendo

This week I started my Spanish language classes. I opted for the "intensive" classes which means that I have 4 hours of class every afternoon, Monday to Friday. It's quite a lot considering I haven't been inside a classroom in over 4 years. I was afraid I couldn't concentrate for that long. But it's turning out not to be that bad. The classes are one on one so I'm liking all the personal attention. I have two hours of "conversation" with Maria, where we chat about random things and I get to ask her random questions about living in Nicaragua. And then after a wee break, 2 hours with Diederik and grammer lessons.
Diederik and Maria keep telling me how great I'm doing and that my Spanish is sooo good. It's kind of like a 4 hour ego boost. So I'm walking out of class thinking "I'm so great, I can speak Spanish". And then I get home and Graciela (the owner of the house) has about 10 people over for dinner. I am flooded with a gazillion new words coming at me and I barely understand a thing! There is no use looking up a word in the dictionary because by the time I find the word, the story has moved on and I don't even remember why I was looking up the word in the first place. So do I speak Spanish or not?
Everyone is saying that I will be fluent in no time. But I really can't believe that now. It seems impossible. I give up. I'm destined to only have basic conversations that happen in the present tense (because that's the only verb tense I know). I guess that means I'm not worrying about the past or the future - and only concentrating on the present.

Living in the country

This weekend the interns were invited to Keith's house for a fiesta/picnic.
It was an experience in itself just getting to his place. We took a minibus (with more people in it than I thought was possible) for an hour ride outside of the city. We were to be dropped off in front of the clock in a certain town (bus stops don't quite exist here) and then took a smaller scooter type taxi outside of that city to the catholic church. Reading the directions before we left I thought we'd never get there. But, about 1.5 hours later, we were dropped off in front of the Catholic church and a neighbor showed us to Keith's place.
We spent the afternoon getting to know Keith friends, I tried to start a game of baseball that failed, and we took a tour of Keith's 5 acres of land where he is growing coffee plants. I'm having a hard time finding the words to describe the lushness of the surroundings and the simple way in which someone can live, so I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

So Much to Say

There has been so much going on in the past few days that I don't really know where to begin. My head is bustling with plenty of little bits of information and I'm going to try my best now to formulate some complete thoughts.
The main thing that I have noticed since I arrived is how my expectations and my needs have plummeted. Last night I finally unpacked my bags. I remember packing in Canada and finding it hard to fit everything in that I thought I "needed". While unpacking, I felt like half of the "stuff" I had packed was frivolous. In Canada I am constantly surrounded by "stuff" and need many things to make me happy. Last night I had a shower with running water. There was no hot water, but irregardless, the running water was luxurious. Then I sat out on my porch, listened to some Bedouin Soundclash on my ipod, had a cold beer and I can't remember ever feeling so satisfied.
I believe they call my experience last night the "honeymoon period". My honeymoon seems to come and go. This morning, when I was woken up at 5AM by the rats or mice or whatever it is that lives on the roof of my bedroom - it was not part of the honeymoon.

This isn't Kansas anymore

Welcome to my blog.
This is the first time that I have entered the blogosphere so please be patient with me while I navigate this new environment.
I am also in the midst of navigating the new environment of Nicaragua. There is a lot of new happening.
I'm not going to lie - it's already been quite of an adjustment. I have just come from a crazy week of pampering and wedding events (congrats Deb & Ty!) and am now trying to adjust to a completely new environment.
It's a bit overwhelming right now but I'm looking forward to settling in and seeing more of the country.
I arrived in Managua last night, went to my new office to meet up with the new interns and my unofficial point person, Keith, who works at MEDA.
I was then introduced to my host family, and the place I will be calling home. My host family includes a single mom, who is my age, and her two daughters (10 years old and 6 months)
It's a pretty sweet set up, with my own bedroom, bathroom, spare room and porch. I spent the night showing the young girl, Ginger, and her cousin, photos from Toronto and answered their questions ("What is Toronto like?"; "What's it like to fly in a plane?") as best as I could - until I could no longer wrap my brain around the spanish language and had to call it a night.
Today will be taking care of some housekeeping and adjusting to everything.
I'm looking forward to more discoveries and being able to share my observations and stories with you.
I hope everyone enjoys it!