20 de Julio, 2008

Times been roaring by but I feel like I get nothing accomplished. Life in Nicaragua is just like that I guess.
I was kicked out of my house a few weeks ago because I had a yoga book, so the neighbors say. But the dueno says it was because he is moving back. Either way, I had to rush and find a new house and organize all the logistics.
Although the house is not as nice, adobe walls, leaky roof, faulty light, no bano, pila thats broken, a falling down latrine, and a front door on the highway, I'm back by my host family and all the people I love, so that makes all the difference. The whole week moving in, all the kids and adults were over to help me clean, sweep, plant my garden, etc. And my host dad and all the chinguines came to help me move. And the kids were so enthusiastic with helping me that Im going to start a communal garden with the neighborhood kids in my backyard and let them manage it and take home all the veggies.
Although Ive moved in, I haven't spent one night there yet. I moved in last Wednesday, stayed with my host family and then left the next morning for a trip to the mountains of Matagalpa with some health workers from my area. We met up with the "Rancho" (one of the NGOs I work with) veterinarian and a brigade that came down from the states. We did a human and animal health clinic and I helped translate and do whatever else was needed. It was a really great experience, I learned a bunch about medicine, learned some spanish, got myself wormed and tested for malaria, and had a lot of fun hanging out with the Nicas from Managua and the Americans. And today, riding in the back of a pickup on the 4 hour ride through the green lush, waterfall filled mountains of Matagalpa, I really couldn't believe how lucky I was. Same yesterday tramping through the mountains to go work some cows.
I'm being very "vaga" and not doing much work in my community, but at least the trips are work related and I really feel like Im helping on these brigades. I feel like I can really relate to the people that are telling me their problems because I live their life most of the time. I never would have been able to do that if I hadn't lived in the campo for the last 7 months. And a recent comment by a Nicaraguan that I seem to be a Nica with a gringo face was complementary. And last week when my host mom casually said that "I'm family", I felt like all this time spent just getting to know people here is worth it. There are lots of down days and hard times to get through and many times when the cultural differences are just too much, but those good times remind me of what I'm doing here and why it's important. My spanish still has a long way to go, but it makes such a difference to be able to communicate and really know people, to develop relationships that can only come with time.
Work related, all us Peace Corps girls in my area and the affiliated organizations are starting our local farmers market in a few weeks. Unfortunately, I don't think its going to go that well because I dont really have any productores, just a few people with a few products. But we´ll see.
Im heading back to my site tomorrow, to only stay for a night or two and then off to a friends site and a day trip to a local womens coop where they make baskets out of pine needles. We're hoping to teach this skill to a few women in our communities as a way for them to start a business and make some money (since we live in pine forests).
Next week I´m heading to Managua for a 3 day hog cholera conferece by USDA and a visit to the ranch of the NGO I work with. And hopefully another brigade trip to do a horse clinic. And in between all that is my 30th birthday! Being here is helping me feel young!
Hasta luego!