Life in Bluefields

Hola a todos!

Since arriving in Bluefields, I realize that I have yet to write a blog post about what I’ve been doing for the past three weeks.  Therefore, I’ve written up a rough schedule for all of you who are interested:

Monday-Thursday: Usually during the week, I spend two days at each school observing classes and getting to know the students and teachers whom I will be working with. The teachers at both schools have been treating me well and giving me more food than I know what to do with! (Confession: I accidentally ate turtle the other day. I know, I know. I’m so ashamed. Environmental peeps, all I can say is “It’s delicious, and I’m sorry.”).  From what I can observe, there’s definitely a lot of work to be done. The lessons are mainly a lecture and copy format followed by a workbook activity at the end. Students aren’t really encouraged to participate, or think more deeply about the information they have learned. The good news is that there seem to be a lot of motivated teachers in both schools, so I’m fairly optimistic about the work that I can do over the next two years.

Friday: On Fridays, I usually either go back to one of the schools in the morning if I feel that I need more observation time, or I run errands.  The past three weeks, I have been working with a youth group run through the Alcaldia (the local unit of government). The age of the kids there ranges from 10-15, so it can be tough to find an activity that appeals to everyone. I’m really enjoying it working with them though, and am hoping to do a “summer camp” in January if I can pull it together in time. At night, I’ll usually go our dancing or grab a beer or two at LaLa’s with friends and fellow volunteers.

Saturdays and Sundays: Weekends are generally a time to relax and clean. Now before you start to get impressed by my dedication to cleaning here, I just want to point out that the even bare minimum weekly chores (aka: washing floors and clothes) take at least 4-5 hours since I 1) haul all the water that I use from a well and 2) wash all my clothes by hand. It’s really hard to think that I complained about doing laundry in the states when now it seems so luxurious to have a washing machine and drier. However, I have to admit that now I’m beginning to enjoy the process. It gives me a couple of hours to be by myself, think, and listen to podcasts that I’ve downloaded n my iPod.

And that is my exciting life in Nicaragua. For those of you trying to live vicariously through my experience, I’m sorry. It’s amazing how fast the novelty of living somewhere can wear off, turning what once felt like life in an alternate universe to the rustics of everyday life. Still every day I feel incredibly blessed for this opportunity to further expand my conceptualization of what it means to live “normally.” Until next time….