November 4, 2004

We're back! Yes, we rested a bit, but not nearly enough. My bronchitis is better, but still here, thanks to the cold snap we just had.

Our site visit was marvelous. It is quite possibly the most beautiful place in Nicaragua. They have PINE TREES!!!! It makes me think of home. :) A short hike up the hill next to our house reveals one of the most spectacular views of the entire countryside of low, rolling mountains covered with a mix of pine, cedar, cypress, citrus, bananas, pasture, corn, beans, sugar cane, palms, and a random assortment of other tropical trees.

Our host family is great, and they have a fixer-upper house right next door that they hope we will be able to use. The community is fairly large to walk around on foot, but the land is gorgeous, the houses are fairly well spaced out, and there's a lot of agricultural activity.

We visited all around the community the last couple days and feel pretty well-oriented now. We visited the primary school, where there is a lot of interest concerning a school garden, learning English, and learning to maintain computers. It should be a great place to start.

We also met with the director of the community board, and he's super excited to start working together, especially in teaching people how to grow a bunch of stuff in the small yards they all have. He's going to arrange a community-wide meeting (all 2000 people invited) for the first week in December to introduce us to the people and give us an opportunity to explain who we are, what Peace Corps is, and how we can help.

Last night we went to one of the most tiring church services I've ever been to. The whole service was a jumble of "A su nombre, GLORIA", "ALELUJAH", top-of-your voice singing while clapping your hands non-stop (songs which we didn't know any words to), impromptu everybody get down on both knees and pray loudly between random songs, and a sermon given by a screaming preacher that paced back-and-forth with a little spring to his step every time he closed his eyes and pointed to the sky, with a continuous flow of words that seemed to mean something about being a serious Christian and something about an inferno and heaven. Very different from what we are used to, but they seemed pretty exited about God, which made us feel strangely at home. Not the style of church we would necessarily choose in the States, but a good one nonetheless.

Kind of bummed to find out the reports of a cyber cafe in our nearest city were exaggerated, but encouraged to find the reports of cell phone coverage were not. We might not be able to quite get a signal in our house, but we definitely will be able to at the top of the hill a 3 minute walk away.

Our Spanish seems sufficient to get us by, but people still seem pretty frustrated by the fact that we can't understand much of what they say. Eventually, after working with us for a bit, they realize how to enunciate, but it can be pretty challenging. It is exhausting speaking just one day in all Spanish. We can't imagine how hard it will be once we are in site.

We've been making a really strong effort to note and remember everybody's names, though. They seem really impressed and flattered when we remember their names after the first time, so I hope the effort pays off. It's pretty nerve-racking, so many new faces.

Sorry, but no pictures for now. There was a miscommunication and the camera got left at our training site. We'll be back up there in a little over three weeks, though, so don't fear. They will get there eventually.