For those select few interested in world wide weather patterns, you have probably noticed the tropical storm ¨Alma¨ passing over Nicaragua right now. For those of you who are normal, that´s what´s up. School got cancelled almost nation-wide and there has already been one man killed. Despite these weather patterns and a serious lack of sleep last night due to an incesantly leaky roof, I got to meet the Embassador from the US in Managua at the Embassy while seeing a little presentation from them. On top of that, when I got back home I started to get restless. I couldn´t help myself and I went on what I think is about a six mile run to the nearest town there are more aspirantes in. My family thought I was crazy, as did my fellow aspirantes... I love to play in the rain!

I almost forgot... I wanted to briefly explain my living situation. I got the pimped out pad, by the way, and many of my fellow aspiranted have expressed some jealousy. My family has two parents and four children my age under the same roof. All six are university educated, on in the proces of it... astonishing by any yardstick. There are three bedrooms, a front room, a dining room, with full cable tv, and a kitchen. I have a seperate apartment behind the house with enough room for shelves, my bed, a dining room table and chairs, as well as my own bathroom with (cold) running water and a flush toilet. Now water doesn´t work all the time, and there are two leaks in my roof, but I really like my place. The concrete walls and tin roof are exaclty as I expected, but you barely notice them.

The tin roof, though is noticeable when it rains really heavily or when an iguana fall on the roof and scurries off. If I didn´t have to leave for my fukll service, I don´t think I would change anything about my current situation.

So I taught my second class today, which was fun. We did an activity called My Life in Ten Years. I´m going to f¡nish reading them all tonight and I can´t wait for it! Anyway, I thought I´d throw down another episode cuz I had a bad ass weekend. So Saturday was started off with 7:45 rendezvous for a nine o´clock class in the capital (standard approach considering that our classes have started at eight o´clock every day since we´ve arrived). My group is apparently not taking anymore classes because we are in the ¨Advanced Section.¨ I don´t buy it for second and almost wish we could take more classes. Although I suppose this is one of those first things the peace corps does to force you to learn on your own.

After class on Saturday I went home, had my gallopinto (Local mixture of rice and beans famous throughout Nicaragua) and went to the local market to buy a new shirt. It ended up being an interesting adventure weasling our way through mange-infested dogs. I bargained my way into a pretty cheap, decent shirt, though... mission accomplished. I went back fully intending on going to one of our towns biggest parties of the year, but promptly passed out. The next morning I woke up at seven thirty to go on a nine thirty hike down a trail in a near-by town with some fellow aspirantes. We hiked down to la Lagoona de Apoyo, which was gorgeous. Some fourteen of us spent the midday in the sweltering sun, enjoying the water in profoundly deep volcanic abyss. We took the bus back to Masatepe and had a traditional dish called bao. Bao is a rich mixture of platanos maduros and verdes, carne, and yuca steamed in a banana leaf. It´s served over rice with a vinegar rich salad... ricisimo!

After that I met up with a bunch of out of town aspirantes to watch the bull-fight/rodeo barrera. The entire afternoon was framed by a downpoor of tropical proportions (funny, huh?) I bought a beer, and a local drunk bought me another. From what I understood of his slurring, he liked Americans and wanted his son to learn English. I doubt any of that will come to fruition, though.

So although this was a much more active weekend than usual, I just realized how different my life is. I thought this weekend and my allocation of free time might highlight that. I never thought I would turn down a party cuz I was tired, and I never thought I would be teaching high schoolers... My next couple of weeks will more than likely be filled ith a lot more reading, so feel free to send the books! My e-mail is ogreynolds@ameritech.net if anyone wants to send any direct questions.

I never thought I would ever do what I did today, but it was really cool! I am teaching a business creativity class to high school students and today I taught my first class. Except for completely forgetting the spanish word for delivery (a crucial part of one of my examples) the class went great. The kids listened to me, I gave them a couple exercises and I was even hindered by being stuck in the library for that first session. I realized at the end of class some of them were elated and others disappointed that I had replaced their sex-ed class! Apparently the director, with whom I had spoken had not informed the professor of my arrival.

I forgot to mention a couple of things yesterday, so I´ll try to fill in the blanks. We´ve had a whorl-wind couple of weeks. Since my arrival here in Masatepe, I haven´t sat down long enough to write this all out. So here goes...

There are four volunteers here in my town, one of which is my college friend Jordan, with whom I lived abroad with in Spain. Neither of us can beleive it, but it makes sense cuz we were both in the "Advanced Language" group. Although considering my linguistic faults today in class, I´m not so sure I fit that category. We´ve given four presentations to the four classes we will teach, and we´ve gotten two youth groups together between us. Yesterday, another aspirante (translation for pre-volunteer trainee popular amongst nicaraguans) and I met with our youth group and had a field day. We did dizzy races, capture the flag and the ever cooling and electrifying water balloon toss.

On top of all that I´ve been trying to assaimilate to the culture, etc. The family I live with has been great and so has the peace corps staff, I couldn´t have asked for more. Maybe more time before I started teaching classes, but that is neither here nor there. I can´t wait until those of you who have had to go through teacher certification read this! I´m less than two weeks off the boat and I have a class and a youth group.

I have gotten my fair bit of mosquito bites, but nothing too severe cuz we´ve got these nifty little lizards that live inside and munch on all our bugs. Their downside is that they make a squealing noise that sounds (I lie not!) much like a crying child. I´ve even managed to eak out a workout routine my host family suggested. I have only done it once because before that I was running to the nearest town, but this one´s intense. I run down hill about three kilometers to la Laguna Masaya and bust my hump to get back into town before class. It´s so hot here during the afternoon, I´ve learned a new definition for early just to be able to run. I get up at five thirty on my run days and either way I´m in bed by ten o´clock every night! The few exeptions have been when we´ve gone out to the fiestas and I´ve gotten back at a staggering midnight... And no matter how much you sleep, you´re still tired all day cuz its so hot.

Don´t know how else to say this but the poverty is staggering at times. Most days when I´m with my college educated host family, I almost forget it. But the moment I walk outside, or worse, a diseased and shriveled old man walks in the house to beg for food, I am reminded that this ain´t Kansas anymore. I´ve completely stopped smoking, too, which is good. But it was quickly replaced with the lingering smoke that permeates everything: for the most part, trash is not disposed of the way we think of disposal in the states. This is an amazing country with some serious short-comings. I will return later this week to fill in some more gaps, but I´ve got to get back home, eat some dinner, knock out, and do it all again!

Synopsis of my first days

I´ve been here in Nicaragua for almost two weeks now. Just so we´re all on the same page, I left Chicago May 5th to Washington D.C. where we had our pre-training three day. We left on Wednesday morning for Managua, Nicaragua, the history-infused, though tattered capital. On arrival we were notified that while in-flight, what would be the nations longest transportation strike in history had been initiated and we were on our first level of alert. We were essentially on lock down. The next level, which would have brought all Peace Corps Volunteers to their departmental capitals, never happened. As a matter of fact the strike ended after twelve days this friday night and there is now a plethora of fresh produce on our table. During the strike it was impossible for anyone to get such normally consumed goods.

It is now 6:20 on Monday, May 19th, and besides this political battle, which I report on only to appease the masses who would have found their only news on Nicaragua as such, I am rather enjoying myself. I live with a fantastic family with four children 18 to 25, and a goddaughter of eight who is simply the cutest thing in the world. The 18 and 21 year old girls love taking me to the fiestas patronales which our town (just outside of Masaya) is in the middle of celebrating. There has been no end to the fireworks, which for the most part are entertaining, until a cascade of colors goes off in your room at 5am. The traditional music and dance has been an ongoing festivity as well.

I was caught off guard the other day, though, when instead of the big-band-type local music I was accustomed to was replaced. I was awoken by the sound of a funeral procession across the very narrow street from my family´s house. The music was simple and sad. It was familiar perhaps only for the fact that it elicited the same funerary awkwardness found anywhere.

Besides that I have gotten a chance to run with the bulls though the main streets to the barrera, which is somewhere between a rodeo, a bullfight and a drunk tank. For the most part people are taunting them, but the bulls do get their retribution at times. The town has been packed with people and there has been something to do every night. It has been an interesting way to start my time here. From Chi-town to Nica-town, I´m loving looking at Sox stats, stay in first place! Hope all is well at home... love and miss you all!

PS: If interested, Nature 0, Owen 1: I rocked a huge spider the other day... buenas noches arana.