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!