Sam's Nicaraguan Adventure: I'M A REALLL VOLUNTEER!!! (to be said with a Pinocchio voice)

11/26/10

It's official! I am finally a volunteer I finished my 3 months of training and now I am setting off my quest to improve Nicaraguan high school students' knowledge of English. All 43 of us came down to Managua on Sunday to get ready for the swearing ceremony the next day. The ceremony was great very similar setup to college graduation without the gowns. We had two people from our group give valedictorian speech in which they thanks the training staff and our host families for all their hard work and congratulated us for making it through training to become full fledged volunteers. I am really grateful for my host family. Especially after the problems I had with first host family, my second family took me in as own of their own family members. In fact my group of Nica 54 half environment and half TEFL is one of the few groups that made it through the entire training without somebody having to return back the States for medical or behavior reasons. Although I had nothing really to do with that I'm very proud of my group overall, and it was great to see all the same faces at the swearing ceremony that were in Granada.

The ceremony was held a super nice hotel in Managua. In attendance was the American Ambassador, as the keynote speaker, our Peace Corps Country Director, Training Director, and Program Directors. They all gave motivating speeches congratulating us on the progress we had made so far inspiring and motivating us for the challenges and successes we are going to have during our service. I really enjoyed the Ambassador's speech. He is a 30 year career diplomat and has worked around the world and he told us that no matter what projects and aid the US gives to developing countries, the most effective way to facilitate change and serve the people is by doing what we are doing. By living amongst the people we are serving we are showing them another side our American culture. His speech give me chills it was definitely on of my proudest moments. I really hope that I can improve my community stereotype beliefs that American are only good for their money filled wallets. I know there are already a few English teachers in La Dalia who have seen the professional and economic benefits of learning a foreign language, my only hope is that I can plant that seed it my high school students' heads.

After the ceremony I took my host mom out to lunch to thank her for all love and support she has given me, I wish that the rest of the family was able to come but they were busy with school and work. After lunch I returned back to the hotel to get ready for an early Thanksgiving dinner at our Peace Corps Country Director's house. The food was amazing!! I wasn't really expecting much since Nicaraguans don't celebrate thanksgiving and so probably wouldn't have all the traditional supplies. I was just happy to spend it with friends. I was dead wrong this was an amazing Thanksgiving with all the fixings you could possible imagine! Everything from sweet potatoes with marshmallows to cranberry sauce, green beans, and of course lots of mashed potatoes stuffing and turkey. I was very impressed it was so much fun the perfect send off for us all.

I was really excited to get to my site and start getting settled except I ended having to stay in the hotel in Managua for a week and get over my bronchitis that has been with me for about 3 weeks. Its been kinda boring especially after most the volunteers left on Tuesday. Fortunately there were other volunteers who were sick and so we were able to keep each other company. As infirmaries go the hotel the we were put up in was really nice. Wireless internet, cable tv with american channels and a pool I felt kind of spoiled and a little a sad to leave. However I made it back to La Dalia today (on saturday) I am just as glad to be back to my site. Managua is in nice to visit but like any big city its expensive and much more dangerous than my site.

I had hoped to get back before Friday so I could attend the last TEPCE teacher conference of the year, and introduce and establish myself, but it didn't work out. I don't really know what I am going to do over the summer break. I don't start teaching until the end of January. Its kind of a weird feeling having all this free time. During training we were always scheduled to do something, attending charlas, co-teaching and planning and daily Spanish class. There was always something to do and now we are really on our own, I am both excited and nervous about being on my own. As result I don't know how much I will have to write about until school starts but I will try and keep up on the weekly schedule. This week I am going to meet the mayor and police and librarian so I can start reading more in Spanish. I am also going to go visit my site mate who lives down the road. She is and environment volunteer and so has more of a to do list before school starts so maybe I can help her out with that.

Well that's all for now

Hasta pronto!