April 18
First of all, I would like to say, that my night wasn't as gross as thought it was going to be. Yesterday some guy came over to look at our toilet problems and he turned all the water off overnight because today the came back to flush out our whole septic system or something like that. Anyway, that meant that there was no water running in the house. This isn't actually that unusual so there is a big water tank in the garden/yard for showering when there isn't water. However, I am guessing that made some people quite uncomfortable.
Anyway, I was one of the only volunteers to go to school because I think Elba Zamora was the only school to have class today and there wasn't normal classes, there was only preschool. So, because none of the kids would want to go to school when their siblings aren't going, exactly 2 kids showed up. The teacher then decided that there wasn't much she could do school-wise so I basically babysat them the whole time. It was really fun to just hang out with the kids instead of having to worry about keeping them on track. We just played. The day went so fast.
One bummer. . . I learned that the preschool teacher doesn't know what a clarinet is!
April 19
Today I went to the beautiful Luguna de Apoyo. It is this volcanic crater that has been filled up with water. I got to swim, relax, and even kayak a little! The water felt so good! In the afternoon I didn't feel like swimming again (I got a bit burned) and so I just relaxed in a hammock and read my book of the moment, To Kill a Mockingbird. I decided to reread it when I saw it in a used bookstore here because I remembered that I really liked it when I read it freshman year, but I forgot a lot about it. I am now remembering all the things I loved about it. It is such a great book- and it makes you think. Yesterday I saw Mulholand Drive at this restaurant that shows movies a few times a week and I hated it. Well, hate is a strong word, I came out of the restaurant feeling bewildered and like the movie had no real worth. Apparently (someone told me) that the movie is supposedly making some statement about how a few people run Hollywood or something. Now, this is just my opinion, but when reading To Kill a Mockingbird, I am drawn in, I like the characters, and I get at least some of the point the author is trying to make. Isn't that a better way to make a point? In Mulholand Drive, I am completely sidetracked by the fact that the movie actually makes no sense, and I don't get any possible message. Oh, well that´s just my opinion of the moment.
April 20
Well, That sunburn I mentioned is a bit painful. I don't think I reapplied sun screen soon enough and the sun is really strong in the Luguna so I am basically a red version of that Guy in Big Fat Liar (this guy swam in a pool with blue dye in it). My legs hurt the most because the skin moves the most there and had gotten much less sun compared to my arms and face. I also think my left shin must of gotten the most sun because I have this pain in my shin but it only hurts a lot if I am off my feet for a bit and then stand up. If I continue to walk, it doesn't hurt that much.
April 21
Well, quite a few of volunteers have gotten sick recently and have gotten to see this doctor. He is one crazy guy. First of all, he is quite the talker. if someone went to visit him, they shouldn't expect to leave for at least 5 hours and they shouldn't expect him to restrain himself from laughing at you. One of the volunteers he found to be hilarious and he laughed at her quite a bit. Also, in addition to being a doctor, Dr. Sicily (that is what I will call him because he is from Sicily) is also a lawyer and a bit of a arms dealer (he sells guns I guess). Apparently, if he is looking for something in one of his drawers of this big elaborate desk he owns, he will casually pull out a gun and lay it on his desk. He also is fond of giving shots. . . in the butt. All the people I have heard about going there have gotten 3 or 4 shots in the behind. Crazy guy. I am definitely going to hold off if possible to going to visit Dr. Sicily. Although it would make for a good story. . .
April 22
Well I can just say that my left leg is pretty attractive. One might think my right leg is gorgeous, I mean, it does have the slowly fading splotchy sunburn that looks a little like a unfortunate birthmark, but my left leg actually outshines my right one. My left leg, somehow got a much more severe sunburn so in addition so the beautiful scarlet overtones, it has this kind of weird texture. it is kind of strangely smooth. Then, because my burn hurts a lot, I occasionally have this limp that is really worthy of NY fashion week or something. Plus, my left ankle has randomly decided to swell up. It doesn't hurt or itch or anything but I has a cankle effect that really would make any beauty queen jealous. Plus, because of my burns, I haven't really wanted to shave my legs so I now have man-legs. Seriously, if I was a contestant on America's Next Top Model, I would totally win. In fact, my left leg is so amazingly Helen of Troy-esque that on the first episode the would just name me ANTM right away. Beauty just comes easily to me. . .
April 23
Wow. . time as flown! As of today, I only have one more month left in Central America. It's weird to think about all the normal stuff from home that I haven't seen for two and a half months and all the things that are normal for me here that I won't see when I am back in the states. Some of it is obvious stuff like I haven't had graters or Chinese food or gone to a movie theater but I don't really miss it. It's like I have two different lives sort of. Like I am a different person here. My personality isn't that different (except for the fact that I haven't been the weird crazy person like am with my family- I don´t want to scare people) but the way I do things is different. When I want a treat at home, graters is the place to go. Here, I go across the street to the pulperia and get oreos and fast food isn't wendy's or Mc Donalds, it's grabbing a bag of mango slices or these cheesy tortillas from a lady in the park. Life is just sort of different here. It will be strange when I go home but I am looking forward to it. I am not really homesick but I am looking forward to being around people that I have known for longer than a couple months. To be in a place that I am totally familiar and comfortable with. Not that I am uncomfortable here, but it's not home (literally or culturally).
April 24
Well I haven't been doing much lately, just hanging around the house. My leg has been bothering me and I don't want to irritate my ankle by being to active (I want to discourage the cankleism) so I have been watching tv, reading, talking, etc. I did go out once to run a couple errands and I stopped by this used bookstore. I have this place because they have a fairly good selection for a store its size (tiny). You can buy books and then sell it back to them for half price. That's where I got To Kill a Mockingbird and this other book that I got which was stupid and so I sold it back for Persuasion. I haven't read many Jane Austen books but I love P&P but I had seen the movie before so I was familiar with the dialogue and plot which helped a lot. I am really excited to read it. YAY!!
I am really happy to report that I got my hands on some proper peanut butter! Becky picked some up for me at this stand that is on the way to the school she works at. It is so great! Seriously, peanut butter is like cigarrettes in prison here or something. It´s like that one thing that all the americans go crazy for. . . and I got some!
April 25
Because of my leg (that is now oozing junk) I have been watching a lot more tv lately, including the news. Specifically I have been watching CNN world. All week they have been focusing on what they are calling the global food crisis. It's scary stuff. I guess food prices are growing at a really high rate because of a lot of factors including alternative fuels. It doesn't look like it going to be getting better either and now people in haiti are eating mud with a little food mixed in and people in Egypt can only buy 7 eggs when not to long ago they could have bought 12 with the same amount of money. It is really scary. Sometimes the news can totally get me down. I mean between the food crisis and global warming and AIDS and poverty and corruption, sometimes it feels like we are in quite the slump. Maybe it also has to do with the poverty I see here. I am a little freaked out. but people were freaked out 100 years ago about things changing so hopefully it's just me being paranoid. right?
April 26
One thing that someone commented about the other day that has kind of stuck with me is that it must bother some of the poorer Nicaraguans to see all the rich gringos around here. In granada, there are a lot of gringos from europe and the states. Not only is this area popular for tourism, but it is a place where a lot of people have settled down. There are several buisnesses that specifically cater to gringos and there are a lot of touristy stands set up in the park. I wonder if it bothers people to be struggling for money when there are lots of people running around with lots of money in their pockets.
On a brighter note, I am really excited about the new facebook chat! I have been able to have conversations with my friends! I am very happy!
First of all, I would like to say, that my night wasn't as gross as thought it was going to be. Yesterday some guy came over to look at our toilet problems and he turned all the water off overnight because today the came back to flush out our whole septic system or something like that. Anyway, that meant that there was no water running in the house. This isn't actually that unusual so there is a big water tank in the garden/yard for showering when there isn't water. However, I am guessing that made some people quite uncomfortable.
Anyway, I was one of the only volunteers to go to school because I think Elba Zamora was the only school to have class today and there wasn't normal classes, there was only preschool. So, because none of the kids would want to go to school when their siblings aren't going, exactly 2 kids showed up. The teacher then decided that there wasn't much she could do school-wise so I basically babysat them the whole time. It was really fun to just hang out with the kids instead of having to worry about keeping them on track. We just played. The day went so fast.
One bummer. . . I learned that the preschool teacher doesn't know what a clarinet is!
April 19
Today I went to the beautiful Luguna de Apoyo. It is this volcanic crater that has been filled up with water. I got to swim, relax, and even kayak a little! The water felt so good! In the afternoon I didn't feel like swimming again (I got a bit burned) and so I just relaxed in a hammock and read my book of the moment, To Kill a Mockingbird. I decided to reread it when I saw it in a used bookstore here because I remembered that I really liked it when I read it freshman year, but I forgot a lot about it. I am now remembering all the things I loved about it. It is such a great book- and it makes you think. Yesterday I saw Mulholand Drive at this restaurant that shows movies a few times a week and I hated it. Well, hate is a strong word, I came out of the restaurant feeling bewildered and like the movie had no real worth. Apparently (someone told me) that the movie is supposedly making some statement about how a few people run Hollywood or something. Now, this is just my opinion, but when reading To Kill a Mockingbird, I am drawn in, I like the characters, and I get at least some of the point the author is trying to make. Isn't that a better way to make a point? In Mulholand Drive, I am completely sidetracked by the fact that the movie actually makes no sense, and I don't get any possible message. Oh, well that´s just my opinion of the moment.
April 20
Well, That sunburn I mentioned is a bit painful. I don't think I reapplied sun screen soon enough and the sun is really strong in the Luguna so I am basically a red version of that Guy in Big Fat Liar (this guy swam in a pool with blue dye in it). My legs hurt the most because the skin moves the most there and had gotten much less sun compared to my arms and face. I also think my left shin must of gotten the most sun because I have this pain in my shin but it only hurts a lot if I am off my feet for a bit and then stand up. If I continue to walk, it doesn't hurt that much.
April 21
Well, quite a few of volunteers have gotten sick recently and have gotten to see this doctor. He is one crazy guy. First of all, he is quite the talker. if someone went to visit him, they shouldn't expect to leave for at least 5 hours and they shouldn't expect him to restrain himself from laughing at you. One of the volunteers he found to be hilarious and he laughed at her quite a bit. Also, in addition to being a doctor, Dr. Sicily (that is what I will call him because he is from Sicily) is also a lawyer and a bit of a arms dealer (he sells guns I guess). Apparently, if he is looking for something in one of his drawers of this big elaborate desk he owns, he will casually pull out a gun and lay it on his desk. He also is fond of giving shots. . . in the butt. All the people I have heard about going there have gotten 3 or 4 shots in the behind. Crazy guy. I am definitely going to hold off if possible to going to visit Dr. Sicily. Although it would make for a good story. . .
April 22
Well I can just say that my left leg is pretty attractive. One might think my right leg is gorgeous, I mean, it does have the slowly fading splotchy sunburn that looks a little like a unfortunate birthmark, but my left leg actually outshines my right one. My left leg, somehow got a much more severe sunburn so in addition so the beautiful scarlet overtones, it has this kind of weird texture. it is kind of strangely smooth. Then, because my burn hurts a lot, I occasionally have this limp that is really worthy of NY fashion week or something. Plus, my left ankle has randomly decided to swell up. It doesn't hurt or itch or anything but I has a cankle effect that really would make any beauty queen jealous. Plus, because of my burns, I haven't really wanted to shave my legs so I now have man-legs. Seriously, if I was a contestant on America's Next Top Model, I would totally win. In fact, my left leg is so amazingly Helen of Troy-esque that on the first episode the would just name me ANTM right away. Beauty just comes easily to me. . .
April 23
Wow. . time as flown! As of today, I only have one more month left in Central America. It's weird to think about all the normal stuff from home that I haven't seen for two and a half months and all the things that are normal for me here that I won't see when I am back in the states. Some of it is obvious stuff like I haven't had graters or Chinese food or gone to a movie theater but I don't really miss it. It's like I have two different lives sort of. Like I am a different person here. My personality isn't that different (except for the fact that I haven't been the weird crazy person like am with my family- I don´t want to scare people) but the way I do things is different. When I want a treat at home, graters is the place to go. Here, I go across the street to the pulperia and get oreos and fast food isn't wendy's or Mc Donalds, it's grabbing a bag of mango slices or these cheesy tortillas from a lady in the park. Life is just sort of different here. It will be strange when I go home but I am looking forward to it. I am not really homesick but I am looking forward to being around people that I have known for longer than a couple months. To be in a place that I am totally familiar and comfortable with. Not that I am uncomfortable here, but it's not home (literally or culturally).
April 24
Well I haven't been doing much lately, just hanging around the house. My leg has been bothering me and I don't want to irritate my ankle by being to active (I want to discourage the cankleism) so I have been watching tv, reading, talking, etc. I did go out once to run a couple errands and I stopped by this used bookstore. I have this place because they have a fairly good selection for a store its size (tiny). You can buy books and then sell it back to them for half price. That's where I got To Kill a Mockingbird and this other book that I got which was stupid and so I sold it back for Persuasion. I haven't read many Jane Austen books but I love P&P but I had seen the movie before so I was familiar with the dialogue and plot which helped a lot. I am really excited to read it. YAY!!
I am really happy to report that I got my hands on some proper peanut butter! Becky picked some up for me at this stand that is on the way to the school she works at. It is so great! Seriously, peanut butter is like cigarrettes in prison here or something. It´s like that one thing that all the americans go crazy for. . . and I got some!
April 25
Because of my leg (that is now oozing junk) I have been watching a lot more tv lately, including the news. Specifically I have been watching CNN world. All week they have been focusing on what they are calling the global food crisis. It's scary stuff. I guess food prices are growing at a really high rate because of a lot of factors including alternative fuels. It doesn't look like it going to be getting better either and now people in haiti are eating mud with a little food mixed in and people in Egypt can only buy 7 eggs when not to long ago they could have bought 12 with the same amount of money. It is really scary. Sometimes the news can totally get me down. I mean between the food crisis and global warming and AIDS and poverty and corruption, sometimes it feels like we are in quite the slump. Maybe it also has to do with the poverty I see here. I am a little freaked out. but people were freaked out 100 years ago about things changing so hopefully it's just me being paranoid. right?
April 26
One thing that someone commented about the other day that has kind of stuck with me is that it must bother some of the poorer Nicaraguans to see all the rich gringos around here. In granada, there are a lot of gringos from europe and the states. Not only is this area popular for tourism, but it is a place where a lot of people have settled down. There are several buisnesses that specifically cater to gringos and there are a lot of touristy stands set up in the park. I wonder if it bothers people to be struggling for money when there are lots of people running around with lots of money in their pockets.
On a brighter note, I am really excited about the new facebook chat! I have been able to have conversations with my friends! I am very happy!
2 comments:
Love "To Kill A Mockingbird". I saw it as a movie many years ago with Gregory Peck as Atitcus (always wanted to own a Great Dane and name him that)and it was great. But saying I saw a movie with Gregory Peck in it makes me sound so old, but the movie was already old when I saw it. Help me out here, Lavonne.
Pat, everything is relative! Just because we enjoy an "oldies" movie doesn't mean that WE are "oldies"! And I bet Kate would really enjoy this "oldies" too, despite her youth :)
Post a Comment