Home Sweet Home

So we've been in Port for a week. It's been a pretty tranquila week. We've been lounging around a lot, trying to avoid the afternoon sun. September is supposedly the hottest month in Nicaragua. Arrived just in time for the heat wave, I guess. It's encouraging to know that the temperature will decrease, though I'm still not sure what the difference will be. I do know that sitting is my favorite new exercise. The output of sweat is similar to that of actually doing exercise.

So the setup right now is not definite. We got set up in what I consider to be a very luxurious house. We're actually living with the landlord's son; and the son's friend used to live here, is now sleeping in a little place next door and basically lives here just the same (he's here to shower and eat). The guys are cool, and it's been to our advantage to have a couple of locals around during our transition time. Still, we are anticipating a move at the end of the month when the rent is up or a few months down the line, so we can get closer to the convent (we're being supported by the Agnesian Sisters) and get set up with a space for the three of us, so it's more conducive to the community living that Cap Corps so fervently seeks.

Things are starting to fall into place a little bit more with the work we'll be doing. It's actually a little amalgam of tasks. For the first couple of months, things will likely be very informal, with the goal in mind of being able to transition to a sort of counselor relationship with the students. The school year runs from mid-February to the end of November, so we're getting here more toward the end of the year. For a couple of months we'll probably be observing classes, assisting some professors and maybe giving some English classes, with the possibility of other classes as well. Once January rolls around, we'll be into more of a set schedule. There's also talk of guitar lessons (surprise!), since the school has like 20 guitars that have been sitting around for years. I've got a lot of practicing to do to get ready to teach kids how to play!

Beyond the work, there's a lot more to get to know. I'm hoping to make some good friends in the market and try to get a deal on some food sometimes. There are supposedly some cool barrios nearby that we've yet to visit. If the opportunity presents itself, it would be great to hop on a bus and see places that are within a couple hours, but I don't know what the funding will allow. We'll see how the first couple months go.

So far, Bilwi is pretty much what I expected it to be. Maybe a little bit more :). Languages abound. Between Spanish, Creole, Miskito and some broken English, it takes a few seconds to distinguish the language and then begin deciphering what is actually being said. I think there's actually another language in there that I'm forgetting about. I know I'm hoping to get hooked up with some Miskito language classes to get some idea of what people are saying and to be able to go to Sunday mass at 10am and not be totally perplexed.

I'm glad to have a little time to relax right now. With Nicaragua celebrating Central America's Independence, there hasn't been much going on since we got here. Next week we'll start getting into the work routine and get an idea of how things will actually go. Until then, just more tranquilo living.

The transition has been more difficult than I had expected it to be. Having gone through the living abroad thing when I studied abroad in Quito, I figured it would be easy to adjust to living in a different country. But the fact that the living setup is different and the fact that I'm going to be here twice as long as when I studied abroad makes this time a bit heavier. It's hard to be away from the family and friends I've always been around. It's also difficult to be away from the activities I'm used to doing. It's definitely a bigger adjustment than I had anticipated, but so far I haven't had anymore breakdowns. I think having less to do gives me more time to think and long for things I'm used to, so once we start working, my mind will hopefully be more distracted.

In any case, this is my home until the calendar turns to 2011. It's crazy to think about all the changes I'll undergo, my family will undergo, my friends will undergo, my country will undergo in the time I'm here in Nicaragua. With any luck, the changes will be for the better :).