Making Chinandega Home

I’ve been in Chinandega for a whole two weeks now and life has changed so much now that I’ve gotten to my site.  My first weeks have been jammed packed, challenging, and exciting all at the same time.  Some highlights have been getting to know my students and teachers in my institutes via class and a 50^th Anniversary Dance Performance Celebration at one of my schools last Friday night.  I attended one of my counterparts son’s 1^st Birthday party.  Got some surfing in as well as a narly sunburn.  I’ve met new volunteer friends, Nicaraguan locals, attended salsa dance class from a well-known local, and identified my future guitar teacher.  I’ve really enjoyed discovering the local eateries, using public transportation and investigating the city grid via my new bike. 

This last Saturday was my region’s Peace Corps Anniversary Celebration for 50 years of service around the world(Are you seeing the 50 yr theme?).  It was great to meet all 32 volunteers in my region and put faces with names.  Many of us decided to celebrate that evening with a reggae concert at a beach side club, which was a real treat.

I’ve also encountered some challenges like another parasite and a head cold.  Living with in my budget is not only going to be a challenge, but down right near impossible in a city.  Cooking for yourself in a foreign country is quite a challenge as well as when you’re starting from scratch.   I’m lucky that there are grocery stores with packaged goods, but it’s cheaper to trudge through the packed open-air markets for fruits, beans, tortillas and vegetables.  My biggest cooking accomplishment was fish tacos this last week.  When I don’t feel like cooking after a long day I’ve also identified a great pupusa joint as well as American fixes for hamburgers, chicken wraps, subways and paninis, but that’s about it for American food so hope that lasts me for 2 years!  I have actually found myself craving Nicaraguan Fritanga food, which is fried street side fair!  My favorite place serves grilled chicken, rice, beans, cabbage salad and fried plantains.  Yea that’s right I actually think about wanting to eat Nicaraguan food, its really good up here in Chinandega! There are other expensive Nicaraguan restaurants that my budget would only allow every great once in awhile.  Can you tell that a majority of my day is spent thinking about food?  I think it has something to do with the fact that I have such limited access that we constantly obsess over food as volunteers and fantasize about things we miss ha ha.  For me its asparagus, salmon, scallops, spinach, red peppers, hummus, good cheese, wine and really good deserts!  Oh god I have to stop!

I’ve been meaning to take my camera around the city to take pictures of all the cathedrals and points of interest.  Chinandega is by no means a touristy city and this rubia sticks out like a soar thumb.  I think I’m probably the only blonde girl in town besides another blonde woman who I met at the bank this weekend who owns a hotel out on the coast.  I’m told daily that I’m beautiful and quotes such as “ahh mommy”, “I love you”, and “Guerra Bonita” are all too common.  Self-esteem booster right?  Not! Usually these comments are accompanied with some other atrocious comments that I ignore.  Even though I’m in a big city I cannot avoid the machismo culture that plagues this country.  Women are a piece of meat on the street and men behave as such.  I guess the positive is people will get to know me really quick if I look like such an outsider it’ll be hard to forget me!

Work wise I’m really enjoying the different institutes where I’m assisting my teachers in teaching the Entrepreneurship coarse.   I’ll also be working with the mayor and local school system to organize a regional competition for all the business plans that come out of my course.  I’ve met with several nonprofits these past weeks to identify where I can add value in areas of microfinance, business training, and consulting.  I’ve already agreed to assist a fellow HIV/Health volunteer with a group of sex workers that he works with to identify ways they could start a business instead of surviving off of selling their bodies for a living.

I feel very fortunate to have some really great site mates here in the city of Chinandega.  I give major props to the volunteers out there that are going through this whole process in a really rural community and with out other volunteers to show them the ropes or support them.  I have to say having the Peace Corps network has made the transition to life in a foreign country that much more manageable.

No major concerns accept for skin cancer.  The sun is hot and strong and I’m doing a ton of walking and biking.  Oh and did I mention its ridiculously hot!  I find myself escaping to bars or the bank for AC!  Holy cow I sweat so much here! Ok kids stay cool for me!